Of High Lords and Heirs

19

Tamlin completely ignored his entourage. It was almost as though he didn't truly care about them. Despite everything that he had said and done to the contrary. Perhaps he had never truly cared about anyone but himself. Feyre almost wished she had realised that earlier. It would have, after all, saved her a hell of a lot of heartbreak.

However, it seemed that Tamlin currently had little interest in either her or her children, despite the fact that he had brought the children with him. This meeting would have gone a lot worse for him, if he had left them at Rosehall. For a heartbeat, Feyre could not help but hope that Tamlin had come to his senses and would return the children to her and Rhys – their true and rightful parents.

But then Tamlin actually spoke. And all of Feyre's and Rhys's hopes were well and truly thrown out the window. Within seconds of Tamlin actually opening his mouth, it became all too apparent that he had no regard for anyone but himself. All too apparent that he had no remorse whatsoever for his actions. In fact, it was all far too obvious that Tamlin, in fact, still believed himself to be in the right.

"At least you are all on time for once," Tamlin said arrogantly, as though he were not the one who was three hours late. "Though I do not know why you insisted on having this summit here in the Summer Court, when it is I who will be running it. As a matter of fact, I do not understand why any of you had the audacity to call this summit. Unless, of course, you are finally going to press charges against Rhysand, that complete and utter bastard, for kidnapping my mate and children and holding them hostage."

"No, Tamlin," Thesan said sternly. "That is not the reason why we have convened this summit. As a matter of fact, your own actions these last two and a half months are the reason why we gather here today."

"In that case," Tamlin continued snootily, "I do not recognise your authority here. I do not accept this summit as truly legitimate. I can not believe that someone here had the audacity to order an illegal summit. Whoever is behind this travesty must be severely penalised and castigated."

In the silence that followed his words, Tamlin glared around at each and every person present. Glared at every single person present, except for one. When his gaze reached Feyre, Tamlin's expression softened considerably. "Feyre come," Tamlin said, his tone all but a command. "You have seen that our children are cared for and safe. It is beyond time for you to return home to me and the life you were destined for. It is long past time for you to officially become my wife and mate."

"You must be delusional, Tamlin," Feyre spat out, looking longingly at her children. "Truly delusional, if you think that I am going to go back to you. You know full well that we are not mates. We never were. And if you honestly think that I am going to return to the Spring Court after the way you kidnapped my children, you have another thing coming."

"You insolent little girl," Ianthe hissed viciously, speaking for the first time. "You ought to consider yourself lucky to have such a wonderfully devoted mate. You ought to consider yourself lucky to have a mate who is still so much in love with you. A mate willing to go to such lengths to bring you home. Tamlin is a High Lord of Prythian – the most handsome High Lord of Prythian in existence. If you had so much as a shred of common decency, you would have begged forgiveness years ago. Begged your High Lord to forgive you your indiscretions."

"What indiscretions?" Helion snapped uncharacteristcally angrily. "I'd hardly say finding one's mate and having children with him is hardly an indiscretion!"

"I would not expect a degenerate like you to understand the meaning of the word indiscretions," Ianthe said, sniffing loudly. "Sleeping around the way you do, a different person in your bed every other day. I shouldn't be at all surprised to find out that you have fathered an entire host of bastards by this point."