The Tale of Two Singers

XV : woman - doja cat

"What the hell is her problem?" Feyre sighed as she slouched in her seat, one of her hands cradling her head as she looked at the other members of the table.

"Yes Mor, I would like to know that as well. Along with why she felt the need to blatantly disrespect Feyre?" Rhysand asked, turning to his cousin. Mor kept silent, not wanting to betray her friend's trust more than she already had. She knew how Aida felt about relationships and her family, but she was so caught up in the moment, the excitement of Aida being with her friends and family that she couldn't stop the words from falling out until it was too late.

"Don't ask stupid questions. Like she said, Mor couldn't keep her fatass mouth shut and overshared about her family to Azriel." Amren offered.

"Why does she feel the need to keep secrets from him?" Feyre countered.

"Another stupid question -"

"Amren." Rhys cut her off.

"Rhysand." She replied, keeping her eyes on her food. There was a tense silence before Amren spoke again.

"She's keeping secrets because she feels like she has to, for whatever reason. Is there a rule against people keeping secrets? If there was, most of us would be in the Prison. Let it go, you bunch of uptight busybodies. The only person who even has a say in this is Azriel." Amren looked to the shadowsinger when she said his name, an eyebrow raised expectantly.

"She tells me what she wants when she wants. That's how it's been and how it will continue to be. Mor was out of line." Azriel said. He felt slightly ashamed at the fact that he was siding with Aida instead of Mor and Feyre, but she had no business saying what she said. It stung that she felt the need to hide important parts of her life from him, but he knew why. And unlike his friend, he wouldn't speak about that with his family.

Ever.

"And you aren't the least bit worried about that?" Feyre asked.

"Why should I be? She's a private person," This conversation was beginning to seriously fray Azriel's patience.

"End of conversation," Amren said, clapping her hands together.

"No it's not -" Feyre started.

"End. Of. Conversation." Amren repeated, fixing her gaze on Feyre.

"Although I didn't appreciate her tone or the words she used when speaking to Mor, she is entitled to her own secrets. She should apologize to both you and Feyre when she returns." Rhys added.

Azriel had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, so he instead said, "Are you going to make her?" Rhysand was taken about by his brother's outburst because that's what that tone suggested coming from Azriel; an outburst. Interesting.

"No-"

"Good. Excuse me, I'm going to go make sure she's okay." With that, Azriel left the table and went in the direction Aida had gone.

"You're awfully quiet," Rhys said to Cassian once he had left.

"I deal with Aida's attitude daily. You people just don't have the constitution for it. More power to her if she can put all three of you in your places with that sharp tongue of hers." Nesta had calmed down in the past five years, but her attitude and mouth were still as sharp as they had ever been.

☆

"Aida," A voice called from the other side of the door, the light rap of a finger being tapped on wood following.

"Gimme a second," She replied. Standing from her seat on the toilet she flushed and washed her hands, running a hand through her damp curls to dry them. Opening the door, Aida did what she did best and pretended everything was fine.