Chapter 146

When Lucien walked through the door to their bedroom, a pale green dress in his arms, Elain tilted her head, and set the books in her lap aside. "What is that?" she asked, and he smiled widely at her. Her eyes went back to the dress and she got to her feet from where she had been sitting on the bed. "It's pretty…" Taking several steps forward, Elain's eyes ran over the fine material as Lucien held it out, letting the sweeping skirts of it fall to full display. "My goodness…"

"You like it, Petal?"

"Very much." When Elain reached him, she reached a hand out. Lucien let her run her hands over the dress and she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. "What is this for?"

"You, obviously." He smiled.

"I asked 'what', not 'who'." She replied, looking up at him and smiling back. "I didn't think it was for you."

"You think I couldn't pull it off?" he turned a little, posing in a way that let her best view his body. "I thought I was gorgeous."

"You are." She reached her hand out to touch him instead of the dress. "I'm sure you could pull it off, if you wanted to. But I don't think it would fit."

"I'm sure I will pull it off." He murmured, heat in his russet eye as he looked at her. "Off of you."

Elain laughed and took a step back. "You're in an interesting mood." She grinned, "Was your meeting successful?"

"It was." He replied, hanging the dress carefully by the window. "That's what this is for. Helion wants to invite us all to a grand dinner on one of the northern balconies, overlooking the ocean."

Elain had seen the northern balconies on her walks with Ashk around the palace, and she could imagine that having a dinner up there would be spectacular. "That sounds lovely." Her eyes went back to the pale green dress. "Was this you?"

"No…" he replied, his voice hesitant.

"Helion?"

"Yes." Elain turned her head to look at Lucien when she heard him shift from one foot to the other. "I… think he enjoys… arranging … the aesthetic… around himself."

"He does seem one to take pleasure in the visual." She agreed.

"And the physical." Lucien replied. Elain eyed him out of the corner of her eye, taking in the amused expression on his face.

"Rather like his son, then?" she asked, and he grinned at her, moving closer. Elain lifted her chin as he approached, letting him wrap his arms around her waist. She made a small squeak of a noise when Lucien lifted her from the ground, holding her firmly to himself.

"Has to be where I got it." He agreed, looking up at her, and Elain slid her arms around his neck. She let the adoration that swelled within her trickle down the bond toward Lucien, pleased with herself for getting so good at that, and the fire that flared to life behind his russet eye told her when he noticed it. "What have you been doing?" he asked, as Elain brought her lips down to brush gently against his cheek, her tongue peeking out just enough to touch his scar.

"Reading." She murmured, and Lucien took several steps toward the bed where she had been sitting with the books. "Some of the books you brought from the library…"

"I see…" He set her down on her feet and she turned to the bed, showing him which books she had looked though. "I did say we would spend some time on this today, didn't I?" he followed her onto the bed, and Elain nodded.

"If you're tired after the meeting, we don't have to."

"No…" he smiled at her and lifted one of the books she had not yet opened. Elain took it and settled it in her lap, surprised by how heavy it was. "This one has some good reference information about seers and what has been discovered about them."

"Alright…" Elain flicked it open as Lucien picked up another book and did the same. As she read, she reached a hand out, placing it palm up on Lucien's leg. Without saying anything, he placed his own hand in hers, linking their fingers together as they both worked their way through their books.

It was a pretty interesting book and, despite herself, Elain found herself reading things that were unrelated to seers but which were intriguing nonetheless. When she turned the next page she was met with a full page coloured portrait. Elain didn't need to read the title to know who it was. She recognised her from the visions of Lucien's memories she'd had. Amarantha. He must have sensed her reaction, because Lucien's hand squeezed hers gently, and he leaned toward her to see what she was looking at.

"Oh." Elain shuddered at the feeling that met her down the bond and she turned to look at Lucien. He was looking blankly at the portrait, and the look in his eyes was distant.

"No…" she breathed, lifting a hand to his cheek. "Don't go back there." He lifted his eyes to meet hers, and she traced her gingers gently down his scar.

"Do you still wish you could have met her?" He asked, and Elain frowned.

"I'm undecided." She breathed, "I still would have liked to look into the eyes of the one who did this to you…" she stroked her fingers down his scar again, "But I know she would have been terrifying."

Lucien nodded slowly, leaning into her hand. "She was."

Closing the book, Elain pushed it away from herself. "Speaking of females who need to keep their hands to themselves." She began, "Feyre told Helion about what Sorcha did."

"He spoke to me about it."

"What did he say?"

"He told me that he would speak with her." Lucien said, holding Elain's other hand in his. "That he will inform her that if he hears further report of her forcing her attentions on those who do not wish for the, that she will be reprimanded, and may forfeit her position in the palace."

"Do you think she will stop?" Elain asked, her eyes firmly upon Lucien's face. He shrugged lightly.

"She does value her position." He replied, "The threat of losing it may be enough."

"Okay." Elain leaned forward to press her lips to his. Lucien held on to her hand, while his other slid around her waist and drew her closer as he met her kiss with enthusiasm. Before she knew it, Lucien had pulled her down beneath himself as he lay her among the book spread out across the bed, and she smiled up at him when he grinned at her. "I thought that we were reading." She murmured and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"You kissed me." He purred, and Elain nodded.

"I did." She pushed his hair back from his face so that she could see him better. "How long do we have before dinner?" She watched him glance toward the window before he looked back down at her.

"About an hour."

Smiling at him then, Elain tangled her hand in his hair. "Well, then you get one kiss, but then we should probably begin getting ready…"

"One?" he asked and she nodded slowly, her eyes on his face. "I'll try my best to make it a good one…" He dipped his head to her, and Elain found herself parting her lips for him instantly. As he pushed forward, licking at her slowly, she hooked her feet around the back of his legs as a soft moan of appreciation and want escaped her. Lucien continued what he was doing, pressing himself down against her and, by the time he lifted his head to look at her, Elain was regretting that there was now a fancy dinner they were expected to attend. "How was that?" he asked, the smirk across his face telling her that he knew exactly how the kiss had been.

"Mmm…" Releasing her hold on his hair, Elain brought her hand to the back of Lucien's neck and she pulled him down to herself, lifting her own head to kiss him again.

"I thought you said only one?" he asked, still smirking when she let him go.

"I said you get one." She smiled, "I still had mine." She let him pull her up and into a sitting position before he got off the bed with almost feline grace. When he held a hand out to her, Elain took it, allowing him to draw her to her feet.

"Once we're ready do I get another?"

"As many as you like." She smiled at him before heading for the bathroom.