A Court of Scars and Steel (Completed)

Chapter 25 - Manon

Manon sighed. Why was Aelin so chronically damaged?

She had been the one to call this meeting on the balcony, and was currently fifteen minutes late, at minimum.

Finally, the doors swung open, and Aelin entered with her mate.

"What took you so long?" Aedion grumbled. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you two were doing other things."

Aelin glared at her cousin. "Well, I'm here now, and that's all that matters."

"Not the fifteen minutes you forced us to wait?" Lorcan grumbled.

Aelin grinned, "Of course not. Now, are we in agreement about this course of action?"

"No!" Lysandra, Aedion, Gavriel, Elide, Lorcan, and Rowan all coursed immediately.

Manon sighed. She, of course, really knew why Aelin wanted to go to Prythian, but would keep Aelin's secret.

Aelin scowled, "Well, what don't you like about it?"

"You leaving," Lysandra answered. "Aelin, I am not pretending to be you again. Do you know how hard it was the first time?"

"I'm not asking you to be me," Aelin ground out. "Look, this is necessary."

"Why?" Elide asked, "It seems to to Prythian will be fine without you."

"They've never contested with the Valg before," Aelin lied smoothly. "I figured they'd need some help."

"But we have both Erawan and Maeve to deal with," Aedion protested.

Manon judged that Aelin had finally realized that her court had planned this. "Look, what do I have to say to convince you that I'm going?"

"That you won't go," Rowan answered immediately. He added, perhaps to try to placate his mate, "Aelin, we just lost you. We're not going to take the chance of losing you again."

Aelin sighed, "I'll be fine," she protested, "When have I not survived and thrived?"

Her court looked away. Manon chuckled. There was no answer to that, given Aelin was currently sitting opposite them, quite alive.

"If this is just a worry over my safety, it's quite insulting," Aelin sighed. "I can take care of myself."

Lorcan opened his mouth to respond, probably with some snippy comment about some time she had needed a little bit of help, but a voice cut over them.

"So, this is your court." One of the High Lord's eyes lingered on Lysandra, Elide and Manon. Her eyes lingered on him. Not her type, she decided. Besides, she had Dorian.

Two of the High Lords were approaching.

Aelin nodded. "Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius, Aedion Ashryver, Lysandra, Gavriel, Lorcan Salvaterre, Elide Lochan, Dorian Havillyard, and Manon Crochan-Blackbeak, this is Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Cout, and Beron, High Lord of the Autumn Court."

"I'm not surprised to see you're consorting with other women out of their place. Human women, no less," Beron snorted. "I bet we could put them in their place."

Manon, Lysandra, and Aelin started to laugh. Everyone else was hiding smiles.

Hah! He thought she was a human women!

"A human woman out of her place?" Manon smirked. "I can't decide whether I'm insulted or highly amused."

"They called me that too," Aelin smiled.

"Oh, then I'm definitely insulted."

Beron and Tamlin looked like they wanted to growl. Manon was almost crying from laughter.

"I bet none of you could take us," Tamlin grinned. "No human woman could."

Well, I'm not human, Manon thought. Though I bet I could take you even if I was.

Manon looked at Aelin and Lysandra. The three of them smirked terrifyingly.

"Are you calling me a human woman?" Manon growled. "One out of her place at that?" What insolence! But she could play with them. It had been a long time since she had had a decent target.

Beron growled, "Yes," but Tamlin looked vaguely uneasy, though he nodded as well. Perhaps, Manon thought, he might have seen the next blow coming.

Manon laughed. "Then tell me if you can ride that." She pointed to thirteen wyverns spiraling down from the clouds.
Thy landed with a thump, Abraxos nosing Manon as if sensing the argument.

Asterin swung down, "Your Majesty," she said respectfully. Manon grinned Asterin had obviously somehow figured out what was going on. Thank her Second's powers of observation.

Manon gave Asterin a sideways grin. "These Fae found it entertaining to call Aelin, Lys, and I human women out of their place."

Asterin choked, raising an eyebrow. "They haven't been gutted, decapitated, or mauled yet?"
Manon grinned. "We haven't gotten to that yet. I was still on the playing stage."

Tamlin and Beron choked. Manon turned back to them with a satisfied smirk.

Asterin said from above, "Wing Leader, the witches are bored. We were promised a fight."

This time, Terrasen's Court lost it as Beron's and Tamlin's faces paled. Even Manon was laughing.

She snapped out her iron teeth and claws just to see their reaction.

Beron and Tamlin looked furious to have been played.

"I'm no human," Manon grinned. "My name is Manon Crochan-Blackbeak, Queen of the Witches." Over her shoulder, to Asterin, she said, "Tell them to wait. Morath will come at us full force tomorrow." The Thirteen flew off, though Abraxos stayed behind.

"But I'm assuming this is not why you're here," Dorian said smoothly, stepping in. Always the diplomat.

"We came to demand that you bring us back to Prythian," Beron growled.

Aelin smiled. "Lucky for you, we found a way back. Meet me in the Great Hall at nightfall."

Beron huffed, and Tanlin glowered. "You look like you could use some company tonight," Beron said with syrupy sweetness towards Lysandra.

Manon grinned. They really had no idea when to give up, did they.

Aedion tried to hide his growl.

Lysandra hissed. She shifted, turning into a ghost leopard, and bared her teeth at the High Lords.

They flinched.

Aedion grinned, "I think my girlfriend speaks for all of us. Please leave us alone."

The High Lords left hurriedly.

The moment the doors closed behind them, Aelin burst out laughing. Everyone joined her, including Lysandra, who had shifted back.

"Gods," Aelin said, "they called Manon human."

Manon bared her teeth. "They were lucky I didn't gut them for the insult."

Lorcan grumbled, "You think they'd realize that dangerous women shouldn't be trifled with."

Manon couldn't resist the jab. "And yet you can't stop antagonizing Aelin and I. How long has it been since the last time you..."

"Enough," Gavriel said, finally speaking up. "We shouldn't argue while we're at war."

Aelin sighed. "Unfortunately, he's right. I need to prepare for tonight. Rowan, please come help me. The rest of you, do whatever you need to do."

Everyone parted ways, Manon and Dorian climbing onto Abraxos.

No one besides Manon and Dorian realized that they had accidentally consented to Aelin leaving, and that she had the three Wyrdkeys.