A/N: One more chapter left after this! Now the song is from an artist that originated on 's not a big name (yet...maybe) but the song should be easy to find. Just type the title and you're set. Anyway, enjoy! =)

Mess We've Made

By AJ Rafael & Tori Kelly

An hour later…

"I don't believe it." Donia said as she sat across from the Summer Queen. She didn't believe it when Cwenhild told her this morning while she was rushing out the door nor on the drive over to confirm the truth for herself. It's impossible, She thought. Keenan couldn't…wouldn't…she could even finish the thought. Aislinn sighed dejected in the strangely quiet room. Donia couldn't remember the last time she came and it had been this quiet before she got there. If it wasn't for the plants and birds around the room, Donia would almost think she was still with her court.

"It's true." Aislinn told her. "Keenan left…for good." Aislinn held her palm up and created a small sun from the sunlight in the room. "He gave me full control of the court."

"I…I don't know what…how did this happen? Did he tell you why?" Donia asked incredulously. Aislinn shook her head helplessly.

"He just said, 'You'll make a great queen' before dismissing himself from the court. He gave up his power ten minutes before the summer solstice revelry." Aislinn said in disbelief. "I think this was his way of establishing me as the sole summer regent. What better time that the biggest holiday for our—my—" She stopped and sighed. "My court…I'm still trying to get use to it." Donia nodded in understanding. Being a sole regent wasn't easy.

"…Is he okay?" Donia asked tentatively.

"Yes," Aislinn answered. "He visited a few hours ago once the revelry was over…well, I had my guards hunt him down and bring him here." Aislinn said with a small smile before turning serious. "I offered him protection and shelter should he need it but he said he was fine." Aislinn smiled but it was bittersweet. "It's funny. I had forgotten about his mixed heritage until I saw him. Only a couple of hours and he had changed completely. He's…calmer now. More at peace with himself. He's eyes are different too. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would say he's part of your court now…" Aislinn mused. Donia paused, looking at her in shock. My court? For a moment, Donia felt like she was free falling for a moment. She would've gasped if she had any air left in her body. Aislinn saw her expression and realized what she had just said.

"Oh no, I—I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn." Aislinn said, backtracking. "I didn't mean-"

"It's fine." Donia cut off, reigning in her surprise. "I understand what you mean…he's changed." Aislinn smiled apologetically before nodding. A lull of silence fell between them.

"With all the changes lately," Aislinn started hesitantly. "It seems like everything is starting to fall into place, don't you think?"

"It would appear so." Donia said quietly, halfway caught in her own thoughts.

"Let's hope this peace last longer than Beira's winter." Aislinn said teasingly. Donia chuckled, sparing the Summer Queen a genuine smile.

"Let's." She agreed, taking a sip of her drink while her thoughts swirled in her head.

Donia walked out of the house in a daze. Her mind felt like it was racing and blank all at the same time. There were so many questions…she was sure she never felt shock until today. She looked to her right and noticed Evan following a few yards away. She motioned for him to come over to her.

"Yes, my queen?" He greeted, holding out his arm for her to take. She did gratefully, finding that he was the one stable person she could count on right now.

"He's…changed, Evan." Donia said. "He's not Summer King anymore."

I'd been so strong for so long
I could handle everything

"So Cwenhild has told me." Evan replied.

"I…I don't know…what does this mean?" She asked. "First he leaves New York then he leaves his court. Now Aislinn says it's possible he's part of…" She couldn't even say it. Donia shook her head. "What was he thinking? Why would he do this?" Evan was quiet for a long moment.

"I spoke to Tavish while you were meeting with the queen." He confessed quietly. Donia looked at him sharply, her eyes wide with shock. He smiled at her sheepishly. "Forgive me. I now it may seem disloyal to inquire but I've known Keenan since he was born…"

"There is nothing that needs to be forgiven." Donia reassured him. "What did Tavish say?"

"He said that this was a decision Keenan has been contemplating for a while. Being king…it didn't suit him anymore. He needed to be free of the obligation. He needed to be happy." Evan told her. Donia nodded, realizing how true it was. Keenan was a good king but it almost seemed too easy for him to be away from his court, only coming back for the solstice revelries. She thought is was to get away from Aislinn but maybe there was more to it than she thought.

"What are you thinking?" Evan asked.

"I'm trying to figure out when it all changed. And whether or not it has to do with…you know." Evan nodded before thinking quietly.

Now that you've gone through that door,
I can't see anything

"You know what day I can't help but remember when talking to Tavish?" Donia raised an eyebrow, silently telling him to continue. "The day you stabbed Aislinn. I could understand why you led him to your private garden—only regents can strike other regents—but I was shocked to see that you were unharmed. Smiling, even, after the encounter. It made me wonder what would've happened had the roles been switched, you as Summer Queen and Aislinn as Winter Queen.

"I know it's not something you and her like to discuss or look into but we all know the truth: had Aislinn been Winter Queen and struck you, there's a great chance he would've killed her."

Evan looked at her with honest eyes. "He spared you that day."

"I know." Donia said.

"He could've hurt you—"

"I know." Donia emphasized. "But he wouldn't have hurt me. He couldn't." They both knew they reason had nothing to do with strength or politics. They slowed to a stop and Evan took her hands in his.

"I know this is not my place but it must be said." Evan started. "You and Keenan have been through more than most. You've involved yourselves in each others lives so deeply, it will matter whether or not he comes to the court." Donia sighed, looking down.

"He shouldn't matter." She confessed. "He shouldn't matter but I can't stop making him matter." She laughed humorlessly. This is going to hurt, she thought. "Just when I thought everything was finally figured out…" Donia murmured to herself before looking at Evan. "Take me home."

Oooooohh
I swallow my pain
Oooooohh
Nothing's the same

Donia waited in the living room, the silence deafening around her. She watched the light play off the diamonds and sapphire of her engagement ring. She didn't know what to do. Correction: she did but she didn't want to do it. She knew this type of pain too well.

All the possibilities ran through her head again. She thought of every scenario but it all seemed to end the same. She pushed the ring to her fingertip. This was not going to end well…but she couldn't do this anymore. This ran deeper than what she wanted; it was what she needed, including her need for Aquil to be happy. Whether or not it was with her was a question that had been answered a long time ago. She was just starting to listening to it.

Let this come crashing down
There's no way to fix it now
We're lost in the crowd
and our love will soon decay
Just look at the mess we've made

She sat up straight as she heard the door open. Aquil walked into the room, putting his keys on counter along with the groceries.

"Hey, baby," He greeted. "How was the meeting?" Donia sighed and Aquil looked at her face. He froze at the pained look on her face.

"We need to talk." She said, her voice sounding slightly rough. He looked up at her warily. That wasn't a good sign. Aquil wondered if he should go to her before opting to stay by the counter.

"Talk about what?" He asked. Donia took a deep breath, looking away from him before speaking.

We both know that we can't stay

"When I met with Aislinn, she told me that…Keenan gave up his court." Aquil shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant but was on edge.

"So he's a solitaire now. What does it matter?"

"It matters because…" Donia closed her eyes. "While it's rarely addressed since he's been Summer King for so long, Keenan is mixed with summer and winter. His mom was Queen Beira." And that's when it clicked for Aquil.

If Keenan was Beria's son, that made him heir to Donia's throne, a true winter fey whether or not he swore fealty to her. And knowing their past it was only a matter of time before Keenan circled around to Donia. But the obstacles that had blocked them from each other—his sunlight, his court, his queen—were gone.

Everything that kept them apart was no longer there, except him. But by the look on Donia's face, he knew the inevitable was happening.

I was hoping that this would last
I guess I was wrong
I planned out our future together
But now that's all gone

"Why?" It was all he could say. He had done everything right. He had fought for her, stuck by her side, and loved her. What did he do? Donia shook her head, twisting the engagement ring around her finger.

"Aquil…Keenan—"

"Don't." Aquil cut off. "Don't say his name. I get so sick of hearing his name come out of your mouth and if I can't have anything else, can you at least do me that one favor?" Donia looked at him in shock before slowly nodding her head.

"Okay." She agreed. She watched him pace back and forth, trying to figure out what to say to her.

"I mean, what was it, Donia?" He asked. "I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what I did for you to do this to me. Be completely honest with me. You owe me that." Donia searched his eyes to try and see what he wanted. All she saw was confusion and determination to get the truth. He wanted to know where he went wrong but it was beyond what he did or didn't do. This was about finally facing the truth.

"You treated me like a queen." She told him. "I felt like you treated me too much like a queen sometimes, like you were wanting for a command or to be called to me. But I could live with that. I could like with the fact that you were going to die and I wouldn't. Being your wife would be easy. You were amazing to me.

Oooohhh
Another mistake (another mistake)

"That being said," Donia took a deep breath, trying to put her feelings in words. "I can't change me. And the truth of the matter is that I forget everything when I'm with him. Every moment that we've stolen together has been some of the best moments of my life. I don't want them to be so I ignore it. I ignore how much he loves me, how he's always put me first, and I could almost ignore the possibility that I was the reason he gave up his court or that it actually matters. But I can't.

Ooooohh
We're both to blame (we're both to blame)

"His advisor said that he hasn't been the king the court needed for a while and I know the exact moment he stopped truly being their king—"

"What night?" Aquil asked, knowing that Donia was about to omit a part of the story. He took pride in the fact that she still tried not to hurt him before remembering that it was what led them to this moment.

"The night we first made love." She revealed quietly. Aquil gripped the counter as her words tore through his heart. "I saw it in his eyes when we were done. I was too scared to acknowledge it at the time but…he looked at me like nothing else in the world mattered more to me. He's put me first ever since." She looked down, knowing that if she kept looking at him she would never get through this.

So just let this come crashing down
There's no way to fix it now
We're lost in the crowd

"I thought maybe I could stay with you." Donia bit her lip, her eyes glazing over with tears. "I still love you. You're good to me…and, push come to shove, it wouldn't be forever. But it's not fair to ask you to make a vow to be with me when I know that you would always be second in my heart. You may think I'm cruel for doing this but I know that's far worse and I can't do that to you. I can't marry you." She forced out. Donia looked him in eye and could see his heart breaking. Why did she have to do this to him? Out of everybody, why him?

And our love will soon decay
Just look at the mess we've made
We both know that we can't stay

"I should've known." Aquil said with a bitter smile that was more of a grimace. "What you two have...I knew I couldn't fight it."

"It's not you." Donia told him, desperate for him to understand. "Me and him. I…I can't explain why it's not you. Maybe if things different—"

"I don't want them to be." Aquil said. "I wouldn't love you if you were any different."

"Maybe." Donia relented. "But at least you would've been with someone who wasn't' in love someone else." A tense silence filled the room. Donia didn't know what to do. She wanted to reach out and heal his pain. She thought that maybe she could say they could forget all of this. She could marry him but it was a ridiculous thought. It was a lie she couldn't tell nor had the energy to keep up anymore.

She couldn't break his heart anymore. She refused.

Everything we ever had now is ending

(Now that it comes into play)
I didn't wanna have to say our goodbye

(Didn't wanna have to say goodbye)

"I just thought that maybe…did I ever have a chance to really be with you, Donia?" Aquil asked feebly.

"Yes." She answered without hesitation. "Then everything changed." Aquil nodded before picking up his keys, fiddling with them.

Baby, It's best we let this go

"I want to leave." He said. "I want to walk out of here with no security or anybody following me. I can't...I want to leave." Donia nodded, clearing her throat so her voice wasn't rough.

"I'll have your stuff sent to Atlanta." She said.

"No pictures." Donia looked at him in surprise. "I don't want anything you bought me. I don't want to leave with anything other than what I brought myself." Aquil demanded. He opened his mouth to say more but nothing came out. He swallowed, his throat thick with tears. He wanted to smash the counters in and break the glass in the room, wanting the mess he felt inside to be in reality. Donia turned away from him. They stayed deadlocked in the moment, lost in their own thoughts.

Trust me

It's better if we just let this come crashing down
There's no way to fix it now

"I hope you forgive me for this one day." Donia told him, breaking the silence. Aquil was silent before walking over to her. He stood over her, tipping her head back so she could look him in the eye. His eyes were wounded and hurt...but somehow calm and understanding.

"I already did." He told her. "Now I just have to live with it." He leaned down and gave her one last lingering kiss. It reminded her of the end of a blizzard when the snow was just starting to settle and there was nothing left but lonely silence. Donia tasted the icy tears on her lips as he pulled away from her. To her surprise, his eyes were dry.

We're lost in the crowd and our love will soon decay

Just look at the mess we've made

"Call me." She said calmly through her tears. "If you ever need anything."

"I won't." He reassured her. Then he turned and walked out the door, closing it quietly behind him. Donia stared at it, pain ripping through her chest as a slow snowfall filled the room. Who knew the end would be so...quiet.

We both know that we can't stay
I'm sorry but I can't stay

Hours later, Sasha entered the room in a lazy lope and places his head in her lap. Donia ran her fingers through his crystalline fur.

"What now, Sasha?" She asked him. Surprisingly, she saw an answer his eyes. Donia chuckled a bit. She wondered how he knew do well but decided to question it later. For now, Sasha was waiting on his command. And Donia did not disappoint.

"Find him." She commanded. Sasha licked her face affectionately before curling to her side. Donia sighed in relief, thanking whatever luck brought her the lupine fey by her side that understood her completely. Tomorrow, she would look for Keenan.

But for today, she would mourn the loss of her other love.

Just look at the mess we've made