Chapter 216

Eris took the stairs two at a time, his eyes already lifted toward the top of the tower. It had become a nearly nightly ritual over the last few weeks. He would wait until most of the House was asleep, and then he would hurry up to the tower to find Nera. She was usually waiting for him in chairs they had set up by the window with the best view of the forest, and they would just talk. Eris had found it cathartic, and he looked forward to it every evening. It wasn't something he had ever really had; someone to talk to who didn't want him to do something or them, or who was being polite because he was Beron's eldest son. Nera had never asked him for anything and he didn't think that she was just being polite showing up for him every night like this. She seemed to actually enjoy speaking with him as much as he enjoyed speaking with her. She seemed to actually enjoy his company, and it didn't seem to matter to her who he was. Eris liked that.

Nera was not sitting in the chairs by the window when Eris got there, and he swallowed the brief moment of disappointment that rose within him. Perhaps she wasn't coming. Perhaps she had only come to be polite after all. Maybe it had become too much effort when she wasn't actually getting anything out of these meetings besides conversation. Deciding then, that he was jumping to conclusions, Eris sat down to wait a little while. It was entirely possible that Nera had had trouble sneaking away once she had finished her tasks for the night. He realised then that she had to enjoy coming up here with him because she worked all day and what sleep she was able to get was precious. For her to be giving several of those hours away for him meant something.

Sitting back, he watched the window and the view outside. The dark trunks of the trees sway slightly in the breeze, and Eris wished that this was a window that opened. He would have loved to feel that breeze, and he suspected that Nera would have appreciated it as well. Perhaps, he thought, he would ask her if maybe one night she would prefer going for a walk with him out in the forest. Eris wondered if she even got to go out all that much, or if all of her work was confined within the walls of the house. He would ask her that, too.

Or not. He thought a moment later. What if she thought hat he saw himself as someone who could rescue her from her life and show her things she'd never experienced before? He was pretty certain she'd experienced breeze before, however. He could still ask her if she would like to go for a walk. That seemed pretty safe. If she even came tonight, that was.

As if on cue, Eris heard footsteps on the stairs and he turned to watch the door as she came up and into the room. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face when she saw him and raised a hand in silent greeting. "How are you tonight?" he asked as Nera came closer and sank down onto the chair beside him.

"I am well. How are you?"

Nodding, Eris smiled again at her gentle voice. Just the sound of it on nights like this helped to make him feel lighter. "I am better now." He said, "Tomorrow is a new day."

"Indeed it is." She replied, "And you can do whatever you like to make it a pleasant day."

"You think so?"

"I know so." She smiled at him, gentleness radiating from her as her dark eyes locked onto his face. "Think of something that you can look forward to."

"Well, I look forward to our talks at the end of the evening…"

Nera smiled at that. "As do I…" she told him, "But think of something else…"

"Well, I was thinking of taking a walk out in the fresh air beneath the trees…" He watched her carefully before adding the next bit. "… Would you be interested in joining me?" Her head tilted and Eris watched dark eyes flick back and forth across her face.

"Instead of meeting you up here?"

"If you'd like…"

"So that nobody would see?"

"Well, I wouldn't want anyone else deciding to come with us." He said, "I like the way I am when it's just the two of us. I feel as if I can be myself. I don't have to make decisions that will impact anyone's lives, and I don't have to watch what I say and talk about certain things…"

"Does it make you feel free?" Nera asked, the corners of her mouth curling slightly.

"It does, actually." Eris slid a little closer on the couch, watching her intently, "Did you know that you were doing that?"

"No…" He thought she might have blushed, but it was hard to tell with the gorgeous brown colour of her skin, and the dim light. The shy way that she glanced down at her hands, however, told him all he needed to know. "I… I am glad, though."

Eris smiled at her, shifting even closer. "I am glad that I met you… and that you make the time to come and speak to me every night…"

"I like it, too." She replied, "It's nice to talk to someone who isn't telling me to tidy up, or light fires, or clean the floors…"

Eris laughed a little then. "Would you like me to make sure that…" he paused, not knowing what he was about to say. He couldn't offer to take away her work, that was why she was here, and he had decided that he wasn't going to do that sort of thing. She wasn't here because of what he could do for her. "that…" he thought quickly, "… your jobs are not too late in the evening… so that you have time for yourself before… this."

"Oh…" Nera tilted her head again, looking at him. "Are you worried that I'll be too tired to talk to you?"

"I just … want to be considerate…"

She smiled at him again and Eris moved even closer. He was surprised when Nera did the same, her dark eyes on his face once more. "I have no expectation that you would do something like that." She said, "And I would have time for you no matter what I have to do during the day."

"I am pleased to hear it." He hadn't made the choice to touch her, but he found his hand on her arm, sliding up to her shoulder. Nera leaned into him, and Eris decided to stop thinking about everything he was doing. He smiled at her, wondering if he was imagining the way she shifted even closer, leaning into his touch. Her eyes held his gaze, and Eris had hardly noticed that his other hand had come up to her cheek. He had the brief flicker of a thought that he was glad nobody was around to see any of this, but then he'd decided that he didn't care and that Nera was the only thing he was going to focus on here.

He'd leaned toward her, pausing only when he wondered if she wanted this, or if she was just letting him do as he liked because of who he was. The thought lasted only a moment before he dismissed it, but before he could do anything else, Nera had closed the distance between them and kissed him.

Elain sat up in bed, the sunshine floating softly through the window and across the covers, casting everything in a golden light. Lucien watched her and she smiled at him when he lifted a hand to rest atop her knee. "Everything alright love?" he asked, and she nodded her head. She didn't know if what she had seen would be appropriate to share with Lucien. Eris probably wouldn't enjoy that moment being shared around, especially with his brother.

"Everything is fine." She linked her fingers through her mate's. "We should get up. It's our last day in the Autumn Court."