1 Chapter 1

It was a hot spring morning, and the air inside the House of Wind was sticky with sweat. Down onto the lower levels of the palace, a slim, female figure darted around the training mat, heaving heavy breaths. Across from her, danced a strongly built illyrian male, his long thick hair tied partially back in bun, and his skin gleaming with sweat.

'This is it', the female thought, 'this is my shot.'

Smirking at the male, she winnowed behind him, using her arms to wrap around him and pull him into the ground.

'I've got him' she smirked, until suddenly the tides turned.

The male slammed her down onto the mat and held her in a choke. Unable to get up, the female lay there defeated - and with a banging headache.

Getting up, she limped to get a towel. "I think that's enough for today," she managed to gasp out after a few short moments of rest.

The male chuckled, his great wings stretching out behind him. "If it wasn't for the fact we had the Spring Court coming tonight I'd have you training all day."

Shit. She'd forgotten about that. The Spring Courts first official visit to the Night Court in hundreds of years - and she was meant to be there to greet them. "Well then Cass," she addressed the male," it seems I have to go and get ready, we don't want a repeat of last time."

Last year the visit from Tarquin, the High Lord of the Summer Court , had slipped her mind and she had walked in, in nothing but shorts and a t-shirt, banked with sweat from her training with Cassian. It was an incident that had rocked the inner circle into bursts of laughter - all except her father, who had sadly not found it as amusing.

Giving Cassian one last smile, the already tired female winnowed to the opposite end of her home city, Velaris. She arrived at her apartment along the riverbank, overlooking the rainbow of Velaris. It was a 2 bedroom apartment with an en suite, suitable dining area and a large lounge for her family. Not a home fit for the future High Lady of the Night Court, but she preferred to spend her wealth on other things. She had previously lived in her family's large estate, but as she got older, she found she needed time away from the boisterous household.

Walking into her room, she was greeted by her handmaid, Bridgett, laying out her dress for the evening. It was fit for a queen. A close fitting, strapless black bodice with floating ruffled skirts.

Clothes were one of her favourite things; the choices, the colours and the jewels Bridget picked out for her always made her heart stop.

As Bridgett begun to dress for the evening she couldn't help but let her mind drift to the night ahead. Tamlin, High Lord of Spring, would be coming along with his son, Brennon, to the House Of Wind. Not the best choice, but her mother refused for Tamlin to be in their home, and their palace about the Hewn City wasn't the most welcome place. None of her court had ever seen him, and none of them knew what to expect. His father had shielded him from the world, even from his birth, and this is one of his first public appearances outside of his court. God knows why Tamlin picked their court as Brennan's trial run, the thought had been plaguing her mind for the past couple of days.

With a tap on the shoulder, she looked up into the mirror.

"It is done my lady," smiled Bridget. What she had done was gorgeous. Her deep purple hair was half up, half down, with some of  it braided round to the back of her head to meet together. The violet eyes she possessed had been dusted into a purple smokey eye, and her lashes curled. Her lips remained light, as she liked them and she turned to hug Bridgett with all her might and gratitude.

"My lady," she turned,"I'd almost forgotten something!" She pulled out a crown made of starlight. It was carved diamonds and had been made to mimic the moon cycle and the billions of twinkling stars in the sky, it was her favourite. Placing the crown on her head she smiled, she was ready.

As she turned to leave, Bridgett called out her name. "Oh, and Lorelai? Try to play nice."

She chuckled out a deep grin, "I have no idea what your talking about."