Queen of Thorns and Roses

Chapter 7

Aelin sat down in a chair, having to shift multiple times until she accomodated for the royal lump on her stomach. The last thing she had of Rowan's. She hadn't lost the baby at all. Being in the past just made the baby vanish. Doctors of the royal palace raced back and forth examining the queen and the sudden heir.

"Witch hunter," Manon said, by way of greeting.

"Manon," Aelin stood up, almost losing her balance and gripping the witches shoulder.

"That is quite the carry on. Where is your mate? Aren't they supposed to be protecting you while you carry the delicious bundle of joy?" Manon gripped her arm.

"Rowan.." Aelin blamed the hormones when she started crying in front of the iron toothed witch.

"He left you?! I need to be excused. I'll hunt his feathery ass down." Manon's protective expression was genuine.

"No, Manon. He was killed," She said softly, wiping her eyes. "In the other world, I can't see the baby. I thought i lost it. He didnt even know."

Sympathy dwelled in her eyes, making Aelin look away. "I would hug you but you look like a beached whale and hugging requires touching and this is about as far as i would go." She gestured to their arms.

Aelin cracked a smile. "Unless it's Elide of course."

Manon tried to hide her emotions with a shrug. "Better go. Got some lunch coming later. I mean foreign princes." Aelin laughed softly, leaning on a wall as she walked towards an incoming Dorian.

"Ready to go back?" Aelin asked. He nodded, giving her his arm. Aelin took it gratefully, but also sullenly. "Its not fair. He'll never know."

"I know. He was so young. Only five-hundred years." Aelin couldn't help but giggle at Dorian's comment.

She rubbed her four month belly. "Ill check back in before five months are over." She said, retrieving her blue orb and throwing it against a wall. Dorian and Aelin stepped through. After she retrieved her orb, she reached up and braided her blonde hair. It was about to get messy.

-

Velaris, the city of light. An escape from Amarantha and the King. The citizens have kept it silent for so many years. Aelin understood it, but at the same time didnt. She couldn't handle the feeling that she was trapped in one place. But this is where they came to decide if they wanted to help Rhys with the king. It took a while for her to trust rhys. It took a while for her to stop hating everyone from here. Rowan died for them.

Anyway, Rhys had always been playing Amarantha. He did it to keep his city safe. Aelin could understand that.

Now they sat at a dinner table with four new people, Mor, Cassian, Azriel and Amren. They needed help with the king, they said.

"So the king was controlling Amarantha?" Aedion asked, giving Feyre an apologetic look when she griminced.

"Sort of. Amarantha works with the king." Rhys said.
"So the king is responsible for Rowan's death?" Aelin spoke with deadly calm.
"In a way, I suppose," Rhys said, the only one making eye contact with Aelin.
"Then I'm on board." Aelin said, her face set in stone, unemotional. Even cassian didn't mess around with her.
"You know, Aelin, I've never seen my brothers being so quiet around a pretty girl." Rhys tried to loosen the atmosphere. She set her gaze on him, her eyes lit with a subtle fire that with a single word could burn worlds. "Sorry. Anyway, what about the rest of you?"
"I'm in," feyre said.
"You guys can go home if you want. Dorian you have a kingdom to run." Aelin said, uninterested.
"So do you, last I remember, and you have a bun in the oven," Dorian retorted.
"I'm sorry, what?" Aedion raised an eyebrow.
"I never lost the child," Aelin said casually. "In this world it's just not visible." she said, trailing her finger down the side of her stomach.
The table was quiet for a full minute.
"Children are annoying," amren muttered.
Aelin growled at her. "Anyway, you can go home if you want."
Aedion and lysandra exchanged glances. "The two of us will. We'll take care of Tarrasen."