Nephele
The reception is held outside, a grounding breath of fresh air to whatever miracle we all just witnessed inside. At least out here, there's a natural cause for leaves falling like rain. I look skyward, smirking at Eris where he stays on my arm. "Coronation under the blood moon?" I raise a brow.
He chuckles. "It's a sacred event to autumn," he replies. "When we decided on coronation this week, it felt too perfect."
I roll my eyes, startling when the breath is squeezed from my lungs. I smell the sea a second before I realize it is Cressida suffocating me in a hug. "That was so badass, Neph!" She exclaims, smacking a kiss on my cheek. "Seriously. Bad. Ass. I didn't know you could get anymore badass."
"I'm playing a drinking game," a familiar voice interrupts. Tarquin. "I'm drinking every time she says badass. It's already in the double digits since the ceremony."
Cress smacks her cousin, pulling back from me. "I'll drink to that," another familiar voice chimes in. Lucien. He smiles at Cress and Tarquin, looking particularly long at the latter. "I'm not sure if we've met before- I'm Lucien."
"I know," Tarquin sips his drink, looking over Lucien again. "This is my cousin, Cress," he hardly nods in our direction, not breaking eye contact. "I'm Tarquin."
"I know," Lucien echoes, smirking. Cressida and I exchange a wide eye look, stifling smile behind our glasses of wine. Lucien turns to his brother. "It's impressive. How did you manage it?"
Eris rolls his eyes. "While I'm delighted by the insinuation that you think I'm capable of staging something so miraculous, brother, I'm afraid that it wasn't my doing," he replies, having the nerve to look disappointed for not staging such a show. I roll my eyes right back at him.
Lucien turns to me, still unbelieving. "Neph will tell me the truth," he says hopefully.
"Your brother does not deceive you," I reply, chuckling. "Though we both wish we thought of it."
Lucien purses his lips, taking another sip of his drink. "Well done then," he smiles behind his glass, his words drawling out. "High Lady."
I groan, grabbing Cress by the arm. "We have people to meet. Babies to kiss. People to woo," I say, the vague turn of my hand before I look at Eris. "Save me a dance."
He fumbles a bit before nodding, and as I turn away, I smirk, satisfied with myself for flustering him. The satisfaction doesn't last as per the smug look on Cress' face. "You're so in love with him," she accuses. I shush her.
"I'm High Lady of Autumn, and it is my divine right to execute you for saying such a thing," I whisper back. She snorts, rolling her eyes.
"Please," she grins. "As if everyone couldn't tell how flustered you got when he kneeled in front of you."
I swat at her again. "I can't help it," I pout. "Cress, when he looked at me like that..." I shake my head. "I was beginning to see how rulers go mad with power."
"Good thing the land itself deemed you two worthy of eachother!" She says happily. "Now, all that's left is for you to have makeup sex."
I groan into my hand. "I can't have makeup sex before I've had sex sex."
"Sure you can," Cressida shakes my shoulders. "The land is willing it."
"The land is willing what?" Tamlin interjects when Cressida almost runs clean into him. He steadies her shoulders in his broad hands.
"Nothing," she squeaks, flustered. I chuckle.
"The land is willing a lot of things, it would seem," I reply, recovering for her as Tamlin pulls his hands away. "It's just a matter of figuring out what."
Tamlin laughs quietly. "Easier said than done," he says, turning to Cressida. "It's nice to see you again."
She gulps, smiling prettily. Only I can see the nervousness in her eyes. I'm going to make fun of her so bad for this. "You too!" She replies cheerily. "It's been- what- since the wedding?"
"Something like that," Tamlin smiles. I could swear he looks just as awkward. "I meant to ask you to dance that night, but... well... I couldn't find you. Then... I lost my nerve, and then I... doesn't matter. Do you want to dance with me?"
Cressida freezes a little bit, her lips parting as she tries to stay cool. I pinch her spine. "Yes," she stammers out. "I do- I mean. I do want to dance. With you."
I bite back a smile, pushing her towards Tamlin a bit. She stumbles into his arms slightly, both of them glaring at me as I wave smugly. "I'll catch up with you two later," I call, skipping away to find Rhysand and Feyre.
"He's better," Feyre comments when I approach, looking over my shoulder at Tamlin. It's hard to say if she says that gladly or bitterly. Either way, I nod, monitoring how Rhys clutches her hand tighter, seeming to speak words into her mind.
"He never gave up on himself, he just..." I hesitate. "He needed to be understood. Needed to feel important."
Feyre looks guilty then, and I grab her hand. She has my words mistaken. "It was never your responsibility to be that. No one could blame you for leaving," I smile bitterly.
They both look at me then, unsure who exactly they are talking to. I've worn so many faces around them, but they both know my heart despite how little we've conversed. They traveled through my head, inside out. They know me. "I know not the nature of that scepter the Priestess bestowed upon you and your husband earlier," Feyre shakes her head, squeezing my finger. "But I know I share its delight to see Autumn be ruled by you. By someone good. Even if only in tandem."
I frown. "Eris is good too." In my heart of hearts, I've always known that.
"When I looked at him through the lens of your mind, I believed that too, yes," Rhysand says, kissing his wife's hair. "And if he treats Autumn with half as much love and affection as he feels for you, I dare say it will be alright."
I snort, trying not to dissolve. "I think Autumn Court was always going to be in good hands," I tell them confidently. "With or without me."
Arms wrap around my waist, and I squeal quietly in surprise. "How dare you leave me to third wheel with Lucien and Tarquin?" He complains in my ear, his scent enveloping me. I giggle. "I'm serious. Every time one of them opens their mouth, I can't tell if they're going to make fun of the other or make out with the other- and they only just met minutes ago."
Feyre frowns. "Lucien and Tarquin?" She asks, lost.
Eris blinks, seeming to notice the High Pair of Night for the first time. "Oh, hello. I didn't see you both there," he says, changing his demeanor, still keeping his arms around me as he straightens. "Yes, you might want to tell that sister of yours to make up her mind about her mate because while Lucien is infinitely more patient than I am, it can only last so long."
Feyre shudders, glancing at Rhysand who looks inclined to believe that's fair, considering how long Lucien has been strung along by Feyre's sister. Somewhere in Feyre's eyes, I can see that she, too agrees.
"And you can tell you other sister that me and Cress would love to see her again," I cut in, trying to dissolve the tension from Eris being a protective big brother. I must admit, it is a bit cute when he sticks up for his little brother. "She is always welcome in Autumn, same of Emerie and Gwyn."
"She'll really appreciate that," Feyre smiles genuinely. "I'll let her know."
"And congratulations to the both of you on ascending the throne," Rhysand says grandly, kissing his wife's cheek. "Of course, Feyre Darlimg was Prynthian's first High Lady."
Eris grins cruelly, his grip on me tightening. "Who could forget?" He replies delighted. "We promise that Neph wasn't trying to steal her thunder." The pun makes a muscle in Rhys' jaw twitch. Yes, our ceremony did outdo theirs- which I hear only happened in secret.
"Let's not have a pissing contest, boys," I pat Eris' cheek in disapproval.
"Yes, please," Feyre begs. "I'll just be glad to have another High Lady at the table in the event of another High Lord meeting- which in and of itself is a glorified pissing contest."
I smile at her covertly. "No more suffering alone," I vow to her, and she snickers.
"We should be getting back to our son anyways," Feyre says, taking one last gulp of wine.
"Leaving her with Uncle Cassian makes her nervous," Rhys whispers, and I snort.
"I'm sure Aunt Nesta is doing a fine job babysitting them both," I reply fondly. "Thank you two for coming."
"Of course," Rhysand smiles at me. "We'll see you both Tuesday."
Eris nods as they winnow away, his head dropping onto my shoulder. "Come on," I snicker at him. "We have at least fifty guests left that you need to introduce me to."
He whines. "I'm tired."
I snort, rolling my eyes. "You can sleep when you're dead, Hot Stuff," I reply, tugging him into the crowd.