𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬

Ch 26: Rowan

"A hand reached out to grab the woman, but she was already gone."

Lorcan POV
She was gone. Aelin was a second too late. She was frozen there still, her hands still in the air where she could have caught Maeve. Everyone was silent, the streets empty, when someone brought everyone out of their trance. "He needs to see a healer. Right now." Gavriel announced and we all looked over. Aelin was running towards Rowan's unconcious figure. "I stopped the bleeding but if he doesn't see a healer right now he won't talk again." Gavriel explained and chaos erupted. Aelin was crying, leaning over him, her tears falling on Rowan. I strode towards them, and bent down. "We need to take him inside." I said, resting my hand on Aelin's shoulder. She didn't say anything, just got up and stepped back as I carefully picked Whitehorn up. "Get Madja." I heard someone say behind me.

We walked to the house of wind and I laid Rowan on the bed in Aelin's room. "Who is he?" asked Rhysand, standing alone in the stairway. Everyone else was downstairs, besides Aelin who was with Rowan in the bedroom. Standing alone with Rhysand, "Her mate." I answered. We both knew who the her was. He nodded and we both went down the stairs to the people sitting downstairs around the dining table.

"What the hell Rhys! I know you have a thing for taking in strays but you put everyone at risk, every innocent in Velaris, your own court Damn it!" said Cassian. I wanted to tear his throat out for that, and so did Fenrys it seemed if his feral snarl meant anything. "I-I couldn't let her go." he said, looking down at his shoes.

"I need to tell you something. We- need to tell you something." Rhysand said, his voice stuttering as if he was scared about something. He looked up to find everyone staring at him, including me. Everyone was battered and bruised from the fight outside, cuts littering their bodies, but they all still sat in those chairs like it was any other day, waiting for Rhysand to continue. Before he could say another word, a voice came from the door, "Yes we do." I turned around to find Aelin leaning on the doorframe, looking at Rhysand with sadness and understanding. What the wyrd is happening right now.

"The healer is with Rowan. We have some things to talk about."

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Aedion POV

"We need to bring him back. Our Queen and King are both captured. If the people find out there will be chaos." Lysandra said, and for the first time in three months, I agreed with her. Dorian nodded his head in agreement too. "We could start with Doranelle. Morath will be out of order for atleast two weeks. I didn't leave that place unscathed you can say." Dorian said, a small smile dancing on our lips at his last words. We all nodded in agreement, but, "Dorian you and Nox will have to go. Lysandra can't go obviously, and if the general of Aelin's armies disappeared in times of war, Aelin would fry me alive when she finds out." I said, making everyone chuckle and humm in nostalgia.

"We'll leave at dawn." Dorian announced before he walked out of the tent, probably to go sleep, but he stopped one step before he could leave. He turned back and looked straight at Nox. "I'll need to disguise myself. Everyone knows who I am. Who do you think I should shift into?" he asked, smiling a mischevious grin. Nox grinned right back at him. "How about Aelin? That would be fun." he said, Dorian nodded and left the tent chuckling.

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Rhysand POV

They needed to know. I can't put their life at risk like that without an explanation, and so I looked at Celaena who nodded and I began. "My mother survived the attack on her and my sister. Only she survived, and she had to leave. She left this world with the help of Amren an-" "Hold up a minute. What do you mean she left this world?" asked Mor, everyone giving me identical confused looks. I looked at Celaena, asking her to explain and she did, "There are other worlds in this universe, which can be travelled through by portals. There is an ancient magic called wyrdmarks, older than a millennia, which can create them. I am from another world, we escaped that woman from the borders- Maeve- by making a portal." she explained. "She left with the help of Amren and Helion, escaped to another world where she...she" I stuttered, the words just unable to form.

"met my father." Celaena continued, for which I sent her a grateful look. "They fell in love and got married. And then...they had me." Celaena finished. I looked around to find only confused faces, including that of Celaena's friends. "Wait what!?"

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Rowan POV
The healer's hands were hovering over me, healing me and I wanted to stay where I was because everything hurt. My throat fely soar, like it had recently been healed. Before I could even resist, my hands were knocking the woman unconcious. My legs slowly lifted themselves off the bed, as of even the demon could feel the pain, and rested on the stone floor.

They rested there for a minute and I thought that maybe be I could stay where I was for a minute, until the pain went away, but slowly by body lifted itself up, and steadied itself before it started taking slow steps towards the door.

I was met with a staircase leading down and some barely audible voices speaking downstairs. I could tell more than one person was down there. I wanted to warn them, to tell whoever they were to go away before the demon kills them but my body descended the stairs on silent feet. I hid behind the the doorframe for a minute waiting for the perfect moment and then I stepped out, my hand already moving to cut something but before I could something stopped me cold. "Rowan." Someone said, almost a plea. I knew that voice. Aelin.

I looked towards her and knew this was the moment, and so I kicked the mental door and took control.
The energy that I had saved for so long, relinquishing control and watching while my hands took the life of someone, and then again, and again. That pent up frustration and longing all leashing out of me. And for one moment, my eyes were mine again, and my mouth was mine to control. "Get it out. Break the collar." I managed to rasp out before it took control again.