A Different Type of Meeting

Chapter 25 - Feyre

Feyre

The room had gone silent now, and all of the males looked at me confused, and slightly terrified. Rightfully so. 
"Two days isn't going to be long enough to fix something that has been broken since the day it began." I whispered to none of them in particular. "If your King expected perfection, he should have chosen a different Court." I met each of their eyes, and then walked out of the room, straight to my bed. I fell asleep to the quiet lullaby of my tears and the song of the ghosts that I had thought long disappeared.  That night the nightmares crept back in, but they were different than I remembered, and somehow worse. I was back Under the Mountain, holding that last fateful knife, and as the hood was pulled off, it was a different High lord than I remembered. Instead of eyes made from emerald, these were carved from amethyst.
"No." I said, but my hands weren't obeying my mind. As I looked into those eyes, those beautiful eyes of my mate, the knife found its mark, drawing the life from his body. As those eyes fogged over, I did nothing but stand and stare with silent tears.

I woke with a start, my sheets shredded by ghostly talons and my whole body wet with sweat. And tears. I scrambled to the bathroom, and spent what felt like hours in there, throwing my guts up over and over again, and crying. I couldn't do it, I couldn't save my Court, I couldn't make it until the end. Maybe it would be better if I just disappeared, maybe it would be better for everyone if I was killed in the war. Maybe I was already the monster I feared so greatly. Maybes, so many maybes, too many. The drowned me, dragged me down into the shadows again and again. But they were the truth, weren't they? I stood on shaking legs, and walked back to my bed. Sleep eluded me, and I found myself staring out the window at the stars. 
"I love you, to the distant galaxies and beyond. I love you, and I hope I get to see you again. If this ever ends, if I ever manage to scavenge my fractured soul." I prayed that the stars listened, and I prayed that maybe someone had heard me. I prayed he had heard me. 

2 DAYS LATER

"If you thought I was going to wear a dress, you were gravely mistaken." I said, as I entered the meeting room, where the three males were looking at me as if I had committed a sin.  I was wearing the only pair of pants I could find in my wardrobe, which were a dark green colour, and a t-shirt of the same colour with brown boots. The colours of Spring, for once, were all that made up my outfit. I sat down at the table opposite Tamlin, as usual, and kicked my feet on top of the table. truth be told, I was exhausted, nightmares had plagues me every night and I was terrified to even sleep anymore. So every night I would sit on the roof, watching the stars, whispering to them, hoping they listened. 
"Hybern arrives today, and you couldn't even find it in yourself to look somewhat pleasant." Tamlin murmered from his seat, sitting up as rigid as ever, sporting his usual emerald green tunic.
"Someone's grumpy today." I said, smirking and sitting up straight now. This would be interesting, and I wanted to provoke him as much as possible before Hybern arrived.
"Please, not today." Jurian spoke from his seat, "and Feyre, please try. At least for today." He gave me a pointed look, like you would to a child, but I just smirked and leant back in my seat. Purposefully leaving the question unanswered. I would delight in seeing this Court fall, delight in knowing it was me who did it. Perhaps I would even get to see it happen. 
"How long until he arrives?" Lucien asked, wisely changing the subject. 
"Not long." Almost as if on cue, in walked the King of Hybern, as if he owed every inch of this manor. 

I stayed seated, not deigning to stand up for the monster who was in the same room as me. The monster that was worse than Amarantha had ever been. The males all stood, sketching a small bow, I merely observed. I watched the guards as they filtered into the room, easily dispatched, I watched as he stood in the doorway, wearing armour rather than fine clothes, I watched as he observed me as well. As our eyes met I planted a sort of smile on my face, one I had seen Amren use so many times. A smile promising nothing and everything at the same time, promising death but still something else, something that often people did not see. 
"You must be Feyre." He said by way of greeting, his voice was sharp. Old and worn, but still powerful, dangerous, even, if wielded by the person it was.
"You must be the King of Hybern. Excuse the formality, but I have never heard your name before." I said, and I saw Tamlin give me a look out of the corner of my eye. Silently telling me to move from the seat that was meant to be for the King, as well as telling me to shut my mouth before it got us all killed. 
"My name is irrelevant, call me Hybern." And with that, he took his seat between Jurian and myself, as the other males did the same. 
"Welcome to the Spring Court, I hope you are finding it to your liking so far." Tamlin said, speaking in the voice of the High lord he was meant to prevent himself as. I nearly scoffed, it was pathetic compared to the things I had seen. 
"Skip the formalities, I have news." He spoke, and everyone leant forward over the table, listening closely. "However, before that I would like to address the fact that the guards system in place needs some revising, and you will need a new Commander before the war begins. Your old one was getting on my nerves and was dispatched of." The power and command in that voice held no room for argument, as well as the requirement for an immediate solution to the problem at hand. I offered nothing, let them sort this out, and if they couldn't that was even better for me.
"I have a proposition." Jurian said, and looked straight at me. I scoffed in response. 
"If you expect me to do anything of the sort, you have another thing coming." 
"Why not? Kill both of the bastards, finish the job." I knew exactly who he was talking about. Cassian. I opened my mouth to object again, I couldn't do that, couldn't possibly do something that may end up working against my plan, but my voice was replaced by the King.
"Exactly what we need, the only person on this damned continent that stands a chance against the High lord of Night and his dogs." End of conversation. It was all I could do to nod and accept my fate. "Now, what I really wanted to say." I was scared, if it was this important, it couldn't be good.

"The High Lords are attacking tomorrow and together at midday." Dread pooled in my stomach when he looked at each of us in turn, before his gaze stopped on me, and he gave me a sly smile. "This information, as well as the fact that dear Feyre here is a spy, for none other than her mate. The High Lord of the Night Court." Everyone in the room turned to look at me, at the confusion I had planted on my face, then their gaze drifted past me. 

I looked over my shoulder, and saw them standing in the doorway. Saw the sadness in their eyes, saw the regret, saw everything hidden beneath the surface. Because I knew them so well, knew them too well, that I thought they hadn't been a threat. Perhaps I should have looked a bit closer. 

END OF BOOK ONE

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A/N

Thanks to all of you who have stuck with this until the end, I really appreciate it!

Stay tuned for the next book, which will be about the same length or longer depending :P 

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**SIDE NOTE
It should be about a week until the next book is up and running