Chapter Text
“Well, well, well… how unexpected to see you all here.” Helion drawled. “I was under the impression that I’d be having alone time with my ladylove, but instead, I’m greeted with a full house.”
His gaze swept over the colorful party decorations, trying to decipher their purpose. “Could it be,” Helion smirked, “all of this is to celebrate little old me?”
“Bzzzt, wrong answer! It’s not to celebrate you but someone else .” I stepped forward, handing Helion the blindfold. “Here, put this on.”
The High Lord turned over the piece of cloth in his hands, examining it. “A blindfold?”
He smiled, suggestively. “While I’ve certainly had my fun with partners blindfolded, I should warn you all, I’m a taken male now. And I’d never engage with another under those circumstances… unless my ladylove desires it of course.”
Helion winked at Lucien’s mother, who blushed and smacked him on the arm. Tamlin and Andras fought to keep straight faces, while I only rolled my eyes.
“First off, TMI dude.” I grabbed the blindfold from Helion, wrapping it around his head. “And second off, that’s not what the blindfold is for.”
I led the blindfolded Helion to the piñata I’d hung from the ceiling. The crafts-faerie who I’d gone to, in order to make this piñata, had tried their best.
For what it’s worth, given that they had no prior knowledge of what a piñata even was, it turned out pretty well! Besides, appearances didn’t matter too much, for something that would be beaten up for the contents of its insides.
I gave Helion the stick in my hands, and he curled his fingers around it. He swung the stick in the air experimentally, testing its weight. I guided him towards the piñata, tapping it with the stick.
“This thing here is called a piñata. It’s a container filled with treats and other cool stuff. But for today, it serves another purpose.” I spun Helion around a few times, watching him stumble about disorientedly. “You have to break the piñata and find out what that is.”
Helion steadied himself, gripping the stick with both hands. He gauged the distance between himself and the piñata, before taking a swing.
Moments before it could connect, I pulled the piñata out of harm’s way. There was no resulting impact, as the stick struck nothing but empty air.
Helion let out a huff of frustration, knowing that I wouldn’t make it easy for him.
We continued playing our cat and mouse game, a dance of teasing and near-hits, as Helion's swings grew more precise with each attempt. Whereas before, his stick would hit nothing but air, the next few times Helion tried, he would graze the edges of the piñata.
Finally, just before I could pull the piñata up, Helion struck. The stick connected with a satisfying crack, and the piñata burst open in a shower of blue powder and candy.
Helion lifted his blindfold, eyeing the contents of the piñata, which had now fallen to the ground. The floor, and everything else nearby—including us—was covered in blue powder.
“Congratulations, it’s a boy!” I said, with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.
I grabbed one of the candies off the ground, peeling off the wrapper, then popped it into my mouth. It was a sweet, sugary explosion of flavor, a fitting reward for all the hard work we’d put into this party.
Helion dropped his stick, then rushed over to grab my shoulders. He squeezed them, looking at me intently. “What did you just say?”
“I said , it’s a boy. As in, you have a son.” I shook Helion off, pointing out the pink and blue party decorations in the room. “This is a gender reveal party. Pink for girls, and blue for boys. And when you hit that piñata, you got a boy.”
Helion took off his blindfold, running his hands through his hair. “A son… I have a son!” He laughed, delighted by the revelation.
He whirled around, facing Lucien’s mother. “With you, my love?” She nodded, and he laughed again, overcome with joy.
“Who is he? Where is my son?!” Helion turned, as if to search for his missing child.
It was at that moment that Lucien winnowed into the room. “I’m here… Dad.”
In a rare occurrence for the High Lord of the Day Court, he was speechless. Helion scanned Lucien from head to toe, seeing for the first time what he’d never noticed before. Meanwhile, Lucien stood still, observing Helion as the other did to him.
Neither father nor son made a move to approach the other—at least until Helion opened his arms, beckoning Lucien to come close. “Why don’t you give your old man a hug?”
Lucien hesitated, before deciding to make his way slowly towards Helion. He stopped, just out of reach of the other High Fae. Helion didn’t seem to mind, as he stepped up and wrapped his arms around Lucien.
My friend tensed, the rigid posture of a Fae who had learned to be on his guard for a lifetime. Then, gradually, his shoulders lowered, the tension in his body melting away. He reciprocated the gesture, bringing his arms up to circle Helion.
To complete the picture of a perfect family, Lucien’s mother joined the embrace. The three of them stood there, basking in each other’s warmth, a family reunited after ages apart.
As for Tamlin, Andras, and I, we stood on the sidelines, snacking on candy. I’d gathered everything that had fallen from the piñata, and shared it with my other two friends. We kept eating, not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere.
Helion nuzzled Lucien’s mother’s hair, and gave Lucien’s shoulder an affectionate pat. Then he left the circle, causing the other two members to disentangle themselves as well.
He raised a brow when he noticed me eating candy.
“It’s good, try it!” I handed Helion one of the sweets, and he popped it into his mouth. He chewed, then widened his eyes at the flavor. He looked at the wrapper in his hand appreciatively.
Tamlin was giving Lucien candy, while Andras politely offered some to Lucien’s mother. They had a similar reaction to Helion, both seemingly enjoying the taste.
Standing beside me, the High Lord of the Day Court spoke up. “Never did I think I could be reunited with my ladylove and our son. To whom do I owe this favor?”
I swallowed. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re standing right next to them.”
Helion blinked, making sure he had heard me correctly. “Truly? It was your doing?”
I nodded, popping another piece of candy in my mouth. Helion suddenly grabbed my hand, holding it in both of his. Then he looked at me, a charming expression on his face.
“Oh Jane, you are a woman after my own heart!” He kissed my hand, then let it go. “I am not an ungrateful male. Surely there is something I can do to repay you?”
I shook my head. “There’s nothing you can give me that I would want.” I paused, pretending to think about something. “Well, there is this one thing…”
Helion leaned closer, anticipating my answer.
“At the next High Lord meeting, don’t support Rhysand and his Inner Circle. Side with the Spring Court instead.”
Helion clicked his tongue, disappointed. “That’s all? I would have done that anyways.” He gazed lovingly over at the former Lady of Autumn and Lucien. “Now that I know I have a son, I would do anything for him.”
“Geez, I thought you were friends with Rhysand?” Not that I care about that jerk. Still, didn’t Helion have ties to the Night Court? He was even allowed to visit Velaris.
Helion frowned. “I would not call Rhysand and myself friends exactly. It’s true, we did have a close relationship. But that changed after Under the Mountain.”
I hummed, still not entirely believing the High Fae. “And you would throw away, what, a years old relationship in one day?”
Helion sighed. “It was a mutually beneficial relationship for the both of us. He benefited from the Day Court’s knowledge, and I benefited from the Night Court’s wealth…” Helion crossed his arms, absentmindedly staring at the ceiling. “...But it’s a relationship that’s run its course.”
Now that made more sense. This was, after all, the same faerie who admitted that war was profitable.
Helion was one of the older High Lords in Prythian. While it might have been a recent position for him, it’s not like he didn’t participate in politics before. He had to have been a noble, if he met Lucien’s mother at a ball.
Compared to Tamlin and Tarquin, or even Kallias and Eris… he was harder to pin down. But he cared about Lucien and the Lady of Autumn, and that was enough for me.
I nodded, having made my decision. “Alright, I’ll trust you. For now.” I leveled my gaze on Helion. “But just so we’re clear, if you do betray us for Rhysand, you won’t get another chance.”
The High Fae chuckled drily. “Dear me, haven’t I made myself clear enough? I would do anything for my Lady and our son…. Anything.” Helion’s eyes flared, and I could see the light that threatened to burst from inside him.
I waved my hand in the air, dispelling that train of thought. “Cool, but how about you just focus on being a father to Lucien? God knows he and his mother deserve it.”
The light dimmed, as Helion considered my words.
He looked downcast, suddenly realizing how much time he had lost, to circumstances outside of his control. Lucien’s first words, his first steps, and all of those developmental milestones—Helion had missed every last one of them.
The weight of that realization settled on him, a heavy, suffocating thing.
“Hey.” I placed a hand on Helion’s shoulder. “So you didn’t get to be there for Lucien as a kid, and now you regret it.” I let go, my hand falling back to my side. “But you know what? You’re here now. And that’s just as important.”
The light returned, softer, as Helion glanced over at Lucien and the former Lady of Autumn. He smiled, no longer any trace of sadness on his face.
“For a mortal, you are remarkably perceptive... You speak as if you’ve lived more than your short lifespan.” The High Lord sounded curious, a keen, analytical glint in his eyes. “What exactly did you experience before coming to Prythian?”
I snorted, catching on to Helion’s act. “Nice try, but you’re not learning about my past that easily.”
Helion shrugged, not seeming the least bit apologetic. “It was worth a shot, I suppose.” Then he crossed his arms, observing me with a renewed fascination. “But you must forgive me if I’m curious. You are a mystery, Jane the human, but a wonderful one.”
“Wow, is that the line you use on all the ladies?” I shook my head, already used to Helion’s way of speaking. “No wonder Lucien’s mother fell for you.”
Helion and I continued to converse on other topics, such as the status of the Day Court.
Like the rest of Prythian, it was rebuilding, but Helion was also working to restore the libraries Amarantha had looted.
He was steadily making his way through Amarantha’s spells and enchantments, where she had stored all of the books she’d stolen. As for the ones she’d burned, he was working closely with scholars to recreate them.
I’d seen Tamlin’s library, Adriata Palace’s, and Hybern’s, but how could those compare to the Day Court? Not even all of the above combined reached the total knowledge of the Day Court’s thousand libraries.
A thousand libraries! That was an amazing number, especially for a pre-industrial society. Helion promised me that if I ever visited, I was free to enter any library of my choosing.
By the time evening rolled around, we’d cleaned up the parlor room, and taken off all the party decorations in the manor. We kept the flowers though, as a reminder of what had happened today.
Tamlin, Andras, and I waited, as Lucien hugged his mother and father goodbye.
While the former Lady of Autumn kissed his forehead and tried not to cry, Helion regaled his son with all that they’d do together, in the future.
He would introduce Lucien to his prize pegasus, Meallan, and teach Lucien how to fly one himself. He’d take Lucien and his mother all around the Day Court, meeting its citizens, who would surely love them as much as they did Helion.
There was nothing more that the High Lord wanted, than to tell everyone in the world Lucien was his son. But it wasn’t the right time yet. It would never be the right time, until we dealt with Rhysand.
Lucien’s mother still looked sad to see us go—at least until Helion bent downwards to whisper something in her ear. From the way she blushed, and the smirk on Helion’s face, it was definitely something not safe for work .
I just hope they used a contraceptive until Lucien was ready for a younger sibling.
The night deepened, casting long, purple shadows across the landscape, as we winnowed away from Lucien’s maternal family’s estate.
We rematerialized in the quiet solitude of the Spring Court, the familiar view of Tamlin’s manor a welcome sight against the moonlit sky.
Lucien was uncharacteristically quiet, the whirlwind of emotions from the day still visible in his eyes. He kept glancing at his hand, as if a memory of his father’s touch still lingered there.
“Well,” Tamlin said, breaking the silence, his voice a low rumble. “That was… something.”
Andras nodded in agreement. “And that…” He turned towards me. “What did you call it? A piñata? It was certainly a nice touch.”
Lucien spoke, his voice hoarse. “Thank you. All of you.” He looked at me, a mixture of awe and gratitude on his face. “Especially you, Jane.”
Tamlin's gaze met mine. “You’re full of surprises, Jane. Always have been. But snatching one of Rhysand’s most powerful allies right from under his nose? Impressive.”
I shrugged, a small smile playing on my lips. “What can I say? That’s just how I roll.”
“Like… a ball? How can someone roll like a ball?”
“No, it’s what comes naturally to me—you know what, maybe I should write a dictionary and share it with everyone in Prythian…”
Andras’s brow furrowed. “A dictionary? A list of words and their definitions?”
“Exactly!” I exclaimed. “We’ll start with ‘TMI,’ then move on to ‘LOL’ and ‘BRB.’”
Tamlin sighed, a long-suffering sound. “Perhaps you can infuriate Rhysand to death, one baffling phrase at a time.”
I rubbed my hands together. “Oh, I’m just getting started. You wanna talk smack about Rhysand? He's a walking red flag with a god complex. His whole Inner Circle is just a bunch of enablers, and the way they stan him is low-key sus…”