Diana

Who are you?

"Who are you" I can hear a deep, rough voice ask me. I couldn't see who was asking, my head was pushed to the side and positioned away from it. I didn't know when I had been pushed to the floor or when the knife left my throat. It felt like I was spinning due to my malnourished body being pushed to dog-tired weariness from running and as I slammed into the warm earth I knew how utterly defensive I was like this. "Who are you" the voice spoke again, but was more demanding this time, this time their tone was promising violence if I did not answer quickly. I tried to speak but I was out of breath from running and being pushed into dirt.

"Miriam" I panted as one of the men shoved the heal of his boot in my back discontented with my lack of response, of course that wasn't my actual name but I didn't know if these men where friend or foe yet.

"Why are you here" he spat at me as I tried with all my might to wriggle free of my captor's hand and feet on me. I could feel my wings being pinned down causing me to yelp and one of the men to snigger.

"Get off me!" I tried to muster as much swagger and dominance in my voice as possible but it just came out a horse shriek. This time one of the men had the audacity to laugh out right, and I could hear the growl emitted from the speaker at my lack of useful answers.

"I demand you answer me, or I will take you to the high lord of summer." the leader spoke down to me, his tone not softening but becoming more and more condescending and sinister throughout our entire exchange.

"I'm just trying to get home" I stated through gritted teeth, "so if you would kindly let me go, I'll be on my way" gaining some of my confidence and swagger back, I was the princess of the night court and I would certainly act like it. However, I could feel the grip on my arms and the heals in my back dig in deeper due to my insolence, until...

"release her" this time the commander wasn't talking to me and as I stood up I donned the mask of the princess I was, cunning ruthless and cruel. I schooled my features into a lethal passive calm as I stood and faced the voice. Fear ran through me as I recognised the beautiful white hair and striking turquoise eyes that matched well with the dark skin, so not just a guard but one of the royal family of the summer court, fan – bloody- tastic. There was recognition in his features as he gazed upon my too thin fail frame, jutting cheekbones and hollow sunken eyes and he asked me again "who are you?" eyes narrowing this time as if I were some puzzle he was trying to understand.

"I have already answered that. Now what I want to know." I dropped my voice low into a tone that promised violence, well as much as it could in my current state, "is who you are and how you found me". The attractive male seemed confused by my boldness and my lack of knowledge to who he was.

"I am Varian captain of the guard and prince of the summer court," I froze, crap of all the guards to send it had to be the heir or at least I assume he is, but why send the prince. "and I was sent to receive whatever spring court swine wondered into our court." So that'll be why, Nostrus be on poor terms with Tamlin.

"Well you can tell high lord Nostrus that I am no 'spring court swine' as you put it and continue on my way." I tried to slip away as I felt a firm hand grip my elbow, keeping me in place. I felt the reverberations of my growl in my throat as the guard's hand tightened around my frail skin, there would be a bruise by morning.

"what do you mean 'Nostrus'?" I could see the confusion on his face and knew to must have mimicked my own even through my mask. "Nostrus has been dead from a century, he died under the mountain." Wow a lot had changed since my time in that dungeon.

"Oh I apologise I have been away from a while." I could see the confusion and pain at the loss on his face at the loss of his cousin. It suddenly occurs to me Rhys "You say your late high lord died under this mountain?"

"yes, he died under Amanthera rule." He couldn't see where I was going this, good, but who the was this Amanthra?

" what of the other high lords? Surely your high lord wasn't the only effected?" I asked unsure why he was so perplexed, by my question.

After a moment of silence, he answered, it sounded like he was choosing his words carefully. "every court suffered, as for the high lords; Beron, Thesan , Tamlin, Hellion, Kallias and Rhysand survived." At that I visibly relaxed, he was alive, he's okay. I think Varian must have noticed because a moment later he says "where are you going that you need to go through my court and why do you look like you are on your way to death. Starvation perhaps?"

I rolled my eyes, no shit I look like a walking skeleton, my magic had been blocked off just enough to keep my alive but not enough to heal my malnourished state and all my scars. "That is none of your buissnes" I snapped at him, their attention on me heightened and the hand that seized my elbow, tightened slightly. "I need to go through your court, because I'm on my way home, the night court." I knew giving that information away would be risky but that was the only way I could answer without them checking with a high lord, no one contacted the night court.

Once I said that Varians turned to face his soldiers "release her." Was all he said and my arms were dead weights at my side. He then turned to me and simply nodded "come with me". I could have left things at that but I had spent the last five hundred plus years in a dark dungeon, I wasn't about to just walk off with any High Fae. Not again.

"Where" I stated simply, but there was enough authority in my voice directed at him that he turned around.

"To The high lord of the summer court, to take you home." I was flabbergasted and I felt my feet move instictavly towards him. Tarquin can winnow me home, home.

I don't know about this one, it was kind of like a place holder. Next weeks will be better.