Align Ourselves

by Adrianna Schuh

  Aria looked around at the group. The people who had made all of this possible, the people who believed in her. The people she loved.

  "Shawn,” Adrian said, looking at Martinez's bruised and bloody face. "I've gotta say...you've looked better."

  "You haven't," Martinez said, patting Adrian on the back.

  A few people laughed.

  "So that's it? It's over?" Peter asked.

  "Yeah," Aria said, "It's over."

  "What now?" Mara asked.

  "Now we decide on what we should do with them," Hunt said.

  "First things first, what do we do with the ones who didn't really pick a side?" Brent asked.

  Half the people in the room looked to Aria; the other half looked to Lex.

  "What do you think?" he asked, looking at Aria.

  "You're the king," she said, unsure. She figured that he'd have a plan—an idea.

  "Yeah, but only because of you," he said, smiling at her. "Well, you and your friends."

  "I guess..." she began, "I guess we should give them an option. Let them know that the only way they could stay here is if they're okay with living under your, I mean our rule?"

  "Well, there you go," Lex said. "That's what we'll do. I'll let you talk to them once they've all gathered."

  "And what about Warren? And his people?" Grace asked.

  No one spoke up.

  "Lex," Grace said. "They...they killed so many of us. We can't just-"

  "I don't know. For right now, keep them in the dungeon. We need to think about it. I can't really decide on anything right now. We'll regroup tomorrow," he said, running a hand through his hair.

  "Okay. I've set up guards to watch them; make sure they don't do anything," Hunt said.

  "Thank you," Lex said, nodding to Hunt.

  She didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually, people started filing into the room.

  "That's all of them," Mara said.

  The room was crowded. Aria found it a little hard to breathe, so she wanted to get it over with.

  "Listen up," she said, standing at the front of the group. "This was never your place. You all came here with Warren and took it. But we've taken it back. It belongs to us. Warren, his followers, and the guards who sided with him are all locked away in the dungeon.

  A few people started to ask questions, but she put her hand up, silencing them.

  "We've summoned you here to give you a choice. Side with us, abide by our rules and accept the king and me as your rulers, and you will be allowed to stay. Not on palace grounds, obviously. But that is something that we can discuss tomorrow. For right now, we just need to know where your loyalties lie. If you want to stick with the others, your fate will be their fate. We will only allow people who follow our rules and live in peace with us on this land to stay."

  The room was utterly silent.

  She looked back at Lex, and he gave her a nod, telling her to go on.

  "We are not prisoners here. We stayed here by choice. And up until you all showed up, we lived in peace with these people. We were all welcomed, just as you will be if you accept my offer. Violence will not be tolerated here; hate will not be tolerated here. If that is something that you can accept, then you will be allowed to stay. The choice is up to you."

  With that, she sat back down, giving the people a few minutes to think about what she said.

  "Have I ever told you that you make an excellent queen?" Lex asked, lowering his voice so that only she heard him.

  She rolled her eyes, but she smiled at him.

  "Really," he said, smiling back. "I can't believe you pulled this off."

  "What," she exclaimed, "I thought you said you believed in me?"

  "I did. I do. I just didn't think it'd go this smoothly. I thought for sure there'd be more fighting. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed. I didn't really get to fight anyone."

  "Well, sorry to disappoint you," she said. "I'll fight you if that'll make you feel better?"

  "The last thing I want to do is fight you; trust me," he said, smirking at her.

  "Yeah? And what's the first?" she asked. She wasn't sure why she was being so bold. Things were still kind of up in the air between them. They hadn't really talked about their relationship yet.

  And still, there she was, flirting with him among the chaos around them.

  "Thank you for starters."

  "You don't have to do that," she said, getting back to being serious. It wasn't exactly what she was hoping to hear. But it brought her back to reality.

  "Yes, I do. Thank you. For everything," Lex said, reaching over to hold her hand.

  "You're welcome," she said. It felt a little ridiculous. He was only in this situation because of her, her people. It was only right that she fixed it. "And thank you."

  "For what?"

  "Everything," she said, looking over at him

  Again, she forgot that they were in a crowded room. That it wasn't only the two of them.

  She shook her head a little, composing herself before standing. "Those of you who will not accept our offer, please rise," she said.

  Four people stood up. She waited, but the rest stayed in their seats.

  "Anyone else?"

  No one else stood.

  "Please escort these four people to the dungeon," she said, nodding to the people from her own group who had taken over as guards. "Don't worry, you won't stay there long. Just until we figure out what we're going to do."

  The four people that stood were escorted out, the door to the throne room shut behind them.

  "As for the rest of you," she began, "Go back to your rooms. We're not sure what will happen next. That's something we need to think about. But as long as you abide by our rules, you will be safe. I hope you understand that the way you came here was wrong and that it can't be like that. If you had come in peace, all of this could have been avoided. But I know that some of you came because you had no choice. Or because you were just hoping to find us. I know that. That's why we're letting you stay. Please don't make me regret this. And please know that if you step out of line, you will be dealt with."

  Aria looked to the side where her friends and family stood, and they all gave her nods and smiles of approval.

  She smiled back at them before sitting down.

  Eventually, the room cleared again.

  "What now?" Peter asked.

  "Now," Lex said, standing up, "we sleep. Everything else can wait until the morning."

  Chapter 49

  He offered his hand to Aria, and she took it without hesitation. They left the throne room together, walking to their quarters hand in hand.

  Once inside, Aria closed the door behind them.

  "I've missed this bed," Lex said, taking his clothes off.

  "You were in the dungeon for four days, Lex," Aria said, rolling her eyes. She started a fire in the fireplace before getting ready for bed.

  "Yes, but it's freezing down there," he said, crawling in.

  "I remember," she said, getting in bed after him. "You made us stay there that first night."

  "Sorry about that," he said, laying on his back.

  She smiled at him before laying down next to him.

  "What a crazy day," she said, looking up at the ceiling. She couldn't really process all that had happened in the past few hours.

  "You'll have to tell me about it. I want to know everything."

  "I will," she said, turning on her side. "Tomorrow."

  He nodded.

  "Tomorrow it is."

  He turned on his side, facing her.

  "What did you mean? When you said that you wished you would have met me sooner," she whispered.

  It was dark in their room, the only light source coming from the fire in the fireplace. She hadn't had an opportunity to light the candles and replace the ones that had gone out.

  "I meant I wished I would have met you sooner," he said.

  "Why?"

  "Because," he said, reaching over to run a han
d down her back. "Because despite everything that's happened....I've never been happier. And I wasn't sure what was going to happen at the time if they'd drag me off and kill me before I got the chance to see you again. All I could think was that I wished I'd met you sooner. That I'd gotten more time with you."

  She smiled, feeling like her heart skipped a beat at his words.

  "I love you too," she whispered.

  "What?"

  "You told me you loved me, and I didn't say it back. But I do, Lex. I love you too," she said. She didn't wait for his response. She shifted until she was close enough to kiss him.

  And then she did.

  The hand on her back pulled her closer.

  Eventually, she pulled away and turned until her back was pressed to his front. He wrapped his arm around her, and she placed her hand on top of his.

  It was then that all her exhaustion caught up to her, and she drifted off, all thoughts of what would happen tomorrow disappearing from her mind.

  Despite everything that happened, the feeling of his arm around her made her feel safe again.

  He was there, guarding her against the night and all the things that resided in the darkness.

  The sun was setting by the time she woke up.

  She opened her eyes, relishing in the warmth. She pushed the thoughts of the night before, the thoughts of what lay ahead away and let herself feel happy for a few minutes.

  She was safe; her family and her friends were safe. Lex was there.

  She could feel the rise and fall of his chest—the warmth of his skin.

  And then there was a knock on the door. She sighed.

  After waking Lex, she rose to open it.

  "Sorry to wake you," Katy said, standing on the other side. She glanced at Lex, a weary look in her eye. "But it's getting pretty late. We need to hold a meeting."

  Aria nodded.

  She noticed her mother glance between her and Lex before leaving.

  "She doesn't like me," Lex said while getting dressed.

  "She doesn't even know you," Aria replied, changing out of her sleep clothes. "Once she gets to know you, I'm sure she will."

  "Well, I don't know about that. Not everyone likes a 'smirking, asshole king,' I believe you said?"

  "Shut up," Aria said, rolling her eyes. But she couldn't stop herself from smiling at the memory.

  Once she was ready, she waited for him by the door.

  "What are we going to do, Lex?" she asked. She had felt at ease when she had woken up, thankful that their plan had worked the night before. But now, her anxiety was tying her stomach in knots. There was still so much to do, so much to figure out.

  "Honestly," he said, opening the door to let her out, "I have no fucking idea."

  She tensed at that.

  "Hey," he said, grabbing her hand when they stood outside of the throne room, "We'll figure it out. Whatever we decide, we'll do it together, okay?"

  "Yeah," she said, giving his hand a little squeeze. "Together."

  They made their way inside.

  "Where are the others?" she asked. She expected the room to be full of people. Instead, only their group of friends and a few others that had been on their side were there.

  "We've told them to stay in their rooms for the time being," Hunt said. "I just figured that we needed to talk about everything first."

  "Good idea," Lex said.

  They joined the group at one of the long tables in the center of the room.

  "First things first," Lex said as soon as everyone was seated. "I'd like to thank all of you for what you have done. I know that...that not all of you agreed to what happened here. I know that some of you came here to find your people."

  He looked around at the group gathered before him.

  Aria thought about how angry he'd been all those months ago when weapons went missing from the throne room. And then how angry he'd been when Ben stole the knife.

  "I wish that things would have gone differently. If you had come here in peace, you would have seen that I did not take your people as prisoners. But it happened, and none of us can change that. We can only go forward from here," he said.

  Compared to how he had been acting now, the way he had been in the beginning made her realize that she wasn't the only person that had changed in the past few months.

  He was different.

  The others looked around at one another.

  "We hope that you know that we sincerely apologize, that we sincerely regret what happened," Hunt said from across the table.

  "You are not at fault. I understand that some of you were only acting on orders," Lex said.

  "Be that as it may, we still caused all of this," Hunt said, "And we would like to make it up to you. All of us. And we hope you know that you have our support and that we mean you and your people no harm. We do wish to live in peace among you. And we are grateful for the opportunity to be here."

  Lex nodded.

  "We can't bring back the ones you've lost," Hunt said, "But we hope to make up for what has been done in any way we can if you allow us to stay."

  Lex turned to look at Aria. She reached forward and took his hand into hers, lacing her fingers through his under the table.

  "You are allowed to stay. The palace can't hold this many occupants, but that is a topic we can discuss later. How many people did you leave behind?"

  "About two hundred," Hunt said, "Give or take a few."

  "And these people, are they like your leader?" Grace asked from a few seats down.

  "I'm sure that there are some that side with him, yes," Hunt said.

  "And how can we be sure that they won't come here and do as your leader did?" Grace asked.

  "We can't tell you that," Katy said from beside Hunt. "We don't know what they might try. But we believe that if they're allowed to come here and live in peace, they won't cause any trouble. A lot of us didn't agree with this. And a lot of the ones that did, did so out of fear. Take that away, show them a different way, and they'll bear no ill will. I'm sure of it."

  "I agree," Hunt said, "A lot of them were acting out of fear.

  "Fine," Lex said, cutting Hunt off. "We will send for them. But I would like to go, along with a few of you, and talk to them first. Give them a choice. And make sure they come here with no weapons."

  Aria nodded in agreement. It was what she'd been hoping to hear.

  "Thank you," Hunt said. "And we will. We'll make sure to gather all the weapons beforehand."

  "What about the others?" Grace asked. "What will we do with them?"

  Lex looked at Aria.

  This time, she had no idea. She wasn't sure what they should do with Warren and his council, his guards. Those who stood firmly on his side.

  The whole room went very, very quiet. No one spoke up.

  "Can't we just send them back?" Martinez asked.

  "I agree with Shawn," Adrian said, "Just send them back. When you leave to get the others, take them with you, and leave them there."

  "But what if they figure out a way to come back?" Isla asked. "Do you honestly believe they'll just give up?"

  "Well, if we take their weapons and everything they own, they won't be able to," Martinez said.

  "We can't just leave them weaponless," Katy said, "The Terra would kill them all."

  "So," Grace said, raising an eyebrow. "How many people have they killed? And what would they do if the situation was reversed?"

  "We can't think like that," Hunt said, shaking his head.

  "And besides, won't the Terra be pissed if they hear that you sent them back to their land?" Peter asked.

  Everyone began to talk at once, arguing about what was the right thing to do. Aria's head began to hurt. She looked over at Lex. They were the only two with nothing to say.

  "Everyone shut up," Aria yelled. They weren't getting anywhere.

  "Lex, you can't seriously consider letting them go. They killed so many of us! They need to pay for what they've done! What will our people thi
nk of you if you don't avenge the dead? And besides, the Terra will never forgive you if you send those monsters back! That's just asking for more trouble," Grace yelled.

  Lex sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I need to think about this," he said, rising to his feet. "Alone."

  He left the room, and Aria didn't follow. She knew that he needed some time alone. He was being pulled in different directions from all sides.

  He had to think about what was best for his people. What was fair. What was just.

  Aria still had no idea.

  A part of her had thought that she wanted revenge.

  But thinking about executing all those people in the dungeon didn't feel right. And she knew she could never agree to sending that many people to their deaths.

  She killed when she had to when she was fighting to survive. She'd never take a life if there was any other option.

  But Katy was right; sending them back weaponless was a death sentence. They might as well execute them here and now.

  At the same time, Grace had made a good point, too. If the Terra found out that Lex had sent these people back to their lands, especially with guns, they'd never forgive him, and they might be faced with another problem.

  The group began discussing their options again.

  Aria knew that it was pointless; that, really, Lex's final decision was to be made. He'd been gone for hours.

  Aria thought about all the decisions she'd had to make up until this point. She knew what it was like, having to bear the consequences of the things she'd done so that the others wouldn't have to.

  With that in mind, she left the room in search of Lex.

  Chapter 50

  She looked in their quarters first, and when she didn't find him there, she searched the palace. Eventually, she found him in the gardens.

  It was cold; frost covered every surface. She heard the ice crunching beneath her boots as she made her way to him.

  He was sitting on one of the benches, looking up at the clear night sky.

  "Hey," she said, sitting down next to him.

  "Hey."

  "Aren't you cold?"

  "Yeah," he said, "But I didn't really feel like being inside. Are they still arguing there?"