Nightfully ;Azriel

16

The following weeks went by in a blur, she spent most of her time in the shop with Ms.Robins and the rest with Benjamin. She was trying her best to feel something more with him other than just attraction yet she couldn't seem to find it no matter how deep she dug and as the time grew nearer for her to finally answer the marriage proposal, she felt more anxious. 

Not to mention the human queens would  be returning to their home and that made her more nervous than anything. It would be their final decision today, whether they were going to help in the war or curse those over the wall to eternal damnation. 

If there was one thing for sure, if they were going to refuse help, she was going to snap. Althea didn't know what she would do, maybe she'd cry or maybe she'd feel so much anger that she'd start screaming. Knowing herself she'd probably do both. She tried to hide the eye bags that adjourned her face with some makeup Nesta bought her the day before but it was lighter than her skin tone, if anything it made her look like a living zombie so she had to wipe off her makeup and start again.

Althea didn't try to look as good as the week before. She wore the pastel pink dress the same dress she wore when she first met Benjamin, and let her hair fall past her shoulders down to the base of her back and since she slept with braids yesterday her hair fell in waves. She wore some jewellery to top off her look before slipping into white pumps making her way out of her room and into the hallway where her two older sisters waited. 

They were all stiff, yet unlike her they dressed like queens themselves. 

"You still have time to change."  Nesta spoke up first as soon as she saw her. 

Althea's blue eyes met her matching ones and forced a smile. "The queens lost my respect, I'm not going to try too hard to impress them." 

Nesta didn't try to argue, as if what Althea said made perfect sense to her. Elain stood besides Nesta looking as pretty and delicate as a flower. She smiled softly at them both, she was tired of being tired. 

They shared a look as if they realised something was up yet they said nothing as they descended as a trio down into the living room.

Althea saw the faes once again waiting in the living room and she felt a rush of deja vu. It wasn't going to end well, she felt that much. And Althea learnt never to ignore her hunches anymore. Yet she said nothing and moved to the corner besides the window alongside her sisters, Elain's flowers in full bloom behind them. Althea appreciated the beauty of them before turning her attention back to the group ahead of them. 

They all seemed tense, just like she did yet she felt their confidence, the hope they had oozed out of them like a spring fountain, she bathed in it. Hoping that some of their hope would rub onto her. Yet with no avail she felt nothing, not a spark. Nothing. 

Her eyes wandered across everyone before landing on her sister and the highlord who stood side by side with their fingers intertwined. She knew it, Althea couldn't fight the grin that slipped onto her face and when her and Feyre's eyes locked she mouthed 'I told you' which Feyre grinned at.  

She ignored the burning sensation that blossomed when her eyes met Azriel's. She thought back to her dream a couple of weeks ago, how he looked shirtless and how the shadows moved at his commands and to his emotions. He was beautifully dangerous. Her eyes slipped away from his not a second later as she felt her cheeks heat up and she cleared her throat.

Yet when only two queens arrived she felt her content smile slip off her face. She shared a look with Nesta who seemed just as anxious as her. 

The eldest queen slid her cunning eyes over her sister and Rhysand, their hands, their crowns, and merely sat without their  bidding, adjusting the skirts of her emerald gown around her. The golden queen remained standing for a moment longer, her shining, curly head angling slightly. Her red lips twitched upward as she claimed the seat beside her companion.