A Court of Fear and Hope-ACOTAR

The Bargain

Artemis heard mumbling and after a few minutes, she fully woke up and the voice became clearer.
"—It's a good thing she likes me isn't it?"
Artemis saw Feyre open her mouth to probably challenge Rhys, but the High Lord spoke first.
"Don't waste your breath. I can't tell you—no one here can. If she ordered us all to stop breathing, we would have to obey that too."

Artemis couldn't see Rhys's face, but after a moment he snapped his fingers and Feyre was instantaneously fresh and clean.
"There, a gift...for having the balls to even ask."
Artemis swallowed. "Don't scare the poor human."
She pushed herself up to sitting and slowly shifted so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. When she looked up she saw Rhys shift towards her.

"Feyre had done much better than any other human. She's lasted far longer than some Fae." Artemis looked to Feyre. "You should be very proud of yourself."
Artemis could clearly see the blush on Feyre's cheeks. Artemis slowly stood and when Rhys went to object, the sister held up a hand, then she beckoned the human over.

With a bucket full of lentils, Feyre took Artemis's outstretched hand.
"Don't let my brother fill your head with fear. His bark is worse than his bite. You're doing great, Feyre. I know you are doing all of this for love, even if it is for Tamlin, but that makes you stronger than most." Artemis glanced up at Rhys before continuing. "You're protected, Feyre. The Night Court has your back. Isn't that right, Rhys?"

Rhys only grumbled an agreement before the chamber door opened with magic. The guards that were outside glanced in.
"She accomplished her task. Take her back."
The males went to grab Feyre, but Rhys nearly snarled. "No more household chores, no more tasks. Tell the others, too. Stay out of her cell, and don't touch her. If you do, you're to take your own daggers and gut yourselves. Understood?"

Artemis knew what Rhys was doing, but she didn't stop him. The guards blinked and beckoned for Feyre to follow them without touching her.
"You're welcome." Rhys beheld a bright smile.
Feyre gave one last glance to Artemis before walking out. Once they were alone, Rhys turned to his sister and noticed her smile.

"What?"
Artemis shrugged. "I've never felt this kind of protection from you. But I guess one does change when they've found their mate."
Rhys grumbled. "She's not my mate."
Artemis slowly started to walk to the bathroom. "I'm curious to see when the bond snaps into place."

Rhys plopped onto the couch. "There is no bond."
"Then why did you strike that bargain?"
Rhys waved his hand. "I did it to fuck with Tamlin."
Artemis kept her smile. "I like her."
And just as she closed the bathing room door, she heard her brother say with the softest of words.
"I like her, too."

***

Artemis was only well enough to attend one party where she witnessed Feyre forcibly indulge in the faerie wine and dance around with Rhys. Artemis wasn't at all surprised that Feyre was painted and covered with only a strip of fabric. Artemis knew what Rhys's intentions were, but she was far too tired to argue.

When the night before Feyre's second task came, Artemis's belly decided that it wanted to pop. The month before, she was able to hide her body with carefully placed clothing, but now, it was nearly impossible to hide. She was so thin, because of all the fluid she had lost, that her belly stuck out far more than she would have liked.

She had tried to find excuse to stay in Rhys's room, but with Feyre's events, if she didn't show, Amarantha would most likely notice her absence. She tried to stay behind Rhys and Feyre when they entered the throne room. Rhys had been summoned and Artemis had been hiding for months and months, so that warranted an appearance. However risky it was.

Artemis had on a black dress and a thick black shawl around her body in hopes that she could hide her belly. She was following behind Rhys and Feyre as they walked into the throne room. Rhys murmured a warning to Feyre to stay quiet as they approached Amarantha and a brown-skinned High Fae who was sobbing on the marble flooring.

Rhys nearly pushed Feyre and Artemis to the edge of the crowd and Artemis linked her arm with Feyre's.
"The summer lordling tried to escape through the exit to the Spring Court lands. I want to know why."
Amarantha was carefully watching Rhysand. Artemis kept her body taut and her mouth shut as the lord cringed away from Rhys with tears slipping from his eyes.

"P-P-Please."
It wasn't a moment later that Artemis saw the slightest clench of Rhys's neck muscles. The sister tried to keep her breathing soundless. The lord stopped shaking, but there was still obvious pain in his eyes. Artemis knew it wasn't because Rhys was hurting him, but because the lord was trying to hide something or someone.

Finally, Rhys spoke.
"He wanted to escape. To get to the Spring Court, cross the wall and flee south into human territory. He had no accomplices, no motive beyond his own pathetic cowardice."
Artemis saw the relief cross over the lord's face.
Rhys had just protected someone.

"Shatter him Rhysand."
She glanced to Tarquin, High Lord of Summer. "You may do what you want with the body afterward."
Tarquin gave Amarantha a deep bow with pain in his eyes. Artemis shifted her eyes back to Rhys as he pulled a hand from his pocket and let it dangle at his side. He hesitated as he communicated with the lord in secret.

"I'm growing bored, Rhysand."
Rhys gave the male half a nod before he curled his fingers into a fist.
The lord's eyes went wide before he fell to the earth with blood coming out of his nose and ears.
"I said shatter his mind, not his brain." Amarantha snapped at Rhys.

Artemis felt Feyre flinch and the sister patted the human's hand.
He just did that lord a mercy.
That made Feyre relax slightly.
"Apologies, my queen."
Rhys turned his back to Amarantha and casually strode to the back of the throne room. Many of the Fae spat names at him but the High Lord didn't stop until he got to the food and drinks at the back of the room.

Artemis and Feyre followed him and without a word, Rhys handed Feyre a goblet of wine and the human gladly gulped it down. However, Artemis didn't get to see the shift in Feyre's eyes before she was suddenly being dragged away. Bowen hauled Artemis to Amarantha and dropped her to her knees.

Artemis looked up and saw Amarantha's wicked smile.
"And what do we have here?" She leaned forward. "An addition to my court?"
Artemis's stomach dropped and fear warmed her chest.
"You thought you were clever hiding away and using Rhysand and the human to shield you. But I could smell it the moment you walked into my court the day of Feyre's first trial. Did you think you could hide this from me?"

Artemis had tears in the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them drop.
"Please." Her voice was quiet.
"Please, what?"
Artemis's lower lip quivered as Amarantha waved her hand.
"As far as I am concerned that child belongs to me. Though, I ask..." She leaned forward in her chair with a smirk. "Who could the father be? If I'm not mistaken, it could be one of three people." She kept her smirk as she leaned back in her throne.

From behind Artemis, she could hear Rhys struggling to keep in his place. She even looked back to see Feyre standing in front of the High Lord with her hands on his chest to keep him from storming forward. When Artemis turned back to face Amarantha, she was visibly shaking. She wasn't sure if it was from the humiliation or the fear.

"I'll tell you what, I'll strike a bargain with you. You may carry it and give birth. I'll even let you spend a week with it, but after that, it is mine, as I am owed. And I can do whatever I see fit with it. Agree to this and I won't kill you now."

At this, Artemis wildly turned back to face her brother and, at that moment, he was uncharacteristically still. Feyre still had her hands on his chest, but she was also in shock. Artemis had no choice. She pulled in a deep breath and as she let it out, she let her tears drop. She turned back to Amarantha with defeat and very, very reluctantly, nodded.
"It's a bargain." Artemis nearly choked on the words.

Amarantha waved her hand in dismissal and Artemis had to keep herself from sprinting out of the room. When she passed Rhys and Feyre, she could barely see their shocked expressions through her tears. The moment she made it into the hallway, she ran as fast as she could to Rhys's room.