The week flew by, full of planning. Eris and Evren had decided to arrange a meeting between themselves and the ambassadors and generals of the court the day following their mating ceremony. A priestess had already been found and agreed to perform the ceremony, as well as the ceremony in which Evren would officially become High Lady of the Autumn Court.

After their meeting with the ambassadors and generals, they would invite the other High Lords and Ladies of Prythian to a ball so she could be introduced to them on friendly terms as well. She would be presented to the people sometime in between everything else, and many of the denizens were going to be invited to the ball besides the High Lords and Ladies.

Evren was already planning how she would kill Cadoc and his friends once things calmed down. She had no doubt that Eris would want to help. She would allow it, provided she was the only one to kill Cadoc, as she'd said. Eris could take his pick of Cadoc's friends.

The night they'd chosen arrived at last. Just after sunset, Evren and Eris made their way to a village close by, where the priestess was waiting for them. They took no one else along.

They took their vows and performed each aspect of the mating ceremony. Evren fed Eris once more and the priestess bound their wrists together with a length of crimson ribbon, before proclaiming them mated.

Then, with their wrists still bound, they performed the second ceremony. Evren swore the same oaths Eris had taken when he became High Lord. She swore to govern the people of the Autumn Court justly. She swore to protect them and their lands. She swore to give her life for the court, should such a sacrifice be demanded. She swore her loyalty to Eris and the court and he swore his to her. When the vows were complete, Evren became High Lady of the Autumn Court, Eris' equal in every way.

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

Evren yawned as she combed her fingers through her curls. Eris was dressing behind her. "Are you ready for today?" He asked. "I can't guarantee you'll receive a warm reception from the ambassadors and generals."

"I don't expect one," Evren replied.

"What will you say if they ask about you being my whore?"

"I'll tell them the truth."

She grabbed her old clothes, the ones she'd arrived in. Evren rubbed the worn leather between her fingers. She pulled the clothes on and braided her hair. When she turned around, Eris was holding her crown. She let him place it atop her head. He grabbed his own and they left the room.

The older female servant, or, Josephine, as Evren had learned her name was, stood at the foot of the stairs. "The ambassadors and generals are waiting," she said. "I directed them to the room you selected."

Eris inclined his head to her but said nothing. They continued on, heading to the throne room. Evren took Eris' offered arm and lifted her chin as they entered. Eight Fae faced them. Looks of confusion crossed their features. Eris led Evren up to the throne. She sat and he remained standing at her side.

"You wanted to see us, my Lord?" The oldest Fae male asked.

"I did. Evren, this is Balor Nikos, Ambassador to the Day Court." Balor tilted his dark head towards her. Evren looked over the ambassadors and generals as Eris continued to introduce them.

There was Alarik Valso, another male, who was Ambassador to the Spring Court. Kavan Maddox served as an Ambassador to the Summer Court. Fallon Alastair was one of two female ambassadors. She was appointed to the Winter Court.

The second female was Maleia Idris, Ambassador to the Dawn Court. There was no Ambassador to the Night Court, apparently. Eris handled business with them himself. Besides the five ambassadors, there were three generals. Two males, Amon Ruslan and Ciaran Atlas, and one female, Saskia Oberon.

"Ambassadors, Generals," Eris said when he'd finished introducing them, "This is Evren Bastile Vanserra. Your High Lady."

Their jaws dropped as they looked between Eris and Evren. Evren met their gazes, keeping her own cool and indifferent. "You made a Human our High Lady?" Alarik Valso sputtered, his blue eyes hot with indignance.

"No." Eris touched his hand to the back of her neck. "I have made my wife, my mate, our High Lady."

"Your mate?" Fallon lifted her nose slightly and Evren knew she was breathing in their scents.

Amon Ruslan shook his head angrily. "A Human can't be High Lady of the Autumn Court. We've never even had a High Lady before."

"Feyre Archeron was a Human," Saskia Oberon pointed out.

"But she was High Fae when she became High Lady, and remember the trouble that caused with the other courts?"

"There is peace amongst the courts now," Ciaran Atlas said. "Having a Human mate is almost as rare as meeting one's mate at all. The other High Lords might respect this."

"Rhysand already knows, as does Helion," Eris added. Evren remained silent, listening to them debate back and forth.

"A Human can't be High Lady. The people won't accept her."

"This will cause problems with the Loyalists."

"This could be seen as a sign of weakness."

"I knew you'd taken a Human whore," Kavan Maddox growled, "but to make her your High Lady? I won't accept a worthless Human slut as my High Lady, regardless if she's your mate or not."

Eris snarled and started towards the male. Evren grabbed his hand, stopping him. He halted but remained tense. His amber eyes flashed fire at Kavan. The male wisely lowered his gaze.

"I am not a whore," Evren said. "Nor have I ever been. That was a lie to explain my presence in this house."

"Then who are you really?" Balor asked.

"The Wraith."

"An assassin?" Kavan exclaimed. "A Fae killer? You let a Fae killer stay in this house with you? You have made her your High Lady?"

"Ironically, we met because I was trying to kill him," Evren said before Eris could speak. "Yes, I am an assassin and yes, I kill Fae. I have been tracking down influential members of Beron's Loyalists and disposing of them. Would you like to know why?"

None of them answered. Evren swept her sea green gaze across them. A few of them met her stare. "To avenge my parents, who were murdered by Beron Vanserra," Evren said.

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

Evren kept a tight grip on Eris' hand as she spoke. He glowered at his generals and ambassadors, daring them to interrupt her. He'd known they wouldn't take the news lightly. He'd tried to prepare himself. His preparations didn't ease the surge of instincts he now felt.

"I was ten years old. Times were hard in the Mortal Lands, as they nearly always were," Evren began. She was telling them her history. History that had been hard for her to tell him until she trusted him. She was telling these Fae that she barely knew, because she was the High Lady and her people deserved to know the truth about her. Pride swelled in Eris' chest.

"My mother began speaking with Children of the Blessed. She decided that life would be better for us if we tried to live in the courts. My father begged her not to go, but she left anyway. My father tracked her and I tracked him. He found my mother at the border of the Spring and Autumn Courts."

Evren's throat bobbed and Eris squeezed her hand. A few of the males were watching her skeptically. He shot them warning glares and they lowered their gazes.

"Beron and some of his warriors had already slaughtered the Children of the Blessed that my mother was traveling with. I watched him slit my mother's throat. My father attacked. Beron burned him from the inside out. They dug a mass grave and began piling bodies within it. I couldn't stay hidden."

"Like the foolish child I was, I revealed myself. Beron had his warriors whip me until my back was nothing but ribbons." Evren twisted in her seat and gave Eris a small nod. He undid a few of the laces on the leathers, pulled down her undershirt slightly, and let the ambassadors and generals see the mass of scars that covered her ivory skin. Fallon covered her mouth with a hand. Eris redid the laces and Evren faced them again.

"I screamed and cried. Beron laughed in my face. He pulled a cloak out of the pit. A cloak that was stained with my mother's blood. He wrapped me in it until I couldn't move and threw me on top of those bodies. And then, they began to bury me alive."

Evren closed her eyes and her breath shook. Eris squeezed her hand again and touched the back of her neck lightly. "I could feel the weight of the dirt pressing down on me. I couldn't move. I could hardly breath. I was still screaming and crying. My own blood soaked into the cloak. Blood from the bodies beneath me soaked into it as well."

"I must have fallen unconscious, because when I next opened my eyes, I was being dug up. A Human man had seen the ordeal and stayed hidden until Beron and the warriors left. He told me he could teach me to be an assassin so that I could one day avenge my parents. I went with him. I had no other choice."

"He did train me. He took care of me. I thought I could trust him. He came home from a tavern one night and saw me. There was nothing I could do. I screamed and fought and cried, but I was too small and too weak to fight him off. He stole the last of my innocence. It became a regular thing. He would even bring friends by and let them take turns. They just laughed when I cried. When I bruised. When I bled."

Eris gritted his teeth and stroked the Bond that glowed within his chest. Evren didn't push his hands away, but he kept his touch light all the same. "So I became a monster with a heart of stone. I stopped feeling. I stopped being. I just hunted and killed and yielded. All the while, I plotted how I would kill Beron to avenge my parents, and then end myself."

"I came here to kill Beron, but I found him already dead. I was going to kill Eris until he offered me another choice. He told me of the problem with the Loyalists and I agreed to work for him. I would be killing those who supported Beron and protecting the lives of innocents, even if they were Fae."

"In the months that I've been here, I have changed. I have found my place. I have found my mate. I have found my purpose." Evren loosed a heavy breath and kept her chin held high. "I don't expect you to accept me, even after I have told you the truth, but know this. I am the wife and mate of your High Lord. I have taken the same vows that he took. I am your High Lady. You cannot change that."

Eris slid his hand down to her shoulder. Evren placed a hand over his and squeezed the one she held. The ambassadors and generals were silent. Fallon Alastair was the first to step forward. She dropped down on one knee. "My Lady," she said.

Maleia Idris and Saskia Oberon followed her lead, echoing the title. Balor, Alarik, Amon, and Ciaran bowed as well. Only Kavan remained standing. "I will not bow to a Human," he snapped.

Eris was itching to force the male down himself, but he remained beside Evren. She stood and he let go of her. Evren made her way down the dais, touching the heads of those who knelt. When she stood before Kavan, a small grin slid onto her lips.

"You will," she murmured. "Someday, you will."

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

For an extended (and spicy) version of the mating ceremony scene, please see the story titled "An Autumn Mating" in my bonus book "Beyond the Books".