Chapter 1
Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius stands before her mirror in her home, at the castle in Terrasen, and braids her long, blonde hair. She wears a white and gold dress, and it shows off her tattoos, the ones Rowan inked on her skin back during the war with Erawan and Maeve, and then after it when she inked Gavriel and Elena's names on her back, as well as her children. She stands as still as the Fae can, and she gently presses a hand to her swollen belly, where her next baby is.
Yrene visited last month, and has predicted that Aelin will have twins. The idea of having two more children is a shock to her, but she supposes that she shouldn't be too surprised, as she and Rowan had wanted kids, even after all they had been through. As she walks to her bed, sitting down on the edge and staring out a nearby window and smiling.
She feels tired, as she always is before they have meetings. She has a meeting with Lord Ren Allsbrook, as well as some of the other Lords of Terrasen, Aedion included. Lady Lysandra will also be with him, as will Lady Evangeline. Elide and Lorcan will come from Perranth.
Outside, in the hall, she can hear Fenrys talking quietly to Rowan. A small smile crosses her face, and she stands up and walks over to the door, pressing her ear close to the cool wood. She hears their voices, and that smile grows wider.
"Your children are all fiery, but I don't know why that would surprise anyone," Fenrys says to Rowan.
"Well, their mother is indeed the one and only Fireheart."
Aelin feels her baby in her womb kick. Delight fills her, but then, she finds she needs to pee, very soon. She rushes to the bathroom, and after she is done, she washes her face and looks at her reflection. She looks tired, but not as haunted as usual. Her lost humanity still feels like a phantom limb, her time spent with Maeve and Cairn still drives her from her sleep, but she doesn't feel as ruled by it anymore as she used to.
Not to mention, the fact that she never is alone anymore, that also helps keep the demons in her mind at bay. Aelin feels a tug through the mating bond, and turns as Rowan walks into the room, his white hair long again, his tattooed face smiling at her. She feels her knees buckle a little at the sight of her king, her Rowan, smiling at her once again.
"You alright, my Fireheart?"
"Of course," she says, smiling back at him again. "I felt the baby kick, and then I knew I had to hurry to the bathroom."
Chuckling, Rowan places a hand on her swollen belly. She watches him as he kneels before her, pressing a kiss to her stomach. How she loves her mate. After all they've been though together, it seems like now, more than ever, they are happy. Now, with their children, they are content.
Suddenly, there's thundering footsteps in the hallway outside of their room. Elentiya, their first born daughter comes barreling into the room. She slams into Rowan's back, and he lets out an "Oomph" noise that has Aelin laughing. He gives her a look that promises mischief, and then faces Elentiya.
"Yes, my dear?" Rowan asks her.
"Uncle Fenrys says that you two need to come down to the Great Hall, and said that Mommy needs to wear her crown."
Rowan looks at Aelin, who feels nervous at this. What could be going on? And should she be concerned about this? So, she takes both of their hands, and the three of them walk down to the Great Hall. When she reaches the Hall, Rowan hands her the antler crown she wore on her coronation day. She smiles her thanks at him, and they walk into the hall together.
A young Fae female stands in the middle of the hall, her eyes trained on the floor. The Fae girl is still as a Fae, and Fenrys stands not far from her, a sword in his hand. She wonders who this girl is, and if she is an enemy.
"The King and Queen of Terrasen," Fenrys says, bowing low.
Aelin's eyes widen as she watches the Fae girl bow, but then, she lowers herself to the floor. She is shaking, Aelin realizes.
"Rise," Aelin says. They both do, and Fenrys nods to the girl. The girl looks at Aelin and Rowan, and Elentiya behind them. "You can speak."
"I have come here to warn you of something."
"What is that?" Rowan asks.
The girl takes a deep breath, and squares her shoulders, raising her chin. "There are some people who wish to march on Terrasen. They are called the Zaug are after you and your home. But I have good news, there are forces in Erilea who wish to help you prepare and defend Terrasen from them, and I am one of their ambassadors."
"So, you are an ambassador of who?" Rowan asks.
"Of the Orfeon peoples, those who have been living in the Frozen Wastes. We haven't lived anywhere specific, just in the Frozen Wastes. We have helped our home rebuild after the war ten years ago with the Valg, but unfortunately, we didn't have the power to help you during your seige. We only had a few hundred people to our population, and most of us had been injured by the Valg."
"And you're Fae?" Aelin asks.
The girl nods. "Yes, but our people aren't all Fae. Some are humans and some are witch-kind, and some are Fae. We were thought to be extinct after the Valg torched our homes, but we went underground."
"Underground?" Rowan says. "You had tunnels underground?"
"Yes, sir. We were able to stay alive because we had tunnels, where we evacuated from the city we lived in when they attacked." She plays with the seam of the shirt she wears. She looks at the floor as she speaks. "I wish we could have helped, but we were trying to rebuild, ourselves. But then, a male named Vaughn came to us, and he helped us rebuild from the ground up."
"Vaughn?" Aelin asks. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," she says.
Aelin looks at Rowan, who shrugs. It could be him, he seems to say. Aelin turns back to the girl. "You are an ambassador from the Orfeon, and so, you and your people wish to help us fight the Zaug? What are the Zaug?"
"It's thought they are alike to Valg. Demons."
Aelin feels a sinking feeling in her stomach and chest. This isn't good. She glances at Rowan, then Elentiya, who is trembling. She sighs. She can't let her children live in fear, like she did. She cannot let them be scared of death like she was.
"Do they have weaknesses?" Rowan asks.
"Yes, fire and light are proven to kill them," she says. "They came from another world, not this one. We don't know how they got here, because it's obvious that the Wyrdgate is still intact."
Relief floods her, but Aelin knows that this isn't good. Regardless of how she feels about the Zaug, she needs to protect her friends and family from these monsters. So, she looks to Fenrys, who is very pale and looks as afraid as she feels.
"Fenrys, please take her to the guest room," she says.
He nods and escorts her out. Aelin turns to Rowan and Elentiya when they are out of the room. "We will not break, we will not yield. This is not the end of Terrasen, it will always remain alive. It will never again fall."
Rowan smiles at Aelin. He kisses her. "I love you, my Fireheart."
She grins, despite the dread in her. But she faces Elentiya again, and leans down to face her at her level. The girl is only ten, but she is going to be eleven in six months. She stands tall and juts her chin out. "I am Elentiya Galathynius Whitethorn, and I am not afraid."
Aelin beams at her. "Yes, you are. Now, go. Go see your siblings. Keep them busy, but do not tell them about our new friend. Not yet, okay?"
Elentiya nods, and skips off.
Rowan chuckles, and she leans against him as Elentiya fades around the corner. She looks up at him, and he looks at her. "We will get through this, Aelin."
"I know," she says. "I just hope you're right."
