Nyx | Carpe Noctem ✓

Chapter 29: Windhaven

∙ Madis POV ∙

"Than act like an adult, take responsibility. There will be a time where your mother and I won't be there for you anymore. We won't be High Lord and Lady forever. At some point you will have to take over. You need to take some responsibility and prove that your are capable of doing things like this. Prove it, prove it that you are ready, especially after what happened the last time."

I heard Rhysand talk loudly while I was approaching the dining room. His voice was close to shouting and he sounded very angry. The previous day everything had seemed alright. It could have been something about the talk Rhys and Nyx had had later that day when I had already been in bed, pondering over the feeling in my chest, the odd tug. I decided to ignore it and shut my feelings down, just like I had always done.

I also did not know if I should turn and head back upstairs or if I should walk in. That conversation sounded very serious. I was not part of their family so it would be weird if I would just walk in, right?

"Go to the Illyrian mountains and stand your ground. You are my son, those bastards will have to listen to you!" Rhys continued and I felt the tension build between them. I did not want to eavesdrop, but damn—I was so nosy.

"They don't accept me and they don't respect me either and never will. Why should they listen to me?" Nyx snarled and I heard a hand slap on the table. I shuddered.

"Because.....at some point they will have to listen to you. One day you will be the High Lord. Maybe sooner than later," Rhys now shouted.

"What does that mean. You are find, father, aren't you?" Nyx spunded panicked.

With the next spoken sentence the Hogh Lord's voice grew softer and a part of me knew that he already regretted shouting at his son. "Yes. Yes, Nyx, I am."

I did not fully buy his answer.

"With the riots going on we have no idea if they do not plan on something greater. We need peace and calm. And maybe at one point we will need their support again and it is a good chance for you to prove yourself there."

I really needed to leave—

"Come in, Madis. This is no secret meeting, no need to eavesdrop and then sneak away," I heard Rhys say loudly and gritted my teeth, internally face-palming myself.

Shame about eavesdropping coated my insides when slowly waddling into the room. I spread my arms from my body and bit down on my lip when stepping inside. "Sorry," I mumbled, embarrassment written all over my face.

But then my eyes landed on the heir to the Night Court. Nyx was a picture of misery, sitting in front of his father who was towering over him. I gave him a sympathetic smile, but he just averted his gaze and stared at the ground.

And then I did the most awkward thing I proble could have done: I slowly sat down and grabbed some things for breakfast. Gods, I was now just having breakfast or what? Sometimes I really wondered if my brain worked right...

Rhysand did not pay me any more attention and quickly resumed to the discussion with his son. "Do you understand what I am saying? You have to do this. They will never accept you or respect you if you always duck away and hide behind me," Rhys said. Nyx nodded slowly, his head hanging low.

"I still don't want to go!"

"This is not about what the heir of the Night Court wants. It is about what he has to do. Noora is joining you."

"They also don't respect Noora there. They hate her because she is female," Nyx snarled, balling his hands into fists and lifting his head. I watched from the corner of my eye, wanting to disappear.