Dinner was terrible. No one spoke to me other than to ask me to pass a bowl of gravy or a basket of bread. After doing what was asked, I would not a thanks, not even a nod. It was as if I was not there. Regardless, I paid attention to everything they said.
It was boring, a lot of talk of tithes, land payments, trade agreements, sanctions in response to political decisions, and a bunch more words. I committed as much of it to memory as I could. This was my life now. I needed to make the best of it.
I suppose it could have been worse. Aurelius could have insulted me or ridiculed Kendryek again, but neither happened. There was no evidence of the vicious argument they had had only hours earlier. Rosalind acted normally (thank The Mother) and said little.
Only three from each sector of the Court were allowed, so Lysander spent dinner elsewhere. It felt wrong that he was not there, but I was saved the awkwardness.
I went to bed almost immediately after talks of policy and politics were finished. Kendryek woke me late at night. He laid down in the bed on his back and stared at the ceiling blankly.
He felt distant again, tired and unsure of himself. I pulled myself close to him and rested an arm on his chest. I felt his slow heart beat beneath my palm. He made no notice of my presence. I kissed his cheek. His lips twitched, but that was all. Even when lying beside him, I felt alone.
I heard a clang come from the other room and woke up with a start. I jumped out of bed and ran to the door's peephole.
It was just the servants bringing in breakfast. I spotted Lysander, already bathed and dressed, speaking with them. He wore a maroon, gold lined tunic, a tight fitting yellow undershirt, and brown pants.
I looked in the mirror and straightened my hair before exiting the room.
"Good morning," I said to him. Lysander avoided my eye. "That's the first time I've seen you wear those colors." The look good on you.
"I try to avoid wearing them. Once a year is often enough," he replied, immediately exiting the room. I sighed, feeling the void in me grow again. At this rate, The Meeting was going to be hell.
To say we were dressed nicely would have been a serious understatement. Rosalind wore an exceptionally elaborate, two-layered dress with a dark red outer layer and a white inner one. I wore something almost identical to her, but with more gold and rubies on my sleeves and less on my chest.
Kendryek, like Lysander, wore a maroon tunic and a tight fitted yellow undershirt, but looked considerably less attractive in it. I blamed the overcomplicated golden patterns that covered every inch of Kendryek's clothes.
Kendryek and I wore gold bands on our thumbs. Rosalind wore a black ring which she constantly fiddled with. Lysander wore no ring. Not yet, at least.
We, along with the other members of the Autumn Court, arrived thirty minutes before Introductions officially began - exactly on schedule.
The path through the mountain felt like a safety hazard. The walls and roof were made out of bare stone and dirt. There was no supporting beams or anything to give it more structural integrity. I kept my eye on Lysander during this time, knowing his fear of the underground. If he was afraid, then he did not show it.
Long after I thought the tunnel would end we reached a sudden ninety-degree bend. On the other side were marble stairs. Each step had two deep divets in the middle. I could feel the history around me. I walked where thousands, maybe even millions, of fae had walked before me. I wondered how many of them were half-fae and how many had come from the mortal lands.
The voices of these fae echoed from deep in the earth.
They amplified in volume and clarity until I could almost, almost understand what they were saying. But, when I stepped across the threshold and into the magnificent cavern on the other side they were instantaneously silenced. The shimmer disappeared from the air completely. I felt my magic vanish. I was officially under the mountain.
The tunnel opened into an enormous cavern filled with buildings, seats, and tables all carved from the rock that surrounded them. The walls were filled with doors or other openings that led deeper into the earth. Murals, painted a hundred feet into the air, denoted where the different courts would stay. Many tunnels were left open and unclaimed.
Within the center of the great cavern, a large grouping of fae mingled with one another openly. Dawn, Day, Summer, and Spring had already arrived. Shit.
All of my attention was briefly pulled to Terrin. He wore a dark green tunic with a hammer insignia outlined in gold. He was speaking with Tristan, the High Lord of the Summer Court. Terrin said something, then Tristan clapped him on the back and roared with laughter. That laughter died when he noticed our group. He pointed at us and Terrin turned. He smiled at me, revealing two rows of perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth.
I quickly moved my eyes away, vainly hoping he would leave us be for today. I was wrong. Very wrong.
Terrin excused himself from the conversation and confidently strode towards our group, Samanthia and Jarrin following close behind him. I did what I had been told and stood behind Kendryek, holding my hands in front of me such that my gold band was firmly on display.
"Terrin," Kendryek said as he approached.
"Lord Kendryek," Terrin replied. His voice was as cold and emotionless as granite. "It would be wise of you to refer to me by my full title, that of High Lord." He smiled as he said it. Lysander coughed. Terrin shot him a look.
"Apologies, High Lord Terrin," Lysander said the words with extra emphasis. "I mean no disrespect. I've got a tickle in my throat. The old air under here always gives me one." Terrin looked down on Lysander.
"You should be grateful that I did not launch a counter attack after your assassination attempt," Terrin said, glaring at Lysander. He put his hands up in the air.
"Sorry, there's nowhere else I could go to find a Suriel. If I'd spoken to a real one then there would never have been a problem. I had some important questions that needed important answers," Lysander replied. "In case you're wondering, I got them." He winked at Terrin. Now it was Kendryek's turn to give Lysander a stern glare. Lysander dipped his chin and took a step back.
"There was no damage intended. Lysander did that entirely of his own volition and was punished accordingly," Kendryek stated. Terrin waved his hand dismissively.
"I hope what you say is true. But, I am not here to inquire about subjects you are unable to control. I am here now to make a simple request." The words hung in the air for a moment. "I would like to have tea with Allyn before tonight's dinner. You may choose the room, and time. I simply want to have a conversation with her, nothing more," he said. The ground beneath my feet suddenly felt a lot less solid.
Kendryek, Lysander, and I frantically exchanged glances.
"Please give us a moment to discuss," Kendryek said. Terrin nodded and walked away, the others following one step behind.
"I don't trust him. He is planning something, I can tell," Lysander said as soon as they were out of earshot.
"I agree. It feels like there is something off about this," Kendryek replied, agreeing with Lysander for once. "Even just having them be in the same room together feels like a risk."
I was not listening to either of them.
A flurry of thoughts filled my mind. I thought of the two fae in Kirkwall's town square and how close they were to one another. I thought of all the times in my life I had been alone. I thought of the constant fighting between Kendryek, Vivianne, and Lysander over how to endure the coming war. I thought about the hole in Lysander's shoulder and the feeling of his warm blood running down my skin.
Mates are a clear part of The Mother's plan. She hand picks fae to be put with one another. To go against the call of your mate is to go against The Mother.
And who is his mate?
Allyn.
The Mother chose you as my mate. I will have you.
I thought about how I had the choice to prevent more arguing, more fighting, and more pain.
"I'll talk with him," I said. They both looked at me with surprise.
"We don't think it's a good idea," Kendryek replied. I raised my eyes to his.
"There's nothing that can go wrong. We are in neutral territory. He will not have magic. You can guard the door if you feel the need to. It will be perfectly safe."
"But why?" Maybe talking to him will change something. Maybe I could prevent another fight between you two. Maybe because he is my mate and the whole world is telling me we should be together.
"I could convince him to leave me alone or to come to some kind of agreement. At the very least I might learn some piece of information that could help us out in the future," I said. Kendryek relented.
"Fine."
We found Terrin shortly afterward. I stood behind Kendryek again. It was not my position to talk about my own actions.
"What have you decided, Kendryek? Or did you let Allyn participate in the decision?" Terrin asked. A distant part of me laughed.
"She will have tea with you."
"What time? I will accommodate your schedule completely."
"Three o'clock."
"What room?" Kendryek glanced at Lysander. I could tell he hadn't thought that far ahead.
"There's two in the Autumn Court's wing that should be empty of any fae," Lysander replied, ready. "But may I request one condition?" Kendryek raised and eyebrow.
"What is the condition?" Terrin asked.
"I, official emissary to Kendryek's sector of the Autumn Court, request to have tea with she who's hair glimmers like gold in the spring sun, Samanthia," he bowed and gestured towards her. I held back a groan. I was going to miss Lysander's antics.
Terrin looked at Samanthia for confirmation. She reluctantly nodded her head.
"Then it is decided." Terrin bowed to me. "I will meet with you soon, Allyn."
Our group and Terrin's group then went their separate ways. The air between us was tense, but I barely registered it. I was too busy thinking.
Lysander's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Rosalind was standing some distance away, Kendryek and I were the only ones within earshot.
"So Kalista was really mad at us," he explained. He leaned in and spoke quietly. "Still might be."
"That was your fault." Lysander rolled his eyes.
"But I managed to work something out with Aibel, her second, as of last night. She convinced Kalista it would be best if no one said anything about Allyn." He still avoided my eye. "Her-" He made aggressive air quotes. "-'reputation' would stay intact and we won't feel the effects of 'damaging' it. So, Allyn is just a regular half-fae. Got it?" He looked at Kendryek, but not me.
"Got it," Kendryek replied.
"I understand," I said.
"Good."
"Thank you," I silently told Lysander, knowing I would not get a response.
The introductions were bearable.
I lost myself in the beauty and elegance of the other fae. Each and every one walked smoothly and smiled perfectly. They spoke with impeccable grace and all had wide-toned, noble accents. I had little in common with them.
They all did a double take when they saw my ears or learned of Kendryek and I's relationship. No one said anything rude, but I could feel their judging eyes. I smiled and waved blandly at all of them, hoping I could someday earn their acceptance.
With Lysander, it was different. He had been to hundreds of gatherings and knew all of the fae in the room by name. He laughed, smiled, and joked with everyone there. No one did a double take at his ears or silently questioned his position. He was one of them now, years of practice and work had ensured that.
When the clock struck one and the tables of food had been restocked for the fourth or fifth time, fae began to trickle to their respective rooms. During this time, Lysander broke from the group and met up with the Winter Court fae he had previously mentioned, Aibel. A gold band had appeared on his thumb. I watched from a distance as they locked elbows and walked down a hallway, together.
I felt a pang of sadness and jealousy. To me, losing our friendship felt like losing part of my world. To him, it seemed like nothing at all.
