A/N: For some reason, whenever starting a story, I always forget to put in a disclaimer or an author's note all together. But I remembered in time for the second chapter!

First, let me thank LSPScooter for reviewing and putting this story on story alert. It means the world to me. So, I'm going to make a little bit of an example of good ol' LSPScooter here. PLEASE, PLEASEreview. If you don't review, then I think no one's reading it. If no one is reading it, then there's not much of a point in me writing it, is there? And it would stink if I stopped writing, because I have some really awesome plot twists for this story. So PLEASE review. Just to let me know that someone besides my Fanfiction BFF is reading it.

So, with that out of the way, let me say that the first three paragraphs are recap, then comes the new stuff. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Think for a second, people. I'm posting this on FanFiction. If I was Julie Kagawa, don't you think I'd post this somewhere else, like on my blog where thousands of people would actually read it? Silly you, thinking I was actually a published author. :)

"Mina." I murmured. Mina had been friends with Ariella before Ariella had become my lover and we had spent every minute together. After her death, Mina had disappeared from court. I had not seen her until this day.

She looked at me urgently. "I'm sorry about this, Ash, but I think there's something you need to know-"

I did not hear what my old acquaintance had to say to me, because at that moment, a bloodcurdling shriek ripped through the air behind me. I turned just in time to see my queen and lover crumple to the ground, an arrow sticking out of her back.

I turned away from Mina and began running towards her. The crowds parted for me, letting me to her in record time. I dropped on my knees beside her, cradling her head in my lap. No! No! This isn't happening! She's alive! She is not dead! every particle of my being screamed at me.

Trying to stop my hands from shaking, I put two fingers at the crook of her neck, where her pulse should be. Nothing. I moved a little, determined to keep thinking that I was just in the wrong place. Nothing again. I moved once more, despair threatening to crush me. Nothing. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, n-

My mental ranting stopped as something pushed against my fingers. I focused on her for a second. Nothing. I must have been imagining it. My thoughts almost returned to their previous state when something beat under my fingers again. I focused on her again. There. A pulse. My heart and soul soared. She was alive. She would be okay. The person who had done this would be killed and-

That brought me up short. Who had done this? Why would they try to assassinate the queen, when they knew that the killing of the monarch would not kill the realms they ruled? The Thornguards had tried, once, I knew, but we had killed them. Who could have done this?

Glitch appeared, kneeling beside me. "Is she…."

I nodded, not letting any of my inner turmoil show. "She has a pulse."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Still, we should call the physician to take a look at her. It would be best to get back to the Iron Kingdom now."

I nodded and stood, cradling her to my chest, ignoring the Iron knight approaching who Glitch had called for the job. I began walking towards the door of the throne room, but turned around suddenly. "I will not bothering asking those guilty of this crime to come forward, for I know they will not, but you best understand that the assassin and all those in on this crime will be found out." My voice was quiet, but it carried, and I was certain that all present would hear it. "They will be hunted down and killed mercilessly." Then I said the words that I knew I would regret, sometime or another "This, I promise."

I swept my gaze around the motionless room one more time, then whirled around, out the door, back towards the carriages that would take us to the Iron Kingdom. As I crossed the threshold, I could have sworn I saw a pair of familiar green eyes, twinkling to my left. The only problem was, those eyes were surrounded not by a messy halo of red hair, but of black.

A/N: Sorry but if it was short, but the more people that review, the more I'll write, faster. Good deal, right? What say you?

If you don't review, then I'll send ASh after you. (once he's finished with that little assassin problem...) :) If you do review, I'll send Puck/Ash/Grimalkin/Ethan (whichever one you want) to you for a hug. So come on! Press that little button! You know you want to!

Queen of Air and Darkness