Chapter 545

Elain had felt Lucien enter the Throne Room the moment he walked through the doors, and she had begun looking through the crowd to try and get a glimpse of him. Figuring he would have gone toward Helion, Elain headed for the dais, pleased when she saw that familiar fiery hair as she drew closer. She could see the two of them speaking to one another, and she slowed her pace, trying to give them some time with one another, not wanting to interrupt whatever it was they were speaking about. Then, she spotted Eris striding purposefully toward his brother and the High Lord of the Day Court, and she quickened her step once again. The look on Eris's face was less than pleased and, Elain thought, a little downright angry.

She reached Helion and Lucien at the same moment that Eris did, and Lucien had turned his head to smile at her in greeting, about to something when Eris spoke first.

"I had thought that Lesser Fae were welcome in your Court, Helion."

Elain felt the words almost like a physical blow, and she rather thought she could feel the heat of Eris' anger coming off of him in waves. There was no humour or any kind of lightness in Helion's face or tone when he replied.

"As you should have…" The High Lord of the Day Court didn't so much as blink as he looked at the High Lord of the Autumn Court. "Are you suggesting this is not the case?"

"It does not seem to be." The words were snarled out, Eris' face almost twisted with repressed rage.

"What are you talking about?" Lucien asked his brother, "You've spent time here, you know better than that…"

"I thought I did." Eris snapped. "Nera, however, almost begged me to leave this morning."

"Did something happen to her?" Lucien asked, his metallic eye clicking as he swept the room, looking for his brother's lover. "Is she alright?"

Elain remembered what had happened to the faerie who had last done something unsavoury to Nera. She could almost still smell the remains of that faerie after what Eris had done to him. If something had happened to her here, she wondered if there was another smouldering pile of ashes waiting to be discovered in some hallway in the palace.

"Someone has said or done something," Eris said coldly, "to make her feel like she is not welcome; as if she does not belong."

"And you think it was a member of my Court?" Helion asked, and Eris blinked at that, as if remembering only then that at least ten members of every Court in Prythian were currently present.

"Ah…" Elain murmured, and three pairs of eyes snapped her way. "Nera was present last night," she went on, "when Vassa was talking about how surprised she was that Lesser Fae seemed to be so accepted now when she had thought they would not be."

Helion made a frustrated sound and ran a hand through his hair, while Eris made what Elain could only describe as a hissing sound. Lucien just closed his eyes and shook his head.

"And," Eris asked slowly, "these comments were for Nera's benefit?"

"I don't know." Elain admitted, "Honestly, I doubt it. I don't think Vassa even noticed she was there."

"Mortal bitch." Eris muttered, "I think I need to have a word with Queen Vassa…"

"Do you think that's wise." Lucien moved to stop his brother as Eris turned away and Elain watched her mate, trying to read the hesitant expression on his handsome face.

"Do you not?" Eris asked, and Lucien gave a half shrug.

"Not if you intend to reduce her to ashes…"

"Wouldn't mind seeing if that firebird is flame resistant." Eris muttered, pulling free of his brother's grip and striding away.