Mid- Autumn

Chapter 25: Aelin's Labor

Holly:

Lorcan, Fenrys, and Vaughan returned from the mountains covered in blood. Blue blood.

The witches who had defected after the war were dead, not one witch escaped. The same couldn't be said of the Wyverns, but they wouldn't be as destructive without direction.

Everyone had mixed feelings about this final remnant of the war finally, finally being done with. It was good for morale, but I wasn't sure we had seen the very last of the Valg. The celebrations were just between our little group, and short. As soon as the males returned and gave their report to Aelin, she when into full labor.

She had been contracting lightly for a few days, but as if this one last thing was enough to reassure her enough that the world was safe for her little one.

The whole castle was thrown into a dizzying whorl. We sequestered ourselves in Aelin's suite, which was massive. Aelin lay wherever she felt most comfortable, and Yrene and I took turns sleeping. Aelin was clear that someone she knew, and knew well, would be the one to deliver this baby. I had helped with more foals than I could count, but Fae births were complicated. I didn't mind being the one to keep an eye on Aelin so Yrene could sleep, though.

Food was delivered ever other hour, so much that even with so many people we could barely eat it all. Window washers found excuses to be cleaning the queen's windows three days in a row. Everyone wanted to know about the child before it was officially announced.

When I wasn't keeping a stern eye on Aelin or sleeping, I was thinking about the announcement party, or I was thinking about what I had learned about Vaughan. I had confronted him about the bill, and he had explained his actions as a need. When I didn't satisfy him, he needed to find it other places. It wasn't ideal, but I supposed that relationships between immortals and mortals rarely were.

Lorcan and Elide were mates. Aedion and Lysandra were mates. Rowan and Aelin were mates. Vaughan and I weren't. He also made that fact very clear. We were never going to have a perfect relationship.

As many times as I told myself that, well, I had neglected to give Vaughan any affection in recent days. I blamed it on our proximity to the others, we all slept in the large sitting room. Being intimate wasn't an option at the moment. I blamed it on exhaustion. I blamed it on stress. He kept pushing, and knew once this baby came, I would run out of excuses of not wanting to take that last step.

Maybe if I did it, he would stop going to the brothel.

I must have zoned out completely, because Aelin was asking something for the fourth time.

"Holly," Aelin said again, sharp enough to pierce my thoughts. I adjusted myself back into the real world with a shake of my head. "I need to tell you something."

"Hmmm," I mused.

"In my will," She started with a shaky breath.

"I've read your will. You made me. Remember." I countered.

"I guess I have a fear of unfinished business." She smiled just a touch.

"Well, you will happy to know that I will remain Hand as long as I am allowed. And I will never give up serving Terrasen, even it takes me to an early grave." I drummed my fingers on the table top. "Want to play cards."

"I'll cheat," she said bluntly.

"I'll still win." I challenged.

"How can you win if I cheat?" she raised a brow, but moved across from me.

"I guess you'll have to find out." I smirked and began shuffling.

After the first round, Aelin was howling with anger. She was pissed that I had still been able to beat her. From her noises it was unlikely you could tell whether it was the labor pain or the pain of losing.

Others came in to see what the fuss is. Most joined us in playing, some still watched.

Vaughan was no where to be seen, but I figured he was working on how to pay for his charges at the brothel, as I refused to pay them. That or he was avoiding Aedion, which was understandable. Aedion was not forgiving about the issue, but I had least kept him from sharing my business with the others.

…

Vaughan:

Holly was desperately sad. I needed to do something to show her that we were still in love. That I was who she was meant to be with. It wasn't like she had any other options. She was terribly busy all of the time, and while it had been grating on me, once she committed to me again, everything would be fixed and back to normal.

Back to how life was in the manor. We should summer there, just us, alone. That sounded like the best thing for us.

Holly and the others were sitting playing cards, and laughing there, she was so utterly gorgeous. Everyone knew it too, I'd have to make sure to watch that king. The rumors about him were supported by my colleagues stories, he had wandering eyes and a sense of superiority that led him to cross lines. I wouldn't accept that with Holly.

"Holly." I called for her.

She quickly looked up and then handed her cards to someone else.

"We need to talk." I said when she was closer. I wrapped my fingers around her arm and pulled her away from the others.

"What's wrong?" She asked, and pulled back on my hand. "I can't go far, Yrene is asleep. I have to watch Aelin."

I growled deep in my throat. "You don't have to do anything they say."

"I said I would be there so Yrene could sleep, so yes, I have to." She said too sharply.

"You have to listen to what I have to say." I said instead.

She crossed her arms and waited.

"You haven't been around, but even so, I'm sorry for my actions." I admitted, though it didn't feel as good as should have. Anything for Holly though.

"I haven't been around because I have a demanding job. This isn't going to change very often, if you can't handle that then we shouldn't be married." Holly kept her arms crossed and her tone was forced to even. She would try her best not to give away her feelings, but her scent and rapid heartbeat told me enough. It was obviously a bluff, she wouldn't want us to call off our engagement for anything. Even so her word ground at the last of my restraint and lost my temper. Saying those words weren't right, suggesting we part wasn't right.

"Not everything is a political debate. You have to work for love." I growled at her.

"I am willing to work on it, if you will as well." She softened slightly. That was progress, I guess. I would use this to catalyze fixing our relationship.

"Yes." I grasped for her hands. "Anything for you."