All Chapters of Court Of Fae And Ruin: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

MAERWYNN POVWhile the others lingered outside, waiting so as not to overwhelm the council members all at once, Valen moved with purpose, taking a seat at the table opposite the council. It was predictable—the way the councilmen clustered together on one side, leaving the other side completely vacant for him. Valen, however, didn’t seem to mind. In fact, I could tell by the subtle smirk tugging at the corners of his lips that he was enjoying their discomfort. There was something in the way he observed them—how they cowered and whispered—that made me roll my eyes internally.Father stood and moved to the podium, but even then, most eyes were still glued to Valen until he drew attention by clanging two steel rods together sharply. "I welcome you all, and some," he added, eyeing Valen carefully, "to this meeting."I felt my attention wander, slipping from the tension-filled room to where Adrian and Lorcan stood by the wall, silently observing. Adrian’s gaze lingered on me for a moment to

MAERWYN POV“Hard tack?” Edina offered me the stale, unyielding bread—the kind we used to choke down back in the cottage, during the days when life was harder and survival meant scarred hands from hunting to put food on the table.With a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes, I took it from her, biting into the familiar toughness. It wasn’t ideal, but it was part of our past, something ingrained in our routine, a constant during the bleak mornings when we had nothing else. I chewed slowly, each bite reminding me of those difficult days when Father’s pride kept him from asking the townsfolk for help. He was the chief, after all, and in his mind, a chief should provide, not beg.Now, though, things were different. We were better off than most in the town, thanks to Valen and the mysterious magic I had unlocked when I passed the trials. The shift in fortune was surreal, almost disorienting. I couldn’t help but wonder what Ferngrove would’ve become had I failed. Would the famine have drag

MAERWYNN POVThe sun was sinking lower, casting the clearing in hues of gold and orange. I stood in the middle, my skin prickling with unease as shadows stretched across the ground. It wasn’t night yet, but the fading light made it feel like the whole world was holding its breath, waiting.Valen and Rhaenan were somewhere behind me, hidden in the dense trees just beyond the clearing’s edge. I could feel their eyes on me, watching, waiting. My role was clear — stand here, alone, and draw out the Algoths. I hated it. My pulse thrummed in my ears, and my fingers clenched into fists, the air thick with tension.A low breeze stirred, carrying with it the distant sound of screeches — faint, but unmistakable. They were close.I shifted my weight, the grass cool beneath my boots, and focused on keeping my breathing steady. The fading sunlight felt heavy on my shoulders, like the last warmth before the storm. My heartbeat seemed to echo the rhythm of the forest, an unspoken countdown to what w

EDINA POVDinner time had long passed, and Maerwynn still wasn’t here, despite saying she’d return by now. I busied myself, helping the servants arrange the table. Plates, napkins, cutlery—it was something to do, to keep my mind occupied. Father and Adrian hadn’t returned from the harbor either. I didn’t expect to see them until noon tomorrow at the earliest.“Water pitcher, miss,” Helena, one of the younger servants, smiled kindly as she set the pitcher down, her voice soft. I returned the smile, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes, and moved the pitcher to the center of the table, ensuring everything was perfectly in place.Satisfied with my work, I rubbed my hands together, the ring on my finger sliding smoothly as I turned it absentmindedly. A tight smile etched itself on my lips. I hadn’t expected to grow this comfortable around the Faeries, not so quickly. Perhaps it was because watching Maerwynn with them had made it seem so effortless.She was always so free with them, laughi

MAERWYNN POVThe days that followed were as bleak as the encroaching winter. Valen and the others were leaving today, and so was I. Ferngrove had been my home, but Lyria was now my future, not just because of my mating bond with Valen, one of its High Lords, but because unlike Ferngrove, I had earned my place there.I had fought, survived, and therefore, I deserved to live in Lyria. Besides Father and Edina, there was nothing left for me here but names like "Faerie whore." Many in the village had wondered how I survived the trials of Lyria and emerged unscathed, suspiciously close to one of its leaders.Of course, the simplest explanation they could come up with was that I had slept my way through it all. The whispers were painful, but if even Adrian—the one person I thought would stand by me—could say such a thing, then I knew it was on everyone else’s lips too.“You’re gripping that bag awfully tight,” Valen’s voice cut through my thoughts. I looked up to see him leaning casually ag