The Fae King's Ruin

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While Res simmered down with a tall drink of cold tea with not a shy amount of whiskey in it, Avery asked for one of the butlers to track down the Unseelie General for him. He took off his jacket, finding the material cumbersome as he moved and already pointless. He had already canceled his morning appointments to lend a hand if necessary and his defense minister was already on standby just in case troops needed to be mobilized.

Avery knew that this was not his battle to fight and Aelthrys was more than capable to handle this threat on his own, but he at least wanted them to know that he was willing to help in whatever capacity. That the Treaty, while not signed yet, already meant something to him. It was a message that he wanted to be understood not only in the Unseelie Court, but also in his. That as far as he was concerned, they were already running under one banner and that his support for his future bride was unequivocal.

“Did they tell you anything else about the uprising?” he questioned Res, glancing at his Hand whose temperament and mood were slowly going back to normal the longer he enjoyed his tea. “Any dossiers they asked you to carry and give to him?”

He shook his head with a small frown. “They seemed to think that they did not need to because General Aelthrys would come as soon as I told him of the news. They also asked me why he had not personally come with us to visit.” Res shrugged. “I made up some flimsy excuse that I knew they saw right through, which I hope the General would clear up before we go in a couple of weeks. Assuming, of course, you are not too concerned by the happenings in Cetha.”

Res had raised a brow at him, his clear eyes already saying he knew the answer to his question but was asking anyway.

“I am not the one who saw what Cetha was like,” he replied. “I want to know what YOU think. Should we postpone the trip or not?”

He considered the question. Stirring his drink with his straw, the ice clattering noisily inside, he said, “I think that we should see first what General Aelthrys could do about the situation. If he is as effective as his constituents back home say he is, then he would be able to secure the city again in just a matter of a week and a half, depending on how hard he will be going into this.”

A week and a half. Wasn’t that too short to rid one city of rebels, especially if they had already taken certain parts of it? Avery could not help the impressed look that made its way to his face. As far as he understood the last war, Aelthrys did not have a direct hand in the campaign waged by Drakos. It was only later, around the time Ella was taken to Mhoryga, that he was recalled from fighting the rebellion in the south and presented the Mistress as a bride to him.

He wondered what would have happened to their side if Aelthrys had a much larger involvement in the last war. His wishful thinking told him that they would have still won, no matter how much of a small margin, but another larger part of him made Avery incredibly thankful that things played out the way it did, no matter how horribly.

Unaware of his silent thoughts, Res continued his. “It’s a good thing General Aelthrys never stopped training himself. I talk to Velius sometimes, and he told me that he’s more skilled than even him on the new AI program now. He even said that some of the guards have been taking pointers on techniques from the General.”

He hadn’t come to the training grounds for a while now so all this was news to him. While he was pleased that Aelthrys had found a healthy outlet within the palace, he wondered what Velius thought of him. 

Three quick raps on the door alerted them before the door to his suite opened. General Aelthrys bowed formally, dressed in his black uniform as always, with a polite, confused air on him.

“Your Majesty,” he greeted politely. “I was informed you wished to see me.”

Avery nodded once. “Thank you for coming. We wish to discuss an urgent matter with you.”

General Aelthrys stiffened visibly, his whole stance becoming more rigid than what was considered normal for him. “What is it?”

Res stood on his feet, a little wobbly from how much of his drink he had already finished off, but nevertheless clearly spoke. “We apologize for not telling you— it was meant to be a surprise for both you and Princess Aislin— but I and a few soldiers went to Cetha to coordinate travel and stay.” He pinched his lips together momentarily. “After a mishap that required us to stay in your home, they asked if we could get a message to you.”

Blue eyes glanced at him. Avery crossed his arms, his jaw set. “The rebellion you have been battling has claimed parts of Cetha. They need you back home.”

For a fraction of a second, Aelthrys’ shoulders dropped. It was almost as if his relief had overpowered all other emotions before the urgency had set in. He found it odd but did not comment on it, attributing the behavior instead to stress. Avery took a step closer to him.

“I want you to know that whatever you need, you only have to ask,” he started saying but the General raised his palm.

“Thank you for the kind offer,” Aelthrys said in a gruff voice. “But the only thing I do need is to go home. As soon as possible.”

He frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he said confidently, his feet shifting. “I’m sorry, but I have no time to waste. I still need to speak to my queen.”

Avery nodded. “Of course,” he said. “And please don’t worry about her safety. I will look after her.”

Aelthrys’ chin dropped in affirmation. “Thank you. I’ll return as soon as I can.”

He turned without another word, leaving like a harsh storm as he moved past. Avery looked at Res, who’d gone back to sitting on the armchair. When he glanced up, he sighed.

“Don’t worry about him, Avery,” Res said, drawling. “He’s a smart person and he wasn’t trying to be independent of you when he didn’t accept your offer. Now, I suggest you try and quiet your mind before continuing on your work because I am going to lay claim on your sofa because I can’t walk straight anymore.”

Avery watched with slight amusement as Res crawled to the aforementioned couch, took his crusty boots off, and slapped a pillow above his face. Within minutes, he was snoring, and Avery quietly went to his private office and worked on his best friend’s advice.