𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬

Ch 35: Betrayal

Aedion POV

My sword clashed with the claws of a valg as it lunged to attack my face. I gave a final puch before breaking the power struggle I was having with the demon as I faked a left swing and the demon strode to defend it but in the last moment I changed the direction, aiming to his legs now and with all my might cut them off as the valg was left to fall to the ground utterly helpless. My sword was decapitating him the next second, as it became routine. I looked over in the one moment of peace I had to find everyone busy with their own demon, some winning and others losing.

I saw Lysandra fighting a valg as Aelin as she cut out his head and moved to the next in the span of two seconds. Despite my reluctance to do so, I had trained her everyday to ensure that if the day came, she could fight on the frontlines as Aelin and people wouldn't doubt her. On the other side, Dorian was sending out waves of fire, and taking more than one valg at a time while he cut the head off of more with his swords made from ice. I could make out that this wasn't even close to the full army, as I couldn't see Erawen or Maeve anywhere. Tomorrow things would get worse, more people would die, and I would standby and do the best I possibly can but I would lose in the end because the weapon we needed to destroy her, we had no one to wield it.

Satisfied with how my soldiers were doing, I looked ahead, ready to take down the next one unfortunate enough to peg me as a target. I strode towards one that had just finished driving a sword through one of my soldiers. Anger coursing through my veins at the sight I lunged at the demon, battling his disgusting and hellish being.

As the fight continued, and another one of the attackers fell, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and turned around as my area cleared of all valg. I looked around to find everyone else still occupied though. A huge black wolf, Connall, I guessed was tearing off their heads like they were a chew toy and not demons. He looked at me after taking another one out and his eyes widened, which made me confused. Before I could react though, He bounded towards me and leaped, and my eyes widened as my hands moved to protect my face, but the blow never came, instead the sound of flesh tearing could be heard from behind me. I whirled around to find him finishing a valg off, one that was probably about to attack my very unguarded back.

I nodded my gratitude as a scream that tore through my ears, sounded somewhere. I spun around faster than I thought possible to find Lysandra gasping to catch her breath as blood dripped from the sword that coming out from her abdomen through the back. A demon, with black blood staining it's too white teeth stood with a hand on the sword, smiling viciously as Aelin's figure struggled to breath.

My feet were moving before I could take in the severity of the situation, as my visioned reddened with anger. The next thing I knew was the valg's head was lying on the floor as its body fell, taking it's sword with it. The second that the sword left the wound, Lysandra let out a scream as all her blood started flowing out with no one to stop it. Every single soldier on the field was looking at us now, with dread and surprise, not expecting their queen to be weak enough to actually get hit.

My hands caught her as she fell unconcious, and the thing we all dreaded happened, something that made all the soldiers let out squeaks of surprise and shouts of betrayal. Lysandra turned back to herself, leaving Aelin's body behind right in the middle of the field as every single soldier that was alive watched, some firsthand and others by word. I picked up Lysandra bridal style, and began walking towards the infirmary as I was glared at with confused and betrayed eyes.

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"Something was wrong at home and someone that Fenrys was linked to was feeling it."

Aelin POV

I looked up from Fenrys's slightly more calm figure towards Rhysand. "Bring in Rowan and the others. We're going to war right now. Anyone who has even the slightest inkling of a brain will join." I announced, resorting to making them angry to make them foolish and compliant, as a last resort. Rhysand looked at me worriedly, and I nodded at him to ensure that I meant what I asked of him. He nodded back before the shadows closed around him and he vanished from the hall.

"I'll meet you out in the courtyard with the Illyrians." Cassian declared as he and Azriel shadow-travelled away too. I looked towards Helion, the one that helped my mother, to help me save my world too. He looked into my eyes, as if looking for something in them, but at last he let out a sigh and nodded, disappearing the next second too, going to collect his armies.

I knew the others weren't convince enough to put their people on the line, for someone they had barely met, so I didn't even try to persuade them anymore. I looked back to find Tarquin and Kallias deep in thought, whispering to each other occassionally while Tamlin just sat in his chair, seething, probably at my latest comment. Thesan was nowhere to be seen.

Rhysand appeared a second later, along with Amren and my court, all of their eyes immediately going to Fenrys's sweaty figure beside me, who had claimed the pain to be gone. Without wasting another second, I got up and faced my people. "I don't know how Fenrys knows, but I know he isn't lying. The war has begun." I said, and watched as their previously worried faces drained of all colour.

I looked towards Amren, asking her a silent question as she nodded. She had the wyrdmarks. I gave Rhysand and my court a look that clearly said 'follow me' as I strode out of the hall towards the courtyard, hopefully to find an army waiting for me.

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I'm trying to kill you with the suspense, if ya hadn't noticed ;P