Previously on "A Court of Fear and Ice"

In Velaris, the Night Court fairies take Lexi for a walk around the neighbourhood, showing her four trees planted after the birth of the High Lord and Lady's children. On their way home, Lexi realises that her starry tattoos look different, and she seeks Rhysand's help.

Chapter 40

Breathing hard through my nose, I wrung my hands for the nth time tonight and wished I could run for the hills. But it was impossible. I was stuck in Feyre and Rhysand's residence after I got convinced yesterday by Cerys and Zareen to come with them and face the Summer Court together. And I regretted that foolish decision every time I took a breath.

With my eyes fixed on the main entrance, I stood next to one of the marble pillars in the hall. Though I had spent several weeks in the mountain residence, I barely recognised the room at first. Lit with gold candles of various sizes, the hall looked really spectacular. Gold and blue, the colours of the Summer Court, were visible everywhere, beginning with the candles and ending with long curtains which were now swaying in the wind.

Too stressed out, I didn't want to take a sit on one of the sofas or engage in idle conversation with the Night Court fairies. All I could think about was meeting that horrible greened-eyed monkey, and I was slowly beginning to feel sick.

In desperate need of moral support, I glanced at Meleri, Cerys and Zareen who were sitting at the table. Sadly, the three fairies were chatting with Varian and a short dark-haired woman whose name I had completely forgotten, and didn't even look my way. The same went for Ciaran. He was of no use to me as well, since he was staring blankly at the floor and didn't take part in the conversation. A bit frustrated, I let out a loud sigh and caught Rian's eye.

Standing beside a low backless sofa with blue cushions, he was holding a glass of his favourite red wine. I realised that he was dressed in the same clothes he had during the dinner with the Winter Court. His black trousers and midnight blue tunic with gold embroidery around the edges of the sleeves were simple yet elegant and made him look really sexy. But I didn't have time for that.

I wanted out.

Without thinking, I whispered to him, "Help me."

Having taken the glass with him, Rian headed towards me. When he came to a stop next to the pillar, he said in a hushed voice, "Are you fine? You look like you're going to vomit."

I took a deep breath and replied, "Because I am."

He laughed quietly. "You know there's no need to worry."

"Rian," I turned towards him, my heart pounding in my throat, "I am terrified. And nervous. And nauseous. Actually, all the things combined. Don't tell me there is no need to worry." My voice came out high-pitched.

I crossed my arms. Yet after several seconds, I realised that this position was uncomfortable, mostly because of the blue dress I was wearing tonight, so I went back to wringing my hands.

"Lexi," he said, grabbing my hand and making me stop. I realised that his glass had disappeared. When our eyes met, he went on, "As I have said earlier, there's no need to worry, honey. Everyone will protect you if need be. In fact, I will personally throw her through that damn window behind my back if she makes even one small movement towards you." He smiled. "You know that I'm capable of doing it."

I laughed nervously.

"Try to calm down," Rian added softly. "Everything's going to be fine, lovely Alexandra." He lifted his other hand but stopped halfway through. Then, he grunted and slid both hands into the pockets of his dark trousers. "Would you like to drink some wine?" he asked.

Shaking my head, I glanced at the entrance. "I'm too nervous to eat or drink."

"What about sitting down?"

Again, I shook my head and replied, "I've got a better view here. Actually, I can always hide behind that pillar and no one will see me."

A quiet sigh was his only response as he kept standing by my side.

"Are they here yet?" I asked, glancing at him.

"Not yet." Rian crossed his arms. "Father has decided to take them on a small trip around the residence since she has never been here before. This will buy you some time."

It was my turn to let out a sigh.

"I would have to thank your dad for that later," I said.

He laughed quietly. "Dad? I haven't used this word for years. It should be interesting how he responds when I call him 'dad'."

"In different circumstances, I would like to see it with my own eyes and roar with laughter afterwards, but now… I'm too nervous to do it." I swallowed hard.

Rian grabbed my hand one more time, making me look at him.

"Trust me," he whispered. "Everything's going to be fine."

Before I was able to answer him, I heard voices and then loud footsteps in the corridor leading to the hall. Immediately, my heart started beating rapidly. When I realised that both of my palms were getting sweaty too, I yanked my hand from Rian's grip. Then, I fixed my eyes on the entrance, waiting impatiently for the Summer Court fairies to join the rest of us.

The voices intensified and soon Rhysand and Tarquin entered the hall. Smiling and gesturing, the High Lords were engaged in a conversation and clearly had the time of their lives. Both were wearing elegant tunics, quite similar to Rian's, and dark trousers. They were followed by the High Ladies who looked absolutely beautiful in their long sleeveless dresses and delicate tiaras on their heads; one with silver stars and moons, and the other with golden seashells.

In a heartbeat, the newcomers were surrounded by the Nigh Court fairies and the hall erupted with their voices. At first, I didn't know where I was supposed to look at. Glancing between the fairies, I saw Ciaran still sitting at the table, Cerys and Zareen talking with Marella, Varian and the short dark-haired woman discussing something with the two High Lords, Feyre listening to…

Wait a minute. I looked back at the dark-haired fairy and realised that I did remember her name.

Amren.

Of course, she was Amren.

Dressed in a long grey dress, the Second-in-command to the High Lord and Lady of the Night Court was a beautiful woman. She had straight black hair that were reaching her shoulders, and silver eyes tilted up at the corner. Their incredible colour was the first thing I noticed when I saw her in the hall.

The slender fairy was genuinely interested in me when Rian mentioned that I came from another world. She asked several questions about my home, but I was too distracted and stressed out to give her the answers she wanted to hear. Otherwise, she wouldn't cross-examine me so much, would she?

Noticing a movement on the left, I fixed my eyes on the High Lords and Meleri who were now listening to Feyre. Suddenly, I felt a warm hand on my elbow, so I turned my head right. I didn't even realise that Rian got so close to me.

"She's here," he whispered, his breath caressing my ear. "Right in front of you."

With my heart racing, I immediately set my eyes upon the entrance.

Glancing around the hall, Torianna looked as if she had ended up in the worst possible place in Prythian, surely not in the private mountain residence of the High Lord and Lady of the Night Court. Her green eyes were examining the surroundings judgementally, taking in the furniture and gold and blue decorations. Simply looking at her wry face, I knew that she was far from being impressed by the effort the Night Court fairies put in honouring their guests.

With her white hair swept up, Marella's sister wore a long backless turquoise dress. It had such a huge neckline that I was able to see her bellybutton, not to mention almost half of each of her breasts. Though a mean cow, Torianna had good taste in jewellery. Willy-nilly, I kept staring at her amazing shining earrings with pink stones and matching bracelets on both her wrists. There were also lots of golden rings on her fingers, some with gems, some plain. It was almost a shame that her personality didn't match her stunning appearance, right?

The green-eyed monkey was accompanied by a white-haired woman who was probably one of her and Marella's many sisters. The sister kept looking around the hall with a big genuine smile and commented on the decorations every now and then, though the conversation was mostly one-sided.

Shorter than Torianna, she was dressed in a shimmering gold gown which looked pale in comparison to the turquoise one. The same went for her rather casual jewellery. Simple shells intertwined with several pearls around her neck were the only items of finery she wore to the party. I didn't notice any shining earrings, huge bracelets or golden rings I saw on the green-eyed monkey. It seemed as if the sisters were the complete opposite of each other, both in terms of appearance and personality.

"Lexi," Rian whispered again into my ear.

Startled a bit, I took a step sideways.

"I'm sorry, honey." He flashed me a small smile and then added quietly, "Are you sure you want to keep standing here and pretending you're not in the hall with us? We can blend in with the crowd and she wouldn't bother you anymore."

"That's probably a good idea," I said, glancing at the entrance.

Immediately, I sucked my breath when our eyes met.

With a broad smile, Torianna was staring right at me. She whispered something to the white-haired woman and both fairies headed towards me and Rian. Yet before they could so much as make two steps, he blocked them out, stepping in front of me and offering his arm. "I do believe it's time to blend in. Shall we?" he asked.

Not saying a single word, I looped my arm through his and let him lead me towards the rest of the fairies.

And away from her.

Stopping next to Feyre and Meleri, I let go of Rian and I looked over my shoulder. Luckily, Torianna and her sister were still standing near the entrance and talking quietly. I really didn't want to face her alone, especially not after seeing her awful arrogant smile. Feeling shivers all over my body, I turned my head and tried to listen to the conversation between the fairies, but I couldn't focus.

Again, I began to wring my hands.

It was a bad idea, I thought, glancing around. A fucking bad idea.

Catching Marella's eyes, I nodded my head slightly. Immediately, there was a smile on her face. I tried to do the same, but I was sure as hell that what I flashed her was far from being a smile. Undeterred by my facial expression, the High Lady excused herself and headed towards me.

"I'm so glad to see you, Lexi," she said, taking my hands into hers. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged. "Fine, I suppose."

To be honest, I felt like shit, but I couldn't tell her that. I couldn't admit that because of her sister I wanted to hide behind one of the sofas and wait the dinner out. That I was terrified to even be in the hall and the only thing that kept me there was Rian, still standing beside me.

I glanced at him, but he was listening attentively to his mother and didn't look my way.

"Nerida wanted me to tell you that she's been thinking about you and waiting impatiently for your next meeting." Marella smiled, letting go of me. "Honestly, I don't remember the last time our daughter got so fond of somebody."

I tried to smile. "Glad to hear that."

"Are you fine, Lexi?" Marella asked and frowned. Then, she grabbed my hand again and said softly, "You don't look… well. Is there something bothering you?"

Avoiding eye contact, I shook my head. "No, everything's fine."

"Bullshit," Cerys hissed, having approached me and Marella. I didn't even notice her coming. "She doesn't look well, because your–"

"Dinner's been served," Rhysand cut in, preventing his daughter from letting the cat out of the bag. He didn't look at Cerys as he came to stand next to us and offered his arm to Marella. With a small smile, he asked, "Marella, may I show you to your seat?"

The High Lady beamed. "Certainly," she replied and they headed towards the table. "We'll talk later," she whispered, looking over her shoulder at me.

I swallowed quite loudly when I realised that I didn't know what to do now. I knew nothing about their table manners, especially when it came to official dinners. Last time, I kept observing the fairies and repeated their every move. Besides, it was Cerys who showed me to my seat and sat next to me. But tonight, she was too busy eyeing Torianna to help me out.

With her lips pressed into a thin line, the Night Court princess crossed her arms. Then, she seethed through her teeth, "She had the nerve coming here. If it weren't for our parents, I would have gladly wiped that smirk off her hideous gob."

"Remember the reason we all came here, sister." Rian titled his head towards me. "And then decide if it's worth it."

Having fixed his blue eyes on me, he smiled and offered his arm one more time. Gladly, I put my hand on his elbow and leant into him, realising that there was nothing to worry about. At least, for now.

###

After we were finally seated, it turned out that most of us ended up in the wrong places. But things had already been a little tense in the hall, so neither Feyre nor Rhysand decided to move their guests around. And I was very grateful for that.

With Rian on my left and Cerys on my right, it seemed as if I were sitting in one of the safest places in the hall. I didn't have to worry about anything and anyone, since the High Lords and Ladies were seated at both heads of the table, and Torianna with Carmina, the other white-haired sister, happened to be sitting near Tarquin and Feyre and making small talk.

All seemed perfect.

Right, it seemed, since having Cerys by my side was a mixed blessing, mostly because of the Night Court princess's behaviour towards Torianna. Everything started with completely harmless glances which she kept giving her from time to time. Soon, the glances transformed into frosty stares that were eventually replaced with angry mumbling about the green-eyed monkey.

In an attempt to distract her from Marella's sister, which seemed to be an extremely tough task, I decided to draw her attention to myself. "I've heard what you did with the octopus," I said quietly to Cerys.

She looked at me and then snorted. "I couldn't let anyone eat it. I had to burn it."

"I'm glad you did it, Cerys," I added, glancing at her. "I would have done the same."

"My sister has always had a big heart," Rian cut in, flashing Cerys a smile. "She doesn't like boasting about it as everyone else does, but I know it's there. And she uses that big heart of hers when the time is right."

"You're a lucky man to have such a sister."

Rian smiled. "I know that I'm a lucky male."

Having rolled her eyes, Cerys didn't say anything. But I realised that she seemed rather pleased with having been praised for doing something as selfless as buying a dead octopus and burning it so no one could eat it. Maybe, hiding behind the mask of a strong Night Court warrior princess served just as an excuse for Cerys to tuck away her big heart and prevent others from seeing it. Well, hiding had been always safer than exposing oneself and, sadly, I knew it from personal experience.

Sighing, I went back to unsuccessfully trying to eat my chicken. At first, it was quite tasty, but I had lost my appetite throughout the dinner. And I was absolutely sure that I wouldn't get it back.

"Lexi," someone said my name.

Alerted, I looked up from my almost empty plate and saw Torianna who was flashing me a rather nasty smile.

I frowned. Why was she sitting in front of me? Where the hell was Meleri?

"Lexi, tell me," Torianna added, playing with one of her bracelets, "how old are you? You seemed to be a rather young woman."

I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling the need to throw up. "I'm twenty-three," I managed to say.

"You've taken my sister's chair," Cerys seethed.

Ignoring her, the green-eyed monkey kept smiling as she said, "Oh, you're so young. And you're unmarried, aren't you?"

I nodded.

"That's a pity."

"She has the next forty, maybe fifty years to get married," Cerys broke in, leaning towards me. "Don't you worry."

Torianna lifted her eyebrows. "And do you really think that someone would want such an old female?"

"Oh, don't be so harsh for yourself, my dearest Torianna." Cerys smiled sweetly, but her hands were clenched into fists. Luckily, they were resting on her lap and no one but me could see them. "One might think that you care about getting married soon. Why is that I have never seen you with a male at your side?"

The white-haired fairy titled her head. "Perhaps you're not as smart and perceptive as you think you are and you simply haven't noticed him?"

"I highly doubt that," Cerys said quickly, leaning against her chair. "Every time I see you, you're all on your ownsome. Just like that time in Berfeen. Or the other day in the library in Dorlido." She smiled. "No one, but our good old Torianna."

I glanced at Marella's sister.

"If I hadn't known you better, I would have said that you worry about me, princess. But that's impossible." She smiled too. "The only one you worry about is yourself. It has always been like that. Admit it."

Crys snorted, and then replied, "Do you want a piece of advice? Worry about yourself, Tori."

"Don't call me that." Torianna narrowed her eyes. "Only my close friends can use 'Tori,' and as far as I know, you have never been one. Not even a little."

The princess let out a low whistle. "Close friends? Oh, my. That's so far beneath you, Tori."

"I'm warning you," the white-haired fairy said, her smile long gone. "Give me one more reason and I will completely forget that I'm in the presence of my High Lord and Lady."

"And, pray tell, what will you do?" Cerys asked, crossing her arms and looking expectantly at Torianna. "Will you make a scene? Cry? Scream? Leave our residence? Something else? What exactly will you do?" The Night Court princess smirked.

Theatrically, Marella's sister sighed and propped her chin in the palm of her hand. Then, she glanced at Tarquin and added, "Let me think."

"He won't help you," Cerys said. When Torianna fixed her eyes on her, she went on, "Thanks to my eldest brother, no High Lord or Lady can hear us."

The white-haired fairy frowned. "You did it on purpose."

I looked at Rian, but his only response was a small shrug. "Seriously?"

"She asked me to," he replied quietly and took a sip from his glass. "But don't worry, honey. I have no intention of helping her carry out an attack on Torianna. She's on her own now."

Frowning, I set my eyes upon him, but Rian refused to meet my stare. "Do you want to know what I would call it? Cheating," I said, waiting for a response.

He shrugged again, avoiding eye contact.

I sighed and then asked loudly, trying to bring the two fairies to their senses, "Girls, please, can we take a break?"

Ignoring me, the Night Court princess smiled at Torianna whose face started getting more and more red. "You see, Tori," she said, "we all know who is the smartest from your lot. And surely, it's not you."

"Cerys," Rian said quietly, giving her a condemning look. Finally, he looked at someone.

His sister shrugged. "I'm telling the truth. She is more stupid than Marella, and to prove that–"

"At least, I'm not as stupid as you are." The white-haired fairy stood up, shaking with anger. "Because I'm not the one chasing after a male who clearly doesn't want me. A male who is more interested in his master's affairs than in the female who has been making eyes at him for the last fifty years."

Immediately, Cerys opened her mouth as if she wanted to protest. Yet seconds later, there was a blank expression on her face. "Will you please explain what you're raving about?" she asked.

"I'm raving about you." Torianna pointed at her. "You, my slow-witted princess. Did you really think that I wouldn't notice your longing stares? Your sweet smiles? Your drooling? Of course, I did!" she exclaimed. "Yet I didn't do anything, because years ago, she," the white-haired fairy looked at the head of the table where Marella was sitting, "begged me to stay out of it. My smart sister is the only reason your life hasn't turned into hell."

Belatedly, I realised that everyone in the hall had their eyes set upon us, listening to Torianna's every word. And it meant that Rian had stopped blocking the conversation.

"But enough is enough," Torianna went on, fixing her eyes on Cerys. "From now on, your wonderful days of ogling the golden-haired Taranis are over."

Cerys shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You do," Marella's sister gloated, flashing her a nasty smile. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." She got quiet for a moment.

The Night Court princess clenched her jaw, but didn't say anything.

"You know, Cer," Torianna continued, giving her a disgusted look, "I have always suspected that you put a shield around you, so no one can smell your arousal at the mere thought of him. Of your golden-haired skylax. Of your Taranis."

"You're just jealous, bitch," Cerys gritted out.

The white-haired fairy lifted her eyebrows. "Me?" she asked and shook her head. Then, she leant across the table and lowered her voice to a whisper, saying, "Pray tell, Princess, what will I do the next time I see him? What will I say to Thesan's best skylax? Where will I touch your golden-haired Taranis? And how many times will I ride him, making him moan my name over and over again?"

Out of the blue, I felt a wave of heat coming from Cerys. When I looked at her, I saw her hands burning with real fire, so I realised that it was time to get the hell out of here. But I didn't have time to do that.

"Cerys, no!" Feyre shouted, darting in the direction of her daughter.

Quickly standing up, Cerys screamed and jumped over the table towards Torianna, sending a wave of flames around her.

Like in slow motion, I attempted to get up and lift my hands to cover my face against the fire. But at the same time, I felt someone's arms around me. A second later, I stood at the other side of the hall, still feeling warm on my cheeks.

"Stay here." I heard Rian's strained voice. I wanted to turn around and say something, but he had already vanished.

Blinking, I twisted around and observed him appear next to Rhysand and Tarquin who were separating the two angry fairies. Shouting and trying to get away, Cerys and Torianna still felt the need to continue their fight. This time, literally.

"I will kill you, you fucking bitch! I will kill you!" Cerys screamed, ineffectively pulling away from her father. But Rhysand wouldn't let her go. He held her firmly, gradually dragging her away from the Summer fairies and whispering something into her ear. When they stopped next to one of the sofas in the hall, they were joined by Feyre.

Near the entrance, I noticed Marella. The fairy was embracing Meleri and making sure my little kidnapper wouldn't get hurt. Luckily, Melly wasn't scared, but she seemed worried. She kept glancing at her sister, probably unsure whether the fight really ended.

Hoping it was over, I decided to approach them.

The entire hall looked like a battlefield. The glass table was broken. Most of the food and plates were scattered around the floor. Some curtains were barely dangling from the rails, and few showed traces of burning.

When I passed the broken table, I saw Varian and Amren who were still sitting on their chairs, watching everyone attentively. Apparently, they weren't impressed by the fight.

On my way, I realised that Ciaran was nowhere to be found. Maybe he disappeared when Rian winnowed me to the other side of the hall, not wanting to take part in his sister's display of rage.

As for Rian, he was standing near Tarquin and Marella's two sisters, crossing his arms and observing the three Summer fairies. He didn't move or offer his help to the High Lord, but seemed ready to take action if need be.

When I stopped next to Marella and Melly, the High Lady looked at me with concern. "Are you fine?" she asked.

"I suppose so," I replied.

"I'm glad Rian managed to winnow you to safety before Cerys burst." She flashed me a sad smile.

I nodded.

"Me too." I glanced at Meleri. "What about you, Melly? How are you holding up?"

My little kidnapper shrugged before she replied, "Honestly, I don't know. I've never seen her so angry. It was… a bit scary."

I exchange a look with Marella. "To say the least," I whispered.

"Thank the Mother that it ended so quickly," Marella said, letting go of Meleri. Then, she fixed her eyes on Cerys who was still speaking with her parents. "I will talk with her later, since she's busy now. There are some issues we need to discuss." She made a sad face.

I glanced at Cerys. Sitting on the sofa next to Feyre, she was still angry, but thankfully, she wasn't shouting or trying to pull away from Rhysand. I was pretty sure that both her parents wanted to have a word with her in the morning, right after she slept on it.

The High Lady of the Summer Court sighed, looking around. "I knew it was coming, but I didn't think it would leave such a mess."

She set her green eyes on her mate.

Standing near the windows, Tarquin turned his head towards Marella and nodded twice. I observed her did the same.

"We're going home." She looked at us with a sad smile. "Have some rest."

I hugged her. "You too. It was really nice to see you again, Marella."

"Likewise."

She patted gently Meleri on her cheek and then headed towards Rian and the Summer fairies.

Making a few steps forward, Tarquin said loudly, "It's time for us to go home."

Rhysand nodded, still standing in front of his daughter.

"Have a safe trip," he replied.

The High Lord of Summer nodded as well. "Goodnight."

The four fairies vanished.