Maeve's Daughter ~ Throne of Glass

Chapter 26- Remember

As brutal winter gave way to soft spring, the Terrasen Court worked.
On rebuilding Orynth, on trade agreements and ties with far away kingdoms.
The Lost Fae of Terrasen had returned, many wolf riders among them, alongside a dozen Fae from Doranelle who had opted to stay before Sellene and Endymion had returned to their lands.

All across the continent, where their friends had returned, the ringing of hammers sounded, people's lands emerging once more.

They had all stayed for Aelin's glorious coronation, and she had sobbed for days when they departed, her now eternal friends scattered across the continent, but bonds stronger than ever.

All across Erilea, people whispered of Yrene, the healer who had defeated Erawan, and Aelin and her Shadow defeating Maeve.

But no one spoke her name. Because Fenrys himself didn't speak it. Hadn't spoken for the first few weeks since she vanished.
Then the day of the coronation came and he had come back to life, joking and whining like usual, but the grief in his eyes unmistakable, and ever present. Aelin had tried to mention her once to him, he'd just shifted into wolf form and wasn't seen for a week.

It was hard, to see all this joy, and love and wonder, without the one his heart ached for. He often hoped she looked down on him from the next world, and after eight months, he's settled to looking forward to rejoining her when his time came.

He often dreamed of her, each night it was different, sometimes she'd be in owl form, sometimes in Fae, but no matter the image, she was always there, but just out of reach. He could never get to her, never talk to her, never touch her.

One day, when they were all sat at a table for breakfast, Elide and Lorcan absent, married and home in Perranth, he spoke suddenly over the bustle of eating and chatting.

"She never had a name."

The table fell silent.

"For thousands of years she was just Maeve's Daughter, but no one knew her anyway."
Then he smiled ruefully, "Connall named her Freya,
...because she reminded him of me." He chuckled.

Nobody knew what to say, Rowan's eyes were lining with silver, and he was not alone.

Fenrys's dark eyes narrowed and he looked at Aelin, determinedly, "I want the world to know her name, I want them to know what she did. I want them to remember"

And then Aelin, choking on a sob, leaned over the table and gripped his hand.

"I promise you on my kingdom, they will all know."

And so they did.

Time passed and declarations spread the story of Freya, daughter of Athril. Of all she had done for Erilea, all she had sacrificed and loved.

No longer just Maeve's Daughter.

Aelin's Shadow.
Terrasen's Hero.
Erilea's Saviour.

Fenrys's Mate.

Freya.

~

A year had passed since the end of the War.
Lysandra and Aedion had finally gotten married, and begun to build Caraverre into a beautiful region, inviting many of the migrating Fae to live there anew.

Yrene and Chaol had their beautiful baby boy, named Ress, and had rebuilt the Keep and Anielle.

Dorian had knocked down all traces of Erawan's expansion, and built an impressive, but modest castle atop the ruins of the old stone fortress, and it was not uncommon to see a small wyvern with a white-haired rider-queen perched atop its tallest tower, either.
He had also built a tomb for his father, writing his true name there, giving it back to him finally.

Other parties like the Ashryvers and the Khagnate had improved relations with all rebuilding countries, sending aid and support, to places like Ellwye and the Western Wastes, that tirelessly worked to restore their homes.

Aelin Ashryver Whitehorn Galathynius, has a secret.

Well rather, she'd had a secret, until every Fae in her palace had smelled the truth on her, the new presence in her belly. She had cautiously sworn them to secrecy, for Fae pregnancies were notoriously difficult and likely to fail.

But the excitement could not be contained in her or her husbands grin, at every waking minute. It had even been enough to make Fenrys, her new emissary, cry his first real tears of joy- something she mocked him endlessly for.

It was after he'd returned from his recent duties in Melisande when it happened.

The whole Terrasen court had just attended a ceremony, for the towering monument, with thirteen pillars of bright white stone, that was finally finished being built on the plains outside of Orynth's walls.
Representatives from every country had been sent to witness its unveiling, and Aelin had even spotted the shadow of a lone wyvern rider, set aback from the plain- now covered in lush green grass and kingsflame flowers, watching silently from a distance.

All had been murmuring quietly, paying their respects for the sacrifice and making their way back to the city, when Fenrys had frozen suddenly.

Instantly alert, the others watched him closely as he stuttered, dumbly, "I thought, I thought I felt something..." the tugging of a bond that had remained silent since that day she'd vanished.

Silently, he stalked over to the very spot, where grass still refused to grow, where ancient magic lingered in the air ever since that event.

There it was. The tugging again, he breathed in sharply.

"What is happening?" Aelin demanded quietly, but Rowan hushed her, much to her outrage.

Suddenly the ground rumbled, actually rumbled, as the air began to shudder. Her inner circle who had followed, all drew their weapons, ready for this unknown attack. All except Fenrys who took another step closer, despite Aelin's warnings.

Then the world went silent, as thought every noise was sucked back into that spot itself, as a great white light split through the air, blinding them all fully.

After a few moments, the light faded.
As they blinked their eyes open, what they saw struck them still.

There, kneeling on the ground, was a hooded figure, shrouded in mist, they watched as it rose slowly.
Then the wind shifted, blowing the mist away and Fenrys sniffed it cautiously, wolf-like.

His knees buckled, he would never forget that ancient scent, of something he had never quite put his finger on, his chest heaved as he took another wobbly step towards the figure.

The figure let out a small sob, and lifted her hood.

Dark golden eyes snapped to meet his onyx pair, and for the first time in years, Fenrys winnowed to her instantly, appearing just inches in front of her.

He held a trembling hand up to her face, tucking a small dark curl behind her ear and wiping the tears away from her golden skin.
"Mate" he breathed,  and then he kissed her.

The world stopped, ended, and then was reborn, as they held each other tightly, melting into the intensity of their embrace, the kiss was unlike any other.

"Impossible." breathed Rowan as they stood, feet away, sheathing their weapons in awe.

"World-Walker." Aelin whispered, as though it was that simple.

The two drew apart finally, resting their foreheads against each others. Together at last.

Freya opened her eyes, "I came back."

***
OMG finally got to the end - I quite like this as an ending but I will write another chapter as explanation, because I have a few ideas and things I still want to write!!
Maybe an epilogue too? ;)