(Two weeks later)
Dorian's pov:
I had left Terrasen, Aelin looked pretty happy with rowan. When I got back to my castle, I saw Chaol in the entrance hall. "Chaol? What are you doing here?" "You didn't hear?" "No, I've been traveling for the last week." I looked at Chaol, trying to read him. Something was really, wrong. "Aelin is in a coma." "What!" I couldn't believe it, I was just there a week ago. "What happened?" I just stood there. "I don't know, rowan just came by and told us." "Why didn't he intercept me?" "He didn't say, come your second in command sent me to retrieve you for the meeting." Chaol lead me to my board room. A white falcon or hawk stood on the table. "Rowan. You're not much use to us in that form." The bird made what sounded like a chuckle and shifted back into a human, or rather fae. He sat down and the table along with Aedion. He had come here with rowan then. I didn't see Aedion when I was in Terrasen, I had thought he has on a hunting trip, but now I'm not sure. Had he been spying on Perrington? "Now explain." I sat down at the head of the table, next to my second. Rowan sighed and told us what happened.
"When you left the castle a week ago, there was an attack in the middle of the night. They took Aelin while she was sleeping, and when I went to get her, she wasn't moving at all, when I brought her back to Terrasen we found out that she was in a coma." "How didn't you notice she was being taken?" I blurted. I knew they had been sharing a bed. He hesitated before saying. "We had a fight. Aelin went to the library to read, but apparently fell asleep. That's how." They fought? "Well? Is she ok?" Aedion demanded. "She's stable, but we haven't found a way to wake her up, when I found her, there was blood around her head. Only one creature I know had the power to have the blood drain from the ear, the skin walkers." The name made me shiver. "So what? Did you find them?" "They were gone. I couldn't sense them anywhere, but believe me, I will find them." I didn't doubt that. "What do they do to their, prey?" Chaol gulped. "They take bits of the skin, and attach it to themselves, hence the name." rowan sounded dead serious.
I stood up. "What do you expect us to do? I can understand Chaol, and Aedion, but why did you come to Adarland and tell me all of this? I can't do anything, I can't go to Terrasen again, and I need to be here. Surely you understand that, prince rowan." The name made him stiffen. "I just thought you would like to know, king, that Aelin was attacked by the skin walkers." "What do they look like?" Chaol asked. "They have the figure of a human, they smell ten times worst than humans, and they are more deadly than anything you've ever encountered." Rowan frowned and stood up. "I must return to my queen. Is there anything else you need?" Chaol stood up. "I want to go with you." Aedion just stared at Chaol choice of words. "I thought you hated my queen's guts?" "No, I don't. I want to see her. I don't have any responsibility, so I wouldn't be putting anyone in danger of anything." "Of course not." I mumbled under my breath. "Your highness, you can go to Terrasen, I will take care of Riftfold for as long as you need." My second whispered. "You don't need to." "Your father left this country for months at a time. I think a couple weeks will be fine." I patted my second on the shoulder and gave him a tight smile. "Rowan, I'm going too." "No, you need to stay here, as you clearly stated." I stood up faster than I anticipated. "I am going, and that's final." I walked from the room. "It there any reason the new king of Adarland is so stubborn?" one of them asked, but I didn't care which one.
(A week later)
Rowan pov:
I didn't why all of those men needed to see Aelin, she wasn't going to get better just by them being there, but in some way I understood. I loved Aelin, and I would want to see her, even if she were in a coma. So I let them come back with me, I flew, and they rode on horses.
When we arrived the castle was in a panic. "I leave for a week. And this happens?" we were not taking our time, so it didn't take nearly as long to get back here from Riftfold. "Sir, the queen is awake, stable and awake. But she tried to blow up a healer, because she was hallucinating." I thanked the young servant and ran to the castle Infirmary. "Aelin. Stop, calm down." I breathed. She was standing on her bed; her legs looked like they would give in at anytime. She had a fireball in her hand. "Rowan." She looked at me and fainted. I rushed to catch her. I heard Aedion curse under his breath. "Leave, she will be better in the morning, have the servants prepare rooms for you two." I motioned for Aedion and Chaol to leave. I waved Dorian over. "Take care of her; I need to find the skin walkers. I should be back by morning." He nodded his head and sat down in the chair next to her bed. I kissed her hair and walked out the door. Those skin walkers would pay for what they did, and I would find out exactly why they attacked her of everyone in this castle.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :) the next one will up soon.