#acolav

Elain looks up from her book: I'm sorry what were you saying?

A flower that hasn't even bloomed yet...

What flower is that?

Love.

Poetic.

Aesthetic.

Imagine Tamlin and Jurian fighting and beefing about who is Lucien's best friend. And Lucien be like over their bickering but he secretly likes the attention.

It would be hilarious. Of course I will include this in my fic.

A court of grief and talons

A court of smoke and secrets

So here are the titles and mood boards for Tamlin's and Eris's books. I hope you like them!

If you get confused by the pictures let me reveal that Tamlin has a really special love interest...

So there will be a double update this week on Acolav and as I promised a chapter will be uploaded each week from now on.

As you may or may not know I am an Elucien shipper. This fic is placed after acosf. I will keep the plot a little bit of a mystery because my ideas change regularly. I am not a professional writer and English is not my first language. This is my first work and I hope you like it. 😍

Ao3

Prologue

 Blood. Fresh, red blood was dripping off Elain’s white nightgown. Her hands were trembling when she raised them in the front of her face. It was like she had dipped them in a lake made of blood. She didn’t like the sensation on her palms. It was soft and hot. Someone else’s blood in her hands. Panicked, Elain started wiping the blood off her. She started jumping and sobbing when suddenly she saw the source of the blood in front of her. A pile of dead bodies was in front of her. Every single one staring with dead eyes in her direction. Some of those faces were familiar she came to realize. Her family. Her friends and family were staring at her with dead eyes. She sobbed harder and moved in their direction. But then she fell over a dead body near her. The body’s luminous red hair matched the color of blood around it. The blood around her. She turned the body’s head in her direction only to come across Lucien’s bruised face and lifeless gaze. Her mate. Her mate was dead. She held him close and screamed.

  Elain jolted awake. She wiped the sweat off her face and tried to inhale slowly so she could calm her heartbeat. She always made sure that the bond was sealed from her side at night. She didn’t want Lucien to worry because of her. Didn’t want him to think she was a freak. She cried a little bit at her too often nightmares which tormented her usually quiet sleep. Or it used to be quiet. When she was still a human at least. Even when her family was strangling in that cottage Elain had never felt this kind of fear. She was happy she had her sisters close and safe. Even when Feyre and Nesta fought she knew that they were safe and healthy. But these days she found it difficult to be calm. She thought it was stupid to worry now that they were among so much power and protection. Of course, she tried to warn everyone about her fears but no one listened. They were too busy with the baby and Nesta and Cassian’s mating ceremony. Plus no one took her seriously in those kinds of matters since she had offered to help many times but the answer was always that someone else could do it for her.

  She got out of bed and went straight to the room’s balcony. Spring in Velaris was quite cold and the chilly breeze made Elain shiver while she was staring at the night sky. The city of starlight, as feyre loved to say, was truly amazing at night. The stars and the moon along with the city lights that shone all night made a great contrast with the deep blue of the night sky. Contrast with what seemed unending darkness. It made her feel hope to think that there is light everywhere.  But just like darkness always finds its way, nightmares always find their way to her, and her awoken fears destroyed every ounce of positivity she had left. So, she used to spend her nights looking at the stars waiting for them to whisper the answers to all of her unanswered questions. She took her eyes from the sky to look at the Sydra river. Its water was flowing calmly and it made her wonder where and when its waters get violent. The river’s flow reminds her of her once quiet and predictable life which was so brutally disturbed by a sequence of traumatizing events.  She tried to understand, to convince herself to find her happy ending in a situation she couldn’t control. But was there anything she was able to control in her life even as a human? The answer was obvious, and it was haunting her along with her nightmares. The realization that she doesn’t know herself, she doesn’t know what she wants to be had concerned her a lot these days.

   Her sisters were too busy being happily mated to see both her dissatisfaction and confusion. Not that she blamed them. She was happy that they found peace in their new family, amongst their friends. But she can’t help the envy that grows in her stomach every time she sees them happy. She can’t keep her mind from thinking all the things she wanted are gifted to her sisters. She can’t stop feeling angry when she thinks that the future she craved was taken away from her only to be locked in a perfect cage made by her own sisters with every decision taken on her account by their acceptance. This state allows her to pathetically observe them at a distance but not live actively beside them. She is utterly bored and hopeless. Influenced by Feyre and Nesta, the inner circle has also become too protective of her. She doesn’t have an opinion except for garden or baking issues. Training was out of the question since Feyre gave birth to Nyx and was back to her duties. Nesta didn’t want to even talk about it declaring her refusal like it was her choice to make. But even if they had agreed Elain didn’t want to become a warrior like the Valkyries. Elain believes in a different kind of power. But no one cares about her opinion. If you aren’t a warrior in the night court, you don’t deserve a say. Everyone needs to be able to fight like some legendary hero. No one cares about the dreams she made to travel and see the world. To be free. And what hurt her the most was the fact that she never had the chance to make her dreams come true. And it’s quite disturbing not to be able to make your dreams come true in a place with people that call themselves ‘’a court of dreams’’. And instead of being free she is stuck being a political pawn for her brother-in-law’s advantage. If Elain had to pick a name for that court it would probably be ‘’a court of overprotective idiots without any dream that doesn’t involve sex’’. And it would be an accurate name.

  The only way she had thought about escaping in her human days was through marriage. A hope of a husband who enjoys traveling or at least one who lets her have a say in what happens in her life. But that plan kind of failed. Not only failed but left Elain deeply heartbroken because she had really fallen in love with her former fiancé. She used to make dreams about their life together and in her mind, it seemed like a great life. She thought that Greyson was her prince but in the end he proved himself to be a toad. She always wished for her life to turn out like a fairytale. She should have made sure that it would evolve in the right way and not backward.

   After Elain showed interest in her powers she started to have magic lessons with Amren in order to understand them but the lessons with her were so awkward that she couldn’t concentrate. Amren was looking at her intensively like she was trying to solve a mystery and that look disarmed her. So, she always left her lessons tired and disappointed. She had learned the basic skills that every high fae possessed but that kind of knowledge couldn’t help her get over her nightmares or control her visions. Rhysand on the other hand was always watching her wary and sometimes the look on his face made her feel like a criminal under interrogation. He always liked her but he was acting weird lately. Cassian wasn’t paying any attention to her since he and Nesta had a lot of preparations to do for their mating ceremony – wedding as for the Valkyrie unit they prepared.

  Azriel was nowhere to be seen along with Mor. She imagined that they would show up for Nesta and Cassian’s wedding in a few hours. She didn’t let herself think about the incident with Azriel. He had always been kind to her and the two of them had spent a lot of time together sitting in comfortable silence. Elain wanted to find her place in the night court like her sisters did. But she couldn’t. Not on her own at least. Elain always found the shadowsinger’s company enjoyable and comfortable. It was beautiful to feel someone there for her. Someone who could love her for who she was. Not because she was family. Not because someone else instructed it. She wanted to find the love she once shared with Greyson. Before everything. And she was really surprised when Azriel got her a present let alone a necklace. Of course, she returned it the moment she understood that another Graysen situation might occur if she kept it. Elain had enough embarrassment from the encounter with her former betrothed and she would prefer the history not to repeat itself.

  Elain sighed at her loneliness and desperation for freedom and love while she dropped her hands from the terrace railings. She had to get back to her room to get some rest before Nesta’s big day.  The preparations for Nesta and Cassian’s mating ceremony had taken weeks since Nesta had let Rhys arrange everything and they both agreed – for the first time in their acquaintance- to make a big fuss about it. Elain had been exhausted by the preparations because they wanted her opinion on almost everything: “You are the specialist in these matters” Nesta kept reminding her as if she could ever forget that everyone thinks that her only personal trait is ‘’her will to become a housewife’’. The ceremony would take place at the river house which was properly decorated for the occasion. The flowers that Elain had suggested were mostly white and soft blue so they could match Nesta’s wedding gown and some details in red so they could match the deep red of Cassian s siphons. Elain had put her soul into the decoration of the space because she wanted her sister to be the happiest bride. As happy as Nesta could be. The last two years had been tricky for everyone, and she wanted this celebration to be a reminder that there are still beautiful things in life.

  Elain stepped back inside, got back into bed, and had a rough time sleeping as usual. She had a constant sensation that someone had always his eyes on her. a strange presence always following her. That’s how she would describe it if someone cared enough to ask. Goosebumps erupted in her body, and she decided to bring the blankets over her head like they would protect her from what being was lurking in her room. At some point, she managed to fall asleep. A dreamless sleep but certainly not a relaxing one.

Ao3

Prologue, Chapter 1

The time has come for another Acolav update! Ok, it's not double as I had promised but I made a mistake and I had to fix it. (The chapter is 4k+ words). I am already working on the next two chapters though and by the end of the week, you'll have two more chapters to read!

As always I hope you'll like it!

(You can find the story on Ao3 and Wattpad as well.)

Chapter 2

Lucien was not fond of the Night Court members and they certainly weren’t fond of him. He had tried to blend in, but he always felt unwelcomed and outcasted. With the shadowshinger staring at him with lurking resentment in his gaze it reminded him of his exile once again. He was familiar with the feeling, and it didn’t satisfy him he had to experience it once more. Of course, longing for a home was not the feeling that consumed Lucien’s heart while he noticed the bastard was occasionally breaking his glaring to glance at Elain. His mate was breathtakingly beautiful but the shadowsinger’s gaze on her was not one of admiration but of lust. There were so many females out there. And if Azriel had fucked every single one in Velaris during the fifty years of Amarantha’s reign, Lucien could certainly find someone for him to fuck. He had many friends, he could arrange it. He would even pay the bills for their first dates if a dating arrangement would lead Azriel to let Elain be. He had always assured himself he would stay strong and support Elain’s choice to be with someone else if that was what she wanted. But not Azriel, not him.

He dared a glance at Elain as well, but she had her eyes, her sad eyes, the same ones he got to see up close, the darkness and despair in them, fixed on the Illyrian male and her attention was on him, not with interest or shame or embarrassment of being caught cheating by a lover as he expected, but with an assessing look on her eyes as if she was trying to understand how he had appeared and she hadn’t noticed. Like she was certain she knew every movement around and she suddenly had missed a sense of something important.

Remembering Azriel’s statement, Lucien responded with a firm and calm voice surprising himself with his self-control: ‘’He is asleep. It would be better to put him in his crib’’

‘’His father assigned me to bring him back to the House of Wind,’’ Azriel replied in a defensive voice and extended his arms. ‘’ And it would be better to give Nyx to me. He gets fussy among strangers’’

Yeah, that’s why he fell asleep on me, prick! That is what Lucien would like to reply but he reminded himself he had to be polite. Elain was still beside him and as much as he would love to talk back, he knew females don’t appreciate catfights. And Elain was a lady. She had her back at them now surveying the view out of the window. He couldn’t see her face, but he was sure she felt irritated by them. Swallowing his pride for her sake he handed Nyx carefully into Azriel’s still extended arms.

‘’And now that we mentioned Rhysand, he has stood me up for a long time. He said he would be here and instead I’ve been here waiting for him to show up’’

‘’And what if he did? You were busy anyway!’’ irritation colored his voice and Lucien balled his hands into fists trying to find the courage to restrain himself. The male was jealous.

He was bothered finding him here alone with Elain, but Lucien had no intention of harming or seducing her. He was just helping her.

What was up between the two was not clear, although, there was certainly something. Attraction? A relationship even? Lucien couldn’t understand. Azriel’s interest was clear as day, but Elain’s solemn face betrayed nothing. She was now looking at them silently. She was always silent. Azriel was insulting them both and especially him and she wasn’t responding. He should have known she wouldn’t do anything. She always doesn’t. Though the lack of response was more concerning than infuriating to his eyes. It was like she had given up the courage to say anything and stand on her ground because she knew her words would have no outcome.

‘’Elain! Where were you? We’ve been waiting for you’’ Feyre’s voice interrupts his thoughts, and the High Lady of the Night Court makes her appearance. Elain opens her mouth to speak but Feyre turns her attention to him. ‘’Ah, Lucien you came?’’ she asks glancing at Elain. This situation is starting to piss him off and the ceremony hasn’t even started yet. Elain is a grown woman, and everyone treats her like a child. And what bothers Lucien the most is the fact that a person who is supposed to be his friend, Feyre, thinks so ill of him to think he would do anything to harm his mate but at the same time, she is pushing Elain to come to him. Feyre’s logic sometimes was confusing to him.

‘’Yeah, I’ve been here for a while.’’

‘’Great! I missed you so much! Why didn’t you come to find me?’’ she says while stepping into his arms for an awkward hug. They weren’t like this before. They used to be close friends but since Feyre’s arrival at the Night Court, things between them changed. She had found new friends Lucien was uncomfortable around, to say the least. His relationship with Cassian had improved in those two years he is around, someone would say, but everyone treats him still like shit. Not that he minded. The feelings were mutual, but he wasn’t uncivilized, and he would be as polite as he had to be with them but he would set boundaries. His friendship with Tamlin and his life’s decisions are his problem alone and no one else’s. He never mingled into anyone’s business and he wouldn’t allow anyone to have a say in his.

‘’I was helping Elain with the gifts while waiting for your mate to make his appearance.’’ He explained and noticed Azriel gritting his teeth. Elain hadn’t uttered a single word. What was she thinking he could not tell. She probably had closed her end of the bond for the day. He closed it as well in the deep of the night. When he had time to think not only of her but of horrors that crept in his dreams. Maybe she was indeed uncomfortable with him around. Maybe it would be better for him to leave after all if that would please her.

Feyre took Nyx from Azriel and seemed to think for a moment after eyeing both males.

‘’Since Nyx is asleep and you are here out of Rhysand’s kind invitation the best solution to the problem you seem to have would be…’’ Cunning invitation, not kind, but anyway. Feyre had started to use the pick-up lines of a hostess now that she had a family and a house of her own.

Her troubled expression and hesitance made him anxious about what she would have them do. Her ideas seemed to always suggest trouble of some kind.

‘’Would be what Feyre? I don’t have all day!’’

‘’Watch your mouth when you speak to my High Lady!’’ Is he going to keep saying this kind of crap? I thought he was the silent one!

‘’It’s fine Az.'' she reassured him with a smile and then she glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. ''It would be, Lucien, for you to fly with Az to meet Rhysand and for me to go put my poor baby in his crib’’ Feyre said smirking, knowing well how uneasy Lucien felt last time he had to fly with the shadowsinger.

‘’What? Cassian needs us to help him. It’s a moment between the three of us.’’ Azriel practically growls. Lucien resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the male, but he would not let that slide. Not when he had given him the base for a great response.

‘’Relax shadowsinger. I’m not here to charm your friend, even though I could. I indeed have a reputation to uphold, and Cassian is neither my type nor the object of desire that could help me preserve the title of the charmer’’ Elain’s eyes widened just for a mere second as if she found it shocking or even amusing but then remembered that he was the one who said it and just made herself take control of her features to restore them into their original state.

Feyre just rolled her eyes at him, and he couldn’t care enough to see what Azriel was doing. Then she grabbed Elain by the arm and moved to the door smiling while his mate followed her without glancing back at them.

‘’Have fun and don’t drink too much!’’

He could certainly consider getting drunk after seeing his mate leaving him behind once more. He could only hope they could spend a little more time together, not necessarily alone, just to feel her around him for a little longer. His heart was in pain, and it felt like he was having a constant heart attack. But he would suffer through it for her happiness. He would do everything she asked praying to all the gods to show him some mercy to help her see him at the end.

‘’Come on, let’s get it over with!’’ Azriel growled and he glared at him while he was heading outside. He couldn’t stand the thought that this male knew the sufferings of his own brothers with their mates and he decided it was a nice plan to claim his. Elain knew nothing of fae customs but he was more than aware of what a mating bond meant. The holiness and respect of it. The lust in his gaze when he laid his eyes on Elain was what disgusted Lucien the most. The sickening idea that the idiot wanted to break their bond for a night with her only to break her heart the next morning.

He exhaled and followed the male into the garden. It was beautifully made for the ceremony and he found himself feeling envious. He was sure Elain had helped with the flowers since the flower arrangements were inspired by Nesta’s icy and cold personality and Cassian’s strong and warm one. It was like she could see them through the flowers and made sure that everyone else could see them too. After Jesminda’s death, he never thought of marriage as an option. He always thought this option had died with her but now he held on to Elain’s choice. He had found hope once more. Hope for a life he considered a faint dream. But it was all so new and fragile that he was afraid it would collapse or that Elain is in fact a figment of his imagination playing with his shattered emotions and deepest secrets. He hated she was distant and quiet around him.

He eyed the shadowsinger and he saw the longing in his eyes as well. Lucien wasn’t cruel enough to get mad at him at this one. They wanted the same thing in a way. They wanted someone. That doesn’t mean he would allow Elain to be that someone for Azriel. Especially when the spymaster wasn’t looking at her with affection but with a shallow feeling that could easily dissolve.

‘’What are you looking at?’’ Shadowsinger growled without looking at him.

‘’Your despair’’ along with mine.

‘’Shut up’’ He murmured but Lucien knew he was right. He was pitying him almost as much as he did himself.

‘’Climb on like you did the last time. And watch out for my wings. They are sensitive.’’ If they are so fragile as your ego, I might have a problem.

Lucien had to ignore the tag of humiliation in the memory of his last flight and climbed onto the shadowsinger’s back. The fucking bastard took off without warning and Lucien thanked the cauldron he hadn’t eaten too much in the morning. The flight was short but Azriel maneuvered a lot on purpose. Lucien hated being carried like a helpless puppy. And he hated the Night Court even more for not having a proper way in and out of an official building as the House of Wind. He couldn’t remember if there was another entrance or exit to the building but there had to be. Not everyone with access to the building had wings and the House seemed ancient enough to not have any kind of other entrance. Every castle has its secrets and the Night Court residences were no exceptions.

By the time they landed, Lucien was about to throw up. He immediately stepped away from the shadowsinger trying to compose himself. He wouldn’t allow himself to get sick in that hell.

‘’Azriel you finally came! I think Cassian has a panic attack.’’ Rhysand’s head appeared from the balcony door. ‘’Where is Nyx? Lucien, you were supposed to wait for me at the river house.’’ Yeah, I’ve been doing that for over a fucking hour! Lucien wanted to scream at them and just leave. He had to stay not only for a chance to see Elain again but also because he was curious enough to listen to what the High Lord of the Night Court needed him for on a day as important as this one. Lucien just pressed his lips together letting Rhysand find out what happened from his faithful sidekick.

As he was inspecting the view he heard Cassian’s loud steps coming quickly and he could practically hear the panic that Rhysand talked about without turning to face him. His rapid breaths and the pacing back and forth. He could understand the poor male. If he had to face Nesta for a life he would probably have the same reaction.

‘’How is she feeling? Do you know? Did you see her? Is she ok? She still wants to marry me, right?’’ Cassian was anxious for a very different reason it would seem.

The shadowsinger of course didn’t know. He was busy making him nauseous. But then the super panicked male appeared in front of him, grabbing him by the arms and moving him around as if he wasn’t dizzy enough.

‘’Do you know? Did you see her? Please Fox boy I will owe you! What do you want? Anything but my body, I’m about to get married in a while! If Nesta wants to marry me still of course! Did she tell anything to you? SPILL EVERYTHING YOU KNOW!’’ he roared in his face.

‘’Cassian let him go!’’ Rhysand tore Cassian’s grip off him and let Azriel deal with him. Lucien fixed his jacket and ponytail and glared at Rhysand. The idiot was smirking.

‘’Go to the office. I’ll come in a minute. I have something to tell you’’

‘’So I’ve heard,’’ Lucien murmured stepping into the house. Everything was a mess. For Cassian’s sake, Lucien hoped the House took care of this chaos. Cassian wouldn’t hear the end of it if Nesta was standing here right now. He roamed through the corridors until he spotted the office’s open door.

The office was spacious and tastefully decorated as he remembered from the last time he was standing there almost a year ago. Rhysand appeared and poured himself a glass of deep red wine from the little bar in the corner. He sat in the plush office chair offering Lucien a seat as well. Lucien eyed the wine in the glass not liking that Rhysand got too cozy.

‘’Would you like a cup as well? It’s one of the finest. Over a thousand years old.’’ Of course, it would be. Rhysand narrowed his eyes at him surprised he couldn’t hear his thoughts. Lucien had come prepared after studying about daemati and their abilities. Since he found out about mental shields and how to control them, he had practiced every day. His mind was precious to him, and he would do anything to protect his thoughts from invaders.

‘’I would prefer to get to the point’’ A mischievous grin made its appearance on the High Lord’s face and Lucien shield himself even more.

‘’Tell me Lucien if you are so smart as they say, why do you always seem to forget what binds you here? And who has power over that something?’’ THREAT. That was a threat about Elain. He was showing him the power he had over him. The power of holding on to a girl to command Lucien around.

Lucien flexed his jawline and shield himself further. He would stay calm like he always did. He had faced many idiots in his life. If he had survived Beron, he could deal with anyone.

‘’Oh, little Lucien don’t get me wrong. I’m on your side. I want you to have your mate. I can help you have your way with her.’’ Have my way with her? Was everyone viewing him like a horny animal that will throw himself at Elain at any moment?

‘’Elain is not a thing. She will come to me when or if she wants.’’

‘’And you will wait for so long? You will watch her fuck someone else while you remain alone doing nothing but crying yourself to sleep?’’ At least he was revealing his knowledge of the interest the spymaster had for his mate. Probably by accident but he was giving clues away. Also, the poor attempt at insulting wouldn’t make Lucien lose his temper. Everything was a game and even if he didn’t like it, Elain was a pawn. Even so, he intended to play and win the game for her to be free. For him as well.

‘’That’s what you did when Feyre was fucking around with Tamlin? Crying yourself to sleep? Pathetic.’’

‘’Shut the fuck up!’’ Rhysand stood up from his chair knocking it down and grabbing Lucien by the collar in the process. ‘’I showed you pity because of my mate, and you have the nerve to speak about her like this’’

‘’I’ve only spoken the truth and I guess the truth hurts’’ Lucien knew the hate Rhysand felt towards Tamlin and he planned to use it.

‘’You still haven’t learned when you should stop talking, have you? Even after losing your fucking eye.’’ More threats.

‘’And you would certainly know of punishments, would you not? The ruler of the court of fucking nightmares. Yet two can play the game Rhysand. I can be a nightmare if I please and I am certain you will do nothing in the end. Because at the end of the day all you have is empty threats and nothing more. There is a difference between us great Rhysand.’’ The High Lord of the Night Court narrowed his eyes and nodded his head urging him to continue. ‘’You need me but I don’t necessarily need you. You need little Lucien. I, on the other hand,’’ Lucien grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his jacket’s collar ‘’must only tolerate you. For my mate’s shake. The mate you threaten me with every time you see me. So do not speak to me about insults or your pitiful hand of help and tell me why the fuck am I here.’’ Rhysand snarled at him and turned around to grab his glass and glance at some paperwork that laid on the desk.

‘’You will stay here in Velaris for the summer.’’ What? Why would he have to? Spring was calling for help, he couldn’t stay here to stare at the walls of his almost empty apartment doing nothing for three months.

‘’I was supposed to go to Spring for the summer’’

‘’You will not’’ Yeah I figured that out the first time you said it. Let’s make it clearer then.

‘’May I know why?’’

‘’I need you here’’ The High Lord sat again and took a sip of his wine. He was watching the red liquid in the light admiring its vibrant color. Lucien was begging all the gods for patience.

‘’For what? As an emissary, my job is to…’’

‘’I know what an emissary does’’ Lucien doubted it since he’d changed so many over a short period of time. And he assigns emissary business to people that have never served in a court. But that was not Lucien’s business. The only thing he cared about now was the people in Spring who needed help desperately and no one else but him knew the court and its ruler enough to give them peace and prosperity.

‘’You will leave Spring alone? After everything your mate did there?’’ Feyre acted out of anger without considering the damage she caused. She didn’t harm Tamlin alone, but her actions resulted in hundreds of Spring citizens being homeless. He felt guilty for leaving. He was always loyal to his friend. Tamlin needs him just like he did when he first arrived at Spring. It wasn’t Lucien’s best period and Tamlin was there for him. They always had each other’s backs, and he wouldn’t let him destroy himself. Something dark happened to him Under the Mountain and Lucien was determined to find out what that was. He just had to find a way to be able to be around his mate long enough to make sure she is safe and cared for but also long enough around his old friend in order to help him find himself again. They had both hurt each other with words and actions but they could certainly fix everything between them. Or that’s what he hoped. Tamlin wasn’t an easy person to deal with.

‘’Feyre did nothing. That beast destroyed himself and his court went down with him.’’

‘’I was there when everything happened. Don’t try to make Tamlin the only one responsible for Spring’s downfall. You three are all to blame. Feyre did it and you not only let her do it but you encouraged it as well. And what Tamlin did you already seem to know’’

‘’You will not go to Spring Lucien because Azriel will.’’ Rhysand suddenly revealed staring blankly at him.

‘’What?’’ the spymaster couldn’t handle him being in the same room with Elain. There was no chance he had the patience or slyness to deal with hardcore Spring Court officials and especially Tamlin. He was still in his beast form unwilling to hear anything from anyone.

‘’You heard me. Azriel will go.’’

‘’Since when your spymaster and torturer has the skills of a courtier?’’ Not that Rhysand visited his official court much. The court of nightmares was being ruled by lord Keir if his memory didn’t betray him. Hateful male but at least he was there. Around the official courtiers of night. Rhysand had clearly lost any sense of the word court since he only seem to care for Velaris. The city was a paradise for someone who enjoyed arts and a little bit of light, but it bothered Lucien that it was the only place in the Night Court he was happy to be in. Everything else was filled with darkness and evilness. ‘’Do you think he can handle Tamlin? And apart from that, being a courtier required strict etiquette rules as well as body language and manners of speech. Do you seriously think your tenderfoot in courtship SPY-master can handle a court?’’

‘’I’m sure he can do better than you and your brother!’’ His brother Eris wasn’t in Spring to help at the ruling, he was there to prevent an Autumn Court invasion. He hated his brother for what he did to him but Eris was skilled and cunning. Any Court would thrive under his command. He had taught Lucien the job when he was still a youngling. Eris was a lot of things but a fool he was not.

‘’This is the stupidest command I’ve ever heard. I guess I need to explain to you what emissaries and courtiers offer. Your shadowsinger doesn't have the knowledge or experience. He will mess it up. Especially at the Spring Court’s current state.’’

‘’You think that you handle Tamlin well? You were always his dog. You weren’t his equal! You will never be!’’

‘’I know. I don’t want to be his equal at the title. He is my friend and I understand his wrath even if he was in the wrong. If you are Amarantha’s victim like the rest of us you should know that something happened to him. All those years of responsibilities, death, and lack of hope. I was there. We were fighting every day only to wake up and fight some more. For a solution to the curse. We were searching. Monsters. We were slaughtering. Threats. We were raising defenses. Bodies. We were digging and burying. We. Not I. We were doing this together every day. All of us.’’

Utter silence. The truth indeed hurts. Everyone made their choices during those dark times. He wouldn’t judge Rhysand for what he did. Not when he knew the truth. But he wouldn’t listen to insults as well.

‘’And do not speak of equality and choice to me High Lord cause I’m certain the shadowsinger didn’t volunteer to go to Spring.’’

‘’What I do with my brothers is none of your business.’’ He huffed staring out of the window.

‘’Neither is mine yours. Anyway, I don’t agree with your stupid decision but I’ll accept it. Now tell me what I am supposed to do around here at the time.’’ Rhysand then turned to look at him smirking, leaning further in his chair.

I've been thinking a lot about including and other couples in my Acolav story but I want this to be only about Elucien and I fear that if I put these povs in the fic, it will get extremely too long. So I thought of making two more books that will be released alongside acolav as series.

I don't mean to spoil anything but I will reveal that the one will be about Tamlin (I have GREAT ideas for this, you will love the story even if you hate him) and one about Eris.

And then after all of these are finished we will get to our final fic that will be the last of the series.

What do you think? Should I make a super long with multiple povs or super long series of fics? I really need your opinion so I can start with them as well.🥰