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vulpes-fennec · 1 year

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The Fae Equality Initiative (Ch. 8) 🌊

Summary: Tarquin, High Lord of the Summer Court, has sent ripples of shock throughout Prythian with his plans to eliminate discrimination against Lesser Fae. When the Night Court is invited to send a delegation to Summer Court, Elain Archeron can’t wait to show everybody what she’s capable of on her first official Inner Circle assignment. Little does she know that Tarquin has also recruited Lucien Vanserra’s assistance…

In this chapter, Elain and Lucien go on a lil sushi date in Adriata 😊

Read: Ch 1 | Ch. 7 | AO3

Velaris libraries were often dimly lit by small green lamps of faelight, filled with dark wood and jewel-toned cushions. Nesta and Feyre called it cozy. Elain felt “eye-strain” was a better descriptor.

But it was a different story at the Summer Court. The library section of the Summer Palace was illuminated by the enormous windows providing beautiful views of the sea. Even the colors of the walls themselves—white, pale green, and light blue—mirrored the moods of the ocean. The sun reflecting off the water threw rippling, translucent ribbons across the ceiling, making Elain feel like she was in an underwater cavern.

Her stomach was delightfully full from breakfast with Balthazar and Varian in their little suite: a delicious bread made with bananas, a drink of coconut “water” (not as sweet as juice, but not as creamy as milk, though Varian said coconut “milk” existed), savory stewed black beans, and a fresh fruit called pineapple.

Balthazar had made plans with Sona, the Spring Court water wraith, and Jaime, a Day Court scholar. Something about resolving tensions between Fae species, he had said. “Do you want to join us, Elain?” the Illyrian male had asked.

Elain had politely declined, for she planned to research the origins of the High Lords and Prythian’s magic at the palace library. Oh, and she wanted to find books related to Seers, as well. The librarian, who had webbed hands and slightly scaled silver skin, graciously directed Elain to the nonfiction section.

Elain picked up two thick volumes and wandered through the tall shelves of tan, weathered wood for additional light reading. The Summer Court had huge sections dedicated solely to the tropical plants that flourished in the heat and humidity. She couldn’t wait to visit Adriata’s botanical gardens.

Suddenly, a vibrant red flashed in between the spines of Coconut Cultivation 101 and Caring for your Coral Reef. Elain’s breath caught as she did a double take, realizing that Lucien was walking down the corridor, holding a small stack of books.

Lucien?!? What is he doing here? Elain hadn’t seen him since their little chat in the garden two nights ago. He hadn’t sought her out, either, and she’d assumed he spent his days avoiding her. After all, she’d been a crying, foolish mess in front of him. What kind of male would want to deal with that?

Yet her heart leapt with excitement at his handsome face. Elain crept discreetly around the bookshelf, watching as Lucien settled down at a large table. Despite her rational thoughts urging her to keep her distance, Elain was fascinated at how Lucien moved with grace, carrying himself with the poise of a lord.

But Lucien hadn’t seen her yet. So Elain tried to discreetly draw his attention by strolling down the aisle and past his table. Her relaxed demeanor belied the fact that she was holding her breath.

Eye contact with Lucien’s mismatched eyes had his golden eye flashing like a bolt of lightning. The brilliance of the metal eye made Elain far too timid to plop herself down in front of him. So she dipped her head in quick acknowledgement, before sitting down at the next table over. Elain opened her book, still acutely aware of the male sitting several feet away from her.

Lucien was definitely glancing over at her in between pages of his book. She could tell from the tell-tale click of his eye and ripple of his red hair. But Elain herself was unable to concentrate: the words swam around the page, she read the bottom of the page before the top, she couldn’t—

“My lady.” A thrill raced up Elain’s spine. Lucien had walked over, and was gripping his books apprehensively. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

“No! No, not at all.” Her voice sounded high-pitched and awkward.

Elain’s legs trembled under the table with anticipation as Lucien took a seat across from her. With his tan breeches, loose white shirt, navy jacket complete with nicely creased lapels, and his flaming hair tied in a low ponytail, Lucien reminded her of those swashbuckling, handsome pirates from romance novels. She could easily envision him gripping the helm with those broad, tanned hands. Regally looking over the horizon with the spyglass. Slashing a curved sword in defense of treasure.

Concentrate, concentrate, she told herself. But after rereading the paragraph again, she took another quick glance at Lucien. And what he had in front of him. Human-Fae Collaboration: A Short History. Scythia Politics. Spell-cleaving Techniques.

Having Lucien across the table from her had Elain’s stomach twisted in knots. How could someone look good while reading?!? From the way his red hair gleamed molten in the daylight to the soothing clicks of his golden eye, every detail pertaining to the male commandeered Elain’s full attention.

Elain held herself with ladylike stiffness, acutely aware that Lucien would notice every sigh, every page-turn, every yawn she made. This was her first time sitting in close proximity to him, for such a prolonged period of time. I have to look studious, so I don’t annoy him with my fidgeting, she fretted.

Three hours passed by, and Elain still wasn’t sure if she’d absorbed anything from her books. She could see that Lucien hadn’t made much progress either—he was still stuck at the first quarter of his book on spell-cleaving techniques. So much for a productive morning of research.

“I think I’m done reading for the day, my lady,” Lucien announced abruptly. “Please excuse me.” He stood up with a casual stretch.

He’s leaving? A foreign sense of panic seared through Elain. “Oh. Erm…I’ll come with you!” she cried. Lucien merely dipped his head in acknowledgement. Elain felt like a frazzled fledgling bird as she hastily got up, following Lucien to deposit her books on the librarian’s cart.

“Are you eating anything for lunch?” Elain blurted out as they exited the library. Gods, what a silly question to ask! she realized, feeling even more foolish. Of course he will be eating something if he’s having lunch!

“I…yes. Perhaps whatever is available in the palace kitchens,” Lucien replied with uncertainty.

The cogs of Elain’s brain were going haywire. Why would he ask to sit next to me if nothing was going to come out of it? He’s not even looking at me as he walks away! Is this it?!?

Elain gulped. It was unspeakable for proper ladies to ask gentlemen to share a meal. Yet, she found herself stammering, “If you don’t have any plans…I was wondering if you could give me a tour of Adriata. And we could…could get some food together?”

Lucien halted his steps, his expression unreliable with his back to her. Elain wrung her hands anxiously, waiting for his answer.

“Of course, my lady.” Elain smiled with relief at his affirmation. Lucien gave her a wry grin. “Have you ever tried sushi?”

***Lucien***

Elain’s pale skin had been flushed with excitement as they made the journey across the water, and Lucien had found her very pretty in her flowy pink dress. Lucien from a week ago would have never imagined sitting down with his mate for a meal in the Summer Court. He’d taken her to the homely sushi restaurant he’d frequented after the war with Hybern. It was a hole-in-the-wall type of place, but the food had always been fresh and the restaurant owners were kind.

“Is sushi related to fish?” Those were Elain’s first words to him as she scrutinized the menu. Ah, shit. Lucien forgot to take into account that not everybody liked fish, especially raw fish.

“Yes, it’s a dish you can find in the seaside cities of the Summer and Dawn Court,” Lucien explained. “It’s…it’s raw fish, actually. Served in rolls of rice and seaweed, and with other condiments.” Elain’s brown eyes widened at his descriptions.

“But if you don’t want to eat raw fish, there are still plenty of other things on the menu,” Lucien said hurriedly. “There’s soup and salad.”

“No, I can try sushi. I just don’t know what to get…I suppose I’ll have what you have!” Elain closed the menu and gave him a shy smile that made his heart inexplicably flutter.

“Alright, then.” Lucien called the waiter over and ordered two rolls of sushi, a fresh fruit bowl, and two sashimi sampling platters. The fruit bowl was a precaution, since Lucien was pretty sure Elain was pretending to be excited about sushi out of politeness. Awkward silence fell between them again. Elain was looking everywhere but him. And Lucien had refilled his water glass twice already, since he resorted to sipping on it when he didn’t know what to do.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why were you reading about High Lord history?” he broached. Talking about books seemed to be a safe subject.

“Ah…I wanted to understand how magic manifests in the Fae. I know some are more…powerful than others, and the delegations said that the degree of power was tied to one’s social standing,” Elain explained hesitantly. As if she was carefully choosing her words before she spoke. “I’m also curious about how High Lords are chosen.”

She took a delicate sip of her water. “What about you? I saw that you were reading about the humans?”

“Yes. I was born after the Wall was created. Jurian…he offers interesting accounts, but I wanted a broader picture of the human and Fae relations. So far, Vassa and Tamlin have been open-minded about new ideas, but I’ve noticed many instances of mistrust between humans and Fae.”

“Were you being serious about extending protections and rights to humans?”

Lucien blinked. “Of course I was. Why would I not be?”

“Feyre said that you weren’t very fond of her when she first arrived at the Spring Court. Because she was human,” Elain objected.

Lucien’s metal eye twitched. What else did Feyre tell Elain about me? Hopefully nothing too questionable. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “That was a long time ago. I assure you that my…sentiments have changed since then, my lady.”

Elain assessed him with her warm brown eyes. Lucien half-wondered what she saw in him, what she was thinking about. He knew that his mate had feared—perhaps even hated—the Fae when she was human. And he himself had found humans pathetically weak and not particularly bright up until a few years ago.

How ironic, then, that the Mother made the two of us mates. That I now live amongst the humans, and Elain lives amongst the Fae.

“I haven’t been human for some time, but if you need any input regarding humans, I’m available to offer some,” Elain finally said.

Is she extending an offer to collaborate? Elain implied she felt something towards him during their chat several nights ago, but she also made clear that she wanted to wait before making any decisions regarding their mating bond. The way she put her foot forward today—from her invitation to eat lunch together and now her offer to assist him—puzzled Lucien. Should I dare let myself feel hope? Lucien wondered. Hope that Elain is trying to know me, that this mating bond mess will one day work out?

“Thank you, my lady. I’ll be sure to ask for your input on my findings.” Lucien paused, then added, “if you have any questions about Prythian…well, I’ve been to all seven courts and I am happy to answer them as well.”

“Good, because the book material is very confusing to me,” Elain confessed with a slight blush. Lucien suppressed the urge to reach over and cup her pink cheeks, which looked tantalizingly soft and squishy.

His thoughts were thankfully broken when the waiter brought out the food. Elain’s eyes widened as she took in the vibrant red, pink, and orange slices of raw fish. “What’s the black thing on the outside of the roll?” she asked curiously.

“It’s seaweed,” Lucien said. “But don’t worry, it’s not the kind you just find on the beach. It’s specially farmed and treated.”

“So this is just raw fish?” Her doe eyes were large as she inspected the details of the dish. “I’m sorry if this sounds ignorant, but how do they make sure there aren’t any parasites in it?” Elain lowered her voice so that the other patrons wouldn’t hear.

“This is your first time trying sushi, isn’t it? Don’t worry, the fish is very fresh and it’s kept chilled to prevent decay. As for any potential parasites, they treat the fish with a simple spell that will kill off any potential parasites.” Lucien glanced at the big fruit bowl. “Of course, you don’t have to eat it. I got this fruit bowl—”

Before he finished his sentence, Elain picked up a piece of red tuna and popped it into her mouth. She chewed it delicately, her big eyes darting back and forth as she analyzed the fish.

“How is it?” he asked cautiously. Lucien waited for her to blanch, or worse, start gagging in revulsion.

But Elain swallowed and blinked. “I like it,” she said, with a hint of amazement in her voice.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. What kind of fish was that?” she asked curiously.

“Tuna,” Lucien replied.

“It’s not overtly fishy to me. The texture is odd, but it’s quite soft. And the cold temperature is also refreshing in the heat,” Elain commented thoughtfully. “It was strange at first, but I think I’ll get used to it. I like eating fish, anyway.”

Elain is a chatty female. Lucien realized he liked that. He liked that a lot, actually. “Did Feyre ever tell you I could catch fish with my bare hands?” he asked, amused. It was a bit of a brag, but he couldn’t help himself.

“She didn’t. How does that happen?” Awe briefly flashed across Elain’s face.

“Lots of practice, my lady.” Perhaps I can show you one day, Lucien added silently. If she would have him. If they could return to the Autumn Court without being hounded by his family.

As Elain dug into another piece of fish—this time, it was salmon—Lucien found the way she jumped into new things extremely satisfying. Her eager expression, with her bright chocolate brown eyes, slightly parted pink lips, and blinking dark lashes made something in Lucien’s chest twinge.

“You’re more open-minded to new things than I thought you’d be,” he observed.

“I’m not a picky eater! I’ve wanted to travel to the continent for most of my life,” she replied somewhat defensively. “It’s only natural that I would want to try new things. Get out of my comfort zone.”

The continent. Lucien wished he’d known that before, otherwise he would have bought her some souvenirs from his travels with Jurian and Vassa.

Elain is interested in traveling too? To think of all the places we could explore together…Lucien made a mental note to casually share some stories the next time they talked.

“Is that why you’re here?” he asked.

Elain looked at him, confusion warring in her doe eyes. “I-I thought I should initiate getting to know you? But if you don’t want to then…I’m s-sorry. I must have misunderstood.” Her voice had grown small.

“Oh, no. No,” Lucien stammered, his heart racing. So Elain IS trying to get to know me better! For some reason, that small piece of knowledge made him feel giddier than a child opening Solstice presents. “I only meant, is that why you’re part of the Night Court delegation?”

“Oh, yes. I did want to get out of the Night Court.” Elain blushed, realizing her misunderstanding, that perhaps she may have said too much. Her eyes lighted on the small dishes of condiments. “Anyways, what is this?” She scooped up a bit of the green paste, eager to change the subject.

“I don’t think you should do that, my lady,” Lucien warned. But it was too late.

Elain had boldly taken a rather large chunk of wasabi into her mouth. Exactly three seconds passed before his mate gasped at the inevitable stinging sensation that traveled up the bridge of her nose. Elain flapped her hands in a panic, downing gulps of water while her eyes watered. Despite the sympathy Lucien felt for her, he couldn’t help but laugh at Elain’s ridiculous expression.

Resources linked here!

Read: Ch. 9

Notes: After devoting December to Feysand Month, one-shots, and Secret Santa...I'm back! Thanks for sticking around to read!

#elucien #elucien fanfic #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #acotar #acotar fanfiction

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