My mind wakes lazily, I feel my limbs slow and heavy, and then something wrapped around me in a familiar embrace.

I open my eyes finding Alvaryn's sleeping face in front of me, one arm underneath my neck, the other over my waist holding me against him.

I didn't have a nightmare.

For the first night in days I slept through without a single dark thought poisoning my mind.

My hand tightens around Alvaryn's bare waist as I take in this knowledge. Alvaryn stirs, tightening his arms around me and pulling me closer for a moment before relaxing.

"Good morning," He smiles with eyes closed.

"I didn't have a nightmare." I say out loud, still in shock. His eyes open, studying me in confusion.

"For the first time in days I had no nightmare!" I say again not able to stop my excitement. "I thought that I would never be rid of them, but now, what if it was because you were with me? Like your magic inside of me sensed you, is that possible?" I ask, thinking out loud.

"I suppose, I haven't really considered it, we could talk to Quirin." He replies.

"I thought I would have them forever, that every time I went to sleep they would be there. But now, now we have a way to make them stop." I want to get up and jump around. For the first time in days I wasn't tired and grumpy and scared out of my mind, I was happy and excited.

"The 'way' being you sleeping beside me or Aeris?" He asks.

And I nod. "I think so."

"Well then I will be happy to make sure you don't have any more nightmares." He smiles.

"My servants will be here soon, and then Quirin will come by for his usual visit, I can ask him about it." I say trying to sit up but Alvaryn's arms tighten around me, stopping me from moving away from him.

"Not yet, just a few more minutes." He complains, pressing his face into my neck. I laugh at his reluctance.

"I'm afraid not, I doubt my servants want to walk in to a shirtless prince in my room." I say pulling his face back.

"How do you know?" He asks sarcastically. I just stare back at him and he sighs dramatically before relaxing his arms so I can crawl out of bed.

He gets out of bed and puts his shirt and jacket on before pulling on his boots. I wait for him near the door as he wraps his arms around me and lifts me up.

"Thank you for celebrating my name day with me, it was perfect." He says into my neck as my feet dangle above the floor.

"The first of many." I tell him, leaning back to kiss him. I run my hands through his hair, doing my best to put it in its usual place. "There." I smile at my work.

He sets me down with a smile and kisses the top of my head.

"I hope you have a good day." He says opening the door.

"You too." I smile before he closes the door behind him.

By the time I am sitting down for breakfast I am a bundle of nerves and excitement. Quirin had supported my idea, saying that their magic being so close would help keep the shield in place.

Maybe the gods had answered my prayer after all. Now that the selection was postponed the king had put a stop to our lessons and lectures. Instead we could spend our days however we saw fit. Our meals together still took place at morning, noon and dinner and while I was happy about the lessons I also wished we weren't forced to eat together for every meal.

"Morning, you look happy today." Fynley says sitting beside me while I pour milk over my porridge.

"I am." I tell her reaching for my spoon.

"I'm glad to see it." She returns, spooning porridge into her bowl. "I've heard that we will be going to war soon." She says quietly.

"So have I."

"I also heard that the human kingdoms are fighting with Nievenyth." She returns, movements smooth and sure as my eyes wander around the room, unsure of who could be watching or listening.

"They want to break the treaty, and they want us back, all the girls that were taken on the offering." I whisper.

She looks at me in surprise, her eyes wary before she turns back to her porridge.

"How could you know that?"

"A reliable witness told me." I answer.

"Well this changes everything." She sighs softly.

"What do you mean?"

"It means Nievenyth is fighting for our freedom, if they won we would be able to return home." She replies.

"But...if they won...then Wyndelle would fall." The words tumble out at the thought.

"Not necessarily." She disagrees.

A pain grips my head suddenly and I wince, placing my hand against my head.

"I know you have friends here, but at the end of the day the freedom to make our own choices is more important." She says spooning her porridge with perfect precision.

"But would you really have the freedom to make your own choices if you go home?" I ask as the pain subsides slowly.

She looks up and across the table where Renja sits beside Isbeth, her face serious and eyes distant, Renja and Isbeth talk quietly to each other and then Fynley blinks, her mask falling back into its place as she spoons her porridge again.

"I would have more freedom then I will ever have here." She answers and another wave of pain racks my head and I feel sick.

"And if the treaty is broken then we can prevent it from ever happening to anyone else." She says quietly, like it was a simple fact, a small decision that wouldn't change the world we know and live in.

Without the offering then fae would stop being able to produce and slowly, their race would die out. But with the treaty the woman of the human kingdom would forever be slaves.

Could there be a way where we could live together? A new treaty like Alvaryn had spoken of, a new agreement where there would be a choice. Many of the girls who were chosen were happy to be here, they had wanted this life. Surely there would be others who would follow in their steps, not wanting the life they were born in, given the chance to something different.

Surely Humans and Fae could live together instead of having this constant struggle between them, one seeming to hold all the cards while the other is helpless to agree and follow.

Gods I could never have imagined I would be sitting here having these thoughts, ideas of fae and humans living together. I had wanted nothing to do with the fae, seeing them as the enemy, monsters who stole women from their homes. And now, now I could see their side of things, their need to survive, their out date beliefs of humankind that definitely needed to change.

Another wave of pain surges through my head and I let go of my spoon, gripping my head with both hands.

"Are you alright?" Fynley asks softly.

I shake my head. "I'm not sure. Some kind of headache."

"Maybe you should go lie down." She suggests, a hand on my shoulder as she watches me with concern.

I grit my teeth against the pain as I stand. It felt like something was trying to claw its way out of my head and I had no idea how to make it stop.

The pain comes and goes as I send for Quirin while I wait in my room. He knocks on the door walking in and coming to stand in front of me.

"Lyari said you started having headaches at breakfast." He says quietly and I nod. He holds his hand over my head, eyes closed in concentration.

Another pulse of pain has me gritting my teeth and I hear him hum as he continues to stand in front of me.

"It's magic based, not the dark magic that caused the nightmares, something different, it's moving quietly through your mind, hard to sense until it pulses, that is the pain you are feeling." He explains.

"So it's not Arden's magic, that means it could be Alvaryn's or Aeris'?" I ask as he takes a step back and he nods.

"I told you that some were more resistant to accepting new magic, I fear your mind is struggling to accept either one or both of their magic. I can give you something for the pain but I don't have a cure for it. Unfortunately as I told you before it is a matter of time." He says taking a small glass bottle from his robes and holding it out towards me. "Place two drops on your tongue when you get these headaches, no more than three times a day." He says firmly and I nod, gripping the bottle in my hand.

"I wish I had more wisdom for you, but I have scoured our records and cannot find anything more on the ritual or any mention of those the ritual was performed on. It was a risk we took, and the consequences were having little knowledge. While it may have saved your life I fear there may be more unknowns in your future and I cannot predict what they will be or how your body will take them." He tells me stepping back slowly.

I nod, accepting the terms. "It still has to be better than the outcome of not using it at all."

"Of course my dear, you are alive, and while you are walking into this blindly you are young and strong and have the support of those who will help and guide you as they are able." He bows slightly.

"Thank you Quirin, I'm sorry to put you through all of this."

"Not at all child, this is what I live for, helping others is my calling and I am happy to serve." He replies, smiling down at me. "Now, get some rest, hopefully another full night of sleep will help and the magic settle."

I nod, standing as he walks to the door.

Another price to pay for saving my life, one I would accept and deal with. It is far better than the alternative. And Quirin was right, I had Alvaryn and Aeris by my side through whatever may come.