Chapter 306

Elain wandered the halls of the Day Court, pleased with her morning. She had received word from Feyre that she would be visiting in the coming days and she would be bringing Rhys with her. This, Elain assumed, meant that Rhys had agreed to give her a part of the pink tree from his garden, and she was incredibly pleased by this. The first thing she had wanted to do was to tell Sheera, and she had gone in search of her friend, knowing that the other female had work to do in some of Helion's other gardens. She had gone from garden to garden looking, and only had one more to search.

If Sheera wasn't there, Elain planned on going into the city to her friend's shop. She had her own ideas of the best way to ensure that a cutting of a grown tree would take root, but she figured that Sheera would have more knowledge of how the plant would do in the Day Court, and she wanted her advice.

Upon entering the rooftop garden, Elain heard her friend's voice and she smiled before taking in the words and coming to a stop.

"I have a job to do."

"A job?" The voice asked, condescension dripping from the tone. "You have several, I hear."

"Yes." Sheera sounded tired, and Elain began moving again, looking for her friend among the thick hedges.

"Well, maybe you should return to your little shop." The voice said, and Elain raised an eyebrow. It was a girlish female voice that she didn't recognise. "The Palace is not a place you should be."

"Again," Sheera sighed, "I have a job to do."

"This isn't your business." She was a blonde female. Elain caught sight of her as she rounded a hedge, and she did not like the way that the other female was looking at Sheera.

"Maybe you should mind yours." Elain put in, striding forward.

"Excuse me?" She was very pretty. Perfect delicate features and lovely skin, but Elain did not like the expression on that pretty face.

"No, I don't think I will." Elain came to stand beside Sheera. Pale grey eyes that were almost silver looked Elain over, and Elain did not miss the sneer that passed across that pretty face.

"You're the heir's mate…"

"His name is Lucien." Elain said, her tone flat.

"Yes, I know his name." The female said, "I don't know yours…" Elain knew the lie when she heard it, and she knew that this female was intending to make her feel out of place and unimportant.

"As I don't know yours." Elain smile sweetly. "Who are you?"

"Kera." The name was said with some indignation, and Elain was pleased to have hit that nerve.

"Ah, Kera…" Elain nodded for a moment and then shook her head. "No, I still don't know who you are."

Kera looked displeased. "I… am one of the High Lord's favoured Courtiers…"

"Are you?" Elain looked Kera over. She really couldn't remember if she had ever seen her before or not. So many of the pretty little Courtiers looked alike to her.

"You would know that if you had bothered to speak to any of us."

"Hmm…" Elain tilted her head. It was true, she hadn't spent much time with the Court themselves, as she had been a little preoccupied with her mate and accepting the bond since she had arrived. "And how does the High Lord favour you?"

"He spends time with us… and grants us access to his personal gardens like these…"

"Oh, is that why you're out here?" Elain asked, looking around. "You thought that Helion would be out here?" She could see those silvery eyes widen at her use of Helion's name.

"He… often used to be of a morning."

"Yes…" Elain thought she knew what Kera had been hoping for. "I imagine he's rather busy just now with the Lady of the Autumn Court."

Jealousy flashed across Kera's pretty face then. "She's not that anymore, though." She said primly, "Is she? Her husband is dead. She was only the Lady because he was the High Lord. She's not wed to her son… Although those things probably would be accepted in a place like the Autumn Court… It's a bit savage, we know…"

"Not half as savage as some other places." Elain said, shrugging a shoulder and then looking at Sheera who had been standing and observing the exchange silently. "Lady Sheera," she began, ignoring the derisive snort from Kera, "I have a question for you. I require your expertise…"

"Of course." Sheera replied, allowing Elain to link their arms together. Elain then turned and began walking with her friend down the path, their backs to Kera, and neither of them looking back. She knew that the other female would not take kindly to the snub, but Elain found that she didn't much care for what Kera would not take kindly to.