AUTHOR'S NOTE : We have passed the 100 review mark and I am incredibly thankful to all of you who read this story, whether you leave a comment or not. It's a wonderful feeling to see that thousands of people have read this story from all over the world and I can only hope that I'm doing a satisfactory job and giving you something that is worthy of your time and enjoyment. Don't be shy if you want to leave a comment, I appreciate any constructive criticism and enjoy each and every word of encouragement. Thank you all!

Lucy, hope you enjoy what Alyra has chosen to do!

Kateskates, I think he's too busy obsessing with Cirilla, but you never know…

ChollyMax, don't worry I fully plan on finishing this story, even if it might take me a bit of time because I'm a very busy little bee. As for Alyra's Gwent quote… hmmm… "Piss off." It might be just that, hehehe….

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Alyra reached the Palace of Awakening shortly after leaving the tavern. A guard at the doors approached her as she dismounted. She found that as her feet touched the ground, her legs were a bit shaky… she chalked it off on the drinks she'd had and turned to face the guard, lowering her hood so he could see her. The Aen Elle stopped and saluted her stiffly when he recognized her and she gestured to reassure him.

"I know it's late…" She sighed, stealing herself to make the next words come out of her mouth. "Is Ge'els awake?"

The guard nodded. "Follow me, my lady. I believe he is still in his study. He asked you be let in at any time if you showed."

'Did he, now?' She mused, following the elf. A stable boy rushed out of the darkness, seemingly appearing out of thin air, to tend to Segomo. She heard her horse whinny tiredly and almost changed her mind, almost told the guard: "You know what? Don't bother him. Never mind, it's not important."… but no such words came out of her mouth and she lowered her head, biting her lip, as she was led through the huge double doors and up the stairs to the upper floors.

They walked through corridors which were lit with the warm, flickering light of chandeliers, but she found herself shivering nonetheless. In the end, the guard stopped in front of a large oak door and knocked twice on it.

"Yes?"

The voice sent shivers down her spine… it was not an unpleasant sensation.

The guard opened the door and nodded her through. Alyra tried to swallow the nervous lump that had settled in her throat as she stepped into the dimly lit room and the door closed behind her in a manner that sounded like the sealing of her fate. She glanced back at it, a fleeting desire to rip it open and run away crossing her mind.

"Ah. Alyrethielle." Ge'els rose from the armchair he'd been comfortably seated in, facing a dying fire in an enormous fireplace, setting aside the leather-bound tome he'd been reading. "I hoped you'd come."

"You seem busy." She chanced, fighting the urge to take a step back. "I can come back… I shouldn't have…"

"Nonsense. Please, take a seat."

He gestured to the armchair next to his and she sighed, conceding defeat. She walked to it, noticing the tall bookcases that lined every wall, filled with thick and thin tomes, rolled scrolls and loose leaves of parchment. There was a desk in the room as well, but it seemed unused, as though Ge'els preferred to read in front of the fireplace instead. There were big windows that let in a bit of faint light from the city, but the room was mostly dim, illuminated only by a handful of candles on the low table between the armchairs, and the fire in the hearth. The flickering light gave them both enigmatic airs, but somehow the darkness was comforting to her… Alyra sat in the armchair and glanced at the Aen Elle, who was gazing at her curiously, a shadow of a smile playing on his lips.

She found she had no idea where to start.

"I did not expect you would come so… soon." Ge'els said softly, breaking the silence. She shrugged, biting at her lip a bit.

"You invited me."

"Well, you are a fascinating being."

She stared at him. "Is that… Is that the only reason I'm here?"

"That's for you to tell me, little bird." Ge'els definitely had a teasing smile on his lips now, as he shifted in his seat and watched her. "Do you think there's a reason you're here?"

Alyra decided she'd had enough of this game. It was making her uneasy and she hated feeling uneasy. If snapping and snarling was the way she controlled her environment, then snap and snarl she would.

"The way you worded it, viceroy, was that if I found myself lacking for someone to warm my bed, I should find you. As it has, I'm curious: does that mean that just because I'm no longer the king's plaything, I must become yours?"

Instead of looking angry, Ge'els just looked more amused and she wondered if that should infuriate her, or deflate her. He leaned a bit close to her.

"Don't lie to yourself, little bird. You and I both know you understood the meaning of what I said to you this morning… and at no time did you think you were forced to do anything at all." The intensity of his gaze was making her heart thump too loudly for her liking. "Which can only mean one thing: you came here willingly, knowing full well why you were coming here."

Those words left them both in silence. It was a heavy sort of silence, the sort that made one think that the very beating of their heart could be heard in the still air… the type that ate at your skin as it pressed against it, begging to be broken… the type of silence that led to something irreversible once it was broken…

Alyra opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. There were a thousand things she wanted to say, but just the thought of most of them made her feel ridiculous… all the thoughts she'd had all day long… about Eredin, Ghevir, Edrick… about Ge'els… the thousand unsaid things, the things that frightened her, the things that made her doubt herself, her choices, the life she now led… there were no words to express the chaos she was swimming in.

Somehow, Ge'els guessed it. Perhaps he'd known all along. Perhaps he'd seen the storm and had decided to approach her to calm it, if only for just a night. Perhaps she was just imagining things…

He rose and extended a hand to her. Alyra barely hesitated as she took it and rose to meet him. He stood nearly a foot and a half taller than her, towering over her and for the first time in a long time, she felt tiny. He was watching her with those yellow eyes, his expression unreadable. She did not flee his gaze, supporting it and letting it wander over her face, her neck, down her body…

His hand rose and brushed a loose strand of dark hair from the side of her face, his fingers pressing ever so gently into her skin… Ge'els continued his motion, his hand tracing her cheekbone, down her jaw, just barely touching her throat. Alyra half-closed her eyes and sighed as the gentle touch sent shivers down her body; shivers which seemed to find home in her lower belly, starting a smoldering fire there. His fingers were soft, unmarred and without the callouses that came with wielding a blade. She did not think she'd ever been with someone who had such a gentle, caressing touch. At any rate, not that she could immediately remember…

She opened her eyes and gazed into his again. His hand found the back of her head, fingers lacing into her hair so discreetly they did not pull a single strand, as he pulled her in with a delicate, yet unyielding motion towards him. Their lips met and hunger awoke within her. There was something maddening in the overall tenderness of this whole situation and desire devoured her. Her hands found his arms and grabbed at the richly embroiled cloth, her nails almost ripping into the fabric.

His kiss became harder, more intense, and his other hand found her lower back, pulling her close, against the swelling bulge in his pants. She half-moaned, half-growled deep in her throat, as his hands snuck back up to her collar, undoing her shirt deftly. She tried to so the same, but found that his silken clothes were complex and buttoned in places she could not see, so she was unable to get anything done… Ge'els noticed this, pulled away with an amused smile and removed the court shirt so fast she found she still had no idea where to unbutton it.

Alyra pulled him back at once and their lips met anew. One of his hands grasped gently at her hair while the other removed her shirt, finding her breasts, which he caressed both delicately and teasingly. His touch was going to drive her mad… she started undoing his pants, finding that at least those she could manage. He did the same, pulling away from their tight embrace, before she managed to completely undo his dress pants. Alyra grumbled slightly, but watched him curiously as the tall Aen Elle knelt slowly in front of her, snaking gentle kisses down her body as he went. When his lips just barely brushed her lower belly, she actually gasped, her hands finding his silver hair as she fought with herself to not grasp it too roughly. He pulled her dark trousers down and she stepped out of them, her legs shaking just a little. Ge'els laid gentle kisses on her hip-bones and she clenched her teeth, holding back a deep moan as his hand teasingly brushed between her legs, just barely touching her wet womanhood.

He glanced up and she locked her gaze with his, finding it was full of the same hard lust as hers. The Aen Elle rose slowly, his pants half-open over his hips, and slipped his hands behind her thighs, lifting her up so easily it was as though she weighted nothing to him… Alyra wrapped her legs around his hips and their lips met anew with an angry frenzy…

Ge'els carried her over to his desk. She found herself wondering if this what it was usually used for, if it wasn't used for reading. The thought made her smile, but it was erased from her mind as he laid her down on the cool wooden surface gently, before lowering his trousers and exposing his rigid, throbbing member. She grasped at it hungrily and led it to her womanhood, noting its impressive girth and trying at once to relax, knowing it would hurt going in.

The Aen Elle did not take her roughly, like the king had. He placed a large hand beneath her hips to guide her and lowered himself over her, placing all his weight on his other arm. Their proximity was reassuring and she found she enjoyed the intimacy it created. He entered her gently, slowly, and she moved with his hips, moaning softly with every motion. It was not long before she got used to him within her and she urged him to move faster as her pleasure peaked slowly.

The Aen Elle thrust into her more roughly, growling into her ear and she wrapped her legs tight around him, pulling back her head to howl as she climaxed. Wave after wave of harsh pleasure washed over her, completely spending her. Sometime within that stormy haze of ecstasy, she felt his hand sneak into her hair to grasp it gently as he pulled her close and spilled his seed into her with a long groan.

They remained like that, panting slightly, for what seemed like an eternity.

Alyra found she had no idea what to think of anything that had just happened. She did not know if it was right, if it was wrong or what sort of consequences might come of it… she found she did not care. She found she did not want to care.

"That was… surprizing." She said at long last and Ge'els pulled away from her with an amused smile.

"Not too disappointing, I hope?" He pulled out of her and laced up his breeches, before helping her sit up on the desk and fetching her clothes for her. She felt the Aen Elle's warm seed run down her thigh and stain the desk beneath her and she had a fleeting thought for whoever had to clean this place…

"Quite acceptable." She smiled coyly. He returned the smile and handed her her things. Before she could start dressing, however, Ge'els moved closer to her and ran gentle, soft fingers from her throat down to her collar bone. He traced over the long scar that started at her cheek and crawled down to her shoulder. She found it sent pleasant shivers up and down her spine and she bit her lip pensively, watching him. He seemed lost in thought.

"You'd make quite a lovely model to paint, Alyrethielle."

She couldn't hold back the amused scoff that escaped her lips. "Not likely." She jumped down from the desk with her clothes in hand and stood on her tip toes, just barely brushing her lips over his. Then, she winked and got dressed as he looked at her curiously.

"Good night." She said over her shoulder as she headed for the door.

"You won't stay?"

She glanced back at him with an amused smirk. "Let's not give the city more gossip than it needs, shall we?"

Ge'els nodded. "So be it. I'll call on you tomorrow; I expect there will be another meeting with the king."

She left without another word, finding her own way out of the palace. Saddling and mounting Segomo, she rode off into the night, somewhat content, keeping the anxiety of what she had done at bay, hoping it wouldn't have catastrophic consequences…

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As Ge'els had said, the king called another meeting on the following day. He acted around her as he had on previous days, which was with a cold, unconcerned demeanor and Ge'els treated her no differently than before, so she went with it.

She was tasked with equipping her whole squadron with amulets provided by Caranthir, which were magically charmed to armor them when activated and teleport them to the Navigator so that they might mobilize after Zireael at the first sign of her. Alyra had her own amulet and it would also armor Segomo, bringing her to him before teleporting both of them to Caranthir. She was told to select four fighters in case they didn't need to mobilize many units, so she chose to bring Ghevir and three others, leaving Edrick in charge. The amulets would glow when they were being summoned, so she kept hers with her.

Days passed and there was a notable change in the war camp and in the city: there seemed to be some sort of electricity in the air, as everyone spoke of the return of the Child of the Elder Blood and what it would mean for the Aen Elle lineage. The warriors were restless, itching to go to war with pretty much any foe and the general population seemed eager for some sort of action… Alyra was glad of this: the shift in attention meant no one seemed to care that she'd visited Ge'els and no one noticed that she had returned to the Palace of Awakening at least twice more, in the dead of night.

When the fabled moment finally came, she was almost caught off guard.

Alyra was practicing agility on a track she'd had built for her squadron, full of beams and poles and seesaws they had to navigate at various speeds while being distracted in a manner of ways by one another. She was demonstrating what sheer practice could do as she slipped across a beam gracefully, her eyes blindfolded and her feet sure, dodging the tiny bags of sand she'd instructed her warriors to throw her way, when she felt her amulet grow hot against her skin.

Her foot slipped and she almost fell, managing to regain her balance at the last possible moment, ripping off her blindfold as her soldiers all grasped their amulets, glancing at her with apprehensive faces.

Small group. A voice seemed to seep from the metal disc around her neck. She recognized Eredin's tone.

Alyra glanced up. "Ghevir, Gabrel, Maeven, Brax. Armor up and go. Edrick, you have the command till I return."

She flipped off the beam and landed like a feather on the ground, pressing the button at the centre of the amulet. A pleasant warmth enveloped her and when it faded, she was standing in front of a saddled and armored Segomo in the middle of the field in which he'd been grazing. Alyra glanced down at herself and noted that she was wearing her Hunt armor as well, her blades at her hips and her full quiver on her back. She clambered onto the slightly confused horse and they both vanished, reappearing with her four fighters next to an armored Eredin, Caranthir and Imlerith. She saw that the Navigator was carrying some sort of small box along with his usual staff.

"My king?" She asked, feeling the thunderous apprehension in the air. It was like lightning.

"A powerful wave of magic has crossed the fabric of the worlds. Zireael is on the move and we are going to intercept her in her world."

Before she even knew what was going on, Caranthir slammed his staff onto the ground from his horse and a portal appeared in front of them, growling and swirling with energy. They rode through at a fast pace.

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They emerged into a stormy place. The wind was howling and there were dark, heavy clouds overhead. Alyra smelled salt and water… she looked around herself at the splintered, withering trees of the marshlands and tried to figure out where they had landed. Could this be… could it be Ard Skellig? She was sure she could smell the sea and there was almost no mistaking those tall, jagged mountains that surrounded them. If it wasn't Ard Skellig, it had to be one of the lesser isles: there were not many places in her world that housed such harsh sights and stony grounds.

Lightning cracked overhead and Segomo whinnied worriedly.

Before she had the slightest chance to speak, there was another sounds just like the clap of thunder… only it was not thunder. Bright light filled her line of sight as powerful, blue energy materialized just yards away from them, bringing two silhouettes into the bleary world.

"AT THEM!" Eredin howled in that freezing, indisputable voice of his and she saw Imlerith launch himself forward on his huge war horse. The dust had settled and she saw one of the silhouettes, a tall male, throw out his hands, screaming something. A spell left his fingers and hit the general like a wall, sending him crashing to the side.

Alyra kicked her horse into motion and felt her four warriors do the same, all of them on foot, on either side of her. Caranthir followed them with just a split second of delay.

She saw the fleeing figures with clarity now: one was an Aen Elle and the other… the other was clearly Zireael, child of the Elder Blood… Alyra didn't know what she had been expecting, but it somehow wasn't this. The young woman they flew after had ashen, nearly white hair and eyes so green they shone like emeralds in the dull scenery. There was a lengthy scar over one of her eyes and a fierce fury seemed to emanate from every step she took. Their gazes crossed and for a moment, Alyra was nearly stopped by the sheer determination that shone at her from the girl's stare.

Then, the Aen Elle that was with her cast another spell over his shoulder, hitting Segomo square in the chest. The horse went sprawling, screaming, and Alyra was ejected from the saddle, rolling over herself several times to soften her fall. Before she could get up, strong arms seized her and helped her stand; she looked up to recognize Ghevir as he steadied her, before nodding at her and setting off anew. She glanced back at Segomo, saw that he was slowly getting, neighing angrily and decided to chase after the girl on foot. Caranthir flew past them like a storm, Eredin hot on his heels.

There was a bright flash of light ahead and she heard screams. She ran by a fallen tree that had pinned and killed a warrior of the Hunt, barely registering that it wasn't one of the four she'd brought with her: it was one of the king's. She managed to catch up to the fight a moment later and saw Cirilla flashing like a bolt of lightning all over the place, swinging a long Witcher's sword with dexterity at her opponents, cutting them down with ease. When she faced Brax, the Witcher-trained warrior held his own, forcing the girl to retreat as the Aen Elle with her cast another spell, keeping Eredin and Caranthir at bay.

Suddenly, the Navigator vanished from his seat on his horse and appeared behind Cirilla.

Alyra was sure he'd manage to cast a spell and bind her, and as he drew that strange box from his side she understood that that was a phylactery… he opened the box and the young ashen girl found she did not have the time to dodge away from the sealed spell…

The Aen Elle travelling with her appeared in front of her and took the entirety of the magical blast…

Cirilla yanked him back and slashed at Caranthir with a savage fury that impressed even Eredin, who was trying to bring his slightly agitated steed around to grab the girl. Alyra didn't even have the time to move that the girl slashed at Caranthir again, forcing him to drop the phylactery, which she promptly picked up.

The Aen Elle seemed to recover from the curse and Alyra saw him mumble words to a spell. Realizing what was about to happen, she tried to cry out and warn Gabrel and Brax, both of which were closing in on Cirilla, but before she would utter a single word, the world around them went up in a colossal explosion.

Alyra went flying back, slamming into someone on her way, tumbling off into the moist ground like a rag doll. Her ears were ringing and her body was a mass of agony as she found herself lying face down in a muddy puddle with little recollection of how she had gotten there. Someone grasped her and turned her around and she had to blink the brightness away, slowly regaining focus as she Ghevir's bloodied face came into view, hovering above her.

"… alright? Brax… not doing so… and Gabrel is… only Maeven and… can you hear…"

She pushed him aside and sat up with a grimace, before accepting his help to stand on her wavering feet as the ringing in her ears slowly subsided and she was finally able to make out Ghevir's words.

Around them, the marshy forest had been leveled, with ground zero being the point where Cirilla and her elven friend had stood. Neither could be seen, so Alyra assumed they had successfully fled… that, or they had both been vaporized. There were corpses on the ground around where the blast had originated and it was with a sickening pang to the gut that she recognized one of them as Gabrel, his woven mask torn off by the explosion, his face covered in dark blood as his eyes glazed over in death.

Brax lay nearby, unconscious, with Maeven tending to him as best he could, looking relatively unhurt. Eredin, Caranthir and Imlerith, as well as what remained of their own fighters, stood nearby, looking shook but not mortally wounded. The king seemed to be oscillating between a feeling of fury and amazement and Alyra found she did not like the eerie look that seemed to be shining in his eyes like the glint of obsession.

Segomo trotted out of the trees towards them and at last she sighed, confronted with a least a small measure of good news. She helped Ghevir and Maeven load a barely conscious Brax onto the stallion.

Defeated, they found they had no choice but to fall back to their world and keep on looking for the elusive Child of the Elder Blood, cringing at the fact that she had so easily slipped through their grasp.

Alyra found herself wondering why Gaunter had insisted on proposing the phylactery if it had obviously done nothing to the girl or her elven friend and found that perhaps it was best she not question the mysterious workings of the mirror demon…

She had a fleeting impression that things had just barely begun to fall into place.

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Review my friends! I love your encouragement and comments! I don't want this or the next few chapters to feel rushed, but there are events I want to pass over faster in order to reach others, which will be much more thrilling. So bear with me!