Chapter 308

Waiting patiently, or as patiently as he was able to, Lucien smiled when Rhys and Feyre approached. He was sure that his face was his usual courtly smile, and they appeared not to notice otherwise if any of his irritation at their lateness showed through. Feyre reached a hand out, resting it against Lucien's arm as they neared.

"How are you, Lucien?" she asked, and he nodded his head.

"Well." He replied, "Things here have been pleasant. We've been settling in nicely, and it's all becoming familiar. Helion and Ashk have been having quite a bit to do with one another, and Elain has been making plans for the future. She's even made a friend from in the city."

"Is this Sheera?" Feyre asked, raising an eyebrow, and Lucien nodded. "She's written to me about her."

"They seem to have quite a bit in common." Lucien replied, "You should see them when they get together in the garden. It's like there's nobody and nothing else around them. They're both completely engrossed in what they're trying to do."

"I'm pleased that Elain has found someone as excited by gardens as she is." Feyre laughed, leaning in to her mate as they walked, and Lucien nodded his agreement.

"As am I." he said, "It's a large step in the direction of her accepting this as her home; in building those foundations."

"I'm glad." Feyre smiled again and Lucien eyed the two of them. They appeared completely comfortable with one another, and he wondered if he and Elain looked that way to others. He hoped that were the case because Feyre and Rhys looked completely inseparable and it was clear that they were the single most important things in the world to one another.

"You said Ashk was here." Rhys asked, and Lucien grinned a little.

"She has been since before Elain and I returned."

"That's interesting." Feyre put in.

"Isn't it…" He didn't know how long his mother planned to stay in the Day Court but it certainly felt like it might be a permanent thing. She seemed to have left the Autumn Court, and wanted a future with Helion, and he really hoped that the two of them could make that work. He would love it if his mother would stay here. She could build her home just as Elain was and they all could be happy.

By the time they had reached the palace, Lucien knew that they would have less than an hour before they had to be going down to dinner. He showed Rhys and Feyre to their room and they insisted on just dropping their things there before wanting to see Elain and the garden that she was working on. He led them then on to his suite, and he watched Feyre for her reaction when he opened the door.

One of Feyre's eyebrows lifted and he brought one hand up to point at the nearby door. "Have a look at the bathroom…" he said, grinning as his friend moved to do so.

"Well…" She said, having looked in before turning back to meet his eyes. "Who's a little spoilt then? No wonder you chose to remain here…"

"Yes, love." Rhys said mildly, "It had nothing to do with being the Heir or Helion…"

"You haven't seen the bathroom." Feyre retorted, and Rhys moved to join her by the door. He looked in and made an approving sound, before nodding.

"Yes…" he said, "I see… It was entirely for this bathroom."

Lucien could hear the sarcasm in Rhys' voice, and he grinned. "Jealous, are we?" He asked, and Rhys cracked a smirk. Lucien knew then that the High Lord of the Night Court had very much appreciated his bathroom. "If you like, you could ask Helion for suggestions to remodel your own rooms…"

"He did this?" Rhys asked and Lucien nodded. They both then followed Feyre across the room to the open doors leading out to the garden. He could hear the now familiar sounds of Elain and Sheera in deep conversation, and he couldn't help a smile of his own.