Chapter 115

The Day Court made Elain happy. She had decided this after about twenty minutes of walking around the next morning with Lucien. The faeries of the Day Court seemed friendly and open, and were all too happy to give a smile and stop to talk to them as they asked where they might find some flowers unique to their court. She and Lucien had wandered after breakfast, out of the palace and down the streets, and she had felt Lucien's easiness as he took in everything around them. He hadn't said much about his conversation with his mother the evening before, and he hadn't asked her about what Helion had spoken to her about in the sitting room after dinner, but his hands on her had been possessive when they had retreated to their room once it was all over. Elain had decided that she liked that too, when they had climbed into bed and he had pulled her tightly to himself, his hands moving over her as if to reassure himself that she was there. They had fallen asleep only moments later, but Elain had woken with the sun with Lucien's hands still on her.

As the sun came down on them, bright and warm, Elain looked up and around at Lucien when he slid an arm around her shoulders. "We should head back…" his voice was soft and she squinted at his expression in the golden light.

"What's the matter?" She tucked her little book back into her dress pocket, and Lucien shook his head.

"Nothing is the matter." He replied, "Helion has made time to speak to me about the Day Court this morning." He gave her a nervous smile, "Wouldn't want to keep him waiting…"

Sliding her arm around Lucien's waist, she leaned in to him. His heart seemed to beat faster as they made their way back toward the palace and she began rubbing small circles into his side as she listened to it beat. "So, he knows…"

"Apparently so." Lucien's voice was slightly clipped, and Elain could feel his nervousness swirling within him.

"Do you think he will bring it up while you're talking about other things?"

"I couldn't say, Petal."

"Will you bring it up?"

"Hmm." Lucien pressed a soft kiss to her temple, "I don't know."

Elain let it drop, feeling Lucien's apprehension growing. She figured he needed the time to sort it out in his head before he had to come face to face with Helion. Neither of them said anything further on their way back to the palace, where they were then shown to the throne room as they had been the day before.

Helion was seated on his throne and he got to his feet when Elain walked in with Lucien by her side. "Ahh, you've returned." The High Lord smiled at them as he approached. "I hear you've been exploring this morning."

"We went for a walk." Lucien agreed, and Elain took his hand gently.

"Excellent." Helion's amber eyes flicked from Lucien to Elain and then back to Lucien. "Lucien, if you would join me." He said, "We can begin our discussions on the progress of the Day Court." He looked to Elain again, "And for the Lady, I have organised something special… a fitting for some traditional Day Court attire…" Elain blinked as the High Lord's gaze moved over her for a second.

"I…" She held more tightly to Lucien's hand. She had promised him that he wouldn't have to face this conversation with his father alone. "Lucien…"

"It's okay." Helion smiled, "You'll be taken care of." He winked at her, "I've charged my own tailor with the task."

Elain's breath caught in her throat. She looked to Lucien. "I…"

"It's okay." Lucien turned his eyes, russet and gold, her way. "It's okay, Elain."

"No…" she breathed, squeezing his hand. "I said I wouldn't…" She broke off when he lifted his free hand to her cheek. She could feel him trying to soothe her and she met his gaze.

"You're not breaking any promise to me." He murmured, bending to press a kiss to her cheek. "I can do it." He told her, "I want to talk to him…"

Elain wrapped an arm around his neck and pressed a kiss of her own to his cheek. "Okay…" When they straightened, she turned her eyes back on Helion who was looking at them with an interested and amused smile. "If you can leave him for an hour…" Elain nodded, and Helion lifted a hand to indicate a door over to the right. "You'll find everything set up right through there…"

Making herself smile, Elain nodded again. "Alright. Thank you…" She moved for the door, looking back at Lucien as she did so. She hoped that he truly wasn't feeling abandoned by her, and that his conversation with Helion went as he wanted it to.

Swallowing his nervousness, Lucien walked with Helion through another hallway. The High Lord cast a glance at him and Lucien forced a courtly smile. "It's just through here. I figured this room would be most comfortable. Did you bring everything you need?"

"I did." Lucien withdrew his notes as Helion opened a door and ushered him into a room with a large round table in the centre. Letting his eyes move around the room, Lucien took it all in. There was a large golden sun on the roof, directly over the table, and the walls were a deep blue with golden beams, he supposed were intended to be sun rays, spilling across them and down to the floor, radiating out from that sun in the roof. "Oh…"

"Impressive, isn't it?" Helion strode for a nearby chair and flung himself down in it, lounging elegantly as he turned those amber eyes on Lucien once more. "Please, sit."

Stiffly, Lucien moved for a chair of his own, pulling it out from the table and sinking in to it, placing his book on the table and his pen beside it. "So…" he began, trying to avoid looking at Helion. "What would be the first thing that you would like the High Lord of the Night Court to be aware of?"

"That we have received word from Kallias, and we have already begun negotiations to open a trade route with the Winter Court."

"Oh?" Lucien flipped open his book, and made a note. "And, is this something you want to open to all the courts?"

"Of course."

When Lucien glanced up, he found Helion's eyes on him. Unable to meet that gaze, he looked back down at what he was writing. "I'm assuming that this would require each Court to contribute to the development and upkeep of the routes…" he paused, making another note. "Did you and Kallias have any plans for what that contribution would be?"

"Those who can offer fae to work on it may do so, and those who do not have any to spare will instead make a monetary contribution."

Lucien had figured as much, but he nodded nonetheless, and made a note of it. "Assuming you're open to discussions of the size of that contribution."

"Of course."

Helion's eyes were still on Lucien when he looked up again and Lucien forgot what he had been about to ask next.

"Elain is your mate…?"

Bristling at that, Lucien nodded. "I thought that was clear."

"Yes…" Helion's voice was smooth, "Sister to the High Lady of the Night Court, and a Seer…"

"What of it?" He knew his tone was sharp, but Lucien didn't care. Images of Helion's hands on Elain's ankle from the day before flashed through his mind.

"It's just…" Helion's eyes moved over him quickly as the High Lord paused, "… Interesting."