Chapter 157

The moment that he and Elain entered the hall for breakfast, Lucien knew that something had happened. The hushed whispers and tense expressions would have given it away, even without the odd tension in the air. He felt Elain's surprise down the bond and knew that she had noticed something herself, but she smiled and said nothing as she approached the table to sit beside her sisters. Striding after her, Lucien put his own courtly mask in place as he took up a seat at the table.

"How do you feel this morning?" Feyre asked her sister and Lucien saw Elain smile widely out of the corner of his eye.

"Much better." Elain said brightly.

When we woke up this morning," Feyre began, "we discovered the faebane was gone."

"Yes." Elain nodded and Lucien smiled at her, "It was the first thing I noticed when I awoke, too."

"You can hear Lucien's heart again?" Nesta asked, her voice low and Elain nodded. He watched Nesta's blue-grey eyes shift from Elain to him and he raised an eyebrow at her. She just looked him over before nodding, her eyes returning to her sister as her expression softened. "You feel better?"

"Much." Elain smiled at her elder sister, before selecting several pieces of fruit from the table, placing them on her own plate with care.

When Helion sat down nearby, Lucien turned his attention to the High Lord. He was hoping to get some clue as to what had happened, and he was unsure if he was able to just ask. Would Helion tell him? Was that his place? He glanced at Elain when her hand came to rest on his knee under the table, and she gave him an encouraging nod. He knew that she thought he should speak up, and he figured that he might as well.

"So…" he began, clearing his throat a little. Helion's amber eyes turned his way, and Lucien met his gaze. "What happened during the night?"

Everyone's eyes turned toward him and then the High Lord of the Day Court as Helion leaned back in his chair. "We found Sorcha." He replied, "She was working in one of the makeshift infirmaries."

"Makes sense." Lucien replied, figuring that they had guessed that the priestess would have wanted to make herself useful in the clean-up.

"Yes." Helion inclined his head. "She was questioned." He gave a sigh, raising a hand to run through his black hair. "Once she realised that we had worked out what she had done, she admitted to it."

"She what?" Nesta asked, her eyes narrowed. Helion nodded his head.

"She would not," he went on, "tell us who helped her. But it is clear that she had acquired the assistance of some of the lesser fae with abilities to work with stone."

Lucien sat back in his own seat at that. "And where are they?"

"She claims that they left the court."

"Do you believe her?"

"It seems likely."

"What is to be done with her?" This was Feyre and, when looking at the expression on her face, Lucien was glad that his friend wasn't currently turning her wrath on him.

"I wish to speak with her some more." Helion replied, "Then, I will decide what our course of action will be."

Lucien eyed the High Lord of the Day Court. As the incident had been an attack on all of the High Lords, and all of the Courts, the solution would have to have input from all of them as well. No doubt Helion needed time to think about how he was to handle it. It still could, Lucien supposed, lead to war.

He knew that Helion had his own counsel, but Lucien wondered if perhaps the High Lord would appreciate another viewpoint. "If… you wish to… discuss…" Helion's eyes went directly to Lucien who winced internally at how uncertain he sounded. He had always been able to do this. He had spent centuries playing all kinds of games in the various Courts across Prythian. It was ridiculous that he now struggled to ask Helion if he would like to have a conversation.

"The counsel of my son will always be welcome."

Blinking, Lucien stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"Speaking of that…" Rhys' voice drawled, and Lucien turned his attention to the High Lord of the Night Court. "Given that you're now the recognised son of the Day Court, I feel that I have to release you from your obligations to my Court." Rhys' violet eyes held Lucien's and Lucien inclined his head slightly. He had been expecting that. He understood that it wasn't as if Rhys had thought he'd be doing a bad job or somehow betray the Night Court, but rather he was being freed to be able to properly fulfil his duties to the Day Court as he had been named Heir. "I do know how busy you will be."

"I thank you for the job while you had need of me…" Lucien replied and Rhys smiled at him.

"And while you had need of the job." The High Lord said, "I do thank you for your efforts, and the detail you put into what I asked you to do."

This time Lucien smiled at Rhys. "I put effort and attention into everything I do." Elain choked on her tea beside him, and Lucien smiled even wider, his eyes still on Rhys. Feyre made a face and rolled her eyes, and Lucien's smile only faded when he felt his mother's eyes firmly on him.

He tried to behave himself for the rest of breakfast, managing quite well he thought. At least, above the table. Where nobody could see, Lucien's hand had made its way to Elain's knee beneath the table, and then up her thigh. He had been impressed with the way that she had managed to control her expression, and he doubted that anyone would have guessed what he was doing beneath the table and out of sight.

When his fingers slid a little higher, Elain jumped slightly however, and Lucien knew that he'd reached her limit. She was okay with him touching her, and being a little cheeky in public, but she wasn't about to do anything actually lewd at the breakfast table in front of everybody. He caught the sideways glance she gave him out of the corner of her eye, and he gave her an acknowledging smile before sliding his hand back down her thigh to her knee. One of Elain's hands went beneath the table then and he allowed her to lace their fingers together when her hand settled over his own.

"Lucien," Helion's voice drew his attention once more, and Lucien watched his father think for a moment, "I intend to check on those who were injured first after we finish here, and then I will go to speak once more with Sorcha. If you would like to accompany me…"

"Of course." Lucien replied, placing his cutlery gently on his empty plate. "I am ready when you are."

"Who's ready for what?"

Frowning as he recognised that voice, Lucien turned in his chair to watch as the Illyrian walked through the door. "Cassian?" Rhys sounded almost confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Nesta invited me."

"Uh…" Lucien turned his eyes on Nesta who was staring at Cassian, her own eyes narrowed.

"Did you just?" Lucien asked and she turned her eyes on him, glaring.

"I… told him what happened yesterday." She murmured.

"And asked me to come." Cassian added. "So, here I am."

"I see." Lucien's eyes remained on Nesta and he felt slight amusement down the bond from Elain who was grinning at her sister. He thought he understood what had happened. Nesta had been shaken by the events of last night and she had thought that if Cassian were to come to the Day Court then she would have more security and would be better protected. Lucien rather thought that she was right.

"I just thought…" Nesta said, her voice more uncertain than Lucien had ever heard it, "If Sorcha hadn't been found, then Cassian could have helped…" she broke off and actually blushed.

Elain and Feyre looked so very amused and Lucien found himself wishing that he could have sat at the table and enjoyed the rest of it, but then Helion got to his feet. "Cassian, of course, you are welcome to the Day Court. Excuse me, however, Lucien and I have somewhere to be."

Lucien got to his feet, brushing his fingers gently up Elain's arm as he did so. She looked up at him as he stood and he bent to press a quick kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you later, Petal."

Her brown eyes went from him to Helion and back again and Lucien watched her smile as she nodded. "See you for lunch." She replied, her smile still firmly in place as he took several steps away from the table and went to follow Helion out of the door. He caught a quick glimpse of Cassian taking up his recently vacated chair before the door swung closed and he returned his attention to Helion.