Throne of Glass/ACoTaR FanFiction

Part Five:

The rest of their journey had been strange at best, Aelin thought. Along the mountain pass, they had come across all kinds of lesser faeries. And though Rowan would explain what they were each time, and his theories for how they were getting through the portal, neither of them knew why there was a portal even open in the first place. Aelin wasn't sure what to expect from this other world. She was only glad that the Valg weren't involved. 

When they finally stopped a few feet in front of the portal, now glimmering with a magic light from beyond, Aelin hopped off of her horse to get closer to it. Before she had taken three steps, Rowan's hand was on her shoulder, warning her from getting any closer.

"How do we know that whatever is beyond that portal isn't going to attack us?" he asked, his hand warm on her shoulder. She cocked an eyebrow at him, her eyes trying to find something within his, trying to find some sort of explanation as to why he was so nervous. They hadn't discussed what the possibilites may have been, but did he know something she didn't about these other worlds? Perhaps all of that time spent with Maeve had told him something about the other realms out there.

"And how do we know that they're not going to welcome us like gods?" Aelin asked, running a hand through her hair and then shrugging out from beneath Rowan's hand. His eyes followed her as she drew closer to the portal and she could hear him following after her.

"You're insufferable." he muttered, though she knew he was smiling as he said the words.

She shot him her famous wicked grin, "You still love me."

At that, her carranam laughed, "That's debatable." 

Aelin shook her head, ignoring Rowan while she stepped halfway into the portal, one foot on the other side, in the other realm, while half of her body still belonged in her world. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Stepping back into her world, though one of her leather-clad feet was still on the other side of the portal, she signaled Rowan to follow after her, "You are not going to believe what this looks like, Rowan. It's beautiful. Come on." One of her hands shot out to grip his and pull him forward while the other closed around the amulet of Orynth, the Galathynius family heirloom that she had received after killing Arobynn. It had ended up being one of the Wyrdstone keys. Aelin clutched it now, careful to keep the portal open as she and Rowan stepped through. 

Aelin was more than glad when it didn't close behind them, but stayed open as she willed it too. And just as she had seen before stepping all of the way through the portal, this other realm was beautiful.

The trees were all blooming with flowers, all so vibrant. Emerald, violet, sapphire, onyx. They were all so beautiful and Aelin couldn't find the words to praise them. Beside her, Rowan seemed just as speechless. That was, until he stood ramrod straight and hissed a long warning out through his teeth. Looking up, Aelin wondered what the hell was wrong with him. How could he growl and hiss at something so beautiful? What was wrong with him?

Just as she was about to ask him, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. A jeweled dagger coming straight for them, straight for her really. 

Only a few inches in front of her face, she caught it as it spun in the air, her eyes going hard as she looked up to see the threat that had nearly ruined her face. A slow, long hiss rolled off of her tongue as well and she let herself change into her Fae form, a flash of light sparking in the air at the change. 

Now, once in her other form, she turned her attention to the threat before them.

Two men, both of them completely Fae. The one that had thrown the dagger was blond, with yellow-green eyes that stared at her interestingly. He was tall, and tanned from spending hours and days within the sun. His entire body was corded with muscle, which he flexed now as if to look intimidating. Beneath the baldr that he wore, completely packed with weapons - daggers and knives like the one that he had thrown at her - he was shirtless. He was handsome, Aelin could clearly see that, but there was something completely wrong and different about him that she couldn't quite place. This man was so unlike Rowan, even if they were both warriors - and Aelin could tell that he was a warrior from the expert way he had thrown the knife. Her eyes moved from the blond Fae to the other right beside him.

This second one was more interesting than the first. His hair gleamed like the sun, a burnt red which reminded her of Ansel. Below his long hair though, he had only one real eye. The other was mechanic and was staring at her strangely, a soft whirring noise sounding from the several feet between them. Aelin couldn't help but wonder what had caused him to lose that eye and replace it with the mechanical one, but it was likely something to do with the large scar down half of his face, which told of a violent past that one usually kept quiet about. She cocked her head at the two men and wondered what their names were.

Rowan, beside her, bore his fangs at the two strangers before she wrapped an arm through his and narrowed her eyes on him, telling him to behave, as if he was a child and he was misbehaving while guests were over. Rowan didn't let up though, his brow furrowing when he glared at Aelin beside him.

"Hello..." Aelin started, ignoring Rowan beside her and the evident warning in his eyes, telling her that they needed to return to their realm before things got ugly. Though these two strangers didn't seem friendly, especially not at the hard set looks in their faces, Aelin knew that she could change anyone's first impression of her with a little effort on her part. With a wide grin and a sultry look in her eyes, she had caught their attention. She was glad when she took a step forward and neither of them reached for their weapons, "My name is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen." Rowan stiffened beside her, "And who might you be?"

The blond one stepped forward first, that hard set to his features still prominent as he introduced himself and his companion, "I am Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court, and this is Lucien, my envoy from the Autumn Court." with a few glances between them, the blond turned back to Aelin and Rowan, "What are you doing on my borders?"

Just as Aelin was about to explain herself, to tell them about the portal that had opened from their side of the realm, there was a sound of footsteps behind the two male Fae, and a crunching of leaves as well. Too loud footsteps to belong to another Fae. 

"Feyre?" the blond one - Tamlin asked, obviously calling out the other person's name. Aelin's interest piqued again, because obviously he hadn't been expecting this new addition, "I thought I told you to stay at the manor house!" but just as he said the words, the new arrival came into view. Aelin and Rowan exchanged a look between them. 

This was going to be interesting...

Sorry that it has taken me so long to update! Hope you all like this, and please let me know what you think :) -xx Ali