Glass of Revenge

~9~

The next several weeks were an absolute nightmare for everyone involved. Up north in Terrasen, for Aelin and Rowan, the waiting game was, as it always was, an agony of uncertainty. Neither of them would feel entirely at ease again until the threat was neutralised. But worst of all, it was starting to have an impact on their kingdom. It was becoming harder and harder to import Adarlanian goods into Terrasen. Which, in turn, made it harder to import goods from the more southern kingdoms on the continent, due to the increased aggression of Adarlan's navy.

The economy of the entire continent was starting to suffer, Adarlan's military was becoming increasing aggressive to match their suddenly hostile politics and it seemed as though war was imminent. A fact that was increasingly worrying Aelin and Rowan, as well as the monarchs of the southern kingdoms – particularly as the last war had ended less than a year ago.

It was disgusting, Aelin thought bitterly, as she stood at the window of her suite at the palace, watching the bustle of the city below. The very fact that they could be plunged back into war just months after the last one had ended, and both wars started by the same aggressor – Adarlan – just the thought of it was disgusting.

When Aelin had first learned of the threats being made against her and Rowan, she had thought that those responsible for the threats would have been caught and neutralised by now, but with each day that passed and that didn't happen, it became less and less probable. She had also never thought of it having such far reaching and long lasting consequences.

But the consequences of those threats was the potential outbreak of yet another war – less than a year after the last war had ended.

The outbreak of war was imminent, due to some death threats and due to Dorian's own inaction and dislike of politics.

Sometimes Aelin thought that it was the last fact that she understood the least. Dorian had been raised to be king, primed for it since birth. All his life his training had geared him toward being king. And yet, suddenly, he was neglecting both his kingdom and his allies in favour of his own hedonistic pleasure.

How much did Dorian understand, Aelin wondered. Did he understand how harmful his current lack of interest in politics was being? Did he realise just how far he had truly pushed things, how quickly things had unravelled, just because he couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the big picture? Just because he was angry at the world?

The old Dorian had never been so petty and judgemental. Let alone so bone idle and lazy. The old Dorian would never have let things get so bad. The old Dorian would have been a lot more stand up and take charge, he would have led Adarlan down a better path than this. Aelin grieved for the old Dorian – she felt as though her old friend were long gone and never coming back. She missed him.

If she had been able, she would have long since ridden straight down to Rifthold to shout and scream at Dorian about everything for hours on end without pause. She wanted to berate him for his ignorance and negligence. He more than deserved it.

After everything that had happened in the last few months, Dorian deserved more than just a tongue-lashing, she thought. Aelin desperately wanted to beat him up – and not just with her fists, but with her magic was well.

But, because of her pregnancy, Aelin couldn't do that. Not until her baby was born, at least. But Aelin was worried that the constant strain she was under would negatively affect her baby. The longer they went without neutralising the threat, the more worried she was about not just her safety and Rowan's, but the safety of her unborn child.

And as long as the people threatening her family were still out there, and unchallenged, the more and more scared she was for the future of her family.