Chapter 473

The garden was becoming more and more lovely by the day, and Elain could see it quickly becoming what she had envisioned. This pleased her quite significantly, as she hadn't ever imagined that one of her imagined designs for a garden could happen so quickly. Even her private garden attached to their rooms was not taking shape as quickly as the Memory Garden. She knew that this was largely due to the amount of help they were receiving here, and she was thankful for that.

As she walked around the garden, explaining her visions of how it would end up to their guests, Elain couldn't ignore the clear tension in Ashk. Watching her, Elain could see those pretty russet eyes repeatedly returning to Mor time and time again, and Elain didn't think she had ever seen a more unfriendly look on that beautiful face. This unnerved Elain, but also rather fascinated her. She had only ever been on the end of kindness and gentleness from Ashk and, other than when they had quite literally been in the clutches of enemies, she hadn't ever really thought that Ashk would have a sharper side. Feeling silly that she had even had that notion, Elain shook her head. Ashk had Autumn Blood after all. Mor was a strange target for that animosity, though.

"Will the High Lord be joining us on this tour?" Mor asked, the question seemingly innocent. It was apparently entirely the wrong thing to say, however as Ashk all but snarled.

"He has more important things to do." Drawing herself up to her full, impressive, height, Ashk peered down her nose at Mor. Mor glanced uncertainly at Rhys, clearly wondering what to do about the hostility that Ashk was barely trying to conceal.

"He's always been fairly attentive to guests in the past." Mor replied, bending to look at a nearby flower and, for a brief moment, Elain thought that Ashk might just throw herself at the blonde faerie.

"I'm sure," Lucien put in, sounding a little hasty, "that the High Lord feels that our company will be adequate for you."

"Not if she's looking for something no mated male is willing to give her…" Ashk's words were clipped and Elain's step faltered in shock, turning her head to look at the redheaded faerie. Ashk looked thoroughly unconcerned by the looks she was currently receiving from everyone present.

Mor looked again at Rhys, but when he did and said nothing, she turned her eyes on Ashk and straightened her own posture, facing the older faerie with a challenge in her face. "Is there something you wish to say to me?" Mor asked, assessing eyes moving over Ashk.

"Not particularly." Ashk sniffed, inspecting her own fingernails.

"As the Emissary for the Autumn Court, I would have thought you'd be rather better at communicating clearly." Mor said, "But then I suppose the Autumn Court has always been rather better at violence than words."

"Let's not talk about what you're supposed to be good at…"

Mor blinked, and Elain could see the rage moving through her. Glancing at Lucien, she could feel his uncertainty down the bond, as well as see it in his face. The familiar stoic courtly mask he sometimes wore was nowhere in sight, and his emotion would have been clear for anyone looking at him to read. Nobody was looking at him, besides Elain, however, as all eyes were on Mor and Ashk.

"…What's going on here?" Cassian asked, moving closer to the two female currently glaring at one another.

"Clear, isn't it?" Mor asked, "Lady Ashk had an issue with me and what happened with Eris." Elain frowned, and it took a second for her to put that together. Mor thought that Ashk was angry about why the engagement had ended between her son and Mor all those long years ago. Ashk let out a laugh.

"Not at all. My son is better off without you."

"You think so…?" Mor's voice was a faint purr.

"He doesn't need to tie himself to someone who has fucked half of Prythian."

Elain felt the reactions of everyone around her a moment before they moved. Cassian took several quick steps forward, only to be grabbed by Rhys. The High Lord of the Night Court snapped a command to his Court and they stopped everything.

"There's nothing ambiguous about that opinion." Nesta muttered, but Elain could see the shock in her sister's face all the same.

"Jealous?" Mor asked Ashk, "I had freedom while you were stuck with the dried up old bastard that Beron was?"

"I've never wanted to fuck my way around the Courts." Ashk retorted, and Elain knew that Ashk's desire had been purely in the Day Court with Helion. Glancing at Mor again, Elain recalled what Feyre had once told her about their blonde friend and the High Lord of the Day Court. Did Mor know why Ashk was even still in the Day Court? Was their friend aware of the renewed relationship between Ashk and Helion? She was fairly certain that nobody from the Night Court had heard about the pregnancy yet.

"Is that what you think?" Mor snarled, "Is that the narrative the Autumn Court has been spreading about me?"

"You've been doing the spreading yourself." Ashk retorted, and Elain had to work to keep her jaw from dropping in shock.

"Okay…" she said, holding her hands out, "Maybe we should all just… " she blinked, not sure what to say, "…stop."

Behind her, Lucien made a noise of agreement and then one of his warm hands came to rest against her back. She could feel his absolute shock and confusion down the bond, mixed with some hesitation. Elain knew that if this had been anyone but his mother, he would have said something to stop it in its tracks, but she could feel his confusion about what to do and say that would not offend or hurt Ashk. He had just gotten his mother back into his life, and he was scared to jeopardise that.

"Yeah, this shit is done." Cassian said, folding his arms across his chest.

Elain watched Ashk for further reaction. She had never seen the redheaded faerie act this way before, and it seemed in such contrast to the stoic and kind Ashk Elain had met in the Hall in the Autumn Court. As she watched her, Elain saw Ashk wrap one of her own arms around herself, cradling her stomach, and she knew that the whole thing was born out of jealousy and fear. Ashk was jealous of Mor's interactions with Helion, and must have still felt threatened by that.