A World Without You Chapter 11
Author's note: Here's the new chapter guys! To make up for the giant wait a few chapters ago, I'm uploading as often as I can. If you guys have any suggestions or requests for things to add, let me know and I'll do my best to add them in (and probably mention you).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
Celaena's POV
"At least you did well to prevent you from using your right hand for a while. Now, you're ending up hitting slightly too far to the right of your target. Aim more to your left." Arobynn said, smiling slightly as Celaena corrected her mistake. "We should face you against a live opponent soon. That'll improve your skills."
Celaena smiled slightly, although her right hand hurt like hell, as she hit the training target every time. Pride swelled in her slightly as she noticed she was naturally finding the correct footing and weight distribution. The sword felt natural in both hands to her now.
"So, what weapon should we move onto next, Celaena?" Arobynn said, smiling slightly at his protégé as he pointed towards a weapon cabinet.
Celaena slowly walked over to the cabinet and looked at each weapon in turn. Swords, whips, staffs, knives, axes, bows, a fan, and even a pickaxe were in the cabinet, displayed neatly. Celaena's eyes lingered on each weapon in turn before settling on a set of throwing knives. She removed them slowly from the cabinet and turned to see Arobynn smirking at her.
"Ben," he called out, "I think Celaena here will make a very good assassin."
Assassin. The word echoed through Celaena's head. What the hell was an assassin? Was that what all this training was for?
"This is how you throw knives. Pull your wrist back and then flick to throw it accurately a short distance." He paused to allow Celaena to try. She completely missed the target on her first two attempts and hit very wide off the mark on her third attempt.
"Don't close one eye. Keep them both open and you'll have better depth perception. Your wrist is twisting slightly to the left, and that's why you're missing the mark. Keep your wrist straight." Arobynn said slowly, adjusting her stance and her grip on the knife. "Now, try it."
Celaena threw the knife again, this time hitting the left of the centre circle of the target. She pulled another from her belt and threw it again, this time hitting the centre of the mark.
"Well done. Now, do it ten times in a row and we'll move on to long distance," Arobynn said, walking away from her and leaving the training room.
*Line break*
"Better, Celaena. We'll keep practising your skills, but you do need to gain new ones as well. You can't just rely on swords and knives. Better, Celaena. We'll keep practising your skills, but you do need to gain new ones as well. You can't just rely on swords and knives. What if you're in somewhere like Eyllwe where they use staffs more than steel? Choose another weapon to train with."
Celaena stalked over to the weapons cabinet and chose a bow and arrow. Arobynn smiled and pulled back his own bow string.
Aedion's POV
Aedion rode on horseback towards Rifthold from Orynth. He had to become a leader in the King's army. Even if he was thought of as a traitor, he would do this to help his people. If Aelin was alive, and she thought of him as a traitor for what he'd done, he would still do it.
Slowing his horse down, Aedion entered Perranth. He dismounted and walked his horse through the city in Terrassen. Lady Marion had been with Aelin, so she was most likely dead too. Lord Cal and Elide, however, may have still been alive.
Aedion walked slowly through the deserted streets. Houses were shut up, some burned to the ground, and others were gone completely. Rats scurried through the rubble on the streets, but, other than them, there was no living thing on the streets.
Aedion picked his way through the broken street to the manor house he had visited once before with Aelin. The windows were smashed in and the roof had holes burnt into it. Aedion tied up his horse by the gates and he headed up the front path to the house. He picked his way through the garden to the door.
Pushing it open, Aedion surveyed the damage to the interior of the house. Adarlan soldiers had clearly rampaged through the house and ransacked the place. Furniture was overturned, and items were scattered randomly across the floor. Family portraits were burnt and scratched.
Aedion forced himself to go to the upper part of the house, looking for a sign of Elide and Lord Cal. Entering a room upstairs, he found himself in Elide Lochan's room. Her clothes and books were strewn across the room, but there was no sign of her anywhere.
Moving to the next room, Aedion was frozen with shock. Lord Cal and Lady Marion's room was also ransacked and in disarray, with books and clothing thrown everywhere. But the painting above the bed caught his attention. Written in what Aedion guessed was blood, was the word TRAITOR across Lord Cal's face. His wife's face was smeared with blood, leaving only Elide's face normal in the painting.
Aedion tore his eyes from the painting as he rushed from the house and back out into the city. He untied his horse carefully from the gate and he slowly walked back through Perranth, away from the manor house.
"The Lady was with the Princess, the Lord went to fight, and he left Elide in the care of Vernon, his brother. At least, that's what I've heard, Prince." Aedion whipped around to see a young woman on the street. Her hair, skin, and clothes were dirty. Aedion guessed she was homeless.
"Thank you," Aedion said, reaching into his cloak and handing her a bag of coins, "you should hide somewhere for now, as more guards may turn up. Tell someone, anyone, Prince Aedion orders them to take you in. Hide."
As the woman left quickly, Aedion pulled himself back up onto his horse and he set off once again towards his enemies and towards Rifthold.
Dorian's POV
"Dorian, try to smile more, dear. You look quite upset at the moment, and I don't think your father likes it," Queen Georgina said, subtly to him at breakfast. Dorian immediately plastered a false smile onto his face.
"Sorry, Mother," he said, quietly, "Father said you'd be resting from today until the baby's born."
The queen smiled at him. "That's right, Dorian. I won't see you for a while after today."
Dorian swallowed. "I wish I could stay with you while we're waiting for the baby. Will you let me know as soon as it is born?"
The queen nodded as she slowly stood up. As she was escorted from the room by a guard, Dorian stood up. With a quick nod to his father and the duke, he swiftly left the hall and headed to his room. He had no idea where Chaol was. He wasn't at breakfast and Dorian didn't see Chaol's parents there either.
In his room, Dorian pulled open a book and started reading again. It was the first time in a few months he'd been able to just relax and read in his room. His father and the duke had been adding more lessons for him, and, with Chaol's family's arrival, Dorian barely had a moment to himself.
"Your Highness?" a voice called from his doorway, one that he didn't recognise.
Dorian opened his door to see a guard standing there, the same one who escorted his mother out.
"Her Majesty, the Queen, has called for you. She's had her baby."
Dorian nodded as he headed through the castle to where the healers were. His parents were both there, along with Duke Perrington and guards.
"Dorian," the King said, smiling slightly, "Meet your little brother, Hollin."
Brother? Damn it. I really wanted a little sister. I bet these three are all happy, though. They most likely wanted a male heir and a male spare.
Dorian walked slowly towards his baby brother and looked at him. Hollin opened his eyes to reveal large, pale blue eyes, similar to Dorian's. He did look similar to Dorian, but there was something weird about him. He didn't understand it, but something about Hollin made Dorian shudder internally.
"Isn't he gorgeous?" Georgina asked Dorian quietly.
Dorian nodded. "I'm looking forwards to being a big brother."
The Duke smiled proudly as well, as if his wife had given birth to a new baby rather than his cousin's wife.
The King offered Hollin to Dorian, and Dorian slowly took him off his father. Looking at his new, screaming brother, Dorian smiled as he thought of his parents' happiness. He smiled for them and, for the first time since Dorian was about three, they smiled back.
Chaol's POV
The news of the new prince's birth spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom. As Chaol walked through the halls of the castle, all he heard was people discussing the new prince. In the sparring room was no different, although at least the guards practising sparring weren't discussing how cute they thought the baby was.
Chaol picked up a sleek rapier from the weapon cabinet in the sparring room in the castle. He practiced his own offensive skills: feinting, lunging, a remise, attacking, a disengage, a flick, and a beat attack. (These are all fencing terms; I actually know nothing about sword fighting)
"Your offensive skills are quite good for a kid," one of the guards called out to Chaol. "How old are you anyway?"
"Eleven." Chaol said, his voice even and level.
"And how's your defence?" The guard asked.
"Defence? I haven't been able to practice defence by myself."
The guard picked up his own sword. "Then let me help you practice. Do you know how to parry?" Chaol nodded. "Well, it's a start."
*Line break*
"You only need to practice with someone, kid. If you do, you'll be a very strong fighter in the future."
"Why don't you teach him a circle parry? Or a riposte?" A guard called to the one battling Chaol.
"Do you know those moves, kid?" Chaol shook his head. "Well, this is how you do a circle parry."
Sorry the Chaol chapter was very short. Also, I'm no expert in weapons and sword fighting, so some of this might be absolute nonsense. I hope y'all liked it, and please review it if you like!
