Short chapter today, but tomorrow there will be some fun reunions. Can't wait! Sorry in advanced for the spelling and grammar in this chapter. Didn't have time to correct it as much as usual.

Chapter 21. The foreign queen

Aelin's perspective

Before leaving for Mitsward, she gathered supplies for the journey.

"I didn't expect you to be back yet. They told me that you got Farran." She turned around and saw Chaol.

"What do you want?"

"He deserved whatever happened to him. And… I want to speak with you without his presence."

"Rowan's?"

"Everyone, I guess."

"Talk." She could see how uncomfortable her Fae shape made him. Her true shape. Because it was, it never felt as right as when she was Fae.

"I'm sorry. I know we can't go back and I don't know if I want to. What we had… Aelin, I love you. And I will always love you. But when I see you with Rowan. You smile in a way I never could make you smile. When I hear you two laugh, it's never fake. You do it because you want to, not to… I'm sorry." His voice broke a few times. Aelin didn't know what to say.

"I'll be back in a few days. We can talk more then." Her voice was colder than she intended. But what had he expected? He had pieced her together just to destroy her again.

"Aelin…"

"Chaol, we'll talk when I get back."

She didn't hear his answer, she had already left him far behind.

Aelin jogged through the Wendlyn forest. Rowan had given her time enough to get to Mitsward and back, she hadn't been alone for a long time and therefor she had decided to take it easy. Even if she enjoyed being alone, she still wished a certain buzzard would be next to her.

Before the sunset she heard sounds behind her, hoofs. Aelin stopped and waited for her follower. She watched as the crown prince came riding. The horse was wet and it was clear that he had gone hard on the horse.

"I see you decided to join me." She became aware of how she looked; her feet was bare, she had loosened her braid and before Aelin left, she had changed into one of Rowan's shirts and pair of loose pants. She did not look like a queen, no like a child of the forest. Galan didn't look royal either. He was dressed like her and covered in sweat just as his horse.

"How about finding a spot to set up camp for the night?" Galan seemed to be unsure how to address her.

"I was planning to sleep in a tree, but your horse. It smells, and so does you. Here are creatures in these forests" She gave him an unsecure smile. This was going to be a long journey.

"I've never been in this forest before. Oh mighty foreign queen, tell me about my own forests." She had never heard the prince sound sarcastic before. Aelin started to laugh.

The next day Aelin ran and so did the horse. By lunchtime they were close to Mitsward. They had stopped to eat.

"How come you are here?" Aelin asked. Galan hadn't told her that yet. When he didn't meet her gaze she understood. They didn't trust that she wasn't on her way, straight to Maeve.

"You do the right thing. You don't know anything about me."

"So tell me." Aelin paused a few seconds before answering. What could she say? The truth, she had promised him the truth and that was what she gave him.

"I was trained to become an assassin and then I was captured. The king gave me an offer, I would become his champion and he would free me from Endovier. If he finds out that he had me." Galan stared at her.

"You've been there, in Rifchold? Talked to the king?" Chock filled his eyes

"Yes. I lived in the castle for a few months." Aelin shrugged.

They continued to travel under silence. He didn't know what to ask her, and she was tired. But when she started to recognize the trees and she realized it wasn't far, she was filled with a new motivation. She started sprinting. Galan had no chance keeping up with her. His horse was fine, but not an Asterion. And it didn't have the same motivation as she did, her friends, no family waited on her.