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sarah-bae-maas · 5 years

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Reign of Queen Chapter Two

When Aelin fell through worlds, she never dreamt that she would make it to Erilea alive. Half of her dream became a reality, she was alive, but she certainly wasn’t in Erilea. With foes at every corner and a powerful family ready to cull her for invading the body of a loved one, she has no choice but to play the games of the Night Court until she can figure out how to return home, hopefully without dragging anyone with her.

An AU! where Aelin fell into Prythian by mistake.

Masterlist Ao3

Chapter One

***

-Chapter 2-

By the time Aelin had finished, she was walking the streets of the city, taking in as much information about where she was as possible. Everywhere she went she heard music and chatter, and her stomach was heavy at being in a place so full of life and not dread. Not even her years in Rifthold had garnered such a sense of overarching peace, and she found it as strange as she did beautiful.

Nesta had been silent the whole time, and Aelin had only reverted into their thought-speech a half hour ago when people started to appear. She didn’t need to notify anyone that something was wrong by being the crazy-lady that combed the streets talking to herself.

Aelin found it interesting that she got looks from many of the faeries that she passed, but no one smiled or waved. Rather, some nodded their heads in respects or gave her a wide birth to walk. It made her wonder who exactly she had fallen into.

In fact, Nesta was still silent now, and Aelin found herself getting distracted by a bookstore. Maybe here she could find the book Nesta had been talking about. There were multiple fae browsing as she was, but she paid them no attention. She was running her hands over the fresh spines when Nesta finally spoke.

When you speak aloud, I can’t tell truth from fiction. But inside my mind, I know you are being honest. I can feel the pain that you do, as if you went through that with me.

That was information you could have used against me. If I thought you always knew when I was being honest, I would never lie, Aelin replied.

I’m telling you that so you know that I regret my actions. You and I are very similar, Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius. I find myself wanting to help you, something I do not often do for people.

What actions do you regret?Aelin queried. It’s not as though Nesta has had any control of her body since Aelin fell into it.

Nesta didn’t reply, and Aelin took that as a bad sign.

Aelin winded through the shelves taller than her, and her lips went thin when she noticed there were no longer other fae to be seen. She was truly set on alert when she realised that even the woman behind the counter was gone. Through the window, the streets were empty, and the music that had been playing only moments before had stopped.

“Oh, Nesta,” Aelin sighed. “I’m guessing asking Feyre for flowers was a code?”

Aelin rolled her eyes. She wasn’t too fazed, whoever was coming for her had no idea what she was capable of.

Aelin scouted the store quickly. Three exits, the front the back and a window through an attic. None good options, considering the place was very likely surrounded, and apparently the company Nesta kept included those that could fly. Aelin decided to go for the attic. They might be scouting the sky, but it would be to see her exit from the ground. And Aelin could fly too, in her own way.

Aelin also delved into the pit of magic she could feel in Nesta. She recoiled from it the moment she touched it. What thein the rutting hell is that?

Something you’ve never seen.

Aelin told her to shut up.

She silently crept up the attic stairs and went to the window. She jimmied it open only a breath, first looking to see exactly what she was in for before she leapt out. There was a building next to her, twice the height of this one. It had a fire escape, and if Aelin could make it to the roof she might be able to jump from building to building until she was far enough away to blend into the crowds that were surely somewhere.

The jump to the stairs was an easy one, and she ran quietly up until she was hopping roofs like she used to as Celaena in Rifthold.

She had gotten nearly fifteen houses down until she heard it – distantly, the sound of wings. For the first time, Aelin was glad for her exposure to wyverns. Otherwise, she mightn’t recognize the sound. She stopped for a moment, crouching down and next to a chimney. She could go down to the street, or further to the beach where she could swim along the coastline until it was clear. She shook her head, the water was too cold, she would freeze to death, and the street too bright – it was if this city preferred the night, it was only getting brighter and livelier in the distance.

Behind her was a forest. It was dense enough to cover her from anything above, but she could also easily get lost. And without Rowan, she couldn’t disguise her scent.

Her heart tugged at just the thought of his name.

The forest it was, and Aelin prayed to no one that whoever was following her were dreadful trackers.

She was about to step off the roof when she something slammed behind her. She would have tripped and fallen the three storeys down if a strong hand hadn’t grabbed her and yanked her back.

“Why are you running?” a male hissed.

She glared at him. Just like all the men that seemed to worm their way into Aelin’s life, he was stunning. His face was elegant, the smooth panes of it neutral as he looked over her. His eyes were a rich hazel, the colour of melted milk chocolate you’d serve to guests in the thick of Terrasen’s winter. He was muscular, his body comparable to Rowan’s, and the skin of his hands rippled. They were scarred, heavily so, and Aelin knew the effects of fire anywhere. How they’d been burned, she couldn’t guess. He had the same gems on his hands as Nesta’s Cassian, and the same dark hair.

“Why are you chasing me?” she replied haughtily. It didn’t take a genius to guess Nesta didn’t speak to people politely.

This is Azriel, he’s nice enough. Bit bland if you ask me.

“Because you sent out the distress signal to say there was an intruder in the house. And since when do you do,” he waved a hand at the path Aelin had just blazed, “all that.”

“Since when do you ask so many questions? What are you, a spy?” Aelin snorted. She was trying to match the exclusively bitchy tone she’d gotten from Nesta – it seemed to be the only way the woman communicated.

Azriel gave her a funny look. “Have you been drinking?” he asked.

Nesta gasped.

How dare he ask that! He had no right, none! I demand you yell at him.

“I will do no such thing,” Aelin laughed.

She didn’t realize she had replied out loud until Azriel said slowly, “You mean you have doneno such thing?”

Aelin thought it best if she stay silent and let him speak. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t speak to Nesta. Are you an alcoholic?

“Nesta, why did you raid your weapons supply?” he probed.

She looked away, and that’s when she noticed the darkness that swarmed him like he was the eye in the middle of a storm.

Time to run. Aelin sprinted to edge of the building and leaped onto the next. It was much lower, and her knees clanged on impact. She grunted, shook it off and ran again, leaping and jumping until she was on the path she said she wouldn’t take. This was a good body, but it wasn’t as fast as her own nor as in shape, and her lungs burned with the effort. She heard the winged male flying above her, shouting her name as she ran.

She could sense when he swooped down, but she was unable to stop him when he flew low to the ground and grabbed at her leg, holding her by the ankle as he swept them up in the air.

Aelin screamed and pulled a knife from her belt. She flung it at him, and it rang true. It stabbed into his shoulder, and he dropped her. She fell with athwackonto her back, and the breath was robbed from her. Azriel landed away from her, prowling over to her as he ripped the knife from his shoulder. He looked furious.

She got to her feet, steadying herself in a fighting stance. She had no chance of outrunning him with those wings. Her only chance was to get him down long enough to run into the forest and hope it was dense enough that flying would be useless.

Don’t you have any snide remarks to make? she asked Nesta as she prepared herself.

You won’t beat him.

Nesta paused.

But he saw something was wrong and immediately assumed I was on a bender. So beat the shit out of him while you can.

Aelin grinned. Can do.

She unsheathed the lovely jian sword and met Azriel halfway.

He met her blow for blow, and she was staggered by his skill. Every punch she threw, every kick she tried to land, every swing of her sword, he parried and out smarted her. He was on the offensive, and she let him be. She wanted him to think he was in control, but she was driving them down an alley, not to corner him, but to get to the forest’s edge. Her fighting was restrained and purposeful, and she took pride whenever she got through his defences. There was one very satisfying smack across his face, and she wondered if she should worry about the copious amounts of blood spilling from his shoulder. He wasn’t fighting as though he was injured, but Rowan had done the same in the past and it had been dire.

Looking at the wound reminded her of the arrow Rowan had taken for her all those months ago, and it was enough of a distraction that Azriel was able to land a blow to her stomach, making her bend over involuntarily.

And then she saw it, attached to his hip, his hand resting on it like he might actually use it.

A whip.

He clearly knew Nesta, was familiar enough with her that he felt no guilt in accusing her of drinking, but would he still use that on her? Just the sight of it made Aelin cringe, her back twitching from the memory of what it felt like to have the leather slashed across her.

Aelin screamed a battle cry, launching herself at him with a new fervour. He did not expect it, and he fell prey to her assault. She was using nothing but her fists, the lovely sword abandoned, and she drove him bloody and bruised to the woodland edge.

She knocked him onto his back and stood over him, her teeth in a snarl. He looked at her, one eye swollen shut, the other wide and glassy. She was going to do it, was going to land a blow that wouldn’t kill him but would knock him out long enough for her to run, when she felt a dark force grip her.

She looked down to see a darkness wrapped around her, a different one to those that plagued Azriel. For a split second, she froze, thinking Erawan had finally come to claim her life.

Don’t fight it, you can’t.

Aelin shook as she turned her head, trying to squirm out of her restraints. But she could feel that this was magic. And although at face value it looked like the darkness of a valg prince, this magic was warm, and it didn’t rip at her mind and memories. Well, Nesta’s mind and memories that Aelin was interfering with.

She looked into the face of Azriel’s defender and gasped.

It was him. The male that slowed her, that caused her to crash into this plain of existence.

Aelin didn’t even feel it as he knocked her out.

_____

When she woke up, she heard voices arguing.

She recognized one, it was Cassian’s, but the others were a mystery.

“I don’t know what happened. Even if I wanted to, there’s a block on her mind that I’ve never seen before. It’s like she’s too full, and I can’t squeeze in,” a raspy voice said. A man.

“Tell me again, exactly what happened yesterday.” A woman. Voice fraught, full of concern and love.

“We woke up, had breakfast as usual then I left. She said she was going to read in the garden. When I came back, I knew something was wrong because she’d left her book outside, just discarded on the ground. When I saw her she didn’t seem like herself, and then she gave me the signal. I came here as fast as I could, and she was gone when we searched the house. Her clothes were strewn everywhere, our emergency gold was gone.” Cassian.

“And there were no bottles-”

“I told you, Feyre! She hadn’t been drinking. She hasn’t had a drink in years.”

“Then what the hell was she doing? Sneaking away like that, attacking Azriel?” The woman, Feyre, said. She was the one who had flowers, supposedly. “And where did she learn to fight like that? You’re training is brilliant of course Cassian but that was something we’ve never seen before.”

“Maybe she was – maybe she was trying to leave me.” His voiced cracked, and Aelin heard him suck in air through his teeth. “And I caught her, and she said whatever she could to soften the blow or to just get me away.”

“I don’t think that’s it, Cassian,” Feyre said softly. “She wasn’t trying to leave you.”

GET UP. NOW. AND YOU TELL THEM THE TRUTH. TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE BECAUSE I CANNOT LET HIM THINK FOR ONE SECOND THAT I WOULD LEAVE HIM. TELL THEM. TELL THEM NOW.

Aelin rolled over.

She was on a bed and in pyjamas. They must have changed her. The trio noticed her movement and locked eyes on her instantly, and Aelin was taken aback again at the sight of the winged male that caused this complete and utter mess.

He was beautiful, perhaps one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen. Eyes so blue they were nearly violet, tanned skin, thick, dark hair that he had pushed back from his forehead. He was looking at her intensely, and Aelin could name very few people who had given her that look. And although it was striking, it was also one of fury.

Cassian choked at the sight of her and rushed to her side. He went to envelop her, but she stopped him with a hand to his chest.

His face fell, and he flinched back instantly.

Who is in the room right now?Aelin asked Nesta.

Cassian you know. Feyre is my sister and also thirty weeks pregnant. Try not to cause her any more stress if you are able to do so. Might be hard, considering your insolence. The posh one is Rhysand. He’s the High Lord, what you would call a King. It was his power that took us last night. Oh, and Azriel and Cassian are his brothers. So good luck with that.

“Nesta, I was worried. Elain is on her way from the Day Court as we speak.” Feyre approached her slowly. She had the same hair as Nesta, but her features weren’t so hard and angular.

Elain is our other sister. She doesn’t live here. Hasn’t since I – she just doesn’t live here anymore.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you Cassian. Nor was I running away from you,” Aelin said aloud. She sat up, pulling the blankets to better cover her chest. She felt exposed under their gazes, and it didn’t take a fae to be able to sense the extraordinary amount of power in the room. Aelin wondered if that’s how people felt when they were around her.

“It’s okay if you were. I would understand.”

Tell him he’s perfect.

“No, you’re perfect.”

Aelin took a deep breath and weighed her options. If she tried to flee again as Nesta and find this book, they would follow her. If she told them the truth, they would find their own methods to expel her, but her life would be forfeit.

They’ll kill me, she told Nesta.

It’s not unlikely.

“But I have to go, for a while. I’ll be back.”

“What?” Feyre blubbered. “You can’t just – just scare us shitless, attack Azriel, and then tell us you’re leaving. Mor evacuated the city yesterday on your call. Amren sealed the boarders, we sent the children to Helion and Lucien, because you said there was an intruder in the court. Where are you even going?”

Aelin pursed her lips. “I’m not at liberty to discuss that information.”

Feyre gaped. “You’re not at liberty to – are you kidding right now? You have pulled a lot of shit in your time Nesta but this? I think there’s something serious going on, and for whatever reason you can’t tell us, but don’t sit there and lie to my face. Not after everything we’ve been through.”

Seems like you have your own story to tell.

Oh shut up. I’m not the one with the nick name Fire Breathing Bitch Queen.

Before Aelin could open to mouth to defend herself – more like lie – the door opened slightly, and Azriel popped his head in.

He was looking much better for wear, and his eye was no longer swollen shut, and blood no longer covered his body. His arm was in a sling, and he wore simple clothes: loose, velvet pants and a black flannel shirt to match. Aelin slid her gaze over him and raised an eyebrow at what she saw. He was studying her just as closely, but there was no resentment in his features. Either he was an expert at feigning nonchalance, or he didn’t care for what she had done to him.

Aelin sat up, brushing the blankets away from herself. She was wearing a nightgown that was long but low cut, and she wouldn’t have been embarrassed even if it were her own body.

“You look better for wear,” Azriel said slowly.

“I could say the same for you.”

“Being stabbed doesn’t suit many people,” Rhys said. Aelin turned to look at him, and although this beautiful man seemed to be one of masks, not even he could hide his anger.

One could say Rhys and I have a strained relationship.

Why didn’t that surprise Aelin?

“Don’t say such deprecating things. I’m sure you’d look lovely with a blade in you,” Aelin said before she could help it.

“Nesta! What has gotten into you!” The pregnant fae stepped forward, one hand clutching her stomach and the other reaching for Aelin as if she might rip her hair out. Her concern was palpable though, and Aelin sympathised with the woman.

I told you not to antagonise her. Are you always this bad at following instructions?

She looked back to Azriel. Although only at the door, the room seemed to gravitate towards him. Nesta told her that Rhys was their king, but Aelin wondered if Azriel secretly ran this kingdom. She addressed him as such.

“If I leave, are you going to hunt me again?”

“I never hunted you to begin with.”

“You could have fooled me.”

Azriel let out a low laugh, the darkness – shadows, Aelin realised, they were shadows – surrounding him weaved around his ears, as if whispering secrets to him.

“On that note.” Aelin swung her legs over the bed and stood, smoothing down the ankle length nightgown she wore. “I have to go.”

“Where are you going?” Cassian stepped forward and held her arm, not to stop her, but in a gentlemanly sort of manner. As if he might take her on a walk through the garden while courting her.

“I have to find something.” Her breath was short, and her heart fluttered at the feel of his hands on her. Her stomach dropped at the sight of his sadness, and she felt a longing ache to reach out her fingers to run them down his cheek. Aelin controlled this body, but it still reacted to everything Nesta was feeling.

“I’ll come with you. What are we looking for?”

She blinked hard. Rutting hell, she could drown in those eyes. He was so gentle she felt like she could be a brittle leaf in autumn having just fallen from a tree and he still wouldn’t break her.

First of all, wipe the drool from your mouth. Secondly, my mate is the one of the most renowned generals in Prythian. His ferocity and skill are unmatched, even by the High Lord. Thirdly, if you fuck him I will kill you, even if I go down in the process.

Oh stop! I would never. There’s only one male I’m interested in, and as I’m constantly reminded, he’s very far away,Aelin snapped back.

She yanked her arm away from Cassian, her ogling over. Cassian looked stung, but she didn’t care. She was letting herself get distracted in the dramas of another kingdom, and it had to stop. She just needed that damn book, and she could let Nesta free and get the hell out of here.

“I’m leaving.” She strode of, hopeful but not confident that they wouldn’t follow her. Her ribs ached as she moved, but it was manageable.

Nesta directed her to the outside of the house. She was in another manor, this one even larger and far more opulent. It might even be an understatement to call it a manor, it was more of a palace. She grabbed a random coat from a rack by the door and found shoes that fit well enough next to the stairs.

“Okay Nesta, where to?” she whispered as she hurried away.

The library. The women there might give you answers. But choose wisely how many people you tell, the High Lord has eyes everywhere. And the last thing he wants is that book in the wrong set of hands.

“Are your hands the wrong ones?”

To Rhysand – yes.

“You know, I’m not one to judge dysfunctional relationships, but isn’t he your sister’s husband and your mate’s brother? How can you two detest each other on such a level.”

That’s not a story you need to know.

“Fair enough.”

Aelin ran. She did not see the shadows that slithered after her.

#nessian #rowaelin #feysand #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #kingdom of ash #koa spoilers #fanfic

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