Divided (Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses Crossover)

Chapter 11

"Are we going to talk about this, Feyre?" Rhysand asked after Feyre flopped onto the massive bed. A door was open onto the balcony to let in the sea breeze, and Feyre breathed in the smell of salt and sunshine. Content. Feyre was content and talking to Rhysand about how she voted at the Council meeting would ruin that. 

"Nope," she said, closing her eyes. She didn't want to look at him. He was too good at getting what he wanted out of her when she looked at him. The giant mattress sighed as it also took on Rhysand's weight. 

"You're the High Lady of the Night Court, and I'm not questioning your decisions. You have just as much of a right to vote no as I have a right to vote yes, but I just wanted to know where your head is at," Rhysand said quietly, his hand reaching to grasp hers. She opened her eyes to look down at it in the late afternoon sun. 

"Why would you want to send someone there? To such an evil place? So much happened to us there," Feyre whispered, barely loud enough for Rhysand to hear her. 

"The King of Hybern is dead, Feyre. There's no danger in sending someone to explore the island. It's uninhabited. There's nothing left there to hurt anyone. We made sure of that," Rhysand replied. He leaned in to kiss her head, but she pulled away.

"You don't know that. No one knows that. No one has been to Hybern in years; we have no idea what could have survived there. And even if there is nothing left, the imprint of such evil is enough. You can't tell me that going under Amarantha's mountain doesn't still make chills roll down your spine."

"You're right about the mountain, Feyre, but I think that it's better to know what is out there than to stay oblivious to it."

"But we're not staying oblivious to it. We're keeping people safe," Feyre countered, untangling her hand from his and moving off the bed. "Our job is to keep people safe. That's what I swore to do."

"If we send just one person over there, or we go ourselves, we can prove once and for all that it's over. We shouldn't be afraid of a bit of land." Feyre bit her lips at his words. Perhaps Rhysand was right. Peace of mind might be worth the risk. 

She crossed her arms and turned to him, "Fine, Rhys. Bring it up for a vote again tomorrow, and I'll pass it, if you think its the right thing to do."

"It's not up to me, Feyre. This is your decision. You need to choose what you think will be best for you, our family, the Night Court, and Prythian." 

Feyre rolled his words over in her mind, weighing them. If they scouted out Hybern and found it abandoned, then she would finally get the peace of mind she'd been looking for for years. But if something was out there...

"If we send someone, we'd have to send someone powerful enough to cut down anything that remains, if we don't go ourselves," Feyre managed. 

"Of course. I'm sure that Cassian and Azriel would be happy to go, but I wonder if the other High Lords would allow such a monopoly on this search," Rhys almost chuckled. Even years later, the High Lords of Prythian were wary of yielding just a little control to the Night Court. 

Feyre merely nodded and walked out onto the balcony. Breathing in the scent of the sea, her wings flicked out, and she soared over the castle-city of Adriata. 

A day later, Feyre found herself again sitting in the Council Room, her powers dulled and her patience stretched thin. Everything they voted on was an ordeal, and each way her vote went was carefully noted. The other High Lords were trying to decipher where her loyalty would be if they ever needed her, and her court, in a fight. For the most part, she voted as Rhys did. 

Beron was parading about again on a tirade when she felt someone's eyes on her. She looked up at Rhys, but he was entertaining himself with Beron's rant. Tarquin's eyes were also on the High Lord of Autumn. 

The attention was coming from Tamlin, and Feyre met his stare, trying to gauge what he wanted from her now, but he quickly looked away.

Feyre stood up abruptly and all eyes, save for Tamlin's, turned her way. Even Beron had stopped talking. 

"I would like call for a vote on the issue of sending scouts to Hybern," Feyre said.

Beron growled, "Were you not here yesterday, girl? We've already voted on that. We're currently voting on expanding the borders of the Autumn Court."

"I know, Lord Beron, and I'm sorry for interrupting what I'm sure would have been a vote that most definitely did not go your way. I find that the Hybern issue is a little more pressing than whether or not the Autumn Court needs more lands."

Beron growled but retook his seat. 

"I believe that we need to revisit the issue of exploring Hybern. Although I know that yesterday's vote ended in a tie, and therefore, could not go forward, it is the opinion of the Night Court that we send scouts to Hybern to catalog and explore what remains. With that, the Night Court would also like to volunteer two of our own scouts, Azriel and Cassian, if the other courts do not feel comfortable sending their own men."

They were all silent as she took her seat, but a moment later, pandemonium broke out. 

"Why should Night send their men? What if they take what rightfully belongs to all of us?" Beron exclaimed, and the others only built upon his suspicions, accusing the Night Court of treacherous deeds as if it had not saved all of their lives only years earlier. 

A growl ripped out from across the table, and the pandemonium fell silent. 

"I will go," Tamlin gritted out between clenched teeth.