A Court in Flames

Chapter 32

Aelin's POV

I had seen the flames. The roar of agony. My daughter in pain.

I fell into a killing calm and roared in answer. So I killed my way to my daughter. Soldier after soldier came at me and the ended up dead. No. My flames were in full power and I was almost there. The rukhin attacked from above. Foolish of them. A whip of flames sent them down. Dead. 

Whispers followed me to my daughter as I crowned myself. "Queen. Aelin Galathynius. Aelin of the Wildfire. Alive. Home."

Some of the rukhin fell back as they saw me, crowned. I saw the beautiful form of my daughter in her glistening dragon form. She was tied up in iron chains. A sword in her tail. And a man approaching her heart. I roared in fury. And flames spewed everywhere. Knocking dozens off their feet and killing others.

Red-hot, bone-melting, flesh-destroying flames. And I glowed like a drop of the sun. Like the Kingsflame.

I pulled the iron out of her. The iron that seared my flesh because of the magic I had used.

"Elentiya. Shift. You'll be free if you do." She turned a pain-filled, glistening eye towards me as she groaned. And that groan killed me. My daughter in such pain that she could hardly move.

I watched as her scales shimmered and then she was there in the middle of the chains. Burns all over her. From the irons and flaming arrows, they'd used on her. My beautiful daughter. Suffering again.

So I did what I knew I had to do. I created a sun in the sky. A sun so bright that it lit up even the furthest corners of the field. And I watched as I held my daughter in my arms as the battle stopped and stared in awe and wonder before I changed the appearance so that it was a pillar.

And then I cut it off completely.

Rowan's POV

The dragon. It was back. She was back. I had watched her tear through the rukhin. Then when the soldiers had surrounded me, my magic but a flicker, she had saved my life. She had burnt those soldiers to ashes.

And it had been a trap. They had wanted to kill her or me. And when she had saved me they had thrown irons on her and stabbed her.

Then more soldiers had blocked off my path to her. I had hoped to save her. To repay my life-debt to her.

And now... I hadn't been able to do that. I had failed her like I had failed so many others. Like I had failed Lyria and Aelin.

I raised my sword and hatchet, ready to fight one last time and bring down as many soldiers as possible before I, too, was fell. Then a blinding light hit us.

The light of the sun during the night. Everyone stopped to stare at the sun in the sky. We watched as it changed shape from a ball of light into a pillar. A pillar right where the dragon had been.

A shout rang out. Galan's shout rang out. "Wait!" It wasn't possible. She'd been wrapped in irons. I pushed my way to the pillar of light as did Galan and Sartaq.

And there... burning like a fallen star. A fire. Sat a woman cradling a child in her arms. A child with burns covering her. The woman stilled as she sensed me. She turned. Her eyes not-quite meeting mine. She turned back to the girl and whispered something I couldn't hear.

This female had stopped to armies in their tracks by her grief for a child.

A shout pierced the crowd as Aedion pushed towards the center. How had he gotten here?

I watched as another female had landed beside the female with golden hair. They spoke no words. Maybe they didn't need any. Aelin and I never had. She handed the child to the other and I watched as the brown-haired female vanished into thin air with the child.

The golden-haired female turned to face Galan. "This war is over," was all she said. Her chin raised high. 

"And why is that?" He asked her.

"Because the only reason this all happened is that the King of Melisande got it into his head to have me tortured and killed alongside my daughter so he could seize my kingdom for himself." She stood even taller if that was even possible.

"How can this be your kingdom?" I asked her and she whipped her head towards me, hurt shining in her eyes.

"Because I am Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius. Because I am the Queen of Terrasen. Because the Kingsflame blooms for me." My eyes widened as she uttered the words. 

"Aelin Galathynius died six years ago," I stated and something guttered in her eyes.

And then she proved she was who she said she was. "You are my mate. I knew you were my mate when you took an arrow, curtesy of Asterin Blackbeak, for me." Okay. Maybe she wasn't bluffing. Obviously still seeing the doubt in my eyes she said, "I asked if you would take me on the way to Terrasen and you said you wouldn't take me against a tree the first time. Then is Skull's bay..."

"Enough!" I shouted but there was a fire in her eyes. This was not going to be good.

"I asked if you would take me against a chimney the first. You still refused." My cheeks heated as she continued. "It was only after I had saved Skull's bay and Rolfe had berated me for nearly destroying his town when Deanna had taken control of me that I had burnt all of my clothes off that you took me for the first time on the beach." I groaned. She turned away from me at that.

I could see everyone gawking.

"You have one hour to get the hell out of my kingdom." She stormed past me and right to a blonde female and Lysandra. And before I could do anything they disappeared.

"Well. That could've gone better." Aedion said while patting my shoulder. "By the way. It was Aelin who stole Goldryn from you."

"Of course, it was. How did you get here so fast?" I asked Aedion.

"Mor and Feyre winnowed the entire army here. I have no idea where they went, though." He replied with a shrug.