A Court of Scars and Steel (Completed)

Chapter 18 - Aelin

 Rhys opened his mouth to introduce her, but Aelin beat him to it. "I'm Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen, Princess of Wendlyn, and Princess of Doranelle."

All of the High Lords were staring at Aelin with confusion. All except for Helion. He looked shocked, his mouth half open. "Galathynius?" he asked.

Aelin nodded. "I'm going to assume you've heard of my line?"

Helion nodded, eyes wide. The rest of the High Lords, however, didn't believe me. "Terrasen?" Tamlin snorted, "I've never heard such a ridiculous name. And it's certainly not one of the six mortal kingdoms, which means you're lying."

Aelin's blood began to boil. "Don't insult my kingdom again," she hissed.

Tamlin shrugged. "Well, I haven't ever heard of it, so there's nothing to insult."

Before Aelin could do something incredibly rash, as was her specialty, Helion whispered, "You haven't heard of Terrasen because it's from another world."

All the other High Lords laughed, but the sound seemed fake, as Aelin suspected it was.

"Another world?" Tamlin grinned, but Aelin could see the seeds of doubt and suspicion in his eyes. "That's the most pathetic lie I've ever heard."

"And unfortunately for you, it's quite true," Aelin said camly, having regained control of her fiery temper.

"Then prove it." Beron snapped. "Use the Veritas and prove it."

Aelin swallowed. What... what would she see? What if everything was destroyed, dead? What if the Veritas didn't even work because it's a different world?

Rhys gave her a sympathetic glance, and cocked his head. She knew she didn't have a choice, they couldn't show weakness. But she also knew Rhysand would give her the choice. If Aelin said no, he wouldn't press it.

Aelin swallowed. "I'll try." Mor placed the Veritas in her hands. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her travels as an assassin. She'd been to the Red Desert and back.

Gasps echoed around the room and Aelin opened her eyes. A misty image was forming.

A large city, a glittering tower. Aelin froze. Orynth. Then, zooming towards the battlement of the city, there was her cousin, holding up the Sword of Orynth, bellowing a war cry against the Valg army camped shortly outside the walls.

Then, it flew towards somewhere Aelin had never seen and never wanted to see - Morath. A few of the black towers were still being rebuilt, thanks to Kaltain.

The image got closer. It went into a large room. Erawan was in there, looking as Valgish as possible. But his burnt golden eyes were looking at... Aelin faltered and so did the image.

A long, black haired woman, with dark eyes, pale skin, and painted red lips. Aelin thought she'd be sick. Maeve. Maeve was meeting with Erawan.

Another man was in there, with dark hair and golden eyes, looking at Maeve with something akin to ravenous hunger in his eyes. But so long as he wasn't one of Erawan's brothers Aelin didn't care.

Maeve was there, and she was meeting with the Valg King. Aelin remembered with growing nausea the one time she'd managed to cut Maeve, and the blood had been black.

What? No, Aelin had been imagining things. Maeve couldn't be... She wasn't...

Maeve focused her eyes on the view point, hissing, "We're waiting, Firebringer. When you come, we'll be ready."

Aelin pulled her hands off the Veritas, and the image immediately vanished. She shivered as all eyes focused on her. Gods, she couldn't go through this now.

"What was that?" Beron demanded.

Aelin swallowed. "My world."

"Then why was Hybern there?" Beron snapped. Aelin felt slightly dizzy.

Get it together, woman!

I am Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius, and I will not be afraid.

"Is Hybern the man with dark hair and golden eyes?" Aelin asked, dread coiling in her stomach.

Rhysand nodded.

Aelin swallowed. Now that she thought properly about the man... he looked so much like Erawan...

In all the legends she'd heard, Erawan had gold hair and gold eyes, Orcus had black hair and gold eyes, and Mantyx had white hair and gold eyes. And these were the only characteristics that could really tell them apart...

Aelin forced the words to her throat. "In my world, his name isn't Hybern. It's Orcus, King of the Valg."

All the High Lords looked mildly shocked, expect for Helion and Rhysand, who were both deathly pale.

"Valgs are just a legend!" Beron snorted. Aelin turned her Ashryver eyes on him, and fought a laugh as he barely resisted squirming.

"You've heard of them?" Aelin whispered.

Kallias nodded, speaking for the first time. "Our parents told us stories of a dark, demonic race called the Valg. It is said, a long, long, long time ago, they swept through, conquering every world, including ours, looking for the eldest king's wife. Until, that is, one world defeating them."

"This weakened them enough so that we could too," Tarquin continued softly. "We drove them out of our world, and gradually we forgot about them, their story becoming just a bedtime one."

Aelin was really going to be sick, but... "Did you say they were looking for the eldest king's wife?"

Rhysand nodded. "What is it?" he asked, sensing Aelin's relevation.

Aelin swallowed. "My world was the world that defeated them, many eons ago. We banished two of the three kings, but the third, Erawan, the man with blond hair you saw, remained. He hid for many centuries, gathering his forces.

Then he attacked. He was defeated, but at a great cost. Alas, though, stories of the Valg faded faster in my world, especially among the humans. Until Erawan rose a third time. The army you saw besieging the walls of the city was his.

As for his two brothers, Mantyx was banished back to his home realm. Orcus, the oldest, we thought was too, but I think he was banished here instead. His hatred festered, especially when you defeated him again under a different name in the last War.

I don't know how he got to my world. I think, though.." Aelin faltered a little bit. "I think the third person was his wife."

All the High Lords nodded, this was a fair assumption. But Aelin swallowed. She alone knew who the woman really was.

Maeve, Queen of Fae, or more appropriately Maeve, Queen of Valg.

A/N Hmmm.... What do you think of that plot twist?  I always thought Hybern acted too much like a Valg for his own good.  So I think I finally have a plan for the rest of the book and how I want it to go.  Originally, this was just a bunch of scenes I could imagine happening shoved together into a book.  I'm thinking about maybe creating a One Shots book of ToG, ACOTAR stuff so I don't have to write a billion books just to get a bunch of funny scenes in (like Beron vs Aelin).  Please tell me what you think and if you have any requests!

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