(Bit of a long chapter but it needed to happen. All feedback welcome xx)
Fenrys
I wanted her to tell me I was wrong. That I was being ridiculous and that the issues were coincidences and that's all. Then she'd turn and tell me to leave and rest, all the stress of raising a new kingdom was driving me delirious.
But she didn't. And I wouldn't have believed her if she had. Because now the words that had trembled out of me were beginning to settle. The Guild. Aelin's face was a sheet of ashen white. I could see the cogs turning in her mind. The thought that her role as Celeana Sardothien was threatening the life of her child. That the life she had tried so hard to leave behind still haunted her every breath even as Queen.
Aelin let a feral smirk bloom across her face, it didn't do anything to ease the tension that was knocking itself through my body. It was to try and settle Aedion no doubt, who's stench of fear drowned my senses and most likely Aelin's too. "Well, I suppose that answers whether they're still pissed or not."
"Aelin. I don't think tonight is a good idea."
"Tell me Fenrys, what exactly is going to happen to a bunch of c grade assassins when they come across a court of shapeshifters and fae? A Queen who loves her people. A people that love their Queen." She waved off the worry and returned to her child, who looked just as stressed as I did. Crazy as it sounded. "Go and get changed Fenrys. The procession starts in an hour. I expect you to be ready to welcome Manon and Dorian."
Yrene
I had been tasked with babysitting for the evening and honestly, I couldn't have been more thankful to Aelin. The exhaustion had finally settled from my walk about the city and the amounts of healing that had been piling up through the day from the mayhem of the celebrations .There was no room left for finery and dancing. Chaol had been adamant about seeing Dorian even if he had to hobble around all night and I knew to make that possible for my husband, I could rest. Besides, there was no doubt similar festivities would continue for a few evenings before the people of Terrasen would begin to tire.
The younglings had been asleep for hours, with the exception of one white-haired princess. Luna had been as silent as death since I'd taken her from her parents hours previously. She'd settled into her cot easy enough, but she'd stayed awake, looking through the room every now and again. The same tension was as thick in the nursery as it had been when Fenrys had spoken about the disturbances. It had me anxiously scanning the room on numerous occasions, almost jumping out of my skin when I saw a silent figure striding in through the doorway.
"Gods, Fenrys, you startled me." His eyes were hazy as a light grin tugged over his face.
There was no denying the fact that he was one of the most handsome fae I'd ever seen. Even after he'd cut his hair into short curls that replaced his long locks. His golden tan like he'd never missed a minute of sun in his life. There was no attraction there though.
I would never find anyone that could ever quite make me feel the way Chaol did. The way my heart would flutter and cheeks would blush was something I had never imagined myself having. Yet, there it was. And our child. A gift. He had been such a welcome little gift even if the timing had been truly atrocious. Our little Henric. Our little bundle of joy.
Fenrys leaned over Luna's bedding, her hand instantly grabbing one of his fingers. "For you, Stardust."
That damned necklace he'd almost kicked up a fuss about in the market place was now glistening from around Luna's neck. "I thought you were on duty."
He just shrugged lightly in response. "Apparently I was making everyone too nervous."
I noticed his slight wobble then. "Fenrys are you drunk?"
"Ok let me correct myself. Apparently I was making everyone so nervous I got kicked off my post and forced to do shots with Nox." Fenrys stated, perching on the stool and leaning back on the wall, just in case. "And I'm not drunk. Just... happily spacey."
"You're drunk."
"And you're exhausted so put together, perhaps we'll make one good babysitter."
Luna was up and on his lap before he could finish his sentence. "Fenrys, she's supposed to be going to sleep."
He just stared back at me, completely done with the lack of confidence in him. "She will."
"What do you mean she will? She-"
"Watch." He whispered, putting his head back on the wall. And much to my surprise and slight annoyance, the girl leant against Fenrys' chest, and closed her eyes.
"How did you-" Fenrys again just shrugged his shoulders, dismissing the question and closed his eyes. "If I'd known about that particular trick I would've sent for you hours ago."
I looked between the two. Then again, brows furrowing in confusion and consideration.
I wonder...
Fenrys
Gods I felt so damned giddy. I'd only closed my eyes a minute ago... maybe hours ago... surely not. Yrene was asleep now too in her place on the sofa opposite.
I had almost drifted off again when a barely noticeable thud came from the other side of the room where Luna's empty cot was. Silence followed.
For a beat.
Then a harsh tearing ripped through the room, like a blade being forced through fabric.
My eyes slammed open and there, in the shadows, a figure that should've been plunging a blade deep into the Princess' body, swiped through nothing but empty quilt. My heart dropped through my chest, feet unfaltering as I placed the baby on Yrene's lap and stalked for the intruder, who was backstepping to the door, shaking his head adamantly.
Luna's wailing had woken Yrene who was trying to calm the child, in hopes of calming herself in the process. Yrene would not leave the other children in the nursery.
The questioning and interrogation would have to be taken elsewhere then.
"Please. You don't understand." The man was shaking on his knees. "He said he'd kill my family." I took my sweet time dragging my sword from the hilt and stalking towards him, dragging him by his collar out of the nursery and towards my office. "Send Aelin and Rowan to my office." Not casting a single glance behind me.
Aelin
The music that had been filling the room came to an abrupt stop as the doors came crashing open, Yrene bursting through them. I'd almost laughed and asked her to join me for the next song, but the utter fear that dredged from her had my breath catching in my throat and my legs running towards her.
I'd gotten to her just before Rowan could and pulled Yrene back out to the hallway to stop others from overhearing whatever the conversation would unfold. It was a horrible, terrible feeling I had in my stomach that warned me that this knowledge should not be spread.
"Where's Luna?" The question was instinctual.
Yrene was a babbling mess, somehow we managed to decipher that Elide was taking care of all the infants in her room. "Fenrys." She blurted, waving her hands in his general direction. "He's in his office." Chaol had made it outside too, rubbing soothing circles on her back as she shook, pulling her towards their room and ordering for more security around their rooms.
Breathing became difficult as I ran and ran, shaking off the fuzziness swimming about in my head. "I'll go to Luna, you go to Fenrys."
"No." Rowan was adamant about his reply. "Whatever it is, it's bad. I won't be able to control Fenrys and he won't listen to me. He is sworn to you. Go to him."
I wanted to see my daughter, needed to see her, but Rowan was right. I hadn't had to use the blood bond to any of my court often, had hated it on several occasions, but I just nodded and carried myself on a phantom wind to Fenrys.
I didn't bother knocking when I opened the door, eyes almost bulging from my head, mouth dropping open in shock.
Fenrys wasv stood before a man strapped to a desk chair- a human man- who was hunched over his knees and panting.
Gods there was so much blood and I couldn't see where it was coming from. He didn't even turn to look towards me. "Fenrys, stand down." There was no recognition that I had spoken at all, he just dragged his blade slowly up the man's jaw, using it to tilt his head, leaving a thin line of red trickling down his ruddy skin and onto his tunic.
"Who do you work for?"
The man sobbed in response. "I told you he never told me his name. Please."
"Wrong answer." His blade forced its way through the man's hand with such a force, it went straight through the wooden arm of the chair too. His resounding scream knocked me out of my shocked state.
"Fenrys, stand down!"
"He said he'd kill my family!"
"Fenrys, stand down, that is an order!" I could feel the heat and slight flicker of flame in my palm, and for a moment, it looked like Fenrys would fight against that bond. Fight against my will and against me. "Fenrys you will tell me everything. Now."
Fenrys
It was the drink, I was sure. The alcohol that had fueled the beastly anger I hadn't seen in so long. It was the alcohol and because someone had broken into the castle.
Someone had successfully broken into the castle, to kill my Princess. And would have succeeded too.
It made me sick. It made me want to reach for the blade and twist it further into the man's arm. It suddenly didn't matter who he was, what he wanted. I wanted him dead.
It had been pure luck that everything had lined up so perfectly. For me to be in the nursery, through a mere feeling. The necklace, my anxiousness and how others had disregarded that feeling, how much I'd drank. Everything had lined up too well. All the luck I'd missed through the last few centuries saved up and spent in this one moment. To save Luna. To save my Stardust.
"He was paid to kill her." I'd barely even whispered it, turning to my Queen, dried blood rubbing through my clothes. I hadn't even noticed I'd gotten any on myself. Not that I would've cared if I had noticed.
She looked between the two of us in complete confusion. Like she was assessing exactly what I had. His age, his weight, everything. Aelin's eyes burned a furious gold, slowly turning her stare to the man and stalking forward, looking completely feral.
"Please."
"Fenrys go and clean yourself up. You're dripping blood everywhere. Get Rowan... we have some business to attend to." She didn't look back as I was dismissed. They'd get the information from the man better than I had.
Because I was so blindsided by absolute fury and the haze of alcohol still bubbling about my head, I'd probably have killed the man before learning anything useful at all.
The knock was light on the Whitethorn's rooms as I waited outside. A moment passed. Then another. "Yes?"
Popping my head round the corner of the door, I could just see Luna on her Father's lap, pulling at his hair and giggling wildly. "Aelin wants you. She's in my office. I'll send in Yrene for Luna."
Rowan looked up, his smile faltered slightly. "How bad?"
"...Worse than I thought."
"Yrene's still shaken, would you mind looking after Luna? I tell you what, take one of my shirts, you're bleeding everywhere and I'd prefer if Luna didn't see that."
Rowan covered his daughter's eyes before I opened the door fully to hurry past. Their room stank of their scent. Jasmine and pine and snow. The scent of baby too. I couldn't quite name it, but I'd guessed it would be identical to the baby powder that was no doubt stocked in their bathing rooms.
I'd rummaged my way to the bottom of one of Rowan's drawers, finding his least used tunics and pulled out a grey one. It'd do. I swept off my deep sapphire one that had been stained darker in uneven patches, and swapped it with the plain smoky grey. The pride that filled me was foreign as I noticed I filled out his shirt. The information was stored in a place in my head labelled: for future arguments and sly comments against Rowan.
Rowan was stood when I rejoined him, Luna crawling about the room. I didn't miss the darkness that haunted his features. "I'm sorry. For brushing you off about all of this. I'm grateful for you being there tonight but it shouldn't have been necessary. I should have listened to you and I'm sorry."
I was lost for words. Rowan didn't let his guard slip around many people that weren't Aelin. But there was no kind of reply that seemed right at that moment. "Mistakes happen Rowan."
"This mistake could have cost me the life of my daughter, Fenrys." Rowan paused as if he was going to say something else, but instead turned on his heels and stormed through the door to find his mate.
I hadn't let myself dwell on that particular fact. Hadn't contemplated the loss, or what it'd do to everyone. How would everyone move on from something like that. Could we? We'd all lost so much already, it didn't feel like any of us would survive if we lost anything else.
Especially not as precious as her. Luna. Who was currently trying to pull herself up on the wall, to stand on her chubby feet that still couldn't quite support her weight, and sent her tumbling back to the ground.
No, I don't think I would survive through that at all.