The Queen of Blood and Ash

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 002

Nothing had tried to break through my shields in the night, and I was grateful for the small mercy, not wanting to deal with the blood I'd get on my clothes. I ate pieces of bread and dried fruit that I had brought with as I walk, savoring the cool morning air.

If I shifted, I could get to Mistward by lunch, but I took my time savoring the small meal and meandering through the trees.

I allowed my thoughts to wander, letting my mind take me where it wanted to go. I didn't have many happy memories, but the ones I did have I cherished and held onto with an iron grip. Memories of Calix and I running around the house, causing mayhem. Of the time when I had dragged Amaris to the nearby lake, and we had spent the day playing hooky as we swam and laughed. Or the time when Silas had brought me to my first party, and we had spent the whole night gorging on sweets and dancing horribly to the music.

The memories bring a small smile to my lips, and I carry them with me as I continue my stroll. My mind wanders further, thinking of Rowan and Aelin.

Maeve always had her reasons, and I had learned early on that most of her reasons were selfish. No doubt she planned on using Aelin to get something she wanted, and the young princess would have to tread the waters very carefully if she wanted to stay out of the queen's hands.

A small part of me hoped that anything I learned would be nonconsequential—that nothing I saw or noticed could be used against either of them, but I doubted it. The best course of action would be to try and not see anything. It was the only way to keep either of them out of trouble.

I walked for another 30 minutes before I shifted once more, my golden red paws digging into the soft dirt as I raced through the dense forest.

Mistward was easy to spot if you knew where it was, and it was built around the mountains surrounding it. It was originally a fortress, used to house warriors and be the training grounds for fae who had wished to enter Maeve's army.

When Maeve had won her battles and beaten her enemies, she had turned the fortress into what it was now—a halfway point for demi-fae who wanted access to Doranelle.

I reach the outskirts of the fortress well into the afternoon, and I shift back into my fae form before walking through the protective barrier that lay between the woods and the fortress. The guards that were outside all straightened when they saw me, but none of them stopped me as I walked past.

Out of everyone in the cadre, I had been the one to visit the fortress the most. I was fond of the demi-fae, and found them good company most of the time, which was more than I could say of anyone in Doranelle.

I was familiar with everyone who lived there, and while I was more familiar with some than others, I at least knew their names. It was the closest thing I had to him.

I walked quickly towards the main building, which would hopefully be nearly empty by this time. It wasn't dinner time yet, meaning that the only place that would be occupied would be the kitchens.

The outside of the fortress was made of dark grey stone and consisted of large towers and tall walls. On the inside of the walls lay the gardens, where some demi-fae spent their day working and using what little magic they had to help the crops grow.

Across from the garden was the training yard, where the younger demi-fae spent their time trying to prove their worth. If you got skilled enough with a blade, you were given the choice of joining Maeve's armada or her army, where you were automatically given access to Doranelle. What is never mentioned is that you would never get the chance to enter the city, considering you would always be off fighting some pointless battle or stuck in a camp somewhere.