Chapter 88

"Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you." Elain smiled at Tarquin as he walked steadily beside her. He had offered at breakfast to show her the sites and interesting things around Adriata while Lucien was busy doing something or other with Varian. She cast him a wary gaze, chewing her lip for a moment. "Sorry if Lucien and I made you feel awkward last night…"

"Oh, no…" he gave a dismissive wave of his hand, "I simply felt that an argument between mates is probably best done without an audience…"

"It wasn't an argument." She said softly, "Not really…" Tilting her head, Elain realised that she and Lucien hadn't really had an argument; not yet.

"A disagreement, then." Tarquin turned his crystal blue eyes on her. "You were unhappy, and I figured that you would more easily sort it out if I made myself scarce."

"I see."

"I take it that you did?"

"I guess so…"

"I apologise if I was the cause of whatever it was."

"Oh, no." Elain paused to take in the view from the balcony, "I…" she glanced at Tarquin before looking back to the view. "I couldn't help being jealous of a lover long since gone."

Tarquin leaned on his elbows against the low wall, his own eyes out on the view. "The lesser fae female Beron had executed?"

"Jesminda." She watched Tarquin nod slowly.

"I've known Lucien for a long time." He told Elain, "Since before I was High Lord. He was here quite a bit as one of the sons of Autumn, and then later when he was the Emissary for the Spring Court…" Elain nodded, listening, "He has changed in that time." Blue eyes flicked her way, "He was sad for such a long time… I figured it was for a number of reasons, Jesminda being just one… but… even before that horrible incident, I had never seen him as happy as he is now." Tarquin gave her a soft smile, "There's a light in him, a brightness… and I would wager that is down to you."

"He's still sad…" Elain murmured, although her heart had lightened at Tarquin's words. "Every so often, I can see it in him. I can feel it…"

"He wants a home."

"How do you know that?" Elain turned to face the High Lord more completely.

"I've seen him lose his home, only to make a new one, and now he's lost that as well…"

"Yes." Elain nodded. Autumn and then Spring. She knew the truth behind Tarquin's assessment.

A cloud passed across the sun, and a chill fell over Elain as the wind blew a cooler gust of air past them. "That doesn't change the fact that he's happier now than I have ever known him to be." Tarquin told her and Elain smiled. "Now, you were after flowers for your book?"

"Yes, I was hoping that you might have a favourite I could include. The other High Lords have all done so…"

"My favourite…" He paused for a moment, "is a little yellow flower that only grows in the city I was once the Prince of…" He smiled at her again. "I will have one brought to you."

"That would be really nice."

"If you are looking for where you might find some other nice options to include, you might look on the hills down the south side of the mountain. There are flowers and trees down there, and more than a few little paths that lead to secluded beaches and rockpools…"

"Lucien did mention those." She stood straight again, pushing her hair back over her shoulder. "He said we might take a walk down that way when he returns this afternoon."

"I'm sure that will be lovely. Did you talk out the disagreement yesterday?"

"We did." Elain murmured, "I…" she didn't know why she was telling Tarquin this, "I know that I was being silly." She said, "I was being unfair…"

"I'm sure you weren't."

"I was… but I couldn't help the jealousy." She let out a sigh, "And I wanted to know if he would have picked me or Jesminda."

"You are his mate, Elain."

"I know that… but she was his first love. He chose her." She sighed again, "He didn't have a choice about me."

"He does now." He replied, "He could ignore it…"

"That's what he said." She told him "He said we both could…"

"He's right…"

"You asked what it felt like," she recalled, "Last night, you asked what it felt like to be mated…"

"You disagreed with Lucien's assessment of 'obsessive'."

"To a degree…" She murmured, tilting her head as she thought. "It feels… like a tug." She said, "I am constantly drawn toward him, I can feel him… as he said, it's even more like that when we are apart. I am constantly aware of where he is, and often I feel how he does…" she slanted a glance at Tarquin, "I don't like anyone else touching him… the jealousy is strong. Even, apparently, when the other female has been dead for centuries…"

"And you have truly not accepted the bond yet?"

"Not yet…" Elain chewed at her lip. "Do you think it will get stronger then?"

"The bond, I should think so…"

"No, the jealousy." She breathed.

"Oh, I don't know…" Tarquin looked at her thoughtfully. "I suppose it might, especially at first… I hear that males get quite territorial until they learn to control it. Especially during the mating frenzy…"

"Everyone always talks about how the males react…" she said, "But not the females…"

Tarquin flicked a grin her way. "You might ask your sister…"

For an instant, she thought that Tarquin had been referring to Nesta before she realised that he meant Feyre. "She would likely only regale me with details about Rhys and the mating frenzy." With a start, Elain thought about Viviane. She knew that the Lady of the Winter Court would be only too happy to tell her anything she wanted to know, although, Elain wasn't too sure about any experience with jealousy that Viviane might have had. She didn't know if Kalias had had previous lovers before his current wife, although, as High Lord, he would have undoubtedly had no shortage of admirers and females trying to get his attention.

"Ahh… I suppose one would not relish these tales from a sibling…"

"Very much not." Elain muttered, "She so loves the details… and then every time I look at Rhys I think about it…"

Tarquin laughed, and Elain looked at him in surprise. His laugh sounded like the tide coming in and she found it utterly fascinating.

"There is another garden below this balcony." He told her, "I am sure you will find something worthy of your book in there while I have the other brought to you. Apparently Varian will return by early afternoon, just after the lunch meal. You are welcome to join me on my balcony, again."

"Thank you." Elain smiled at him, "That should give me plenty of time to take what I need from there before Lucien and I head out into the slopes down the south side of the mountain."

"I hope that you enjoy yourself. The weather is meant to be perfect for such an outing."

Elain smiled as they headed for the stairs. She pulled her book from her pocket as she went, hoping that she found exactly what she wanted in the garden below. Not knowing what she really expected from the Summer Court by way of flowers, Elain swallowed her excitement. She was keen to find out what Summer grew, and see how much her skills had improved of late.