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

Chapter 18

It took them a week to make it out of Adarlan and through the Western Wastes. On horseback, the four of them made excellent time. Had it not been for the horses and Aidan, Aelin could have made it to Briarcliff in two days. 

It would have been faster to just go directly to the Witch Kingdom, but Aelin had insisted on stopping in the small city of Briarcliff to pay tribute to a friend that had long since passed away. Aidan rode on a smaller chestnut brown mare beside her, taking in the views of the city as they rode through it. 

As they approached a busier street, Kol helped her slide down out of her saddle, and they led their horses through the hustling crowd. Aidan hadn't said anything since they had been able to see the city. 

"What's wrong, Aidan?" Aelin asked her young charge. The girl tore her eyes away from a street vendor selling different fabrics and glanced quickly at Kol and Declan. 

"Here, Declan. Take these horses to a stable. We're staying here tonight," Aelin said, handing her reins to her son and pulling Aidan off toward the fabric vendor. Aidan's fingers danced over the fabrics: silk, chiffon, poplin. And a length of something she had never seen before. 

"What is this?" Aidan asked, holding it up to her aunt. It sparkled slightly in the early afternoon sun. 

"It's spidersilk," Aelin replied, glancing at it quickly and returning to maroon sample of silk.

"And the finest spidersilk you'll find in Erilea," the vendor said. He looked to be about forty, but Aelin knew that was probably not his true age. 

"I doubt it. All spidersilk comes from the same place. The Stygian Spiders of the Ruhnn mountains. My question is, sir, what did you pay for such a large sample?" Aelin smiled absently, thinking of her run-ins with spidersilk in the past. Abraxos's wings. Sam's suit. 

"Hmm, smart girl," the middle-aged vendor growled. "They took all of my dreams. Past, present, and future."

"That's a shame. I heard once, a long time ago, 'The world will be remade and saved by the dreamers.' How much do you want for all of it?" 

"Aye, girl. I have heard the same. My dreams weren't worth it anyhow. I reckon you don't have enough money on you to buy all of it."

"Well, how about I give you twenty gold pieces and a favor?" Aelin asked. Aidan was beside her, studying the older man carefully. His eyes shimmered at the prospect.

"How much is a favor from you worth? You're nothing but a twig of a girl. Nice clothing, maybe highborn. Slight accent, so not from this kingdom. Who are you?" 

"May I call you Tom? You look like a Tom," Aelin didn't wait for a reply. "Tom, you're just going to have to trust me. I will send you a messenger tonight with my name, and I don't break my promises." 

Aelin stared the man down, and he finally relented, taking her twenty gold coins and a favor. He wrapped the spidersilk in some brown packaging, and Aelin put it into her bag quietly. Aidan still didn't say anthing.

Aelin asked again, "What's wrong?" 

"I'm not sure. There's a lot of things. Who was that lady? Why did she give me this mirror? What did she mean? What if Manon doesn't like me? What if I can't save Adarlan?" Aidan rushed out in one breath.

As the two of them talked, they walked towards the towering stone castle in the center of the city. 

"Well, the lady was obviously a goddess. I have my suspicions of which one, but I'm not certain. And I felt the same way. When Elena gave me the Eye, I had no idea what to do with it. Actually, I was at a loss for most of my greatest adventures. I was given guidance when I truly needed it. You'll be fine.

"Manon doesn't like many people, but her and I are kindred spirits. There are only a handful of us left who were there when we sent Erawan back and slayed Maeve. I'm sure she will like you just fine. There's one thing I know about Manon; she truly loved Dorian. He made her into the person she is today.

"And out of all the things to be worried about, Adarlan shouldn't be one of them. The people there survived a ten year rule by a demon prince, a witch invasion, the shattering of their glass castle, several fires, and several transfers in leadership. They people there are good. And they will welcome you back with open arms," Aelin finished. 

She was proud of herself. She usually left the speech making to Rowan. He was much more qualified to do it anyhow. The two of them had reached the outskirts of a cemetery, and Aidan followed the former queen of Terrasen to a large marble monument. Carved into the surface, it read: 

                                                                         ANSEL. SAVIOR. CONQUEROR. QUEEN. 

Aelin put a smooth stone on the monument and said a quiet goodbye. Aidan, picked up a stone as well, and placed it beside her aunt's. 

"What happened to Ansel? The history books seem to forget her sometimes," Aidan asked when they exited the cemetery.

"Ansel survived the final battle and returned to the Wastes after everything had settled down. She gained some territory for Briarcliff and built this city. When she was a child, a legion of witches destroyed it, looking for the last Cochrans. With Manon as Cochran Queen and the sole Ironteeth Matron, the two of them were able to make peace," Aelin answered.

"But did she ever marry? Have children?" 

"No. Unfortunately, Ansel died an old and bitter woman. Statistically, I suppose not all of us would have gotten a happy ending. Poor Ansel drew the short straw." 

Aelin led her niece to an inn, Maddy's Inn, fed her the finest meal a tavern could offer, and sent her to bed. She sat in the busy dining room in silence with her thoughts, sometimes drifting to Rowan and the unknown threat surely awaiting her when she returned, other times to her old friends, some of them now gone for years, and every so often to the mirror, hiding in the bag of her seemingly fragile niece. 

Before she herself went up the stairs, she wrote a quick note, and sent a messenger to find a certain spidersilk vendor. 

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading. Next chapter is also Aelin and Aidan's, and I will be posting it really soon. They're off to see Grandma Manon.