Vel, an Oracle older than Prythian itself, visits the Autumn Court at the request of its High Lord. While there she gets swept up in the court's political scheming, with Eris trying to win her favor using any means necessary. But all is not what it...
The High Lord of Autumn returned from his visit to the Continent a week later, Darius and his soldiers in tow. The alliance with Briallyn had been solidified. Beron came back bearing all kinds of gifts – weapons, artifacts, spices, the promise of armies and power. Eris heard nothing of what his father had promised in exchange.
And Darius brought no information. Instead, he had a vacant look about him, eyes glazed and mouth shut. He said no word to Eris at all, and then, three days later, he and his soldiers had vanished while on patrol.
Eris had tried to track them with the hounds, but other than confirming that Briallyn's scent had still been on them all these days later, there was nothing the hounds could do. He kept his face schooled into aloofness as he recounted the story of his soldiers' disappearance to the strange little gathering they had – a human queen, a human general, Eris's littlest brother, and a bastard-born Illyrian.
Luckily, the meeting was not for nothing. The queen, Vassa, confirmed what Eris had suspected, that Briallyn was somehow connected to the disappearance and that she was not working alone, but rather with a death-lord.
Unluckily, it seemed that Rhysand was content to let Cassian be Eris's link to the Night Court. The brute was all brawn and no brains. He was more likely to hinder whatever budding alliance Eris had worked so hard to cultivate. No matter, there were more important things for now.
"Aren't you leaving? It must be past your bedtime. Father will be looking for you." Lucien teased as he approached Eris at the darkened edge of the forest.
Eris only rolled his eyes. "Have you found that female you were looking for?" He kept his tone measured, cool. Lucien eyed him suspiciously.
"What if I did?"
"I too would like to know her whereabouts."
Lucien snorted with disdain. "It was no thanks to your help. If she wants to see your face, she will find you herself."
With that, his brother went back inside.
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Eris was growing tired of making no progress. Another week later, Darius and his men were still gone, Eris still had no idea what in the hells Lysander's key opened and there had been no news from the Night Court or the shadowsinger.
Thank the Mother, that Rhysand had finally deigned to come to the meeting himself rather than send his mindless dog to yap. Eris had to light a fire under their feet. He had to make them take the matter seriously before Beron could do any irreversible damage to the Autumn Court, or to Eris's precarious alliances.
"Why does your father want to start a war so badly?" Rhysand asked solemnly.
"Why does anyone go to war?" Eris reached out a long, slender hand, letting the falling petals gather there. "Why does Vallahan not sign the treaty? The borders of this new world have not yet been set."
