Lucien walked into his bedroom, a hand pressed against his forehead. This encounter had been exceedingly stressful. Much more so than planned. They had tracked her through the woods of the Night Court. She had...she had really alarmed him. How did everything go so wrong?
The sound of Tamlin destroying the study again made the throbbing in his head worse. When would this shit end? He just wanted his friend back. He just wanted everything to return to normal. Gently, he shut the door and set his head against the cool wood. The sounds of his Lord thrashing about and breaking everything in his path lessened through the thick material.
Before Lucien had time to relax, someone behind him cleared their throat. He turned to find Feyre's sharp-witted handmaid sitting in the chair by his desk. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her foot tapped, impatiently.
"Hello, Lucien."
Groaning, he fell against the door.
"We need to have a chat," Alis said, uncrossing her arms and placing them on the arms of the chair. She leaned back a bit. "Preferably before I am summoned to clean up Tamlin's mess."
"Can't this wait?"
She ignored his question, completely. "Did you see her?"
He smirked. "You always were ridiculously forward with everyone." She did not seem amused. He sighed, heavily, and slid down the door to sit on the floor. "Fine. Yes, I saw her."
Alis stayed quiet, expecting him to continue. Her small hands were clutching the chair. Lucien eased his aching head back on to the door and stared up, the image of Feyre in the woods flashing in his memory. "She's...changed."
"She was changed when she came back from Under the Mountain. Only a fool would not have seen it. What you are witnessing now is backlash for the mistakes we made keeping her locked in this house."
"Are you calling your High Lord a fool, Alis?" He looked pointedly at her, his gold eye narrowing in. She glared at him and crossed her arms again.
"Only a fool wouldn't have noticed what she was going through," she reiterated.
He nodded. "Yes, of course. She felt the need to remind me, as well. I will always regret not pushing harder for her." Lucien hung his head. "As usual, this is all my fault"
"Oh, please. While you did next to nothing to help her, you are not the instigator."
He chuckled, quietly. "How heartwarming, Alis. Standing up for the less-fortunate."
"I certainly hope Feyre put you in your place while you were in her presence." He ceased laughing, but his lips remained turned upward.
You gave up on me, she had said. His smile faded as he thought about the encounter. "She might have done just that." He saw a glint of a smile on the maid's lips. "To be honest, she looked good. I know you worry for her."
"Don't pretend that you don't," she retorted. "No one has been the same since she left, and that includes you." She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in the chair once again. "So she looked fed?"
"Yes. She looks like a person again," Lucien answered with a slight nod. Alis released a sigh. He heard her relief in it. "And while she seemed angry to see me, her eyes looked...happy. I can't imagine how, living in the Night Court..."
"Anything else?"
"Her shifted form is rather frightening, actually."
"How so?"
"Wings like a bat...and long, black talons."
"I imagine she'll give Tamlin a run for his money," she said, with a smile.
"I should think so," he said, pushing himself off the door to stand. "He should have started training her when he had the chance. Now, I am afraid he may need to start running with his tail between his legs." Once he was on his feet, he looked back to the maid. He had expected her to laugh at his joke but, her smile had vanished. A startlingly serious look was set in her features.
"There is another thing we need to discuss." He moved to his bed and leaned against one of the posts.
"And what is that?"
"I know what it is that you two are doing when you go to the border, Lucien. I am not a fool," Alis ground out, shifting in her seat. He froze. He had not even thought- "I did not leave the Summer Court for you two to go gallivanting around Prythian with the same kind of Fae who-" She started to stand from the chair, her voice rising.
"You know, we cannot go against our orders, Alis," he said, sharply, cutting her off. She was taken aback by his harshness and sat again. She was silent for a long moment. Staring at him. Assessing him.
"You are still your own man, Lucien. I know you are not the coward you seem to act like."
"Under pain for death, I had to do as he commands. I swore my allegiance to him."
"Then maybe...," Alis started, with a sigh. She paused, debating on saying what was in her mind.
"Don't say-"
"Maybe," start started again. This time, she lifted herself to her feet, standing tall. "It's time to swear your allegiance elsewhere."
Utter.
Silence.
The two stared at each other, the air between them heavy.
"I can't be listening to this, Alis," he said, his voice a mere whisper. "If Tamlin heard you say such-"
"I don't care about Tamlin," Alis almost spat. "He took me in, yes. He has guarded me and let my nephews live in peaceful hiding. For that, I am grateful. But my allegiance rests with Prythian. What you two are doing...all because he thinks it's the best for a girl who does not even want to be here anymore...it will rip this world apart."
Lucien straightened off the post, determined not to hear her speak another word about the matter. "I will not speak of this to the High Lord, Alis, and for that you should be thankful." He strode to the door. The raging outside of it seemed to have stopped. For now. He swung the door open and started out of it.
"Lucien!" she yelled behind him.
He paused, mid-step.
"We need to do something. You can't just let this happen." Her voice was almost panicked. He looked over his shoulder, towards her, but not at her. He uttered two words and strode down the hall towards the study.
"I know."