Manon's Child

Part 33

Manon's POV

When a servant eventually comes for me, I've somehow dozed off. I blink blearily, braiding my hair back but not bothering to change out of my witch leathers. It's not my court meeting.

I follow the servant to the same large room as earlier, still trying to blink the tiredness from my eyes. When we arrive there, I straighten my posture, fix a serious, haughty expression on my face, and enter. It may not be my meeting, but I'm still a queen.

All eyes turn to me. I look around for somewhere to sit, and find the only free one next to Aelin. "Manon," the queen says, and gestures to the chair next to her. "Please, sit." I stalk over, the room in an uneasy silence, the Lords and Ladies probably also wondering why I'm here. 

"On a more serious note," Aelin begins, "You can all leave."

"What?!" snaps a scowling old man - Lord Darrow, I think - from near Aelin.

"You can all leave," Aelin replies slowly, condescendingly. 

"Wha - but - why?!" the old man stutters. He must be insufferable.

"Because I'm your queen and I ordered you to," Aelin snaps, patience lost. "Now go!"

Everyone else had already left, and by the time he stood up, they were all gone. Elide hovered nervously near the doorway. Aelin turned to her. "What is it, Elide?"

"Please don't kill each other," she said from the doorway. Aelin burst out laughing. 

"I wouldn't kill Manon, Elide, don't worry." Elide nodded, shutting the door behind her as she left. Now it was only Aelin, Rowan and I left in the room. 

Aelin looked pointedly at her mate. "You go to," she ordered him.

"Aelin, I -"

"Hover outside the door if you must, Rowan, but this is not about you." Rowan scowled, but left.

Finally, Aelin turned to me. "Sorry about those territorial Fae bastards, but I actually do have something serious to discuss with you." She is watching me colly, an unreadable expression on her face.

"What?" I snap, standing and stretching my back. I walk over to the open window at the back of the room.

"Have you told Dorian?" 

I spin around, braid snapping my face. "How is that any of your business?" 

"Because Dorian is my best friend, and I don't want to see you break his heart by keeping something like this from him. He deserves to know, and if you don't tell him, I will. So, I ask again. Does Dorian know?"

I am taken aback at the ferocity in the little speech, but not enough to show it. "Yes," I reply tensely. "And before you ask, it is his child."

"Good," Aelin nods, then stands next to me by the window. "In that case, congratulations!" she says, and before I can do anything, she's hugging me. 

When she pulls away, she's grinning at me. "Dorian must be so excited. And, Chaol's child and yours can play together - they'll be about the same age. Dorian's always wanted - "

"Dorian...," I say, trailing away quietly. It's sweet that she cares so much for her friends, but unless I do something, we might never...

"What?" Aelin demands. 

"After I told him, we... I didn't leave Adarlan on the friendliest of terms," I admit, no idea why I'm telling the Queen of Terrasen this. I know she cares about her friend, but it's truly none of her business. Anyway, it isn't like we're not going to make up - I'm not raising a child on my own, after all.

She's frowning at me again, but some sort of clarity has filled me, a knowledge that I had to talk to Dorian, now. Before Aelin can say anything, I turn to her and say, "It was nice seeing you."

Then, I leap out of the open window in front of us.

There's a moment when I think Abraxos might not catch me, but then he sweeps in under me with a growl of annoyance, I laugh patting his side. I stand on his back, looking behind me.

Aelin is half-hanging out the window, gaping at me. Abraxos soars over so I can talk to her. "Tell Elide I say goodbye," I call to her.

"Where are you going?" Aelin asks. In the background, I hear the door open and Elide's footsteps as she starts coming up to Aelin.

"Where's Manon?" she asks, slowly coming over,

"Oh, she just jumped out the window," Aelin says slyly, smirking.

"WHAT?!" Elide exclaims, rushing over. She sees me safe on Abraxos's back, and lightly shoves Aelin. The queen just laughs.

"Where are you going?" Elide asks, repeating Aelin's question from earlier.

"Adarlan," I reply. "I need to talk to Dorian, as soon as possible." They both nod.

"Be safe," Elide says.

"And say hi to Dorian from me," the queen says. I nod, then turn Abraxos around, flying into the cloudy sky. We soar off at top speed.