Heir of Deception

Chapter 25

Rowan snorted at that. Della could see the peace that settled over him at having his mate near him. At seeing her safe and healthy and happy.  Despite all that they had suffered they were together had made it worth it. Della realized that his trauma went much deeper than just this one attack, but she would do what she could to help him understand that he was not to blame and she knew Aelin had the same goal and that maybe together they could help him. Just as she knew that Rowan and Aelin were working together to help her learn and grow. So Della returned Aelin's smile, excited to be apart of this family.

Rowan quirked an eyebrow at the broth that Aelin held. "It's not hot is it?"

Della had to bite her lip to hide her smile as Aelin playfully rolled her eyes "It is perfectly tepid." she said lightly. Aelin refrained from her typical territorial male commentary, obviously aware of her mate battling heavy emotions.

She allowed her father to fuss some more with the pillows propping her up. During which she began to get nervous that he would also spoon feed her however Aelin placed the tray directly in her lap. The broth was just this side of cold but flavorful. True to Rowan's concerns her throat was tender but not in any excessive pain. She could feel her body becoming drained from the effort it took to feed herself.

"How are you feeling?" Aelin asked Della.

"All things considered fine. How long have I been unconscious?"

"Nearly 4 days." Rowan answered. "The amount of poison they used could've knocked out a wyvern."

Della looked at the couple, there were gaps in her memory but she did recall Rowan saying words like poison and antidote. "What kind of poison did they use?"

"It's called salandit, it has no scent but it burns so it is typically served with heavy alcohol." Aelin explained. "It's rare and costly and typically used against the Fae because of the lack of scent. But it has an easily identifiable flavor."

Della flushed, embarrassed to be so naive.

Rowan, especially observant today, said, "Obviously there is no reason for you to know the flavor of it prior to this Della. If it happens again spit it out."

She nodded doing her best to believe him.

"Anyways," Aelin continued, "the two that attacked you came with the mercenaries."

"Were the mercenaries apart of-" she gestured vaguely to herself uncomfortable with the word attack.

Her father scowled, "The situation is delicate. Unfortunately they are favored by one of the continents that we have been trying to develop trade with. So to offend them would have more consequences than just cutting ties with this group."

The bitterness evident in his voice. The fact that he was unable to fully interrogate the mercenaries and was bound by politics deeply infuriated the male. Della had learned during her tutoring that Terrasen in many ways was still a budding country and Aelin and Rowan were working feverishly to accelerate it's growth and were loathe to use force to do that. So despite the might of Terrasen they were trapped by their own goals of peace and prosperity.

"I understand." Della offered, "It's a complex situation. Do you suspect them? Were they hired by someone perhaps?"

"They were most definitely hired. The two we have in custody aren't capable of a scheme elaborate enough to kidnap you from the palace." Rowan said.

"How long have they been working with this group of mercenaries?"

"3 years. And I believe them, what's difficult to ascertain is whether the whole lot is in on it or if they worked independently." Rowan answered, "If they were hired because they were already meeting with us or the trade discussions were all a ruse just to gain access to you is also yet to be determined."

"Personally," Aelin offered, "I think they're all in on it; I still can't figure out if they were hired by a private entity or if their king orchestrated the attack."

"Why do you think that the whole group is in on it?" Della asked.

"Well first, only your glass of alcohol was drugged which means they targeted your cup specifically during dinner time since the drink was served in a pitcher. So they at least have one more accomplice that we haven't arrested. But more than that when we came to the leader he didn't really defend them. Just sorta agreed with us and asked if he could help. It feels like those two were primed to be scape goats for the rest of the group should the kidnapping fail. Or maybe it was supposed to fail..."

Rowan nodded silently in confirmation, as he and Aelin had already discussed this at great length playing out each possible scenario and how it aligned with the actions of her attackers and the mercenaries they were apart of.

"Hence why it's difficult to question them because to accuse them while they have been helpful could send a bad message to other traders that we are unpleasant to work with and all your hard work is out the window." Della said to the couple.

She cringed inwardly feeling guilty. Della knew it wasn't really her fault, she could grasp the logistics that she was a victim and had committed no wrong doing but she hated that she had, at best a weak point in the courts armor and at worse a low hanging fruit to enemies of her father and perhaps all of Terrasen. She knew in heart of hearts that her father, Aelin and others here would move heaven and earth to ensure her safety. She silently vowed to herself to be even more dedicated to her training so that she would be able to personally protect herself from future attacks. That she would not burden her family with worry over her.

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972 words

A touch shorter this week. Sorry!