𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕆𝕗 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 ¦ 𝔽𝕖𝕟𝕣𝕪𝕤 𝕄𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕞

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚆𝚊𝚜

"That many?" Dorian's voice jumped up a notch, with shock, His eyes had widened within their sockets, Brielle couldn't help the spark of excitement his expression shot through her, No one in this damn world knew exactly what Creatures lurked around every corner, nor how many of them answered to her, through nothing other then loyalty.

"Does Maeve know that you are the one in control of them?"

Aelin's voice was soft, too soft for the reputation she wielded, almost as wild as her own. Brielle watched as the queen stalked across the deck towards where they stood, her toned body eating the distance with ease. Her strides causing the swish of her hip to pronounce itself.

"She knows of my Spy court in Doranelle, She gave it to me. But no, I do not believe she suspects of my leadership within the Pride. The two share resources, but I keep them separate. For safety."

Aelin stepped up beside her, Dorian moving to stop the squeeze. Brielle noticed how Aelin watched Alexi and Vera with a tilted head; fascination.

"Are they mostly Fae?" Aelin watched the sparring for a second longer before she finally turned back around, "The Pride" she confirmed,  Brielle straightened at the question, it felt odd to be openly disclosing information about her most trusted friends, The Lioness's Pride.

She hadn't entirely decided whether she was going to answer, but the words were already leaving her lips, 

"Many believes so. Most of them are, some have been serving me long before either of you were born" she tilted to Dorian and Aelin's direction, both watched her with expressions of thought. Taking in every word she was giving them,  so trusting already. She could have laughed.

"There are few amongst us that are not Fae, It's beneficial to have people from all corners of the world"

"How many were there when Terrasen fell?" Aelin's question struck something in her heart, her body flushed and her head light. 

A thumping began in her ears, like a pulse it hammered harder and harder. The air was tightening around her, there was a clash of metal from where the group continued to train. Her chest ached when her heart jackhammered inside, the body to her right moved into her view, only just enough for her to take notice of him once more, Fenrys placed a gently hand to her back, reminding her of his presence. 

She wanted to scream at everyone to leave them alone, if only so she could curl up to his side and be safe once more, but the waves rocked them, she fell into him lightly but the jostle broke the pulsing.

"Only six of them are still alive today" six of her closest friends, she hadn't seen many of them in years but if she called, they would  come, no questions. Isaiah, Teyra, Theron and Vera being the only ones she had seen recently.

No on spoke, as though taking a moment to respect the fallen spies. She had more the day the Kingdom fell, but many were lost.

"Did you profit from it?"

 There was a tone of anger in the queen's words, a tone that tore something inside Brielle. A voice screaming in her head, how she could ever insist that profit could be made like that.

"Did we get profit off those who had no home, had lost family and were at the risk of being run down by soldiers? No. We took them, as many as we could into the shadows we called home and got them out as quickly as we could and have been doing so ever since."

"Nothing, ever? You didn't make them buy their freedom" Aelin had turned towards her now, the flame inside her burning bright, She hadn't been there, she had been a child, This girl had no right to the accusations she was sprouting.