Liam POV

Disclaimer: I know nothing of injuries, most of the medical stuff here was from a quick google search. I also don’t own any of Emma’s speech, bc it’s directly copied from the book

Battles tend to end abruptly.

I stare blankly at the causers and healers tending to soldiers, unable to process the victory that we’ve achieved.

I stumble forward slightly, adrenaline leaving my body faster than it came. A healer steadies me and checks my injuries, bandaging a gash on my arm.

“You’re good to go, sir,” she says, smiling.

“Thank you,” I say weakly, scanning for Adalyn or Faye in the crowd.

I spot Faye being lectured by a healer with a scowl on her face. “Faye,” I say, approaching her. “What’d you do?”

“Are you her friend?” the healer demands, clearly annoyed. “Your friend here charged into battle with a sprained ankle! She’s lucky she can still stand.”

“Faye,” I groan, putting my head in my hands. “Why couldn’t you stay put?”

Faye opens her mouth to protest but is silenced quickly by the healer. “I’m going to get you crutches,” she says sharply. “And you’re going to stay right here until I’m back. Sir, make sure she stays off her feet.”

The healer forces Faye to sit down, before storming off.

“You made a new enemy already,” I say, watching her walk off.

“Yeah, yeah,” Faye grumbles.

I sigh. “Faye, you need to learn your own limits. This isn’t healthy for you, and who knows what could’ve happened if someone found out about your injury in battle. You could’ve been killed.”

Faye grits her teeth. “I’m fine, Liam, stop being so overbearing.”

“No,” I say flatly. “You’re gonna have to explain this to Adalyn.” If she’s alive.

“Yeah,” Faye says, finally relenting. “So I was in the wrong. You think I was going to stand by and let you guys fight without me?” Her voice is strained, not like the usual self-assured Faye I know.

“You don’t need to prove yourself.”

“I’m a liability with this ankle!” snaps Faye suddenly. “You don’t understand, Liam,” she says, softer. “It’s not like it’s different in Terrelain, but I hate it when I’m considered helpless.”

“You’re not helpless,” I say. “Far from it. But you need to take care of yourself.”

She sighs. “Oh look, there’s the healer with the crutches.”

The healer, still looking annoyed, practically shoves the crutches into Faye’s hands. “In all my years,” she grumbles to herself, wrapping Faye’s ankle tightly. “By far, you’re the worst patient ever.”

“Thanks, I take the title with pride,” Faye says.

The healer scowls and turns to me. “She’s going to have to be on those crutches for at least eight months. Usually it’d be six, but with the extra strain she’s put on it, it’s longer.”

“Yes ma’am,” I say. “I’ll make sure she does just that.”

Faye narrows her eyes at me.

“Where’s Adalyn?” she asks, balancing on her crutches, as the healer walks away. “Might as well get the explanation over with.”

“Let’s go find her.”

* * *

“I’m still mad at you,” Adalyn says, leaning towards Faye. Faye glares right back.

“Just be quiet for once and listen to the princess’ speech,” I say, clutching my ears. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“I don’t want to listen to the speech,” Adalyn says. “It’s probably your stereotypical speech about freedom and hope and cursing Morbin’s name. I’ve heard fifty of the like.”

“Since when?” Faye asks rhetorically.

“It’s certainly a step up from our dear Ambassador’s speeches,” I retort.

Adalyn scowls. “Yeah, sure.”

We stand in the crowd, Faye on her crutches (grumbling about it), Adalyn with a bandaged arm and head, and me with a wrapped arm. The crowd surrounds us, all focused on the princess up on the balcony.

“To be honest,” Faye says, sighing. “I’m not really concerned about Emma here, I’m concerned about the other Jovesons.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Oh well, for one, the other guy–what’s his name–is running the risk of seeing his older brother getting publicly executed, and he can’t speak out about it without getting branded a traitor.”

“Oh,” Adalyn says, tilting her head slightly.

“Yeah, Natalia has a weird system,” Faye says, nodding wisely.

“What do you mean by that?” I demand, hands on hips.

“Well, you seem to place a lot of power in the ruling monarch,” Faye says, raising an eyebrow.

“Bleston,” I coughed.

“Shut up,” Faye said, scowling at the mention of her former monarch. “Terrelain is a little different in terms of that. We have a monarch, yeah, but there’s also a huge assembly. It’s kind of like…what’s the word…I don’t know, but you get what I mean.”

“Hm,” Adalyn says, turning to face the balcony again. “Nice to know.”

“I detect sarcasm,” Faye says.

“You detected correctly,” Adalyn responds.

Emma begins speaking.

“Friends,” Emma begins, and her voice echoes over the square, “we are home again. Rabbits truly rule, once more, in First Warren, the heart of the Great Wood. This is a great triumph, and we do well to celebrate this day!” There are deafening cheers. “I look out on you and I see many different kinds of rabbits. I see the long suffering citizens of this city, whose painful wait for liberation is over at last. I see soldiers and support forces from every secret citadel. And our citadels are no longer secret, for here we are, out in the open, defying Morbin and his dark legions.” The sun is already setting, casting a golden glow on the city. “I know, for many, that name has filled you with fear. I know that many of you are wounded by even whispering these words. But we will not allow words to destroy us; we will not maked sacred our cursed foe’s name. Morbin Blackhawk is the vile tyrant who slaughtered my father on this day years ago. I will not bow to his rule nor honor his name. I say his name is cursed and his rule is ended. I will never hesitate to say it, though the name is like bile in my mouth.”

“Oh, we know,” Faye says sarcastically.

“Be quiet,” Adalyn hisses.

“He will come, we know,” she continues. “He will bring his army down on us, and we will not have long to prepare. But prepare we will. Already, our military council is at work to make the best defense of this, our home, reclaimed after long resistance and never to be lost again! I have been advised by some to leave the city, to seek protection to ensure against the loss of the bloodline of my father. I was also advised not to come on this day. But I tell you, my friends, that I will not quit this city until Morbin is defeated. He shall know where to find me, for I will be there!”

Applause like thunder, pushing me to the brink of a headache.

“Today we came together and fought together. We, who are many, became one fighting force. An unstoppable force. The innovation of Harbone met the devotion of Halfwind. The resolve of Vandalia met the valor of Blackstone. The heart of Cloud Mountain met the soul of First Warren’s resistance!”

“Who’s the soul of the resistance here? Is it me?” Faye asks, smiling widely.

“Faye,” Adalyn and I say at the same time, deadpan expressions on our faces.

She quiets.

“We have been divided by treachery and betrayals, divided by distance and distrust We have been divided and carved up like a ritual meal for their perverse feasts. We have been torn apart. But not today. Today, we joined. Today, we fought for a cause bigger than any single citadel. We fought for the cause for which the citadels were formed. We fought with passion, and we fought together!”

“Oooh, how heroic,” Adalyn grumbles bitterly. “You could’ve been here ten years ago.”

“Adalyn,” I say in a warning tone.

“What?” She defends herself. “Ten years ago security wasn’t as tight!”

“They were also regrouping?”

“It doesn’t take three years to regroup, as far as I know,” Adalyn hisses.

“It’s coming up,” Faye says, hushing us. “Winslow’s trial thing.”

Adalyn narrows her eyes. “What are you betting Emma’ll do?”

I shrug. “She’s probably going to let him live. Doesn’t really leave a good impression if you execute your brother, no matter what he did.”

Adalyn shrugs. "I'm with Liam here."

"Aye," Faye says, nodding.

She starts moving her way through the crowd.

"Hey, hey," I say, running to catch up to her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not watching this," Faye says, raising an eyebrow. "The chances are slim, but I don't want to see someone get decapitated."

Adalyn and I share a glance.

"Alright, then," I say, shifting. "Where to?"

"Well," Adalyn says. "Who feels like a trip to my childhood home?"

Ah yes, me making up politics because it makes me feel smart xD So basically Terrelain = The UK

Also, did Emma just make up that speech off the top of her head?? like?? now imagine it with dramatic music & scenic shots & voice acting and just sjdksjdksjds it’d be so amazing👌

Adalyn is bitter, Faye is too proud :), and Liam is just tryin his best

Hey look a rare Liam POV :) he’s my favorite tbh but I don’t have a lot of POVs of him BUT HE GETS DEVELOPMENT I SWEAR