A Court of Trust and Enemies

Chapter 15

"He is a terrible actor." Axios' father said and walked around in the room. "Pretending that I didn't notice how stressed he was over this meeting."

"He has all the reasons to be stressed." Axios said back. Sitting down. "Two instead of three, and if your intel is correct, all the High Lords are coming. That makes it stressful."

"Are you defending him?" His father dropped his voice.

"No, I am just telling you that not everything is like it looks." Isa was Luna.... Like he had been Tirian, a spy hiding in plain sight.

"If you say so..." His father walked around, hands behind his back. "We are so close now... So so close..."

___

The days pased, and just as Tamlin had said, she wasen't there for any metting. But Axios felt her in his mind, like someone waching over his sholder. On the third day he started to walk around, sertching for her in the anor. He found her in a big spacious room. Standing among tables of fabric samples, flower arrangements, dresses... Axios would not deny that he was impressed, she was going in for it.

"Why put up this charade?" He asked and walked between the tables.

"To make my dream wedding." That was Isas voice. Sweet, innocent, insecure. If Tamlin was a terrible actor, she was a master. "He wanted to make it quick, but I have dreamt about it for so long, why not make it a wedding of my dreams?" She turned towards him, and the small hints of Luna were all gone. Nothing in her face or features betrayed her.

"I heard that you have been home visiting some family?" He asked. Why did you return?

"I don't have many living relatives left, and I wanted the few I had to know that I am getting married." Why are only two of you here? She held her face in a care free mask and moved around some plates.

"Are they not invited?" Changed plans, my father heard that the High Lords are coming.

"No, they are not." She took a step back to studie the way she had arranged the plates. Tamlin walked into the room, the green eyes burned into Axios and the darkbringer took a step back.

Does he know?

Know what? Luna walked up to the High Lord, lovingly draping her arms around his neck. "I made some adjustments to the way we set the table." Then she kissed him right in front of Axios. His Luna kissed another male... A High Lord... He looked away, hoping to still the raging storm on the inside by not looking.

"Sounds good..." Tamlin said back. To Axios surprise he did sound like he meant it. "Have you remembered to rest today? We can't have you too tired to take care of our guests tonight."

"Thank you, love, for reminding me." Axios was still facing away from them. You are not the only one with secrets, Axios. Her words came as a warning, and behind him the sound of her skirts rufeling as she left was heard.

"I would appreciate it if you don't walk near my fiance, Darkbringer." Tamlin growled, " I don't like males near her."

"It was never my intention." Axios said back, looking slightly down on Tamlin. "But she knows what she is doing. I can see that."

"I know." A hint of sadness came from the High Lord. "Now, leave this room, and never walk in here again."

"Understood, High Lord." Axios left the room, only to find Luan standing in the stairs, the pink dress looked so wrong on her. And he remembered the black and blue dresses she had worn that last spring.

How she had walked around like a goddess descending from the other worlds to guide the living on this earth. He still had dreams about her in the one she had carried on the night of the Gala, and the one she had during the visit to the Court of Nightmares. Sometimes even the one she had on during that first meeting...