Any Day Darling: A Feysand Story

Part 20: The Arrival

 The room Rhys winnowed us into was different than last time. No doubt it was the same palace, but we did not land on the same veranda as we did all those years ago. We were still outside, but much higher up and on a much smaller area, more of a balcony. Even without Azriel, who would be coming later with Madja and perhaps Elain, I felt cramped. But the sky was just as beautiful as I remembered, so were the bits of the palace that weren't obstructed by the large copula in front of us.

"Thesan said to go down ourselves, someone will meet us at the bottom of the stairs," Rhys said. Mor pushed in front of the two of us and walked inside first, likely also suspicious of the instructions.

He's trying to keep this quiet, even to his servants.

Why? I questioned, What's the point in that?

The solar courts are still mostly removed from the seasonal courts, but the dawn court especially. His people probably haven't gotten word of your little show yet. Either he's trying to keep them from panicking or-

"Still envious of my home, Lady Feyre?" Thesan stood in front of us, hands behind his back. He looked...tired. I suppose we all do.

"Always. I tried to convince the builders to steal some ideas from you when we built our home, but it would have looked far too out of place" I said, giving him a slight smile.

"And how are your people? The refugees?"

"Isn't this all talk for our meeting at hand?"

"Forgive me," He said, "I am...eager to get this all over with as soon as possible." He paused for a moment before turning. "This way please."

I gripped Rhy's hand, Somethings wrong here.

Rhys only gave a slight nod before checking: Sheilds?

Thick as obsidian.

"I'm surprised to see you without your entire posse, Rhysand," Thesan said from further down the corridor.

"Don't fret, they will be joining us, but as you can imagine, protecting our people is the highest priority at this time." The rest of the long walk through the castle halls were mostly silent, void of any banter we all usually kept up. Eventually, we reached the tall room where we all stood when the wall broke. Tarquin, Helion, Kallas, and Viviane were already seated around a large table, looking exhausted.

"Please be seated," Thesan muttered. We took our seats, Mor standing behind us like the rest of the Lord's seconds. "Baron and Tamlin will not be joining us, so we may call this meeting into session." The various guards around the room shuffled out and shut the tall doors, leaving the room once made of open-air and columns dark, the only light streaming from the sunroof.

Rhys slammed a shield around the three of us, stronger than the one he had put up upon landing. It was his turn to tighten his hold on my hand.

"What was the last news you received?" Thesan said, staring my mate directly in the eye.

"Of the burnings, and handings."

"I'm afraid, old friend, that that is old news," Thesan said, bowing his head. Tarquin let out a long sigh next to him. "There is talk...There is talk of rebellion."