Chapter 419

They could smell it on her. Elain just knew it. With every glance that came her way, she was convinced that the faerie looking at her could smell what she and Lucien had done just moments before they had left their room for dinner. Sure, she had gone to the bathroom, and given herself a quick wiping down, and Lucien had certainly washed his hands once he had pulled his fingers from inside of her. She was convinced, however, that they could still smell it. How would that look? She wondered. How would it look that the Heir and his mate had decided that the best way to spend their afternoon after a massacre in the Court was to go and fuck one another before dinner? What kind of message would that send? Would it send the message that they were confident in their victory? Would it look like they believed everything was over and that everyone was safe and that they had needed to take comfort in one another, grateful that neither of them had died? Or, would it look like they didn't care that literally dozens of faeries had been killed, and they just wanted to fuck? Would some even think that they'd been turned on by the carnage of the day? Elain didn't know and rather suspected that she was overthinking the situation. But, Cauldron Damn it, she was just sure that they knew!

"I wouldn't have thought it…"

"What?" Elain spun toward the female voice who had spoken, not sure how she would defend herself and Lucien and their actions. Surely it wasn't actually anybody's business what they had done. They were mates after all. Wasn't it expected that they would be unable to keep their hands off one another? The mating frenzy hadn't really been that long ago either. Surely it wouldn't come as a surprise that they very much enjoyed sex. She blinked at Tisia whose green eyes were a little wide. "I… surely it can't be that much of a surprise…" Elain murmured, her hands clenching in a handful of her skirts.

"No, I mean it was just so fast…" Tisia replied, and Elain's stomach twisted. If her friend had that opinion, it stood to reason that the rest of the Court would be thinking similarly. She and Lucien were going to appear heartless and like they did not care that so many had died. "It was over barely hours ago," Tisia went on, and Elain felt worse, "But they've managed to get enough food up from the city to feed everyone and the High Lord of the Autumn Court is back!"

"What?" Elain blinked, looking at her friend again.

"I know!" Tisia smiled. "They haven't found the Kitchen Staff yet, but the High Lord promised that we would be fed dinner… and he always delivers on his promises." Pride was clear in Tisia's face then, and it warmed Elain's heart a little, "He had the guards scour the city for anyone who could assist with the catering for us, and they did it." It was indeed impressive, Elain agreed. Even with those who had died, the Court was a significant size, and it would be no small amount of food required to feed everyone dinner. That they had found those willing to put together such a feat in a matter of hours really did speak to the love and dedication the Day Court held for their High Lord. Elain's eyes swept the dining room then.

"Eris is here?" Her eyes found his red hair, and she watched him for a moment, standing by a table with pitchers and glasses atop it, as he spoke with a courtier that she did not recognise. It was not surprising that Ashk, as his emissary, would have informed him of what had happened in the Day Court. Elain wasn't even surprised that she had done it straight away. She was surprised, however, that Eris had come directly. The High Lord of the Autumn Court did care for his mother; he had made that love evident a dozen times that Elain had witnessed, so perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised at all. Eris wasn't speaking with Ashk, however.

Another sweep of the hall with her eyes revealed Ashk by the window, and Elain was completely unsurprised to see that she was standing with Helion. The way the two of them moved around one another, one hand nearly always set on the other, had Elain nearly one hundred percent convinced that they had recently been doing what she was sure the whole Court knew that she and Lucien had been doing earlier.

"He's a bit … harsh looking, isn't he?" Tisia murmured, and Elain tilted her head as she looked back to Eris.

"I do not think anybody enjoys crossing him." She admitted truthfully. Eris might not have been so cutthroat and bloodthirsty as she had initially thought him to be, but she held no illusions that he was a soft-hearted cuddly bunny.

"Strange." Tisia mused, "Ashk and Lucien are so nice."

Glancing at her friend, Elain raised an eyebrow. "Lucien is only his half-brother…" She reminded Tisia, "Eris is also Beron's son…"

"They say he was a piece of work."

"He was scary." Elain admitted with a nod of her head.

"I can't imagine," Tisia sighed, "Having a High Lord who is scary…"

"If Colm had have succeeded, you would have found out first hand."

"Oh, don't even go there." Tisia shuddered visibly, and Elain couldn't blame her.

"Where's Ales?"

"Coming…" Tisia eyed the table they were to sit at, far fewer chairs than usual, and she let out a heavy sigh. Elain set a hand on her friend's shoulder, rubbing gently. It would take a while, she knew, for general things like vacant chairs to stop being a constant reminder of what they had lost and who was missing.

"Is Noor alright?" Elain asked, having only seen their friend from a distance in the sitting room earlier. She had not had the chance to speak with her, however. She did not recall Noor being in the Throne Room when everything had happened and she wondered where she had been.

"I think so." Tisia's voice sounded thoughtful. "She hid somewhere, when it all happened. I don't know what happened… The guards found her…" Elain made a face, hoping that whatever had happened to Noor hadn't been as terrible as it could have been. "Sheera is not here…"

"No…" Elain glanced around the room, shaking her head. "Although, if I were her, I would have gone home too. She saw some pretty horrible things before we found her. She's likely curled up in her own home in front of a fire… and I do not blame her."

"I suppose not." Tisia replied, "It would be surprising if she comes back to the palace at all."

"She'll be back." Elain said softly "She's still excited to work on the High Lord's gardens." Tisia tilted her head at that, and then smiled when Ales approached them. "Oh…" Lucien had appeared at Elain's elbow at the same moment and she accepted a glass he handed her.

"I believe everyone is meant to begin taking their seats." Lucien said, and Elain eyed the table once more.

"Anywhere in particular?" Tisia asked, voice uncertain.

"No." Lucien replied, "Wherever you choose."