𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝐑𝐇𝐘𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃

𝐢: 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞

"Hello?" Aurilena greeted uncertainly to the mortal girl, which earned her a laugh from Lucien, along with a growl from Tamlin. Some things never change.

"Auri, meet the mortal who killed Andras." Lucien said bitterly and Aurilena gave him a soft smile. She knew how much her friend had like fae male and felt bad for him. Lucien took these things much harder than Aurilena did, a fault in both of them.

"I figured as much, seeing that she is the only mortal I've seen in decades." Aurilena deadpanned, popping a piece of food into her mouth as she did. She was not going to let their new guest intrude on her meal.

"Are you able to not keep your wisdom to yourself?" Lucien asked with a raised eyebrow and she gave him a sweet smile. Ever the lady.

"I cannot help it, Luci. If you want I could try to teach you, but knowing you who knows how well that would go." Aurilena teased as Lucien's grin grew wider, letting out a chuckle.

"Anyway," Lucien continued, facing Tamlin with a sneer. "Perhaps there's a way to—"

"Lucien," Tamlin said quietly, the name echoing with a hint of a snarl. "Behave."

Lucien went rigid, but hopped off the edge of the table and bowed deeply to the mortal girl who Aurilena had completely forgotten about for a few seconds. "My apologies, lady." He joked. "I'm Lucien, Courtier and Emissary." He gestured to her with a flourish. "Your eyes are like stars, and your hair like burnished gold." Ever the jokester.

Aurilena had to stifle a laugh at her friend's words before standing up herself and curtsying. "And I am Aurilena Sterle, another courtier and advisor to his lord." She said courtly, ended her title with a smile. Aurilena had expected for the mortal to introduce herself as well, but instead she just looked at them. Aurilena turned her head to Lucien, raising her eyebrows at him while he just cocked his head and he shrugged his shoulders. She is...different.

"Her name is Feyre," Tamlin said after a moment of silence. "Alis will take you to your room. You could use a bath and fresh clothes." Aurilena mentally rolled her eyes at his words. Is he trying to insult her?

Alis appeared at that moment and set a firm hand on Feyre's elbow, making the mortal girl flinch. Alis inclined her head toward the open door behind them, gesturing to where they were going. Hesitantly, Feyre let Alis lead her away. Aurilena watched them as they left, waiting until Lucien would predictably begin speaking

Feyre had barely made it a few steps before Lucien began speaking. Like she said, predictable. "That's the hand the Cauldron thought to deal us? She brought Andras down? We never should have sent him out there—none of them should have been out there. It was a fool's mission." He growled, it being more bitter than threatening.  "Maybe we should just take a stand—maybe it's time to say enough. Dump the girl somewhere, kill her, I don't care—she's nothing but a burden here. She'd sooner put a knife in your back than talk to you—or any of us."

"Lucien-" Aurilena tried to reason with him, but Tamlin stopped her. Everyone knew that Lucien was hot tempered and the only way to reel him back down was to use force, but on the few occasions when you didn't have to, Aurilena was always the person to convince him. She had hoped this would be one of those occasions, unfortunately it was not.

"No," Tamlin bit out. "Not until we know for certain that there is no other way will we make a move. And as for the girl, she stays. Unharmed. End of discussion. Her life in that hovel was Hell enough." Aurilena knew Feyre was listening in on their conversation and just hoped neither of them would say anything that could endanger them.

"Then you've got your work cut out for you, old son," Lucien said. "I'm sure her life will be a fine replacement for Andras's—maybe she can even train with the others on the border." A snarl of irritation resonated through the air and Aurilena looked between the two males before her.

Only once Aurilena knew for certain that Feyre was no longer in listening distance did she speak. "Listen," Aurilena breathed out, rubbing her temple in agitation. "None of us like this situation, we all have reasons for not liking it, but whether we want it to happen or not, Feyre is here and we all have to deal with it." She bit out and Lucien looked away, probably knowing that she was right. "Just...keep 'her' name out of it. Our mortal guest and her 'majesty' cannot know anything and as long as that happens then we will be fine...for now." Aurilena paused, giving the two of them a pointed look. "Agreed?"

There was a pause of silence before both of them sumptuously spoke. "Agreed."

Aurilena smiled in triumph as she rose out of her seat, smoothing out her hair as she did. Aurilena wanted to say that things would go better at dinner, but that would be a lie. Once Feyre started asking questions and got at least a bit more comfortable with them, then things would take a turn for the worst.

Everything was about to change, and Aurilena had a feeling that she would look back on that moment and regret everything.

* ˚ ✦

That's the end of this chapter! Was it good? Bad? Meh?

This went kinda well and I'm a bit proud of it if I'm being honest. I hope you don't mind the change in vocabulary when it come to Aurilena, but I wanted the tone to match who she was. No abbreviations, very pristine and sophisticated, which I think matches her background and her as a person very well.

Do you have any theories or suggestions?