Aelin paced the small hotel room they had rented out near the palace. Tomorrow she would have to make a speech in front of all of Ornyth. She had to win the people over somehow but she didn't yet know how to do it.
"Is Lysandra back yet?" She snapped at Rowan who was playing go fish with Aedion at the table.
"No and trust me you would be the first to know."
Aedion agreed. "You're pacing by the door like a madman."
Lysandra had gone out to get Evangeline back at where ever they had left her, Aelin couldn't recall. Her memory was still muddled from being in the iron coffin, the only things she could remember clearly was being everyone except Aelin. How was she suppose to convince everyone she could be the queen if she could hardly remember being who that was. She remembered Aedion from their childhood and Lysandra from theirs. She did have to stop her from killing her though as apparently they are best friends now. Something that Aelin had gotten very used to very fast.
"I am Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid." She muttered to herself.
Aedion looked up from his card game. "Actually you're Aelin Ashryver Galathynius and you will not be afraid."
"Right." She nodded. "Aelin Ashryver Galathynius."
Aelin kept pacing as if that would make her remember faster. She briefly recalled meeting Rowan but not enough to be his lover or anything. Not enough to love him in return and this fact alone killed him.
"How's the speech going?" Rowan stood and put his arm gingerly around her tiny waist, hoping she'd remember or fall back in love with him but for some reason she couldn't, the bond wasn't clicking.
"It's going." She said blankly, curling out of his arm. She didn't mean to be so rude like this but she couldn't bare the feel of his arms. Not when the memory of Sam was so fresh in her mind.
Sure Dorian and Chaol came after him and she remembered them like it was yesterday as well but they ended up together. They each have partners, Sam wasn't so lucky.
She went to stand next to Aedion and ducked into his arms, looking at Rowan with wide eyes. "I'm sorry." She said but that was all she could offer him. How she might have ever fallen for this man was beyond her as he was nothing like Sam.
Just then Lysandra and Evangeline flung open the door and marched inside. Aelin was in Lys' arms in a heartbeat and soon after hugging the small girl that she had come to know as her niece.
"How was your day?" Lysandra asked her.
"It was so boring! All these two did was play cards all day." She jabbed her finger in the direction of the two boys who were still immersed in their riveting game of go fish.
"How boring. They didn't try to reenact your memory at all?"
Aelin shook her head. "I don't think Rowan is particularly motivated anymore. I still don't remember him."
"You might grow to love him again."
"He worked for Maeve."
"Not anymore." Aedion said loudly.
Aelin shook her head. "I can't be sure."
Evangeline only shrugged. "You'll get there."
Lysandra nodded. "Is your speech for later ready?"
"Yes, but I'm tired." It wasn't a lie exactly, it was getting late and she needed her sleep for tomorrow but more than anything she just wanted to be with the girls. She liked Aedion but they were still catching up after he left and Rowan... well he worked for Maeve and cannot be trusted.
"You heard the girl." Evangeline shouted. "Get back to your icky boy room!"
"You know one day you're going to want to go in the icky boy's room." Aedion told her as he put the cards back in the cardboard box.
"I don't know about that." She shrugged.
"Leave her alone." Lysandra snapped.
The boys grabbed their stuff and headed next door. "I'll be in to wake you up in the morning."
"We can wake up on our own." Lysandra told Aedion sternly.
"No you can't." And he shut the door, going into his own room to do whatever with Rowan.
"Now that the Rowan Whitehorn fanclub has left, you need to help me." Aelin pleaded. "Something to restore my memory or recall a piece of it or something."
"Aelin we've been trying for weeks and nothing." Lysandra sighed.
"It's maddening."
Evangeline bowed her head. "I'll do what I can."
---
The next day they slept in and were glad they had Aedion to wake them up, not that they told him that. It was a nice night though, all three of them huddled together on the large queen bed.
"Are you ready?" Rowan asked as they headed for the palace.
Aelin nodded. "Where's E?"
"Not sure." Lysandra shrugged. "She said she would meet up with us at the palace."
"Okay."
They trudged up to the palace in silence. Aedion annoying Rowan to no end and Aelin stuck to Lysandra's side like glue.
When they reached the familiar place that Aelin and Aedion once called home they banged on the door, a butler answering almost immediately.
"We've been expecting you." He said in a most dignified manner. "Just up the stairs and-"
Aelin cut him off. "I know where I'm going."
"And how is that?" He countered with a sneer.
"I'm the queen." And she pushed past the butler and headed upstairs to where she knew the door to the balcony for speeches lay.
When they stood on the balcony, they looked out at hundreds of thousands of people. Her people. Awaiting her return as rightful heir of the country.
"Aelin!" Evangeline called as she was escorted by a butler outside.
"I will introduce you for your speech now." The butler stated. When Aelin took her castle back, she was going to fire that guy.
"I brought you something, for your memory." She gasped, as though she had ran the whole way here.
"Aelin Ashryver Galathynius!" The butler yelled and the crowd cheered.
"Here!" Evangeline pulled something from behind her back. It was a glass rose. She knew those roses. They were from taking the glass castle. When she had done so much. She remembered. Dorian the witches. She remembered.
That singular glass rose.
Aelin stood on the edge of the balcony after she was dragged from her conversation with Evangeline.
"I am Aelin Ashryver Galathynius and several months ago I was recused from Maeve without the memory of the past two years, since I became Aelin. After the past few months of trying to remember, I finally do, as of thirty seconds ago, thanks to a glass rose. I am here to testify that sometimes memories are the worst form of torture. I still have nightmares from when I was a child. But those memories make us who we are, they make us stronger and most importantly they don't let us forget.
"Some say I'm a traitor. Maybe I am. All I know is that I did what I had to do. When I was eight years old my parents were killed and I ran. I was taken in by the assassin guild and in time became the greatest assassin that ever lived, I still am. I was taken in by the prince of Adarlan to become to champion and due to dark magic by another contestant, I won.
"I refused to kill for the king and let his victims free, giving him the heads of the already deceased. Not because I couldn't but because it was the right thing to do. I went to Wendlyn and while I was there I was trained by the prick Rowan Whitehorn to show Maeve what I can do. Me and him are now sharing our life together."
Rowan stepped out to stand beside, not daring to take her hand to show that she was strong with him but just as strong and independent on her own.
"I ended up coming back to Erilea and taking down the entire glass castle and the king. I freed the crown prince and killed Arobynn Hamel, the man who raised me. I fought in a war against Maeve down in the southern countries. Finally I was captured by Maeve in a Iron coffin until months ago.
"I am Celeana Sardothian, Adarlans assassin. I am Diana Brackyn, Arobynn Hamel's niece . I am Lillian Gordiana, the kings champion. I am Elentyia, spirit that could not be broken. I am Fireheart, rattler of the stars. But most importantly I am Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, your queen, and I will not be afraid."
The crowd remained silent for several seconds. Rowan took Aelins hand and raised it.
"I am Rowan Whitethorn, mate to Aelin Ashryver Galathynius."
Lysandra stepped forward, taking Aelins other hand and raising it as well. "I am Lysandra, shapeshifter, best friend to Aelin Ashryver Galathynius enemy to Celeana Sardothian, savior to Evangeline and admirer of Fireheart."
Aedion took Lysandras hand and raised it as well. "I am Aedion Ashryver. Cousin to Aelin Ashryver Galathinus and Admirer to all of her names, lover to Lysandra, admirer of Rowan Whitethorn."
Evangeline tugged on Aelins sleeve and she knelt down so that the smaller girl could crawl up on her shoulders.
"I am Evangeline, Protector of children, adopted niece of Aelin Ashryver Galathinus, adopted daughter of Lysandra."
Lysandra looked up at her but Evangeline only shrugged. She was no one to any of them and yet she was everything. That would be what she was going to do then. Make sure no child ever has to go through what she did.
"I am Aelin Ashryver Galathinus," Aelin repeated. "Adored and hated throughout the lands. Feared and respected. The girl of many names. The girl who won't be afraid and finally the girl who hopes you will accept her as your queen."
The crowd was silent for several more seconds before they burst out in cheers. Celebrating and laughing and shouting.
Aelin grinned as well and, much to Evangeline's dismay, kissed her mate.
"Ewwwwww." Evangeline groaned from on top of her causing all of them to laugh. "Kissing is gross."
---
Words:1679
I hope you liked this one, don't forget to vote and comment!
Much love,
Z