To Kill A Kingdom | ACOTAR

Chapter 1 - "Do you trust me?"

Evette wasn't exactly sure where in her agreement to stay at the Spring Court to help Feyre's transition into a High Fae had told Tamlin that she would stay for as long as he desired her to. Whenever she would try to leave the Spring Court and head back, he'd prevent her from doing so.

And it was always the same excuse: Feyre needs you, she needs her friend.

Evette could argue that she needed her fiancé more - and she hadn't seen him do much or help much with Feyre. From what she had seen he did very little - and left Feyre with the dreadful priestess that Evette couldn't stand being near.

And for the past three months she had been trying to leave. She thought that today was the day - but he had told her for the fifteenth time these past three months that Feyre needed her.

And she had had enough.

Evette had easily found Feyre and found she was, thankfully, alone and away from Ithane. It was a few days before the wedding ceremony, and she was hiding from all the new people that had been arriving. "Feyre, dear." Evette greeted, keeping polite. She was her friend after all. "We need to talk."

"Thank the Cauldron it's just you." Feyre breathed as she pulled Evette down to hide with her in the gardens. "What is it?"

"I love you, Feyre. I do. You're one of my best friends." Evette began. "But I do need to go back home. I haven't seen my family in a very long time - and the last time I did...we were attacked in the dead of night. And I have all that stuff with the Night Court to sort out. I feel that I can't do too much else to help with the transition - and I have no ability to help with nightmares. There's not much else I can do for you."

"What?" Feyre furrowed her brows at her.

"If you just wished for me to stay for the wedding, all you had to do was tell me." Evette told her. "I would've visited my family, and came back in time for it. Point is...I can't stay here forever. I'm not Fae. Angevin is my home - not Prythian."

"What are you talking about?" Feyre frowned at her. "I would...I would never keep you from your family, Eve. Not for me. Not for anything. I had actually wondered why you hadn't yet gone back yet."

Evette looked at Feyre in confusion. "What do you mean?" Evette asked her. "For the past three months...you've been asking Tamlin to ask me to stay to help with your transition into being a High Fae."

Feyre shook her head gently at her. "No, I haven't." Feyre replied. "I wouldn't keep you from your family."

Tamlin had been lying to her this entire time. At this revelation Evette let out an angry sigh, and Feyre watched the way the grass below her hands began to grow, before she pulled them back. She stood and gave Feyre a small smile. "I need to go speak to Lucien." Evette said before she marched off.

Evette took a while to find Lucien - but she found him nonetheless. He was headed back to the estate on a horse. "Why is Tamlin lying to me?" Evette asked him once he had climbed from the horse.

"What do you mean?" Lucien asked her.

"He's not letting me leave the Spring Court." Evette explained to the man. "Why? You're his emissary, so tell me why!" Lucien looked at her in silence. "Lucien. Don't be an ass!" She shot the man a sharp glare.

"He doesn't want you to leave because he wants to try and negotiate that you join Feyre when she goes to the Night Court for that week." Lucien revealed to her, and Evette's face slowly fell. Her anger grew at this - the fact that he would subject her to the man that had tortured her without even asking her.

That he was just going to do it. That he assumed that she would be okay with it. And yet, he claimed to feel guilty for what she had to endure Under the Mountain. She supposed that was a bunch of bullshit - just to get her to stay at the Spring Court. To do what he couldn't bring himself to do - care for his fiancé at such a distressing time, and to negotiate with Rhysand.