The Heir of Night

64

Dinner went by slowly. Theia hardly ate. Her mind was stuck on the thought of Windhaven. It had been so long since she thought of those dark months, or the years. Nyx didn't push for her to talk to him, though he noticed her absence as he sat beside her. His hand mindlessly stroked her thigh as they ate, a small comfort.

When supper was finished and the guests either returned to their homes or winnowed to other courts, Rhysand called Theia's name. Her eyes lifted first, meeting his through her brows. He gave her a quizzical look before nodding his head over his shoulder.

"My office."

She stood and laid her cloth napkin over her nearly full plate. Before she stepped away, Theia finished her glass of wine. Rhysand watched her as she walked toward him, waiting until she had left the dining room and marched down the hall. Rhysand followed, leaving Feyre and Nyx at the table. Theia entered his office and sat on the large chair, crossing her legs and leaning back. Rhys rounded the desk and sat in his own chair, watching her for a long moment.

"I'm sure my family told you of the changes to be made."

"Only of the patrolling in the village," Theia responded numbly. Rhys hummed and copied her position, leaning back and crossing a foot over his knee.

"I will have Nesta, Azriel, Cassian, and Mor watch the crowd at the Hewn City during court. Any ill intentions towards females will be stopped immediately and the male will be removed from the room. In the City itself, I will speak to Kier about having his Darkbringers enforce the laws." He watched her reaction as he finished speaking, though Theia gave him none.

She stared back, arm crossed over her chest as her other hand fiddled with her bottom lip. The longer he remained silent, the more enticing a rebuttal was. With a sigh, she dropped her arm and leg and leaned forward.

"These changes could have been made centuries ago. They are simple. Why did that not happen?"

Rhysand's jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring. His hand ran over the scruff on his jaw before he spoke. "Personal matters should not interfere with politics, but I let them. The court was shit when I became High Lord, and I was still recovering from my fight in the war. I had centuries to heal, but I had decided to keep Velaris from being touched from another war, I'd let the Night Court be seen as a hellish land. I left it as it was, because whenever I made an argument, I was shut down for being a bastard."

Theia inhaled sharply, not expecting him to throw his personal matters at her. He didn't meet her eyes, instead stared at a spot on his desk as he exhaled a shaky breath.

"I wanted my court to be the best. I argued with the camp lords about clipping, though they never listened. I thought it was useless to keep trying, so I let myself be seen as a monster in hopes that they'd eventually learn to follow my orders. Then, we were all Under the Mountain. All politics were put aside to please Amarantha and keep Velaris safe. My family was here, I thought I had no other choice. Feyre came to me next, and then the war with Hybern, and then the queens, and then Nyx.

"I grew accustomed to larger situations than learning the ways of my court. When Nyx was born and situations slowed, I reveled in the peace. I let my only issues become a rambunctious son that gave me headaches, because I've only ever wanted to be a husband and a father. It was my perfect idea of issues, and I let everything else slip."

Theia swallowed the lump in her throat. She hadn't expected to feel sorry for him during this meeting. She had expected to scream and get thrown onto the streets. Rhysand cleared his throat, drawing her from her thoughts.

"As for the poverty experienced in the villages, a crew will be brought to each home and repairs will be made for free. I will cover every expense, including having running water placed in each house. Each family and business will be given a deposit of coin to help the economy flow. Businesses can lower their prices and families can save more," he continued.