Chapter 26

Feyre brings Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel to her family's manor in the human lands to meet her sisters Nesta and Elain. Tension erupts during dinner as Nesta's protective hostility clashes with Cassian's defense of Feyre, while Elain struggles with her fear of Fae. The group drafts a letter to the human queens requesting their alliance against Hybern, and Rhys insists on sleeping arrangements that keep him near Feyre due to the unreliability of their powers across the wall.

Feyre uses Elain's charm to convince the household staff to depart quickly with payment, clearing the manor before Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel arrive at dusk. She meets them at the door and leads them to the dining room where Nesta and Elain await. Feyre introduces the three Fae males, noting how foreign her sisters now find her in her Fae clothing and crown. Nesta positions herself protectively in front of Elain and conceals a weapon, while both sisters display fear of the winged warriors. At dinner, tension escalates when Nesta questions Feyre's inability to eat the human food, implying she's become too good for it. Feyre responds sharply, and Rhys uses the mating bond to calm her rising temper without her realizing. Cassian confronts Nesta about her inaction while Feyre hunted alone in the woods as a child, particularly her allowing a fourteen-year-old to venture near the wall. Nesta dismisses him coldly, provoking Cassian's fury. Elain attempts to mediate, revealing her iron engagement ring and confessing that both sisters failed Feyre equally. Azriel engages Elain in polite conversation about Illyrian flight, while Nesta interrogates the males about their appearance and status. Cassian explains the High Fae hierarchy and the term "lesser faeries," and Rhys adds that the human queens will harbor far deeper prejudices. Nesta demands they write a letter to the queens that night and warns them to prepare for failure. She agrees to let them stay, and Rhys specifies they need two adjacent bedrooms with two beds each, citing magical vulnerability across the wall and concern about Elain's iron ring. After dinner, Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel spend hours drafting the letter while Feyre's sisters clean dishes and retire. In the shared bedroom, Feyre objects to sleeping arrangements until Rhys summons a small bed for himself. He mocks Cassian and Nesta's confrontation, then teases Feyre about her observations of Azriel and Mor's unspoken feelings—Feyre deflects by noting her own misery. Rhys warms the bed with magic, and as Feyre settles in, she thanks him. He mentions Amarantha never thanked him, and Feyre coldly replies that Amarantha didn't suffer enough. Rhys admits the dinner affected him deeply, seeing how young Feyre was and how her sisters failed to protect her, though he acknowledges their sacrifice enabled her survival and prevented Amarantha's expansion. He reveals he's already established a bank account and lines of credit for Feyre as part of her court wage. When he asks about her birthday, she reveals it was the Winter Solstice months ago, which she didn't celebrate. Rhys expresses surprise and mild concern. They end the evening with banter about who would win between Nesta and Cassian, both betting on Nesta, and Rhys references his past wager on Feyre defeating the Middengard Wyrm Under the Mountain.