All of them were seated in the council room, Aelin being at one end of the table with King Luce at the other. On her right, as always, was Rowan with Lorcan at his side while Aedion sat to her left. Fenrys, chose to remain standing right across the princess who sat to her father's left and was shamelessly staring at her.
Aelin studied the princess who seemed bent on ignoring the male across from her and had a carefully blank expression. Sensing her attention, she looked up right to Aelin and raised an eyebrow.
Aelin returned the look with an equally haughty expression sending a seed of her power to her eyes to make the gold in them glow.
The princess didn't back down.
Aelin tried to hide the smile from her face. She liked her already.
"Queen Aelin," King Luce said as he tried to break staring match, "Thank you for accepting our request for an audience. My daughter and I are very thankful." He shot a subtle look to to his left.
With a blank look, the princess turned to her and said, "Yes, thank you for your gracious welcoming."
She smirked at the princess while offering a mocking bow, "If you need anything, anything at all, you may simply ask us, Princess."
Rowan cleared his throat while trying to hide a smile, "If I may, to what do we owe this pleasure of your visit?"
King Luce opened his mouth to answer when the princess suddenly flickered.
Flickered.
As if she was light.
"Are you okay?" The king asked
The princess ground her teeth and breathed deeply, the ethereal glow that seemed to surround her dimmed slightly as she said, "Although I would like to stay as this meeting concerns me, may I request to be shown a room for resting? I feel quite exhausted from the journey."
A lie. Aelin could sense it from a mile away. She scrutinised the princess and noticed how she was slowly turning pale.
"Please." The princess said
"I can take you." Fenrys offered, standing upright from where he was and stepping towards the princess.
"No."
"No."
Both Aelin and the princess said. Fenrys looked at her and seemed to say She's my mate.
She shot him a look. I know.
"Rowan, would you kindly show the princess to her quarters?" Aelin asked while turning to him.
Keep an eye on her. You saw that didn't you?
Rowan nodded as he got up and walked toward the door, "This way, Your Highness."
The princess stood up shakily and followed him out the door. Fenrys following her with his eyes with a questioning look but the princess acted as if he didn't exist.
Once the door was closed, Aelin looked at the king across from her, "Before you ask for help, King Luce. Mind telling me what the hell is going on?"
"I- Well... it's her powers. She's having a hard time controlling them," the royal answered.
She raised an eyebrow for him to continue.
The king sighed, "She never had a problem with it before. Until recently. We've always considered it as a gift but now, it has been proving itself as a... curse."
"And what exactly is this curse?" Aelin asked
"Our bloodline is gifted by our moon goddess, Lunaria. Any of our offsprings are born with the magic of raw light that can be shaped into anything." The king explained as Fenrys took a seat beside Aedion, "As for my dear Celeste, it used to be just light. However, a few years back, she started showing affinity to darkness and it's been trying to battle the light in her. Trying to consume her."
Aedion leaned forward, "Where did it come from?"
The king looked straight at her, "That's the thing. We're not sure where it came from. But before it appeared, she was attacked by a fallen angel and didn't wake up for months."
"A fallen angel?" Aedion repeated disbelievingly
Lorcan crossed his arm and said, "I thought angels were extinct."
"They aren't. They just like to hide themselves and pretend to be humans. Although they usually spend a small amount of time down in Equirra as they turn more human the more they stay."
"So what does Princess Celeste have to do with these angels that she was attacked by one?" Fenrys questioned
Over protective, territorial fae bastard. Aelin thought.
"We don't know." The king whispered having glazed eyes. "But after the incident, she's never been the same."
"So I'm assuming that-" Lorcan started saying but the king cut him off.
"Celeste is being threatened to be executed if she doesn't get a hold of her powers." The king said bitterly, "Threatened by my own court. They've even started to deny her as princess, her own birthright."
The king looked straight at Aelin, "That is why I ask for your help. And your court's."
Aelin has been quiet for some time now. Thinking and absorbing everything in her mind. She knew what it felt like. To have no control of the power you didn't want. To be denied of your birth right.
She stared right into the king's —a father's pleading eyes, and said, "We'll do the best we can."