In the Land of Fae 2: Return to Ice ♔ (gxg)

8. damage control

It was a cloudy day.

Darkness crowded across the morning sky, hiding the sun behind its fluffy protective shield. A cold front was moving in which caused the wind to be fierce that morning, blowing through the trees and making them bend and sway back and forth.

A few droplets of rain hit the window as Nyx stared out of it. Worry was tensing her shoulders, and anxiety was clutching her chest. The figureheads had called a meeting for the morning directly after the incident, and she hadn't even been able to have breakfast yet. She'd slipped out of bed early, letting Alastair sleep in, and tiptoed her way downstairs into the grand hall to nervously await everyone else.

It wasn't like they were going to kick Alastair out of the castle and out of the village—there was no way they would or could. She was more nervous for the fire fae than anything else. She could only imagine how Al was feeling during these times—something the fire fae resisted in making her privy to.

She could hear the sound of multiple wings flapping outside, and soon she heard footsteps echoing in the entry hall, heading right for the grand hall. Turning from the window, she watched as the group of figureheads entered the large room.

"Good morning, Nyx," Caspian tightly said, dread clear in his voice. He looked around the room for Al as the other took seats in various chairs throughout the room, forming a loose circle. "Where is she?"

Before Nyx could answer, Alastair smoothly glided into the room. Her eyes were puffy from sleep or lack thereof, dark circles lining her lower lashes. She looked thinner than ever before, and Nyx's heartstrings tugged painfully. Everyone watched silently as she trod up to the table, sitting carefully down in front of everyone. Her eyes crossed to Nyx with a blank stare, and the blonde felt chills run up her spine.

"Right," Caspian spoke, clearing his throat and sitting down beside Catori who couldn't pull her eyes away from Alastair. "Well, I think it's clear what we need to go over first—"

"It was an accident," Alastair interrupted him quietly, staring at the table surface in front of her. Ilmari and Gwyneira both looked at each other, being the two youngest and newest figureheads. They weren't sure how much room they had to speak, but no one was saying anything in response to Al's comment.

Gwyneira spoke up. "We know it was an accident, Alastair," she gently spoke, her confidence faltering when red eyes sharply bore into hers. "But accidents such as this one do not just...happen."

Alastair nodded slowly, feeling sweat break out on her forehead. Feeling everyone's eyes on her was making her go mad. No one was judging her like she assumed—they were just worried as figureheads but also as friends. This meeting was a long time coming, but she wished she could escape the room if only she knew Caspian wouldn't hang her for trying to do so.

"We need to know, Alastair," Caspian began. "You have to tell us what is going through your head so we know how to assess this problem."

Al's eyes moved to Catori. There was no way she would be able to verbalize all the horror that had been echoing in her head for weeks. She was sure that the words to describe it weren't even invented yet.

For everyone's sake, though, she tried. Sighing deeply, she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "Nightmares," she mumbled.

Catori nodded. "Good, that's a start."

"What nightmares?" Caspian prodded brusquely.

Alastair rubbed her mouth with her palm and looked over to Nyx. The girl somehow knew that Al was not going to be able to say it herself, so Nyx sat up in the corner of the room and instinctively spoke, "She has nightmares about Eira." Everyone turned to look at her. "She either relives the night of the battle, or she dreams that she has come back."