Rhysand's Backstory

Wings

So, I'm having lots of fun writing these stories and I enjoy them and hopefully you guys are too! I'm especially excited for this one because I always pictured his little sister and now I get to write about her. I hope you guys do enjoy this as much as I do!

Rhysand
"You have to spread your wings out a little more Am", I yell to her from across the field. I've been trying to teach her how to fly for the past month, but she hasn't gotten the hang of it yet.

"I'm trying to Rhys, I really am!" Whined Amalthea. "Can we take a break please? My back hurts from the weight of my wings." My little sister pleads to me.

I look over to where my sister is and just watch her. "Fine, but when we get back to it, you have to try harder" I say to her. I just want her to learn how to fly so we can fly together over Valeris.

"Hey Rhys?" She asks.
"Yes Amalthea?" I say back to her.

"Can you just give me one more demonstration of how to stretch out my wings and lift off the ground? Pleaseeee?" She requests.

I try not to look into those eyes that are identical to mine. I try to look away, but I just can't resist, and look into my sisters face.
I have to stop giving into her
"Okay, but this counts as your break. You got it?"

Her only answer was a squeal of excitement. She bounds over to me and hugs me. I kneel down in front of her and take her into my arms. I breathe in and smell her lavender scent, and keep it in my mind.
"I love you Amalthea, so... so much. You know that right?" I ask her.
I look up into her face that looks like mine and I give her a smile.

"Yes, I know Rhys. I know you love me, and I love you too. But can you now show me how to stretch your wings out  and lift off?" She says to me.

I then release her from my tight  hug and walk a few feet away from her.
"Okay. Amalthea are you watching and listening?" I ask her.
"Yes", she answers back to me.

"So first you have to believe in yourself that you can do it. That's the most important thing; you have to believe you can do it." I tell her. I look at her and give her a serious face and she just nods back, giving me one of her sweet smiles.
"Next, you have to push out your wings. You have to spread them wide, so the wind can catch on them and you can glide in the air." I demonstrate what I just said, and stretch my big, iridescent, black Illyrian wings out as wide as I can.
I look to my little sister and I see awe in her face.

"Someday I'm going to be able to do that", she proclaims.

"You will be able to do this and many more things. You just have to keep working on it." I tell her.
"Next you have to start flapping your wings. Not too fast, but not too slow. You need it to be a steady pace, and then when you get to that steady pace, you lift off the ground." I show her what I just explained.
"From there on, you flap faster and you go higher. See and that's how you do it, and because I just showed you how that means our break is over and you have to try it." I land back on the ground, and walk over to her.

"What if I can't do it Rhys?" She inquires.

"Remember rule number one? You have to believe in yourself, Am to do it. And I believe in I you too." With that I go up to her and ruffle her black blue hair.
She is a miniature me

"Okay, I'm going to do it!" She exclaimed.  Right after she said that, she started stretching out her Illyrian wings. They looked just like mine and our mothers, except hers were smaller. When her wings were stretched out the farthest they could, she started flapping them. Faster, and faster, to get to a steady pace and when Amalthea got to a steady pace she lifted off the ground.

"Rhys! I'm doing it, I'm flying!" She squeals.

It was one of the best moments of my life; my little sister is flying.
She starts laughing and flapping faster so she can go higher.

I stretch out my wings and start flapping towards her.
"You're getting the hang of it, Am" I tell her. We start flying together higher, and higher.

"Look Rhys! I'm going to do a loop!" She yells in the air.

"Am, I don't think..." I was finishing that sentence when she just made a loop in the air, and she did it well.

"What were you saying Rhys? I didn't hear you, I was too busy making a loop." She asks me, and she knew what I was saying, but she just wanted to be like that.

"Okay, okay I have to hand it to you Am. You're catching on, but still take it easy." I tell her with a serious face.
I'm just scared she would think she is good and does something that will hurt her
I can't think like that, because I know she can take care of herself.

We flew in the air above the field for the rest of the day. When the sun started setting we had to get back to the  House of Wind.
                             ***
It's been a year since Amalthea learned how to fly. Ever since then she practices everyday and she is getting
good at it. Now I look over to my little sister who is flying next to me in the night sky over Valeris. I smile at her, and she smiles back at me.

"If it wasn't for you Rhys, then we wouldn't have had this perfect night." She tells me.

What she told me, brought tears to my eyes but I wouldn't let her see that I have tears.
"I'm just glad that you finally learned" I told her and gave her a big toothy smile and she returned one back to me. We flew for the rest of the night over Valeris, looking at the stars, and the city lights.