A Court of Smoke and Shadow

Chapter Ten

The High Lords meeting arrived quickly.

I wore a maroon gown similar to the one I'd worn to that ill-fated coronation five hundred years ago. It was form-fitting with a plunging neckline trimmed in lace, the long slits up either thigh, and thin straps to hold the dress on my shoulders. I wore knee length maroon boots and ruby jewelry.

I braided my hair into horns at the top of my head and let the rest hang down in black curls. I threaded gold strands into my hair, around the horns. I painted my lips in a dark red and used a berry color for my eye lids. I dusted my cheeks in silver and placed my diadem on my head before dashing downstairs to join my family.

Everyone was waiting downstairs. We were to dress like ourselves, rather than hiding behind the masks we usually did. I've never been good at expressing myself but when in the right stated of mind, I'm an open book.

"You look like your real name," Rhys said. "Scarlett."

"It was red or white," I said. "And everyone knows white is easy to stain."

"Red stains, too," Cassian retorted.

"True," I nodded. "But not if you spill something red on it."

"Depends on the red," Rhys said smoothly. "Now let's go."

That was all the warning we had before we were whisked away to the Dawn Court.

***

The Dawn Court Palace was utterly beautiful.

It was like the opposite of the palace above the Court of Nightmares. Instead of the moonstone of the Night Court Palace, the Dawn Court Palace was made of sunstone. It made everything appear brighter. The meeting room was equally as beautiful.
Instead of a table, there was a large reflection pool in the middle of the room. Little fish swam around in the reflection pool while light streamed through the open area. There were pillars and open space. The room overlooked a mountain.

Chairs surrounded the reflection pool. The other High Lords and their parties filed after us. First was our host, Thesan, the High Lord of Dawn, as well as his male consort and a few other courtiers. Next came Helion, then Kallias with his wife, then Beron with his sons and wife, barring Lucien, then Tarquin with Cressieda and Varian. Tamlin didn't show up.

I couldn't help but feel relieved.

***

My relief was short lived.

Tamlin came bursting into the room halfway through the meeting. I sat straight. I really hated him. I didn't understand how Feyre had loved him. To me, he was little more than a nuisance.

Thesan asked for someone to bring Tamlin a chair and all I wanted was to walk out but I held my ground. I sat there in silence even as Azriel and Feyre lashed out at Tamlin and Beron. I zoned out the rest of the meeting, not really focused on anything in particular.

***

After the meeting, we all met up in Rhys and Feyre's room.

Helion walked in, black locs fell to his shoulders. The white cloth his was wearing hid very little.

"You look good in red," Helion said to me. "And you look like a knight. With the hair."

"Thanks, I tried," I grinned. "Stole the hairstyle from a friend."

"No surprise there," Helion snorted.

I shrugged and said, "Some things never change."

"So it seems," he mused. "Nice tattoos by the way."

"Thanks," I said. "Stole the ideas from books."

"I've always thought you'd fit in better at the Day Court," he said.

"Please," I rolled my eyes, jokingly. "The Day Court wouldn't know what to do with me."

He laughed. "Of course not."

Feyre coaxed him into a conversation about his affair with the Lady of Autumn - which I already knew about. Needless, it only confirmed my suspicions that Lucien was actually Helion's son, not Beron's.

I guessed the truth a long time ago. Apparently, bastards can spot other bastards miles away. It was like all bastards gravitated towards each other and clicked like magnets. Azriel, Rhys, Cassian and I were a prime example of that. Nikolai and I were, too.

I focused on the conversation, again. Azriel walked over to me and sat next to me.

"So," Helion said. "You're a bastard."

"Correct," I said. "'Twas a very emotional conversation."

"No doubt," Helion leaned back in his seat. "But you tell everyone that his mother is your mother."

"It's never a lie if you believe it," I retorted.

"True, true," he nodded. More hesitantly, he added, "Are you okay with that?"

"I have no choice but to be okay with it," I sighed. "I've been learning how to use my Heartrender powers, so that's a plus."

Helion nodded. "I get it."

"It's actually not bad," I admitted. "I get to relax my magic."

Helion nodded. "Well, I'm going to head back to my room."

I nodded and watched him leave. "Az, you sure he can't join us in bed?"

Rhysand laughed. "Careful before he gets jealous."

"I'm not going to be jealous," Azriel scoffed.

A set of dragon eggs - one black with purple dots, one red with green dots - appeared suddenly on the bed. I walked over to them. With them was a note that read "For the little moon girl. Scream when you get them. - N."

"Noel," I groaned. "What the hell?"