The Spymaster's Assassin (An ACoTaR Fanfic)

Chapter 28

"So, uh, do you have fire powers or something?" Cassian asks a bit uncomfortably.

I lifted my hands and said, "No." Shadows twisted and twirled around my fingertips and then disappeared. "But my red hair makes sense, at least."

Rhys was deep in thought. Amren looked uninterested. Mor looked slightly uncomfortable. She had told me about a Fae named Eris and what he had done to her. I had told her that if I ever went to Autumn Court to take my place as the real heir, I'd make sure he was castrated. She seemed to like that.

Feyre lounged comfortably in a chair next to me, and Azriel held my hand. Lucien was staying in one of the rooms in the castle while we tried to decide what to do with him. Feyre had pointed out that Tamlin would be looking for him. And soon.

Suddenly, Rhys spoke. "Adrianna, I think you should go to Autumn Court."

"Why?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Well, for a number of reasons. It would be nice to have Autumn Court on my side in the coming war with Hybern. For another, it's your destiny. You deserve the life you were supposed to have. Third...I want you to spy on Spring Court."

"Spy on Spring? Why?" I asked with a frown.

"Well for a number of reasons. For one, I don't trust Tamlin. For another, it's the only court that lines the boarder to the Mortal Lands. I don't exactly think Feyre wants Hybern's armies invading her home."

"I don't want that either. The last war was horrid enough, even if I was only a baby." I said. My mind wandered to what Rhys had told me. That he had found Ravenna with baby me during the war. She must have only recently left Beron.

"Exactly. But this time, you'll go there with Azriel. I trust you understand it is not my lack of faith in you, but to establish something else to Beron. He does not own you. You may be his heir, but you are spoken for. Azriel is yours. I suggest you two consider wedding bands before leaving."

I looked at Azriel and his cheeks were slightly pink, and I looked at our left hands, where the tattoos still showed where we had made our bonding deal. That felt like ages ago...

"Alright." I said. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Rhys nodded. "Might I have the room?" Rhys said and looked to the others. They looked to one another with slightly confused expressions, then Cassian, Mor, and Amren stood and left the hall. Azriel hesitated only a moment, before leaving the room, too.

When Feyre went to stand and leave as well, Rhys reached out to take her hand. "Please stay." He says, a softness in his tone that surprised me.

And that's when I smelled the mating bond. They must have sealed it while I was unconscious for those two weeks.

Feyre nodded and sat back down, her fingers lacing with his as they held hands across the table.

I smirked a little and leaned back, rubbing at my bandages shoulder and said, "I knew it."

Feyre's cheeks went a bit red, then Rhys cleared his throat.

"Listen. What I am about to tell you, and share with you, must never leave this room. Is that clear?"

"What about Azriel?" I asked.

"I'm sure you can keep this from him as well." Rhys said. "Feyre is here because, in a way, this plan centralizes around her... and you."

I nodded slowly, waiting for Rhys to go on with his plan. I didn't like the idea of keeping it from Azriel- whatever it was.

And so he did. And I listened to every word, every part and intricacy. I also listened to Feyre when she spoke. And I listened to their plan, and for a moment, I was nervous for them both. Especially Rhysand.

It must have been an hour before they were done speaking. And then they waited for my response.

I took a sip from my wine before speaking. "Well, that's possibly one of the craziest plans I've ever heard."

"But it is a plan." Rhys said.

I swallowed hard and said, "That it is. I'm honestly surprised you'd share it with me of all people. And not Azriel- your Spymaster. But...what makes you think Tamlin will, well, fall for the bait? Or even Lucien? He's more perceptive than any of us gave him credit for. He made that clear by coming here."

"That's where you come in. By having you in Autumn Court, you can easily stop by to visit your brother in Spring. While there, Feyre can give you any intel she scrounged up, and you send it along to me."

I rubbed at the tattoos on my left hand and said, "Breaking bonds is a painful process, Rhysand. You're playing a dangerous card."

"But it is a card nonetheless."

"I think it's the best shot we have at disrupting Hybern's hold on Spring. While I send it into upheaval, you'll be moving into position to take the throne from the brothers in Autumn." Feyre says. "You have always been good at putting evil men in their place." She adds in.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Rhys, if I take the throne, you'll lose both your assassin and Spymaster. I don't know the first thing about ruling or being a High Lady, I guess I'd be. And I doubt they'd accept a half Illyrian on their throne."

"They don't have to know you're half-Illyrian. I'll teach you the glamour I use for myself. You'll just be another Fae." Rhys says and stands, still holding Feyre's hand, and said, "I have no doubt in my mind you'll be able to do this, Adrianna. I'll have the royal blacksmith make two rings for you and Azriel so you can prepare to leave for Autumn in the coming weeks."

I clenched my jaw and nodded, I stood and bowed once to my High Lord, and a second time to my future High Lady. "It will be done as you have asked."

******

As soon as I returned to Azriel, it took everything in me not to tell him about what Rhys told me. I wanted to tell him about his plans for Feyre, but that's when I got the message we were going to the Court of Nightmares.

Cassian, after delivering the message, said to wear something that would make me look scary.

Alright then.

I settled on a pair of black leather pants that were skin tight, tall boots, and I wore a red tunic and black and silver corset, all to make my red hair stand out. I figured it would be alright to flaunt it now, giving the plan Rhys and Feyre scrounged up.

"Rhys is a different person in the Court of Nightmares." Azriel said and came up behind me as I was doing up my hair. His hands rested on my shoulders and squeezed them lightly. "I just wanted to warn you. It was jarring for me the first time I saw it, too."

I nodded and said, "I got to be a first-hand witness to it Under the Mountain. He's...kind of responsible for why I was in the Ring for all those years." I shrugged. "He can't scare me. Men have ceased having a scare factor now."

I flinched a little when he squeezed my shoulder a bit too tightly and he immediately released them, then wrapped his arms loosely around me and kissed my head.

"I wish you never had to go through that, Adrianna."

I lifted my hands to hold onto his arms and smiled softly at him in the mirror. "Well, High Lord, it looks like we have a Court take over."

Azriel blushes a deep shade of scarlet, then kisses my  jaw and neck and said with a small grin, "A Court fit for my fire-haired High Lady and Queen."