Divided (Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses Crossover)

Chapter 4

Anisa helped Aidan get up into her bed. Almost all of the strength was gone from Aidan's legs, and though she was angry at her body for failing her, she was happy that she had gotten back to her room without collapsing. Anisa offered to stay and read to her, but she waved her off. She didn't need Anisa to hover.

A sharp tap at the door caused both of them to pause, and then Anisa hurried to let the visitor in. 

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. We just got back from our walk. I'm afraid Aidan's not quite up to visitors right now." Anisa's words didn't seem to stop her father who just sidestepped around the old nurse. Aidan was surprised to see the three riders from the boulevard follow him into the room. The woman had taken down her hood, and Aidan was taken aback. It was the same woman from the slums who had saved her almost six years ago. 

The woman must have been able to tell that Aidan had recognized her, and she seemed pleased. The two men with her stayed by the door while the woman and Aidan's father came near the bed.

"I guess I can no longer call you Little One. You have grown up very much since I last saw you," the woman said. "I did not give you a name when I met you that day." The woman seemed to avoid mentioning the attack on Aidan, and she was grateful. 

"My name is Aelin, and I have come to heal you," she continued. 

Aidan chewed on her lip, considering her words. "Prove it. Prove you are her." With a flick of her hand, Aelin coaxed the small dwindling fire into a massive bonfire and then gently eased it back to a gentle roar.

"Is that satisfactory, Aidan, or would you like me to perform some type of Fire Dance?" Aelin laughed. 

"Yes. It was quite satisfactory, Your Majesty. Are you going to burn the sickness out of me?" Aidan shook her head in disbelief. There was no way this could truly be Aelin of the Wildfire, and if it was, why was she spending her time trying to heal a sick girl who would likely die before the end of the year. It was no use. Nothing could be done. 

"No. I am not. Everyone leave. Declan, Kol, guard the door from outside. Everyone else is dismissed." Aidan looked at her father. He was sputtering some non-coherent words at being ordered out in his own home. Aidan was shocked when he actually obeyed Aelin's orders. He and Anisa, and the men that traveled with Aelin left without a fight. Aelin turned back to her.

"Do you have tutors? Or Masters? Whatever they call them these days," she asked Aidan, who nodded. "And these tutors teach you politics and finery and history and all of the rest of the useless things that tutors teach?" Again, Aidan nodded.

"And do you have a magic tutor?"

 Aidan laughed darkly and rolled her eyes. Disrespectful to the queen, but she couldn't help it.

"I might have magic tutor if I had a magic bone in my body, but I don't. There is really no need for such a thing." 

Aelin clapped her hands as if she had just defeated an invading army of demons, which startled Aidan in the too silent room. 

"You are my great-great grandniece, a descendant of Mala Firebringer and Brannon Galathynius, as well as Dorian Havilliard" Aelin continued.

Aidan pursed her lips, "I suppose. Very distantly." 

Aelin grabbed her hands, "The thing is Aidan. You are the heir of two great branches, the Galathynius House and Havilliard House, and with these two houses, also comes the power of fire and of ice." 

"When you are Fae, you can smell the power of other Fae, and your power is almost overwhelming, even to me. When you don't learn to control your power, when you let it build up inside of you, it begins to push against you. It will weaken you until it kills you so that it can get free." Aidan must have looked confused because Aelin continued. 

"Think of magic as a well; the deeper you drill, the more magic you can conjure, and if you don't let go of this magic occasionally, it will overwhelm you. Being the heir of two ancient and powerful dynasties, I think that you are the heir to two wells as well. One of ice and one of fire, but fire and ice do not play well together so they are fighting for control inside that little body of yours."

"I think that if you were able to master these and let go of some of what has become bottled up, you will start to regain your strength." Aelin's smile was dazzling, and Aidan began to have hope again. Perhaps, the gods had sent Aelin to save her so she could save her people. And then Aidan's hope dissolved.

"There are no magic tutors here. There hasn't been any magic wielders powerful enough since the days of Dorian," Aidan replied sullenly. 

"Do not worry, Aidan Meara. I will be here for a few more days. I can teach you how to let go of some of the power."

"But you said I would have to master it. I can't master two different magics in just a few days," Aidan almost cried. 

Aelin squeezed her and stood up, "You make your own path. Doranelle is always open to you. I cannot teach you how to wield ice and wind, but my mate and some of my children can. You will always be welcome there." 

Aelin turned to leave to the room and dropped her smile. Even if the girl learned to control her powers, the two different wells would destroy her. It was only a matter of how long they could hold it off.