Please review! All feedback is appreciated.
It had been a week since we'd had that meeting with Vivian and Kallias, and almost a week since we'd announced my pregnancy. Azriel had reported, like he'd thought, the Illyrians were calming down, pleased at the announcement of an heir.
This all terrified me though. The hopes of preventing a rebellion all lay on me carrying the child. It was still early in the pregnancy, what if I miscarried? That would destroy everyone's faith in me, sure, I could fall pregnant, but I couldn't carry a child to term. I sighed, propping my head up in my arms. I was in bed; Rhys having insisted I let him get me lunch after a bad bout vomiting this morning. I had taken my medication and felt much better but I still wasn't allowed to go anywhere. I knew Rhys had stationed either Cassian or Azriel near the door in case I tried to get out.
"A thought for a thought?" came the deep voice of my mate from behind me, love vibrating through every syllable of his words. "You look….. sad."
He then froze. "Darling I'm sorry," he stammered and I turned, confused and unable to think properly, all my thoughts stressing about the possibility of me miscarrying.
"Sorry? About what?"
"I – I didn't mean to lock you in. I, I just wanted you to stay in bed and, and,"
"Oh Rhys," I said, getting up from the chair and kissing him, "That's not what I was thinking about at all, you're nothing like Tamlin at all."
"Then why're you so worried?" Rhys asked softly as we sat on the bed, his eyes filled with concern.
My bottom lip wobbled slightly and I bit it, trying not to cry. "What – what if I miscarry? The whole court is safe from a rebellion as long as I have this child. If I miscarry it'll go back to square one, where I'm thought of as unfit to be High Lady as I can't carry your child."
"Oh Feyre darling," Rhys said gently, brushing away the tears that has started to fall. "Don't stress about that, I'll make sure we avoid anything that could cause you to miscarry."
"But what if I still do?" I wailed, now unable to control my emotions. I heard heavy footsteps in the hallway as Cassian moved away to give us some privacy.
"Then that's not your fault and I'll make sure the whole court knows that. If it makes you feel better I'll just say some thugs attacked you and caused you to miscarry so they won't think your useless and rebel, which I want to remind you you're not. You're the strongest, most beautiful woman I have ever known. You're anything but useless. They're just old and still don't think females can do anything."
I heard the annoyance in his voice and knew the situation with Devlon not letting the females train before they'd done chores etc was getting to him as much as Cassian.
I curled up against him, nuzzling his neck. He let out a heavy breath as he wrapped an arm around me, stroking my stomach softly. "I love you," he murmured, kissing me.
Cassian had fled by the time we settled down for the night, exhausted and panting, wrapped in each others' arms. "How traumatised to do you think Cassian is?" I murmured to Rhys and he snorted.
"We'll see whether he can eat breakfast tomorrow, that's the test."
I laughed and snuggled against him, stroking his wings. He shuddered beneath me, a groan slipping out his lips. "Do that during breakfast," he whispered, "Cassian will probably cry."
"What, at me touching your wings or bad memories of this night from outside our door?"
"Both," Rhys said with a snort. "Now, sleep, we'll visit Madja tomorrow."
"We can't, we're going to Hewn city tomorrow," I reminded him, hating myself for it when his face fell, the amusement vanishing and leaving behind fear and anxiety.
"I forgot," he said blandly, voice devoid of emotion.
"I'll be fine, don't worry," I said softly.
"It's my job to worry about you."
"It's my job to worry about the baby then," I said, rolling away from him.
"No, no, no, that's my job too," he had put on his whiny voice and I sighed as he wrapped his arms back around me.
"Is there any job that isn't yours to worry about?"
"I'm the High Lord, it's my job to worry about everything," he paused, realising what he had just said and what I could now use against him.
"And if that's the High Lord's job, and the High lady has the same job then?"
"But I don't want you to worry, the stress won't be good for the baby," he said, going back to stroking my stomach to emphasise his point.
"You have no evidence of that," I replied, rolling my eyes.
"I'll ask Madja tomorrow, after Hewn city."
"Go ahead," I snapped then sighed, "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so, so,"
"It's okay," he said softly, kissing me, "Now go to sleep."
I fell asleep to him stroking me softly, wrapped up in his arms. As he fell asleep the moon brightened in the sky, light coming through the gaps in the curtains. Rhys shifted in his sleep, laying one wing over me to shield me from the light.
Breakfast was amusing. When we entered the dining room Mor and Azriel were hovering in front of what seemed to be a mute Cassian, trying to get his attention. "What's going on here?" Rhys purred, smirking at Cassian.
"Well he's gone mute," Mor said gesturing to Cassian, rolling her eyes as she and Azriel sat back down.
"What a nice change," I replied, grinning at Cassian who gave a sort of mew, eyes still wide as he stared at me. I noticed Rhys turn his head away, trying to ignore the intense stare from another male.
Eventually Cassian seemed to be able to speak so Rhys leaned over to him, smirking. "Good night Cass?"
Cassian scowled, "Bloody awful, you really had to didn't you?!"
"We really did," I said innocently, batting my eyes at him, "Do you feel a bit traumatised?"
"That's one word for it, but yes," Cassian said, pouting at me.
"Well then of course you must not feel up to going with us to Hewn city," I purred, trying not to laugh as Cassian spat out a mouthful of bacon and Azriel's wince and look of pain at his manners.
"No, no, no!"
"Azriel, I'm sure we'll be just fine with only you don't you think?"
Azriel pondered for a minute, ignoring Cassian's objective cries. "I think we will," he said at last and Cassian gave a wounded cry.
"Would you really like to come?" I cooed at him and he nodded, just like a child. "Then you can come."
He cheered and I smiled before turning to Rhys and kissing him, trailing a finger across the smooth membrane of the inside of the wing as I did. He gave a shudder as I did so and I heard a whimper from behind us before Cassian fled at Rhys's groan.
"I am never guarding your door, ever," Mor said before standing up and dragging Azriel off, Amren having vanished the moment we entered.
When we got back to our room the tension was thick in the air as we dressed. I pulled on my dress, a beautiful onyx colour, the back completely open, displaying my tattoos. I had a leg slit on each side, both going very high up my thigh, almost to my hip. I then did my make up, staying with the dark theme and then did my hair. Rhys had remained quiet the whole time until then when he appeared at my side, placing my crown on.
His throat bobbed as he swallowed heavily, his eyes flickering to the small curve of my stomach which had been emphasised by the tight fit of the dress. I leaned up to kiss him gently, taking his hands in mine. "I know you're scared, heck, I am to, but we'll get through this. We've got through so much, this is just a meeting, not a war, not me spying in another court. Just a meeting with you, Cassian, Azriel and Mor there to protect me, not counting my own magic."
"I know," Rhys rasped, "It's just, hard. All I want to do; all my instincts are telling me to do is to wrap you up and keep you in here with me until the baby's born but I know that's not realistic." His throat bobbed again. "I just love you and the baby so, so much and I can't lose you two. Not now, not ever."
"I know," I whispered, laying my head on him, breathing deeply the tang of citrus and sea on him for one last time. He placed a kiss on top of my head before we headed down, Rhys's hand tight around mine, face grim. Cassian and Mor were already waiting for us, Azriel having gone ahead and arrived early to see if anything was going on. We winnowed to the city, into the chambers we waited in before entering but everything swayed as we arrived and I'm stumbled, nausea rising in me. I vaguely heard Rhys's voice drift over me as I felt myself by being steadied. Everything settled down then, my vision clearing to reveal Rhys's face gazing worriedly at mine.
"Are you okay?" he asked, panicked, "If you're not feeling well we're not going in there, we'll head back to Velaris."
"I – I'm fine Rhys," I said, swallowing back the nausea roiling in my stomach.
"You seemed fine before, was it the winnowing?" Cassian asked anxiously from next to me.
"Shit," Rhys spat and we all stared at him. "I forgot winnowing's dangerous for you whilst pregnant."
"It's gone now, I'm fine," I untangled myself from their grasp and walked to the door. "See? I'm fine."
Rhys was still watching me anxiously but it was Azriel who interrupted, "Look, Mor needs to go in now. We should just get this over as quickly as possible."
Mor then slid through the door and left while we waited for a few minutes longer before entering. Rhys stood next to me, hand on the small of my back while Cassian and Azriel flanked us, our power on full display.
Everyone bowed as we entered but I noticed all the looks at me, all of them falling to the small curve of my stomach. I could tell Rhys had noticed too, the pressure on my back from his hand increasing slightly and his stiffness wasn't hard to miss. I could see Cassian and Azriel struggling to hold in their snarls as we walked in a room of enemy's, filled with people who wanted me and my baby dead. It was going against every instinct these three males had, to have me in here yet they let me, knowing I needed freedom. Never wanting to restrict that, as much as their instincts screamed to protect me.
We strode up onto the dais, walking towards the twin thrones that now sat there. We sat and Rhys commanded them to rise while I ran an eye over the guests.
"Go play," he ordered them before dismissing Azriel and Cassian, though beforehand he had instructed them to hang around in case they were needed. By the looks on their faces they had felt a bit insulted that Rhys thought they'd just leave me to Keir but had promised to remain on standby.
"I hear congratulations are in order," Keir began tightly, displeasure keen in his eyes.
"That they are," Rhys replied smoothly, only by using the bond could I tell how anxious he was.
"The summit is only in a matter of weeks, why have you announced it early? You have to announce it at the summit first, then the court."
I could tell Keir's anger was growing but replied calmly, raising an eyebrow, "And since when have we ever followed tradition?"
"I understand you are not accustomed to our ways, High Lady," he spat my title, distaste plain in his tone. Rhys was stiff in his throne at those words and through the bond I could tell that the words 'not accustomed to our ways' had hit him hard.
"Go on," he said coolly, and Keir, ever the idiot, carried on.
"Well, as she is not really fae and was certainly not brought up right," he said with a sneer, "You may want to 'reign her in' and show her what her job is, you certainly wouldn't want anything to happen to the baby."
Rhys completely lost it at that, worse then when Keir had called me whore. Far worse. Darkness exploded around him, screams coming as everyone flung themselves to the floor, pleading for mercy. Cassian and Azriel had Keir slammed against a wall, hands slowly snapping his bones as they held him, delight in their eyes as he pleaded them.
Rhys stormed towards him, his violet eyes now black, matching the colour of my dress. Mor was now standing beside me on the dais as I sat there, my hand resting protectively on my stomach.
"How dare you!" Rhys roared, "HOW DARE YOU THREATEN HER!"
"High Lord," Keir gasped, crying out as Cassian shattered another bone. "Please, I was just expressing concern –"
"Bullshit! You've been trying to kill her off ever since she came here so you can kill me and then seize power!" Rhys spat.
Keir to my shock then started to laugh. "Oh High Lord, you do so amuse me. Kill her off? You make it sound like murder. We are just pruning, getting rid of all the dead and broken branches, or the weeds suffocating the tree, our court. I doubt many people would be sad to see her go."
Shadows sped towards Keir but not fast enough to stop him shouting "Devlon! Now!" he roared and chaos ensued.
Illyrians from all rumoured camps to be involved in the coup appeared, blades flashing and siphons gleaming as they attacked. Cassian and Azriel chucked Keir away as they fought off the Illyrians, uncaring to whether they killed them or not. They were trying to kill Feyre and her baby. They didn't deserve to live.
Mor gave a cry as she was slammed from the dais, away from me. I summoned my shadows and blasted them at them, but just from that one burst my vision swam, the Illyrians blurring into one another. There was no way I could hold them at bay.
Rhys! I screamed down the bond, praying he'd reach me safely.
I'm coming! He hollered back and Illyrians were blasted away and I saw Rhys hurtle out of the gap towards me. I stumbled towards him when a cold hand gripped my arm. I saw Rhys's mouth open in a scream when everything went dark as I was winnowed away. Something was shoved down my throat and instantly my magic vanished, the bond vanished. Faebane. I was then flung across to a bed and slumped down, vomiting before everything went black.