Prolouge
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A Court of Golden Light
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Some Months After Winter Solstice
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The day’s light would always go out making sure to leave its lingering beauty even after the sun had dipped below the horizon. Even in the Night Court, the soft beams washed the sprawling city in a crisp golden hue. This was the last, magnificent breath of Day, rustling the leaves before turning in at night. One might think that the Night Court would be ill-fitted to showcase the grandeur of the day, but Velaris was able to compliment any special type of beauty. “Multifaceted,” is what the High Lord would say.
The lone figure strolling through the streets on their way to an innocuous little town house would have to agree. An exile as he would call himself- and the unknowing heir to what will one day be an open title. The male was what most would consider handsome enough, and what the High Lady would consider, “A good male to make portraits of for some mortal girls to swoon over and be less fearful of the Fae,” but in this special time of day, well let us just say it was if his father very well could have crafted this time when his only son was born so every day, he would shine even brighter than usual. Perhaps a beacon to the awful bastard who played father, meant so that the radiance could not be ignored for a moment before nightfall and show, for however brief a time, the world whose child it really was. Or for the secret son of that light, for the true male that had fathered him, a reminder of what could have never been but should be and the love locked behind cruel courts.
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Prologue
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Lucien
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Despite the warm grandeur of the city, the ethereal peace and sense of home seemingly emanating from the true heart of the night court, highlighted at dusk when every Cauldron Made and blessed seemed to align in this corner of the world, all the weary traveler could think of was the next step. The old townhouse was thankfully where the High Lord had requested his presence, sparing Lucien any chance of running into his mate that was not his mate. In the past year, they had mercifully made an unspoken mutual decision to refrain from acknowledgement of one another, at least until one of them grew the balls to get over their own past long enough to talk beyond a simple, courteous greeting. An amiable enough deal, there was no risk of wounding one another and they could merely orbit around each other’s lives from as much distance as possible. Space. The desperately needed space would do them both wonders.
Weary, although that bone deep exhaustion was with him and perhaps one of the few things he had come to see as normal, Lucien trudged up the last feet of the steep hill the street was built on and allowed himself a moment to stare, openly at the expanse of city that was the Night Court. He followed the natural lines the city seemed to follow, winding their way down to all meet at one of the Palaces. The wide and elegantly paved walkways on either side of the Sidra that accompanied the lazy river to what would be a harbor obscured by the sparkles the gently lapping waves threw into the world. The background noises of life passing by, highlighted with the shrieks and squeals of children, still laughing were its own kind of music. A home to anyone who inhabited it. Which clearly explained why the male always found ways to slip out after giving his reports to the High Lord and often High Lady he now reported to.
Letting himself through the small gate that surrounded the inconspicuous property, Lucien didn’t have to raise a hand to knock as the door before Cassian had flung it open. Giving one last glare, the infamous general gave a passing, tight lipped smile when he saw Lucien before taking to the skies, his powerful wings flapping with an unnecessary force almost as though he was storming off. Well, shit. Whatever that was about, Lucien had no good news to bring either.
“Come on in,” Rhys’s tired voice reached Lucien’s delicate ears, judging by the quiet volume despite those brittle edges, he could guess the male was sitting in the open kitchen near the back. The true ingenuity and simplicity of the house’s architecture was one that Lucien remembered he had admired despite everything when he had first arrived.
In the red glowing light from the windows that made up about a third of the kitchen and small table that Rhys was slouched over, well… “You look half dead on your feet- have you eaten anything?”
“I didn’t know you had such a motherly instinct in you Lucien,” Azriel’s voice, somewhat amused sounded as he stepped out of a shadowy corner, clearly he had chosen to literally retreat to the shadows during whatever conversation had just taken place. Then, “oh, Cauldron fuck me,” then worried that the High Lord could in fact read minds, Lucien hurried to secure all mental walls and protections in case that also came out one way or another.
Refusing to give in and yield a small step back from the embarrassment coursing through him, Lucien merely blinked, lethargic and oh so done with his life. At one point, he would have never fucked up so badly- able to half keep that courtier’s grin on his face even as his flesh was torn into but now that his life no longer depended on that easy cunning, his skills at emissary had all but vanished as his life once again turned upside down. “Have you seen a mirror lately? If I look bad, then you look like absolute shit Lucien,” leave it to Rhys to always point out the obvious things that are being pointedly ignored by the room, “Feyre will be a few more minutes and then we can get started. You might want to at least start healing that scratch or at the very least wipe the dried blood off before it flakes onto this nice carpet.”
Touché. Once in the small half bathroom in the hallway, Lucien let the water run in the tap for a second before wiping off his face with one of the many towels, staring into the small elegant mirror above the sink. Admittedly he did look like shit, especially when the blood that had dried down his face was taken into consideration. He hadn’t even noticed it before winnowing. Its not as though he wasn’t a gods damned mess. Taking as much time as was socially acceptable hiding in the bathroom might have been cowardly but also seemed necessary, if the proof of a shield blocking any sound from leaving a bubble around the two in the kitchen was any indication.
“Sit in whatever chair, sit on the ceiling it doesn’t matter that formal bullshit is so annoying remember?” Az went and got some alcohol as his shadows seemed to hold his spot; Quickly Rhys downed his, and the rest of the room followed suit. A pleasant warmth followed the fine rich flavors of whatever that was. A simple, mature liquor that was at least a century or two old and so much better than the sweet wines and ciders of the spring court. Not that it hadn’t been good, but Tamlin had a taste for anything that seemed to match the feeling the Court held. A young sweet bloom that could just as easily choke any life out of all the plants around it, then itself just like its master. Who really was the reigning king of messes.
Obliging, Lucien sat down as Rhys, having gone through the cursory introductions returned to brooding. Azriel pushed himself off the wall, a lone shadow following, still whispering to him as he poured himself more liquor and downed it in one smooth motion. Gaze unfocusing, there was something to be said about the ease one feels when they don’t have to bother keeping their guard up- Lucien couldn’t win in any true fight against the High Lord and his Shadowsinger nor would he ever want to fight anyways, and he let himself take a few, even breaths.
“You three look like school children sitting and in trouble for bickering in the yard.” Feyre, breaking some of the not exactly uncomfortable tension in the room as she set down her bag. “And I see your already drinking before we started so is it really this bad?”
“Hi,” Lucien had to admit, there was a part of him that missed the daily friendship, however complicated it may be, when he was busy. Greeting each other warmly, Rhys smirked at the smear of bright paint on her forhead that eventually streaked along the rest of her face and motioned to it. Innocent enough save for the fact that they were clearly discussing something and both Az and Lucien did seem to be in mutual agreement that no matter how brief, being in the room with mates as they flirted silently was awkward.
“So,” Feyre was good at adopting that easy yet somewhat demanding demeanor. Lucien wondered how some could be so blind to the other natural talent for negotiations and politics she had gotten. “How’s everything going with the humans below the wall right now? Is there anything, before we begin debriefing, that you could benefit from the court providing, anything to help aid the work we’re trying to acomplish?”
“Is there anything more we could be doing to help the humans? Or any fae that could use any aid?” Taking out his summarized lists and a few pages of notes, he let Rhys snap his fingers and copy the documents for everyone. The rest of the rooms reaction was a fairly accurate summary of what he himself had felt when learning the information.
“I suppose its safe to assume that this is where any of the withdrawals from your acoount are going towards?” Rhy’s drawling voice had just enough… something in it to set Lucien on edge. Continuing, he seemed suspiciously curious and almost proud in a way that most certainly had to be a test. “And to think, here I was being glad you were finally gaining enough sense to get something fun for yourself or do anything not boring with your salary.”
Gritting his teeth, Lucien let the embarrassment go for now as he spoke, his voice perfectly even, “It’s a generous salary, far more than is befitting of my position and I am great full especially with what I can do with it. With the Spring Court in ruins-” toeing the line of the unspoken and unresolved issues would be much too complicated, “-I fear if I didn’t do this, it’s citizens might continue to suffer for the crimes of its Lord and the rest of his court. I’m the only one who sees and is willing to work to make what we did right and can understand if its complicated enough that you prefer I use my own money, that doesn’t come out of your employ.” Fuck it was so much easier to use his own account Rhys had set up, as overflooded as it was for the short time working here.
Wincing, Rhys seemed guilty as he flashed a short and great full smile. The whole agenda seemed to be mostly this dance though it was a welcome change despite how foreign it might be to Lucien. Sighing, he settled in to begin what would be a fun yet stressful weekend.
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Feyre
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“So what do you think of the training?” I let myself fall into step next to Lucien as he heads up to one of the spare beds in the townhouse we have him in. I offered to have him in our mansion but he, somewhat understandably, had declined once again.
Lucien glanced sideways at me, and smirked as I half-raised my hands, a giant smear of bright blue paint streaked down my pinky and gathered in a sizable blob staining my forearm and I grinned. “Your sister genuinely seems to be doing better than last I saw her, though that was nearly a year ago and by accident.” Leave it to Lucien to not hesitate getting to the real questions. Letting the fox mask he still wore often drop, his smile was warm and I wondered if one day years from now, my child might have a little sister, what having a brother would be like. “I know it can be difficult to see someone you care for suffer but, Feyre, your sister is lucky to have you.” I know all I can give Nesta is the space she asks for but often it feels as though she doesnt know I’m there for her when she wants and the fear at the thought of bringing a baby into a life that holds any amount of pain very nearly chokes me every moment. Cauldron knows what kind of wreck of nerves letting this babe out into the world will bring my mate and I both.
I notice, just barely the slight stiffness in the way my friend moves as he dumps his pack at the foot of the bed and turns, any trace of discomfort hidden under layers of smooth charm and a hint of genuine happiness. Later I can ask him why he seems to be nursing some old injury but now, the other reason we wanted to speak with him in person. “C’mon,” I take his arm and drag him down stairs and back out into the streets, “I did promise you a tour of the studio.” My joy and honor to give what I can to my people so we can come together and heal. “I have news too, my friend.”
“Oh?” In the dusky light of day bleeding to night, Lucien’s hair still retains a bit of that fire-shine and catches the eyes of a few younger females as they giggle to themselves before seeing me. One, a small thing with eyes far too old approaches skittishly and bows to me. I grin, hoping she knows no one needs to bow here but as she speaks, everything in me goes quiet and soft.
“My lady, thank you.” I try meeting her eyes but they dart around as she tells me excitedly about her little sibling and the bracelet they had gifted her for her birthday the past month. “We- we we’re all in a rough spot after Hybern but they were so young they couldn’t understand it. Your first class ever, they came home still talking about you, smiling. We had all but assumed that sweet, purest smile was another victim in a war but you, thank you.”
“Are they the one who painted the dogs in your house and the inhabitants in a doghouse after not getting a pet for solstice?” And when she nodded frantically, I laughed remembering that child… and the way my partner and I had been washing paint out of our hair for days after the floating bubble disaster.
“Yes,” fondly, her slender fingers run over the bracelet as she grins up at me and we both ignore the wavering line of her lips. “I just hope you know, Lady, the gratitude at what you give us day after day, the effect your hope brings. My family thanks you.” And with that, she runs back to join her friends and eyes gleaming, she looks back once more at me, shyly ducking her head as I wink, my own eyes just a bit glossy.
Lucien too seems to have been affected by this conversation, though his eye was dry. Still, I can see what's unsaid behind it. I remember the first thing he ever said when he came to my Court. “There are children laughing.” Silent and both pensive, we make our way through the streets quickly. As I unlock the door and let him into the open gallery studio, I grin.
“So,” I gently nudge the bond with Rhys’s letting him know to also drop that impenetrable shield he had Helion help set up as I dropped my own.
“It’s nice…” Lucien, who had been taking in the room slowly turns around, a huge grin breaking out on his face as my scent hits him. “Feyre! Is this real?”
Spreading my arms, a matching grin stretches nearly painfully across my face as I nod. “It’s really why we insisted you come here yourse-” A delighted laugh burbles out of my chest as Lucien stares, russet eye gleaming though I know he will go to the grave swearing its allergies.
“By the Cauldron- Congratulations! Feyre!” I step forward, under his arms and squeeze, cought up in the joy of the moment. Flinching, it takes him a moment before realizing what’s happening and his arms encircle me momentarily before holding me out a bit to stare incredulous. “I’m so happy for you- and Rhys- how are you? Wow your- gods this is amazing news!” Another hug, and I let myself bottle a bit of this joy up for later, I missed my friend. Outside the studio, through the giant window, the last rays of sunlight wink out joyfully celebrating with the idea of a child in mind.
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