Dance of Fate

Chapter Fifty

-Hybern-

On my tenth day in the kingdom of Hybern, the king deemed me trustworthy enough to be let into the meeting room.

It was just a dark and hollow as the rest of the castle, just as unadorned, aside from the large, worn wooden table in its center. Atop the table was a map of the entire continent. I didn't let my eyes wander to Prythian, to the star that marked the Night Court.

Three kingdoms were underlined with a red so deep it resembled blood. Vallahan, Monteseresnd and Rask.

"What does the underlining mean?" I asked, keeping my voice level with a slight curiosity. This was by far the best progress I had made, and I had to be careful not to screw it up by seeming over eager.

The King of Hybern smiled cunningly, so blinded by his pride that he was completely oblivious to what I was doing.

"Those kingdoms will be aiding us." He said.

Gods help us.

I urged my features to remain calm, to not display the utter panic and fear that coursed through me. Between Hybern's own army and that of three other kingdoms-

"Hm," I responded, keeping my eyes pinned on the map. I finally looked towards where Prythian was sketched. It remained untouched, aside from the Spring Court, which was also underlined. "The Spring Court is underlined for the same reason, I assume."

"As his Majesty already stated," Orion snapped, "Tamlin is allowing us passage through his lands to the mortal realm." I stifled the urge to roll my eyes. I may have won the kings trust- or at least started to- but I was far from winning over Orion's. He constantly urged the king that I was untrustworthy, usually saying it right in front of me. I couldn't exactly blame him, considering I killed his son and also came very close to killing him.

I nodded, not sparing the male so much as a glare. "Why have you refrained from taking down the Wall?" I asked. For a moment the king did not respond, and I though I might have blown it. But he sighed, irritation and anger in his tone.

"The Cauldron is drained, no doubt from turning those human girls." He waved his hand in the air. "I sent two of my generals- my niece and nephew, to the Spring Court, to examine the Wall, along with dear Jurian." I nodded again.

I resisted the urge to smile at his obliviousness that I was the one weakening the Cauldron. Right under his nose. Stupid, arrogant bastard.

Still, I needed to find out a way to warn Prythain that it wasn't just Hybern and the Cauldron against them, but three other kingdoms were allied to the cause as well. I considered asking if Feyre was still in the Spring Court, but decided against it.

I knew she had been acting when she'd gone with Tamlin. An act almost as good as my own, though I had managed to see through it. It had been Rhys who made me realize, though. His eyes had lightened ever so slightly with pride and relief when he'd realized what she was doing, confirming that it was merely a scheme. And the fact that Feyre had urged Rhysand to take her sisters was the final confirmation.

Perhaps Feyre would get information out of the generals and Jurian. I knew she had the wit to do it. And I still didn't have a way to get word to the Night Court.

My head spun as I tried to figure out how the hell Prythian's armies could compete with the army of four kingdoms. Every single court would have to fight, and that was difficult, considering Tamlin was a traitor, and Beron might not help if he thought he was going to lose. And with the Cauldron-

"Perhaps you can be of use." Hybern suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I leveled my gaze on him, raising my brows slightly in question. "The Cauldron cannot take down the Wall on it's own. Perhaps if you tried to take it down at the same time, it could work."