Author's Note:

This is another section of Aelin's dream. I have been working on this section for a little while now, but decided that this chapter would only contain these two parts. The whole of this story will not be in Aelin's dream, but the majority of it will be. Hopefully, in the next section, you will see some more of Aelin's interactions with Maeve. Until then, please fell free to leave me reviews and comments, as I would really appreciate the advice.

Thanks.

. . .

The halls were long and wide, but Aelin supposed that to contain her past and her future, they would need to go on forever. Lord knew she came with a lot of baggage. The palace was beautiful, somehow homey and extravagant at the same time. Aelin laughed at the thought; this was literally the palace of her dreams. Not that she would ever get to live in it. Dorian gave her hand a small squeeze and Aelin glanced at him. She was so used to slipping away into her own thoughts, having someone to pull her back out of them was unfamiliar. She smiled slightly and peered down the corridor, thankful for her boots. Walking down these endless corridors would be torture. It wasn't long though, before Dorian was pulling her towards another door. This was smaller, more modest, but with intricate carvings on it. It was somehow familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Pushing the door open, and receiving an encouraging nod from Dorian, Aelin walked into the room.

It was the music that she noticed first. Intricate and waltzing, and ever so familiar. Aelin walked further into the room, trying to find the source of the music. It felt like another corridor, but when she stepped forward, she noticed an archway to her left. The room was dimly lit by a small candle that glowed, sat atop a pile of music. There in the centre of the room, her back to Aelin, sat a young girl with long golden hair, swaying slightly with the music that she played. Aelin didn't need to see her face to know who she was. She reached a difficult part, and stumbled, cursing colourfully. A low chuckle sounded from a shadowed part of the room. Sixteen-year-old Aelin jumped to her feet, snarling.

"Spying on me again, Sam Cortland?" Aelin's heart skipped a beat as the fair haired, young man emerged from where he two had been watching the girl, from another shadowed archway.

"Yes, because I have nothing better to do than follow round a sixteen-year-old, bratty assassin who can't play the pianoforte." Sam rolled his eyes, and older Aelin watching him, smiling sadly.

"What a noble liar you were, Sam. Gods you had me fooled." She resisted the urge to step towards him, leaving the pair of them to play out the scene.

"Well, at least you're man enough to admit it." Young Aelin remarked, her eyes simmering with distaste. The two of them danced around each other, trading snide comments and Aelin just watched, amazed, having forgotten how easy it all used to be. Before she fell in love with him, before he died, before Endovier and Nehemia and Cain. She watched, regretting that she had wasted so much time hating the roguish assassin in front of her, that she hadn't had more time with him. She watched young Aelin storm out, likely as a result of something Sam had said and she had flared up at; Aelin didn't know, she had almost tuned out the noise, now.

That was, until, he started playing. Sam had sat down after Aelin had left the room, staring after her sadly. Then his fingers pressed down on the keys, and he began to weave his way through the delicate piece. So sad, but elegant, enchanting. Somehow, it seemed to convey distress and grief in such a beautiful way. Aelin let out a small gasp. She knew that this probably wasn't real, that she didn't know what had really happened in this room after she had left that night. That she was likely making up this ending to the scene, but she didn't care. She just closed her eyes and let the music swallow her up. When the piece came to an end, Sam stood and, with a predator's grace, walked towards Aelin. He paused a moment and she held her breath, before he turned and disappeared into the dark corridor. Breathing a sigh, Aelin closed her eyes once more and just stood for a moment. She felt Dorian's hand rest on the small of her back, and opened her eyes, grateful for her friend. Grateful for what she just received. She never thought she would see Sam again, not like this. She smiled and allowed Dorian to lead her out of the door. She kept her eyes on her feet and there they remained as she was once more led into the bright hallway.

"I caught you playing that same piece once." Dorian murmured. "The one that Sam played."

Aelin slowly nodded and looked up towards him.

"However much it hurts to remember, I will never let them be forgotten, none of them." Dorian nodded, and Aelin returned the nod before stepping forwards. One step in front of the other. "Where to next?" She tried to keep chipper, to remember that there must be something in this mind palace that she did want to see.

"You won't like it." Dorian grimaced.

Aelin sighed deeply. Not yet then. "Well, there's a surprise," she grumbled. Dorian chuckled, but even to her it sounded forced.

This walk was shorter, and it took very little time for them to reach the next door. Aelin was busy looking out of the large windows, over Teressan, her heart aching. She didn't notice when they reached the door, and kept strolling down the corridor, before slowing and pivoting to where Dorian was standing in front of a large door. Aelin walked closer, frowning slightly at the concerned expression on his face, and started to ask him what was wrong. Stepping closer and resting her hand on his arm, Aelin began, "Dorian, what…" That was as far as she got before the door came to her attention and it became difficult to breathe. She stumbled back towards the window, away from that door, that door that had come back in her nightmares. Whipping her face back to her friend, she didn't try to hide her pained expression as she begged. "Please, not this one. This won't help me. Anything else. Not this." Dorian looked back to the door, before striding over to the queen.

"I'm sorry, Aelin. We have to see this one, you have to. It was something that you never truly dealt with, something that you pushed back and back, but you never dealt with it."

Aelin grabbled for words. "I did, in Wendyln, I already dealt with it. Not again Dorian," Aelin pleaded. Dorian just shook his head sadly, and slipped his hand into hers.

"Together." Aelin clutched his hand in hers, worried that if she didn't she might run back to the library, to Sam and Rhoe and Marion, and away from that blasted door. Trying to compose herself, Aelin stepped forwards and soon, too soon, her hand was on the handle to the suite. Taking a deep breath, Aelin opened the door a crack and paused. "It's ok, Aelin. You can do this." Aelin nodded, grateful for the presence of her friend, glad that she would do this with someone who knew. Pushing the door fully open, Aelin stepped into that suite in Ardalan's castle, and faced the scene that she had feared since the day it had happened. There, on the bed, lay the princess of Ewelle, mutilated and lifeless.

Aelin staggered forward, slipping out of Dorian's hold, and nearing the bloodied bed. She stared at what was left of the face of her friend. This was worse than what she had seen that day in the field with Rowan, this was so real. The stench of blood overwhelmed Aelin and she covered her nose and mouth with her hand. Aelin didn't know what to do, didn't know if she should scream or cry or leave. She didn't want to see what happened next; see her younger self find this body for the first time, see herself attempting to kill Chaol when she directed her anger at him, see Dorian who had just lost his friend too have to prevent her from killing his other friend. With these thoughts running through her head, Aelin turned her head to the door, expecting the scene to begin any minute, for the small cluster of people burst through those doors. Dorian interrupted her thoughts. "They're not coming, not this time. This one's different, just a snapshot. You don't have to see them, just her." Dorian's voice was soft, his tone delicate and comforting. Still her made no move towards the bed. She had to go for herself. Aelin turned back to the bed a lump forming in her throat. She didn't make any more moves towards the bed, however, staying frozen to the spot, using all her energy to keep herself from collapsing. Her eyes stayed fixed on her friend, that beautiful princess who had shown Aelin what it was to truly love a kingdom. When she had contemplated what type of queen she would become, Aelin had decided that she wanted to love her people as much as the woman before had. Standing in that mirror with Manon Blackbeak, Aelin had learned just how much Nehemia had known and planned and given up for her people and her family. She had told Aelin not to let that fire go out, and Aelin had ignored her. If it weren't for the people she had found, her cousin, her mate, that fire would have gone out a long time ago. She would have returned to that shell of a person she was after Endovier, before Dorian and Chaol and Nehemia. It was her memory of the vow she had made to her lost friend that had kept her from this. Nehemia had saved her. But all Aelin felt when she thought of her was this strange wave of… she couldn't place it, she didn't want to see it for what it was.

Lost in her thoughts, Aelin jumped when that voice interrupted them.

"Elentiya." The voice was gentle, quiet, but it speared through Aelin and that name, that name. It felt like a sword was being propelled into her stomach. It took everything she had not to keel over. Slowly, Aelin rotated to face the space next to the bed from where the voice had come from. There, looking exactly as she had when Aelin had seen her last, was Nehemia, princess of Ewelle. "I've missed you." With that, the wave returned, stronger than Aelin had ever felt it before. She knew what it was now. Rage. Unending rage for the princess who had left her, who had manipulated her, who had tricked her into loving her so that she could take herself away. Rage and pain and anguish. Aelin snapped. A scream erupted from her she lunged. Lunged with all her strength towards her beloved friend. Her eyes were dry and that scream was unending, brutal. Years of pent up grief and fury. She had let go of parts of it on those days with Rowan in Mistward. She had felt this way before, when Rowan had delivered the news about the salt mine massacres. Before she could collide with the princess, hands held her back. Maybe she hadn't needed to see this scene because Dorian had decided she should just relive it. This time, though, she would blame the right person, the person who really orchestrated the whole thing. She struggled against the hands that held her back, like a savage animal, clawing to reach the object of so much hatred and love. She scrambled widely, refusing to let up screaming, writing from where Dorian held her. That was different too, last time it had been his magic, but this time his own arms gripped her, and though they were soothing, they remained steadfast, unable to reach Nehemia. Her screams became smaller, her throat hurting and tears cooled her flushed cheeks. Dorian just held her as she stopped struggling, as she curled into herself. He sat on the floor with her, not letting go. Together, he had promised. She didn't deserve a friend like him, however not real he was.

Soon, the arms encircling her changed, and Aelin leaned into the familiar scent of the princess, letting herself be comforted, her wrath forgotten. She clung to the friend who had left her, refusing to let her leave again. After a minute, Nehemia led her over to the now clean bed and sat them both down. Aelin clutched her hands and for the first time since she had broken down, looked up at her friend. That face was so kind, but her expression crestfallen. "Oh Elentiya." Another tear rolled down Aelin's cheek at the name that she had treasured so much, for the name that allowed her to be a better person. "I'm sorry that I left you. I'm so sorry." With those words Aelin felt the wave recede, before it vanished altogether. That was all she had wanted. Her friend back, and an apology. "I didn't realise that what I did would hurt you so much." Aelin frowned at that, confused. How did Nehemia not know how much she loved her? As though reading her mind, Nehemia continued. "I mean, I knew that you loved me, but I hadn't meant for you to blame Chaol, to…" Nehemia broke off, looking at her lap. Aelin reached over, and stroked her cheek, needing to see those dark, soft eyes.

"Nehemia,' Aelin sighed, the name familiar on her tongue. "Yes, what you did hurt me. For a while I thought I couldn't come back from it. All I had left was my vow to save your people, I had something to work towards, something to live for. I'm better now. I didn't want to see all of this again, this room, this bed, you. Now, I'm happy Dorian brought me here. I don't care if you're just part of my dream, I needed to talk to my friend again. Thank you, for everything. Everything you and Elena did, however awful, however painful it was when you broke my heart, I'm ok now. I just needed this, I needed to get my proper goodbye." Nehemia was crying now, fat tears rolling down her cheeks, and a small, grateful smile appearing on her lips. Aelin was sure that she was crying as well.

Nehemia squeezed her hands. "I watched over you, you know. I wasn't supposed to, I was meant to turn around and wait until you joined me one day. I just couldn't leave you that way. I wanted to watch over you."

Aelin' smile faded. "Some life to watch over. You couldn't have decided to watch over the life of a happy, carefree bunny rabbit. Instead you got a life full of grief, endless battles, arguments, Valg, and being captured and tortured for the rest of my existence. Lucky you. You'd probably have been better just turning around."

To Aelin's surprise, when she looked up, Nehemia was grinning. "I'm glad I watched. You maybe remember those things but do you know what I saw: I saw you reunited with one of the people you love most in the world; I saw you love and help a shifter; I saw you fix your friendship with Chaol; I saw you save Dorian; I saw you befriend a witch whose fate is twisted into yours; I saw you fight like hell to get your mate. I saw you save my kingdom." On that Nehemia's voice broke and that just made Aelin cry harder. "You are the greatest person I ever had the honour to meet. You are the queen I longed for you to become." Aelin looked back up at her friend, and Nehemia's eyes were dry now. "I have to go now." Those words made Aelin want to scream again, wanted to make her hold her friend so tightly that she couldn't leave her again. Instead she just squeezed the princess' hands.

"This isn't like the last time," Aelin smiled. "This was our goodbye, our proper one." Nehemia nodded, and stood. Aelin stood with her, but when she moved to walk back to Dorian, Nehemia reached out and gripped her wrist. Aelin pivoted to look back at her friend.

"Elentiya," Nehemia started. "There was one moment, one thing that I watched. On that bridge when you turned back for the witch, when you saved her. You didn't know her, at that point, didn't love her. It wasn't sacrifice or desperation that made you turn back for her. It wasn't recklessness, or hope that you might be able to use her. It was true selflessness. It was bravery. I lied, when I called you a coward. You, Aelin Ashyver Galathnius, Celaena Sardothian, Elentiya, are the bravest person I know." With that, Aelin turned, and walked away from her dead friend, out to the entrance to the room and left. Dorian, said nothing, following her silently into the hallway.

She curved around to look at her friend, as he closed the door, and said, "Thank you." With that she gave him a small hug, the only way that she could show how grateful she was. "I really needed that. If this were real, I would owe you many, many days of reading and eating chocolate cake."

Dorian stroked her hair as she held him, and breathed into her shoulder, "I miss her too." With that Aelin pulled away, but held onto his hand, and pulled him down the corridor. She was ready to see something else. She had feared the doors up ahead, but now all she wanted was to see her family, to see more reasons why she should hold on. Not just the people that had wanted her to live, but the people she had left to live for.

Instead, she woke up.