Isabella

Oliver was energetic today. He talked his grandmother's ear off about a story he had made up about his toys. She had never seen him talk so fast or so much, he was eager to share and both women knew it but it wasn't until Mrs Mandray had sighed tiredly and given Oliver a look that he stopped.

She was grateful for the peace but a heaviness settled in her chest at his sudden sullen silence. Not that it lasted for he was soon happily playing away but he wasn't the only one to have gone quiet all of a sudden.

"What did Annalise give you?" The questions were so sudden that Isabella paused, turning to the elder woman in surprise. She thought Mrs Mandray had told Annalise of Oliver's heritage but now... "Why do you ask now?"

"Answer my question, girl." She snapped and Isabella shrunk back as she leaned forward, there was a brightness to her eyes that Isabella had never seen before. "Because I thought I told you to take no more extra coins."

"I haven't taken any more."

"Then what did you need from Annalise, do you think I don't know what she sells?" Isabella stuttered in surprise at the woman's sharp words, she had never behaved like this before. But that look in her eyes, the fear and rage all swirling together as though her very soul was fractured. Did she not know that Oliver was Fae? Isabella could have sworn that she did, not that they ever said the words aloud. "Answer me, Child."

There was a tremble to her words that had Isabella pausing, shaking her head quietly at the woman in question.

"Oh for the love of- what have you been taking, Isabella." She hissed a frantic note to her tone as she glanced around the room in fear as though one of the men would overhear. "Do you think I'm naive? You should have gotten pregnant by now and believe me my husband is aware of that fact as well."

The blood drained from Isabella's face.

"Annalise is well known for selling fae herbs that solve certain... problems." her gaze turned accusing. "So did you kill the babe or prevent it from ever happening because either way we need to get you something to counteract whatever poison you have been ingesting."

"You think I'm doing this on purpose." Isabella whispered, eyes watering as the one person in this family she thought she could trust glared at her. "Do you think I don't see the way Tomas is crushed every month I bleed? You think I don't know the consequences-"

"Not having a family or heir is a far bigger consequence than you realise."

"He has Oliver, why is that not enough-"

"For how long will you keep up this feeble charade with the boy, hmmm." She snapped, "How long do we have to keep caring for a boy that is not ours? Our purpose is to keep our family together, Isabella, we care for the men as they provide for us. It is also simple human nature that we build a family or is that not what you want."

"You know that's what I want." Isabella snarled through her tears, voice thick.

"Then what is the problem?" She yelled and Isabella reeled back in surprise, there were tears in Mrs Mandray's eyes now, a desperation to her tone that wasn't there before as it drops to a whisper. "My child, do you have any idea what they will do to you? Families like ours only survive if they have children, if the mother's brood is large and if you're not the one capable of doing that..."

She shook her head, trembling hands softly held out until Isabella clasped her hands with her own.

"... do you have any idea what you are sentencing Oliver to? Give them what they want Isabella, the business cannot be run by grandfather Mandray and my husband for much longer. They are planning for the next generation to take over and you need to be a part of that... Do you understand?"

She understood completely.

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Rhysand

It was a cowardly move of his to escape to the human realm, especially since the reason he was running from Feyre had started with the visit to her sisters. Admittedly, the argument was entirely his fault. He felt like he had been picking fights with the female constantly and it was only when Mor swooped in to save Feyre under the guise of a 'girls night' did he truly understand how shit things had been.

It had been meaningless at first. Just about the family in general, in truth he had wanted to know Feyre's opinion on family and children. Seeing Isabella had reminded him of old dreams he had long thought lost. Something about her, the way she was so devoted to her son yet fully prepared to challenge a High Lord for her sister had reminded him of his mother and sister.

Of their strength and loyalty. He couldn't help but think the three of them would have gotten along well. Which was how he and Feyre ended up in a heated discussion about children, family and funnily enough - Isabella. He doesn't know why he brought it up. Mother knows he, Cassian and Azriel hated being compared to each other growing up. Still do in fact but he had still commented on their similarities and differences.

Feyre had apparently not appreciated the insinuation that she was nothing more than a domesticated housewife for popping out children and tending to the fire. Not even his joke about the implications of there being a non-domesticated housewife as a result of the very specific nature of human terminology. How was he supposed to know that was a common thing?

Why do they need to be referred to as house-wives? Is there another kind of wife that humans take? Is there a whole selection, house-wife, field-wife, forest-wife. And why are some of them domesticated? Like cats and dogs does that imply there is a wild version of them wandering around in the wilderness?

It's ridiculous and absurd at times.

Feyre also hadn't liked his questions about human culture and if they had a dictionary, or preferably three generations of a dictionary so he could check the history of some of their terms.

Which explained his more than pathetic excuse for being here. Research on Humans, prior to meeting with the queens. Like he hasn't been trained for these kinds of meetings since birth. At least Cassian and Azriel would appreciate his presence, Cas was probably crawling the walls at the thought of having to draw a map.

Which does make Rhys wonder why he volunteered in the first place.

Though that would be a lie, there's no need to wonder. It's obvious that Cassian had developed a fascination with Isabella Mandray. Also a reason he and Feyre were fighting since Cassian took it upon himself to interrogate Feyre on everything to do with her sister, her husband and her son.

The son that Azriel seems to be attached to but that's less worrying than Cassian's infatuation. It's nice to see Azriel heal old wounds, never would Rhys have guessed that it would take befriending a human child for Azriel to start seeing himself and his own youth in a different light. Either way it was an improvement and his brother seemed lighter and less self conscious about his scars so Rhys would buy that kid all the damn toys and chocolates he wants if it means Oliver continues to like Az.

But he has no intention of bribing Isabella to befriend Cassian. Especially since Cas only seems to be interested thanks to the similarities between Isabella and Oliver's life and Cassian's growing up. And that's not even mentioning Cassian's obsessive hatred of Tomas Mandray.

He understood Cassian's apprehension, he really did but Isabella said she was happy according to Azriel. Rhys doubted it at times but they couldn't force the woman to confess her husband's sins or convince her to seek a better life. From what Feyre said Isabella was all too happy to marry Tomas.

Rhys questioned Feyre's story sometimes but he never brought it up with the female knowing she would interpret it as him doubting her and the truth of her words. He had no doubt that Feyre truly believed her sister was happy and eagerly left her behind in poverty but situations like that are never so simple.

Especially since Oliver is apparently half fae. Which is why Rhys doubts Isabella is happy. She might have been at the start, when she first married Tomas but it would seem living with the man wore her down. Except he can't explain that to Feyre since Isabella isn't ready for her sister's to know that her son is part fae.

So now he's stuck trying to be neutral and understanding of both sides in a family drama while needing the help of both females and having one of the said females all too happy to bite his ear off over his opinions.

Though one look at Cassian and Azriel's faces was enough to have Rhys doubting his chances at having a relationship with Feyre. Since that's what all of the arguments were really about. Feyre didn't want to have children, she felt like she spent her youth caring for others and doesn't want to spend adulthood that way, Rhys wants to have a large family - wanted to bring Feyre into the loop with his court but she would rather have a simpler, smaller life on the sidelines. And most importantly for someone like Rhys he wants someone he can spend the rest of his life with, someone to rule by his side and love his people.

And Feyre is just at the start of her new and very long life, she is nowhere near ready to settle down and Rhys doesn't think she would consider him even if she was.

"Another fight brother?" Cassian's smirk had no heat in it, just a sad understanding as Azriel poured a third glass of whiskey that Rhys wasted no time in downing. "You have no idea."

"I don't understand your fascination with the cursebreaker." Azriel states, arching a brow as he leans back in one of the armchairs of the sitting room. "There are plenty of other females for you to... move on with."

Cassian glared at Azriel for the implication of his words and Rhysand felt his face drain of all colour. Azriel was right of course, the brothers had been tiptoeing around the conversation for months. Rhys had never explicitly told them about- about her but they knew. And they all pretended that Rhys didn't flinch when anyone touched him unexpectedly or that he had panicked when they first went out drinking surrounded by all those bodies.

Maybe that was why he was so invested in Feyre. They were the same in some ways. Both broken by the red queen and trying their best to survive.

"Rhys?" Cassian murmured and Rhys looked up from where he was slouched on the small sofa. "We are horrifically different people, who want different things from life and yet we have both been joined together thanks to what happened under the mountain."

"I think you've paid your debt well enough, brother." Azriel stated because of course the bastard knew what he was doing before he did it. "You got her away from Tamlin, gave her freedom and choice... now don't go fucking it up by thinking with your cock."

Cassian snorted and Rhys rolled his eyes at the pair. Barely three minutes in their company and he was already feeling lighter than he had in days.

"Well since you're here and have managed to offend the only artistic person we know you might as well help out." Cassian tosses the pencil he was using to plot out rough locations at Rhys' head. It was easy to catch objects but not so easy to catch the various other measurement instruments and rulers his brother deemed necessary to throw at him. Eventually the three of them settled down and Rhys was reminded of late nights in their youth spent on projects, pranks and schemes. "Why is there a library and an anti-library?"

A/N: Finally addressing some of the issues between Rhys and Feyre