TIMELESS - An ACOTAR Fanfiction

CHAPTER 2

Even the roaring winds outside the house seem to pause and join them as they all gaped at a visibly shocked Rhysand. He too has his mouth open and at a loss for words. There was just piercing silence between them before Mor tipped her head back and roared with laughter. The High Lord just threw her an accusatory look.

"Come on now, don't tell me you didn't know." gasped Mor wiping tears from her eyes.

"Of course I knew! " Rhys retorted.

He glanced back at Zivia and looked her up and down.

"Knew what?" Feyre interjected but he just ignored her as he continued.

"He told me he'd sent an emissary. I wasn't expecting he'd actually send his own daughter!" He looked flustered at not being able to recognize his friends' offspring.

Feyre looked at her then; dark long hair bunched together at her nape with a braid and some golden accessory, tips of her pointed ears poking through the sides, honey-brown skin which was undoubtedly Miryam's, and those onyx eyes. She couldn't forget the hope they held as the warrior prince greeted them that day during the fight with Hybern. That was why she felt such familiarity from her. It was their child, now standing before them. She looked at Cassian and Azriel seeking if they share the same sentiment as hers but they just half-heartedly shrugged in reply.

"I don't recall seeing you in the war or the meeting after."

Those eyes turned its attention to her. "I was at Cretea, tending to our people who were left to wait at the island," she shifted on her feet, feathers rustling, "and also so that there would be someone to command the array of soldiers who were likewise made to wait. Just in case."

"Just in case?"

"Just in case the remaining allies of Hybern in the northern part of the continent decided to join the fun."

There was absolutely no humor in that even as her lips curled upward to one side. But Cassian seemed to start at her statement.

"You lead a legion of your own?"

"Why not?" It was pure curiosity, no hint of arrogance.

"Unlike your people," Rhysand explained "females in our – society – aren't allowed to lead an army in a fight. Let alone train."

"That's just barbaric!"

The two Illyrian males snorted in agreement even as Rhysand winced at the unintended insult.

"We're currently doing our best to change that."

Zivia just offered a polite nod as if in agreement too.

"Alright!" declared Mor, clapping her hands in front of her "Now that the introductions are done, can we please eat? I'm starving."

********

Lunch mostly consisted of the occasional clink of cutlery on plates and Mor's voice narrating her progress on her various visits with the kingdoms and territories across the continent, still no news about the mortal queens. It's been months after the war with Hybern but there had been no substantial change in their situation. Progress has been painstakingly slow. Not to mention the growing unrest within the Night Court itself. Rhysand took a deep and long breath as he dug into his peas. In an attempt to keep the conversation going as well as lighten the mood, Feyre gestured at Zivia and asked her about their life on Cretea and what they've been up to in the past centuries.

"The usual" She started. "One you'd expect from a group of people who lives undisturbed for a couple of centuries. After The War, people are still coping, broken but moving forward. Casualties were great, but they're finally liberated and it's kind of a gift in itself as they were able to start anew in the kingdom, not as slaves anymore but as free people – regardless of your blood heritage. We peacefully went on with our lives, content with the world believing that we perished on the sea; built more homes for the growing populace and continued raising our army, which many definitely thought was futile, considering our very un-tumultous state for the past years, but my father insisted saying it pays to be always ready whatever your circumstances are. Centuries later, it certainly did." A pleased expression on her face appeared as she remembered how it had helped Rhysand, her father's friend in the war. "Besides, they couldn't have disagreed with him, out of respect for his position perhaps." She concluded with a nonchalant shrug.

"Drakon never told me he has been promoted to Kingship" chided Rhysand as he took in a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Mor and Cassian were now bickering over a bottle of wine. Azriel, as usual, quietly dug into his own plate without much of a fuss, save for occasional glances at the emissary. Which is quite unusual since Mor is usually the recipient of those glimpses, yet there was nothing there but pure curiosity.

Zivia just gave a one shouldered shrug.

"They're king and queen in name only. Not exactly rulers in their own right but much more like their overseer"

She lifted her glass to receive the wine offered to her. "Thank you, Mor." She took a sip when Rhysand paused, a slice of roasted chicken hovering before his partially open mouth.

"Wait, you called her Mor"

"Hmm?" Nose buried in her cup, Zivia looked at Rhys then set it down on the table. "Isn't that her name?"

"You called me uncle" He set the fork back on the plate.

Morrigan was casually hiding her smile as she chewed, no doubt suppressing a laugh.

"He doesn't want to accept the fact that he's already that old." Feyre teased, earning her a scowl from him.

"So damn old!" added Cassian in a toast to Rhysand's direction before taking a sip from his glass. The shadowsinger raised his own in agreement.

"You're both older than me!" the high lord practically shrieked.

Zivia chuckled.

"You're reacting exactly as my mother predicted." She unfolded a napkin and started wiping the corners of her mouth. "Who would've thought, that of all things, the feared high lord of the Night Court is rather insecure about his age?"

That sent the whole table laughing. Rhysand, for once, seemed to have ran out of a retort. Utterly defeated, he turned to his mate only to find her staring at the Seraphim with pure fascination before looking at him, smiling widely.

"I like her."