Cage of Darkness

Chapter 32

This will be the second to last chapter, tear.

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It was not enough.

Everything she had done.

It was not enough.

What more could she have done.

Why was it not enough.

Why?

She had worked so hard, practically giving up her soul so she could get these armies.

So she could be here today, breathing.

So she could be here, escaped and free.

And it was not enough.

Everything Aelin had done for them.

It was not enough for Darrow.

That bastard.

"Not enough." The word was vicious as it escaped her mouth.

Darrow looked upon her, and his face continued to be set in that disgusting sneer. "As we have said, Your Highness-" The word seemed to again be forced of him. "You are merely 19 years of age, and you do not truly know a thing of suffering. With years of luxury sitting on a pedestal made of blood, you are not fit to rule. Years of luxury with only one year of suffering in the mines, it is certainly not enough."

"You have not seen, dealt, or learned enough. You are a silly young girl, and you will never be able to sit as royalty of Terrasen."

"I do not think you know the definition of the word silly, Darrow." Aedion challenged. "Perhaps we should show you how well we can fight, how well we can kill our enemies."

And so then Rowan drew his sword, followed by my Aedion's, and then Lysandra began taking up a fighting stance, readying herself for a shift.

"Stop." Aelin held out her hand.

She surveyed the lords, who were no longer cowering, but instead hardening into the soldiers they are supposed to be, affected by Darrow's words.

Aelin mustered up every bit of strength she had, every bit of iron control and harsh steel inside of her, if only to leash the burning inferno in her mind that was yearning to come out-

To come out and burn, and burn, and burn.

Perhaps this world deserved to burn, perhaps she should merely burn it down to start again.

Containing the fire in her mind, Aelin still felt flames push into her words. "Leave," she whispered.

For a moment it was silent, perfectly silent, and then- "Excuse me?" Darrow's voice was incredulous, and his bewildered expression easily turned to anger.

"You do not have our permission to reclaim this throne, though you told us that you came to convince us."

Aelin struggled to control her breathing, and she opened her mouth to interject, but Darrow continued on.

"And now, that you have been told that what you gave us was not enough, you are forcing us to leave." He was standing now, his gray eyes storming, his stance foreboding.

"Darrow!" Aelin yelled, her voice causing the lords to recoil.

She wondered why they have barely spoken this whole time, but it was probably in either defiance of her existence, or they simply wanted to make sure Darrow was the only one who would truly suffer if things went wrong.

"I am not ordering you to relieve yourself out of the throne room, I am simply telling the other lords to get out so we may talk privately. And as it seems you speak for them, it might as well be that I truly need to convince you, so their presence is no longer needed."

"If you think for one moment that I will let myself be alone in a room with all of you, just so you can butcher me with your cruel and ruthless-"

"We swear that we will not harm you while we talk." Lysandra interjects, pushing forward.

"And why would I believe the words of a common whore,-"

"A common whore who helped defeat a fleet of Valg and Sea Wyverns at Skull's Bay." Aedion said, stepping beside Lysandra. "Or do you not believe that killing two monsters gives anyone at least an ounce of credit."

Rowan spoke as well, though Aelin could tell that he was barely controlling his anger. "We swear upon our lives that no harm shall come to you during this meeting." The last words held a potential promise of harm arriving later.

Looking into Rowan's eyes, one could guess that it was not truly potential.

Darrow stared at them, and with a flick of his hand, the other Lords rose. "Go, and I will inform you later of my decision after hearing them."

The lords rose and left the room, a small victory.

Though after seeing what occurred, what may very well occur, she felt anything but victorious.

"I have done everything," Aelin stated. "I destroyed Valg, I got thousands upon thousands of money for Terrasen, I called in old debts from my past, I gathered an armada all for this kingdom."

"And you are saying that it is not enough?" Rowan inquired.

"What more do you need from her?" Lysandra's voice steady, calm, the guise of a of beauty, when underneath the skin her beasts roared at these insufferable people. "Would you like her to become a martyr, as there will be no power left to face our doom gathering in the south. She had done enough."

"No she has not." Darrow said again.

Not enough.

Not enough.

Not enough.

The words rang in Aelin's ears, her head, her soul.

But she had done enough.

She had.

"What more do you have to insult me about Darrow?" Aelin asked, her face blank, so carefully blank as sat down and leaned against the chair.

"You are a horrible heir to the throne, you are a useless excuse for a princess, you might as well have died eleven years ago, maybe it would have actually made you usual."

Two daggers thudded next to his face, a hairs-breadth away from slicing and stabbing his face.

"Watch your mouth Darrow." Aedion growled, his words vicious and full of violence.

Rowan growled in agreement, and there was rabid wrath echoing in his gaze as he pinned Darrow with deathly stare.

That wrath- it was a mirroring of her own inferno.

And she knew why, Rowan had said some of those very words to her, all those months ago.

And that was when she had tried to leave, so tired of feeling worthless, so tired of being played and being tricked and hurt.

There was nothing to convince Darrow, nothing to give her her throne. She would either have to leave it or go to war, and that would be even more brutal.

Especially on Aedion, as he would be fighting with the very own legion he had commanded, he would have to kill those same men he fought beside and honored.

No, there was nothing left.

Unless...

It was the time she supposed, beside she was ready to do it, she had prepared for it.

"Get the Allsbrooks. Now."

~

Sorry for the really bad chapter guys :( I tried my best, but I'm not that great at finishing off this fanfic. Thx for reading ~ booksaremybliss.