How to Protect the Ones You Love

The First Trial

The next week passed in a blurr.

    Fortunately for me, Amarantha was absolutely gleeful and spent all her time in her chambers, plotting Feyre's trails.

    Unfortunately, Tamlin kept sending Lucien to check in with me about Feyre's escape plan.

    "Rhysand?" Lucien cleared his throat. I looked up from my novel and met his eyes, one green one gold clockwork. "Feyre's trial is today and Tamlin and I were wondering what we are going to do to protect her."

    "We aren't doing anything. Get away from me, Lucien. Just because I agreed to help you free this land from Amarantha, doesn't mean I actually care if you do. Not if it puts me at risk. See my only interest in this "rebellion" of yours is that I want to see the sun on my face again and my magic restored in full. I couldn't care less how it happens. I am perfectly fine waiting the millenia it will take for Amarantha to fully trust me, and restore my powers. So it would do me no harm if I were march down to that cell and rip her throat out, if it means you leave me the fuck alone."

    Lucien's wide eyes blinked slowly, his tiny mind clearly reeling from my outburst.

    "I'm not the good guy, Lucien. This just happens to benefit me as well." I lowered my voice into an intimidating growl. "Plus, Amarantha will grow suspicious if I am seen with you more than necessary."

    Seeing my point, Lucien turned on his heel and marched to the door. I returned to my book: an enticing novel written by a human about her perspective of the war five hundred years ago.

    The full moon was approaching fast, bringing with it Feyre's trial. This would be the time for her to prove to the other faeries Under the Mountain that she has the strength to save us all.

So naturally, Amarantha would try her hardest to kill her today.

    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Amarantha stepped in, her dark purple dress flowing behind her. She approached me, her claws scraping against the grain of the desk, then trailing up my arm and around my shoulders before finding their spot on the back of my neck. I repressed a shudder as she leaned in, her mouth inches from my face and her breath hot against my ear as she said "We should head down to the throne room Rhysand. I wouldn't want to miss the little show I have planned.

    I turned to face her, a seductive smile across my lips. "Oh, I could think of other ways we could spend our time."

    I need to distract her.

I was worried that she would see past my lazy expression to the tension between my shoulder blades. So I buried my face in her neck.

"Rhysand," she said, pulling me off of her. "We really do need to go now."

"Fine," I grumbled.

We made our way down to the throne room, collecting Lucien and Tamlin on the way. Fortunately, Amarantha walked with Tamlin, meaning she paid no attention to me. Unfortunately, that meant I was walking with Lucien.

Great.

    By the time that we got to the throne room, I was at my wits end. Lucien spent the entire time giving me barely concealed worried glances, while a few steps ahead of us, Amarantha attempted to bate Tamlin into speaking.

    Already, a large crowd had gathered, giddily awaiting Amarantha's announcement. The Queen made her way to her throne, her plum dress trailing behind her. After she had sat down, she raised a hand to quiet the room. The room stilled.

    "As you all know, we have a special pet who has been staying with us for the last few days," Amarantha said. "And I have made a little deal with it. If she can complete three trials, one on each full moon, then I will release her and the spring court from their original bargains.