Fates and Thrones

Reckoning

The garden had always been a place of peace, but now it felt like something else; a refuge and a burden all at once. The flowers grew too fast under my hands, their colors too bright, their stems too long. It was as if I couldn't control the life that poured out of me, and it left me drained.

Ajita sat nearby, cross-legged in the grass with her back against the oak tree. She hadn't said much since we came out here, her dark eyes watching me as I worked. I knew she was worried; it clung to her like a shadow.

I wasn't alone, of course. Veyrun sat beside Ajita, his sharp features softening when he smiled at me. His white hair caught the sunlight like spun silver, and his violet eyes seemed to hold a thousand unspoken questions. Solisdr leaned against a trellis, golden-haired and golden-skinned, as radiant as the sun itself. And Jax, with his honey-brown curls and mischievous grin, was sprawled in the grass, tossing an apple from hand to hand.

"You're going to wear yourself out," Ajita said finally, her voice breaking the silence.

I didn't look up from the soil. "I'm fine."

"She's not fine," Jax said casually, biting into his apple with a loud crunch. "She's glowing, sure, but not in the fun way."

Solisdr shot him a sharp look. "Not the time, Jax."

Veyrun ignored them both, his gaze fixed on me. "You don't have to do this alone, Aleesia. Whatever's going on, you can tell us."

I forced a smile, but it felt like it cracked on my face. "There's nothing to tell."

Ajita stood abruptly, brushing off her hands. "You're lying, Al. You've been lying for weeks. Ever since we got back." Her voice was steady, but I could hear the hurt behind it. "Whatever's wrong, you need to say it. We're all here for you."

The boys fell silent, their eyes flicking between me and Ajita. My chest tightened as the weight of their concern pressed down on me. I wanted to tell them. tell her, but the words wouldn't come.

"I just need some air," I said, standing quickly. The world tilted a rush of nausea hitting me so fast that I barely had time to stumble toward the edge of the garden before I doubled over.

The sound of retching filled the air as I clung to the edge of the stone fountain. My stomach heaved again, though there was nothing left to bring up.

"Al!" Ajita was at my side in an instant, her hands hovering uncertainly over my back. "What's wrong?"

I waved her off, unable to speak. My throat burned, my body trembling as I sank to my knees.

Jax crouched beside me, his brow furrowed. "Not just tired, huh?" he said softly.

"Jax," Veyrun warned, his voice low.

But it was true. The moment the nausea passed; the truth hit me with a force that knocked the air from my lungs. I sat back on my heels, pressing a hand to my abdomen as tears welled in my eyes.

Ajita's sharp gaze didn't miss a thing. "Aleesia," she said quietly, her voice trembling. "What is it?"

I looked at her, at the boys, at the overgrown flowers around us. And for the first time, I couldn't hold the words back.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered.

The silence that followed was unbearable. Veyrun knelt beside me, his cool hands brushing the hair from my face. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

I nodded, unable to meet his eyes. "I've been ignoring it, but... I can't anymore."

Solisdr stepped forward, his golden eyes burning with anger. "The prince—"

"No," I interrupted, my voice breaking. "Don't say it. I can't..." My words dissolved into a sob as I buried my face in my hands.

Ajita wrapped her arms around me, her embrace unyielding. "You don't have to face this alone," she murmured fiercely. "You're not alone, Al. I'm here. We're all here."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

That night, I dreamed of a vast field of wheat, golden stalks swaying in a wind that didn't touch me. Ahead, Ajita stood like a sentinel, her dark hair whipping around her face as she stared at something beyond the horizon.

When I reached her, the field shifted, and a massive black gate loomed before us. Its iron bars twisted into shapes of despair. Sskulls, broken wings, and reaching hands.

Behind the gate stretched a long line of people, their faces pale and hollow. At the front of the line, a smaller figure stood weeping silently, their chest dripping in blood.

I reached for them, but Ajita grabbed my arm. "Don't," she said, her voice low.

"Why?" I whispered, my heart breaking for the figure that had once guided us.

"Because this is what's waiting for us," she said, gesturing toward the gate.

The iron doors groaned open, revealing a grand hall of shadow and flame. At its center, there were two thrones. One of polished obsidian, dark and cold as night, and the other of gleaming gold, pulsing faintly with warmth.

Ajita stepped forward, her hand brushing the armrest of the obsidian throne. "This is the underworld," she said softly. "And it's broken."

I followed her hesitantly, my gaze fixed on the golden throne. "What do we do?"

She turned to me, her eyes filled with a terrible certainty. "We fix it," she said. "Because no one else will."

The mournful wails of the waiting souls rose like a tide, drowning out everything else as the dream shattered into darkness.

I woke gasping, the scent of flowers thick around me. Ajita sat at the edge of my bed, her dark eyes watching me intently.

"You dreamed it too, didn't you?" she asked.

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.

Her hand found mine, and for the first time in weeks, I let myself lean into her strength.