Fenrys had barely managed to choke out a "How?" or any question, before his mate was ambushed by Aelin, who hugged her fiercely, both women crying joyous tears, "I knew it, I knew you weren't gone."
He scoffed, "No you didn't, liar," she shot him a death glare but Freya just laughed, amongst sobs.
Rowan, Aedion, Lysandra and Ren quickly welcomed her back, their faces beaming with happiness, and when they were done clamouring around, and Fenrys started getting irritated by their presence, Aelin turned to her shadow, eyebrows raised, "I'd quite like an explanation,... but"
she added, as Fenrys snarled under his breath, "I think you need to rest."
The dark haired female nodded gratefully, as Fenrys wrapped his arm around her firmly, leading her away, towards the white walls of the palace.
~
Freya didn't recognise this part of the castle, it was in the western tower. She'd barely been able to climb one set of stairs before Fenrys had swept her up into his arms, ignoring her feeble protests, carrying her all the way up to about midway, entering a large set of stone chambers, simply furnished, as though its owner hadn't cared to decorate or personalise.
She smiled as she spotted his twin swords resting against the wall, the only noticeable feature of the place.
He placed her tenderly upon the bed, it's plain green linen covers simple, but soft.
"You haven't bothered to decorate much, have you ?"
He smiled softly, "I've been away, Aelin's new emissary."
His chest puffed out slightly at the title and she smiled, that soon faded, "I guess I missed a lot, while I was gone."
He said nothing, but she saw the curiosity in his eyes. "I will, tell you everything... but I'm...so tired"
She relaxed slightly into the soft pillows, but grasped him arm tightly, "Stay with me." She implored,
she couldn't bear to be apart from him for a minute longer. Without any hesitation he kicked off his boots and lay down beside her.
She rolled over to face him, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the bond I-"
He cut her off abruptly, "You don't have to apologise for anything."
"I've been thinking, all this time, Yrene could undo whatever Maeve did to me," a sob caught in her throat, "To us."
He kissed her again, softly and sweetly, then drawing back, "We will spend the rest of our lives together, whether we're fully mated or not. I love you, maybe Yrene can, maybe she can't, but it doesn't change the fact that you're my mate, and I'm yours. So you're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."
Her heart clenched so tightly, and she laughed at his words, "Poor me then, and lucky you." she yawned.
He grinned playfully, before a flicker of nerves passed through his eyes, "I know Connall gave you your name...but how would you like it if I gave you another?" She looked at him confused.
"Since you don't have a real surname, what would you say to becoming Freya Moonbeam."
Her eyes widened in shock, and she could barely speak, for the emotion she was overcome with, she could only nod, yes a hundred times yes, as she kissed him deeply.
He wrapped his arms around her as she grew more tired, the exhaustion of what she'd just accomplished taking its toll.
"I take it that's a yes." He whispered softly to her as she began to lose consciousness,
"Yes." She breathed, "I will pride our ridiculous surname forever." He chuckled and she slipped further into sweet oblivion, comforted by the presence of her mate, and future husband.
~
Rowan to his credit, managed to hold his wife away for the rest of the day, before she escaped his grasp, and made her way to Fenrys's chambers, where she would undoubtedly find the two of them.
Once she saw the two curled up together however, fast asleep, even her impatience was satiated, and she did not return until the next morning.
BANG.BANG.BANG.
Freya jumped awake, eyes wide open, alongside Fenrys. Unlike the time before, the female growled equally as much as Fenrys as Aelin flounced in, but this time she did not order Fenrys out, only plopping herself on the end of her bed, Rowan following soon behind, an apologetic look upon his tattooed face as then Aedion and Lysandra, Ren Allsbrook and to her utmost surprise Elide Lochan and her husband entered too.
"I thought you were in Perranth?" said Freya, uprighting herself into a seated position.
Elide smiled, "Aelin sent word as soon as you arrived, we rode throughout the night to be here."
Silver lined her eyes, as she clasped the woman's hand, sending an appreciative glance to the queen, and kicking Fenrys under the covers to stop glaring at the woman, who to be fair to him, was wearing a smug little smile on her face.
"I've been gone so long, congratulations to both of you," she nodded to the to two newlywed couples, "and I'm sorry I missed your coronation."
"Oh shut up you silly woman, you weren't even on this realm, were you?" An almost knowing expression was on Aelin's face as Freya shook her head in agreement, surprised, "No."
They waited with baited breath as she twisted her fingers in her lap, which Aelin noticed bore the slightly battered looking ring of Silba, Athril's ring.
"I didn't know how, or why... but when I killed her, it didn't destroy me, like it should have. I believe my fathers ring saved me in that regard, but everything Valg inside of me is gone, as soon as I put the ring on- which hurt like hell by the way."
Rowan didn't know how he'd missed it, Aelin and Fenrys clearly hadn't, but had tactfully chosen not to mention the brown hue of the Fae's dark eyes, any Valg gold once swirling there vanished.
"The gap inside of me, to some dark endless powers somewhere, it's shut forever. All except my Fae magic, and something, something I didn't know was there, deep down, that my mother had put there..." she trailed off at the mention of her deceased maker so Aelin finished, "her ability to World-Walk."
Freya nodded silently then carrying on, "I was not on any part of Erilea or our world, but on another plain entirely, another world, another continent... called Prythian." She stopped herself abruptly, "I learnt things, things about what I can do... I cannot tell you much more... apparently there a dangers for this sort of knowledge." Aelin's face was alight with recognition now, the rest still silent, in awe of the whole concept.
"Were there..were there other Fae there?" The queen probed gently, and Freya's face flickered slightly in shock, she nodded, "How did you-"
"When I broke the Lock, I believe I was sent through many worlds to return to this one, in one there were two Fae, one winged and one pregnant, that I saw."
Rowan's body was numb with shock now, at what Freya explained so casually, and that Aelin had also briefly experienced it and never told him. Freya however, lit up at the mention of her friends, "Yes! On their continent Prythian, there are Fae and humans like here, two High Fae took me in, helped me and uh.." her eyes sparkled fondly in memory, "Well she's not pregnant anymore."
"It took me so long to regain my strength, and then I had to learn how to get back, but on purpose this time, I'm just sorry I couldn't come back sooner.
It's an impossible task, Maeve was much more powerful than I am now."
They all scoffed her apologies away.
Something flickered on Aelin's face at the mention of babies, and Rowan unconsciously placed his hand on the small of her back, but Freya was instantly aware, and she scented the air curiously, eyes widening at what she found,
"Aelin, are you...are you with child?"
It was so obvious by the grins on everyone's faces that tears formed in her eyes as she stood and embraced her, ignoring Fenrys's warnings, much to his annoyance.
She didn't think it was possible to be so happy, felt it bursting in her very being, here she was surrounded by her true family, at last, looking into the future with excitement.
She looked to her right, meeting those dark onyx eyes she loved so much, and she saw the joy dancing there, and felt, for the first time, at home.
But there was one more thing she had to do, waving her overprotective mate off, she stood before Aelin, staring deeply into the curious woman's turquoise eyes, and then she knelt, sinking to the floor,
"I am free now, for the first time in my life, but I know that by pledging myself to you, I will still be free, but I will also be home."
"Freya.. are you sure," the golden queen's throat bobbed, "You were enslaved to her for so long, I would understand if you left and never came back."
She shook her head gently, "You are not like her, and while I cannot ever again swear a blood oath to anyone," Aelin nodded in complete understanding,
"I hope you know my word is as good as any magic, stronger than any bond, I pledge myself to you, Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen, Faerie Queen of the West." She winked at her mischievously before then continuing slightly shakily,
"For the rest of your life and mine, I will serve you and protect your people and your lands.
My queen."
***
Wow, thank you all so so much for reading and voting!! This is my first book so I'm quite proud of it.
I hope you like the ending, if you guys want I can maybe write an epilogue :)
Thanks again to everyone who first read it and stuck with me 😂😘 xxx