The Assassin and the Prince. Heir of Fire AU

23

Chapter 23

Celeana POV

Chaol found her in the library, and the only reason she hadn't told him to shove it and leave was because he hadn't tried talking to her until now. At first she tried to ignore him. Without success.

Deep. Deep deep down. She knew he wasn't responsible for Nehemiahs death. However. If he would have just warned her.... Things would be different. They'd still not have been together but. Maybe she could finally see him as a friend.

"We need to talk." Chaol scooted his chair closer to hers. she refuse to look up or engage, and she flipped a page.

"No." One more sentence and she'd leave. She wasn't ready to forgive. Let alone forget.

"Celeana. We need to be on speaking terms." With that she looked up into those golden brown eyes. Those eyes could have known everything about her. But they were still full of judgement from how she killed Archer Finn.

"I will speak to you when necessary." She slammed her book shut and tried to leave. But the Captian of the Gaurd was to stupid or maybe he forgot who and what she was. Or maybe he still trusted her... gods. "Hands off Captian. I don't want to remind you of why you had to throw me into the cells." She ripped her arm free and this time she succeeded in leaving.

Marching to her room she didn't notice anything suspicious. Anything out of the ordinary. All Celeana was focused on was the Captian. She entered her chambers and low and behold. Another person found their way into her rooms without her permission. This person she was not expecting to ever see again.

"How did you survive?" The dark haired beauty asked her.

She looked so much like her mother. Celeana fell to her knees.

Aedion POV

He was too busy carrying Rowan's half limp body up to steps to the apartment to realize that Sam brought a woman with an ever hanging scent to her. This was not the time for questions though. They could not let Prince Rowan Whitethorn bleed out.

Gavriel helped them lift Rowan into the master bedroom. Aelins bedroom. The only scents in the apartments were Sams and some of the rebels such as Ren and his grandfather. Then the Fae that hid out here. Aelins scent was here as well. But it was at least a year old. She hasn't been back since she'd been sent to Endovier.

The woman came with a medic bag it seemed. So she was here to help with the prince.
Sam was frantic as he asked the woman. "Lys can you give him stitches? Stop the bleeding." So Lys was her name. It was fitting. 

"Yes." She immediately started cutting the Princes shirt off. Gavriel grabbed her arm with the medical knife in it. He addressed Sam as he spoke, the lions grip on the woman never faltering.

"Can she be trusted?"

Sam didn't back down from the Lion of Doranelles state however. "Yes. I'd trust her with my life. Even Celeana." That seemed to satisfy Aedions father.

As she worked to cut off the dead flesh on Rowan she asked "He's Celeanas? I do hope she's not as hot tempered and doesn't throw a knife at my head again, just for touching him."

Both Gavriel and Aedion choked at the realization that she knew his cousin too. And the fact she threw a knife at this woman.

"It's very important to get him conscious again." Right this wasn't the time to be distracted.

"Why." Lys asked.

The room was silent, clearly none of them knew how to answer that question. Even Sam. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. Untill the prince spoke. "The mating bond." Then he was out again.

The dark haired beauty looked at Sam, then Gavriel, then himself. When those dark green eyes found his, the world snapped in half and then was remade anew.

Dorian POV

His father summoned him to this meeting, it was a very important one because Chaols Father Lord Peter Westfall was walking next to him. And some of the other lords were converging in on the meeting chambers. As they entered he noticed his father deathly pale. But not with fear. With fury. Chaol was standing full attention directly behind the king as he would. But Celaena, as kings champion was standing next to the doors. She had a weariness about her. Her face was unreadable. Bored almost, but Dorian was one of the few who could look her in the eyes. Something was wrong.

Once the last lord found his chair Dorians father did not hesitate.

"The rebels have let it slip that Aelin Ashryver Galathynius is still alive. She's been in hiding. And she would bring war to our door. So I am tasking my champion to find her if she's really alive and kill her once and for all."

Lord Peter Westfall was now the one that was deathly pale. But Dorian noticed he was filled with fear. "How did she survive a fall into that freezing river? Surely the rebels are just spreading false information to gain any support."

"You Lord Westfall, did not do the job I assigned to you 10 years ago. You failed to kill Princess Aelin and now she could be anywhere waiting for a moment of weakness to strike!" The King of Ardalan shouted.

It took everything in Dorian to not turn towards Chaol or even Celaena at the revelation. His father had tasked the Lord to kill the heirs of the Terresan throne. And he susceeded with Rhoe Galathynius and Evalin Ashryver. But not Aelin.

"Champion!" The king shouted again. He addressed at Celaena. "You will bring me Aelin Ashryver Galathynius head or I will follow through with my promise to you. Understand?"

"Yes my king." the king dismissed her and all Dorian could do was sit still for the rest of the meeting in shock.

Rowan POV

He was standing on the mountain side that still held his cabin he built nearly 200 years ago. Rowan walked up the grassy hill to notice first that the chimney had smoke coming from it. She must be cooking something for them. So Rowan hurried to the door to find his wife standing there at the stove stirring stew in the pot. She turned to face him and the sight made Rowan stop in his tracks.

Her stomach was close to being due with a babe. But the scene wasn't right. She had a slit throat and slit wrists. The dark hair of his wife Lyria was slowly replaced by the golden hair of his mates.

Aelin stumbled forward and fell to her knees as she tried to speak his name but all that came out was blood.

Blood. And more blood fell.. All the blood that Rowan has split over the years. Blood of the innocent, blood of the soldiers, the murders.

And Rowan could not reach her. There was a frozen sheet of ice in between them. All he could do was sit and watch helplessly as his pregnant mate choked on the blood his spilt.