A Tale As Old As Time - Azriel

Chapter XIX

There hadn't even been a fall out after the ball. Beron had taken Eris to his study, made him recite every encounter and every conversation before dismissing him almost bored.

"Figure something out." Viron snapped. "I'm tired of waiting. Of doing nothing. If I have to search for them myself I will."

"If you wanted to die so much, you should've just asked." She emphasised throwing a butter knife into the shoulder of his chair.

Viron didn't flinch. Instead, he glared at her as he pulled it out and threw it back. The knife landed between two of her fingers.

Helion took the item before blood was shed. "What she means to say, is that there are patrol teams searching already."

He turned to the High Lord slowly, looking at him like he'd grown another head. "Night Court patrol teams." Tahlia didn't see the good in pointing out they were arguably better than their own. "Since when did we trust them?"

"Since the last time we sent out a joint patrol team and they didn't come back." Tahlia had heard both arguments before worded in mildly different ways. The last being only yesterday. "We have an ally, Viron. I thought you'd be happy about that."

"You'll have to excuse me for not jumping for joy about a High Lord that was on the wrong side of the war for decades."

That was new. Tahlia propped her head into the palms of her hands. "Care to remember which High Lord leant you a healer to help you live? To heal in his house and get blood stains on his carpets."

There was a pause in the conversation, like he debated carrying on. But her eyes flashed white, and she'd already heard them. He hadn't even needed to open his mouth. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't say anything, that's not fair."

"You were going to. So say it."

"No."

"Enough!" Helion yelled. "You," He hissed at Viron. "Whatever you were going to say, don't."

"I wasn't-"

"And you," He looked to Tahlia. "Don't get angry at people for things they haven't done." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Viron, you have a problem with Rhysand and his patrol team, you can take it up with him." The chair creaked beneath him as he called over his shoulder, "Care to stop eavesdropping?"

Rhys strolled in, a smirk tugging at his lips, hands stuffed deep in his pockets. "Apologies for not wanting to join a particularly hostile environment." Viron seemed to stiffen at his sudden appearance. He got up from his seat and aimed for the exit. Rhysand nodded his head once. "Viron. Always a pleasure." There was a vague grunt, but then Viron was gone. "I'll fix that later."

Helion waved a dismissive hand and got up to greet his friend with a tight embrace. "I wouldn't stress yourself with his issues. We have bigger problems on our hands." And he gestured to Viron's empty seat at the table to which Rhysand took with a wide grin on his face. At first Tahlia thought he might mention the brewing storm of war. Alas, he did not. "Like the vase you broke the last time you were here."

Rhys shrugged. "I'll buy you a new one."

"My mother made it for me."

"In which case I am indebted to you, friend."

Helion's mouth twitched once, it was the closest he'd get to gloating. The vase had been an ugly thing, the first that his mother had crafted for him, but there were hundreds of others placed around the Day Court that she'd made. The last resided in his rooms. Tahlia didn't hate that one like she did the one Rhysand had broken. In fact, she really rather liked it.

"Indeed. It's been too long."

"It's been weeks at most." Tahlia muttered under her breath.

"Yes, too long." He repeated. "I'm surprised you came alone."

Surprised or disappointed? Tahlia hadn't decided which was more likely.

"Apologies, I must admit, I don't tend to take you as much of a threat. I rather enjoy our companionship." He looked at her then, toying with butterknife lying on the table, knowingly. "You on the other hand, I would like to have a discussion with."

He held out his hand, a stone materialising into his hand, and placed it in front of them without another word.

She eyed it wearily, giving it a prod. "A rock. How impressive. Does it... do anything?"

"It's a rock, of course it doesn't do anything. That doesn't make it any less remarkable."

Tahlia sighed. "I think you've lost your mind."

He ignored that statement, pacing around the table to stand behind her. "I found it in the memorial ground you visited those weeks ago." With Azriel. A voice in the back reminded her. Not that she needed reminding. It wasn't the memory of that that was making her stomach roil. "Turn it over."

The rock was heavy, that much was known by the echoing boom that sounded as she dropped it. She was out of her seat stepping away from it the moment she translated the runes. "What the hell is that?"

"A plaque." A plaque found in the Night Court, in a tomb. Engraved with markings that translated to-

"Ramses? Ramses' plaque?" She didn't dare touch it again, instead poked it with the knife, hoping to everything holy that it wasn't real. "Who've you shown this to?"

"Nobody." He said. "Not even my wife. I came straight here. You didn't know the body was left to the Night Court?" Rhysand sounded just as baffled as Tahlia felt. Her mind was reeling. She wasn't entirely certain her brain was still in the room with her.

Helion shook his head. "I believe we weren't allowed to know. We had his heart. I think it made the rest of Prythian nervous, us knowing where the rest of him was kept. Lest we try to bring him back. The irony is not lost on me."

Her head was shaking, like it was trying to rid the knowledge from her mind. She'd seen the drawings on the walls. "The inscriptions... it was of a good Lord. A kind Lord."

"Which he was." Helion said, cringing as soon as the words fell from his lips. "Until he wasn't. I don't think they had any plans on keeping the memory of him alive in case-"

"In case there were people that decided to idolise him and his ideologies."

"His body..." Even Rhys' voice wavered before he cleared his voice and tried to carry on. "Will they be looking for it?"

Tahlia jumped in, quick to ease the panic settling across his features. "I hardly think there's anything left in that sarcophagus besides a bag of dust and bones. And they didn't need Jurian's."

Silence settled between the three of them for some time. Helion's hands tapped nervously against the table, quickening until he finally spoke. "You don't think this will change anything?"

There were two simultaneous answers.

Tahlia's "No."

And Rhysand's "This? Probably not."

A mildly relieved breath fell from Helion. "Very well. Does this mean you'll be going back to tell your court?"

He paused, a look flashing across his face Tahlia didn't understand. "Not exactly." It made Helion's ears prick and back straighten. "I have no intention of telling my court anything."

The Day pair shared a confused look between them. "Why not?"

Another piece of rubble was placed on the table in an old dialect, similar to the one placed there before. "This." He pointed at the rock. "This."

Helion stood to look at this one, his fingers brushing over the markings, a far off look in his eyes.

"This is why."