The Past Lies Ahead (A Throne Of Glass Fanfic)

Chapter 19

Update of the day in 3. 2. 1.
Goooo!

The warehouse apartment still hadn't been sold the banker had told her when she showed up at his office. So Aelin had simply told him not to bother with selling it, since she now had need of it once more.

Sitting among the stacks of crates full ink she couldn't stop fidgeting, rapidly tapping the crate she sat on repeatedly with her fingers. Rowan stood guard by the door, Wesley and Sam were keeping watch from the roof, and Lysandra had gone to whip something up for all of them to eat.

They had arranged a meeting with the local rebels saying they had important, tide changing information, and now they were sitting here waiting for them to arrive. Aelin checked her pocket watch, and sighed as she pocketed the watch and pulled the hood over her head. Only two minutes had passed.

She wondered if Aedion got her letter, and if he believed it at all. He would, she was sure he would. After all she had added that bit to the end about burning libraries because the two of them were the only one there when he had said it. She sighed again and was about to complain when she heard footsteps descend the stairs as Sam approached Rowan.

«Two cloaked figures heading this way.» Sam said quietly to Rowan. Then he came over to stand next to her, their eyes met and he smiled at her. Her nerves relaxed slightly now that he was close. «Nervous?» he asked her.

«Not at all.» she flashed him a grin, but she knew that he saw through the lie as he raised an eyebrow at her.

Two knocks sounded on the door, then followed by a short pause and another knock. Sam positioned himself so that he stood between her and the newcomers as Rowan let them in. One of the men were taller than Sam and carried twin swords on his back, the other was slightly shorter and moved as if he were quite a bit older too. Rowan closed the door and locked it.

«Well, you said you had information for us. We don't have all night, so spill it.» the tall one said. She knew from her memories that he was Ren Allsbrook, she would make sure not to try to kill him this time around.

«We do.» Rowan said curtly, moving to stan next to Sam, completely blocking her view. Overprotective and territorial, both of them. «But first, how about we all introduce ourselves. So we know who we are speaking to.» The tension in the air was thick enough to touch.

«We didn't survive this long by flaunting our names around.» Ren said tensely. Instead of answering Rowan just threw of his hood, showing the two men his pointy ears.

«I won't be running to the authorities. I can assure you of that.» Rowan said flatly. This would take forever at this pace, so Aelin hopped down from the crate she had been sitting on and stepped around her two tense friends. Ren looked her up and down trying to see her face under her hood.

«Are you their leader?» he said and kept his hands ready at his side.

«I have to say, Ren, you look bigger than I remember.» she said just as she threw back her own hood while she smiled up at him. The old man inhaled sharply and Ren just stared as if she had grown two heads. She turned to look at the old man. «It's good to see you alive, Lord Murtaugh.» she looked back at Ren who couldn't hide the disbelief in his eyes. «I'm sorry we contacted you in such roundabout way, but like you said, I didn't survive this long by flaunting my name around.»

«And how can we know that you're not an imposter. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried that.» Ren said, suspicion lining his tone, and he crossed his arms. She opened her mouth to give a retort, but Lord Murtaugh beat her to it.

«There is no doubt. Look at her eyes Ren, she has Ashryver eyes.» She met the old mans gaze as he continued. «And you look so much like your mother, your highness.»

She fought against the lump in her throat at the mention of her mother, but she just smiled and inclined her head in thanks. «Lysandra is preparing food for us upstairs. We can talk while we eat.» Then she went for the stairs, Sam falling in behind her while Rowan kept an eye on their visitors.

Aelin headed for the kitchen with Sam in tow.

«Need a hand?» she asked Lysandra, who gestured to all the plates if food.

«The only thing left to do is to bring it to the dining table.»

Aelin, Sam and Lysandra carried out all the food and placed it on the table. «Rowan could you get the wine and brandy?» She looked to Ren and Murtaugh. «Please sit, everything is ready in just a moment.»

They didn't sit down though, and it took her a moment to realize they wouldn't until she did. Court etiquette and nonsense. She went to her seat at the head of the table, Sam took the right seat and Rowan to the left. Lysandra chose the seat next to Sam with Murtaugh the next seat down. Ren grudgingly went to Rowans side.

She sat down and the rest of them followed suit, and began taking her first helping of the food. «Thank you for preparing this, Lys.» the shifter just nodded.

For awhile they all ate in silence, enjoying the finely cooked meal. Ren was the one who broke the silence first.

«So where have you been?» he looked straight at her. She knew this would come up, so was prepared for it.

«We arrived from the Southern Continent two days ago.» she said.

«You've been there all this time?»

She glanced at Sam briefly before taking another bite of meat. «No, I've been hiding here in Rifthold for most of the time.» surprise showed on both their faces. But Rens face darkened slightly before he continued speaking.

«You've been here enjoying the riches of our enemies, dancing and shopping. While your own people were hunted down, murdered and enslaved. And now you think you can just waltz in here and order us around, after you've done nothing for us all this time?» his seething words found their mark, and she was about to snap a retort when Lysandra spoke.

«If that's what you think then you are sorely mistaken. It was not a kind benevolent man who saved her life from the river, but a cruel heartless monster.» the shifters eyes were shooting daggers at Ren. Aelin blinked in surprise, she hadn't foreseen this happening. «I watched when he forced her to break her right hand, because he thought she lacked the skill on her left. He even had her chained up for days with no food or water until she learned how to break out.» Aelin opened her mouth to tell her to stop, but Lysandra raised her hand. «With all due respect, Aelin, I'm not finished. Do you know what that man did, the man who had saved her life, when he learned she had freed two hundred slaves that he was going to trade?» Ren looked stone faced, and his grandfather stared wide eyed at the shifter. Sam rubbed his knee against hers, and Rowan did the same on her other side. But she just stared down at her food. «He beat her. He beat her so badly that she was unable to get out of bed for three days. That's what her life has been like. Because you useless nobles did not come for her before that man brought out of Terrasen. You don't get to judge her for the things she was forced to do, for what she had to do to survive.»

Aelin swallowed as Lysandra finished her tirade, and had no idea that Lysandra knew those things about her. She looked to Sam an saw that he was doing his best to keep a straight face, and gave him a small shaky smile. This was not how she had planned for this dinner.

«Who was he?» Lord Murtaugh asked silently. Ans she swallowed again, she hadn't wanted to share that, but it was too late now. She straightened up in her seat, and tried to summon all the queenliness she could muster.

«Arobynn Hamel.» she said curtly, looking straight at the old man who gaped at her.

«Why didn't you just leave him?» Ren asked slowly.

«He put a great deal of money into bringing me back to health. Then he hired masters of varying kinds to teach me to fight, to detect poisons, to defend myself. Then he informed me I was expected to pay it all back.» she met Ren gaze. «And I did, after this summer I payed it all back, and now I'm here.» she took a deep breath and began eating again, not really feeling like talking anymore. «Rowan, fill them in on what we know about the king, the duke and the towers.»

She stayed quiet the rest of the dinner, not looking at anyone, while Rowan efficiently briefed them on the situation and the kings plans. She felt Sam brush against her knee again, and looked up to meet his eyes. She found him smiling at her, her racing heart calmed down and she smiled back.