A Song of Flame & Shadow - Eris x OC

The Summer Solstice I

A human in the Spring Court, wearing courtly finery and eating at the High Lord's table – now that was a rare sight. Tamlin's father must have been rolling in his grave.

"Cauldron boil me," Lucien whistled as Feyre came down the stairs. "She looks positively Fae." It was true – the cornflower blue of the gown brought out Feyre's eyes in an ethereal way. There was nothing of the half-starved huntress Vel had seen in the human lands – only those bright blue eyes remained. Vel threw a glance at Tamlin. Even with half of his face covered by the golden mask, he was positively glowing, beaming in a way she had never seen the male smile.

"You look lovely," Tamlin murmured. Lucien and Vel exchanged a not-so-subtle look over the table. The High Lord of Spring didn't even deign to acknowledge their shit-eating grins. Vel had insisted on joining them that night, eager to witness everything firsthand. She wanted to see all of this with her own two eyes. Her visions woudln't do it justice.

Before she could lose her composure Vel, wearing her Spring Court skin and a peach-pink chiffon gown, got up from the table and curtsied. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Feyre Archeron. I have heard so much about you."

Feyre looked towards Lucien questioningly. "Only the good things, I promise," Lucien quipped. The two males got up from the table and approached them.

"Lovely to meet you, Lady." Feyre curtsied, the movement a touch clumsy.

"Please just call me, Vel."

"You're not from the Spring Court?"

"I'm a Seer. My home is not safe due to the blight so Tamlin has been generous enough to let me live here for the time being." Tamlin gave her a look as if to say he didn't have much of a choice before offering his arm to Feyre.

"You ladies will be able to get to know each other later," Lucien said, placing a hand on the small of Vel's back, leading her out of the room and towards the garden before she could say anything more.

"I'm surprised I'm even allowed to participate tonight." Feyre mused.

"Unfortunately for you and your neck," Lucien countered, "tonight's just a party."

"Do you lie awake at night to come up with all your witty replies for the following day?"

Vel snickered at Feyre's words and Lucien pinched a bit of exposed skin on her arm. Tamlin laughed, content to keep ignoring their childish behavior. "He's right, Solstice celebrates when day and night are equal—it's a time of neutrality when everyone can take down their hair and simply enjoy being a faerie—not High Fae or faerie, just us, and nothing else."

"So there's singing and dancing and excessive drinking," Lucien chimed in. His arm snaked around Vel's waist and they fell into step beside the High Lord and his human. "And dallying," he added with a wicked grin and a squeeze of his fingers. His russet eye shone brightly behind the fox mask.

The setting sun gilded the top of the plateau on which the festivities were to be held in hues of gold and red. There were endless tables of food and drink but the main attraction was the giant smoking bonfire in the middle of it all. Vel briefly pondered if leaving would be wiser now that she had seen what she came for. But then the sound of fiddles and drums and merry instruments rose up above the crowd.

Oh, how beautiful the music sounded. Light and joyous and open. There was no stone to distort the sound, no cave walls pressing in on her.

Vel followed the call of the song, losing herself in the crowd, leaving the others to their food and their conversation. Or so she thought. Lucien didn't seem inclined to let her out of his sight. As she spun around the bonfire, the heat of the flames seemingly warming her very heart, Lucien's hand found hers.