Page 194 of Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, he’s forever. Yes, I’ll do it.”
Hawthorn’s jaw tightened.
“You think I’m foolish, don’t you? That it’s too soon. You knew Mother for years—”
“I could have fallen for your mother in a day if I’d had a sensible bone in my body when we met and she’d been a little less stubborn.”
Aislinn blinked at him. “You—you told me when I was younger that I should take my time, that it could take years to fall in love—”
“Yes, forgive me for telling my sixteen-year-old daughter to be careful when it came to making decisions that could affect the entire kingdom. It wasn’t bad advice—it still isn’t—but you aren’t a child anymore, and you have been careful. Too careful, one might even say.”
Aislinn glared at him a little longer, before her face softened. “That cannot be true. About Mother.”
“And yet I can speak it.” His hands ran down her arms and clutched her fingers. “I don’t doubt love, and I don’t doubt you, little dream. Never will.”
Aislinn took a deep breath. “I’ll ask Caer.”
Someone came up the stairs, rapping on the doors until they found them. “We’ve got half a plan,” said Diana. “If you want to come down and hear it?”
“We attack after their deadline,” Minerva said, metal fingers splayed across the makeshift table. “By several hours. Let them think Caer has decided to sacrifice himself for the greater good, or that we’ve decided to sneak off to the Deep. The doors are no doubt tightly patrolled right now, but if it’s safe enough, we might want to consider a mock attack there. At least we have the benefit of magic at that end of the city.”
“Noted,” Hawthorn said, nodding.
“When the attack comes, we split into two groups. One of us attacks the front directly as a diversion. The rest of us go through the waterways.”
“Here’s an idea,” said Beau, “why don’t weallgo that way?”
“It’s not enough to get in. We have to get the soldiersout.And if my sister has learnt Tiberius helped us in any way, she’ll have changed those locks and will be patrolling it like crazy.”
“Maybe we should consider two stealth parties,” Flora added. “We have the right number. One through the waterway, the other towards the balcony?”
“An excellent idea. Fae folk, over the balcony. You’re more agile like that. We’ll take the waterway route.”
Minerva leaned over the crudely constructed model of the castle. She whispered to Caer to hand her another counter. “Wyverns,” she said, holding up one, “you will be positioned here at the front, led by Queen Juliana.” She held up another. “Sirens—that’s mainly dwarves—we’re here in the waterways. Fae folk, and Caer, you’re the Rogues, going over the top.”
There was a murmur of understanding. “Wyverns, draw all the attention you possibly can to the gates and gardens. Sirens, we’re going to sneak into the castle and try and draw anyone from the throne room. Rogues, get into the vault, get that Mirror out, andseal it.”
“Once we’re in possession of the Mirror, we’re hoping Aeron might agree to bargain with us,” Bell continued. “We have no intention of doing so.”
“We’re putting an arrow through his neck,” Diana said, holding up a crossbow Aislinn recognised as one of fae-make. Juliana must have brought it with her. “I take it no one has a problem with that?”
“It’s hardly going to make the diplomatic position more precarious,” Hawthorn said. “Technically, he’s one of the Fae. Venus might take offence, but we aren’t going to kick up a fuss about it.”
“Once Aeron is down, we’re hoping his forces might surrender,” Bell went on. “Or at least call a ceasefire. Venus and Owen will lose what they were hoping to gain.”
“And Owen?” asked Caer quietly, “will you kill him?”
The table went quiet for a moment. “Unless he gets in our way, we shall try to spare him,” Hawthorn said eventually. “I cannot promise anything if he gets in our way.”
Caer nodded. Aislinn reached out to pinch his sleeve, knowing how much the answer pained him. Did Owen know the ceremony would likely cost Caer his life? It seemed unlikely.
“What happens in the event that neither Venus nor Owen concede?” Caer asked, avoiding her gaze.
Another palpable silence passed across the table. “Then we fight,” Minerva concluded. “Until the last person standing.”
