Chapter 456
When Eris and Nera reached them, Lucien couldn't take his eyes off of his brother. Eris' attention was focused entirely upon Nera, guiding her to sit on the lush green grass near to them. For a moment, Eris remained standing, and Lucien thought that perhaps his brother would not sit as Helion and Ashk still stood, looking now at one another. A moment passed, however, and then Eris sank down to sit beside his lover, one hand grazing her knee as he settled himself. Lucien had absolutely no idea what this was about. He looked to his parents then, wanting an answer. Eris seemed to be about as clued in as he was, and if neither of them knew what was going on, then this was obviously a well-kept secret. Lucien enjoyed secrets; they could be fun, and he had become very good at teasing them out of those he had spoken with when visiting Courts as Tamlin's Emissary. He liked secrets when they were entertaining and gave him some kind of knowledge he could use or leverage for what he needed. He did not like secrets when they were kept from him. Or, he figured, when they were kept by people he cared about.
This was definitely a secret. He could tell in the way that Helion and his mother were watching one another, neither speaking. This was something they had always done, Lucien had noticed it before. They had had a secret then, however. They had kept their relationship a secret, and they had kept the fact that he was the son of the Day Court a secret for Lucien's entire life. That secret had been kept from him, but he understood the logic and reasoning behind that. He did not blame them or hold any kind of resentment for that secret. But that secret was out now. This was not about that.
He had no secrets now. Turning his head, Lucien looked at Elain. There were no secrets in his life, and he didn't think that he would ever be able to keep one from his mate. Not that he would ever want to. A life without secrets was what he saw in his future. Everyone knew how he felt about Elain, and everyone knew that he was the son of Helion and Ashk. Everyone knew that he wished to live here as the Heir, and that he would raise his family here. There was nothing left to hide, and he saw no use for shadows. This was the Day Court. This was a place of light and of knowledge. There was no place for darkness and deception here.
Elain met his gaze and she smiled at him. He could see the reassurance in that smile and, when her hand reached out for him, Lucien met it with his own. He linked their fingers together, and that reassurance coming from her intensified with the physical contact. Lucien knew that Elain could feel his anxiousness, and he could feel a little of it coming from her. No doubt she was wondering similar things to him, and they both would like to have answers.
"I take it you are unaware as to why he have been summoned here?" Eris asked, amber eyes moving from Elain to meet Lucien's.
"We were not summoned…" he replied, "We were having lunch… minding our own business…" Eris' eyes flicked over the half-eaten food and he grinned widely.
"Sorry to disturb you."
"… Summoned?" Elain asked, "The both of you?"
"Yes." Eris murmured, tone low. "Nera and I were asked to come out here to where you two sat."
Above them, Ashk and Helion were discussing something in low voices and, despite straining his ears, Lucien could not make any of it out.
"It must be important." Elain said, hand tightening around Lucien's. "What do you think has happened?"
"Something important enough to ask the High Lord of the Autumn Court, and the Heir to Day to come together…" Nera sounded a little nervous.
"Yet not the High Lord of Spring, who is also here…" Lucien put in. He glanced around at all of them. Whatever this was, it concerned Eris and himself as who they were, not for the positions they held. His curiosity sharpened, and he resisted the urge to loudly ask what it was that they had been brought together for.
Eris, however, beat him to it. "This is not the Night Court. No need to keep us in the dark."
Lucien bit back a smile at that, and instead just turned his eyes on his parents. The two of them stood together. Helion was wringing his hands in an obvious attempt to control his nerves, while Ashk stood perfectly still. Lucien knew that her stance was no indicator of how she felt, as he had seen her stand like that for decades while watching horrible things Beron had done. She was well accustomed to containing her emotions. Helion, evidently, was not.
Lucien couldn't decide which of them to look at. His eyes flicked between them, back and forth, and back and forth. He couldn't settle, just as Helion couldn't settle. Elain squeezed his hand, offering some support, and he was thankful for that, but now his stomach was twisting, and still his parents said nothing.