( Arc: The Lord Of Night. - Tumblr Posts - Page 2

tendrils of smoke & night linger throughout, not a shred of sympathy weighing rhysand down from where he leans in the doorway. only a feigned expression of hurt, as palm slides over his beating heart. " when have i ever been known to kick a male while he's already down? " gaze flickers over the other, arms crossing over his chest as he inspects him. " my, tamlin. you've seen better days. are you unable to cook for yourself? "

the high lords gaze hardly spares the effort to look up towards @rhysie ; as if his eyes weigh as much as anything else on him. a sigh escapes spring as eyes roll before dropping back towards his hands , where they've been wringing mindlessly in front of him while he sits in one of the last remaining chairs at his dining table. ❛   are you here to kick me some more , rhysand ? ❜

hands slide into his pockets, feline grace in each step as he stalks towards tamlin. " ah ... so i've heard. it seems you're in your mutt form more often than not these days. certainly explains the smell. " tongue clicks on the roof of his mouth, smirk falling into a cold exterior. this was supposed to be a wellness check. pushing aside everything, their history — for the wellbeing of all prythian. yet ... old habits die hard. " i wanted to check on you. rumors have been circling. your court is vulnerable. "

he might laugh , would the effort not cost too much care &* energy. instead he just sighs &* leans back in his chair , head tilting back to look up at the ceiling. ❛ i eat in the woods. my canines are better suited than these anyway.   ❜ liar. he hasn't eaten in . . . honestly , he's lost track. doesn't care. ❛ why are you here , rhys ? you're not welcome.   ❜

jaw clenches, the only indication of his fleeting patience. there once was a time he'd relish in this. the gilded prince, now utterly alone. known only as a rabid beast. there's a large part in rhys that still wishes to take pride in this, to see him so beaten down ... hopeless. after the death of his family, what he put feyre through — forgiveness would never be an option. but the newborn waiting for him back home is a reminder : peace in prythian is not as far away as it once seemed. whatever mercy he must show to achieve that, it's worth it.

" feyre only sped up the process. you lost your people the second you decided to make a deal with hybern. " words are snapped out, unpolished. with a breath, he regains composure, eyes flickering around the mansion. it's desolate, practically in pieces. any light & wonder faded. " no one will bow to a beast. clean yourself up, tamlin. "

long nails dig at the arm of his chair. it's hard to ignore the sting --------- not about the rumors or his court ; the sting that rhys is the one checking on him. not feyre. not lucien. rhys. the one he'd once called friend. the one he'd betrayed. he's not surprised that rhys turned out good at the core. he's also not surprised he himself turned out to be bad. it's something he's always known ; always buried. everyone else was just now catching up. better they all stay far away.

❛   check on me or gloat ? i can never tell. ❜ might as well make the last person on his list hate him. cool gaze falls back towards the nightling , a brow raising. ❛   my people are fleeing. joining other courts. feyre made sure they wouldn't stay loyal here. with no court to bow to , who can blame them ? guess you'll have more people in your court. ❜

“ i would love nothing more than to watch it crumble down, with you included. it’s what you both deserve. ” said so casually, though the starlight flickering in his gaze has dimmed. filled with only resentment. not that long ago, he was in tamlin’s position — torn away from everyone he cared about, hated & feared by the rest. living each day in torture, yet never once thinking of giving up. “ you always were such a coward, tamlin. ”

fingers busy themselves with dusting off debris from his tunic, an attempt to distract himself from the building anger that never shows. “ i don’t care if you never wanted this throne. it is yours. and you have a chance to help people, including the humans who border this court. you owe it to them. ” perhaps this was a losing battle. maybe he’s too far gone. “ you could change your legacy. yet you’re choosing to sit around and watch it all rot. typical. ”

❛   i made that deal to -------- ❜ in the same brash snap , tamlin's claws have broken out. where rhys is quick to reign himself in , tamlin's temper only boils. he knows it will do nothing to quell rhy's anger to repeat why tamlin made that deal. it will not undo the damage he caused. none of that is anything he can take away.

❛ i do not want anyone to bow. i never wanted this throne. you know that.   ❜ lips curl up in a half sneer as he glares towards the other. ❛   let it crumble. let my father's hard work fail. let his legacy die with me. it's what it deserves. ❜ a piece of the raw truth , uncovered for rhys. it's taken far too long for him to acknowledge. another thing that will change nothing of the past.

head tilts, stepping out from the shadows. features are indifferent, movements slow, as he plucks the blade from the ground ... he handles elain as a timid mouse, afraid any abrupt movements will only send her running. doesn't everyone? perhaps that's why she's chosen to train in secret, at night with no witnesses. they'd treat her as if she's made of glass, ready to crack apart & break. " if you wish, " the dagger spins between fingers, before rhysand hands it back. " we can arrange actual training sessions. " shoulders shrug, humming softly. " although, i cannot imagine nesta would be too glad to hear of it ... at night may be our best option to avoid her wrath. "

❛ you’re braver than you think. ❜ from @rhysie

Elain looked up from her training, suddenly shy at being caught 'after-hours'. She wasn't as bold as Nesta to ask Cassian to train her, and god forbid either of her sisters saw her. Elain wasn't...ready to prove to them she was strong enough on her own yet. They always worried. If they knew about this, she could only imagine their shock. Tossing the dagger into the ground, Elain toed at the ground. "I want to protect them too" She finally stated, looking back up at the high lord. "Which means I have to overcome those fears. . ." A sigh, and she offers him a sheepish smile. "But thank you. I don't think anyone has ever called me brave before"

the high lord winnows in, glorious depths of night swirling in the air, spine straightening. “ hope you don't mind. cassian has other matters to tend to, it'll just be me today. apologies. " voice lacks any hint of sincerity for crashing their meeting, flashing a smile that doesn't meet the ice of his gaze. he adjusts lapels as shadows settle, tongue clicking. “ ah, but that reminds me ... word to the wise, if you wish to keep this deal of ours — i would suggest you stop poking at my general. i'm afraid if he decides to act out, my hands will be tied. " / @literare, for eris

" that's all rather subjective, hm? " he takes no offense, it's clear in his unwavering expression — still cold, though his shrug is relaxed. much worse has been whispered about him amongst other fae: a monster crafted from nightmares. he has been painted as the villain for as long as he can remember. the last choice he made of his own, to keep his court standing. " a high lord doesn't get the pleasure of doing what he wishes. disappointingly so. "

@rhysie said, ❝ you don't need a moral and noble story to do what you want. ❞

"no, i suppose you don't. that's how villains exist." she doesn't look at him when she says this. instead, thin fingers pick at a piece of lint on the sleeve of her dress. "are you a villain in someone's story?" the words are out of her mouth before she can think better of them. at least she has the decency to look embarrassed. watchful eyes assess him. "you look like the sort of person who does what they want. i have a feeling things usually go in your favor. am i wrong or did i misjudge you?"

prompt here