Chapter 438

Elain had not realised that she had gone to stand up until she felt Lucien's hand on her shoulder, gently keeping her in her seat. Other had stood, however, as a thick silence fell over the rest of the Court. A quick glance around the room confirmed Elain's suspicion that every pair of eyes was turned their way. They watched, faces ashen, as Amala sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself, and Helion looked stonily down at her. Something within Elain wanted her to get up, to go to the sobbing faerie and put an arm around her, but she knew that was likely not a good idea. How would that look to the Court if the Heir's mate was to comfort someone who had been responsible for the horrible things that had happened here.

"…Wait." Lucien breathed, and she could feel the warmth of him as he leaned into her from behind. She nodded, remaining silent as she watched, along with the rest of the Court, as Helion just stared down at Amala. The High Lord of the Day Court was clearly trying to work out what he was going to say or do, and the look that said that he was thinking hard, the look that Lucien also got, was firmly in place. Amala just cried.

After several moments, the buzz of whispered suggestions and thoughts swept the room, growing louder and more urgent until someone called out, "Kill her!"

This was answered by another call of "Execution!"

Helion did not speak, but simply raised his hand, and his Court fell immediately silent. Lucien's hand remained on Elain's shoulder, and she could feel his interest in what was about to happen. What Helion did now would set the tone for the Court's future. It was as if nobody in the room drew breath as they waited.

"Amala," Helion said, and the faerie before him on the floor sobbed and sniffed as she lifted her head to look up at the High Lord. Elain found herself looking at Helion as she had heard thunder in his voice. He hadn't spoken overly loudly and he certainly had not shouted, but there had been depths to that single word, and Elain shuddered.

"We found her sneaking," One of the guards who had dragged Amala into the room said, "She was moving through the halls on the second floor in the east…"

From where Elain could see Helion, she only had a view of his profile, but it was enough to see his expression. He glanced at the guard who had spoken, and then he looked back down at Amala with his eyebrows raised.

"Have you been in the Palace this whole time?" He asked.

Amala looked up at him, tears still trailing their way down her cheeks. Her face was red and puffy, and she looked truly wretched. Nodding, she sobbed again. "Yes…"

"What were you planning to do?" Helion's voice was firm, and Amala shrank from him. Suddenly, Elain wondered if the female had indeed been planning something else. Had she held hopes of finishing what her uncle had begun? Had she hoped to be able to get to Helion? To Lucien? Another murmur shifted through the room, among the Court, before they fell silent once again.

"N-no…" Amala shook her head, eyes wide as she looked up at Helion, "No… I… was trying to get out…"

"Where have you been?"

"I hid." She sniffed, "I left the hall when things were getting…" her eyes closed and she shook her head, and Elain did remember her sneaking out of the throne room before everything became chaotic, "I… hid in one of the closed up rooms… and… I was trying to get out of the Palace…" Amala wiped her face on the back of her hand, "I wasn't going to do anything…"

"And why should I believe your word?" Helion asked. Amala seemed to sag a little at that, and she began sobbing anew.

"I… didn't want to do any of it, I swear." Her words were nearly inaudible around the sobs. "They didn't give me a choice. I didn't know what to do."

"Did I not offer you a good place in my Court?" Helion asked, "Did I not give you somewhere to live? A role here? Something you could be a part of?"

Amala fell forward onto her hands, head bowed as she cried. "I… I am sorry. I didn't know what to do…"

"You could have come to me, Amala."

She looked up at him then, face even more red and blotchy than before. "I should have." She sniffed, "I know that now."

"Your word is not something that I can trust." He told her, and her face crumpled. "You want me to believe that you were forced to go along with Colm and his actions, that you did not relish the things he did… and I would like to believe you, but I have no reason to take you at your word."

"No…" She sobbed, "I tried to leave… I tried to get out…" Helion just shook his head, and Amala broke off, her sobs choking her.

"That is true," Elain said, trying not to flinch as every pair of eyes in the room flicked directly to her. Helion half turned, his own eyes blazing with some inner golden light. "What she said is true," Elain went on, pleased with how steady and clear her voice sounded despite her discomfort with everyone looking directly at her, "I saw her sneak out of the Throne Room yesterday to get away from what the others were doing."

Amala blinked, eyes on Elain. Looking back at her, Elain tried to work out what she could see in the other female's face, but she was unable to read her.

"My son's mate," Helion said after a moment and when he had turned back to Amala, looking down at her, "I trust." Amala nodded, looking from Elain back up at the High Lord. "But you are still responsible for your own actions, spying on my Court and feeding information that put us all at risk and resulted in the deaths of far too many…"

"Yes, High Lord." Amala breathed, and Elain could see her holding herself so very still as she awaited the rest of what he would say.

"You are not welcome here." Helion said, "You will never be welcome in my Court again." Amala went pale, her eyes widening. "You have until sundown to get yourself over the borders to my lands or you will be hunted down. If you ever set foot in the Day Court again, you will wish that you had not lived through yesterday."

There was a hush around the room. There were those who were pleased with Amala's ostracism, evident in the way they nodded or smiled, but there were those, likely those who had called out before, who clearly wanted a more harsh punishment. There were those who wanted her put to death. Nobody made any sound of protest however, accepting their High Lord's decision. This was the line Helion had drawn. Zero tolerance for the type of betrayal Amala had committed but he was not bloodthirsty or violent. Enough blood had been shed yesterday, and they still needed to clean that up.

Amala sobbed when one of the guards moved forward again and hauled her to her feet by one arm. Evidently, she was not to be trusted to take herself to the border, but would be seen there by others that the High Lord trusted. Elain let out a slow breath, her eyes sweeping the room to take in the reactions of the other Courtiers, and she was unsurprised to see Tisia sitting further up the table, tears in her eyes as she watched Amala being escorted from the room.

"That was kind of you." Lucien said softly, breath against Elain's ear. "Speaking for her after what she did…"

Turning to him, Elain met his eyes. "She was pushed into a position she did not wish to be in." she replied softly, "It would not be right for her to have been executed."

"In most other Courts she would have been." Eris put in drily.

"Good thing we have chosen this one for our home then." Lucien replied.