Chapter 332

Tisia returned to the room, sobbing, and Elain pushed herself up a little more straight. She watched as her friend was shoved back across the room, and she reached her bound hands out to touch her as Tisia collapsed to her knees.

"Are you alright?" Elain asked, and Tisia shook her head. Her dark hair was all over the place, obscuring her face and Elain just watched and waited for her to lift her head and meet her eyes.

"I…" Tisia looked up and Elain was able to get a look at her blotchy and puffy face. She was fairly sure that the red discolouration was from Tisia's tears and not from any mistreatment by those who had taken her from the room ten minutes prior.

"Did they touch you?" Ashk asked, voice steady. Tisia shook her head again, and Elain rubbed her arm as best she could with bound wrists.

"They just asked me questions."

"Like what?" Elain asked, and Tisia's green eyes went to Elain's hand on her arm before flicking up to meet her gaze.

"How much I felt I belonged in the Day Court…" Tisia frowned, "Why would they ask that?"

Elain looked to Ashk before back to Tisia, "They asked me if I would willingly leave the Day Court." She looked again to Ashk, "I said I wouldn't."

"Good." Ashk replied, her clever russet eyes moving over Elain's face. "This is your home." They all looked around when the door opened once more and Kera was brought back in. The blonde's head was held high and she walked confidently, and Elain was almost envious of the air she could still hold around herself even in this situation.

The male who had pushed let Kera back into the room closed the door as he left and Kera returned to her previous position by the wall. "What did they say to you?" Tisia asked her, and Kera looked at them all.

"They were interested in how much I love the Day Court." She replied, sniffing delicately. "It is no secret that I love the Court." She said, "Everyone knows that."

Elain thought that was true. Everything Kera had said in her presence so far, while insulting, had included some form of love for the Day Court. Even what she had said to Sheera had been from that place.

"Did they ask you if you would leave?" Tisia asked, and Kera shook her head with a frown.

"I will never do that."

"Fair enough." Elain said, flinching a little when those blue eyes turned her way with more than a little contempt.

"I have lived here my whole life." Kera said, "You cannot say the same for anywhere."

"No," Elain agreed, "My life has changed drastically in the last year or so."

"You weren't even fae."

"I wasn't." Elain agreed.

"She is now." Ashk said coldly, "And you would do well to heed that. Watch what you say to the mate of the future High Lord. She will be the Lady of the Day Court, and you had best make peace with that."

Kera's smile was icy as she adjusted the skirts of her dress around herself, making herself prettier. "Those who currently hold us here clearly have issue with exactly that."

"And do you agree with them?" Tisia asked, green eyes wide as she looked at Kera who sniffed delicately again and looked around to meet those green eyes.

"I see their point."

"I don't." Tisia replied, "The High Lord is clearly so happy to have his son in his life here now, and you can see that just from looking at him when Lucien is in the room. It's something he has evidently wanted, and now he has that… Why would that be something anyone who loves him would question?"

Kera just looked at Tisia for several moments before adjusting herself again and remaining silent. Elain smiled at Tisia.

"That's a really nice thing to have noticed." She told her friend and Tisia returned her smile, those green eyes going to Ashk.

"He's happy you are here also."

Ashk gave her a gently smile in return. "I know."