Chapter 58

He had definitely never seen Kallias like this, Lucien decided as they exited the brightly lit room with the large circular table in the centre. The High Lord had been open about what he had been trying to achieve within his court lately, and his plans for the future. There had been no evident evasion of questioning or attempts to talk Lucien into believing something that was inaccurate. Kallias had been straightforward and even friendly, and Lucien could not help looking at the other male out of the corner of his eye as they strode up the corridor.

"So, Elain is your mate…"

Blinking, Lucien nodded. "Yes." He replied, surprised by the question.

"And you didn't know her before?"

"No."

"That must have been interesting."

"That's one word for it." Lucien murmured. Kallias turned his pale eyes Lucien's way and the High Lord gave a smile.

"You seem alright with one another…"

"Yes." Lucien replied, "We're getting there."

"She hasn't accepted it?"

"Not formally."

"I'm sorry." Kallias said, and Lucien looked at him hearing the sincerity in his voice. "I can't imagine how that must feel…"

Tilting his head, Lucien let out a soft sigh. "She loves me." He told the other male, unable to help a smile at the words, "That's enough for now."

"But you've…"

"No."

"That," Kallias breathed, giving a soft laugh, "is an impressive amount of self-control."

"Ah, I'm no stranger to that." Lucien answered as the High Lord clapped him on the shoulder.

"I can't tell you how thankful I am that the bond snapped into place for Viv and I when it did." Kallias said conversationally, and Lucien listened. He was still surprised that the other male was speaking with him so freely. "We had only said our vows hours earlier and were… celebrating our reunion…" Lucien was pretty sure he knew exactly what they had been doing. Kallias gave him a smirk. "Everything has just been so much more… in focus…" he went on, "Under the mountain with Amarantha everything seemed to blur and became one long nightmare, but with Viviane, knowing that she is mine, everything is clear and has a purpose…"

Lucien's heart ached. "That sounds wonderful." He said softly.

"You'll see." Kallias said, "You said she loves you, even before having accepted the bond. There must be real reasons, then. As long as there is love, I'm sure you'll see exactly what I'm talking about."

Lucien wondered what those reasons were. Elain had told him that she loved him after they had been apart for a few days, but he didn't know why she did. She had missed him, she had told him that, but missing someone and loving them were completely different. "I hope so…"

They rounded a corner into a wider hallway and Kallias gestured toward the windows. "Viv would have taken her out that way to see the reindeer. They're likely out in the gardens now…"

"Thank you." Lucien needed to go and fetch his cloak if he was to head outside again.

"If you see my Lady, would you tell her I'll be looking for her in our bedchamber…"

Lucien choked and tried to mask it with a polite cough. "Of course."

Elain had never seen anything quite as cute as the tiny white reindeer calves. She and Viviane had sat and played with them for quite a time until it was clear that the little things had needed a rest, and they had decided to take a walk through the gardens instead.

"I quite like the Dawn Court." Viviane was telling Elain as they strolled through snowy pathways. "And Thesan is lovely."

"Yes… I remember him…" Elain tried not to think of their camp during the war as much as possible, but Thesan was one of the nicer memories she had.

"Everything in the Dawn Court is … gentle." Vivian said, "I think you will like it."

Elain smiled. "I like all of this…" She waved a hand around them. "Everything here is beyond what I could have imagined."

Viviane gave a light laugh and nodded. "I grew up here, but I do understand you." Elain felt the blonde's hand on her arm for a moment, "I've seen all the courts, and each has its own magic, but…" Her pale eyes moves around the gardens and then up over the palace, "Nothing comes close to Winter." A bright smile came Elain's way, "It makes my heart sing."

"This is where you belong…"

"Oh, yes." Viviane smiled again, "I do belong here. With Kal."

"Did you always love him?" Elain was surprised at her own boldness in asking the question, but Vivian looked thoughtful.

"In a way." She replied, "But I didn't truly realise the extent of it until he was trapped Under the Mountain…"

"Before the bond?" Elain asked, curious. "You knew it before the bond?"

"Yes." Viviane smiled at her, before understanding flashed through her pretty face. "You didn't have that chance?"

"The bond hit us the moment I first looked Lucien in the eyes." Elain said softly. Viviane stopped walking and turned to look at Elain.

"That must have been hard."

"It was." Elain replied, "Frightening, too…"

"I can imagine that would be so, adjusting to new life as Fae as well…"

"Yes…"

"And how do you feel about it now?" Viviane asked.

"The bond?"

Viviane nodded, "You look comfortable with one another, yet I know you've not accepted it completely." Blue eyes looked Elain over, "You're travelling the courts together…"

"I love Lucien." Elain told her gently, "It has taken time… but… I have come to realise that."

"Bond or not, realising you love someone can take time." Vivian touched her arm again, "It took me most of my life. Kal and I grew up together, and though he did what he could to protect me, sending me off to border duty to keep me away from danger, and everything else… I did not realise that I loved him until he was taken away from me."

Elain nodded. "It took Lucien being away from me to truly begin to consider how I felt…" She let out a small breath, watching the steam puff out in front of her. "I did not enjoy the distance at all."

"It does hurt." Viviane gave her a knowing look. "I am glad that I already loved Kal when the bond snapped into place for us." The Lady of the Winter Court gave Elain a small smile then, "It happened when we were… intimate…"

Elain felt herself blush and she glanced around them. "That… sounds very intense."

Viviane laughed again, "It was." She met Elain's gaze, "I don't envy it happening to you when you were strangers, but I am glad for you that you have come to love him before you accept the bond. That will make it all the more special when you do so."

"You think that I will?"

Viviane tilted her head. "Lucien Vanserra is a good male." She said, brushing snowflakes from Elain's shoulder, "I'm not surprised that you've come to love him, not having even accepted the bond. He's loyal and kind and clever… And, loving him, I do think that you will want that bond…"

"Oh…" Elain blinked when Viviane linked their arms together, walking them toward the palace.

"If you want to know anything about what it's like to be mated, and you don't want to ask your sister, you can ask me."

"…Thank you." Elain was surprised that Viviane would talk to her as if they were old friends, and be so open about something so personal, but she couldn't deny that she appreciated that honesty. "…what…" she began, nervous, "What is your favourite thing about being Kallias' mate?"

"Oh…" Viviane walked in silence, still holding Elain's arm in hers, "I love everything about it, so to choose one thing is difficult…" She was quiet for a few more moments and Elain just looked at the gardens around them while Viviane thought, "I… would probably have to say that I love the certainty."

"The certainty?"

"Yes. I love the certainty of knowing that we have one another. I can feel that he loves me just as much as I love him and there's no question about it. I always have someone who is… mine." Viviane smiled and Elain could see the glow of happiness within her, "I am his and he is mine and nobody will ever be able to break that. It is certain."

"You will always be his first priority…"

"Yes."

Elain smiled. "That does sound wonderful."

"It is." Viviane squeezed Elain's arm, "Can you imagine that with Lucien?"

"Yes…" Elain's voice was barely a whisper in the frosty air. She hadn't even needed to think about it. She could see that all too easily, picture exactly that kind of dedication and, to some degree, felt like she already had it. Lucien was already there, though. She knew that he'd felt the bond more strongly than she had right from the start, and she wondered what it must feel like to feel that certainty within yourself, but not have it returned. "Did it change how you saw yourself?" She asked, glancing at the blonde beside her. "Suddenly belonging to someone else?"

"No." Viviane replied firmly, "Kal is part of me. I felt more like myself, like who I was meant to be." Elain just nodded, thinking. She wanted to find Lucien, wanted to hug him and tell him that she was sorry for any hurt she had caused. "Was that helpful?"

"Yes…" Elain replied, "Thank you…"

"You're close, aren't you?" Viviane grinned at her, "You're close to accepting it. I can tell."

"I…"

"You just need a little Winter Court romance… And this place is very romantic."

"Oh…" Elain didn't know how to reply to that.

"Kal and I will take care of it. Don't worry."

Elain felt relief flow through her when she saw red hair flash as Lucien strode toward them through the snow. Viviane released Elain's arm and stood looking at the both of them with a pleased smile on her face. "Kallias asked me to let you know he… will be in your bedchamber…" Lucien was evidently trying to keep his face neutral and Elain turned her gaze on Viviane who only smiled more widely.

"We will see both of you for dinner." The blonde said before striding away and leaving them in the garden.