Happy New Year! Here is a celebratory chapter, which I hope you will like! :D
WARNING: SMUT
Thank you everyone for folowing, favoriting and your reviews! :3
Katherine : I'm so happy you're looking forward for notifications for this story! :) I can't wait to write Lucien-Helion father-son bonding time! :3
Shalini SHina : For the mating, you'll have your answer in this chapter! ;) As for the visions, they are just ONE path that can happen, the future is constantly changing, but you'll see how the story will end! I can promise you a happy ending, though!:D
FANFICTION
A COURT OF NIGHTMARES AND LIGHT
PART II – THE DAY COURT
CHAPTER XXIX : The Warmth of Sunset
Lucien woke up when the rays of sunlight filled the room and warmed the bed. His entire body was aching and he was starving – the countereffects of the spell work from last night. But he felt good. He stretched in the sun like a cat, yawning, and heard some japing from the three Autumn foxes who had been woken up by his movements.
A shadow passed behind his closed eyes. He startled to complete wakefulness, but he relaxed against the pillows when he saw Elain sitting down and smiling down at him. She was wearing a white dress in the Day Court fashion with a golden belt and red flowers. She put a hand against his cheek and Lucien smiled like a fool.
"You're finally awake, I was starting to worry," she said.
"I needed to rest after all that magic…" he explained.
"I was told so, apparently everyone has been sleeping in today. Except Vassa, she has been exploring the entire tower and its gardens already. The only reason why she hasn't gone away in Delphos is because the guards are insisting that she waits for Lord Helion to wake up and assess the spell work."
Lucien snorted, having no trouble imagining the daytime hyperactivity Vassa was experiencing. She was free, for the first time in… years… From her curse and from the Sorcerer. She could go back to the human kingdoms, claimed her crown back and put an end to the last human queens. With them gone, the Fay people of the Continent would have no support to go to war against Prythian. Everything will be back to normal and become peaceful again.
He sat up when Elain brought some food that she left on the side for him to take. He noticed that she was careful not to give it to him directly, which would have meant accepting the mating bond. Despite the sinking feeling in his heart, he desperately needed sustenance. He didn't even look what he was eating, he just gulped it down ferociously.
"Any news from… the Autumn Court?" he asked once his hunger was a little satiated.
"No… complete silence. Rhysand has sent Azriel and his team of spies to investigate but they haven't returned yet…" she answered, obviously worried for her friend.
Lucien felt a flare a jealousy, which Elain obviously felt as well because she turned back to him and took his hands in hers.
"Lucien, I… I want to talk with you about several things, if you feel all right."
"Of course, I…"
He looked down, a sudden knot of worry tightening in his stomach. Heavy as lead, he threw his legs over the side of the bed, looking at the glistening floor.
"I'll… go take a bath first. I still smell of the Suriel."
Elain blinked in astonishment and he cursed himself for realising that she didn't know about it – no one knew about his encounter with the Suriel, except for Sibylla who had planned it all.
Desperate to escape her immediate questions, Lucien stood up and walked into the bathroom to freshen up and feel ready to face her.
He found Elain reading a book about flowers and their various uses, by the window. Her hair was shining like threads of gold and copper in the sunlight and her eyes were lighter, her usual hazel turned into a dark amber speckled by precious gem dust. She smiled and he fell in love with her all over again.
"You wanted to talk with me," he said darkly, sitting down in front of her.
She took a short moment to gather her thoughts, closing the book and taking a deep breath.
"I'm curious about what happened when you were gone, I could feel your distress and… and I was close to panicking and going after you. It's only because Lord Helion told me you needed time that I remained here. But more importantly I… I want to apologize for hiding you the truth."
Lucien looked up, his golden eye glistening like the sun, and his red eye filled with warm emotions Elain couldn't make sense of. Her own feelings became almost overwhelming. All she wanted was to reach out, hug and comfort him. Kiss him. Again and again, until their bodies melted together and they forgot the rest of the world.
"I shouldn't have hidden anything about your origins when I found out, just a few days ago, that Helion was your father but… but when I understood that you knowing meant that you, and your mother, would be in danger from Beron I…"
Her voice broke, tight by shame and guilt. Lucien leaned forward and took her hands, squeezing them tightly. She looked back up to see him staring at her, a tight smile on his face.
"I know. I understand. I… I reacted violently to that revelation, and I… shut you out when I found out that you knew but hadn't told me. It took me some time of thinking on my own to realise the consequences of anyone knowing my true origins… You did your best and you followed Helion's lead, and you were right to do so."
He paused, glancing down quickly before he turned thoughtfully towards the sun, high in the sky.
"To be completely honest… I think… I already knew."
Elain's eyes widened and she tightened her hold on his hands to encourage him to speak.
"I think I've always known I wasn't really… a son of the Autumn Court but I never acknowledged that feeling. Once I was here and met Helion, when I felt the way I do in the Day Court, when I figured out he had known my mother and he might have… feelings for her… I… I started connecting the dots, but I was scared to admit any of my doubts, my suspicions…" he admitted in a broken voice.
"Lucien, realising such a thing, even if you weren't certain, is… it's perfectly fine to be overwhelmed and feel frightened."
"I don't understand how my mother… how could she… why did she risk Beron's wrath so foolishly…?" he whispered, now more sad than angry that he had been hidden the truth his entire life.
"She must love Helion very much to take such a risk… and Helion as well, he is not a fool. He knew perfectly well what they were both risking by seeing each other, but they did it anyway. They couldn't escape their feelings and… followed their passion…" Elain answered with a light shrug of her shoulders, "And… and I'm glad they did so. It brought you to life, and I'm so grateful for your existence, my light."
Lucien looked up, shocked to hear such words. He had never heard such… such emotions. He had always been the unwanted child, the embarrassing son, the shameful reminder, and annoying brat. No one had ever loved him to the point of being grateful for his existence.
"Elain…"
His voice croaked and he fell on his knees.
Elain's heart missed a beat, panicking when she saw him reacting in such a way. Lucien, kneeling to her, buried his face against her legs and held her hips with trembling hands. He was breathing hard, his hair falling all over her lap, but she could hear the rasp in his throat, and she could smell the salty scent of grateful tears rolling from his eyes.
Her own eyes teared up when the mating bond shared to her how Lucien felt.
He was grateful she was a part of his life.
Passing her fingers through his silky ruby hair, Elain leaned down and kissed the top of his head.
"I love you, Lucien," she whispered.
A sob shook him, but he looked up from her laps and smiled widely.
"And I love you, more than anything, more than life itself, my beautiful…"
His fingers brushed her cheekbone and she leaned against the palm of his hand. He rose on his knees and captured her lips. Their kissed was salty and sweet, it tasted like tears and sunlight. She kissed him back eagerly, to express her feelings for him.
They parted suddenly, out of breath and dizzy from the intensity of their feelings. She pressed her forehead against his, holding onto his shoulders.
"I want to accept the mating bond, Lucien," Elain said.
There was no hesitation in her voice, it was soft and strong all at once, sweet like honey and warm like a summer day.
Deep down, Lucien had known their love would lead to this, but his heart still skipped a beat, or two, or it stopped beating all together out of sheer joy. A delighted laugh escaped him, and she followed in his ecstasy.
Lucien grabbed her cheeks and swallowed hard, trying to find his voice again.
"It would be my greatest honour and happiness, my darling Elain," he answered.
"Nothing would give me greater joy than accepting the bond, love," she replied, thumbs caressing the back of his hands.
Their lips crashed into a powerful, sealing kiss. Lucien kissed her nose, her cheeks, her forehead and she was as eager to kiss every inch of his warm skin.
"Y-you're glowing," she gasped in-between kisses.
Breathless from the emotions and the kissing, Lucien could only laugh. He stood up completely and lifted her up in his arms, spinning around until they laughed like newlyweds.
Lucien glowed and shone, almost as brightly as the sun that was watching over them.
"You're the reason of my light, Elain," he answered, taking her to the bed.
He kissed her some more, tenderly, deeply, then his lips wandered against her jaw, the side of her neck, her chest. Breathing hard, Elain dove her fingers into his hair, encouraging him, silently pleading him to quench her thirst. Her core was warm and throbbing – he could smell it in the air, and it aroused him just as much. Every brushing of his fingertips was setting her skin ablaze, every kiss was soothing the scorching feeling, that desperate need of being touched, embraced, and taken by her mate.
Through the fabric of her dress, Lucien kissed her breast, just above her beating heart. His hands gathered up the skirts, but he stopped himself to go back to kiss her lips. He pulled away, with difficulty, to look into her eyes.
"I… you… Elain…"
"I… I want… I thought I… I used to…"
Incapable of forming words, they looked into each other's eyes, calming down their breathing.
"I want to accept the mating bond, I do, but I… I think I want to learn before I do…"
"I understand, and I… I agree. When I will make love to you, I want you to enjoy every touch and every second of it. When we will accept the mating bond, I want us both to fully feel the experience…"
Elain watched him, a little awkwardly now that their minute of passion had subsided for reason.
Before she could say a thing, Lucien suddenly sat up. He turned around and went into the other room. Elain sat up into the bed, still throbbing and too warm for comfort. She wanted him back with her, touching her, but he quickly came back. He sat down on the side of the bed, a wrapped box on his knees. He bit his lower lip self-consciously and she could hear his heart beating rapidly.
"Do you remember when you offered me the Soluis sword?" he asked, a red tinge appearing on his skin.
"Yes, of course."
"It's a sword made of red-gold."
"Yes, and?"
"…The Autumn Court tradition when proposing to someone is to offer a red-gold weapon, usually a sword or dagger." He concluded with an amused smile.
Elain's eyes widened and fifty shades of red spread over her cheeks. She raised her hands to her face, her heart beating wildly, and making him laugh.
"OH! Oh! I- I had no idea…! I had no idea that… Oh dear, oh!"
"I know, I know," he laughed, taking her hands in his so he could look at her face again, "I never told you because I knew it would embarrass you, and I never expected anything from it."
"I'm so sorry, Lucien…!"
"Don't be, it was a lovely gift," he answered, kissing her nose, "A-and now that you know what offering a red-gold weapon means… I hope you will accept this gift."
He pushed the box towards her. It was wrapped in red and gold paper. Elain's heart missed a beat as she slowly pulled at the paper and found a box of red velvet. She opened it and smiled, tears in her eyes, when she found a red-gold dagger that was decorated with flowers and suns made of gems. it was a smaller version of the powerful Soluis. Small and elegant, but no less sharp and dangerous.
"I love it…" she whispered.
"I know you don't like weapons but… when I saw it, I immediately thought of you and even if a mating bond is far more precious and powerful than a marriage… I couldn't help but wish for you to experience what you couldn't get as a human and–"
"I do." She interrupted.
Lucien whipped towards her, stunned and blushing.
"I do want to marry you, Lucien, a thousand times over…" She said, holding the dagger close to her heart.
"You…"
"I want to marry you," she repeated, leaning over the wrapping to kiss him.
"I-I'm not done…" he stumbled over his own tongue.
Elain chuckled. Only his mate could turn his silver tongue to lead.
Lucien pulled out a smaller box and, not breathing, Elain didn't need an explanation to know what it held.
"I… know that in your previous engagement with Graysen… it didn't end well but… I couldn't help but think that maybe, you would wish for… for a proper ring."
He opened the box and Elain gasped, seeing a magnificent ring. Like every other gift, it was made of red gold and was magnificent. It twisted into a beautiful rose flower made of rubies and sunstone.
"Lucien…"
"Would you marry me, my beautiful mate, my precious Elain?" he asked in a gentle, warm voice.
Sight blurry from her tears, warm and fuzzy all over, she nodded wordlessly. She leaned forward and kissed him blindly, holding onto his hands. He laughed into her kiss and they fell over the bed, dagger, wrapping papers, sheets, limbs, all tangling together but they didn't mind. Lucien held her face as he kissed her deeper, and a short moment later, he pulled away and slid the engagement ring over her left ring finger.
Elain admired it for a moment, and the way it caught the sunlight.
"It reminds me of your eyes," she whispered, diving her gaze into his.
Still blushing, still smiling, unable to take his eyes off her happiness, Lucien stared at her then he kissed her some more. It was a long, soft, sweet kiss that they enjoyed even more than a thousand breathless ones.
With one hand, he pushed away all the troublesome items on their bed, delighted to hear Elain's laugh at the cluttering sound when it hit the floor. He started peppering her skin with sunlit kisses. Her cheeks, her nose, her ears, her jaw, her neck, each one making him glow some more, like a sun made of pure diamonds.
The heat awakened within Elain once more, and Lucien growled when he sensed it echoing in his own body.
His hold on her hands, on her body, his caresses and licking became more intense, more possessive. The rough manner was almost beyond his control but from the way Elain whimpered and arched into his touch, she was embracing it as much as every tendre gesture.
He pulled down the sleeves of her dress from her shoulders, kissing, biting, and licking the skin. His warm and big hand wandered over her bare breasts. Elain arched and sighed, her hands diving into his hair and pulling him closer. She gasped when he sucked and pulled at her nipples, her body blushing and answering to his rising hotness. Elain could feel his hardness pressing into her inner thigh and she couldn't help but rub the sensible skin.
Lucien growled and, suddenly hit by the desperate need to give his mate what she needed, he made his way down her body, his nose and teeth nipping at every inch of skin he could have access to despite the bothersome skirts pulled up around her waist. He kissed her navel, her thighs and Elain's moan was all he needed to finally take a deep breath of her scent, her desire and need for him. Taking a firm hold of her thighs, he dived into paradise and lost himself with a long moan for the delightful taste that was touching his tongue.
Elain gasped, her hands fisting around his hair.
No food, no drink, no female had ever tasted so good, and nothing ever will again.
His fingers dug deep into her tender flesh. His lips, tongue and teeth quickly lapped and ravished Elain like she never had before.
Her cheeks flushed from pleasure, her lips opened in endless sighs and moans that echoed into both their souls, she caressed his hair, clenched it, and pulled him closer. Her hips moved, hesitantly a first, then more and more confident, in rhythm with the danse of his tongue.
"L-Lucien…!"
She gasped and growled, a sound she had never made but she couldn't care in the slightest in that moment. The heat in her core increased, the knot tightened, and she could feel herself standing on the edge of sinful, divine pleasure.
Lucien's hand waved through the hills of fabric from her dress and held onto her left breast. The featherlight touch, that added sensation, the increased tempo of his tongue against her folds, it unravelled her.
With a breathless cry, she came against his mouth. Blinded, out of space and time, body arching desperately towards the heavens, Elain held her breath for what seemed to be eternity.
She fell back against the bed, breathing hard and trembling from the intensity of that first erotic experience. Lucien pulled away and licked her some more, earning a delightful moan from her lips. He slowly kissed his way upwards again, teasing the hot skin. She shivered at every brush of his fingertips, every touch of his lips carrying her wetness.
Still feverish, Elain could only open her mouth when Lucien leaned down to kiss her lips, giving her a taste of what he had just experienced. She trembled and moaned, her nails digging into his shoulders.
Pulling away, a little out of breath, smirking proudly, Lucien brushed his nose against hers. For some reason, after the intensity of their passion, that simple and cute gesture made her laugh hysterically. Tilting her head backwards, Lucien chuckled to see her so free in her happiness. Tears burnt at the corner of her eyes, from her first passionate meeting with lust, the pleasure that had erupted from Lucien's magical touches, and that ridiculously adorable touch.
Surrounding his shoulders with her arms, she kissed him fully, without any shyness. Using his loss of balance to her advantage, Elain lifted up a leg around his waist and pushed him around so she could straddle him.
Lucien looked up at her with wide, delighted eyes, his hands on her hips and taking in the beautiful view of his mate on top of him, ablaze by the setting sun in the distance.
"Cauldron have mercy on me…" he mumbled, biting his lower lip.
"My turn," she whispered against his lips, kissing him tenderly, her hands dragging across his chest.
She bit her own lip as she hesitantly, slowly, pulled at his shirt to take it off. Helping her by sitting up, Lucien couldn't help but kiss her chest as she caressed his strong shoulders, his muscular arms and the powerful chest. Hands pressed against it, she pushed him down again against the pillows. She kissed his neck, slowly, tenderly, every kiss blossoming a fire in him. Following the lead he had given her earlier, she made her way down, down, down.
"Oh. Oh…"
Lucien gasped and moaned when her hands brushed his hardness through his pants, still kissing the trail of red hair that was guiding her to his fiery cock. He wouldn't have imagined Elain to be accustomed with this sort of actions, he could feel through the bond the faraway awkwardness and panic she felt right now, but he was happily surprised.
"Oh!"
He almost jumped off the bed, startling poor Elain who was blushing terribly. She sat up but he held her wrists.
"No, no, no, you're doing great!" he said.
She hesitated, but nodded and went back to her shy touches. She was shyer now and Lucien took the matter into his own hands. He softly guided her, with words and using his hands to tell her what to do, how to do it. He vaguely sensed that she got her existing knowledge from books and…
A growl escaped him when he had the memory of Graysen flashing through his mind from the mating bond.
"S-sorry," Elain murmured when she sensed his sudden jealousy and possessiveness.
He didn't answer, clenching his jaw. He was so still while trying to control his growing anger, that he didn't notice what Elain did next. She bent down and took him in her mouth.
Lucien gasped and his hands flew into her hair.
"A-ah, E-Elain…"
He sighed and leaned back against the pillows, closing his eyes. She started licking and moving slowly her mouth and tongue around his hardness. He was already so close he started blushing in embarrassment. He was so overwhelmed and overstimulated from months of desire coursing through his veins that her simple moves were driving him to the edge.
It didn't take long for moans to escape him and Elain to grow more confident, discovering sensations she had barely imagined and entertaining more and more the idea of pleasuring him. His hips moved of their own accord, making her gasp and lose some of her countenance but she didn't stop. Biting his lip, Lucien let her lead to the rhythm she was comfortable with, losing his mind when she went faster, with her mouth and her hand. The sounds that echoed in the room, her wet mouth around his hard cock, provoked more wildfire to spark in his blood. Groaning, Lucien's hold on her hair, his fingers tangled into her curls, tightened.
"Elain…"
She could feel him getting close, in the breathless gasps and the warmth flooding from the mating bond and, most importantly, through body language. She accelerated, as much as she could, ignoring her clumsiness for his pleasure. Her free hand, which had rested on the bed for support this entire time, finally moved to rest over his chest.
With a cry, Lucien came into her mouth. Elain pulled away gasping and coughing, vaguely aware that one of his hand had left her hair to tangle with her fingers instead. Still cumming, he pulled her to him, to his chest, kissing her hair and moving his hips against hers. The long, delightful moan that had come out of his throat during his entire ecstatic flight, died after timeless seconds of pure pleasure.
Both breathing hard, blushing, and sweaty, they held onto each other. Elain closed her eyes and pressed her face into his chest, while Lucien caressed and kissed her hair.
"You are the most surprising and delightful female I have ever encountered," he whispered once they had recovered.
Elain chuckled, a little self-consciously. She raised her head to look down at him.
"You're not too bad yourself, my dear," she answered with an amused smile.
Lucien could never get tired of seeing those smiling lips and those sparkling eyes.
"Oh? Not too bad? Was it not good enough?" he asked, raising himself up a little.
"O-oh, no, I-I meant…"
Her voice trailed off into a laugh when he turned her around, once more on top of her, and tickled her sides.
"I see that I have no choice but to prove myself to you once more. I wouldn't want my mate to step out of this room unsatisfied." He said, already kissing her skin.
She laughed some more, and they bathed in the warm colours of the sunset, unaware of the worries of the outside world and happy for the first time in centuries.
I hope you liked this light-hearted, slightly steamy chapter! :)
Yours Truly,
May
