She Returns

Aedion POV (but it could really be anyone's I guess):

....

Aedion was about to turn to go when feet thundered up the stairs. They all had their sword drawn as the door flew open and Murtaugh appeared, panting and grasping the doorframe. The old mans eyes were wild, his mouth opening and closing. Behind him, the stairwell revealed no sign of threat, no pursuit. But aedion kept his sword out and angled himself into a better position.

Ren rushed to Murtaugh, slipping an arm under his shoulders, but the old man plant his heals in the rug. "She's alive," he said, to Ren, to Aedion, to himself. "She's - she's truly alive."

Aedion's heart stopped.

Just as Murtaugh was about to elaborate, just as he was about to explain how the news was swarming around the streets below, Aedion caught a shadow of movement out of the corner of his eye. Someone was here. Someone who knew their way around the place. Knew which boards creaked and which were barely holding together.

Before Aedion had time to react, that person was standing in the doorway, taking up a lions share of the space in the room, as they glared at them with their piercing blue eyes, only just visible through the shadow of their hood. The person were decked in a black cloak, which still whirled around them from their sudden appearance, it's hood casting the shadow on their face. Only an ancient sword was visible at their side, but Aedion would bet good money that there was an array of weapons hidden on their person, within folds, up sleeves, and down boots.

"What the hell are you people doing in my apartment?" The voice demanded in a low growl.

Before anyone could speak, Chaol stepped forward, drawing the persons attention to him. "I invited them. It seemed like as good a meeting place as any."

"And who gave you permission to use it, Chaol?" They snarled.

Slowly, Aedion was connecting the dots, and just as Chaol was about to reply, he cut into the conversation, with a voice barely above a whisper, he said "Al - Celeana?" He hoped she hadn't caught that slip up, because he guessed she would be pretty pissed at Chaol for revealing her identity to him. But unfortunately, she had good ears.

"You told him?" She said in an equally quiet voice, a hint of outrage hidden in it. This was directed at Chaol, and he visibly gulped at the wrath and fury that hid the outrage.

"Yes. I thou- I thought you might have wanted him to know.... Once I discovered we was working with the rebels."

"He's working with th - of course he is" She murmured to herself, "he was always getting himself into trouble. And what better way than working behind the Kings back."

"Did you tell anyone else?" She continued, speaking slightly louder and making it clear that only Chaol was to answer.

"No. Ren and Murtaugh don't know, no one else knows."

"Ren and Murtaugh?" Celaena burst out.

Chaol could only point at the two men, who Aedion was surprised to remember were still in the room. Celaena seemed equally surprised and had Cleary forgotten that there were four men in the room when she had entered, and not just the two; Aedion and Chaol.

"Oh." Was all she could say. She clearly recognised them from her past.

Suddenly remembering what Murtaugh had said before Celaena had appeared, he turn to him and asked "who's alive? What news did you hear"

Murtaugh took a moment to reply, seemingly lost in his thoughts, before he slowly said "The city's swarming with the news; she's alive.... and in Wendlyn."

"What? Who? What did they do?" Aedion demanded again.

"Aelin. General Narrok's legion did indeed go to wendlyn" Murtaugh said. "And no one knows how or why, but Aelin.... Aelin was there, in the Cambrian Mountains, and was part of a host that met them in battle. They're saying that she's been hiding in Doranelle this whole time. They slaughtered Narrok and his men, and she saved a great number of people - with magic. Fire they say - power the likes of which the world has not seen since Brannon himself." (A/N this is also from the book, and I take no credit for it)

Silently, Chaol and Aedion turned toward Celaena, who had a teeth-exposing, wicked grin on her face.

"Well, that news travelled fast." Was what she said in reply to the stares. Then, almost as if it were any normal day for her to be here, she flung herself onto the couch, slipping off her hood as she did so.

Ren and Murtaugh did a double take. And all they could do for some time, was look between Aedion and Celaena, only partly understanding that this was the assassin that had helped them, and then slaughtered dozens of their men.

Finally, after what seemed to be an hour, Ren spoke up, "You're her" he said, pointing from Celaena to Aedion, and then again "you're her", but this time pointing between Chaol and Celaena. It was only a few words, and a few actions, but everyone knew what he meant, what he had come to realise. That Aelin Ashryver Galanthynius was alive, that she was here in this very room, and that she had been in Rifthold all along, using the name Celaena Sardothian.

In reply, Celaena (or is it Aelin now?), just shrugged. Not bothering to explain, and not bothering too look up from the book she had picked up.

After a moment, she said, "Celaena, Aelin, I don't particularly care what you call me. All you need to know is that I'm back, I'm here, and I'm ready to kill that Bastard who stole my Kingdom."

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Heeey!

I've always wanted to write this one shot, purely because Celaena would make it so dramatic and mysterious, completely confusing Ren and Murtaugh.

As always leave a comment about what you think or just some feedback

Cya next time

ThatRandoPerson

(P.S. this is completely seperate to the short story I'm also doing)

(P.P.S also look at that, twice in a matter of hours :))