Throne of Roses

Chapter 6

They were all on the roof of the Riverfront Estate, Kaden and Nehemiah sat on the bench to watch the fight, Amren sat on the one next to them reading. Cassian was in the centre of the ring waiting for Lillian.
'I don't think this is a good idea.' Rhys said looking worried.
'Why not.' Lillian asked. 'I won't kill him. Don't worry.' She was serious which Rhys thought was either extremely brave of her or extremely stupid, though she seemed to be smart.
'I'll have a shield around your stomach.' Feyre informed Lillian, quickly snapping a shield of solid wind around Lillian's pregnant belly.
'Thank you.' Lillian said walking towards Cassian. She smiled at him.
'Don't worry I'll be nice. And there's still time to back away.' Cassian said. Lillian just took one of the metal swords and wight it in her hand. It seemed to be fine in weight though it wasn't Goldryn. She stumbled a bit putting the sword in position. Cassian chucked a bit before asking if she was ready, she nodded.
'Three... two... fight.' Feyre counted down for them.
Cassian lunged halfheartedly and Lillian parried, again stumbling a bit.
'I can't watch' Mor said closing her eyes. Though everyone else was watching including Amren.
Cassian lunged again and Lillian deflected, stumbling a little less. She was smiling despite there being no chance that she could win and all of the Night Court knew it. Though Nehemiah was smiling too, Rhys noticed, and frowned at how happy Nehemia seemed as she was about to witness her mother get hurt. But Lillian was parring or dodging all of Cassian's moves. For about thirty seconds now, but apparently her luck run out because with his next move Cassian cut Lillian's forearm, some of the blood splattered on the ground and Lillian stepped forward. Why in the cauldron would she do that, Rhys thought. She was nervously twitching her foot while blocking and dodging Cassian. Occasionally putting in an attacking move of her own. Then she stepped a few paces back for absolutely no reason Rhys could think of, Cassian followed her. The second he stepped on her blood she attacked twisting the sword out of his hands and flinging it into the air. Cassian paused, she caught his sword and held it behind his neck while holding her own at his throat. Silence. No one seemed to believe what she just did.
'I believe I won.' Lillian said in a sweet venom tone, stepping back and throwing Cassian his sword. Amren burst out laughing.
'How did you do that?' Mor asked, once she got out of her shock.
'Wyrdmarks.' Amren said.
'The best out of three?' Lillian asked. 'I'll give you a chance the next two times.'
'I was off guard.' Cassian tried to excuse his failure, though his family could tell it bothered him, loosing to a human woman, and one that was barely in her mid-twenty's and pregnant. She wasn't even out of breath to the even bigger astonishment of everyone.
Cassian and Lillian got back into possessions and Feyre counted down again. This time Lillian started attacking, she looked more focused this time and her moved were more disciplined and precise like she was doing it her whole life. It looked like a dance, and Feyre though of a painting a small rabbit fighting the wolf. Then Lillian threw the sword to her left hand and fought Cassian using it, her moves not faltering, being as disciplined and precise as with her right. Cassian noticed and was clearly shocked. Lillian was about to use the same move she used last time to disarm Cassian, he was ready this time. Her smile grew. She cut his unprotected chest at the last moment, Cassian swung his sword down in instinct and Lillian kicked it away. She pointed her sword once more to Cassian's throat.
'I win again.' Lillian said merrily as if she just won a card game. She sounded only slightly out of breath which was nothing less then shocking though definitely not more than that she won two fights with Cassian in a row. Cassian looked ready to kill, though also a bit ashamed.
They got back into position for the third and final round, this time they stood  further apart. Lillian gave Cassian that smile that would make most throw the first punch as Feyre once more started to count down. Cassian lunged running top speed at Lillian. She only stood there sword in position, Feyre and Mor not being able to watch what happened next closed their eyes. Cassian was almost on Lillian, Kaden screamed, when in the last moment Lillian side stepped crunching and spinning at the same time, she kicked Cassian in the legs and he fell face flat on the ground. Lillian quickly got up and pointed her sword at Cassian's spine. Silence.
Feyre and Mor opened their eyes after a few more seconds, their eyes almost bulging out of their sockets at what they saw. Lillian standing over Cassian grinning, her sword at his spine.
'I believe I win yet again.' She said pulling her sword away from Cassian's spine and making her way to the weapon wrack to put her sword back. Cassian stayed on the floor for another few moments before he got up and gaped at Lillian. Everyone gaped at her, except for Amren who was back to reading her book and Nehemiah who was smiling at her mother, no sign of surprise on her face. Like watching her mother beat some of the most powerful beings in the world was a normal everyday activity for the small child.
Mor opened and closed her mouth a few times but no words came out. 'How did you do that?' Rhys said still in awe.
Lillian just shrugged as if she just won a card game and not beat the most powerful Illyrian, three times in a fight. Feyre remembered that Lillian's forearm was cut and quickly said; 'I can heal that for you, you'll just have to pull your sleeve up for a moment.'
'No need, it's just a small scratch it will heal by itself soon enough.' Lillian replied almost too fast. 'Though Cassian will need some of that healing.'
'I can heal on my own.' Cassian said and indeed his now naked chest had only a tiny, thin scar as a reminder of what Lillian did to him.
'It's no big deal, really.' Feyre reassured her. Lillian took a deep breath already thinking of all the lies she could tell them to explain her scars as she reluctantly pulled up her sleeve. Feyre sucked in a breath, making everyone's attention go straight to them and then quickly to Lillian's hand. It was scared almost every inch of it.
Rhys! Feyre said through the bond while healing Lillian, shock and distress were evident in his mates voice.
I know.
What happened to her... you think her husband... Feyre couldn't make herself finish that sentence.
'When I was little, not much older then Nehemiah and Kaden. King of a neighbouring kingdom marched his armies into our own he sent an assassin to kill the royal family the day before so everything was in chaos. It took him only a few days to cease control over Terrasen. Another few weeks before the whole continent was at his mercy. The magic has disappeared form our continent a few weeks before that. He...' Lillian paused unable to continue. 'He butchered anyone who stood against him and some who didn't, my parents included. I was lucky, I managed to get away but a few years later I was captured and sent to a death camp, where I was a slave for a year before my friends managed to get me out.'
Nehemiah came up to her mother then and hugged her leg, Lillian put her hand on her daughter's back. No one spoke for a few minutes.
'Anyways they were wrong the princess survived despite her young age. She killed the King and took back her throne a few years later.' Lillian said trying to sound upbeat but not fooling anyone.

The inner circle soon went to their beds and Lillian found herself on a couch drinking tea and talking with Feyre and Rhys, while Nehemiah and Kaden played in the other room. Feyre has finished telling Lillian the story of her fathers down fall, her falling for the High Lord of spring and giving herself for him and later him locking her. She told Lillian of how Rhys had saved her and how they had fallen in love, mated and fought Hybern. 'Well I think it's time to put the kids to bed. We'll continue tomorrow.' Feyre finished. 'Would you like to stay here or go back to the House of Wind?' Feyre asked, not knowing which one would be a better option. She didn't know whether Lillian was comfortable enough with them to stay the night.
'I think we'd like to stay here if it's not a problem.' Lillian smiled.
'Great, I'll take you two to your rooms.' Feyre said smiling. And led Lillian and Nehemiah to the rooms they would be staying in.