All Things Wild and Beautiful

43. Internal Tensions

    Fenrys tugged his boots on and reached for his magic, teleporting himself to the palace. It was unusually quiet, compared to the last time he'd seen it. The usual amount of guards were in place and there were no guests to be seen. They had likely left the day before.

    Fenrys made his way to the appointed meeting room. Rowan hovered outside, his arms crossed and a tense expression on his face. "What's going on?" Fenrys asked as he reached him.

    "Aelin will explain," Rowan replied. A heartbeat later, his pine green eyes shifted to Fenrys'. His shoulders rose and fell as he drew in a deep breath. Rowan ran a hand down his face with a sigh. "Lorcan is going to be in a very bad mood when he learns about this. Aedion and Darrow too."

    Fenrys crossed his arms. "Do you think I care?"

    "You should," Rowan snapped. "Aelin gave you your position but if the Lords and Ladies demand it, she might have to ask you to resign. I don't see Lorcan and Darrow being very pleased about you sleeping with the female we're relying on to stop a war."

    "If this worries you so much, why didn't you speak to me about it before? I know you were aware of what's been going on."

    "Because you had the right to make this choice for yourself. I had hoped it was just one of your fleeting attractions and you'd work it out of your system, but now..."

    "You know it's more than that."

    Rowan held his gaze. "So do you. Have you acknowledged it? Does she know?"

    Fenrys turned away and entered the meeting room. He took his usual spot beside Aelin. She seemed unusually tense. He blinked three times. Are you all right?

    Aelin blinked twice in response. No.

    Fenrys slid his hand into hers and squeezed it tightly. She returned the gesture, straightening as Rowan and Darrow joined them. They were the last to arrive. Fenrys released Aelin's hand when Rowan gave him a pointed look. He looked over the group, searching for some sort of explanation for all of the tension.

    Lysandra and Elide watched Aelin with obvious concern. Aedion was more focused on his wife than his cousin. Lorcan's dark gaze had already landed on Fenrys. He ignored it and faced Darrow and Ren. Ren was waiting expectantly, while Darrow's gaze flickered from Fenrys to the Queen.

    Finally, Aelin spoke. "The group that has been heading violent attacks on random villages is becoming more of a threat than we initially thought. They're now calling themselves the Revolutionists. Rayan and Eliora still claim the Revolutionists act on their own accord, and I believe them. The Revolutionists want war. Rayan and Eliora just want equality."

    "I was under the impression that they both wanted war," Darrow scoffed. "How many different terms have you offered the Tarins, which they refused? They seem determined to secede from Terrasen and spark a civil war while doing so."

    "Rayan and Eliora have said that they wish to secede peacefully, but if they must fight for their independence, they will do so," Aelin replied. "The Revolutionists just want war. They are claiming that monarchies are the reason why people like Maeve and the King of Adarlan were able to come into power, and conquer and destroy so much. They believe that all monarchies should be eradicated to stop history from repeating itself."

    "Dorian revealed to me that there are groups of Revolutionists appearing in Adarlan now, and Eyllwe too. It won't be long before they spread all across Erilea, and perhaps even Wendlyn or the Southern Continent." Aelin paused briefly.

    "So instead of facing one threat of war, we are now facing two," Lorcan said.

    Aelin nodded. "Rayan and Eliora's terms remain the same. Proclaim Nascha as Lady of Arcelia and send her to them, or they will secede and we will be drawn into a civil war. But the Revolutionists now have a set of demands as well. All reigning monarchs must surrender their power and instate new forms of government, or they will go to war."

    "We can never have five minutes of peace, can we?" Fenrys grumbled.

    Aelin faced him. "Has Nascha even insinuated that she will take her place and help us?"

    He shook his head. "She doesn't want to see Terrasen go to war, but she hasn't changed her mind about becoming Lady of Arcelia."

    "She seems to have changed her mind about you," Lorcan huffed. Fenrys bristled as everyone turned to him. "I'm beginning to think our ambassador doesn't understand his duty." Elide gripped Lorcan's arm with a warning glare. He ignored her, focusing on Fenrys.

    "I understand my duty perfectly," Fenrys hissed. "I am doing everything I can to change Nascha's mind."

    At once, his companions' expressions shifted to ones of unease. Fenrys recognized his error and knew exactly how they had interpreted his statement. He made no move to correct himself or clarify what he meant.

    "We still have a few months to work with Nascha," Lysandra pointed out. "I'm sure we can come up with some sort of agreement." Fenrys didn't share her belief, but he remained silent.

    "As for the Revolutionists," Aedion said, shooting a wary look towards Fenrys, "they must know their demands can never be met. All we can do is be prepared for their next strike."

    "It might be wise to summon our soldiers and station them around areas with frequent Revolutionist activity," Ren said. "And prepare the Bane for war."

    "The new recruits just began training today," Aedion replied.

    "I don't want Terrasen turning into another battlefield with soldiers around every corner," Aelin interrupted. "It will put the people on edge. It will seem like I'm trying to control them and might drive more of them to support the Revolutionist's cause."

    "We have to protect the people somehow," Elide protested. "Remember what they did to the village in the Perranth Mountains? Fifteen survivors out of eighty-two."

    "You don't need to remind me." Aelin clenched her jaw and sparks danced at her fingertips.

    She closed her eyes briefly and Rowan watched her. Fenrys recognized the look of a mental conversation being shared. He still wasn't used to their ability to communicate through their carranam bond. Finally, Aelin opened her eyes again.

    "We can send units to one village in each area where the Revolutionists are active, but no more unless necessary," she said. "My kingdom will not become a prison."

    Slowly, they all nodded their agreement. Aelin waved a dismissive hand, but caught Fenrys' eye. He hung back while the others filed out of the room. Even Rowan left. Aelin stood and crossed her arms, watching Fenrys almost sorrowfully.

    "I would never expect you to...use yourself on behalf of Terrasen," she said. "You know that, right?"

    Fenrys nodded. "I responded out of anger and it came across wrong. I didn't share myself with Nascha as a ploy to convince her to become Lady of Arcelia. I did it because I wanted to. Because we wanted to."

    "Do you love each other?"

    Fenrys smiled to himself. "Yes. She..." He hesitated, then continued. "She said she would stay in Terrasen with me, but she still doesn't want to take her place. I won't force her to. I don't want us to go to war, but..." He shook his head. "I know what it's like to be forced to do things against your will. I would never let her go through that."

    "I know, but we have to do something," Aelin sighed. She ran a hand through her long blonde locks, watching him curiously. "You know, we've all been wondering about this for a while. Is there something more between the two of you than just attraction and rivalry? Something more than love? Because the way you behave around and towards each other makes me wonder if you might actually be..."

    Fenrys held up a hand and Aelin paused. "I love her, and that's enough for now."

    "But if you're ma..."

    "That's enough for now," he repeated, with a hint of a growl in his voice. Aelin narrowed her eyes but said nothing more. Fenrys left the room abruptly, his head spinning from everything that had occurred.