A Court Of Thrones And Glass

chapter four

Aelin

Rowan sat down beside me from one side and Lysandra from the other. I was comforted by the fact that they were close.

As I looked at Rowan I raised my eyebrows, as if to say, should I?

He answered with a shrug, If you'd like.

I smiled slightly and scanned the Fae before me. They looked tense and ready to pounce.

"I'll start at the beginning," I said, deciding it would be best. So I told them my story without any reservations. A crown princess, a dark night, an evil dead, an escape and a sacrifice. I told them of Marion and watched as Elide's face tightened impeccably and a single tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away before anyone else would notice.

Then I moved to the next part which was harder. Me, dead in the river, Elena with a plea, the Gods with a bargain. Then Arobynn Hamel and my life with him, my broken arms and fractured ankles, the missions I completed and all the horrors I saw. Azriel - the one who hid in the shadows - wasn't looking at anyone, he seemed to be seeing a memory but his eyes were on mine. I shrugged it off, thinking he had some bad memories as well that he didn't want to remember.

My voice cracked as I reached Sam. Sam, Celaena's mate. Sam, the amazing and wonderful man he was. His death came next. The betrayal. Endovier. The slave mines and my year there. How I sprinted for my death and the scars on my back.

All the Fae looked at me with fixation as I reached Dorian and Chaol. The offer, I ride to the Castle of my enemies, The missing competitors, Nehemia, and the Wyrd marks. Then the ending battle with the poison, my faking the murder's of the King's enemies. I completely skipped the romance with Chaol and Nehemia's death since I still wasn't ready to talk about her. I just couldn't.

I kept on weaving the tale. There was Rowan in Mistward, fighting, learning to become Fae. The inferno I became when we were fighting with the demi-fae. After that it was easier, lighter. I spoke of returning to Adarlan and Rowan and killing Arobynn and Dorian's party and saving Aedion. It was all a lot to take in and I watched as they digested it slowly. Then Manon came into the picture with all of her Crochan-ness and then my voice gave out when we reached the part in which we sailed and Aedion picked up the story from there.

Talking of the fires on Eyllwe, Elena (again) and the realizations. Aedion's voice shook as he spoke of the fight and Maeve. The lashes on my back and Elide. His voice spat out Lorcans' name and what he did for his Queen. Then Illias and Galan Ashryver and the life debts I had called in even when everything seemed hopeless.

Lysandra quietly spoke of what I asked of her. Wearing my skin for the rest of her life and Rowan setting off to search for me while the rest of them moved to save Terrasen.

We couldn't speak of those who died for this war. There were so many with lives ahead of them that ended before they could start them. And those that opened new pages and restarted their lives. The ones who died for things I stood for. Mothers and fathers who will never see their children, parents who will go to their children's grave and weep for the rest of their lives, lovers who lost each other, and all the deaths that occurred even before the actual war. Marion who will never see Elide again, Dorian who will never look into Manon's eyes of burnt gold except for in his dreams which might become his nightmares. Yrene and her twins who will never see their beloved husband or father lest it be in heaven. So many had died so that I could be here and yet I didn't feel happy. Instead I felt guilty for those lives that could never be returned and for the lives of the people around them that have changed forever.

None of us dared to continue from there. We just weren't ready to reopen those wounds so we left it there.

"And then we somehow arrived here, and I'm guessing it has something to do with Elena or Erawen or someone else we haven't had the pleasure of meeting." I said, finishing off my life story.

"You endured all of that and you're only 20?" Rhysand asked, his voice not revealing anything but his eyes betrayed him.

"Yes." I said. I put my hand in Rowan's. It was hard to look at anyone and I didn't want to see any pitying smiles from them so I just looked at Rowan who's face mimicked mine in pain and sorrow.

It was going to be a long road to recovery.

Author's note: Hiiii! So what do you think? Did you like it?

I got a lot of questions regarding Manon and the thirteen and I want to point out (in case you missed it) that Manon is dead but the thirteen are very much alive. I didn't really enjoy Kingdom of Ash and that's why it's ignored completely. I will reveal what happened after Aelin was kidnapped and put in Maeve's iron coffin in the coming chapters.

Now if you have any ideas, feel free to comment them down below (although I may not use them so be aware of that) and if you have any cross ships or ships that you want to see, comment down below and I will dedicate a chapter to those characters.

Xoxo.