Long Live | | Helion

2

Emelia wasn't sure how she kept getting invited to outings with the "Inner Circle." At first, she had declined the invitations to go out for dinner or drinks or dancing or to a show at the concert hall. She had assumed it was just awkward pity invites in an attempt to get her to adjust to life in Velaris after a miserable upbringing in the Court of Nightmares. She sometimes still wondered if that was all it was, but the High Lady hadn't given up so Emelia had relented and started going out with the group.

It was an odd adjustment compared to what she was used to. More casual, more fun, less stifling, less terrifying.

Sometimes, she swore she could still feel the weight of the careful navigation of the life she was spared. Rescued from a wedding she never wanted, from a life of being nothing but a thing for the husband her father chose for her. One of the first things she did when she got to Velaris was find a random male and invite him to her bed. She had since learned that the sex was rather unimpressive, but she supposed first times usually were unimpressive anyway. The next time and the time after that and after that and after that...well, those were all better than the first. The best so far had been with Azriel—though no one knew about that one. An impulsive decision made when neither of them felt like joining the rest of the group to go dancing but neither felt like being alone. Impulsive and probably not very smart, but very rewarding for both of them.

Her mind drifted to Helion then, which she knew was terribly inappropriate. Then again, the High Lord of Day did have a reputation for liking sex, so maybe not too inappropriate. Not an appropriate thought to be having in the home of the High Lady and High Lord of the Night Court, at least.

Tonight's invitation hadn't been for going out, for once. Instead, she was invited—and subsequently dragged by Cassian—to dinner at the River House.

"So, let's talk about you and Helion making eyes at each other in training," Cassian got right to the point as they lounged on the couches. It was only her, Cassian, and Nesta at the moment, which felt odd to her considering the house wasn't any of theirs.

"Isn't Helion known for making eyes at everyone?" Emelia shot back, though the way her cheeks heated gave her act of indifference away.

"Oh, no, you're mistaken, he flirts with everyone, he doesn't make eyes like that at everyone. It is a distinct difference. I've been on the receiving end of his flirting countless times, but never have I received a look like the ones he was giving you," Cassian countered, and Emelia looked to Nesta for help.

"I don't often say this, but he's right," Nesta said simply.

"Oh, mate, I love when you say that," Cassian murmured, giving a little grin.

"Unsurprising, considering you hear it so rarely," Nesta shot back, rolling her eyes. Cassian pressed a kiss to her neck and Emelia busied herself leaving the room because she was a little too familiar with Cassian and Nesta's inability to keep their hands off each other.

She went outside to the front of the house and sat in the grass, admiring the cloudless blue sky. She didn't bother to look up when someone sat next to her. From the fact that she hadn't heard the person approach, she knew it couldn't be anyone but Azriel.

"Since you're out here, I assume Cassian and Nesta have gotten busy defiling the River House," he joked...half-joked.

"Oh, I left before any real defiling could take place, so I can't say for certain," she replied, lips tugged up into a smile. "I'm sure the High Lady and High Lord won't mind too much."

"They abhor that you continue to insist on calling them by their titles so frequently," he commented, "they'd prefer it if you called them Feyre and Rhys, at least in casual settings like this."

"I try," she said with a shrug. She could feel his questioning stare and found herself providing an explanation. "It is a little hard to adjust to that. Back when I was a child, my father used to say the High Lord would mist my bones and leave me a pile of mush if I was disrespectful. The threats got even more worse when I got older."

"I can imagine," Azriel murmured, watching as one of his shadows curled around her ankle. "Speaking of High Lords—"

"Cauldron, not you too," Emelia groaned, "the High Lord of Day was not making eyes at me."

"Oh, he certainly was. He was trying not to, but he was. I've no doubts that he badgered Rhys and Feyre with a million questions about your eligibility as soon as the three of them were alone," he teased, though something about his tone let her know he wasn't entirely unserious. "He seemed genuinely interested in you."

"In as utterly vain and arrogant of a manner as I can possibly say this, that is not rare," she scoffed, "plenty of males look at me and are genuinely interested solely because they think I'm pretty. I don't see why it's such a big deal that this particular male thinks I'm pretty too. Yes, he is a High Lord, but he's also not known for being picky. Which, neither am I so I'm not judging, but it's just not anything special."

"He is a good male, you know," Azriel pointed out, "you don't have to be interested in him, but he's not some fool led around by his cock."

"I'm not saying he is," she dismissed, "I'm simply saying he's no more or less interesting to me than any male here in Velaris and I don't see why anyone is making it a thing that he looked at me. He's not some blessing from the Cauldron. He's just another male fond of pretty faces."

"Is that what you thought of me?" he mused, not offended but almost amused instead.

"Oh, we both know not much thought at all went into that," she reminded him with a laugh. He laughed too, quiet and soft. "I still can't believe we've managed to keep that a secret. No offense, Azriel, but it sometimes seems like eighty percent of what your family does is gossip."

"In times of peace, that is all there is to do," Azriel said, "but you forget, Lia, that my job basically entails me being the biggest gossip of all. I am where all secrets go eventually."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're terribly dramatic?"

"You have, several times."