Chapter 136

Crossing his ankle across his knee, Lucien leaned back in his chair and watched the High Lords around the table. There had been significantly less arguing than he had expected, and less than he had remembered from pervious meetings between the High Lords. It was evident that each of them was trying to be as agreeable as possible because they all wanted this to succeed, but that had ended up meaning that nobody was really sharing their true opinions, or venturing suggestions that they feared may be shot down. That meant that nothing was really progressing further than Helion and Eris had initially planned.

When he gave a light sigh of annoyance, running a hand though his ruby hair, Kallias looked his way. "What's the matter, Lucien?" the High Lord of the Winter Court asked, a smirk spreading across his pale face, "Tired after last night?"

Lucien tilted his head, eyeing Kallias and raising an eyebrow. He heard the soft chuckle from Tarquin, and he turned his eyes on the other High Lords, all of whom were now looking at him, and all of whom seemed amused. He'd known they had all witnessed Elain practically drag him out of the hall the previous night, he just hadn't expected any of them to actually make mention of it.

"You know how it is." Lucien eventually replied, "When your mate demands something of you…" Only Rhys, Kallias and Thesan smiled knowingly in response, and Feyre lay a hand atop one of Rhys'.

"I feel like it's like that when any female demands that of me…" Tarquin muttered, and Helion nodded his agreement. Eris' expression suggested that if anybody dared demand anything of him, they would not have a pleasant evening at all. "Nevertheless…" Tarquin added, "if Lucien is tired, maybe this is a sign we should take a break."

"I'm not tired." Lucien replied, "Perhaps the task should be broken up, however."

"What do you mean?" Helion asked, leaning back in his own chair. Lucien was reminded of the conversation he had had with Elain the previous night, and he thought about his mother spending the night in Helion's rooms. He also remembered that Elain had told the High Lord that she wanted to accept the bond as soon as possible.

"Instead of going over the outline over and over, maybe each aspect of the organisation could be allocated to someone."

"How would we keep everyone accountable?" Eris asked, running a hand over his own face. Lucien eyed him.

"It would be fairly obvious if someone wasn't doing their job."

"We could," Kallias put in gently, "allocate the planning of it. Break it up this afternoon and meet again tomorrow to present what we have."

"Sounds good to me." Rhys agreed, pushing back from the table and turning toward Feyre who nodded.

"Yes." She said softly, "What would you like us to consider?"

The High Lords looked from one to another, and Lucien followed their gazes until they landed on him. "What?" he asked.

"You're the one who has most recently been though all of the Courts." Rhys said, "Perhaps you would have some insight on what each Court might oversee best."

"Not particularly." Lucien leaned forward and began writing various aspects of the project on small pieces of paper before passing them around the table.

"You want me drafting the actual route that it would take through Prythian?" Tamlin asked, his tone incredulous.

"Yours is the most southern Court." Lucien replied, "It has to go through all the others to get there and then, if it is to continue to the Mortal Lands, the Spring Court will be that connection point…"

Tamlin made a sound low in his throat and pushed himself to his feet. "I will need a map."

"I will have one sent to your room." Helion got to his own feet, looking at the slip of paper in his own hand. Amber eyes lifted to Lucien. "Looks like I will be visiting the library in the North."

Smiling, Lucien nodded. He knew that Helion was inviting him to join him in his visit to the library. Lucien had been intending to visit that library himself to learn what he could about Seers who didn't get lost in insanity, and he would very much like to do that with his father if that were possible.

"Security…" Kallias mused, leaning back in his chair and steepling his long fingers as he appeared to think deeply.

"You do have those bears…" Thesan said with a smile.

"True…" Kallias nodded, returning the smile.

"Your borders are extremely well protected." Lucien put in.

"Viv does organise the border patrols excellently."

"Perhaps ask her for help." Lucien grinned at Kallias who have a half shrug.

"I won't need to ask."

"We will discuss this further at dinner." Helion said, "And we will set a time for tomorrow back here."

As the High Lord of the Day Court strode out into the hallway, Lucien followed him. "Are you going now?" he asked, and Helion glanced around at him.

"Does that suit you?"

"Yes…" Lucien nodded, his heartbeat increasing. "That would be… Yes…"

"What, Nes?" Elain asked, flipping the pages of her little notebook. She sat in a comfortable couch in one of the Day Court sitting rooms, stretched out in the sun which was streaming through the window and spilling warm golden light across the room.

"Nothing." Nesta murmured, eyes still on Elain. "Just trying to work out how much you've changed."

"How much…" Elain set her book aside and looked up at her sister. "You think I have changed?"

"It's clear you have."

"How so?"

"In so many ways." Nesta said, "Let's start with how you actually abandoned Feyre and I last night to drag Lucien off to your bedroom and…" Her sister broke off and rolled her eyes. Elain crossed one ankle over the other as she folded her arms, watching Nesta.

"Okay." She said after several moments of silence. "Do I need to explain to you what happened, or are you happy making assumptions?"

Nesta waved her hand extravagantly. "Go right ahead."

"I had no control over what I did last night."

"That's a poor excuse."

Narrowing her eyes, Elain went on. "How would you have felt?" she asked, "If some little piece of… some priestess… had thrown herself all over Cassian's lap in the middle of a public dinner?" She hadn't known for certain that her own assumption would hit its mark as she and Nesta had not discussed Cassian lately, or at all, but her sister's lip curled in a sneer. "You would not have just let it go unchecked or unchallenged." Elain added and the look in Nesta's eyes then told her that was the truth. "Even if it hadn't sparked whatever possessiveness that was in me, I would not have allowed that to go on. It wasn't decent, and it wasn't fair to Lucien, especially after that horrid Ianthe person."

"The one who sold us out?" Nesta's voice was close to a growl, and Elain nodded.

"I wanted to protect him from that situation." She went on, "And I… couldn't … help… what the bond was pushing for me to do…I had to… claim… him…" She looked at Nesta closely, "Do you understand?" she asked, "I did not just decide that I wanted to … to… " she made a vague gesture with her hands, and saw Nesta's supressed smile.

"You didn't just decide that you wanted to fuck?" her sister asked innocently, and Elain made a face at the crude language.

"You sound like Feyre."

"I've spent a lot of time with Feyre lately."

"Is that another pointed comment about how I have been away?"

"Perhaps."

Elain sighed and leaned back against the couch in the sun. "Well, then." She murmured, "Catch me up on what has been happening at the Night Court while I have been gone." She slanted a glance at her sister's face. "What has Cassian been up to? Any juicy details to tell me?" Nesta made an uncharacteristic squeak of a sound, and Elain grinned widely.