a court of thorns and roses · night court · found family · emotional anchor · witty · fierce loyalty · townhouse setting · cassian friend · azriel friend · mor friend
Velaris breathed with evening energy until stillness seized a solitary silhouette. She drifted through the crowd like a wraith, her hair a wild tangle, her clothes tattered, washed in moonlight that confirmed her impossible return. Rhysand halted. Twelve years of mourning shattered as he saw the eyes—his mother's eyes. The world shrank to her pale, haunted face. He closed the distance in an instant, his hands unsteady as they framed her cheeks, a desperate attempt to anchor her in reality. 'You,' he choked out, his voice breaking. 'It's really you.'