Previously on "A Court of Fear and Ice"

In the House of Wind, Lexi has a quite unpleasant talk with Cerys which leaves her worried about her final days in the Night Court. She is also invited to a formal dinner and escorted to the dining room by Rian. There, she meets Zareen, Morrigan's daughter, and finds out more about Rian's future wife.

Chapter 16

Even though we weren't introduced, I knew who she was.

Dressed in a pale blue gown with white fur on the neckline just like her mother had, Eirwen was a really beautiful woman. She had a lovely oval face with sky blue eyes, full lips, and a small nose. Her white hair was put in a messy bun that, I had to admit, looked way better than the one I had now. Coming closer, I noticed her skin was flawless and seemed to be ice-covered. Well, she was a living and breathing Snow Princess, wasn't she?

There was a faint smile playing on her lips when Cerys and I stopped in front of her. "Lexi," Cerys addressed me, "I want you to meet someone. This is Eirwen, daughter of the High Lord and Lady of the Winter Court."

On the spur of the moment, I extended my hand towards the Snow Princess and said with a smile, "Hi. How are you?"

With a polite expression on her face, Eirwen didn't show that she was taken aback by my gesture, because I would have been if I were her, and squeezed her cold fingers around mine. "Fine, thank you."

"Wow. Your hands are so cold," I muttered under my breath once she released my hand. "You surely don't need ice in your drinks during summer."

Eirwen laughed quietly. "No, I don't." Then she looked at Rian and smiled.

Even though a small part of my mind wanted me to hate her – mostly because she was everything I wasn't and was going to marry a very attractive guy whom I fancied a bit – I couldn't.

Looking at the two of them together made me think of the reason I was brought here. Bryaxis must have been high when it thought I would be a better choice for Rian. The Snow Princess was beautiful, powerful and of royal blood. Becoming the next High Lady of the Night Court by Rian's side, she could add to the court's might and bring some strong allies along. I, however, was an ordinary girl with no money, no connections and surely no powers. I was simply no one and of no use to the Night Court. The Darkness is simply mistaken, I thought.

"I can assure you her gifts are a blessing during hot summer," Rian said, winking to Eirwen. "She has saved us many times."

"Excellent," Cerys drawled and then snatched my elbow. "Come with me, Lexi." She began drawing me towards the table, not paying attention to those we left behind. "Here is a seat for Kallias," she added, discreetly pointing at the chair at the head of the table. "And one for my mother." Then she touched the one on its left. "And we are sitting here–," she stopped abruptly at the sight of Zareen and Conri sitting next to each other.

The slight raise of her eyebrow was the only indication she was angry but I didn't know why exactly. "Are you sure you were supposed to sit here, Con?" Cerys asked her cousin who immediately frowned. "My mother said Lexi was going to sit between you and Zareen, didn't she?"

"I don't remember." Conri shrugged. "Does it even matter?"

Cerys sighed. "Fine. Let's leave it that way. Sweetheart," she said and touched my arm, motioning me towards the second chair on my left, "that's your seat. You'll sit between me and that donkey." Cerys flashed me a smile.

When I finally sat on that damned chair and looked around, my eyes caught the glance of someone who was sitting in front of me. I groaned quietly. No, not again, I thought.

"Hello, lovely Alexandra." Rian beamed and propped his head on a fist. "What a wonderful coincidence."

"To what do I owe this unexpected displeasure of sitting right in front of you?" I asked angrily. God, that guy was stalking me.

He rolled his eyes. "Take it easy, girl. Human life is too short for such nonsense."

"Said by someone who is an expert on humans, I suppose." I made a duck face. "Where did you graduate from?" I asked sweetly. "What was it? Oxford? Cambridge? Harvard?"

"I don't know what you mean, honey." Rian frowned and leant back in his chair. "But I know this because I'm someone who has lived over one hundred years, and seen this and that about humans."

"And you've probably noticed humans usually waste time on unimportant matters," Kallias said, sitting at the head of the table and giving me a curious look. "How can a human girl be the guest of the Night Court?"

"Why is that so weird?" I asked, not knowing what he was getting at. "Don't tell me you have human slaves in your court and my presence is an insult against you." I frowned.

"No, we don't. We find slavery detestable." He fixed his bluish eyes on Rhysand who was sitting at the other head of the table, and added, "It's been years since the last time I saw a human in one of your residences."

But it wasn't Rhysand who replied.

"Well, times are changing, don't you think?" Rian asked, taking a sip from a glass. "Sometimes it's good to try to think outside the box and open one's my mind to something new."

Feyre, who was sitting on Rian's right, flashed her son a smile. "The best things were created this way."

"Or in a cabin," Rian murmured and looked at me knowingly.

Blushing, I averted my eyes. Damn it. I shouldn't have said that aloud, I thought.

"Either way," Rhysand broke in, "I propose a toast." He lifted his glass. "Let's drink to changes and new beginnings."

"To changes and new beginnings," we all repeated and raised our glasses.

"Enjoy your meal," Rhysand said and the table filled with various dishes, beginning with roasted chicken and delicious meat pies, and ending with fish topped with a cheesy sauce and cooked asparagus.

Swallowing, I swept the plates in front of me and came to realise I didn't know what to choose. I wanted to eat literally everything that was on the table – the chicken, the pies, and even the salads.

I reached out to take a spoon of a tuna salad when Cerys whispered, "Don't touch it. Meleri made it and I'm not entirely sure it's edible."

I giggled. "Come on. Be a good sister, Cerys. We talked about it today. Remember?"

And I got slated for an innocent question, I thought.

"She wants to be an excellent cook but it has never run in our family." She sighed. "Mother above. We're eaters, not food makers."

Despite her warning, I put some salad on my plate and grabbed a roll. "I didn't put much. So I will take a bite and assess its value."

Cerys wasn't taking her eyes off me when I lifted a fork with the salad and stuck it in my mouth. "And?" she asked anxiously.

Having chewed it, I managed to say with a smile, "Not bad."

Visibly relieved, Cerys grumbled something under her breath about surviving a tuna salad but didn't take the dish. Instead, she filled her plate with roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, and started eating, glancing at me from time to time. It was almost like she was checking if I were still alive.

I looked down at my own plate, full of Meleri's salad. Suddenly, I heard someone cleared their throat so I lifted my head and met Rian's blue eyes. He studied my meal for a while and, after giving me a look, he said quietly, "Good luck with that."

Then, he started eating the same salad.

I twisted my face and thought, Good God, how am I supposed to eat so much of that disgusting salad?

###

The dinner proceeded in a cheerful atmosphere for almost everyone in the dining room. The fairies were talking and joking and eating literally everything that was on the table, no matter if sweet or sour. I was, however, just listening to their conversations and smiling politely because I didn't know what or whom they were talking about. Literally. I had never heard so many unknown names in my life.

It was like they were trying to confuse me and make it impossible for me to take it all in. At some point, I had even had the impression they were doing it out of sheer spite because of my big mouth and the stories I knew about them.

The meal ended when all High Lords and Ladies left the room, and I was finally able to relax.

Frustrated and a bit bored, I was sitting at the table and sipping red wine. Cerys left my side a couple of minutes ago and was nowhere to be seen. The other fairies were deep in conversation with one another and I didn't feel welcome enough to approach them and interrupt their chitter-chatter. Looking around, I spotted Rian at the head of the table. He was occupying the seat where his father sat and was talking with Zareen and Conri.

I gave a sigh.

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy the dinner," Merlin said and took the place on my left. "I was observing you and I must tell you can't hide your feelings, dearie. It was all written on your lovely face."

I sighed again and propped my chin in the palm of my hand.

"Oh, my. Was it that bad?" he asked.

I glanced at him. "Have you ever been to a party where all the people knew one another but you were a complete stranger, and all their talking was nothing more than babble?"

"Well, yes. A couple of times, I suppose." Merlin watched me with a faint smile, his hands resting on the table in front of him. "Tonight has been different, hasn't it? You felt insecure because you didn't know what we were talking about," he observed.

"You have no idea, m–" I stopped abruptly and looked at Rian who flashed me a smile. He was alone now and eavesdropping on our conversation. "You bastard," I muttered under my breath and felt my nostrils flared a bit.

"Ah, yes. I've heard of that tattoo." Merlin laughed and fixed his eyes on that handsome muppet. "You must be really nice to him if you want to get rid of it."

I snorted. "Nice try, Mel."

Rian stood up and slowly came to us with a glass of something reddish. It was probably the same thing he was drinking yesterday when I ended up in Prythian. "He's right, you know," he said and sat on his previous chair. "Lexi, you should be doing all you can in order to earn my approval."

"You think really highly of yourself, Rian." I titled my head.

He shrugged. "I'm just repeating what I've heard. I'm the heir to the Night Court, aren't I? People love me." He drank from the glass. "You should too."

Crossing my arms on my chest, I asked, "Really?"

"So maybe I'll leave you two… to whatever you're doing now." Merlin stood up. "Please, don't kill each other. I'm not exactly dressed for cleaning blood from the floor. Besides, this tunic is new and I paid a lot of money for it, so please, be responsible and don't shed blood." Having said that, he walked away from us.

Rian was amused when he asked, "Who said anything about killing? I'm just having a nice conversation with Lexi." He put his empty glass aside and flashed me a smile.

"Oh, my," I said, trying to look shocked when our eyes met. "That's the second time today that you've called me 'Lexi'. Is there something wrong? Are you ill, Rian dearest? Why didn't you use your usual 'lovely Alexandra'?"

"Ah, then you were paying attention." Rian beamed and put his clenched hands on the table, leaning across it. "Admit it. It's just an excuse for you to hear that."

I frowned. "No, of course not. Honestly, I don't like it. Not a bit."

He studied me for a while. "You know, you could be a good liar, lovely Alexandra. Some training and everyone would swallow your lies just like that."

"I see," I said, standing up and coming closer to him with my glass. "And who's going to be my teacher? You?" I sat next to Rian and faced him.

Rian shook his head. "Oh, no. I'm far too busy for that. Being the heir has its ups and downs. But you know all of that, don't you?" He leant back in his chair and crossed an ankle over his knee. "You must have read it in those stories about us."

I pursed my lips. Changing the topic seemed to be the best solution now, so I asked him, "Any news about Bryaxis?"

"Maybe."

Scowling at him, I said, "You know I want to go home and you still do such things."

"Did you leave someone there?" Rian seemed genuinely interested.

"Yeah. My family. My husband and son," I lied.

Rian tilted his head. "You don't look like a married woman."

"Oh, since when are you an expert on married women?"

Flashing me a lazy smile, he said, "Since most of the females I have slept with were married."

"I hope that you at least protected yourself," I murmured and drank my wine. "I'm sure the last thing your parents want is a bunch of your illegitimate children roaming around Prythian and reproducing even further."

A roar of laughter escaped his mouth.

"Oh, how sweet. You have a sense of humour." I smiled innocently and tilted my glass, but it turned out that the damn thing was empty. That's impossible. It was almost full, I thought, looking around in search of another bottle. "Is there more wine?" I asked him.

"I don't think you should drink more," Rian said, wiping his eyes. "You're already tipsy, honey."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. I didn't drink that much. I was counting the glasses. Two," I showed him two fingers, "I had only two of them."

"That's two too many." He crossed his arms on his chest.

Good God, his chest is so broad, I thought, lingering my eyes on his abs hidden under a shirt. What would I give to just touch them…

"You shouldn't drink more, Lexi," he said.

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Rian." I frowned and stood up. "Besides, if I were drunk, I would be singing right now. Am I singing right now?" I titled my head.

"Not yet." He sighed.

"Well done. You're a good observer, Mr Rhysandson," I said and flashed him a smile. "Should you see me singing, let Cerys know and take me to my room, please."

And then I spotted a bottle of red wine at the other end of the table.

"Voila," I said and started walking towards it. "Will you remember that?" I looked over my shoulder to check Rian's reaction. As I suspected, he was observing me with a stern look on his face. Ah, fuck it, I thought and grabbed the bottle. It's probably my last day in Prythian so let's get hammered.

With a smile, I opened the wine and filled my glass up. Cheers!

###

The next morning, I thought my head was going to explode.

Without opening my eyes, I realised I was awake and lying in my bed but I didn't remember either leaving the dining room or being taken to the bedroom. There was nothing in my mind about returning from the dinner. It was as if someone had made my memories disappear. Disappear?, I thought and opened my eyes. That son of a–

I regretted that the moment sunlight hit – back then it felt quite literally – my eyes. Squeezing them tightly, I rolled into my side and tried to get away from the sun as far as my narrow bed allowed. Then, I covered myself with the duvet.

"Oh, hello there. It's a little after ten in the morning and you're still in bed. I wonder why," Cerys said mockingly. Though her voice sounded muffed because of my duvet, I suspected she was sitting on the living room set. "Are you ill, sunshine? I didn't see you at breakfast almost two hours ago. Everyone but you showed up so I started feeling worried."

I huffed, trying to ignore her tone of voice and my pulsing headache. "Yes, I'm a bit ill. That's all."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Lexi." Cerys must have left the living room set and sat on her bed as her voice sounded nearer me. "Should I call for a healer for you?" she asked sweetly.

"No, just give me some aspirin and I'll be fine," I said.

"I don't know what that is. But maybe this will help." She paused. "Aren't you going to at least lift that duvet a little and see what I have for you?" she asked.

I smiled though she couldn't see me. "I'm too afraid of the light. It will kill me now."

She snorted.

Making a tiny crack between the duvet and the bed, I poked up and saw Cerys holding a glass of something whitish. "What is it?" I asked suspiciously.

"My very own remedy for the morning-after feeling." She beamed. "It was improved over the years, of course, with the help of my two brothers and Conri. They were the only ones that agreed to test it on themselves." She frowned. "It usually helps, though when Meleri was born twelve years ago it didn't help my father. At all. I would even say it worsened his condition but I hope it will now help you." She smiled and handed me the glass. "Drink up."

"What's inside?" I asked, uncovering myself and sitting up. The sunlight wasn't so agonising anymore but I had to narrow my eyes though. I noticed I was still wearing the pale pink outfit from yesterday so obviously I was so hammered I dropped off immediately and forgot about changing. I grabbed Cerys's glass.

"Some herbs I got from the Night Courts healers. It's a bit bitter but I promise it will help you." She put a hand over her heart.

Glancing at her, I said, "If it worsens my condition, I swear I will worsen yours."

She rolled her eyes. "And to think I wanted to take you tonight to the city and show you around."

"Did you?" I asked.

"First, drink up." Cerys leant forward, popping her elbows on her knees. "Then, we can talk about tonight. Alright?"

I nodded and gulped down her remedy. A second later I regretted that. "Oh, fuck," I mumbled, squeezing my eyes shut. "Neither cooks nor healers."

Cerys burst out laughing. "Welcome to the Court of Dreams, Lexi."