A Perfect World

Chapter 27

AEDION POV

Aedion had gone up for tea with Amaelia the next morning. Of course, they had used tea as an excuse to discuss the mega shit storm that they were in. According to Amaelia, Galan monitored every move she made. Lysandra stood guard outside in some form or the other, but even that did little to reduce Aedion's mounting paranoia. From everything Amaelia was telling him, Galan... Well, he had certainly changed. Gone was the noble cousin he grew up with.

As their discussion progressed, Aedion began to remember more of his youth spent with the Ashryvers, and specifically with Amaelia. She had always been the most sheltered of them all, but he had forgotten why. Amaelia was like all Ashryvers in that she was inherently reckless with a tendency to be overly passionate. This had never worked against him or Aelin, or even Galan. It did, however, work against Amaelia. The difference between them and her was that they could fall a few stories and land like cats on their feet. Amaelia, on the other hand, was dangerously clumsy. Born with Ashryver termperament but without the natural reflexes that often saved them from themselves. She would trip over flat ground, and almost every outdoor adventure had resulted in some sort of injury  to both her and others. Aedion was grateful that she hadn't blown their cover last night, but he honestly didn't think that she would last much longer. Especially not with the added frustration of being separated from her lover.

Queen Selene... Of all the dames in the realm, she had to pick the monarch. Amaelia had certainly inherited the Ashryver ambition as well it seemed.

"We leave for Doranelle tonight," he said.

"Yay!" Evangeline chimed in. "Then Ami will be reunited with her true love," she said, sighing dreamily.

"And of equal importance: Galan doesn't kill us... Yay," he replied glumly.

"Oh Aedion, do you think he'll suspect you? I wouldn't want you to risk yourself like that for me."

It was clear that she wanted to go to Doranelle but still, she was sincere about not wanting him to risk himself for her. That was exactly the kind of nobility Galan had once had. Aedion couldn't help but wonder what had turned him so sour.

"Don't worry about it. He's probably trying to kill me right now, anyway. Thank me if we all make it to Doranelle alive," he said, knocking back his tea and wishing it was something much, much stronger.

ROWAN POV

It was so fucking cute how excited Aelin was to go to Doranelle. Rowan absolutely loved it. Going there was the best solution to the whole wyverns-hunting-Aelin thing, but as soon as the plan had been set into motion Rowan had suddenly realized how badly he wanted to show her his home.

"When do you think Fenrys will get the letter?" she asked him.

He sent a dispatch with a bird-shifting demi-Fae. It didn't take that long to fly to Doranelle. "By end of day. Hopefully he's in a good mood and comes to us right away."

"Oh he'll definitely come right away."

He quirked an eyebrow to her in question.

"He likes me way too much," she replied, winking.

It was a light-hearted joke, but it was definitely true. Fenrys did like her way too much. They got along well and that was rare for Fenrys. He wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Still, a twinge of jealousy nipped at his gut.

"So what's the plan when we get there? I mean, I know I have to lay low, but what is that actually going to entail? Am I gonna be holed up wherever you live or will I be able to check out the city?"