A Court of Ash and Fire

Chapter Two

Aelin was one word away from setting numerous men on fire. And she relished at the idea of it.

The meeting had gone on all day, and to be completely honest, she had forgotten what it was meant to be about. They had covered all of her kingdom at the very beginning of the meeting-just discussing the re-building of Orynth and how much longer it might take- and now the cranky old men were talking about gods-knows-what, but it didn't involve her kingdom. And they certainly didn't involve her.

With her bare feet up on the table, her hands behind her head, Aelin was half inclined to fall asleep right then and there. And that fire idea sounded mighty appealing.

Due to helping with boring meetings like this, rebuilding her kingdom and sleeping for days, she had barely had time to use her magic. She could feel it, rumbling in that well in her soul. Though she had lost most of it to forging the Lock with Dorian, she still had a significant amount of power. Enough to destroy a city.

And it was begging to be freed.

She rapidly tapped her fingers on the table, trying to think of an excuse, anything, to leave this hell-hole. Maybe if she waited until they were all facing another way, and then using her Fae speed she could slip into the kitchens to get some chocolate cake-

"Aelin!" A loud voice trilled. Aelin spun in her seat, and the councilmen followed suit. The meeting hall's door's banged open, and a small, red-gold missile barrelled into the room.

Aelin laughed as the young girl latched herself around Aelin's torso, squeezing hard. "Hello little lady. What have you been up too?"

Evangeline blinked citrine eyes up at her, the scars on her cheeks stretching in a wicked grin. "Lysandra needs you her to plan her wedding," she said innocently.

Completely ignoring the stunned men, Aelin scooped her up in a fluid movement. "Well, then," she said in a mock serious voice. "This is an urgent matter! I shall come right away."

Evangeline giggled.

"Your Majesty," a councilman implored, his saggy old face dropping with dismay. "We have important matters to discuss."

Aelin shrugged, balancing Evangeline on her hip. "I don't care."

And with that, she stalked from the dreary room, flipping her hair over one shoulder. Aelin closed the ancient wooden doors in the baffled faces of the councilmen, and Evangeline burst into a fit of laughter. Aelin grinned, setting the girl down on the floor and taking her hand.

Her red-gold hair flying around her head like a halo, Evangeline half-skipped, half-lead Aelin to the grand dining room, where apparently Lysandra was planning her wedding.

Evangeline pushed open the heavy oak doors to reveal Lysandra and Elide seated at the massive formal dining table opposite one-another, the former looked unusually ruffled, and the latter pouring over sheets of paper.

They both looked up as Aelin entered, and Lysandra waved her over. The shifter was looking harried: her deep brown hair messily plaited, her white shirt wrinkled, and her black pants loose.

Aelin plopped down next to the Lady of Carravere and Evangeline sitting next Elide, the black haired woman wrapping an arm around the young girl.

Though the Lady of Perranth and Lorcan (soon to be Lord Lorcan) were also getting married, they had decided to wait, leaving the date for Aedion and Lysandra.