𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬

Ch 43: The Stag of Terrasen

"Yes, Rowan, I am."

Aelin POV

I sat there, frozen in Rowan's arms as it looked me in the eyes, the fire burning between his horns. As my body turned rigid, hesitant to even move as to scare it away, Rowan pulled back with his eyesbrows furrowed, "What's the matter, fireheart?" he asked, and then followed my line of sight, and stilled too. Dorian, who was watching me ever since I came back was staring at it along with us. Carefully, I untangled myself from Rowan and stood up, slowly, and took a step towards it, my hand extended with a gentle 'I won't hurt you' gesture. It didn't move, just kept staring at me. I took another step, and then another as the stag of Terrasen moved forward and rested his head under my outstreched hand. A gasp of pure joy and awe escaped me as I petted the stag. He neighed, and looked back at himself as if telling me to 'get on'. He didn't need to tell me twice as I made my way to its back.

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""Hello brother." he said."

Fenrys POV

I couldn't move. He died. He bled out right in front of me as I was forced to kneel in his blood. A strangled sound left me as I continued to stare. "H-How are yo- No. I watched you die. Maeve made you slit your throat right in front of me." I cried, shouting now. I could tell the whole infirmary was watching us now, I could feel their stares burning holes in my back. Connall- his eyes softened at what I said, "that's why you didn't come looking for me." he said, low enough that even I had to strain my ears to hear him. My eyebrows furrowed further, as I got even more confused. "Maeve, she locked me away because I tried to leave after you but sh-she caught me." he said. "She left me to rot in the dungeons." he finished. I looked into his eyes, tears blurring my vision. I didn't say anything, I couldn't, I just lunged at him and tackled him in a hug, as he hugged me back with just as much force. "She'll summon me back the second she notices I'm missing." he said into my neck, but I felt nothing but pure joy at getting my brother back. "I know a solution to that problem, don't worry."

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Rhysand POV

I had been instructed by Rowan to not spend all my magic at the first armies that come, and he was so very right. As I flew in the sky, Cassian and Azriel on my either side, to scout what comes next. 'I was not expecting what I saw' is an understatement. After flying for about a mile or two, we saw the real deal. Five tall towers, each with huge mirrors in them besides the middle one were slowly moving towards the battle, guarded in both air and land as valg footsoldiers huddled around it and big black dragons mounted by dangerous looking women were hovering over and around the towers. The earlier horde of these witches, led by a beautiful and vicious ironteeth witch with a glittering crown of stars on her head, turned out to be friendly, and a friend of Aelin's. These ones however, seemed only capable of bloodshed.

Something in the corner caught my eye as I turned to see what it was. Purple portals were opening everywhere, in the middle of Erawen and Maeve's army, and on the sides. I squinted my eyes, trying to get a closer look at what was happening when the one person I most dreaded stepped out of the middle vortex. Hybern, with a big glittering crown that I could see all the way from here, followed by an endless number of soldiers. Right behind Hybern, something big and round was being carried, the soldiers making a protective circle around it, when Azriel gasped, "shit." he said and I turned towards him. He just pointed towards the big round thing behind Hybern, "the cauldron." he squeaked out. Oh shit.

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Aedion POV

As the day progressed, the enemies' numbers are growing at an impossible rate, and with Rhysand on a scouting mission and a missing Dorian and Aelin, things were far from good. The High Lords had been instructed to preserve their magic for when the real enemies showed and they were doing an awefully good job at it. Lazy selfish pricks.

A sheen of sweat dripped down my forehead as I sliced the head off of another soldier. My mind had left my body as I killed one after another purely based on muscle memory. All I could thing about was where Aelin and Dorian were and if they were doing what I dreaded they were, who would be the sacrifice, because I needed Aelin. I lost her ten years ago, and I lost myself with her when I failed to do the duty I was trained for, but now that she was safe again, or as much as one can be during a time of war, I won't be able to survive if I failed in that duty again.

Suddenly two wolves jumped over my dazed but fighting figure and bit into an unusually large valg soldier that was coming up behind me. The wolves, one black and one white bit into either side of its neck, tearing the head off. Before I could even get over the shock though, a battle cry sounded from the edge of the battlefield, right from where Oakwald began. I turned my head to the direction of the voice to find a breathtaking view. Aelin in the lead followed by Rowan and Dorian, all of whom were seated on the legendary stags came riding into the army. Aelin, with her sword raised and a look of fury on her face, sat on a stag with her own fire pulsing like the sun itself between its horns.

Shouts of "to the queen!" could be heard everywhere as the soldiers were filled with a new vigor as Aelin rode into battle, swiping her sword through one valg, and then another.