Chapter 319

Elain rather thought that she was getting better at dealing with eyes constantly on Lucien at the breakfast table. She could acknowledge the fact that, not too long ago, noticing the stares and looks coming his way made her jealous. Lucien had known it had, and she had thought that she was getting better in ignoring them. Well, if she couldn't ignore them, she was at least getting better at not allowing it to bother her so much. She knew to the very core of her being that Lucien had no interest in anyone other than her, and that helped in dismissing the looks coming his way from more than a small portion of the Court. She was able to tell herself all different manner of things by way of explanation. They didn't know him and they were interested, he wasn't from the Day Court and so was new, Helion having an heir was a very interesting thing to happen to the Court and it was only natural that they would want to find out as much as possible. Elain knew that the interest from a few of the Courtiers went beyond that, and she tried now to make note of which ones were displaying more than a polite amount of interest in her mate.

Tisia had looked their way a handful of times, but Elain had noticed that those green eyes had been directed at her not at Lucien. She could tell that the other female was wondering if Elain Might join them for their walk after breakfast and was trying to gauge if she should ask or not. "Someone can't stop looking at you." Lucien murmured to her and Elain glanced at him in a questioning manner.

"Who?" she asked, glancing up the table, expecting to find someone leering her way as an explanation for Lucien's observation. Was he jealous?

"Dark haired female…"

"That's Tisia."

"She keeps looking."

"I know."

"Is she the one who approached you in the garden?"

"Yes, she wants me to join them for a walk into the city."

"Oh." Lucien's metallic eye clicked as he took in Tisia's appearance, "Can't say I've noticed her before."

"That pleases me." Elain smiled at him and he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because she is pretty." Elain watched him glance again in Tisia's direction.

"I suppose she is." He nodded and looked back to his plate and Elain slid her hand into his lap. She grinned when Lucien went very still and she could see him eyeing her sideways. "What are you doing, Mate?" he asked, voice barely more than a whisper.

"Ah…" Elain let a giggle slip, "Not whatever you were thinking…" He turned to her then, sliding one of his hands around behind her and drawing her a little closer. Elain let him do so, smiling up at him as he bent to press a soft kiss to her lips. "We are at the breakfast table." She said, knowing that neither of them had forgotten they were among company. "How much to you really want to prove that you are Helion's son this morning." His smile warmed her heart. She knew that Lucien really didn't have a problem with public displays of affection but, after half the Court had been forced to witness the High Lord's affections in the garden not all that long ago, Elain didn't think she really wanted to be a part of a scene like that while everyone was attempting to eat breakfast and begin their day.

"Maybe…" Lucien whispered, his lips brushing her ear and sending shivers through her body, "we can come back here when there's nobody else at the table…"

"I think," Elain told him, "I would prefer we stick to our private rooms…" She giggled again when Lucien kissed the tip of her nose and released her.

"As you wish, Petal."

Elain happily finished her breakfast, listening to the conversations going on around her. She didn't think that anything particularly interesting was meant to happen for the day and she returned her attention to her mate when she saw Kera enter the room and move to sit at the table not too far up from Tisia. "Lucien…?"

"Mhm?" he looked up, honeyed pear halfway to his mouth.

"You were going to mention what I heard to Helion, right?"

"Yes…" his metallic eye whirred and Elain saw him look up the table and focus on Kera. "I'll let him know this morning."

Elain felt a shiver move down her back and, when she looked up the table, she found Kera's eyes already on her. "Good…" she murmured, looking back to Lucien. He gave her a reassuring smile, his warm hand settling on her back again.

"Make friends with the others." He told her, "Ignore her. She's likely just jealous."