A Court of Fire and Shadow

The meeting concluded at two in the afternoon and the two High Lords, as well as their advisers, left the room. Outside of it, Feyre met them. The older Archeron sister was clad in honor of the Summer Court in her seafoam green and rose gold attire. Nala gave her sister a small smile and a short hug before standing behind her sister, letting the older sister talk. Feyre gave Varian and Amren a close-lipped smile before turning her attention to the High Lord of the Summer Court, having not looked at Rhys at all.

"You're looking well today," Tarquin said, inclining his head.

Nala quickly noted that Feyre's seafoam green clothes were the same shade as Tarquin's pewter tunic. The two looked like a matching set.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Feyre said to Amren. Her voice was light and polite, making sure she didn't make herself be seen as a threat.

Amren shrugged her slim shoulders, clad in flagstone grey today. "We were finishing up a rather lively debate about armadas and who might be in charge of a unified front. Did you know," she said, her voice bored and her eyes focusing on nothing, "that before they became so big and powerful, Tarquin and Varian led Nostrus's fleet?"

Varian, several feet away stiffened, but did not turn. Nala smirked at Amren and gave the silver-eyed a wink. Amren only rolled her eyes at the amber-eyed female.

Feyre met Tarquin's eyes. "You didn't mention you were a sailor." Nala felt the tensing in her sister's back at the effort it took Feyre to play this role, to lie to the High Lord. She placed a comforting hand on her Feyre's arm and gave a small squeeze to remind the older sister that she was not alone. Never alone.

Tarquin rubbed his neck. "I had planned to tell you during our tour." He held out an arm. "Shall we?"

Feyre didn't give Rhys even a glance, only looked back at Nala for just a second before looping her arm through Tarquin's and to no one particular said, "See you later."

Nala followed after her sister, keeping just a few meters behind the two but close enough to protect her sister should need be.

She is mad, isn't she? Rhys' voice rang in her head. She had lowered her mental shield just enough for him to get through but should anyone else try, they wouldn't get even close to coming in.

Oh! Nala smirked; she is very mad. Nala teased her High Lord, who gave a soft fuck before slipping back out of her mind. She could even hear Azriel's laugh through their shadows.

Tarquin brought them to a hall of jewels and treasure so vast that Feyre used a good whole minute to just stare. "And this is – this is just one of the troves?" Feyre asked Tarquin with wonder in her voice. The room had been carved deep beneath the castle, behind a heavy lead door that had only been opened when Tarquin had placed his hand on it. Nala looked around at the jewels and noticed a particular necklace laying not far from the door. The necklace was a simple silver chain with a bloodred rube in the form of a snake. Making sure that her sister was entertaining Tarquin, Nala let her shadows grab the necklace and dispose of it on Amren's bed.

"Do you know the history behind each piece?" Feyre asked her voice light and curious. Nala kept to the door but thanks to her fae heritage, she was able to hear everything the two talked about. Scanning the room again, Nala turned so her back was turned to the vault and stared into the long all under the castle, holding the guards' stare.

"Some," he said. "I haven't had much time to learn about it all." One of the guards closest to Nala tensed. So, The High Lord wasn't supposed to tell us that. Nala sent down her shadows to Azriel. Despise his own trust to the Nigh Court and Rhys, the council doesn't trust us one bit, and by the guards down here, it's not Feyre they are afraid of. A grunt came from the other side, and she sent down a layout of the underground vaults and the way down here as well as how many guards there were stationed there.