A Court of Blood and Glory

The Fall

We returned to the house as the sun set, wondering if our friends would be waiting for us. When we entered we found the winged Illyrians, Mor and Amren nowhere in sight.
"What's going on?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"We need you two to come to the House of Wind. Now." Azriel responded, careful to avoid my gaze. Rhys stiffened besides me, and I placed my hand on his back, sending him images down the bond of us together. We needed him calm for what we were about to do.
"Cassian will take me and Azriel can carry you my love." I didn't think he could handle being carried by Cassian. Ever.
We winnowed up to the rooftop where Cassian picked my up, Rhys only just suppressing a growl. Azriel held Rhys and before he could protest we shot into the sky, Velaris spread out beneath us. It took less than two minute, Azriel and Cassian were flying as fast as possible for Rhys's sake. When we touched down in the House of Wind I immediately embraced Rhys, telling him that it would be ok, whilst Cassian and Azriel went over to the huge table piled high with paper.

As we entered the room our friends dropped to their knees, a hand on their chest.

"We will protect and serve, High Lady." They all said in unison. I was so touched by the gesture that I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded, but they all seemed to understand what I meant.
I turned to Rhys, needing to know if he was ok, if he could survive without his wings. But the male I saw next I me was clearly not coping. No amount of love, no amount of calming touches could snuff out the rage causing his blood to boil, and I knew at that point that the Rhys I had fallen in love with, had sworn my mating vows to, would never surface again.

Rhysand

I was furious. I was more than furious. I was ready to kill that fucking son of a bitch, and make him suffer tremendously before hand.
I had known what my family were trying to do, using my mating with Feyre to try and help me recover enough to be carried by my friends. By the winged Illyrians.
Yet soaring over Velaris had only reminded me of what I'd lost, what Tamlin had stolen from me, and I couldn't think about anything else other than revenge.
When Feyre has turned to me, wanting to see how I was coping, she didn't have to ask, didn't have to use our bond to know how I faired. Rage, undying rage, lined every part of me, and she had none in that moment that I had changed, and not for the better.
Cassian, that bastard, decided to try and calm me. What an idiot he was. Nothing could calm me, could bring back the Rhys they all loved. Not even one of Cassian's jokes, meant to break through my pain to make me smile, make me myself again.
They didn't understand that this was who I was now.
So I decided to show them. By throwing Cassian off the side of the house, his wings bound and darkness surrounding him, cutting off his senses to make winnowing impossible. It was when Azriel jumped off after him that I realised that I had gone too far to go back.
I'd always feared that I would become the ever feared High Lord of the Court of Nightmares. Always tried to ensure that he was just an act.
I wasn't acting now. The High Lord of the Court Of Dreams had entered the House of Wind.
The High Lord of the Court of Nightmares was the one that left. I no longer had to wear a mask when visiting Keir. From then on that mask became my real face.