Chapter 528

"Do you know what you're doing?" Feyre asked, and Elain wished that people would stop asking her that. "Are you sure?"

"We've invited Vassa." She replied, as calmly and evenly as she was able. "That's all there is to that."

"You don't even like her."

"That's irrelevant." Elain replied, "You should understand that. I'm sure Rhys doesn't like everyone he's ever invited to the Night Court."

"Most, though." Rhys grinned from where he stood nearby. "If I didn't like them, they didn't get to know what it really was." That was a fair point, Elain figured. The bond had once shown Elain Lucien's reaction when he had first come to Velaris and been surprised by the life he had found there.

"Fair," She said, "But you know what I mean. Often, it's not personal. It's political."

"Nobody would have batted an eyelash if you had not invited a mortal queen." Feyre put in, and Elain knew that this too, was correct.

"No." She agreed, "But… if Helion knows of a way to break Vassa's curse… We will have an unbreakable alliance…"

"No alliance is unbreakable." Feyre muttered, and Elain blinked at her.

"Really?" she asked, "What do you think Rhys would have to be offered to turn against you?" Rhys' answering snarl was all the response Elain needed.

"Are you trying to tell me that if you break Vassa's curse, her loyalty to the Day Court would be comparable with the Mating Bond?" Feyre raised an eyebrow, and Elain shook her head.

"No." She replied, "But I'm sure she would have loyalty to us above others."

"And that's what this is about, is it?" Feyre asked, giving Nesta a disbelieving look now. "The Day Court is pulling out the stops to secure Vassa as an ally?"

"No." Elain repeated, trying to count in her head how many times she had repeated that word in the last few minutes, "But it is a bonus."

"Then what is the actual point?"

Sighing, Elain couldn't be bothered trying to delicately explain herself to her sister, especially when Feyre knew how the bond felt, and everything that came with it. So, she drew a breath and just told her. "I'm testing my ability to leash my jealousy." Feyre frowned and Elain went on, "You know how powerful it is, and Vassa really gets under my skin with the way she is with Lucien. She's the best way for me to test myself."

"… Right." Feyre just blinked and remained silent for a few moments. Elain watched her sister's blue-grey eyes slide toward Rhys and the two of them so very obviously engaged in one of those private conversations nobody else ever got to be a part of. "And the rest of us are here to… prevent you murdering your future ally?"

"I suppose that's a bonus too." Elain just looked at her younger sister, wondering if Feyre got it. She didn't think she had ever seen Feyre jealous of anyone with Rhys, but then maybe nobody had dared make their interest in him shown in Feyre's presence, or at all. She wondered if Feyre had ever had to deal with jealousy at all.

"Well," Feyre said after a moment. "This is going to be an interesting visit." Turning to look at Rhys, Feyre smiled sweetly, and Elain moved closer, not wanting to miss what her sister was about to say. "Do you think that, when Vassa gets here, Azriel might perhaps shadow her a little?"

Rhys tilted his head, considering, but Elain made a face. "Are you trying to organise spying right in front of me?"

"It's not spying if you know about it." Feyre countered, but Elain shook her head.

"It is, and don't do it." She sighed, "Also, I wouldn't be able to properly test myself if I knew Azriel was right there watching… so it would defeat the purpose."

"Fair enough, but you will have her protected, right?"

"That's why you're all here."