Aelin
The midmorning light was streaming through the glass windows within the abandoned estate we had claimed for the meeting with the mortal Queens. Rhys, Azriel, Cassian and Mor had winnowed Rowan and me, leaving Amren to defend Velaris. The air was tense with anticipation, but we were all well prepared. I was dressed in a light gold gown of chiffon and silk, cut in the typical Night Court fashion, a delicate golden diadem sat on my brow, a not so subtle nod to my true station. Rhys was decked out in his typically luxurious High Lord attire while Azriel and Cassian wore formal versions of their Illyrian leathers. Looking over at them as we stalked through the forest, I couldn't help but be envious. As much as I adored finery, there was a level of comfort in being dressed for battle in situations like these. Although one could argue that finery was a kind of armor of its own.
Mor stood beside me, wearing a red gown similar to mine, while Rowan scouted from above in his hawk form. The Queens hadn't given us any indication of how they planned to arrive from the continent, so we had planned to give ourselves as much of a warning as possible. I felt oddly naked in my human form, without any weapon beside the deceivingly sharp hair pins artfully placed in the crown of my head.
The Queens had demanded no weapons be present at the meeting. Forgetting, of course, that we were weapons in our own right. More fool to them.
The meeting was set for 11 on the dot, and they had requested the exactly geographical location and schematics of the estate. As the clock chimed 11, I realized why exactly they had wanted all of that seemingly superfluous information.
A wind brushed through the room, and five figures appeared, each backed by two guards. It seemed that some humans could indeed retain magic in Prythian, because these Queens had winnowed.
I allowed my gaze to rake over the assembled royalty, taking in information quicker than they could track, even in my human form. The mortal Queens were mixture of age, height, appearance, and apparently attitude. The eldest of them looked sharp and cold, proud despite the clear signs of aging across her skin.
Two middle aged queens barely made an impact, clearly submissive to the eldest Queen. The remaining two were young, barely out of their teenage years. I was immediately distrustful of the first, her careful cunning practically oozed out of her pores as she surveying the room, paying much too careful attention to the fae males taking up the space. The second however, I locked gazes with. I felt that same reverberation in the air like I did in the murky alleyway behind a dusty tavern, deep in the red desert and standing on the edge of a wall, an arrow nocked an extra minute.
She had wild, golden curls that refused to be confined, and pure amber eyes. Her brown, freckled skin reminded me painfully of Nehemia, but the way she held herself, like a lion caged in human skin sent an entirely different painful memory through me. I quickly shook myself. I hadn't thought of my cousin in years and I couldn't afford to do it now.
The guards stoic faces carefully took in the surrounding room, determining any perceived threat to their charges. We all remained carefully still as Rhysand greeted them. He stepped forward casually, causing the queens to suck in a slight breathe, almost simultaneously. He bowed his head slightly and addressed the group of royals, "We are grateful you accepted our invitation to speak with us." They stiffened at his next words, ever so slightly, "Where is the sixth?"
The ancient queen, and apparent leader of this little gathering, mastered her slight hesitance and spoke, "She is unwell, and was not able to make the journey with us."
Such an interesting lie to start with.
Her sharp eyes turned to me, "You are the emissary."
Though her gaze shown with derision, I did not falter. "Aelin," I said simply, "At your service."
She cut her gaze towards Rhysand, "And you are the High Lord who wrote us many times, with such interesting information."
I fought against raising my brow, wondering what it was my clever mate used to persuade these clearly prejudiced women to deign to speak with us.
"I am," Rhysand said. "And this is my cousin, Morrigan." Mor strode forward, encompassed in grace and power. The mortal queens brows rose, clearly connecting her name to her history in the War.
With introductions out of the way, we settled into the chairs that were laid out with strategic distance.
The golden-haired queen smoothed out her fine gown and said, "An emissary wears a golden crown. Is that tradition in the Fae lands?"
I allowed a slight smirk to grace my lips. "No," I smoothly replied, "But I certainly look good in one, so who can resist?"
The slight quirking of her lips confirmed my initial thoughts towards this queen. We were kindred spirits. Perhaps not allies, but maybe. She mused, "A human, standing next to not only a High Lord, but this High Lord, in a place of honor and a golden crown. Interesting."
"As is my life's goal to be," I replied dryly. Rhysand's amusement danced down our bond and it was only due to my decade as an assassin that I didn't crack a smile.
The eldest queen snapped out, "You have an hour of our time. Make it count."
I locked eyes with Rhys, who nodded at me imperceptibly. "We called you here to share valuable information, to warn you. War is coming. War the likes of which this realm has never seen." Visions of a bedspread soaked in red, of the creature from the castle library danced in my head. "And to request a form of aid to protect not only the Fae, but the humans who reside in these lands."
The queen was unshaken. "We know war is coming," she said. "We have been preparing for it for many years."
At that I raised my brow, "Yet the humans in this territory seem unaware." It wasn't a question.
One of the middle aged queens finally spoke. "This territory," she explained, "Is but a small fraction compared to the vastness of the continent. It is not prudent to defend it, it would be a waste of resources."
Anger, hot and fiery, burned low in my gut. I could feel the revulsion and hours coursing down the bond from Rhys as well. I chanced a glance at the golden queen, who was both disgusted and defeated.
Rhys drawled, "I am sure that the loss of even one innocent live is abhorrent."
The eldest queen was unmoved as she said, "Yes. But this is war. Sacrifices must be made."
"So you would abandon your people, without even an attempt?" Fury and shame battled for dominance as I questioned the queens, feeling the horrid similarities to my own treatment of Terrasen citizens. Rhys gently stroked at the walls of fire protecting her mind, which no longer burned him. You were a child. You were not to blame, my goddess.
The eldest queen parried back sweetly, "If the High Fae are so concerned, let them defend this territory."
The room pulsed with silence.
Mor spoke up, having been observing the interactions closely, "For all that you hate our kind, you'd leave us to defend your own people?"
The other middle aged queen snorted. "Shouldn't they?" she asked. "Should the blood of your kind not be spilled for your crimes over the years?"
"Neither side is innocent," Rhys countered smoothly, with more grace than I could afford at this moment. "Together, we have the best chance to protect those who are. Isn't that at least worth an attempt?"
"Oh?" The eldest queen asked, an ember of viciousness entering her eyes. "The High Lord of the Night Court asks us to fight with him? For peace? What of the lives that you have ruined throughout your hideous existence? The High Lord who walks with darkness, shatters minds at will wants to protect the innocent?" She laughs cruelly, "We have heard much of you, even on the continent. For a court feared even above the casual evil of the fae, whose name is synonymous with torture and death to talk about peace. I did not think you knew the meaning of the word, High Lord."
The fire in my belly was slowly being stoked into a raging inferno. "If you will not protect your own people, the artifact we requested-"
"Our half of the Book, child," the bitch had the audacity to cut me off, "does not leave our place. It was not left those walls since the day it was gifted to us, and it never will."
"Coward."
Five stunned gazes met mine.
"If you refuse to help your own, then give us the power to do so. I promise you will regret it if you do not. This war," I laughed darkly, memories running rampant in my mind, "This war is far worse than you could ever imagine. If you think for one idiotic moment that it won't touch you because you are human, think again."
I met each of their eyes steadily, forcing my truth upon them, "You are prepared to go and hide, to let the Fae battle it out between themselves. If you have to lose this territory, these people," I spat, "to hide away, you'll do it. But you are nothing but fools if you think this evil will be satisfied with conquering the Fae. They aim to devour this entire world, and once the Fae are gone, do you really think you will serve as much of a challenge?" I asked mockingly.
I hissed at them, "There won't even be enough of us left to be slaves. They will destroy us all." I sucked in a breath through my teeth, "Give us your half of the book. Give us your half of the book and you can go and bury your heads in the sand. If you do not," I shrugged, "You will not live to regret it, because you will not live."
The eldest narrowed her eyes at me, "You are young child, you have much to learn-"
A cold laugh erupted from me. "Do not. Condescend to me." I lifted my chin, daring her to question me, "I have seen things that would make you weep in terror before my tenth birthday."
She stiffened, refusing to back down, "We will do what we must. For the greater good. We will weather this storm-"
"Enough," Mor interrupted.
She rose, looking each of the queens steadily in the eye as she announced, "I am the Morrigan. You know me, you know what I am. My gift is the truth. Hear my words know, and know them as the truth as your ancestors did."
Stony, reluctant, silence.
Mor gestured to me, "Do you think it a coincidence that someone like her is once again entrenched in immortal business, at the very moment our world is once again at war? I fought at the frontlines of the first War, fought against my own kind for the future of our world. I saw atrocities that I could never in my worst nightmares have imagined." She sucked in a sharp breath before blazing on, "And none of those touch what our future will hold if we do not work together. I fought with humans in the last War, I protected them, loved them, and yet you laugh at the idea of peace? I see nothing of the warriors I fought beside in you, and I know that your ancestors would be ashamed at what you have become."
Quietly, I spoke, "I am well aquatinted with the fear of power. The all-consuming terror of those who others deem as monsters. Do you know what that resulted in?" I looked up, "An eight year-old child, who climbed into bed with her parents, only to awake drenched in blood spilling from their split throats."
Horror emanated from the queens. "Destruction of those with power does not make you more powerful, it makes you weak. It enables destruction and death. Power and evil are too easily compared, but that does not make it true."
I nodded towards Rhysand, refusing to look back at the males of the Night Court as I exposed myself. "I arrived at their court, naked and weak."
"Do you know how I awoke? Safe and cared for within their personal quarters. They did know me. I could have been an assassin, a ruse. Yet they care for me. Does that fit your carefully curated opinion of the Night Court?" I tilted my head to the side, daring them to challenge me.
The golden queen stared at me, ascertaining the truth with her own eyes. She turned towards the crone, fighting some secret battle, before turning to Rhysand, announcing, "Give us proof. Show us that you are not the High Lord and court we have heard about through terrified whispers. Give us a shred of proof that you are what they claim - a male of peace."
Rhysand rose, staring solemnly at the spidery queens, "You want proof?" He gazed steadily into each of their eyes. "Than I shall provide it."