Of High Lords and Heirs

12

Tamlin was in a rage. He was furious. Furious not just at the world, but at fate itself. Not just furious, but deeply humiliated as well. Why was it that none of his peers could see that he was acting for the good of Prythian? Why was it that no one at all could understand his point of view? Why did they feel the need to denigrate him, as though he needed to be humbled?

Why was his beloved Feyre, his treasured darling, seemingly unable to realise that he was only acting in her own best interests? Was she unable to see the beauty of the future that he wished to create for the two of them? Why was the female he adored unable to see what was right in front of her eyes? Could she not see just how deeply he loved her, cherished her? He was never going to stop loving his precious darling Feyre. No matter how long Tamlin lived, he would forever love her.

What on earth could bring her to humiliate and denigrate him in the eyes of the other High Lords of Prythian? Surely Feyre loved him and the children as much as he did? How come his bringing their children home to the Spring Court was not enough to induce her to come home to him? Tamlin knew without a doubt that Feyre still loved him, even if she was unable to admit it to herself.

But the question remained, why humiliate him like this? Why lie to the other High Lords of Prythian, and falsely claim that he had kidnapped her children. Feyre knew, she had to know, how horrible the lies she was telling were. Feyre knew that he loved her and their children. Knew that he had not kidnapped their children, but saved them. He would never have taken the children in the first place, if he had not felt that their safety and wellbeing was at stake. And Feyre knew all of this, for he had explained himself in the multitudes of letters that he had sent her, pouring his heart out.

How on earth could a female be so utterly immune to a Fae male's devotion? Impervious to the charms and devotion of a High Lord of Prythian? It was completely and utterly incomprehensible to him. Tamlin knew was very much aware of just how handsome he was. And he was a High Lord to boot. What was there not to love about him?

Tamlin paused in the middle of punching the nearest wall to glare at the letter on his desk. The letter that had changed everything. The letter that had sent him into a rage. The letter that had arrived that very morning, from a delegation of the remaining six High Lords.T

he letter that stated – no, demanded – that he, Tamlin, attend yet another summit of High Lords, and bring his and Feyre's children with him. Not the letter said that, exactly. It said to bring Rhysand and Feyre's kidnapped children with him to the summit. It said that the summit was in order to return the kidnapped children to their parents and to deal out sanctions against him for kidnapping them in the first place.

How dare Feyre lie to them about something like this? He had more than explained himself to her in his letters. He had rescued the children, not kidnapped them. How dare she humiliate him like this? And after all he had done for Feyre and her family! Was she not grateful at all he and Ianthe had ever done for her? He had given her father his wealth back. Had lifted her family out of the poverty that had befallen them. Had gifted her father and sisters that manor house in the mortal lands. A manor house that had been Cauldron-damned expenisve. And Ianthe was the reason that the King of Hybern had known where to find Feyre's sisters. Therefore, Ianthe was the reason that the sisters Feyre supposedly loved so much were turned into High Fae. The High Priestess was the reason that Feyre got to keep her sisters with her for eternity.

And yet, Feyre had seemed to have turned her back on that knowledge. Had ignored it so thoroughly, that Tamlin almost didn't know what to do. Were his and Ianthe's actions truly so revolting to her? Even when they had made all of Feyre's decisions for her, they had only ever acted in her own best interests. Feyre's behaviour in the six weeks since his rescue of the children certainly proved that she didn't know what was best for her. It really was for Feyre's own good that she surrender her independent decision making to them whenever it was that she finally returned to the Spring Court.