A Court in Flames

Chapter 1

Aelin's POV

I stood on a balcony after going for an early run with Fleetfoot. Rowan was away in Doranelle visiting Mistward and his many, many cousins. 

Why does he have to go Doranelle! That stupid, STUPID kingdom!

My fear of Doranelle started all of ten years ago. When stupid Maeve captured me for two months and I swore that I would never EVER going back there. And now this happens! Why did Rowan have to go off to that Gods-forsaken kingdom!

"Ugh!"

Fleetfoot whined at my anger.

"Well, someone's cranky."

I didn't even turn, "Shut up, Aedion."

"That's no way to talk to your dear cousin." I turned and stuck my tongue out at him. "And that's no way to act for a Queen."

I rolled my eyes before I felt sick. He must have seen me flinch a bit because he asked, "Again? Aelin that's literally every morning this week."

"Must've caught something," I muttered. 

"I'll go get you some mint tea."

"Thanks," I said, still feeling like I was gonna be sick.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my mouth and put a knife to my throat.

"You have two choices. Come with us or we'll kill your cousin."

My eyes widened. How had this happened? Rowan's SO gonna kill me when he gets back. Stupid sickness for making me feel sick and for making me unaware of my surroundings!!!

I held up one finger because I couldn't talk.

"That's what we thought."

A cloth was placed over my mouth and nose and I passed out, but not before I said, "Get Aedion."

Aedion's POV

Fleetfoot came running at me and jumped on me and pulling on my pants.

"What has gotten into you? Fleetfoot stop!" She started growling at me and I growled back.

Her eyes seemed to narrow as I did as if to say 'are you serious?'

I rolled my eyes at me and continued to try to go to the kitchen only to find Fleetfoot blocking my path and barking at me. I backed up a step. And her tail started to wag. Before I stepped forward again and she growled.

"Oh come on! I need to get the mint tea for Aelin!" I shouted at her. She wagged her tail when I said Aelin's name.

"Aelin." She barked.

"What about Aelin?" Then I got scared. "Take me to her."

Fleetfoot seemed to understand because she ran off in the direction she had come.

When I got to where Aelin had been before I found a cloth on the ground and Fleetfoot started sniffing around.

I picked up the cloth and found a strange smell coming off of it that was strong enough that even if I wasn't fae I would've been able to smell it. I dropped it as I started to feel dizzy.

Fleetfoot barked again and ran off with her nose to the ground.

She stopped again and I realized that she'd lost the scent when she laid down and whined.

No! Aelin! No! Not Aelin! Not again! I am so dead.

Lysandra's POV

Aedion was pacing through the room. I had realized that something was wrong the moment Fleetfoot had shown up and started following me around.

Fenrys was sitting down beside me.

"Aedion? What happened?"

He stopped pacing and put his hands on the table. "She's gone." The words were barely a whisper.

"Aedion wh-what do you mean?" I asked.

"I failed her and now she's gone."

"Aedion," Fenrys warned.

"What?! I can't change the fact that I failed her so what? What do you want to say? Do you want to tell me again that I failed! Do you want to tell me that I am a horrible cousin for this to have happened, not once, not twice, but three! Three! Times." He finished the last word as if it had broken him.

Fenrys, to his credit, only blinked once.

"Wait. So let me get this straight... Aelin has been captured... again," I asked.

Aedion nodded.

I felt tempted to shift into a bird or wyvern just so I could track her down and bring her back. But I knew I couldn't do that. Terrasen was vulnerable and I assumed I would have to be Aelin, yet again.

"Did you tell Darrow, yet?" Fenrys asked.

Aedion shook his head, I asked him to come to this meeting. He should be here by now.

As soon as he said that, the doors flew open revealing an annoyed Darrow.

"Why am I woken up for a meeting two hours after sunrise!" He shouted.

I saw Fenrys shield come down and go back up as Darrow passed into the shielded area.

"Darrow. This is a top-secret meeting. I'd appreciate it if you would keep your voice down." Fenrys said.

"Why!" Darrow demanded.

"Because Aelin's been captured," Aedion said.

"What?" 

"You heard me. Aelin. Is. Captured." Aedion ground out. 

"How did this happen?"

Aedion sighed and I realized that he had yet to tell us what had happened.

"She was out for her morning run with Fleetfoot. I had shown up and after a minute of conversation she felt like she was going to be sick, again."

"That's the fifth day in a row!" Fenrys shouted.

"That's what I told her. So I went to get some of the mint tea from the kitchen and as I was about halfway there Fleetfoot comes and jumps on me and blocks me from continuing on. I eventually figured out that she wanted me to go back to Aelin. But when I got back to where I last saw Aelin. All there was left was a cloth with something on it that makes you unconscious. Fleetfoot ended up following their scent until it just vanished."

"Aedion. You shouldn't blame yourself. We know you were just trying to help Aelin," I said.

"I guess."

"So now what are we gonna do about this?" Darrow asked.

"We'll have to send a message to Rowan." Aedion flinched. "Trust me. Rowan will be angrier if you don't tell him as soon as possible, Aedion." Fenrys stated.

"True. But what do we tell other countries? We're weak with neither of our rulers." Aedion said.

"Well, we can trust Adarlan, Doranelle, Wendlyn and the Western Wastes. They're all close allies and besides Rowan will have to give a reason for leaving early, which he most definitely will. And Darrow I know you might hate this, but if need be Lysandra can pretend to be Aelin until Rowan returns, at least," Fenrys said.

"I may hate it, but I don't see any other choice. And are you sure we can trust them not to attack us? Why should we take that chance?"

"Aelin could be anywhere, Darrow. If we have our allies looking for her in the territories we're more likely to find her. They'd be fools to keep her in Terrasen."

Darrow nodded. "So, Lysandra will pretend to be Aelin, again. We'll send messengers to Rowan, Doranelle, Wendlyn, the Wastes, and Adarlan. Both Queens in the wastes?" Darrow asked.

"Just Manon, Queen of the witches," Aedion replied.

"Who's going to send the messages?" Darrow demanded.

"Nox Owen."