Heir of Dreams and Princess of Light

Chapter 5: The Collateral Damage

Danica hated feeling things. 

She hated feeling sad when Estelle was sad. She hated feeling angry at Aelin for making Estelle sad. She hated feeling restless because Lysandra was still in Prythian, Nyx and Estelle would never get their happy ending, and there was nothing she could do about anything.

Danica slashed her sword, making contact with Odette's, who grunted and moved her foot back to keep her balance. 

"Easy, Dan," Odette muttered, pushing back against Danica's sword. "I'm not here to be flayed, just to train." 

"Sorry," Danica apologized, pulling her sword away in a swift arc. "I just--" She made a grumbling noise in the back of her throat and turned away, pacing across the dirt floor. "I can't sit still. I need to do something, you know?" 

"Yes, I know," Odette sighed, following her friend. "But I don't know what we can do. I've never seen Stelle this upset. Have you?" 

Danica shook her head. "I don't think I've ever really seen her upset, period." 

Odette cracked a grin. "Except for maybe when you walked in on her--" 

"Listen, we agreed to never bring that up ever again, right?" Danica cut in smoothly. "I was paid handsomely for my silence." 

Odette pursed her lips and nodded. "Oh, of course." 

The grin Odette had managed to pull from Danica faded. "I just... she's one of my best friends, Odette. I hate seeing her in pain like this." 

Odette sheathed her sword. "I know. I do, too. I tried talking to her yesterday. She wouldn't let me in the room. I could hear Reave inside, though. If one good thing's come out of all this, it's that she seems to be on better terms with him now."  

Danica frowned, confused. "Weren't they always?" 

Odette laughed, dark eyes flashing. "Are you crazy? He's her younger brother. It's in the rules that he has to pretend to be aloof toward his older sister, even if it's obvious he loves her." 

Danica's brows pulled together. That didn't make sense to her. "You've lost me." 

Odette patted her arm sympathetically. "You don't have a younger brother. You'll never know our pain." 

Danica still didn't understand, but she moved on anyway. "It just-- it doesn't make sense. Why not let them see each other? It's painfully clear, to me at least, just how much Nyx loved her, and how much Stelle loved him. What's the point of having the damn Wyrdgates if we don't use them?" 

"Danica, you know what Aelin said," Odette sighed. "It's too dangerous. Only Galathynius and Archeron blood can open the Gates, and we need to keep them closed so the mortal Queens don't slip through. You know what a danger they are to Erilea." 

"But that's the thing," Danica protested, sitting down on the bench against the wall. Odette sat next to her, grabbing the canteen she'd brought with her and taking a swig. "What kind of danger are they? They don't have the Cauldron. They don't have any of the Dread Trove items, they don't have anything they could use to take Erilea's magic. All they had was Marzanna, and she's ours now. What do they think is going to happen?" 

Odette shrugged. "With Aelin, it's always 'prepare for the worst, and expect even worse than that.' I don't think she knows, exactly, what might happen." 

A growl came low from Danica's throat. "Odette, can you be honest with me about something?" 

Her friend nodded warily. "Of course." 

"Have you ever-- and I mean ever-- seen Estelle like this before? Not sad," She cut in when Odette opened her mouth. "I mean..." 

"In love?" Odette finished wryly when Danica's words trailed off. Danica nodded, pointing a finger in Odette's face.