Chapter 180

The walk to dinner had been easy. Elain and Lucien had finished getting ready after Helion had left them and then, as the sun had set, they had left their suite for the first time in days and walked the corridors to the dining hall. They had seen nobody on their way, and they had discussed the reception they thought they might receive from the Court. Lucien was under the impression that everyone would act as if nothing had happened, and that it wasn't a big deal and, while Elain hoped that he was correct, she was worried that it would be treated as a big deal and that a fuss would be made. It wasn't something that she particularly wanted to face. She did not enjoy the idea of faeries looking at her and imagining what she and Lucien had been doing for the past several days. It was bad enough that they all knew anyway.

Feeling herself blush, Elain remembered the way that she had last walked into that hall with a tray of cakes for Lucien. She could hardly believe that she had done that in front of the entire Court, and all of the High Lords. Never would Elain had believed she would have done such a thing, but she had wanted Lucien so very badly, and she had needed that bond between them. She did not regret doing it at all. But, she would prefer if they could all just pretend that everything was normal.

"Are you ready, Petal?"

"Oh…" Elain looked up to realise that they had arrived at the doors to the dining room, and she bit her lower lip as Lucien's hand rested on the door handle. "Okay."

"Here we go." He smiled at her as he pushed the door open and led her through. Elain didn't know if she imagined it or not, but the conversation within the room seemed to falter as she and Lucien walked in. Lucien's hand was suddenly on her lower back, as he guided her toward the table, and she moved easily, catching sight of Nesta already seated nearby. Lucien's hand moved in small circles across her back and she glanced over her shoulder at him. His eyes were on her, and she could tell that he was listening to her heart beating rapidly. Elain drew a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She gave a smile to her mate, hoping to ease his concern, and then she turned that smile on her sister when she reached the table.

Nesta actually stood up when Elain reached for the chair beside her sister. "Elain…" Nesta's slim arms went around Elain suddenly, and her sister drew her into a tight hug. "I wasn't sure how long it would take…"

"I had you down for two days." Cassian's voice put in, and Elain looked over Nesta's shoulder to see the Illyrian sitting on the other side of the table, smirking at them.

"Can't say I'm sorry to disappoint you." Lucien replied, and Elain could feel his amusement. She tended to agree with her mate. She was also glad that the frenzy had lasted longer than two days.

"I… sorry…" Elain looked up at her sister's face, "Did you need to return to the Night Court?"

"No." Nesta squeezed her a bit, "No, I just didn't… know… what was normal…" Nesta let her go then, and the two of them sank into their chairs. "Ashk told me that every mated pair is different, and that the frenzy has been known to last for weeks…"

"That is a long time." Elain murmured, eyeing her sister. "That sounds exhausting."

"I… would imagine so." Nesta's blue-grey eyes shifted to the table, and Elain watched her sister fiddle with her cutlery.

"Have you been speaking to Ashk much?"

"Oh…" Nesta nodded, "Well, after Feyre and Viviane left… Ashk stayed and said that she wished to wait to say goodbye to you and Lucien after the frenzy… so…" Nesta's slim shoulders lifted in a shrug, "We've been taking walks around the Palace of a morning."

"I spent some time doing the same thing with her when I first arrived here."

"She is easy to be with." Nesta said softly, "She understands the need for silence that one gets…"

"I imagine that she would." Elain agreed, thinking that Ashk must have spent much of her life with Beron escaping into silence. Especially with seven sons.

"She told me that she had invited you and Lucien to visit the Autumn Court for Mabon. Are you going?"

"Perhaps." Elain said, "We've not discussed it." Looking at her sister then, Elain smiled, "Did she invite you?"

"Yes."

"Are you going?"

"I think I might." Nesta said. "It does sound like a beautiful place."

"Very much."

Nesta turned toward her again, and then leaned closer. "So," those blue-grey eyes narrowed a little and Elain watched her sister look her over. "are you alright?" the words were whispered and so low that Elain had to practically read Nesta's lips to catch what she had asked.

"Yes." Nodding, Elain tried to smile as reassuringly as she could. "I am just fine." Nesta continued to look her over.

"Apparently injuries are not uncommon."

"Lucien wouldn't hurt me." She said simply, "Not even during the frenzy." Watching Nesta try to accept those words, Elain went on. "Helion even showed up to offer us both the services of one of his healers earlier. We did not need it."

"Cassian said…" Nesta broke off then, her eyes catching on Elain's face.

"Cassian does not know Lucien all that well." Elain could hear the slight snarl beneath her own whispered words, and she fought to keep her voice low enough to not be overheard by anyone else. "I hope he wasn't making assumptions."

"Autumn Court males…"

"I don't care where someone is from, as long as their heart is good." Elain replied, "I would have thought you would feel the same way."

"I… do…" Nesta's own reply was almost sighed. "It had just been days… without word. I was worrying."

"Trust me." Elain muttered, "I was more than fine." Nesta blushed at that, and Elain softened a little. She knew that she would have begun to worry about Nesta if it had been her sister disappearing for days on end into the mating frenzy. Her gaze slid to Cassian across the table, and it was all too easy to imagine him being the one to sling Nesta over his expansive shoulder and carry her away. Elain had no doubt that her own imagination would run wild in the days of silence that would likely follow such a thing. She was certain that she would have created so many worrying scenarios in her head where Nesta would sustain any amount of injuries during rigorous and passionate sessions of lovemaking with the big Illyrian. It was unfair of her to be annoyed at Nesta for worrying about her. "I am glad that you stayed, Nes." She told her. "That means a lot to me."

"Of course." Nesta said, clearly relieved that Elain was no longer irritated. "I told you that I would."

"So…" Elain murmured, her eyes sliding from Nesta to Cassian, and then back again. "you spent time with Ashk. Did you also spend time with Cassian who, I have noticed, has stayed to keep you company instead of returning to the Night Court with his High Lord and High Lady…"

"I…" Nesta blushed even darker, "I… he does follow me around a lot."

"Of course he does." Elain couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "And you like it."