Autumn's Fall
Sequel to my previous story Visiting Spring. Both Night & Spring Courts have declared war with Autumn after what happened at Calanmai. What will happen to Beron and his sons?
A/N: For the most part this story will be in Feyre's POV, but there will be some sections that are different POV.
I don't have a set update schedule, although I aim to get a new chapter up each weekend.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the ACOTAR series or its characters.
Chapter 1
FEYRE POV
Today is another boring day at the townhouse. Thesan and Madja have colluded and put me under house-arrest – otherwise known as 'taking it easy'. They're worried I'm taking too much on, and with the baby due in less than three months, they say I need to rest more. The rest of the Inner Circle, except Azriel (who is on guard duty) are out on business. Cassian and Nesta went to inspect one of the Illyrian war camps, Elain and Lucien are overseeing a new shipment of spices at the docks, whilst Rhys, Mor and Amren have gone to meet Tarquin and Tamlin in Summer, to discuss Autumn.
Thinking that's it's time for cake, I huff and puff as I struggle to drag myself off the sofa. Obviously, Azriel, Nuala and Cerridwen heard me as the three of them appeared moments later, trying to tell me to stay seated and they would get me whatever I wanted. I told them I wanted the only thing they couldn't help with – I needed to go to the bathing room! Azriel blushed before completely surrounding himself in shadows, while the twins were fussing around trying to help me.
I'm not sure how much more of this fussing I can take. No-one let's me do anything. If I pick something up, it's out of my hands before I can blink, if I try to get something, it appears as soon as I've thought about it. It's getting to be too much. Whilst it wasn't like what happened with Tamlin back when I lived in Spring, it's starting to feel as stifling.
As soon as I've finished in the bathing room I grab my cloak out of my wardrobe and head into Rhys' study, where Azriel has been compiling his spy reports.
"I'm going out Az," I tell him, as I awkwardly swing the cloak around my shoulders.
"What? Ermmm…let me know what you want, and I'll get Nuala or – "
I hold up my hand and he stopped, waiting for me to speak. "I'm telling you that I'm going out. I would have just left, but I know you've got your shadows watching me." I turn and leave the room, heading to the stairs. "I don't care who comes with me," I call back, "but I'm out the door in two minutes!"
I heard Azriel huffing about, "fine!" he shouted. "Let me get these reports filed away and I'll come with you." I smiled to myself as I continued slowly down the stairs.
It was a lovely and sunny – if a little chilly – afternoon for a gentle walk around Velaris. I told Azriel that I wanted to head to the docks and make sure the shipment delivery was going smoothly. Supervising trade in and out of Velaris was a tedious job that I'd taken on after the war as I knew that it bored Rhys and Mor to tears. Lately, Elain and Lucien had taken over from me, and whilst they appeared to be enjoying working together, it wasn't the job to keep them distracted. Elain still hadn't accepted the bond, but they enjoyed being in each other's company, and I thought it would only be a matter of time before she became his mate.
While Elain seemed to be more settled and accepting of her change and new life now, Nesta was still resilient. She steadfastly refused to believe there was anything between her and Cassian, despite the rest of us dropping hints – and Cassian just telling her straight out. He keeps whining that his balls haven't been the same since that encounter! She commands our Illyrian legion with brutal efficiency. They are based at Lord Sterd's war camp, and on several occasions one of the Inner Circle has been called in to break up an argument between her and Lord Sterd.
My sisters have both made headway with controlling their magic. Amren has continued to work with Nesta – as Nesta refuses to work with anyone else – and whilst she is as fractious as ever, she has got more of a handle at controlling the magic during her outbursts. Elain works with whoever is about, and as well as her seer abilities, she also has an ability to calm through her touch. And, whilst it's not using her magic, she has planted up the entire garden at the townhouse.
As we headed towards the docks, Azriel was taking his guard duty far too seriously. He walked along next to me, his shadows swirling around as he constantly had them scouting and reporting back to him, his hand on the hilt of one of his daggers, his eyes roving around. If a faerie tried to come up to me, he would put himself between me and them. I just stood behind him, apologising for his behaviour, whilst the faerie would apologise to him!
Eventually we made it to the dock. Elain was pleased to see that I'd freed myself, but Lucien stood with his arms folded.
"You're supposed to be home, resting," he told me. Elain laughed at his strict tone and demeanour.
"I had to get out," I told him simply, mirroring his posture, making Elain laugh more. "Besides, I wanted to chat to the captains, see what's happening in Prythian and beyond."
"You could have stayed at home and asked me to tell you," Azriel muttered.
"And would you have told me the whole truth?" I countered. "You all think I'm trying to see problems where there aren't any, but I KNOW that something is happening out there. Why do you think I took over this job? It wasn't just to oversee trade, it was to chat to the sailing crews, see what news they have from all over. I like hearing what they have to say." I told them.
What I didn't say was that I had this indescribable feeling that something was going to go wrong in the world. I worried that there would be another Hybern-esque attack. Rhys told me I was worrying too much, and I should enjoy the peace we'd all worked – and fought – so hard for.
After I'd finished talking to the crews I asked to go to the market. Elain put her foot down and ordered me home, saying that everyone was coming for dinner, so I needed time to get back if I intended on walking as I insisted, and not winnowing, as Azriel insisted.
"I thought you were supposed to be resting," Mor shouted as soon as we'd opened the front door.
Rolling my eyes, I mocked under my breath as I put my cloak away in the under-stairs cupboard, "nice to see you Feyre. I've missed you Feyre. Wow, you look good Feyre." I turned around and Mor was stood right behind me, making me jump in surprise. "Jeez Mor! You trying to make me have this baby early?!"
"What?! No, I'm sorry Feyre! Are you ok? I didn't mean it!" Mor blurted out in rapid succession.
I couldn't keep the faux stern look on my face seeing as Mor looked so upset. I gave her a big smile as I drew her in for a hug, "I'm fine, and we missed you."
She chuckled, "I missed you both too. It's been a long two weeks. Honestly, when Rhys said he needed someone to come back home early I nearly peed myself volunteering!"
"Ewwww, Mor!" I exclaimed. "Hang on, why isn't Rhys with you, and is Amren back?"
"They're finishing up in Summer and then they'll be back in time for dinner."
I was so happy. Rhys, Amren and Mor had been away for two weeks, mostly discussing trade, but Tarquin couldn't pass up the opportunity to try and play peacekeeper – he was trying to get Rhys and Tamlin to rescind the formal declarations of war against Autumn. They refused, although they both said that they have no plans of actually going to war; it was more like, severing trade ties, recalling envoys and making things generally unpleasant for Autumn with the other Courts.
The seven members of the Inner Circle who were present were all waiting in the sitting room for Amren and Rhys to show up, ready for dinner. The front door opened, and Amren came in, followed by Tarquin, then came Tamlin, and Rhys was last. Tarquin and Tamlin stepped forward to greet me, but were unceremoniously moved aside by Rhys as he claimed me first.
"Missed you darling," he said, then gave me a long, lingering, passionate kiss and he gently rubbed my bump.
Me too, I said through the link – unable to talk for kissing.
You look well, how have you been?
Bored! I felt him chuckle down the bond. I cracked an eye open and noticed everyone else stood around. We should stop….not that I want to.
I don't intend to stop anytime soon. I've missed touching and kissing and feeling you. I WANT you! He said with a feral growl.
I want you too, but I'm supposed to be taking it easy, I teased.
What?! Did Madja say that we couldn't anymore? He sounded almost desperate. Oh, this was too good an opportunity to pass up!
As you well know, Madja and Thesan both said I need to take it easy, and being with you like that is not taking it easy.
Cauldron Feyre. I thought we were good for a bit longer.
Well….. I began, maybe if you let me do a bit more again, I may be fine to be intimate with you.
You are awful to me; do you know that?
Yep!
I could almost feel him huff out a breath in his mind. Fine! You can come off house-arrest, as you put it. So long as you promise to be careful. Now, will you allow me to show you just how much I missed you?
You can show me later, we have guests, that we really ought to get back to.
Fine, he pouted, and broke the kiss.
We looked around and noticed that the sitting room was empty. I vaguely remembered Mor telling the others to go to the dining room, as 'they'd be awhile'.
"So, why did you bring Tam and Tarquin home?"
Rolling his eyes Rhys replied, "I'm fed up of Tarquin trying to get me and Tamlin to rescind the declarations of war against Autumn, so I told him to come back with us, then he could talk to Lucien and Elain, to understand what they went through, and to get your opinion on it – after all, you co-signed the order."
He was right; the order could only be rescinded by both of us, and I had no intention of letting them get away with maiming another member of my Court. Rhys and the others were rightly pissed off after what Eris and the others did to Mor, but he didn't go as far as he has done this time.
"Come on," Rhys said to me, "let's go and get some food and let Tarquin have his five minutes."
Dinner was arduous. Tarquin was trying his best to get Rhys, Tamlin and I to retract the orders of war. The three of us made it clear that wasn't going to happen. Tamlin pointed out that as the offense was committed whilst they were guests of his Court, and in the grounds of his Court, he was perfectly within his rights to demand retribution.
I refused to trot Elain out to Tarquin by showing him her scars. Unfortunately, Nesta didn't have the same compunction, and carefully pulled Elain's hair – that she so expertly used to cover the left side of her face – away so that the scar and damage to her eye was visible for all to see, shouting at Tarquin, "that's why!" Elain burst into tears and ran from the table, followed by me and Lucien.
It took us a good while to get Elain calm, and I suggested that she and Lucien stay in the garden until Tarquin had left, as the subject was obviously distressing for them both.
Upon re-entering the dining room, I found that after downing two straight glasses of whiskey for 'courage', Mor had yanked up her blouse to show Tarquin the hideous scar on her lower abdomen, from when Keir had nailed a note to her womb with a thick, iron nail, after he left her for dead on Autumn's borders, after Eris had annulled the marriage contract with her.
" – and that, is why we can't trust those pieces of shit," she finished.
Tarquin looked positively shocked and speechless. I stood next to the table, cradling my bump, but I knew the anger was showing in my face. "I didn't want to give you a graphic showing of why we're doing this Tarquin, but I hope you can see why we are," I said to him. He just looked at me, and I could see he was torn. Tarquin was the newest High Lord, and one that wanted peace above all, but I could sense his acceptance of our course of action. Slowly, he nodded. "Good, then I'm hearing no more about it!" I barked out, storming back out the dining room and into the garden.
Elain and Lucien were sat on the edge of the fountain, surrounded by Elain's flowers. She was leaning her head against his chest with her eyes closed, his arm around her shoulders with his hand absently playing with a lock of her hair. I didn't want to intrude, but I wanted to make sure how she was. I caught Lucien's gaze and looked to Elain, he gave me a small nod, to indicate that he had the situation in hand. I gave him a small smile as I left him to it, ready to confront Nesta.
Back inside, Tamlin and Tarquin were ready to take their leave. After they'd left, I felt the smile fall from my face as I swung all my attention on Nesta.
"What the fuck did you do that for?!" I demanded, getting right in her face. I didn't give her time to answer as I continued shouting at her. "You humiliated her! You know she tries to hide it; she puts her hair over her face for fuck sake!" I was vaguely aware of the ice whirling around my fingers and the temperature of the room dropping. "I can't believe it of YOU! You're the one that's always looking out for her, and you go and humiliate her!"
Nesta – who at first was taken aback by my rant – regained her bearings, the familiar darkness beginning to swirl in her eyes. Before she could respond, Rhys had grasped my shoulders and spun me around to face him and Amren had grabbed Nesta's wrists and took her out the front door. I stood, glaring at Rhys for disrupting me.
Before I could continue shouting, Cassian turned to me. "It's bloody cold in here Feyre, how about you turn off the ice magic and give us some fire instead." I took his comment for what it was – an attempt to break my ire. After all, he had grown up in the Illyrian Steppes, a fiercely cold area of Night. That, and they didn't want me using my magic full stop, let alone releasing my fire magic in the house!
"What, you want me to burn the house down?" I retorted, making a conscious effort to stop the ice magic. He gave me a grin and hugged me.
"Yup, I'm freezing!" I allowed myself to chuckle at his comment, letting the mirth of my brother wash over me and calm me down.
After I'd took a deep breath, getting rid of the last vestiges of anger, I was struck with a bone-deep weariness. I felt myself sag against Cassian, and mumbled that I was tired. No sooner had my mumbled words left my mouth, Rhys held his hand out to me. As soon as I'd grabbed it he winnowed us to our bedroom. I didn't even have the energy to get myself undressed, I just flopped myself on the bed and was aware of Rhys' attempts to undress me and put my pyjamas on. When he'd finally finished, he tucked me in gently, before kissing my temple and leaving the room. Because I was more asleep than awake I didn't think how strange him leaving me was, before sleep claimed me.
Standing at the top of the cliffs, overlooking the water with the wind whipping my hair, I looked around at where I stood. I didn't recognise where I was, but it felt oddly familiar. Off in the distance, over the water was a…noise? A…..hum? That too seemed familiar. I turned to face away from the water, to see what was behind me; there was nothing, just a lush, green field as far as I could see, but in the middle, there was something white.
As I walked closer to the white thing I could see that it was an ornately dressed cradle; the white silk and lace around it was pleated, ruched and swagged, it had a canopy and was adorned with ribbons. The closer I got, I could discern gentle snuffles coming from within. I felt scared to approach, but my feet carried me forward anyway.
When I finally got to the cradle I chanced a look inside; and saw a beautiful baby, no older than a couple of weeks old. She had black hair and I could see the talons belonging to her wings, that were peeking over her shoulders. She must have sensed my approach, as she opened her eyes and looked at me, and I just stared at the brilliant violet of her eyes – Rhys' eyes. I knew that she had to be ours and I was filled with a need to pick her up. As I leant over the cradle and put my hands gently underneath her back, the humming noise got suddenly very loud and there was a wave of what could only be magic sweeping from over the sea. As the magic wave got to us the baby disappeared, leaving only the pale pink blanket she was swaddled in, in my hands.
I fell to my knees and screamed – I screamed for the emptiness in my hands, my heart and my body, and I screamed for my daughter.