Chapter 311

It appeared that Helion must have organised some form of musical entertainment for after the meal as several minstrels walked past their little picnic blanket, instruments in hand, and Elain turned excitedly to Lucien to see if he had also noticed. When her mate winked at her, Elain knew that he had noticed, and that he had thought something along the same lines that she had, in that Helion was still trying to impress Ashk. It was rather sweet, Elain figured. They were already lovers, indeed lovers with a history, and a shared child. It was rather lovely, in her opinion, that he was still trying to impress her and please her. Many males, Elain knew, would not put such an effort into any female, let alone one they already had. She was sure, too, that Lucien was just like his father in that respect.

Watching the minstrels set themselves up under a leafy tree, Elain allowed her attention to slip and move around the garden. Helion was finally present, and standing by a table as he selected pieces for his plate, and Ashk had just walked into the garden nearby. Elain watched as the red headed faerie stopped in her tracks and looked around the garden, her head tilted. A small smile played with her lips then and she continued her graceful stride into the hall, Elain's eyes following as she did so. Ashk strode across the grass, toward Helion, and Elain found herself unable to look away. She watched as Lucien's mother reached his father and stretched a hand out to him, lifting it to his cheek in order to get his attention. Helion turned to her, plate in hand, and dazzling smile firmly in place. That smile turned genuine when he saw it was Ashk standing before him and even his posture shifted as he moved to face her more completely.

Beside her, Elain could feel Lucien watching them as well, and she leaned into him, finding the solid presence and heat beside her comforting as she settled more completely.

"It is clear," he murmured, "that they are very much in love with one another, isn't it…"

"It is." Elain agreed. She frowned then when she felt uneasiness reach her down the bond, and she turned her head to look up at him. Both of his eyes, both russet and gold were fixed upon his parents across the garden, and she just watched him for a moment until he turned those eyes her way. "Is that somehow wrong?" she asked, not understanding why he would feel that way.

"Not wrong." He said, one hand coming to rest on Elain's knee. Elain brought one of her own hand up to rest over his, as she held his eyes. "It just makes them vulnerable. It exposes something that can be used to hurt them. You've noticed Helion's … public manner. It's somewhat used to mask who he really is." Elain nodded then, having even noticed it moments before when he'd changed upon seeing Ashk. "There's no masking how they feel for one another and that gives others opportunity."

"Even here?" she asked, hoping that they wouldn't have to hide themselves in their own home. Lucien nodded. "You don't hide how you feel about me, nor I you." She said, "Does that make our weakness evident for others to use against us?"

"It does." He replied, his hand shifting from her knee up her thigh a little and he smiled at her. "But I would be unable to hide how I feel for you…" Lucien leaned toward her then and Elain tilted her face for him, allowing him to press a kiss to her cheek. "Also, I'm not the High Lord. Nobody really cared about who I was before Helion claimed me…"

"So when you are High Lord…"

"Hopefully," he said gently, "We will trust everyone in our Court. We have a while to make sure that is the case."

Elain nodded, hoping that he was correct and that would be the case. She hated the idea of being a weakness for him, something that others would be able to use to hurt him. Looking around the garden again, Elain spotted Kera at another of the little tables, and she couldn't help the slight curling of her lip. The Day Court was not yet a place where they could trust everyone, but she knew that they would be able to identify those who posed a threat to that ideal and figure out a way to be rid of them.