Azriel, Cassian, and I met to make a plan for my parents and their legion to the east. First, I would go into the camp and walk straight for my parents house. I'd wear a cloak to cover my wings and Illyrian fighting leathers.

Then, Cassian and Azriel would make their grand entrance. And the rest... was under my jurisdiction from there.

We flew to the camp the next morning, moving slow as my wings adjusted to longer bouts of travel. When we got there, we landed some ways away from the camp. Cassian took the cloak from his satchel and drew it around my shoulders and clasped it at my neck. He then went about smudging dirt into my face and I laughed when he ticked my neck.

"There you go, miss runaway." He says with a wink and poked my nose for added measure. I smacked his arm.

"Yeah, yeah. That's enough."

Azriel took my hand and kissed the top of my head. "You ready?" He asks gently, thumb rubbing across my knuckles.

I nodded. "Yes I am." Those familiar shadows curled around my ankles as I released his hand and walked away towards the entrance of the camp.

And this time, I sent my own shadows to curl around his wrists and wrap around his fingers, as if I was there holding them.

I approached the entrance to the camp and the guards spotted me and shouted, "Halt!"

"Wait, it's me! A-Adrianna Meridian."

They looked at one another in stunned confusion. "Weren't you married off?"

"H-He was a traitor. I am abandoned." I said softly, voice shaking for added measure. "S-So I came h-home."

A guard stomped down the slight hill to me and pulled back my hood. "Mother, it is Adrianna." He grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me up the hill towards the camp. Azriel's shadows on my ankles tightened even more. I tightened mine around his hands so he'd know it was ok.

"Look! Adrianna the camp entertainer is back!" He said and roughly shoved me towards a group of men who laughed and jeered at me. I was with most of them, some more than once. I clenched my jaw as they all grabbed at me and I merely swatted their hands away.

"Where are my parents?" I gritted out, voice hard as stone. I voice they had never heard from me.

I knew now Cassian and Azriel were moving into position, getting ready.

"Same place they always are." One man said, jutting his jaw towards my old house.

I looked to it and stuffed down the memories, and merely turned away from them and walked with purpose towards the building. I had a small gathering following me now, others looking up front their tents to watch me bang on the door, hand balled into a tight fist.

Azriel's shadows curled up my calves slightly, supporting me. Keeping me steady. I could do this. I could face them. For all the did to me. They would suffer. They would pay. I am the High Lord's daughter, the Spymaster's Assassin and mate. They are beneath me.

The door opened and my fake father looked out at me, and for a moment he was surprised, then his face soured into disgust.

"Adrianna? Aren't you married? Shouldn't you be warming your husband's bed?" Poisoned words laced with contempt.

I would not shrink back. "I'm afraid not, father. You married me off to a traitor to the Nigh Court. A spy for Hybern of all people, so I'd say your judgement in that matter is very skewed. The High Lord has him imprisoned at this very moment."

There were shocked murmurings in the crowd and my mother appeared next to my father, not giving any trace of care as her face remained as stoic as ever.

I, a female, had insulted a lord. In other circumstances, I'd be beaten and raped for that crime, to remind me of who my dominants were. But never again.

Now, I was the one they would bow to.

"But you see, Lord Meridian, I am not here to talk to you about Haven or even my failed marriage." I said and reached up and untie the cloak that covered my wings. "I'm here on more official matters, actually. One of Court importance."

"Court importance? What in the Cauldron's name could you have to tell me that is important, girl?" Lord Meridian sneered.

A slight grin crossed my face as I dropped the cloak and my wings flared out behind me, no longer clamped, but huge, powerful, and scarred. I glared at him, then drew a sword from the scabbard at my hip, studying the blade and swinging it to my side. Soldiers stiffened all around as I confronted their Lord and did nothing.

I was something else entirely now, and they knew it.

"Perhaps you didn't hear. It's been spoken of for a while now. I ended up Under the Mountain. I was put in the Ring for fifty years. I got to be pretty good and I won every battle I fought. I even killed Regim. He died with his wings sliced down the middle and with no head, might I add."

All eyes were on me.

"I also received a new title. From the High Lord. I am now a part of his Court. I am the Spymaster's Assassin as well as his mate."

Silence. Then, boisterous laughter from the gathered Illyrians.

As if on cue, Cassian and Azriel landed behind me, not even a weapon drawn, and the camp went dead silent as power radiated off of them and their blue and red Syphons glowed with my silver ones.

Azriel's arm wrapped around my shoulders. "Are they giving you trouble, my love?" He asked, sending a look of rage towards the Meridians and they shrank back.

I tilted my head to the side. "Hm. Not for much longer." I mused, my eyes narrowing on Lord and Lady Meridian. "Why don't you two come out of there? I'm sure the High Lord would love to speak with the two of you." I say. "And you can't exactly refuse him. I'm sure Lord General Cassian will take care of the camp in your absence."

Cassian crossed his arms and settled a harsh glare on the camp. "Sloppy. Weak. Unorganized is what this place is. Who is your commander?"

I watched as the man who caught me flying that day so long ago step forward, no longer sneering at me, but almost seeming afraid. Good.

He bowed his head to Cassian. "My Lord General. I apologize to displease you, I-"

"Stop it. I'm in charge now. Azriel, Adrianna, you can feel free to take Lord and Lady Meridian to Court. I have some idiots to deal with." Cassian snarled then looked back to the soldiers and there wasn't one who didn't look terrified.

I turned to the Meridians and said, "Well? Come along. We aren't waiting all day. You won't be needing anything from home where you are going."

When they didn't move, Azriel disappeared into shadows, then reappeared behind them and shoved them, hard, out of the house where they landed at my feet, trembling.

I kneeled in front of them, sword coming up to lift Lord Meridian's chin up and growled, "I guess Ravenna seemed to fail to mention a few things to you when she dropped me off at your door and paid you for any inconveniences." I snarled. Their faces went ashen as I grabbed them by their collars and hoisted them to their feet, Azriel securing their arms behind them with chains and cuffs, pulling tight enough to make them wince.

"And what is that she failed to mention?" Lord Meridian asked.

I tilted my head to the side and said with a grin, "That I was meant to be treated with respect. After all, I am as royal as royal can be. Now. Let's go talk to my real father." I snarled in his face and Azriel and I disappeared into shadows with them.

We reappeared at the Court of Dreams and dropped them on the balcony in a heap, landing on either side of them. Azriel grabbed my father and I my mother and we dragged them off to where Rhys was waiting with Feyre, Mor, and Amren.

We got to the throne room, a pair of guards opening the doors for us and when we entered the room, the Meridians recoiled in fear as Rhys settled an angry violet glare on them.

We dropped them at the base of the throne and bowed our heads to Rhys.

I felt him tap at my mental shield and I opened it a little so he could ask, Are you ready for them to know?

Asking permission. I nodded.

He need and withdrew and by the looks of concealed shock on Mor and Amren's faces as they stared at me, I knew he told them.

Rhys didn't bother standing from his throne as he snarled, "So this is the infamous Lord and Lady Meridian." He tilted his head to the side. "Adrianna told me all about her stay with you two. And I do have to say, I am not pleased."

"My High Lord Rhysand. We had no idea who Ravenna was. She merely said she needed help and was willing to pay for our protection of the baby she brought with her." Lord Meridian said. "We-"

"You had no idea." Rhys cut in coolly, a glare settling on his face as he stood. "You had no idea." He repeated, mockingly with a hiss. I looked to Feyre to see a look of rage on her face as she stared them down. There was a crown on her head. Mor and Amren seemed just as displeased.

Women gathered around the High Lord as he called out their misogyny and a woman brought them to their knees.

"Well, you shall know now, that what you did to my daughter, my heir, is punishable by death. If not worse." Rhys said and the room went still as stone. "But you see, the jurisdiction of such executions falls under my Court Assassin and her mate, my Spymaster. So, what will it be, Adrianna?" He looks to me, giving me the power, and I looked down at Lord and Lady Meridian as they began to shake all over. My foster mother began to cry. I felt nothing for her.

"Hm. There is a lot to think about. They had me whored away for a hundred years, selling me off night after night. They also beat me quite frequently. Rarely fed me. Had my ribs broken and my wings clamped. My face beaten, too, before bringing me before the male I was going to marry, who turned out to be a traitor." I stood in front of them, and for the first time in my entire life, I saw fear in their eyes as they looked up at me. "Perhaps we should clamp their wings, too. Break their ribs. Bruise their faces. And then lock them away to rot in a jail cell. Alone. For a hundred years." I stood and they began to shake all over.

"Please, mercy, my lady. My High Lord." Lord Meridian begged, falling to bow with his face in the stone floor.

I looked down on him and said with a sneer the words he had said to me so often. "Come on, now. Show some self respect. Get yourself together. It's only a beating. You'll learn soon enough your place in this world."

He looked up at me in horror and I kicked him in the face, causing him to fall limply to the floor.

Lady Meridian looked up at me, her face pleading me. And I looked away and walked away as she had done to me every night she sold me to some other man to be their little play thing for the night. I felt nothing as I watched guards come in and dragged them off to the dungeons to do as I had said. A clamping. Broken ribs. Bruised face. And private cells so they could waste away for the hundred years they ruined me.

And then I looked up and I saw Rhys holding his arms out to me, and tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks and I ran into them and he hugged me tightly, hand holding the back of my head to his shoulder as he held me and I cried into his shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you, Adrianna. You did it." He whispered and hugged me even tighter. A second hand moved to my shoulder and squeezed it gently.

I smiled a bit more. Family. This was family.