The Fae King's Ruin

Hasty Goodbyes

Aelthrys walked out of the King’s suite with his blood pumping in double time. His strides were filled with nothing but purpose as his old instincts kicked in and, unlike anything it had ever been, his senses were heightened to a lethal point. Suddenly, he got the feeling as if the past couple of months were nothing but a hazy state of mind; everything was in hyperfocus now. His eyesight was sharper, his sense of smell more sensitive, and his mind was now functioning at top levels.

This was how he had always been wired to react when handling a crisis. It was what made him effective in making snap decisions— made him the type of soldier that he was now.

And now, he was to return to the home that he had not seen in so long. Aelthrys did not have time to be pissed at the commanders that have been left in charge of the situation in the south of the main Mhorygan continent, nor really think about what Resyvlo was doing in Unseelie territory and not informing him. All that mattered now was that, for better or worse, and after being in unfamiliar territory all this time, he would finally be able to go back.

In his head, he made a mental checklist of all the things he needed to accomplish before leaving Alfheim. Telling Aislin everything he knew at the moment regarding the situation was of the utmost importance. He did not have time to coordinate with the other Cabinet members and the responsibility would lie solely on her to deliver the news and why he had to go. He would be lying if he said he didn’t worry about her. She was convinced that whatever Lord Elrin was saying about the supposed attack planned against the Unseelie village was true. She would do anything to try and protect her people, which made them the obvious target to get to her.

Aelthrys’ task of urging that she take no drastic measures until he returned would be difficult. He could only hope that his entire absence would make her days uneventful in that regard.

And Catteline. He had not been able to find her before the butler had informed him that the King was looking for him, so his plans on taking her up on her earlier invitation of lunch would be something that he would have to postpone indefinitely. It made him almost relieved that he did not commit himself to the invitation immediately in the first place. She might have been more than just a little unpleasant, but since she was trying to be decent with him, he thought that perhaps he could return the favor.

But he would have to wait before finding out what it would be like to dine with her. He had a rebellion to quell before he discovered if they both could survive a meal with just the two of them. 

He knocked on his cousin’s door, nodding to the guards positioned outside her suite. The door opened and it was the blue-haired Periwinkle that greeted him. She smiled politely before opening the door she held wider.

“The Princess is in her study, General,” she informed him. “Could I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?”

Aelthrys shook his head once. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. I just need to talk to the Princess.”

Periwinkle nodded understandingly. “Very well, General. But should you require anything, please do not hesitate to call.”

She left and disappeared back to the main room, leaving him standing in front of the closed door that led to Aislin’s private office. He knocked twice before twisting the handle and pushing the door open.

Aislin’s head popped up from reading a piece of paper in her hand, her mouth pinching together to hold the cap of a pen. She spat it out, the object clattering noisily against her wooden desk.

“Oh, hey. Did Lady Catteline tell you of my dinner invitation?”

He paused a few feet away from her table. “What dinner invitation?”

She clicked her tongue in dismay. “And here I thought she would actually remember what I asked of her.” Clear, midnight eyes blinked up at him. “Well, if you are not here about the dinner invite, then why are you?”

This was it. He took a deep breath and let his shoulder fall backward as he met her square in the eye. 

“There has been a development in the rebellion back home, Aislin. I need to do something about it and have to go home.”

Her pen and the paper that she was reading were the next items to fall to her desk. “Home?” she asked, her voice just barely above a whisper. “You are going back to Mhoryga?”

The longing in her voice was unmistakable. He clamped his jaw shut and kept his hands firmly clasped behind him. “Yes, to Mhoryga,” he answered. “I am leaving as soon as I am done here, and probably will not be back for more than a week.”

Aislin shook her head. “Wait, I don’t understand. What development are you talking about?”

“You would have to talk to the King’s Hand about it since he was the one that knew first,” Aelthrys answered with a bit of skepticism. “But the rebellion that had been in Cetha before we drew them back has taken some locations in the city. I will send word as soon as I can once I am back in Cetha to let you know more. Aislin, you will have to let the Cabinet know about this because I can’t do it. Set a meeting. Send missives. And please,” he almost begged. “Please, for the love of all that is right, do not attempt to do anything on your own regarding the plans of attack against the Unseelie village.”

He did not let her argue against him. Instead, he took the handful of steps it would take him to stand before his cousin and sovereign, before crushing her in a tight embrace. He felt her slender hands automatically wrap around him, almost squeezing him as tight as he did to her.

Placing a kiss on the top of Aislin’s fair head, he murmured. “You will be safe here,” he said, unwavering on the fact. “And soon, you can come back with me to Cetha. Okay?”

“Be safe,” he heard her mumble against his chest. “You can’t orphan me, too.”

Aelthrys swallowed hard. “I won’t.”

She nodded and let go, stepping back. Straightening, he held his hand up to his temple in salute, and with the firmness of the Chief of the Armed Forces, Aislin saluted back. Her eyes were hard as they did so and he knew she was doing her everything to keep herself from crying.

With a snap, he turned back and walked out of her office, out of her suite, and half-ran out of the palace. General Aelthrys took no belongings with him when he opened a portal on the landing of the bridge connecting the palace to the village beyond. He needed nothing anyway. He was coming home.