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.

"Just take it," Tarquin said inside the vault and the shadows whispered to her about a necklace of black diamonds.

Feyre knew that it would insult him if she were to refuse – so she closed her hands around the box, a small smile working its way onto her face.

"It will suit you in the Night Court," Tarquin said.

"Perhaps I'll stay here and help you revolutionize the world." Feyre teased him.

Tarquin's mouth twisted to the side. "I could use an ally in the North."

Nala lifted her head at that comment and stepped closer to her sister. Was that all this man was after? An ally in the North. Nala didn't trust the High Lord of the Summer Court; he might be charming and good-looking, but she had an inkling feeling that something was off about the male.

"You have nothing to fear from me," he told Feyre, giving her a charming smile that properly made many females weak in the knees. "But I meant it – you have... sway with Rhysand." Nala went rigid and her shadows went closer to her. Her flaming eyes zoomed onto the High Lord. "And he is notoriously difficult to deal with. He gets what he wants, has plans he does not tell anyone until after he's completed them, and does not apologize for any of it. Be his emissary to the human realm – but also be ours. You've seen my city. I have three others like this one. Amarantha wrecked them almost immediately after she took over. All my people want now is peace, and safety, and to never have to look over their shoulders again." Nala moved closer to her sister, light on her feet and making no sounds. One of her shadows wrapped itself around Feyre's leg, bringing the older girl some level of comfort. "Other High Lord has told me about Rhys – and warned me about him." Nala snared at the disrespect toward her High Lord and Tarquin gave a wary look before returning his attention to Feyre. "But he spared me Under the Mountain. Brutius was my cousin, and we had forces gathering in all of our cities to storm Under the Mountain. They caught him sneaking out through the tunnels to meet with them. Rhys saw that in Brutius' mind – I know he did. And yet he lied to her face and defied her when she gave the order to turn him into a living ghost. Maybe it was for his own schemes, but I knew it was a mercy. He knows that I am young – and inexperienced, and he showed me mercy." Tarquin shook his head, mostly at himself, and Nala couldn't help but find him foolish. He was an idiot for admitting all this in front of her. Feyre was one thing, but Nala had more than once shown exactly where her loyalty lay. "Sometimes, I think Rhysand... I think he might have been her whore to spare us all from her full attention."

Nala snared the reminder of what Rhysand had to go through Under the Mountain. It's okay. Rhys' voice sounded in her head. She should have suspected that he would be watching through her eyes. Feyre kept her mouth shut, but her feeling was all over the place and Nala had no doubt that Feyre's every emotion was displayed in her eyes.

"I know I'm supposed to look at you," Tarquin continued, "and see that he's made you into a pet, into a monster. But I see the kindness in you. And I think that reflects more on him than anything. I think it shows that you and he might have many secrets-"

"Stop," Feyre blurted. "Just – stop. You know I can't tell you anything. And I can't promise you anything. Rhysand is High Lord. I only serve in his court." She smartly kept out just how big Nala's part in the court actually was. The Summer Court was only to believe that she was only an adviser and strategist, not a spy master in her own right.

Tarquin glanced at the ground. "Forgive me if I've been forward. I'm still learning how to play the games of these courts – to my advisers' chagrin."

"I hope you never learn how to play the games of these courts." Feyre admitted. Nala rolled her eyes and stepped back. Her shadows fanned out once more, going through every vault down here and every safe inside the castle.

Tarquin held Feyre's gaze, face wary, but a bit bleak. "Then allow me to ask you a blunt question. Is it true you left Tamlin because he locked you up in his house?"

Nala felt her sister's terror and agony from the memory. Feyre nodded, wrapping an arm around her middle, trying to comfort herself.

"And is it true that you were saved from confinement by the Night Court?"

"No," Nala spoke. For the first time since they made it down here. "The Night Court didn't break her out, I did." Her voice was dark as she remembered that night, of the broken look in Feyre's eyes.

"Good," Tarquin said, his eyes jumping nervously from Feyre to Nala and back. "The Spring Court is my southern neighbor. I have tenuous ties with them. So, unless asked, I will not mention that you were here."

Nala felt a bad taste in her mouth and knew that it came from Feyre, the older girl felt horrible for having to lie to the male. Feyre shallowed the guilt and bowed her head lightly in thanks. "Any other treasure troves to show me?"

"Are gold and jewels not impressive enough? What of your merchant's eyes?" Tarquin teased.

Feyre tapped the box with a sly smile. "Oh, I got what I wanted. Now I'm curious to see how much your alliance is worth."

Tarquin laughed, the sound bouncing off the stone and wealth around the trio. "I didn't feel like going to my meetings this afternoon, anyway."

"What a reckless, wild young High Lord, you are."