#Aelin's mom
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ASOIAF đ€ SJM
Generation of dead women that are important to the plot but have very little to no characterization and only serve to make the important characters sad over their deaths
#SJM has her own dead ladies club atp#like SJM has loads of women that aren't important aside from when they die#like.... Feyre's mom#Aelin's mom#Marion Lochan#Tamlin's mom#Rhys's mom and sister#Lyria#Should I go on?#it'd just be nice if we got a teensy bit of information on these women#a bunch of them aren't even named#Oh and Manon's mom#Listen i understand that sometimes you gotta have a character exist only to further the plot
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In a modern AU Aelin would not believe that Dorianâs daughter, at the ripe age of fifteen months would simply walk to her crib and lay down to nap without making any fuss. She has kids of her own, she knows itâs a scam.
She was visiting Dorian one afternoon, and true to what he described: the small child started sucking on her fingers, a sign she was getting sleepy.
âYou want to sleep?â Dorian asked his daughter while walking her to the nursery, Aelin in tow.
Arriving at the nursery, Dorian placed the small child in her crib, and she laid down and closed her eyes, falling asleep without as much as make a fuss.
Aelin still didnât believe it, even though she was seeing it with her own eyes. She has multiple children and nap time is never this peaceful and children naturally reject naps??? Why is Dorianâs kid like this???
âHow do you do this?â Unable to contain her curiosity she asked him when they left the nursery a moment later. The infant not making any sound or being upset that sheâs left alone. To Aelin, this is not normal.
âDo what?â Dorian asked.
âThat. She just goes to sleep without a fuss?â
âUsually. She knows when sheâs tired and when we suggest sleep sheâs compliant,â Dorian explained. âAlthough she has her moments, sometimes she refuses to sleep and end up being fussy and cranky,â Now that sounds like a normal infant behavior, not the compliant child that listens to her bodyâs needs.
âDorian, you know that cranky is the default when it comes to sleep, right?â
âI guess we got lucky,â Because he appreciates that his child isnât like most. It could be because of how they parent her, or itâs just her temperament.
Although, if heâs being honest, he knows that his little daughter takes after her mother in more than just looks. It is a fact he is aware of, one that never fails to bring a smile to his face.
#booklr#books and reading#throne of glass#manon blackbeak#tog#dorian havilliard#manon x dorian#manorian#aelin ashryver galathynius#just something Dorian loves to bring up to Manon every now and then#because sheâs often in denial about a lot of things#but he never lets her go too far#every time their daughter acts like her mother heâs there to remind her of the fact#although his daughter is no angel#she has her moments and when sheâs fussy sheâs really FUSSY#she can cry for a long time and doesnât like it when she doesnât get her way#and when she doesnât like something she just ignores both parents and acts like she didnât hear them#she also has a temper which is something she got from her mom as well#but Dorian is smart and doesnât bring this up very often#because Manon has a terrifying temper and he worries his daughter has that same temper#the tiny thing can pack a lot of anger in her
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Crying thinking of Call Your Mom by Noah Kahan as Fenrys to Aelin during Kingdom of Ash & then the âYou do not yield.â scene
#Fenrys#Fenrys Moonbeam#Aelin Ashryver Galathynius#Fenrys and Aelin#Evalin Galathynius#Call Your Mom#Noah Kahan#Kingdom of Ash#You do not yield.#I am here I am with you#Aelin and Fenrys#the Young Queen and her white Wolf#I love them too much#Spotify#lyrics#I broke my own heart#fangirl problems#songs that remind me of characters#songs that remind me of scenes#only itâs also Rowan lol
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|| A Heavy Name || Throne of Glass One-Shot ||
(Where: the new Heir of Terrasen struggles with cursive Gâs, the eyes of people long gone, and holding up her motherâs name)
Adele, Age 8
Adele Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius wishes for a shorter name. Her hand cramps, fingers occasionally spasming, as she signs her name over and over and over, over, overâŠ
She works to perfect her handwriting, to get accustomed to the long loops and scrolls. Sheâs sometimes taken to signing with a simple AAWG, but Uncle Darrow, the old badger, says princesses of Terrasen wield their powerful names.Â
What the sword wonât do, the name can.Â
Adele glares over her shoulder to the portrait of Uncle Darrow that hangs beside old king Orlon. Adele shakes her practice sheet at Uncle Darrowâs stern, always watching picture as if to say, See? Iâm not cutting corners!Â
Adele peaks at Orlon, then. For some reason, sheâs always afraid to fully look the painting in the eye. Beside him, Grandfather Rhoe. Then, Grandmother Evalin. She looks like Mama, but younger. She has the same eyes as Mama, maybe softer, lessâŠwild. Adele looks away from Grandmother Evalin too, not able to think about Mama not having a mama. She stops looking at what she calls the Big Picturesâfaces of the deadâand moves her gaze to the smaller frames along the hearthâs shelf, to the pocket sized portrait of her younger brother, Arryn. Heâd just cut his own hair, and the golden strands spiked in different directions. Adele giggles. He looks awful, and the squiggle of a mustache sheâd drawn over his lip has yet to be noticed.Â
Uncle Darrow seems to frown down at her, then. She can hear him telling her to get back to work. Adele rolls her green eyes, but practices and practices until her handwriting is perfect. She must be perfect. Not just a princess of Terrasen, but Heir of Aelin Firebringer. Heir of so many people. There are so many eyes, waiting and watching.Â
Adele messes up her G, again. She always messes up the G of Galathynius. She starts a new line, from her first name, and goes and goes, her little hand straining to hold the quill, straining to make it to the end.Â
She loops the G in the wrong direction.Â
âRutting G!âÂ
Adele likes to curse when sheâs alone, and she spits the word Uncle Aedion taught her again and again. Her chest heaves and she pants, tearing the paper in half, shredding it to pieces, and splits them until she holds confetti.Â
Until she holds burning paper in too small hands. Ashes fall between her fingers, her palms unable to keep all that she holds, all that she burns.Â
She doesnât often cry. Adele is a princess, Heir of Fireâshe is strong.Â
But, she weeps. The blooming flame in her hands rutting scares her. She canât put it out. She shakes her hands. She blows, but her breath is shallow and shaking.Â
Adele screams. Screams at her hands, at the fire, at the Gâs she turned to ash and stomped beneath her feet. Her handheld fire blooms and grows. âRutting stop!â Adele screams at her open, unburnt palms.Â
And then cool, soft but calloused hands, close over hers. Water meets her fire until thereâs no more smoke, but steam. They are the most familiar hands in the world. Scarred and calloused; nimble, long fingers prone to playing a haughty tune on the pianoforte. Cool to the touch. Patient. They keep holding Adeleâs, hers sweaty and clammy.Â
Adele doesnât look up. Her chin dips to her chest as tears roll down her face, her nose.Â
Fingers catch her tearsâcool, calloused, familiar. âWhy do you cry, Fireheart?â
Adele sobs at the name. Exhausted, head splitting, she relinquishes to her motherâs embrace and nestles into the space between chin and breast. The safest place in the world, as if Mamaâs body had been carved to fit Adeleâs.Â
âBecause,â Adele hiccups, âIâm not perfect.â Another hitch of uneven breath, then, âAnd it makes me feel lost.â
Mama grips Adele, tight and warm. She smells like the embers of a homeâs hearth, like jasmine and wind. Adele presses her nose to her motherâs skin, clinging to the comfort.Â
When Mama pulls away just slightly, just enough so that their eyes meet, Adele looks away. Mama has none of it. Her palm cups Adeleâs cheek, bringing them face to face. Turquoise and gold meet pine green. Soft meets sorrow. Mother sees daughter.Â
âPerfect,â Mamaâs warm, fiery tone says, âcan go to rutting hell.âÂ
A knowing gleam shines in Mamaâs eyes, perking the corner of mouth. Adele laughs nervously, but Mama laughs with her, hands still holding Adeleâs flaming face from the crying. And the magic.Â
Mamaâs finger tilts Adeleâs chin up again, and this time Adele really looks at her. She wonders if she looks like her, or if Adele takes more after her father. Her cousins tease her that sheâs too serious. A courtier from Mellisande had once pinched her cheeks and told her to smile more. Has anyone ever dared pinch the cheeks of Aelin Ashryver Galathynius? Adele holds the ends of her motherâs long, gold hair in a fist and wonders if sheâll wear that queenly, beautiful face one day. If sheâll carry grace and mischief as well as Aelin of the Wildfire. Adele knows the storiesâwell, just some. Just the ones from the shelves she could reach. Which, Adele knows, are the least interesting shelves in the Library of Orynth. Sheâll have to start climbing to the higher, dustier shelves where the real stories are waiting for her. Thereâs a book up high that has Mamaâs name on the spine. It ripples with red and gold and blue, as if a living flame wraps the pages. Another book beside it, The Walking Dead, doesnât sound nearly as interesting as the one about her own mother.Â
Mama raises her brows slightly and looks down her lashes at Adeleâa look she knows means to listen, and listen good. Sheâs the prettiest lady in the whole wide world.Â
âIf I cared about being perfect,â Mama says softly, and a moment passes where her eyes cloud, as if sheâd gone very far away. Adele doesnât know what to call that look, that distance in her motherâs eyes, but she feels it. âI wouldnât be me. And I,â her mother quirks a conspiratorâs brow at Adele, the light in her eyes shining once more, âam rutting wonderful.â
Adele laughs again.Â
Her mother leans down to wiggle their noses together. âYou are wonderful, my girl. No matter what you do, to whatever end, I will be the voice that never lets you forget it. I want nothing from you, Fireheart, other than to be completely yourself.â
âWhat if Iâm not like you?âÂ
Mama props Adele onto her feet so that she stands. Mama kneels before her, and Adele wonders if anyone in the world has ever seen Aelin on her knees. Adele knows sheâs just a child, that there are things she doesnât know, but she cannot imagine itâher mother, the strongest, most powerful person to ever exist, who Adele worships like a godâon her knees. But, Mama does kneel. Now, before Adele. Though she only meets the top of her motherâs head, Adele wonders if sheâll ever stand as tall as her.Â
âThen Iâll be glad for it.â Mamaâs eyes flash and she almost looks like an animal from Oakwald with the intensity seeping through her, like fire taken skin. âBe yourself. Let yourself discover who that is. You do not belong in my shadow, Fireheart. You are the torch I carry.âÂ
Mama catches a rogue tear, and something ripples across the surface of her face. Adele has only ever seen her mother cry at the birth of her brothers and baby sister, but she almost does now. Her eyes, the same as Grandmother Evalin and Arrynâs, mist.Â
âI was your age whenâŠâ Mama trails off, distant again, lost in thought as her gaze roams every inch of Adele, as if memorizing her, as if remembering something.Â
A breeze passes through the study though no windows are open. It smells like winter and Yulemas, and Adele instantly perks. She feels joy in her chest, a spark of belonging and home. Mamaâs eyes flutter in that same joy Adele must be feeling.Â
Mama continues, having found the strength she needs, and says, âI was your age when a lot of people made me feel like I was wretched and horrible. The world hated me for a long, long time.â Mama smirks. âSomeone always will.â
Adele balks at the idea of anyone even remotely disliking her mother, but Mama nods as if to say itâs the truth. âLet no one ever, ever make you feel that way. Not even me. No, youâre not perfect. You are my daughter.â Mama combs her fingers through Adeleâs hair. âWhich means, youâre bound to be misunderstood, to make mistakes. You are my daughter, which means, youâre bound to always get up again.âÂ
They lean their brows together, and Mama whispers, just for Adele, âYou are the greatest thing that ever happened to me.â Then, louder, âAnd you can tell your nosy, nursemaid father I said that.âÂ
A deep chuckle sounds from the far ends of the study. Another winter wind that reminds Adele of all her favorite memories drifts to them. It combs through her hair, and Adele can feel Papaâs phantom hands, bigger than her head, bigger than any problem or tear.
Mama squeaks, jolting as if something had pinched her, and laughs as she throws a glare towards where Papa still lingers in the dark somewhere.Â
Before they get up to join him, her mother pulls her into one more tight embrace. Her arms are solid and muscled, and they hold Adele like precious jewels.Â
Mama whispers, âWe carry a heavy name. Bear it however the rutt you want.â She leans back, eyes shining. âNow, letâs discuss your copious use of curse words.âÂ
Adele shrieks, running away.Â
#lil one shot I had stuck in my head#mom!aelin#sneaky taylor Swift lyrics if you squint#throne of glass#throne of glass fic#aelin galathynius#aelin ashryver galathynius#rowaelin#rowaelin babies#heirs of terrasen#tog#tog fic#next gen tog#next gen throne of glass
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I believe that finding The Assassins Blade and Call Your Mom by Noah Kahan around the same time was the universeâs personal âfuck youâ to me.
#I just think the song is Celaena talking to Sam and Iâm never going to recover#If you could see yourself like this you wouldâve never tried it OH MY GOD#what if this was my last straw#throne of glass#throne of glass series#the assassin's blade#sam cortland#celaena sardothien#aelin galathynius#sarah j maas#noah kahan#call your mom
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Not Again - Part Thirteen
Summary: With Y/n reunited with her family, her and Az must face their inevitable fate, the exact reason Azriel hid the mating bond in the first place, their ending.
Warnings: ANGST!!!!! Light smut, and more angst
Series Masterlist
-Part Thirteen-
With a sword pressed to his back, dangerously close to his wings, he really should have listened. Azriel did the opposite, holding Y/n tighter to his chest, the words not quite registering, only the immediate danger to him, to his mate. Shadows swarmed around them, ready to defend, to kill.
âGods,â Y/n groans, harshly pulling away, glaring over his shoulder, âCould you not?â
Azriel didnât let her go far, instinct screaming to protect her from whatever dangers were behind him. His hand firmly holds hers as he turns to look over his shoulder, finding that sword still leveled at him, and a large fae male behind it. If Azriel wasnât so concerned with protecting his mate, heâd be more than a little nervous of the foreboding male.
White hair, braided back from his face, sprawling tattoos going down one side, continuing to his neck, and onto the arm holding his weapon, in a language Azriel couldnât read. The male was large, he could put even Cassian to shame in sheer size, daggers strapped to every part of his body, clad in fighting leathers. His green eyes were narrowed, lethal focus on Azriel, on the hand holding Y/nâs. Azriel almost snarled that attention, Y/n beat him to it.
Teeth bared at the male, she growls, âPut your sword down.â
Azrielâs shadows were frantically swirling around and around, trying to hide her from the maleâs view. She hisses at them, and as if they answered to her, they backed off.
âIâll kill him,â the male replies coldly, voice like the harshest winter.
âNow is not the time for you to go over protective dad mode,â she snaps at the male, âPut the sword down.â
And just like, the words finally register in Azrielâs mind. Take your hands off my daughter. Mother spare him, this was Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius, one of the most powerful fae males in her world, her father, here, in his home, speaking his language.
That revelation left him reeling. Theyâd opened a gate, sheâd reunited with her family, and she was still here. Still with him.
âThreatening lover boy without me?â
He didnât need to be told who the female was, Y/n had inherited the very cadence of her voice, that confidence, that soft, swirling accent. Queen Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius, gods killer, his mateâs mother. From the stories sheâd told him of both her parents, he wasnât sure which one to be more terrified of. Perhaps the father who had just caught him thoroughly kissing his daughter.
âMom please,â Y/n sighs, âHe just woke up from almost dying. He doesnât need you two threatening his life.â
âHe seems fine,â the golden queen shrugs, turquoise eyes examining him intently, âFine enough to be pawing after you like a dog.â
âGods spare me,â Y/n groans beside him, resigned to whatever was about to happen.
Aelin stalks closer, Azriel felt like he was being hunted, maybe he should be more concerned about her. She moves with grace, surpassing that of usual fae stillness, an assassin, a warrior, a queen. Thereâs a brilliant blade in her hands, an ancient presence, something made like his dagger, like Gwydion. It has an intricate golden hilt, a large ruby set into the pommel, when she raises the sword, level with Azrielâs throat, golden flames coat the blade, hot enough to bring sweat to his brow in seconds.
Y/n hisses, shoving herself between Azriel and that sword of fire. Despite knowing that she was essentially fire proof, and that her mother would never willingly harm her, Azriel wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her to his chest, shadows tightening around them, ready to shield them.
Aelinâs eyes sparkle with amusement, practically twinkling in the light of her flames, âDonât get all huffy, I only want to offer him some advice.â
âIs Goldryn necessary for that?â Y/n snaps, gripping onto Azrielâs arm.
Aelin ignores her daughter, looking directly into Azrielâs eyes, âI know what you did for her, all of it, the weight you shouldered alone.â
Azriel doesnât miss the flash of emotion in Rowanâs face, that look of old pain. It echoes in Aelinâs, tinged with guilt. There was a story there, and it wasnât a happy one.
âI know you took that arrow for her gladly,â the queen continues, âThat you would do it again, my advice is simple, dying for her is easy, getting yourself killed in some heroic need to protect her, is easy, but in the end sheâs the one who truly gets hurt, having to watch you die, having to live with that hole in her chest where you used to be.
âLive for her, fight for her, and know, that if you ever hurt her.â The fire on that ancient powerful blade burns brighter, hotter. âIf she doesnât do it for me first, I will kill you, and I know a thousand ways to do it, each more painful than the last.â
Azriel simply nods once, holding Y/n to him, she didnât need to warn him, he would sooner die on his own blade than hurt the female in his arms. Aelin, seemingly satisfied, lowers that flaming sword, Rowan stepping to her side, that harsh glare, cold, promising a slow painful death, Aelin smiles warmly at her mate, a vicious gleam in her eye.
They made a menacing image, Azriel remembers teasing Y/n when sheâd first arrived, of how it must have been to bring partners home, he understood why some ran screaming. He prayed they hadnât brought the Witch Queen with them.
âAs much as I love Azriel getting threatened by the in-laws.â Rhys casually strolls around the corner, hands in his pockets, âWould you all care for breakfast?â
Azriel gave his brother a scathing glare, opening his mind, you couldnât have come to my rescue sooner?
Youâre the one who shoved your tongue down their daughterâs throat, where we could all hear you might I add, Rhys grins, gesturing to the dining room behind him, âShall we.â
Y/n had nervously placed herself between her mate and her parents, her mother by her side, unbelievably grateful for Cassian who had taken up the empty seat on Azrielâs right, Nesta beside him, taking up the rest of their side of the table.
There were to many glaring sets of eyes on Azriel to count, to his credit, he didnât back down from any of them, that calm mask firmly in place as he met every single one.
âWell this is just wonderful isnât it?â Rhys grins from ear to ear, fighting back a laugh when Feyre smacks his arm. âWeâve been getting acquainted with your new extended family, Az.â
Across from her sat her uncles, all glaring and sizing up Azriel like they were ready to leap across the table and tear him to shreds, all but Fenrys who was grinning just as devilishly as Rhys.
âYou disappear for nearly two months and come back with a guy with wings,â he laughs, it seems almost threatening, âAt least heâs pretty.â
âDebatable,â her father says quietly, stabing his fork into a poor unsuspecting strawberry on his plate.
Beside Fenrys, Lorcan looks almost as murderous as her father, glaring past her at her mate. Y/n doesnât miss the way Cassian sizes her uncle up from Azrielâs side. Even sitting, Lorcan towers over everyone around him.
Aedion sat to his right, the wolf practically snarling. He might have been one of the most protective of her uncles, heâd had more than his fair share of scaring off her past partnerâs. Lysandra beside him eyes narrowed as if sheâd shift into an actual wolf, together theyâd had boys screaming as they ran from her home.
âHands off,â Y/n halfheartedly snaps at Fenrys, fighting to break some tension, âHeâs mine.â
She can feel a ripple of satisfaction from Azriel. Again, Y/n sends the word down that bridge, mine. He entwines his hand with hers, squeezing once in response, mine.
On Fenrysâs other side sat Chaol and Yrene, Dorian at her side, they were the only ones not seemingly premeditating murder, but her uncle Dorian was a master of hiding his true thoughts. He could easily smile at someones face, and send a shard of ice into their back. Y/n thanked any god or mystical force, the mother, the cauldron, the Wyrd, that Manon was not with him.
The witch would never admit it, had only let Y/n call her aunt once in her life, but she was sure Manon had hunted down one of her poor exes. There was no tears shed when the male had wound up missing.
Beside Dorian sat Rhys, separate she wouldnât have necessarily made the connection, but side by side, they look eerily similar. Raven black hair, sharp jawlines, the only major difference was the eyes, blue to violet.
âI recognize you,â her mother says from her side, eyes trained on the Lord and Lady down the long table, âThis place.â
âIâd had a theory,â Rhys says, âWhen dear Y/n had described your journey through worlds.â
Y/n feels the dots connect, sheâs surprised she hadnât done it before. Her mother had told her of the world of stars sheâd fallen through, the male whoâd slowed her down enough so that she could go home. The wings, the heavily pregnant female, the night kissed power that had slammed into her.
âYouâre the one who slowed me down,â Aelin says, leaning back in her seat at the revelation, âThank you for that, if it wasnât for you, I might have never made it home.â
Her father takes her hand in his, pausing his glaring at Azriel long enough to nod his thanks to Rhys, turning back to her mother, the tell tale sign of a silent conversation passing between them.
âYou were that red star?â Nesta asks, leaning forward to peer around Cassian at Aelin, âBut that was only a few years ago. That happened many many years ago according to Y/n.â
âTime was strange when I was falling,â Aelin explains, âI fell through worlds, moving forward and backward in time and place. I fell into your future, twenty odd years seemingly.â
There was a brief pause as everyone takes in the information. Only a few years ago, her mother had been here, falling through the sky like a red falling star, Y/n hadnât even been born and yet she fell into this word only a few years later. It was hard to wrap her mind around.
Cassian seems to finally finish his thorough examination, breaking the silence that had fallen, âHow tall are you really?â
Lorcan simply gave the male a incredulous look, âTall.â
Cassian sighs, âWhy is there another one, weâve already got a tall dark broody with Az.â
Azriel glares at him, âReally?â
Y/n grins, chuckling under her breath as he gives her a near perfect match of her uncleâs look. His eyes light with amusement, lips twitching like he was fighting a grin.
Cassian leans his elbows one the table, with a feral grin, âI bet I could-â
âDonât make bets you canât win,â Lorcan interrupts.
âI could definitely win,â Cassian scoffs, crossing his arms over his broad chest, perhaps to look threatening.
âNo,â Lorcan says simply, âYou couldnât.â
âDonât mind him,â Aelin waves off Lorcan, âHeâs just grouchy because his wife had to stay home to watch over things.â
Lorcan turns his glare on Aelin, she only gives him a sweet smile. It instantly gets beneath his skin, his hands clenching into fist on the table. No matter the years theyâve spent as friends, Aelin never failed to annoy the male.
Azriel gently squeezes her hand, saying down that bond, the apple doesnât fall far from the tree, exact same infuriating smile.
Y/n simply gives him one of her own, turning to look at the room full of her family and his, who slowly open up into uneasy conversation.
Nesta looks half ready to corner Lysandra to wring her for shifting stories. Dorian and Rhys look like mirrors talking, Feyre, Chaol, and Yrene talking beside them, glancing between the two with similar expressions of confusion. Poor Lorcan was not getting away from Cassian, with the help of Fenrys and Aelin.
The only one still silent, still paying attention to their hands entwined between them, her father. Rowan glares intently at the connection between them, Y/n was half tempted to hide her hand below the table, Azriel wasnât having any of it. He held her firmly in place, scars fully on display, shadows gently twining over her wrist, caressing her skin in comfort. He held her fatherâs ice cold glare, met it with one of his own, the shadowsingerâs like the cold of darkness.
âHeâs had enough, buzzard,â Aelin says quietly, her mother putting herself into Rowanâs view, âSave some of the threatening for later, you can sit by the door, sharpening your sword when he can come to visit.â
âVisit?â Azriel asks, a brow raised at Y/n.
âI was hoping to have this conversation later,â she glares at her mother who simply shrugs.
âWhat do you mean?â Azriel holds her hand tightly, like he was coming to his own conclusions, none of them good.
Y/n didnât want this to happen now, for anyone else to be the one to tell him. She was still reeling from the pain of being told herself.
âWe waited for you to wake up,â Rowan says, an edge to his voice, âFor her sake.â
There were to many risks, to many long lost enemies that would be drawn. To go between worlds frequently, to open and close those gates to many times. Theyâd already opened so many, already tested their fate. So she had to make a choice, she had begged to wait for him before she made it.
âWait to do what?â
Y/n could feel his panic down the bond, and she hates the words as they come from her mouth, âTo go home.â
He knew it was coming, had known it from the moment Rhys told him she was his mate. It was the reason he didnât tell her, the reason heâd fallen apart so spectacularly. Despite everything, of course she would still go home, still leave him, she was a princess, she had a destiny, a crown, a kingdom, and he, he was nothing.
He was a bastard nobody of a long dead lord. In what world would this female, this princess, stoop so low to be with him, to give up her crown?
âAz.â
Gentle, oh so gentle, as if she spoke softly it would keep him from shattering.
âExcuse me.â
Azriel stood, ignoring the eyes from every angle, concerned gazes, glares, all of it. He walked away, he didnât break, didnât fall apart, didnât cry, didnât scream, he just left. Put distance between him and the knowledge that he found this beautiful female, his mate, and fate would rip her away from him just like that.
âAz,â her voice almost broke him, âHold on, stop for a second.â
He couldnât, if he stopped he was scared he wouldnât be able to hold himself up anymore, he would fall apart and he would never be able to put himself back together again.
âAz,â she pleads, running to catch up, âjust hold on.â
Shadows screaming in his ears, stop, listen to her, stop, donât let her go. He forces them away, forces his legs to keep moving, to find his room, to hide, hide, hide.
âDamnit, shadowsinger.â A hand wraps around his arm, nails digging into his skin to simply hold him in place, âWill you just listen to me.â
Azriel whirls around, and he does the one thing he could do without breaking completely, the only selfish thing heâd allow himself. He kisses her, putting every raging emotion he was feeling into his lips on hers, into his hands on either side of her face. She gasps and his tongue sweeps into her mouth, fighting, claiming, begging.
âStay.â
One word, whispered against her lips, one word, one selfish selfish word. Azriel would never ask for anything else, would never need anything else, as long as she stayed.
âAz, I-â
He couldnât do it, couldnât listen to her say no, because she would, and he didnât blame her for it, didnât hate her for it, he couldnât. He couldnât.
He pulls her to him, lips crashing in desperation and despair. She doesnât pull away, doesnât continue to say those words, doesnât break him. Azriel drops his hold on her face, reaching down to her thighs to lift her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist when her legs wrap around him. He carries her, blindly finding his way to his room several doors down, closing them into the space, lips never parting from hers, never allowing those words to come.
Azriel pulls away, only long enough to find the bed, to gently lay her down atop it, settling above her. Her hands caressing his face, brushing through his hair, dragging her nails over his shoulders and chest as they undress each other. He takes his time, ignoring the ticking clock in his head that counts down to the inevitable end.
Sheâs just as beautiful as the first time he saw her, soft skin beneath his palms as he holds her, admires her. Undoing each lace of her leathers, watching the way she writhes beneath him, listening to the whines and pleas.
âAz,â she gasps, âplease I-â
He tugs the material down, taking the small lace beneath with it until sheâs completely bare beneath him.
âBeautiful,â he whispers, not trusting his voice as the emotions rise in his throat, as words beg to be let out.
She can feel it, feel everything, the tears he bites back, her eyes fill with them, quiet silver tears that roll down her cheeks. Azriel takes her in his arms, kissing away the hurt as best he could, their naked chest pressed against each other. He could feel her shaking, Azriel wasnât sure if that was just him.
âAz,â she begs softly.
Azriel knew what she was pleading for, and he wouldnât deny her, wouldnât deny himself. They were both selfish, they both needed this, needed each other, even if it was the one and only time. They would take everything they could before it was taken from them.
He lays her down, softly kissing her cheeks, right over those tears, before sitting back, scarred hands undoing his own laces, quickly, desperately. Thereâs immense relief when he pulls the pants down his thighs, a strike of pure lust through him, from that bond, from her when she sees him standing naked before her.
âPlease,â she begs again, hooking her legs around him to pull him close.
The briefest touch has him gasping, and when she lifts her hips, pressing her center to him, he groans. Dropping down to capture her lips again, tasting her moans as he slowly guides himself into her. Slow, he would need to be so slow, sheâd been tight around just his fingers, he didnât want to hurt her, he wouldnât be able to live with himself if he did.
âIâm not going to break,â she whispers against him, âPlease, Az.â
Any control snaps when her voice wavers with the weight of her emotions, when she wraps her legs tightly around his waist and pulls, taking his breath away from him. Azriel had never felt anything like her, like their bodies along with their souls had been made for each other.
The sound she makes, the high breathy moan almost has him coming undone. He waits, letting her get used to the feeling, to the stretch, he kisses each of her cheeks, tasting the salt of her tears, and then he claims her lips, claims all of her, all that she can give, and he gives himself in return.
She writhes beneath him, silently begging him to move, he does, slowly dragging his length out, groaning against her lips, perfect, absolutely perfect. He rolls his hips, drawing sharp gasps from both of them, slow delicate movements to draw out their pleasure.
âAz, I-â She gasps as he hits that spot deep inside her. âI-â
Azriel felt the words she tried to say, felt the emotion mirroring his own, felt his heart heal and break at the same time.
âI love you, Princess,â he whispers against her lips, his pace quickening, âI love you, I will love you even with a million stars between us.â
She cries, arching into him, matching each of his strokes. Bodies, minds, hearts, and souls completely intertwined, everything she felt, so did he, every emotion, every stroke, everything. He felt the tightening band in her core, threatening to snap and send them both over the edge.
âI love you,â she gasps out the words, struggling to speak around the pleasure and the pain, âI love you.â
And when she canât speak it anymore, she chants it down that bond, I love you, I love you, I love you, my mate, those words are Azrielâs undoing. The band snaps, and both of them are thrown over the edge.
I love you too, Princess, he canât find his voice, My beautiful mate.
She clings to him, like sheâs terrified he will disappear at any moment, Azriel finds thatâs exactly why he holds her just as tightly, sitting back, lifting her into his lap with his arms around her waist to have her as close as he physically can. Her arms wrap around his neck, nails digging into his skin like she could anchor herself to him.
In all their time together, heâd never actually heard her cry, not until now, the smallest, most heartbreaking noise, a whimper of pain. He can only hold her tighter as that small sound turns to a sob.
âItâs not fair,â she cries, burying her face into his neck, âNone of this is fair. How could fate be so cruel, so gods damned cruel to gift me a mate, all the way across the stars, to bring me here, bring me you, just to rip us apart.â
Azriel wants to be strong, to just hold her, stay put together for her, but he canât. The tears he desperately wanted to hide, to hold back, flood his eyes. And all either of them can do is cry, and hold onto each other.
They gave them time, time to be together, to cry, to feel everything they could offer each other.
Y/n had cried until she had nothing left to give. Azriel holding her through it all, listening when sheâd finally gotten herself together to explain, to tell him what sheâd been told.
That there were gates opening to worlds that should be long gone, that the threat of enemies like the valg, enemies stirring in this world even, was enough to keep them from coming and going from each others worlds, that it wasnât forever, just long enough to find a solution, one they would work on in both worlds.
It was nearly nightfall by the time someone came knocking for them. Whoever was on the otherside waited patiently for them to dress, to have those last few moments together.
When Y/n finally had the courage to open the door, sheâd been met by her motherâs turquoise eyes filled with love and understanding. She didnât miss anything, the joined scents between them, the puffy red eyes, the hands that refused to let go.
âEveryone is waiting at the gate,â Aelin says gently, âWe figured you would want to say goodbye.â
Azriel is a silent figure behind her, his hand never letting go of her own shaking one. They walk down those familiar halls, the houseâs presence beside them, sad to see her go.
Y/n bows her head, a gesture of thanks to the first being in this world that had reached out a friendly hand and kept reaching despite her own protests.
Voices travel on a stray breeze, and Azrielâs hand shakes, that panic flowing like a river down the bridge of shadow between them. She never thought she would dread hearing her family.
âWeâll see each other again,â Dorianâs voice sounds, âWeâve had our best scholars looking into the gates while Y/n had been missing, weâll continue searching for a solution.â
âAs will we,â Feyre promises.
Y/n feels the tears welling up in her eyes again as they pass through the door way. Even in the large space, the sheer amount of bodies crowds the room. Her family, the one sheâd been born with, had been surrounded by her entire life, and the family she was slowly growing into. Even Amren had shown up, the small female offering her a solemn bow of her head.
The gate was already open, and through it she could see Orynth, the setting Sun lighting the sky in brilliant colors, bright oranges and pinks slowly fading to deep purples and blues. And there, starting to faintly glow in the sky, the bright flame between his antlers, the Lord of the North, shining down on her, welcoming her home.
There were many eyes on her as the tears began to fall down her cheeks. The only thing keeping her from collapsing completely was Azriel by her side, his arm coming to wrap around her waist.
Azriel leans down to whisper in her ear, âHe found you.â
She wasnât lost anymore.
Her family said their goodbyes to the Inner Court, slowly filing through that gate until only her and her parents remained. Rowan still glares at that arm around her waist, but he raises his hand to Azrielâs free one. They shake once, and Y/n knows that her father was not holding back his strength in that grip.
âTake care of her,â Rowan says, and thereâs a hard look in his eye, âI donât care what hell it would bring down on us. If you ever hurt her, know that I will hunt you down through gates and worlds and I will kill you.â
Confusion lights her eyes, Azrielâs too, âI would never dream of hurting her.â
âWhat is this?â Y/n asks, searching her parentâs faces for an answer.
Thereâs a broken look in her motherâs eyes as she says, âStay.â
Behind her, through that gate, her family stands united, sad smiles on their faces. It takes a moment for Y/n to understand, to grasp the words, the warning from her father, the gentle command from her mother.
âWhat? I- I donât,â she struggles to find the words.
She staggers forward on shaking legs, Azriel letting her go. Her mother grabs her hands, steadying Y/n, she felt like she would fall apart at anymoment.
Aelin smiles, holding tightly to Y/nâs hands, âStay, it wonât be forever, we will see you again.â
Her father stood beside them, a small heartbroken smile on his face. Y/n felt like the world was tipping beneath her feet.
âBut,â Y/n felt like her throat was closing around the words, âI want to go home, thatâs what Iâve been fighting for this whole time, to find my way home.â
And it was Rowan who said, looking over her shoulder, âYou are home.â
Y/n follows his gaze, finding Azriel, a shattered expression on his face as he nods at her father. Heâd made a promise to Rowan, and he would keep it.
âStay,â Aelin says again, one hand lifting to Y/nâs cheek, swiping at the tears streaming down her face, âLive, be happy, love fiercely with everything in your heart, and know, that no matter how far away you are, the stag will always be there to watch over you.â
Y/n looks at that constellation through the gate, saw that brilliant stag watching her, watching the sky above like he could see all the way to the world she stood on now.
âWe will always find you,â Rowan says, and she can hear the pain in her fatherâs voice, âI promise.â
âIâll miss you every moment,â Aelin says, drawing Y/n into her arms, âBut I will sleep peacefully knowing youâre here, safe, with him.â
She felt her legs give out, felt her fatherâs arms wrap around her and her mother as they all sank to the stone floors. Rowan held them all together, like he had always done. She felt like she was a child again, so small, so breakable, but with her family around her, she would always be safe.
âI love you both,â Y/n cries, âI will see you again.â
Aelin was the first to pull away, âWe will see you again, my Fireheart.â
Rowan held on a moment longer, kissing that invisible mark on her brow like heâd done since she was a child. When he rose, taking Aelinâs hand, he looked past Y/n, to her mate standing behind her, Rowan bows his head just barely, a thank you. And her parents turned, and walked through that gate.
Y/n could only watch and cry as her family waved their finally goodbyes, as that gate closed between them, as the Lord of the North smiled down on her one last time.
He stayed with her, well after that gate had closed, her family behind it. His own had left, giving her the privacy to grieve. Y/n simply knelt there, staring at that empty arch on the wall, silent tears still streaming down her face.
Azriel was a selfish male, the relief heâd felt when Aelin told her to stay had almost taken him to his knees. But when heâd seen the broken look in his mates eyes, felt her heart shatter beside his own, he felt the guilt eating him alive.
So he stayed with her, sat down beside her, not touching, but close enough that she could reach out whenever she was ready.
Hours passed, and finally she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. Azriel sighs at the contact, wrapping his arm around her to pull her closer. She finally looks away from that blank wall, only to bury her face in his chest.
Azriel holds her tighter, lifting a hand to her chin, tilting her face towards his. He searches her eyes, the tears are long gone but the redness remains, and in them he doesnât find the lost and broken pieces he expected, that he prepared himself to help put back together.
He tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear, resting his palm on her cheek. She leans into that touch, nuzzling into his palm.
âWhereâd you go, Princess?â
For a moment he doesnât think sheâll respond, she only stares up at him. And then sheâs capturing his lips with her own in a soft, gentle kiss. Azriel runs his thumb over her cheek, admiring the feeling of her lips against his own. Here, she was still here, with him, in his arms.
She pulls back, only just far enough, lips still brushing against his own as she says, âHome, Iâm finally home.â
Tag list-
@inloveallthetime , @microwaveallthedemons , @nayaniasworld , @thecraziestcrayon , @fightmedraco , @blackgirlmagicforever , @nikt-wazny-y , @fangirlloza010 , @thisiskaylin , @wolfgirl624 , @khaleesihavilliard , @fluffy-bnny , @mariahoedt , @durgenyx , @glitterypirateduck , @byyalady , @amberlynn98 , @ferrarisbitch , @a-cup-of-nightshade , @breella , @hnnybee0 , @superspideyparker , @that-one-little-soybean , @thebeautifulmysteriesoflife , @websterss , @sassybluebird , @fakesocialmediaa , @balsalmic-vinegar , @lees-chaotic-brain , @yashiw , @a-mexican-waffle , @thefairlyaveragegatsby , @tele86 , @emidpsandia , @nickishadow139 , @basicwhiterat , @namelesssreaderrr , @feyres-fireheart , @some-person-somewhere , @flowersinvegas , @sleepylunarwolf , @saltedcoffeescotch , @anxious-study , @joey-hoey , @acourtofdreamsandshadows , @julesofvolterra , @emryb , @lilac-sun21 , @krowiathemythologynerd
#azriel#rowaelin daughter#acotar#azriel x reader#acotar x reader#not again#rowaelin#a court of thorns and roses
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A Little Interruption
Pairing: Lorcan Salvaterre x Female Reader
Summary: Even the shadows know how to find the light of day.
Warning: Fluff
Word Count: 1239
Notes: I hope you enjoy this story by Lorcan. As always, let me know your comments, suggestions, everything is welcome as long as it is with the motivation to teach and with respect.
English is not my native language, so I apologize for any spelling or grammar issues.
Original story, I wrote it myself. Please do not copy or plagiarize my story.
I appreciate the comments, reblogs, and likes I receive.
Happy reading!
Master list
The cool breeze and afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows of Orynth's castle.
The grand hall was filled with serious conversations, military strategies, and tactical discussions.
Aelin sat at the end of the long wooden table, with her characteristic regal bearing. Next to her, Rowan remained silent, as always, vigilant and attentive. Gavriel, Aedion, Fenrys, and other members of the queenâs inner circle were in their designated seats at the table, discussing details of recent missions and alternate routes for upcoming journeys. The atmosphere was comfortable, almost familiar, despite the seriousness of the topic.
Lorcan remained in his usual spot, arms crossed, his expression tense as always. He was focused on the conversation until he heard a light knock at the door. He barely paid attention at first, thinking it was a servant. But when the door opened slightly, and a small head peeked in, he knew his peace had come to an end.
With light steps, his small daughter, with dark hair and bright eyes, entered the room, holding a little cookie in her hands. Her blue dress swayed around her as she ran towards Lorcan, completely oblivious to the seriousness of the environment.
âDaddy,â she said with her little voice, drawing the attention of everyone present, âI brought you a cookie.â
Lorcan sighed, but his expression softened the moment his eyes met his daughterâs. He stretched out his hand and took the cookie she offered with a shy smile.
âThank you, little one,â he murmured, whispering something only she could hear, as he patted her head.
âAww, how cute!â Fenrys teased, never missing the chance to enjoy the spectacle.
Aedion smirked, exchanging an amused glance with Rowan. Aelin, sitting across the table, hid a smile behind her fingers.
âDaddyâs busy now, sweetheart,â Lorcan said gently. âGo to your mom, alright?â
Rosella nodded eagerly and, with a giggle, left the room again. It wasnât long before the door opened once more, and the same little figure ran towards Lorcan again. This time, she held a slightly battered flower that she had plucked from one of the gardens.
âDaddy, this is for you.â
Lorcan blinked, and this time, a murmur of laughter rippled through the table. Fenrys couldnât contain a chuckle.
âA flower? Well, Lorcan, it seems youâve won over the ladies,â he said with a mocking grin.
Aelin let out a giggle, and Rowan gave her a knowing look. Lorcan, with his usual limited patience, carefully took the flower and placed it on the table.
âThank you, honey,â he said, almost resigned. âBut I need you to go to your mom now.â
Once again, the little girl left, but not five minutes passed before the door opened again, this time without even a knock. The little one burst in, a wide smile on her face and a folded handkerchief in her hands.
âDaddy, I found this. Is it yours?â
Lorcan dropped his head back, visibly testing his patience while the others struggled to contain their laughter. This time, even Gavriel, usually the most serious, couldnât help but smile at the childâs persistence.
âDaddy, itâs your handkerchief,â she said, as if it were the most important thing in the world.
Lorcan took the handkerchief and tucked it into his cloak, while the little one stood firmly beside him, not moving.
âThank you, my girl,â he said softly, before trying again: âNow, go to your mom.â
Before the little one could leave, the door opened once more. This time, it was Y/N who appeared at the doorway, a playful smile on her face.
âAm I interrupting something important?â she asked, her voice soft but clearly amused as she looked at Lorcan with a glint in her eyes. âIt seems someone canât be away from their father for long.â
The girl ran towards her mother, but before reaching her, she spun on her heels and ran back to hug Lorcanâs legs.
âI donât want to go!â she said firmly, clinging to her father as if her life depended on it.
Aelin, completely amused by the situation, decided to seize the moment.
âOh no, let her stay,â she said, grinning mischievously. âItâs adorable to see Lorcanâs softer side, isnât it, boys?â
Fenrys burst out laughing.
âI never thought Iâd see the day Lorcan Salvaterre would be tamed by a five-year-old girl,â Fenrys shot Lorcan a mocking grin. âYouâre completely done for, brother.â
Lorcan shot a murderous glare at Fenrys, though it was hard to intimidate anyone when a small child was clinging to his legs, insisting on staying with her âdaddy.â
âIf you keep talking, Fenrys,â Lorcan said in a low, threatening voice, âyouâre going to wish you hadnât when Iâm done with you on the training field.â
Fenrys leaned back, feigning fear as the others laughed.
âAnd here I thought Iâd seen everything,â Aedion added, leaning against the table as he looked at the little girl. âMaybe we should take her to the next battle. She clearly has power over you that none of us have.â
Y/N smiled as she watched the scene, crossing her arms with a satisfied expression. She knew Lorcan would never admit how much he had changed since their daughter came into their lives. He was still the relentless warrior everyone knew, but with them, with his family, he had found a kind of peace that no bloodiest battle could ever offer.
Rose, ignoring the buzz around her, leaned against her fatherâs knee and, with a sweetness that would melt the hardest heart, bent to kiss his cheek. Lorcan remained still for a moment, completely bewildered, while a slight blush crossed his face. The others could barely contain their amusement.
âNow,â the little one whispered, snuggling into Lorcanâs neck, and with a deep sigh, let exhaustion take over.
Lorcan glanced sideways at her, completely unable to stay impassive. As gently as possible, he shifted his daughter in his arms, settling her against his chest. The little girl sank against him, her breathing slow and calm, and Lorcan let out a soft sigh, resigned to the situation.
The momentary silence was broken by Fenrys, who leaned forward with a mischievous smile on his face.
âIf I werenât seeing it, Iâd never believe it,â he muttered, while the others exchanged amused glances.
Lorcan didnât respond. His attention was entirely focused on the small figure asleep in his arms, his demeanor now relaxed, with a softness he almost never showed. He leaned down, pressing his lips to his daughterâs forehead in a delicate kiss.
âLooks like youâre no longer the scariest person in the room, Lorcan,â Rowan teased, though his voice also held a note of admiration.
Lorcan simply rolled his eyes and threw a quick glance at her, who had now moved closer to him. She smiled, gently touching their daughterâs arm before leaning down to kiss Lorcanâs forehead.
âI think thatâs the sweetest thing Iâve ever seen,â Y/N whispered.
He returned her look, a glint of affection in his eyes.
âDonât get used to it,â he replied, though the slight smile on his face betrayed his words.
With the little Rosella soundly asleep on his chest and Y/Nâs warm presence by his side, Lorcan let the rest of the meeting continue around him, though he couldnât help but notice the knowing glances everyone was casting his way.
For the first time in his life, perhaps, he didnât mind.
*divider by @cafekitsune , thank you <33
A/N: I had baby fever these past few weeks so I made Lorcan a dad, I hope you enjoyed it. It's probably not necessary for a 5 year old to speak extremely well or maybe it is, I rarely hang out with kids so I'm not sure lol
I love you guys đ.
tags: @sidthedollface2 Sorry it took me so long and I hope you enjoyed it, kisses đ.
#lorcan salvaterre#lorcan x reader#lorcan#throne of glass#lord lorcan lochan#lorcan salvaterre x reader#lorcan imagine#lorcan x you#tog x reader#sarah j maas#sjmaas#oneshot#rowan x aelin#fenrys moonbeam#aedion ashryver
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Stage Kiss
Written for Throne of Glass Microfics
This accidentally ended up the size of two microfics but Iâm tagging you if youâll still have me @throneofglassmicrofics
Prompts: mainly indulge but I ended up using mayhem too
Warning: teenagers
Words: 1,9k đ«Ł
1st run
Today, at 3:30 p.m., Rowan would kiss Aelin Galathynius on the cheek.
Pathetically enough, this little knowledge was on the forefront of his mind all day. Not his classes, no. Just Aelinâs ivoryâoccasionally rosyâcheek.
âWhitethorn!â Fenrys shouted in the hallway several steps behind, forcing him to turn and stop so his friend could catch up. âLooking good,â Fen said, playfully slapping the back of his hand against Rowanâs bicep.
Rowan rolled his eyes. He thought that going to the gym every dayâplus taking supplements behind his momâs backâwould magically make him more confident. It didnât. The only difference was that he looked slightly less thin, so now Fenrys occasionally catcalls him and reacts to his IG stories with the flame emoji.
Even worse, Remelle Wiselheade was now hitting on him. His plan to get Aelinâs attention absolutely backfired.
As if he was a mind-reader, Fenrys said, âAnd how does it feel to be Aelinâs husband?â
Rowan blinked. âUhâŠâ
âI mean in the play!â Fenrys threw his head back and cackled, then urged them towards the school theater. âBro, youâreââ
âI obviously knew that!â Rowan said, defensive.
He was just taking theater classes because his mom thought itâd help him with the shyness. But Aelin? Aelin Galathynius could give Margot Robbie a good run for her moneyâin both talent and beauty.
If enduring his crush on her during classes wasnât enough, they were acting as husband and wife for this play.
And it required him to kiss her on the cheek.
He was glad that Mr. Emrys, their drama teacher, had a no-kids-kissing-on-stage policy. Rowan was half a lip virginâthat thing with Lyria didnât countâand while having an almost first kiss with Aelin wouldâve been great, he wasnât looking forward to a very public cardiovascular malfunction.
Once inside, he quickly found her by a wall with Nehemia. Aelin didnât see him at first, but he slowed his pace to look at her better, making Fenrysâwho was right behind himâtrip and take Rowan down with him. Not down, since both recovered before falling face-first on the floor, but the whole thing was loud enough that now he had Aelinâs attention. At the worst moment imaginable.
She smiled at him and sent a tiny wave, and by the poorly hidden smirk on Nehemiaâs faceâvery similar to Fenrysââshe mustâve figured out his crush on Aelin. She had to. Nehemia Ytger was one of the smartest people he knew, he just hoped sheâd keep her mouth shut for now.
Once everyone gathered around Mr. Emrys and he gave them directions for today, the first rehearsal for Hamlet began.
It passed like a blur until the scene arrived.
[Modified Act 1, Scene 2]
The court gathers. Claudius stands before the throneâsimple practice chairs, actuallyâwith Gertrude at his side. Hamlet watches from a distance, looking somber and disapproving.
Rowan didnât want to read too much into why he learned even the narration. He turned to his âcourtâ and said:
Though my dear brotherâs death is fresh in memory, we must also move forward.
Therefore, I have married my brotherâs widow, Gertrude, to strengthen Denmark and honor our kingdom.
Gently holding Aelinâs hand, Rowan swallowed and almost froze when it was time, but her encouraging smile propelled him further.
He mightâve just dipped in and out, but feeling her skin under his lips was the quickest yet longest second of his life.
His cheek kiss was followed by deafening silence. For a second Rowan thought heâd embarrassed himself somehow, until he found everyone staring at Fenrys, waiting for Hamlet.
His friend looked like a deer in the headlights.
âI forgot.â
âA little more than kin, and less than kind, Moonbeam.â Mr. Emrys took a calming breath. âLetâs do another run of this scene, shall we?â
2nd run
Therefore, I have married my brotherâs widow, Gertrude, to strengthen Denmark and honor our kingdom.
Rowan took Aelinâs hand again. Both experience and her open expression made him kiss her cheek more confidently this time, and he was calm enough to enjoy the moment.
The same awkward silence again.
âMr. E, I have ADHD,â Fenrys protested, though the twitch in the corners of his mouth betrayed the seriousness. âDonât you think itâs a bit fascist of you to make me learn all these lines in medieval?â
Itâs called âEarly Modern Common Tongueâ, Moonbeam. Youâll learn with practice.â Mr. Emrys settled back into his seat. âLetâs do another run.â
4th run
By now, Rowan was very well practiced in kissing Aelinâs cheek.
Because of the political nature of their charactersâ marriage, a greater actor would make Claudius give Gertrude a triumphant look rather than a fond one, but if Mr. Emrys wanted a great actor, he shouldâve thought twice before casting Rowan.
Therefore, I have married my brotherâs widow, Gertrude, to strengthen Denmark and honor our kingdom.
As practiced, he reverently took Aelinâs hand and leaned in for the cheek kiss.
But she turned her head. The spot on her cheek that he focused on became a blur, and before he could grasp the situation, he felt the softness of her lips in his.
An awkward miscalculation on her part.
Or was it?
The way Rowan jerked back in surprise made their peck quicker than the other kisses.
âWhitethorn!â Mr. Emrys called, one finger pointed at him. âThat was supposed to be on the cheek, mister.â
He froze, glancing wide-eyed between the teacher and Aelinâs mischievous look. He could protest and clarify that she was the one to incite the kiss, but that would just be loserâworse, virginâbehavior.
Rowan may be both, but he sure wasnât acting like it.
With the snickers that came from the students, their teacherâs stance relaxed. He slowly shook his head and muttered, âTeenagers,â as a chuckle escaped him.
5th run
Rowan was determined to return Aelinâs peck, which meant that now stakes were higher. This time, he was even more nervous than before the rehearsal started.
She is cute. Rowan really likes her. And she kissed him first.
And this self-pep talk was shit at calming him down.
Therefore, I have married my brotherâs widow, Gertrude, to strengthen Denmark and honor our kingdom.
Instead of holding her hand, Rowan held her jaw instead. By their silent exchange, she had an inkling of what was coming, and her expression seemed welcoming. A quick brush of his thumb as another warning, and he leaned in.
Pillowy soft lips briefly against his was a brief shoot to the skies and back.
It was quick. It was glorious. The sweet, sticky feel of her lipgloss was the best thing heâd ever tasted.
âA little more than kind, andââ
âGods, Fenrys, itâs kin!â Nehemia shouted from the sidelines, distracting the teacher enough to forget about the kiss.
After this, Mr. Emrys stopped complainingâhe had bigger battles to fight.
7th run
After their third kissâplus four on the cheekâRowan began to wonder if it was too soon for a âWhat are we?â conversation.
Maybe he should ask her out.
Scratch that, he was absolutely asking her out. If he got rejected, life would go onâafter he changed schools.
Therefore, I have married my brotherâs widow, Gertrude, to strengthen Denmark and honor our kingdom.
Rowan stroke her cheek with his thumb and leaned in once again for their peck, but once he did, Aelin threaded her fingers through his hair and kept him there, tilted her head. She waited a second for his response, then retreated once it didnât come.
Shit. Was thisâ
With hawk-like speed, Rowan grasped her face with both hands before she could draw back and⊠well, it was too much of a whirlwind inside his head to make sense of what was going on. All he knew was exploring tongues and her hands on his neck and his heart that threatened to leap out of his throat to interrupt the kiss.
He couldnât believe he was kissing Aelin Galathynius, and she felt so soft. Soft lips, soft skin, a soft sigh that he felt in areas heâd rather forget to not embarrass himself.
âA little more than kin, andâHOLY SHITâ
The absolute silence turned into mayhem once Fenrys abruptly addressed what was going on. Once he did, the students howled and whistled at them.
However, the only reaction he cared about was Aelinâs, who stared at him with flushed cheeks and wide turquoise eyes that sparkled with something he couldnât quite place. She giggled and hid it behind her hand, and the sight of her nervous excitement brought a funny feeling to his stomach.
âOkay, thatâs enough,â their teacher said to interrupt everyoneâs shouts and cheers. âMoonbeam, youâll arrive with your lines fully memorized next timeâthis is not a request. Everyoneâs dismissed except for Whitethorn and Galathynius.â
The mood immediately sobered as students grabbed their things between whispers. It didnât affect him like people thought it would, though. Rowan had just kissed Aelinâwith tongue. Mr. Emrys could put him in detention âtil eternity, he didnât give a fuck.
They got ready to leave along with everyone else, but gathered around the chair their teacher was still on once the theater was empty.
A twitch of Mr. Emryâs lips into a firm line told them he was trying to get into âstern teacherâ mode. Heâs not really the authoritative type, but they broke the rules, and it was in the job description that he plays a role for disciplineâs sake.
âIn the script, it says âkiss on the cheekâ, and I need my actors to do exactly as scripted, okay?â
Rowan and Aelin both muttered their agreements.
âGreat. If thatââ Mr. Emrys pointed at the spot their kiss happened. âhappens again, Iâll have to take measures all three of us wonât like.â
âWe understand.â
âGreat.â He said in an upbeat mode, without his âstern teacherâ frown, switching back to ânice teacherâ mode. âGlad thatâs settled. You can go now, but I want you in your best behavior from now on.â
The thing about Mr. Emrys is that heâs a really cool dude. He rarely gets angry at his students, most times itâs an odd sort of fond exasperation. It worked on their favor this time, but Rowan wouldnât take it for granted.
Outside, Aelin stopped once the door was closed. So did he. The playful flirtation they had during rehearsal was gone, and Rowan was unsure on how to make a move in this awkward silence.
It was now or never, though.
Aelin chuckled and went her way down the hall, which he followed beside her.
âSo, that happened.â
He gave her a brief, close-lipped smile. âI was thinkingâŠâ
âYeah?â She swiftly looked up at him, eyes wide.
âDoyouwannagooutsometime?â
Rowan hoped the blood rushing into his cheeks wasnât visible from outer space.
Aelin had both hands gripping the shoulder straps of her backpack as she fought the corners of her lips from quirking up.
âSure,â she said. âDo you have something in mind? Because thereâs this movie I really wanna watchââ
âWe can watch it.â
Aelin bit her bottom lip, eyes brimming with amusement. âI havenât told you which movie it is yet.â
He tilted his head, silently urging her to give the information.
Please, anything but that gorey demon one he saw last weekend.
âDo you wanna go see Healers vs. Demons?â
âSounds great,â Rowan half-lied.
Any movie sounded great if it was on his first date with Aelin.
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We're Really Doing This
Rowaelin Month 2024, Day 28: Eloping @rowaelinscourt
Word count: 1.6k
Warnings: some swearing, innuendo
A/N: âšhappy birthday to meâš here have a fun little elopement fic!! enjoy!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
âAnd do you, Aelin Galathynius, take this man as your lawfully wedded husband?âÂ
Aelin looked at Rowan, grasping his hands. âAre we really doing this?â she whispered, her breath hitching.Â
He grinned at her, eyes bright. âWeâre really doing this.âÂ
The officiant cleared his throat politely, and Aelin snapped her attention back to the ceremony. With a smile bright enough to shame the sun, she met Rowanâs gaze. âI do.âÂ
~
Three Hours Earlier
âSo, to clarify, youâre actively trying to give your entire family and his entire family a massive heart attack?âÂ
âThatâs exactly what weâre going for.â Aelin smirked at her best friend. âAre you in, maid of honor?âÂ
âHell yes!â Lysandra kicked her feet giddily. âWe need to go find you a dress like, now!âÂ
Aelin laughed. âOne step at a time, Lys.âÂ
âBullshit.â The brunette leapt to her feet and caught Aelinâs hand. âI wasnât expecting this at all, since you and your mom have been planning a big-ass wedding ever since you and Ro got engaged, but you go, girlie. And if itâs your wedding day, you need a dress. Now.âÂ
âWhat if I told you I already have a dress?â Aelin and Rowan had gotten engaged just over a year ago, and Lys was rightâpractically since the day Aelin came home with that emerald glittering on her left hand, Evalin Ashryver had been in full event-planning mode.Â
Lys stopped in her tracks. âYou do not.âÂ
âOh, I do.â Aelinâs grin turned wicked as she crossed the hotel room and opened the closet, revealing a garment bag that she unzipped. With a flourish, she pulled the dress out of the bag, and it unfurled in a spill of white silk.Â
âHoly fuck!â Lys stared at the sleeveless sheath dress, examining its beautiful tailoring and the slit running up one seam. âWhere did you get that?âÂ
âElls knows people.â Aelin shrugged. Elide Lochan, another of her close friends and one of her bridesmaids, worked as a modeling agent, and she was always picking up clothes from various designers that she gave to her friends. âI had a few alterations done, and here we go.â She hung the dress up and picked up a smaller, flat box. âAnd I have my momâs veil, so she canât be too mad at me for defying tradition.âÂ
Lys laughed at that. âI still stand by my heart attack statement.âÂ
âOh, you were a hundred percent right about that.â Aelin glanced over at her phone, where her notifications had been pinging for almost a whole minute. âLys, what the fuck? Did you text the groupchat?âÂ
âOf course I did!â Lys patted Aelinâs shoulder. âJust the one with you, me, Rowan, and Lorcan.âÂ
âThatâs marginally better.â Lorcan was Rowanâs best man, so the groupchat with just the four of them was where they handled most of the wedding details. Aelin looked at the string of texts. âWhy is Lorcan asking if we have a limo?âÂ
âWeâre in Vegas, baby!â Lys beamed. âWhy shouldnât you get a limo?âÂ
âBecause theyâre tourist traps, and before you say it, hell no. Weâre not getting married by Elvis.âÂ
Lys frowned. âWhat happened to your sense of adventure?âÂ
âRo and I already went and applied for a marriage license at the courthouse, and we have an appointment there later today.â Aelin flicked Lysâs shoulder. âWe arenât drunk enough to get married by some middle-aged man in a shitty Elvis suit.âÂ
âFair enough.â Lysandra rolled her shoulders. âAll right, lady, you better have brought all of your hair and makeup stuff, because so help me gods, youâll be the most glamorous bride in the courthouse.âÂ
âI wouldnât trust anyone else to do it.â Aelin grinned and opened up her makeup bag.Â
~
A good two hours later, she had her makeup done and her hair resting in rollers, lips held apart as the smudge-proof scarlet lipstick dried. Lysandra made her close her eyes as she sprayed her face with setting spray, and Aelin obediently sat and waited until Lys told her she could open her eyes and stand up. She looked at herself in the mirror, and she beamed.Â
âI love you, Lyssie.âÂ
âLove you too, Aelie.âÂ
Aelin wrinkled her nose. âUgh, why? Weâre not in college anymore.âÂ
Lys snickered. âYou said it first.âÂ
âOh, fine.â Aelin went over to the closet, dropped her robe, and let Lysandra help her into the dress, carefully sliding up the zipper in the back. She turned slowly, admiring the way the silk flowed over the lines of her figure, molded to her body. The slit climbed up her left leg, stopping at the middle of her thigh, and the heels sheâd brought paired perfectly with the sleek look of the dress.Â
Behind her, Lys sniffled as she pinned the veil into Aelinâs curls. âYouâre really a bride,â she murmured, and Aelin turned and flung her arms around her best friend.Â
âYouâre the best maid of honor,â Aelin murmured thickly.Â
Lys managed a smile. âOf course I am.â She blinked back the sheen of her tears. âLetâs go get you married.âÂ
She and Aelin went downstairs to the hotel lobby, and a car was waiting at the curb. They climbed into the back seat and went off to the courthouse, only a short drive from the hotel. As she hopped out of the car, Aelin looked across the limestone steps, a smile unfurling across her face when she saw Rowan and Lorcan standing shoulder to shoulder at the bottom of the stairs.Â
âHey there, handsome,â she hummed, touching his shoulder.Â
He turned, and wonder suffused his face as he gawked at her in her wedding dress. âHoly gods, Fireheart,â he finally managed to say. âYouâre so beautiful.âÂ
She blushed under her makeup. âThank you, love.â She swept a long look up and down his figure, appreciating the fit of his tux. âYou look stunning, too.âÂ
âLuckiest man in the world,â he murmured, holding out his hand. âReady?âÂ
âFor you? Yes.â She tucked her hand into his, and they walked up the courthouse steps together.Â
They checked in at the reception desk in the lobby, and an aide led them back to a small, unassuming courtroom. It looked like an office, just with a small version of a judgeâs bench in place of a desk. The placard on the desk read âJustice of the Peace,â meaning that the man behind the desk was officially authorized to perform weddings and other official duties. He greeted them and had Aelin and Rowan stand facing each other in front of the bench, with Lysandra and Lorcan a couple steps away as the witnesses. Hand in hand with Rowan, Aelin lost herself in his gaze as the officiant began the wedding ceremony.Â
~
âDo you, Rowan Whitethorn, take Aelin Galathynius as your lawfully wedded wife?âÂ
Rowanâs eyes were soft and filled with love. âI do.âÂ
âAnd do you, Aelin Galathynius, take Rowan Whitethorn as your lawfully wedded husband?âÂ
Aelin smiled. âI do.âÂ
They exchanged rings, Aelin sliding a steel-gray platinum band with an inlay of tiny rubies onto Rowanâs finger and Rowan slipping a gold band engraved with a subtle flame design onto Aelinâs finger, tucking it into place beside her engagement ring.Â
âWith the authority vested in me by the state of Nevada, I hereby declare you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride.âÂ
Rowan smoothly hooked an arm around Aelinâs waist and dipped her into a fervent kiss.Â
Behind them, Lysandra whooped, applauding vividly. Lorcan joined in, whistling lowly when Rowan finally pulled away and set Aelin upright on her feet. She was smiling brighter than heâd ever seen her smile, her joy warming his heart, and his smile matched hers.Â
âHi, husband,â she whispered.Â
He kissed her again. âHi, wife.âÂ
Aelin raised her and Rowanâs hands into the air like a winning boxer as they walked out of the courthouse and down the steps. They climbed into the car that was waiting for them, Lys and Lorcan following, and they drove off to the hotel, where the families were gathered for what they thought was going to be an engagement party. Aelinâs mother had repeatedly questioned her daughterâs desire to hold her party in Vegas, but she begrudgingly agreed when Aelin told her that was where the bachelor and bachelorette trips were going to be.Â
Lorcan and Lysandra went into the hotel event space first, giving Aelin and Rowan a few minutes to themselves. She and Lys had planned it out during the driveâthe best man and maid of honor would say some words of welcome, and when Aelin and Rowan were ready, theyâd walk in and be announced as Mr. and Mrs. to everyoneâs shock.Â
âReady?â Rowan asked, wrapping one arm low around Aelinâs hips.Â
She flicked a sultry glance up at him. âI might need a few more minutes.â Even in her heels, she still had to rise up to kiss him, and in a blur of hazy kisses, sheâd tugged him into the closest coat closet. It was empty except for some hangers, since nobody was wearing a jacket in Vegas, and he backed her swiftly against the shelves, his lips attached to her neck.Â
âLove you so much,â he murmured against her skin.Â
She wove her fingers into his hair. âLove you more, Ro.âÂ
A fist thudded against the door, shattering their little bubble. âBreak it up, you two,â Lorcan grumbled. âIâm not opening this door, but you might want to get your lovebird asses out here.âÂ
âJackass,â Rowan muttered.Â
Aelin snickered. âThank you, Lor darling.âÂ
âGods above.â Lorcan left, probably rolling his eyes.Â
âWe should go,â Aelin whispered, deftly tucking Rowanâs shirt back into place.Â
He raised a brow. âDo we have to?âÂ
âI want to show you off, husband.â She kissed the corner of his jaw. âPlease?âÂ
âAnything for you, love.â He laced his fingers with hers and led her down the hallway and through the double doors into the event space, where their family and friends were gathered.Â
Lysandra leaned into the microphone in her hand as the couple walked in. âMr. and Mrs. Whitethorn, everyone!â she whooped.Â
And the crowd went wild.
~~~
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#my writing#rowaelin month#rowaelinmonth2024#aelin galathynius#rowan whitethorn#rowan x aelin#rowaelin#rowaelin fanfic#rowaelin fanfiction#throne of glass#throne of glass fanfic#throne of glass au#rowaelin au#rowaelin vegas au
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tbh I hate hate hate that I have so much loathing for some of SJMs books bec it was the throne of glass series that got me through my mom dying. As annoying as SJM is with her books I was able to deeply relate to characters like Nesta and Aelin and Manon. To the incredibly angry characters who aren't perfect victims
and I think to an extent my beef with SJM doesnt... *completely* have to do with the characters themselves. It's the narrative *around* the characters. Especially Rhysand. I could tolerate him or even like him if he was ever put in his place or faced genuine, lasting backlash for his actions
The way Nestas book was written wasn't just messy, it *hurt* me. like. Nesta is arguably one of SJMs most complicated characters in all her books but she was done such a *painful* and *humiliating* disservice that only triggered me and made me *hate* this series because it just proved Rhysand will never be held accountable the way he should be. Nesta will just remain a punching bag for him and the other IC members because she is not and never will be a full member of their stupid little clique. she will always be judged and isn't allowed to just BE like Feyre was given the ability to be
There's something about the unblinking fearlessness of some of these characters that just has my heart but she! is! ruining!! her own damn books!!! by making certain characters unable to meet backlash!!!!!
at LEAST Aelin had repercussions for her secrecy and ended up a damn captive for Maeve. Rhys just gets put in the right over and over again
#a court of thorns and roses#acotar#sjm critical#anti rhysand#nesta archeron#aelin galathynius#manon blackbeak
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I Don't Want To Wait, seventy-four
rowaelin high school bff au masterlist
AN: Well, babes, this is it. The final effing chapter of IDWTW. When I started writing this, almost exactly four years ago (chapter 1 posted on may 29, 2020!), I had no idea what it would become. I thought it was going to be vv casual prompt-based high school pining vignettes, simply to rewrite my own version of Dawsonâs Creek â if youâve ever wondered why it was called IDWTW, thatâs why! It was a temp title that stuck! â but 375k+ words later⊠itâs become so much more. And that is because of YOU. Whether you have been here since 2020 or you joined along the way or you're finding this years after the face, I am infinitely grateful. I donât know that I would have been able to pull through the last few years without your kindness and enthusiasm for these two idiots (and their friends and fam). I have loved telling this story, but mostly, Iâm grateful that this journey introduced me to so many incredible humans and created a community of babes I will hold near and dear to my heart for literally ever (itâs true, I loved one of you so much that I drove across the country to meet her, and in a few short months she will be my WIFE!). This story brought so much good into my life, and I am hella proud to finally conclude it. From the incredible creators who made fanart, to the essays of comments on each chapter, to the back and forth of discussing consent, sexuality, and reproductive rights in my inbox, every gif, comment, reblog, message, ask, and interaction of any kind has been a joy. Thank you.
With all of that said, letâs wrap this mother up.
A soft glowing circle lit up the black beneath Aelinâs feet. Her stomach tightened as she rested on one leg and hitched to the side in a slow exhale. Her breath centered her as she pulled her pointed toes up her calf until it extended into a slow and steady develope. Just as she had barely met the apex of her legâs vertical reach, she exhaled again and twirled to the floor. The music cascaded over her as she continued to move, her muscles moving on autopilot into seamless choreography. She had beaten out several far more senior company members for this solo and had practiced it so many times that it lived within her, sure to remain there for the rest of time. Â With each of her graceful steps, the spotlight followed her and swathed her in its golden column, as if she were being beamed up into the sky above. With how much lift she got in her leaps, she felt like she was, too. Finally, the bass came in signaling the end of her solo and for the rest of the company to join her on stage, but even as the spot widened until it cast a bright haze across the floor, the floor remained empty.
Confused, she looked into the wings, but all she saw was blackness, not even the barely there violet glow of the stage managerâs lamp. She was grateful for her muscle memory, as her limbs continued their practiced movements as her brain whirled in confusion and panic. She was mid-twirl when the music came to an abrupt stop, and she had to put her entire energy into not tumbling over her own foot. When she finally regained her balance, she looked up and around in confusion. The audience, which sheâd thought was packed, was emptied out, only one solitary figure remained. Even barely lit and in silhouette, Aelin would recognize her motherâs haughty posture and signature bouffant. Her slow, delicate clap was a stark contrast to the thrumming pulse of Aelinâs heart pounding against her rib cage.
âMom?â she breathed, barely a whisper but it still echoed through the empty theater.
âA child bride,â Evalin replied with disgust.
Aelinâs brow shot up. âH-how did youâ?â
Evalin cut her off. âYou thought you could steal my wedding dress from my closet, and I wouldnât know about it?â
Aelin looked down in confusion, but sure enough, her recital clothes had transformed into the ivory strapless column sheath she used to admire as a small girl. Rhoe had kept their wedding photo in his bedroom long after Evalin left, only removing the photo when a young Aelin commented with a wistful sigh that sheâd never seen Rhoe smile the way he did in the black and white snapshot. The dress was stunning in its simplicity, all clean lines and structured satin.
Her hands pressed against the fabric, as if knowing this wasnât right, but unsure of the how or why. A soft tinkling laugh drifted across the room, and Aelinâs eyes darted to the noise, hopeful that someone had come to save her from this bizarre encounter and nearly collapsed in relief when Rowanâs shock of icy hair appeared in the doorway.
He looked as handsome as ever in his lacrosse jersey, a wide grin on his face and a giant trophy in his hands. Her smile matched his, realizing that he must have come here straight from his championship. Winning his championship.
âRowan!â she called out, but he didnât look up. Instead, he offered his free arm to the source of the tinkling laughter. A beautiful woman accepted his bicep and wrapped both her manicured hands around his forearm possessively. He leaned down and brushed his lips against the top of her head in a gesture so familiar that it physically hurt Aelin to watch. âRowan?â she called out again, this time much quieter.
Evalinâs cruel bark of laughter was the only response she received. âYou offered him everything, and it still wasnât enough. Youâll never leave this small town. You really are your fatherâs daughter.â
âNo,â Aelin told her mom emphatically. âNO!â
âYes,â she said simply.
âNO!â Aelin screamed again as unwitting tears streamed down her cheeks, hot under the persisting spotlight. âR-rowan!â she choked out, but he couldnât hear her, too enraptured by the woman in his arms, eyes â and ears, apparently â only for her. âRowan!â she sobbed. She went to leap off the stage, but she was caught mid-air, her back hitting something with such a force that it knocked the wind of her.
âAce?â Rowanâs voice was in her ear, his hand rubbing at her back as she gasped for air. She cracked her eyes open and sagged as she realized that she was safely wrapped in Rowanâs firm embrace. âWhoa, youâre okay.â His voice was a reassuring balm to her heart, which felt bloody and bruised.
âIâm okay,â she forced out, though it came out so shaky that Rowan pulled back to peer into her eyes. She wanted to avert her gaze, hopeful that he wouldnât be able to see the panic that was still coursing through her body, but the dark green of his irises calmed her, so she stared and focused and thought of things that reminded her of the deep shade of Rowanâs eyes. Emeralds. Yulemas garlands. The long row of lockers in their gym room. Grass and trees in the setting summer sun. The jade plant that Maeve claimed brought her good luck that sat on her kitchen counter. Moss. Green tea leaves. The fake snake heâd placed in her bed every prank week. That knocked her out of her tranquil stupor, and she couldnât help but frown at him.
âYeah, youâre okay,â he said, but continued to rub circles into the tense space between her shoulder blades. âDo you want to talk about it?â
Aelin shrugged. âIt was weird.â She paused for a long while, trying to think of how to tell him about it. âMy dance showcase went off the rails?â
Her admission had its intended effect. He squeezed her tightly and kissed the soft spot of skin behind her ear. âWell, thatâs silly, brain,â he said, letting his kisses trail up to the side of her temple. âYou already crushed your showcase.â
She grinned in response. It was true. She had crushed the showcase, and Rowan had been there just as sheâd dreamed in his jersey and trophy in hand. Theyâd gone into double overtime, and heâd barely made it to her opening solo. With seconds to spare, heâd slid into a seat in the front row, so sheâd be sure to see him cheering her on. But sheâd known it the whole time. She could feel his gaze on her as she twirled across the stage. The end of that performance had been, well⊠not the same as her brain had rewritten it. But, Rowan was right. Her brain was being silly.
âMaybe itâs just acting out because someone kept me up all night,â she said, loving the way that Rowanâs ears still turned pink.
âItâs not my fault,â Rowan said, but his blush said otherwise.
âSure itâs not,â she said with a lascivious smile.
To celebrate their final week of high school, Aelin and Rowan had planned a movie marathon on Maeveâs rooftop. It included a trifecta of essential graduation movies: Canât Hardly Wait, Booksmart, and Grease. But what she hadnât realized was that Rowan wouldnât be able to help himself from singing along. And he knew what his singing voice did to Aelinâs libido. She couldnât help herself. Somewhere in the middle of Greased Lightning, the movies were all but forgotten as the pair tangled themselves in each other.
Stretching his limbs to the sky, Rowan looked like a literal god. The early morning sun cast a glow across his stern brow and strong nose, making him look as chiseled as a marble statue.
âIf you keep that up, Iâm taking you right back to bed,â he said of her lusty gaze and hooded eyes. He poked her side, eliciting a loud squeal.
âWhatever,â she laughed. âItâs not like we have anywhere to be today.â
It was true. Today was the last Monday of the year. AKA, senior skip day. And sheâd purposefully not committed to joining anyoneâs plans, so she and Rowan could extend their marathon if they wanted to â she also had High School Musical 3, Sheâs All That, and Dazed & Confused lined up â or just laze around all day. But they had time. Considering where the sun was, it was still very, very early. She imagined Maeve would be in the midst of morning service and briefly considered heading downstairs to grab them some coffee and croissants, but instead she laid back onto the mattress and fluffed a pillow beneath her head. Rowan followed, nuzzling onto her chest. She stroked his hair, not wanting to separate herself from him with the tendrils of her dream still lingering in her consciousness.
âLast week of senior year,â he said. âIn three days weâll be high school graduates. How do you feel?â
âTerrified,â Aelin said, the word blurting out before she could filter it back. Damn that coffee-free brain.
She could feel Rowan tense slightly, but he let her early morning admission slide, and she was grateful for it. âMm, me too,â he agreed. âThe lacrosse boys signed up to do a car wash for community service day, and Iâm worried Iâm going to see things I canât unsee,â he said with a shudder.
Aelin couldnât help but snort. While today was a skip day, tomorrow was a service day. Each senior had to do some sort of community service in order to graduate. Ridiculous. Not like they hadnât all passed their classes already. She supposed the sentiment was nice, but as someone whoâd been volunteering with the hospital for the last two years, it felt a bit shallow. Unauthentic. Forced, if you will. And the athletic teams always used it as an excuse to strip down to their skivvies and wash horny housewivesâ cars for an exorbitant amount of money. At least it was better than the Boy Toy auction Lorcan had told them theyâd finally outlawed because of the gross raunch factor.
âJust tell them to use a sponge and that their junk isnât for rubbing against dirty cars,â Aelin advised. Rowan groaned loudly.
âGreat, now I can never close my eyes again,â he whined.
âAre the cheerleaders also doing the car wash?â Aelin asked, definitely not thinking about her dream at all. But Rowan was definitely not going to let that comment slide. His head popped up, and she found herself ensconced in his shadow as he peered down at her with an accusatory glare.
âI think a few of them are,â he said. âBut⊠you remember that Iâm about to marry you, right?â
âA lot of married people cheat, Rowan,â she said, pushing him off. She hadnât meant to be so pouty about it, but she couldnât get the image of his arms wrapped around that dream woman out of her mind.
Rowan looked rightfully hurt, the corners of his mouth turned down and his brow furrowed as he stared her down. âYou cannot be serious.â He knocked at her temple. âThis has gone beyond your brain being silly. We are so many years beyond this. Do you have amnesia?â He knocked again. âHelloooo, Aelin, are you in there? Have you been possessed by the ghost of your past self?â
âShut up,â she mumbled, pushing his hand away, but he persisted.
âNo,â he said, pulling his pants from last night on. He searched for his shirt briefly, but unable to find it, he simply turned toward Aelin in stoic silence, arms crossed over his bare chest and face looking discontent. âIâm not going to let you say shit like that, Ace. ThatâsâŠâ He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. To be fair, she was exasperating. âThatâs hurtful. To me. I know youâre scared about the future, but I thought we established that Iâm in this with you.â
Aelin scrambled to her feet. âWe did.â
âSoâŠ?â
He stood there, tapping his fingers against his bicep which was curled protectively around his torso still. Not letting her in. Waiting.
But she couldnât explain it to him. That lingering nagging feeling of insecurity and worry and failure. So instead, she apologized. It wasnât what he wanted, but it was good enough for now.
. . .
Instead of spending senior ditch day in bed, Aelin and Rowan joined their friends for a never ending picnic day in the park. Which wasnât exactly what Aelin had wanted, but she had a feeling that she needed to loosen the reins on her panic, lest she piss him off even more. She had a feeling that maybe sheâd loosened things too much, though, when she realized midway through her community service day that she hadnât heard from Rowan in hours. Sheâd been helping the hospice section of the hospital, which was designated for those who needed round the clock medical care. Their rooms varied from being fully decked out with medical equipment and monitors to the one she was in, which simply had a low bed, a tv, and a chair. Not a monitor in sight. Had she not known the woman needed constant care and surveillance each time she rose from her chair to go to the bathroom, she would have thought she was in someoneâs grandmotherâs house. As the woman made her tenth trip to the bathroom, Aelin took out her phone. Just to peek. There was no text from Rowan, btu there was one from Dorian. It was a link to a TikTok with the side eye emoji, and she clicked it quickly.
She watched as washboard abs and pecs were drenched with soapy suds as they washed dirt-ridden cars. She bit her lip as Rowan came into view, his muscles rippling as he reached across the hood, his biceps flexing and unflexing with each wipe.
âMmmmm,â Aelinâs elderly patient hummed appreciatively over her shoulder as she exited the bathroom and spotted the phone screen. She scrambled to put it back in her pocket, but her patient simply chuckled dryly as she snatched the phone into her wiry grasp. âA friend of yours?â she asked curiously, peering up from the screen where the video was replaying.
âBoyfriend,â Aelin admitted, her cheeks burning.
âLucky girl,â the woman giggled, her hazel eyes alight with joy as she handed the phone back to Aelin where it made its way back into her pocket quickly. âWhat are you doing spending your time here with an old fuddy-duddy like me?â Aelin was about to protest, but the woman continued. âWhatâs his name?â
âRowan,â she finally said as the woman wrapped herself in a thin blanket and tucked herself into her favorite upholstered rocking chair.
âRowan,â she repeated back. âThatâs a good name. A strong name. A reliable name.â
Aelin frowned. âReliable?â
âWell, isnât he?â
She nodded. âYes.â
âSturdy,â the woman continued. âIn more ways than one. I can tell.â
Aelin gasped, chastising the woman for her forwardness but she simply laughed it off.
âYouâre right,â she whispered, as if she were letting her in on a big secret.
âGo, get out of here,â the woman laughed.
âBut I still have two more hours?â Aelin said of her unsigned sheet of volunteer paper, but the woman simply shook her head and beckoned for Aelin to come closer.
âI appreciate your service,â she rasped, âBut I just want to nap, and itâd be a shame for you to watch me sleep for two hours. Youâll have the rest of your life to work,â she said signing and dating Aelinâs paper for two hours in the future. âYou can fuck around for a few hours.â
Aelin gasped again at the profanity, but smiled regardless.
âThanks,â she said, but the woman had already nodded off in her chair.
. . .
âDroooooool,â Lysandra laughed as she poked Aelinâs side and pulled her out of her skin-induced stupor.
âIââ
âWere staring?â Lys cackled, following Aelinâs eyeline to where Rowan was clad only in his old red lifeguard shorts. The backs of his thighs were exposed, the hem of the shorts riding up as he leaned down to clean the back bumper of a particularly dirty sedan. Unlike his teammates who were filming each other and tossing sponges back and forth, Rowan was focused on the task at hand, making sure that the car he was working on was well-cleaned. âI hate to interrupt your literal wet dream,â she continued, âBut, I wanted to invite you to a party.â
Aelin grabbed the paper from Lysandraâs hands and looked down at it.
âYouâre having a party?â Aelin asked, surprised by the idea of her sober friend having the graduation rager sheâd always wanted to throw.
âItâs gonna have booze,â Lys said, âBut⊠I will not be partaking.â She cleared her throat. âI know that this year is not at all what I imagined, but I finally feel like Iâm okay, and I would feel like shit if I didnât throw the graduation party of the century.â She flicked her brown curls over her shoulder. âJust because Iâm sober doesnât mean I canât party.â
âCertainly not,â Aelin agreed. She looked at her friend whoâd been through the wringer and spit out again and had come out seemingly unscathed and couldnât help but wonder⊠âHey, Lys?â she asked before her friend could move to the next person. Lysandra looked up, eyes curious. âDo your parents know youâre having this party?â
If Lysandra was surprised by the question, she didnât show it. Instead, she half shook her head and half shrugged. âNo.â
âShould I be worried about that?â she asked, but to that, Lys gave a hard head shake.
âNo.â
âBut you havenât reconciled with them?â Aelin didnât know why she was asking these questions, but at the same time, the answers seemed all too important.
âItâs hard to reconcile with someone who doesnât care,â Lysandra finally said. âBut, I will say that Iâve let it go.â She cleared her throat. âThe needing them to care.â She smiled then, a small curve but Aelin saw it regardless. âI wanted them to care for so long,â she admitted. âFor too long, probably. So I acted out. A lot. Willing them to pay attention, at the very least. But you canât will someone to care, even your parents,â she laughed softly. âAnd Iâve been through enough therapy now that Iâm starting to realize that as much as that hurts, itâs okay.â She paused. âI donât need them to care. Because I care enough for all of us. And I realized there are a lot of people out there who care, too.â She paused, looking at Aelin, as if trying to cut through the bullshit and tell Aelin exactly what she wanted to hear, and in that moment⊠she did. âDoes that make sense?â
Aelin nodded. âIt does.â
Lysandra tapped the paper in her hands. âImmediately after graduation, and weâll go all night. Bring your bathing suit,â she said.
âWill do,â Aelin laughed, but she couldnât help but let her mind wander to Lysandraâs words. Her friend had laid it out plainly for her. What sheâd been afraid to admit all along. That she maybe really seriously actually needed to go to therapy. The wounds her mom had imparted on her psyche ran deeper than she knew how to deal with. If her dream was any indication, her mom still controlled some part of her identity, and she needed to release that. Because that had nothing to do with who she was as a human. Not at all.
After the dream, she had thought that maybe she needed to call her mom and let her hear her thoughts, but Lys was right in her assessment: it was impossible to control someone elseâs feelings. Even your momâs. Yes, she wanted her mom to love her and want the best for her, but truly, her mom barely knew her. All Evalin knew was propriety and etiquette and history. She didnât know that her favorite color was green, like Rowanâs eyes. She didnât know that her favorite food was Maeveâs chocolate cake. She didnât know that she was thinking about a career in medicine and how much she loved helping people. And she certainly didnât know that Aelin wanted at least five kids and to make sure that every single one of them felt loved and adored by both their parents. No. She couldnât make Evalin care, or pay attention long enough to even try to care. And she had to let that go. It would take a lot of work, but she had to.
With that in mind, she called out Rowanâs name, followed by a whoop and a loud expletive. His answering blush and crooked finger, beckoning her to wrap herself in his half-naked embrace was all she needed to know that sheâd been forgiven. But she knew she had to explain anyway. He let his teammates know that he would be back in a minute and let Aelin pull him away from the long line of cars still waiting to be washed.
âIâm sorry,â she apologized, tilting her head upwards where he loomed over her. He softly kissed the top of her head, warming her even more than the mid-afternoon sun. âI could say I donât what came over me yesterday, but⊠thatâd be a lie,â Aelin continued.
He squeezed her side in response, not interrupting her but acknowledging that he was listening and waiting.
âDid you know that the morning of my sixteenth birthday I woke up and resolved that I would kiss you that year?â she asked, and he barked out a confused laugh.
âUm, what?â
âI was so determined to do it, too. And do you know why?â she asked as she let her hands trace small circles into the soft skin of his back.
âBecause you knew you wanted to be with me forever and ever and that weâre perfect together and meant to be and weâre each otherâs soul mates and other halves and one of us just needed to make a move?â
Aelin snorted loudly. âNo,â she laughed, screwing up her face. âNot at all.â
Rowanâs forehead wrinkled as his brow transformed into a deep furrow. Clearly her words werenât at all what he expected to hear. But, she knew she needed to get this out.
âWhen I thought about why I wanted to kiss you so badly, I realized that it was a test. If I kissed you and blew up our entire friendship, then Iâd be right about everything I thought about myself. That you could never love me as much as I loved you. And so obviously youâd leave. Because everyone leaves.â
Rowanâs grasp tightened around her waist, locking her against his chest. âBut Iâm still here.â
âYou are.â She paused, finally letting the words come to the surface. âI thinkâŠâ She shook her head. That wasnât the right start at all. âI know⊠that my mom deeply screwed me up.â She took another deep breath. âAnd watching you get recruited and this whole college limbo thing has made it so much worse. Because every day it feels like Iâm just waiting for you to get up and realize that youâve outgrown me. But you havenât done anything to make me feel like that at all. And so, Iâm really sorry. My issues are my own, and Iâm going to work on them.â
âThank you,â he said. âFor the apology, and for letting me know whatâs going on in there.â His fingers tucked under the hem of her shirt and matched the circles she was placing on his back. âIâll try and remember all of that when you inevitably freak out again, but I look forward to proving you wrong every day for the rest of our lives. Because Iâve said it a few hundred times before, but Iâll keep saying it until you believe it: youâre stuck with me. Forever.â
âForever,â she echoed back.
âWhitethorn,â a rough voice called out. âWe need you back!â
In his absence, the line of cars had somehow grown impossibly longer. âLooks like youâve got work to do,â she said, raising her brow.
âWill I see you later?â he asked, and Aelin couldnât help but scoff.
âOh, you thought I was leaving?â she laughed. âDonât be ridiculous. Iâm going to snag a prime spot for ogling and then maybe we can hop into the jeep when youâre finished.â
âReally?â he laughed. âEven smelling like sweat and sunscreen?â
âOhhhhh yes,â she said, practically drooling as he let her hands climb up the ridges of his defined abs. âThatâs even better.â
He responded with a deep kiss that set her body ablaze, tingling from head to toe, that was interrupted by more panicked calls from his teammates. After prying himself away, Aelin found a spot on a nearby bench, giving her the perfect view to fawn over half-naked and half-wet Rowan for the next few hours.
. . .
The next morning, Aelin was awoken much too early. She was pulled from her easy slumber with a dance remix of Pomp & Circumstance coming from her phone alarm. What the hell? As she slapped at the table next to her, attempting to turn off the too-loud music in vain, she felt her dadâs hand cover hers and lead it to the offending object.
âCongrats, graduate,â Rhoeâs warm voice lilted as he gently rubbed at her shoulder.
âDadddd,â she groaned as she attempted to put her pillow over her head. Now that that music was off she could go back to sleep. Or so she thought. She should have known better than to play tug of war with a man who could bench press and carry three times her weight. Rhoeâs soft laughter was a stark contrast to the forceful way he wrenched the pillow away. She managed to keep it within her grasp, but Rhoeâs strength kept it locked at a significant distance from her face. She tried to pull it closer, but Rhoe wasnât letting that happen. She guessed it was time to wake up, per Rhoeâs request.
Defeated, Aelin let her fingers drop from the pillow, and finally cracked an eye open. Behind her dadâs head was a swath of green and gold, and she focused she could see that nearly ever inch of the room had been filled with balloons.
âHappy last day of high school,â her dad said with a too-wide smile given the early hour. When she opened her other eye, his smile widened even further, showing off two deep dimples that she recognized from her own reflection.
âItâd be happier if I could sleep more,â Aelin grumbled, but it wasnât with any real mirth. Hung on the outside of her closet door, Rhoe had steamed her deep emerald graduation robe.
âI have one more day left with my high school student, and I plan on making every second count,â Rhoe said, causing Aelin to smile in reply.
âTyrant,â she laughed. But she was grateful.
After allowing her to get ready, the pair made their way to Maeveâs, where sheâd saved a two top for them by the window. Within seconds of sitting, a large hazelnut coffee and platter of stuffed French toast and bacon appeared in front of her. Yes, being in a small town was sometimes annoying â but no matter where she and Rowan went in the world, she knew a plate of Maeveâs home cooking would be waiting for her when she came back.
She and Rhoe enjoyed a lazy brunch, ordering second and third cups of coffee.
âFourth?â Rowan asked, coming around with the coffee pot.
âIf I have any more coffee Iâll be peeing every twenty minutes for the rest of the day,â she laughed, shoving him away. Though he hadnât been able to join them for their breakfast because he was helping train a new staff member for Maeve, heâd dropped a soft kiss on her cheek every time heâd passed by their table. Which. Was a perfect way to enjoy her day. Theyâd planned to have a celebratory brunch the four of them, since theyâd all be going to Lysandraâs (family inclusive!) graduation party following their graduation ceremony, but having it just be Rhoe and Aelin felt right, too. Â
âAs if you donât do that already,â Rhoe scoffed. âIâm half expecting you to hop off the graduation stage as soon as they hand you your degree to take a pee break.â
âDad!â she said, cheeks blooming with redness. Yes, she had brought up peeing first, but she couldnât believe her dad would talk about her like that in front of Rowan.
âPlease,â Rowan laughed. âAs if I donât know about your tiny bladder.â
âYouâre both the worst,â she grumbled. âCan we talk about something else besides my pee schedule?â
âYes, I wanted to ask what youâre wearing under your gown today,â he said before his brain caught up to what he said. âNot in a sexy way!â he said, blush raging as Rhoe raised a pointed brow in his direction. Itâd been a while since she saw Rowan look so flustered under Rhoeâs gaze, and she forgot how amusing it was. âSo we can coordinate,â he finally said. âFor photos.â
âNot in a sexy way,â Rhoe muttered to himself. Something akin to a wheeze came out of Rowanâs mouth as he tried to correct himself again, but Aelin thought it was time to put him out of his misery.
âYou can wear whatever you want,â she said. âBecause Iâll be wearing a white dress.â
Rowanâs widened eyes darted to Rhoe and then back to her, and she didnât miss the way his throat bobbed with a nervous gulp.
âA white dress?â he croaked.
âMhm,â she said. âSo anything you wear will go with it.â Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
âSpeaking of,â Rhoe said, clapping his hands loudly and breaking them from their joint reverie. âWe should head out so you can start getting ready.â
Aelin rolled her eyes, knowing that her dad was teasing her about how long it took her to get ready, but as she glanced at the time she realized he wasnât entirely wrong. They had been so caught up in their lengthy breakfast that it was now well after noon.
With a small kiss, she told Rowan sheâd see him out on the lacrosse field in a few hours. Unfortunately, Galathynius and Whitethorn were annoyingly far apart in their grade lineup, so she wouldnât see him for real until after the ceremony. But all he did was send her away with a smile and a kiss.
âCanât wait,â he said.
. . .
Of course they were graduating on the hottest day of the year. Though the weather forecast had predicted partly sunny skies and balmy breezes, instead they received a cloudless sky, still and relentlessly hot beneath the beatific sun. The thick polyester robe in dark emerald green created a tent of heat around her, and she could feel every inch of her skin beading with sweat beneath it. She hoped when she took off the gown she still looked somewhat presentable, otherwise her hours of preparation would be for naught.
True to her dadâs prediction, Aelin had taken a while to get ready, shaving her legs thoroughly and straightening each strand of her long blonde locks. Of course, beneath her cap and combined with the thick humidity, her hair was beginning to show its natural wavy texture again. And she had a feeling that as soon as her cap was off, sheâd be pulling her tresses into a giant pile on top of her head, pictures be damned. Luckily, sheâd sprayed her face with a few layers of setting spray so no matter how much she sweat, her winged eyeliner and flawless complexion werenât budging.
Beside her, Dorian swiped a bead of sweat that had fallen down his temple. Not even his mop of thick curls was enough to prevent the amounts of sweat from cascading down his cheeks and neck.
âIf this speaker doesnât hurry up, weâre going to boil alive,â he whispered as their graduation speaker drolled on. The man was supposed to be inspiring â he was an author turned executive, but his slow talking pace seemed to be getting slower with each word. Not only that, but each word seemed to be the same tone with no inflection, and Aelin was worried all of them were going to fall asleep before their names were called. Maybe sheâd be more inclined to listen to his words of wisdom if the hundreds of them werenât swimming in pools of their own sweat.
Somewhere in her musings, she heard a round of applause, signaling the end of the speech. Thank god.
The next speaker was their class valedictorian, slash Prom Queen. None other than Elide.
âOn behalf of the Seniors, Iâd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has been a part of our success,â she began. âThe last four years have been filled with bumps in the road, and it hasnât been easy. But our success is a direct result of everything youâve given us. Your care and belief in us and faith when we doubted ourselves have been integral in our quest for knowledge. That includes our teachers, who taught us not only school lessons but lessons in life. Our parents and families, who have been there since the beginning. And the families weâve created along the way.â She paused, searching for a face in the audience, smiling widely when she found her teal-haired girlfriend smiling back at her. âThe bond that links us isnât one of blood. Itâs forged in joy and tears and friendship and respect,â Elideâs eyes found Aelinâs at that moment, and she couldnât help but smile at her friend. âAnd no matter where this crazy life takes us beyond today, we will always take this place with us. Because home isnât just a place. Itâs a feeling, itâs a light in the darkness. Itâs hope. And so, to the Orynth High senior class, I say, as we forge new paths for ourselves, may we never forget home.â She cleared her throat and smiled widely. âLetâs hold onto the memories and camaraderie and picture-perfect moments, for they made us who we are. Congratulations⊠we did it!â
The whole class whooped and hollered and clapped wildly, none more so than Manon, who beamed up at her girlfriend from the front row.
And just like that, it was time.
Aelin held her breath as Principal Havillard took the podium and started calling out their names. Her heart raced as her row stood, waiting to take the stage. Her nerves were momentarily squashed as Manon made a lewd gesture with her tongue between her fingers after accepting her diploma. She watched as Lysandra proudly plucked the degree and held it over her head. She knew her friend hadnât been sure sheâd be able to graduate, and it was a relief to hear her name.
Before she could process anything else, she was walking up the stairs and hearing her name being called out. âAelin Ashryver Galathynius.â
She nearly tripped over her own feet at the chorus of shouting that came from the back of the chairs. She looked over at where Rhoe and Lorcan were shouting wildly and realized that they were accompanied by the entire fire squad. Aelinâs breath caught in her throat at the display of raucous hooting and hollering. These people who had known her since she was a child had come to cheer for her and see her graduate. She had not anticipated that at all. And she found herself completely overwhelmed.
Beside the squad, Maeve cheered, and on the other side of the chairs, down by the Wâs, Chaol and Rowan stood and shouted with hands on either side of their mouths. A thrill of love and support rushed through her. She couldnât believe how many people were here for her.
She grabbed the diploma from Principal Havillardâs hands and raised it into the air, causing the cheering to explode again. She stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes, making a silly face in the direction of her family.
Elideâs words rang in her ears. Her family. The squad, her dad, Lorcan, Maeve, her friends, and of course, Rowan. That vast group was more support than most people got in their lifetime. Sheâd never forget that.
She made her way back to her seat, laughing as Dorian flipped off his father and then booked it away from him, cackling wildly. Always a troublemaker, that one. And finally, after what seemed like forever, it was Rowanâs turn.
âRowan Eugene Whitethorn.â
Aelin shot up from her chair, screaming as loud as she could, and despite being many rows back, she could feel Rowanâs eyes lock with hers. His lopsided grin was just for her, and she felt a thrill of joy run up her spine at the look.
âI love you,â she mouthed to him, causing his grin to widen.
âAnd with that,â Principal Havillard concluded. âI give you the senior class. Congratulations, graduates!â
Aelin stood and joined in the cheering again, her voice starting to go hoarse with the efforts of her support. They did it.
. . .
âCongratulations, Fireheart,â Rhoe said, throwing his arms around Aelin. Despite the heat, she welcomed his embrace.
When he pulled back, she noticed a large bouquet of her favorite flowers in his hand. He held them out to her, the red and orange flowers flickering like a live fire beneath the late afternoon sun.
âThanks, Dad,â she said, suddenly feeling emotional.
âIâm so proud of you,â he said, and she could tell that despite his dry cheeks, heâd been crying. âAnd I love you so much.â
She hugged him again, pulling him tight and not letting go for a long while. After they parted, Aelin was passed around for hugs to the entire squad, each one of them telling her a story of something she did when she was a small girl hanging out at the station, imbuing her with joyful memories.
Then it was Maeveâs turn, who didnât hold back her tears at all. Fat blobs rolled down her face, and she didnât both to move them away, seeing as they were coming in a steady stream.
âOh, hon, Iâm so proud of you,â she said as she practically squeezed the life out of Aelin. She was grateful sheâd unzipped her graduation robe, otherwise she was sure she would have passed out from heat stroke by now.
âAnd what about me?â Rowan low voice interjected. Maeve burst into a fresh round of sobs as she pulled him close.
She blubbered into his shoulder about how proud she was of him, of both of them, of all their achievements and how grown up they were, and Aelin could feel her heart expanding. It felt like she was going to burst wide open.
By the time everyone had said their piece, the field had mostly emptied out. Aelin heard a soft ripple of groans as a few of the firefighters took out their pagers.
âFire?â Aelin asked as she peeled the sweaty gown from her shoulders.
Rhoe shook his head. âWorse. Graduation pranks abound, apparently.â
Aelin laughed, understanding that her dad was probably in for a long night of nonsense work.
âSo I shouldnât expect you at Lysandraâs?â
Rhoe shook his head. âYou donât want your old man crashing anyway.â He narrowed his eyes at her, as if he was blinking back more tears and sniffed loudly. âHave fun. You deserve it.â
âI will,â Aelin said, hugging her dad one more time. As he left her with a wave, she looked around for Rowan, who was standing just a few feet away, talking with Maeve. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin.
âHey, youâ he said, offering his arm out to her with a wide smile. She leaned into his side and took a deep breath, letting her happiness flow through her.
A flash went off in their face, and Aelin knew that whatever moment Maeve had just captured that sheâd be framing it.
âYou ready?â she asked, and his smile widened.
âYou headed to Lysandraâs?â Maeve asked, completely unaware of the real conversation happening between the two of them.
Rowan nodded. âDo you want to meet us there?â he asked Maeve, but she shook her head and waved them off. Apparently she had a big night of dinner service ahead of her, but she sent them off with a joint hug and another tearful smile.
And just like that, it was time.
. . .
 In the days, months, and years that followed, whenever Aelin was asked about her wedding, she would say that it went by so quickly that she couldnât remember it, and that was mostly true.
From the time the pair entered city hall to when they exited, a total of maybe ten minutes had passed. There was no aisle to walk down, no verbose exchanging of vows, no romantic readings or passages, but it was perfect nonetheless.
Aelin clasped her bouquet of kingsflames in one hand and Rowanâs hand in another, letting her skirt swish as she swayed back and forth. She had no idea what words the city official said. All she remembered was the brightness in Rowanâs eyes as they stared down at her and the way he kissed her when theyâd been pronounced husband and wife.
As they made their way back to his car, Aelin was giddy. They rolled the windows down, letting the cooler air whip through the jeep, a wild giggle bubbling up in her throat and fizzing like champagne with each second that passed. Delicious and lightheaded inducing.
They had done it. Theyâd actually gotten married.
She looked over at Rowan, who was already staring back at her, a soft dreamy smile on his face. She couldnât help but grin wider at him, laughing again as his smile pressed against hers. She loved when they kissed like this â a smashing of two smiles that wasnât quite a kiss at all.
The stress that theyâd felt over the last however many weeks, months, years, wasnât present at all in his posture. She glanced down at his hands poised on the steering wheel, his fingers curling around the black leather in a loose grasp and tapping along to some silent tune in his head. The late afternoon sun filtered through the window casting him in a glow that made him look like a bronzed god, and Aelin sighed happily. This man was all hers. Forever.
FOREVER.
Sheâd always known their lives would be intertwined, but to actually make it official was something else. The light turned green and the car lurched forward as he pressed on the gas and began driving again. But the adrenaline surging through her was too much. She couldnât just sit in this passenger seat, she needed to do something.
âPull over,â she said, eyes flashing at their surroundings.
âHuh?â Rowanâs head whipped toward hers, confused.
âPull over!â she said again, louder this time. Verging on panic. Â
Rowanâs relaxed posture immediately reversed, the thick corded muscles of his shoulders and neck tensing as he looked for a spot to pull over.
âThere!â she said, her pulse racing wildly.
Up ahead was the empty parking lot of the library. Though it was usually sparse there, there was not a car in sight, and Rowan wasted no time swerving into the lot and putting his hands on Aelinâs shoulders, examining her up and down.
âAre you okay?â he asked, green eyes taking in every detail of her body as if searching for a gaping wound or sudden injury.
âIâm perfect,â she replied. And she was. She was elated. Running on adrenaline and joy.
To calm her suddenly worried boyfriend â no, husband â down, she placed her hands on both his cheeks and kissed his mouth in a soft, sweet kiss.
âKeep the car running,â she said, picking up Rowanâs phone where it was plugged into the car and adding a song to his Spotify queue.
âWhat are you doing, Ace?â Rowan sighed, exasperated with her antics. Panic was nowhere to be seen anymore in his posture, only annoyance. Which only made her smile wider. As the first notes of the song came onto the stereo, she cranked up the volume and hopped out of the car. She smiled up at the sky, swaying to the beat, basking in the first signs of sunset and pink tinged clouds overhead.
To his credit, Rowan didnât ask any more questions. He simply followed her lead and exited the jeep.
âHusband,â Aelin said, offering out her hand. âMay I have this dance?â
Rowanâs returning smile was so large she thought it might crack his whole face. Gods, he was gorgeous.
He pulled her close, swaying with her as their song played. âI canât believe our first dance is to Dancing In The Moonlight,â he chuckled.
âWe wouldnât be us if it werenât,â she said, leaning into his chest as his arms circled her waist and pulled her close.
And though the song was upbeat, they stayed embraced and tangled up in each other, slowly swaying, chest to chest, hearts beating in rapid tandem with the beat of the song. They were so wrapped up in each other that Aelin barely noticed the sun disappearing behind an ominously dark cloud until a large raindrop plopped onto her nose.
And another.
And another.
She thought they would run back into the car and seek shelter, but neither of them made a move. In fact, the rain just seemed to invigorate them. Rowan stared up at the sky and laughed, Aelin following right after him. He lifted his hand and spun her in a circle, both of them laughing with reckless abandon as Aelinâs skirt flared out around them. He spun her again and this time ended his flourish with a dip, kissing her deeply.
Time seemed to cease to exist as they danced. Under the raining sky they became a mess of water-drenched spinning, laughing, kissing, and singing.
The skies continued to pour, until they were both soaked through. But as the last notes of the song played, their little magic bubble disappeared.
Aelin looked at Rowan and then back at her white dress, which was now dripping.
âOmg I look like a drowned rat!â she shouted through the rain.
Rowan laughed, pulling her back into the jeep and grabbing a towel from his back seat to dry his own hair off before sliding into the driverâs seat.
âBut a very cute rat,â he said, causing them both to burst into laughter once again as they took off toward their graduation party.
By the time they arrived at Lysandraâs, they were still water-logged, giggling messes. Lys gasped at their disheveled appearance, eyeing them up and down with a wary eye.
âUmmm, no,â she said.
âNo?â Aelin laughed, feeling drunk on endorphins.
Lysandraâs wary eye morphed into a blinding smile at the pair of them. âGet out of here and go celebrate on your own,â she laughed. âAnd congratulations,â she whispered.
âFor graduatingâŠ?â Aelin asked, and Lysandra couldnât help but snort loudly.
âBabe, youâre wearing a white dress and a shit-eating grin.â She paused. âIâm happy for you.â
She embraced the pair of them. âNow get out of here before anyone sees you.â
Aelin and Rowan didnât need any more prompting. Apparently they were not subtle enough to pull off seeing other people right now.
âWhere to?â Aelin asked Rowan as they slid back into the car.
Rowan smiled back at her. âAnywhere we want.â
âLetâs go,â she said.
And with that, they hit the road. Overwhelmed from the day, Aelin promptly fell asleep in the passenger seat, letting the feel of the car lull her into a dreamless sleep.
. . .
âAceeee,â Rowan whispered, pulling her from her slumber. It was completely dark outside and the pair were stopped at a gas station slash motel. âYou gotta get out of the car and then you can go right back to sleep,â he said softly.
âIâm awake,â she mumbled through a wide yawn. âWhere are we?â
Rowan chuckled as she practically poured out of the car into his arms. She hadnât realized how exhausted she truly was until after theyâd checked into the motel, which was surprisingly not seedy, and she was sitting back on the bed. Her dress wasnât wet anymore, but it certainly wasnât going to be comfortable to sleep in. She wished theyâd thought to prepare better for this sudden excursion. Of course, Rowan had.
âI picked up some essentials at a rest stop,â Rowan said, as if reading her mind. He pulled out an oversized tee that read âGeck Yo Act Together,â with a large picture of a gecko on it and tossed it to her, along with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a little thing of mouthwash. He also pulled out giant sandwiches and chips and bottles of water and a Terrasen mountains tee for himself.
âSmart,â Aelin laughed, realizing the last time she ate was her (albeit giant) brunch, hours ago. âIs that where we are?â she asked, realizing she had no idea where they were.
âNo,â he said, grinning softly. âI thought maybe weâd drive south. Explore for a while.â
âIs this our honeymoon?â Aelin laughed, looking around the small, dingy motel room. It wasnât exactly what sheâd imagined, but she also had never imagined getting married at eighteen.
âYou told me you wanted to find the continentâs best chocolate piece of cake,â he said, and she couldnât help but bark out a loud laugh.
âThat could take weeks!â
âYou got somewhere to be?â he asked, brow raised. And she loved the way his smile promised devious, devious things. And suddenly, she wasnât so tired anymore. Â
âI also got one more thing,â he said. She watched as he pulled a thick gold band out of his pocket, and she suddenly couldnât breathe. He sat on the bed beside her and slid it onto her finger and her heart nearly stopped as he pulled another to slide onto his own. They were practically matching, except while a red stone sat in the middle of her ring, a dark green one that matched the shade of his eyes sat on his.
âOh,â she said, her throat feeling remarkably dry. She tried to swallow, but it was too rough. A lump in her throat that wouldnât abate. She tried again as she stared at the ring on her finger, her heart pounding as the red stone flickered in the dim motel room lighting. Why couldnât she swallow?
âItâs just temporary,â Rowan rushed out, mistaking her silence as dislike. âThe rest stop had a pawn shop, and I just knew we needed them, but theyâre just for nowâŠâ
She cut him off with a swift and forceful kiss. âTheyâre perfect.â
âHey, whereâs my phone?â she asked. âI need to take a picture of this immediately.â
âI plugged it in,â he said, pointing to where heâd already set up a little charging station.
She picked it up, intending to take a picture of her ring, but an alert from literal hours ago disrupted that. She couldnât believe it. An email in her inbox that read: Wendlyn University Admissions Update. Oh gods.
Without another word, she clicked into the email, heart pounding. Her eyes skimmed quickly, hoping to get the band-aid ripped off quickly, but she paused on the word CONGRATULATIONS.
âOh my god. OH MY GOD!â she screamed, throwing the phone at Rowan. He picked up the phone and smiled widely, whooping and wrapping her into a bear hug so tight she couldnât breathe.
âYou did it,â he mumbled through kisses. âI knew you were going to do it.â
Unable to control themselves, their kisses increased, heating up wildly until his kisses seared through her, worshipping each inch of her skin. She was breathing hard as he peeled her out of her dress and pushed her onto the bed and continued to whisper adorations and plans of their future. How proud of her he was, and how he was never going to let her forget it. She shivered as he let his mouth skimmed against her, and she promised in that moment to never take him or his love for granted. This is why she didnât need handwritten wedding vows â because they vowed to each other all the time with a simple kiss. And more than kisses. They brought each other to orgasm again and again, until they were both sweaty and spent and shaking with pleasure. They both poured every ounce of joy and relief into their intertwining bodies, finding their own perfect rhythm, until long after they should have gone to sleep. But neither wanted this magical day to end.
He was twirling the ring around her finger when Aelin remembered that she hadnât taken a picture of it yet. She reached for her phone and started at a text from her dad, which just said: Checking in.
âOh my god,â Aelin said again, bolting upright.
But Rowan just chuckled sleepily, reaching out with one of his hands to squeeze her bare backside. âYeah, baby. Oh my god. Youâre incredible.â
âNO, ROWAN,â she said smacking his shoulder. âWhat were we thinking? We got married! And then left home without telling anyone?â She actually couldnât believe she had done that. What was she supposed to write back to her dad? âRhoe is going to KILL ME,â she said, finally realizing what had occurred over the last twelve hours. âNo, wait. Heâs going to kill YOU! Heâs going to arrest you for kidnapping his only daughter!â
At that Rowan really did laugh and pulled her back down into his embrace. âAce, are you serious?â his laughter poured over her, silky smooth. âYou think I would marry you and take you out of state without explicitly asking your father for permission and telling him our plans?â
Aelinâs eyes widened as she looked at Rowan with serious eyes. âHe knew?â
Rowan kissed her shoulder and mumbled a soft, âGo to sleep. Iâll tell you everything in the morning.â
She paused. âYou made a plan, but didnât think to pack a bag for me?â
He chuckled again, pulling her tighter against his side. âI did pack a bag for you,â he said. âI just forgot toothpaste and a nightshirt,â he said, his lips loosening as sleep threatened to take him over. âYou didnât need it, though.â And with that, he was asleep.
âI love you, too,â she replied, pushing his hair from his eyes and loving the way he smiled at her touch, even asleep. Unable to help herself, she laced her fingers through his and snapped a quick pic of their intertwined hands before sending it off to her dad. As she rested the phone down and closed her eyes, she felt ready for the next chapter. Except, it wasnât really a chapter, she guessed. It was the rest of her life. A new book she was writing. She didnât know what it would entail, but she knew that she couldnât wait.
THE END
#idwtw au#tog fanfic#charincharge writes#throne of glass fanfic#rowaelin#rowaelin fanfic#rowan x aelin#throne of glass#that's all she wrote#epilogue still to come#sorry i'm posting this at 11pm on a random saturday but this is what we're doing
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eLrIeL iS tOo ClIChĂ
disclaimer 1: this post will contain spoilers for the pairings of every sjm book.
disclaimer 2: if I were to add every single couple sjm has written I would be here all day, so I will only add couples who are currently together (LoA and Beron), endgame (Aelin and Rowan), heavily implied to be endgame (Manon and Dorian) or where one of the people died (Aelin and Sam). I will not add couples that have broken up willingly or really secondary couples.
disclaimer 3: this post is anti gwynriel and elucien and pro elriel. It's also really long.
The argument that elriel is too cliché and cheesy due to the whole "3 brothers, 3 sisters" is so stupid to me. However, due to that part of the fandom and their unwillingness to think objectively, let's look at the statistics, shall we.
Here is a list of the sjm couples and their status as mates or not:
Aelin and Rowan - mates
Yrene and Chaol - humans, not mates
Manon and Dorian - we don't know, maybe
Elide and Lorcan - mates
Lysandra and Aedion - mates
Nesryn and Sartaq - humans, not mates
Elena and Gavin - mates
Aelin and Sam - broken up, not mates
Lyria and Rowan - broken up, not mates
Aedion's mom and Gavriel - heavily implied mates, maybe
Sorscha and Dorian - broken up, not mates
Asterin and the hunter - we don't know, maybe
Feyre and Rhys - mates
Nesta and Cassian - mates
Viviane and Kallias - mates
LoA and Beron - currently together, not mates
Jesminda and Lucien - broken up, not mates
Miryam and Drakon - mates
Amren and Varian - we don't know, maybe
Thesan and his lover - heavily implied mates, maybe
Rhys' mother and father - deceased, mates
Tamlin's mother and father - deceased, mates
Theia and Aidas - broken up, mates
Bryce and Hunt - mates
Lidia and Ruhn - mates
Danika and Baxian - broken up, mates
Sophie and Cormac - heavily implied mates, maybe
Fury and Juniper - we don't know, maybe
Declan and Marc - we don't know, maybe
Ember and Randall - humans, not mates
Bryce and Connor - broken up, not mates
Shahar and Hunt - broken up, not mates
Out of the 32 couples mentioned above, 14 are mates (43.75%), 10 aren't mates (31.25%) and 8 we don't know/it's implied (25%)
Out of the 14 couples who are mates, 12 either died while being a couple or are currently together (85.71%) and 2 are broken up mates (14.29%)
Out of the 10 couples who aren't mates, 3 are humans (30%), 6 are broken up and therefore not endgame (60%) and 1 are currently together (10%)
Before we continue let's talk about the definition of cliché:
something or someone that is not at all original, surprising, or interesting because it has very often been seen before.
In this post, a cliché couple will be part of the highest percentage of it's category.
Now let's add Elain, Gwyn, Azriel and Lucien to the mix. Here are the most discussed possibilities of these couples:
Elriel - mates and together
Elriel - not mates and together
Elriel - not mates and not together
Elucien - mates and together
Elucien - mates and broken bond
Gwynriel - mates and together
In the case of gwynriel being mates and together that would mean elucien are mates and together and would make elriel not mates and broken up.
So in this case there would be 35 couples, 16 mates (45.71%), 11 not mates (31.43%) and 8 we don't know/it's implied (22.86%)
Out of 16 mates, 14 either died while being a couple or are currently together (87.5%) and 2 are broken up mates (12.5%).
Out of 11 not mates, 3 are humans (27.27%), 7 are broken up and therefore not endgame (63.64%) and 1 are currently together (9.09%)
Therefore that would make gwynriel part of the 87.5% of mates who are together and a cliché
Elucien would also be part of the 87.5% and a cliché
Elriel would be part of the 63.64% of not mates who are broken up and a cliché.
In the case of elriel being mates and together, that would make elucien mates who are not together and gwynriel would be nonexistent.
The only reason gwynriel is noted as nonexistent and not not mates and not together is because while we have got clearly stated evidence of a romance between elriel (the almost kiss in the bonus chapter), we haven't gotten confirmed evidence of a romance between gwynriel (there are theories and maybe subtext, but not clearly stated evidence).
So in this case there would be 34 couples, 16 are mates (47.06%), 10 aren't mates (29.41%) and 8 we don't know/it's implied (23.53%).
Of the 16 mates, 13 either died while being a couple or are still together (81.25%) and 3 are broken up (18.75%).
Elriel would be part of the 81.25% and a cliché.
Elucien would be part of the 18.75% and not a cliché.
However, elriel being mates would mean that Elain had two mating bonds with two different males, so although the outcome would make elriel cliché, the execution would be a first for sjm and not cliché.
In the case of elriel not being mates but together, that would make elucien mates who are not together and gwynriel would be nonexistent.
Of the 34 couples, 15 are mates (44.12%), 11 aren't mates (32.35%) and 8 we don't know/it's implied (23.53%).
Out of the 15 mates, 12 either died while being a couple or are still together (80%) and 3 are broken up (20%).
Out of the 11 not mates, 3 are humans (27.28%), 6 are broken up (54.55%) and 2 (18.19%) are still together.
Elriel would be part of the 18.19% and not a cliché.
Elucien would be part of the 20% and not a cliché.
In conclusion, the only way elriel could be cliché would be if they were not mates and didn't end up together and if they were mates who ended up together. Even in the last case, they wouldn't be too cliché because it would mean Elain had two mating bonds, which we have yet to see in any sjm book.
The endgame for both gwynriel and elucien would make them cliché, while the breaking of the mating bond would make elucien not cliché and, let's be honest, there's not any other possibility of gwynriel being endgame apart from them being mates.
You can dislike whatever ship you want, but saying that elriel is a cliché would be an objective lie, when they are the most unique couple written by sjm to date.
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now that i have finished the sjm universe, here are my official favorite characters
acotar
Lucien - no one can make me hate this man i have been there from day 1! i thought he was the most charming and funny character in acotar and i have come to love him more as the series progresses. i think that he is a complex character and somehow the character that makes me feel the most (elucien book will be the death of me) and as i have said before⊠i donât even want him to end up with elain or anyone else, I WANT HIM FOR MYSELF!
Nesta- i used to hate nesta and i dreaded reading her book, and then i read it, and i have never seen myself in a character more. i would, im not joking, die for nesta. talk about complex character. i have nothing else to say i love her.
tog
Yrene- i LOVE the way sjm writes mothers (some) but i love the fact the yrene being pregnant did not stop her from ANYTHING. she saved the whole world so that her child and her family could have the future they deserve, the better future that was hoped for by each character. Yrene also made me fall in love with chaol in TOD. yrene is a powerful woman in every sense, from innish to orynth⊠i loved her
fenrys- he gave a lucien vibe and had some witty little comments throughout the book that i loved. but the emotions that radiated off him after his brother and what him and aelin went through⊠my heart breaks for him.
aelin- yes she is the FMC but.. oh my god. TALK ABOUT COMPLEX! i cant even put into words how how much i loved her. that is all i can say.
CC
Tharion- again lucien vibes. he is funny and charming and genuinely made me smile each time he was on the page. i felt so conflicted when he started self sabotaging to the highest degree, but i still found myself wanting him to get through and be happy. this boy is an idiot but hes my idiot.
baxian- i.. want.. NOTHING BUT HAPPINESS FOR HIM! i just.. i want him to be happy
Ember- i want her to be my mother? again love the way that sjm writes moms and the fierceness that ember loves her family. i think you can especially see this in the bonus chapter with my girl nesta
#sjm#cc hofas#crescent city#hofas#throne of glass#acotar#hofas spoilers#a court of thorns and roses#sjm universe#sjmaas#acosf#nesta archeron#fenrys moonbeam#pro nesta#nesta acotar#a court of silver flames#fenrys tog#yrene towers#yrene westfall#aelin ashryver galathynius#lucien vanserra#lucien acotar#tharion ketos#baxian argos#ember quinlan
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I am a descendant of Ranthia Drahl, Queen of Embers. She is with me now and I am not afraid. My friends are behind me, and I will protect them. My friends are with me and I am not afraid. My friends are with me and I am not afraid.
My friends are with me and I am not afraid.
#SPOILER ALERT IN TAGS#House of Earth and Blood#Crescent City#Sarah J. Maas#Throne of Glass#The Assassinâs Blade#Lehabah#Bryce Quinlan#Aelin Galathynius#Sam Cortland#book quote paralells#CC HOEAB#first read along with me reacts no spoilers please currently reading and losing it#BRYCE IS THE HORN#I KNEW DANIKA DIDNT DO IT but this is so bad still he made her and she tried so hard#one by one the angels rose to their feet hand to their heart the only salute they could go#embers like our Queen like Bryceâs mom like fire⊠wanting to walk worlds again another note that feels like something⊠and my bb Syrinx⊠and#itâs giving Doby and destroying me#she was free#noooooo Lehaba was dead#HOLY SHIT SHE HAS THE CURE#the god slayer rifle I knew that had a reason#REMEMBER THAT YOU WILL DIE#fire and ice#break my heart and soul#first it was Hunt then Danika then the capture then her turning in then sis reveal then Fury Danika Bryce Syrinx Sandriel Lehabah AGAIN#Iâm worried sheâll nearly die and have to take the plunge#to kill an arc angel the two extra seconds lol but then the governer cause modern fantasy#I shouldâve known Maas too much so much#I was right about the witch queen and sword and agh so many things
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Ranking the top 10 most pathetic SJM men
10: Ithan Holstrom Come on, if you didn't think him simping for Bryce after knowing her for like 5 seconds was pathetic then idk what is. Also, him being mad about the Fendyr heir being enslaved and stealing fire sprites for revenge will never not be hilarious
9: Fenrys Moonbeam Bro was so desperate to escape Maeve that he almost killed himself. Then he had that "You'd rather my queen die than your king" line. Like bro is Aelin's dog at this point.
8. Eris Vanserra Thanks to @kateduchessofdolittle for making me see how pathetic Eris is.
-Fiancee goes to *great lengths* to get out their engagement. After all that, bro still bailed her out by dealing with her father Keir in ACOSF
- Got to be a passive little bitch to monster father
- seems to be a surrogate father to the *worst* people
- he's giving mama's boy
- his allies taunt him with another engagement and she laughs in his face too
At least he has his dogs.
7. Hunt Athalar Not sure how to explain this one. It's just the *vibes*
6. Tarquin Poor Tarquin. I felt so bad for him during that Feyre-Tarquin scene in ACOMAF (one of these days I shall write the Feyquin fanfic and rectify Feyre's mistakes here).
5. Ruhn Danaan You may be surprised Ruhn is so high up on this list. But bro, Hypaxia duped him so badly. Also, he was so desperate to get back in his sister Bryce's good books. Here are just a few examples from the book:
Ruhn bared his teeth at Maximus as the glowering vamp headed toward the golden steps. âRiso called me a few minutes ago and said you were here. With that fucking creep.â âExcuse me?â Her voice sharpened. It had nothing to do with the fact that she highly doubted the diplomatic club owner had used those terms. Riso was more the type to say, Sheâs with someone who might cause the dancing to cease. Which would have been Risoâs idea of Hel. Ruhn said, âRiso canât risk tossing Tertian to the curbâhe implied the prick was being handsy and you needed backup.â A purely predatory gleam entered her brotherâs eyes. âDonât you know what Tertianâs father does?â She grinned, and knew it didnât reach her eyes. None of her smiles did these days. âI do,â she said sweetly. Ruhn shook his head in disgust. Bryce leaned forward to grab her drink, each movement controlledâif only to keep from taking the water and throwing it in his face. âShouldnât you be home?â Ruhn asked. âItâs a weekday. Youâve got work in six hours.â âThanks, Mom,â she said.
She just opened the door. âIf you hear anything about the Viper Queen, call me.â Ruhn stiffened, his heart thundering. âDo not provoke her.â âBye, Ruhn.â He was desperate enough that he said, âIâll go with you toââ âBye.â
She flinched as Ruhn said at her ear, âYou donât need to see this.â This was another murder. Another body. Another year. A medwitch even knelt before the body, a wand buzzing with firstlight in her hands, trying to piece the corpseâthe girlâback together. Ruhn tugged her away, toward the screen and open air beyondâ The movement shook her loose. Snapped the droning in her ears. She yanked her body free from his grip, not caring if anyone else saw, not caring that he, as head of the Fae Aux units, had the right to be here. âDonât fucking touch me.â Ruhnâs mouth tightened. But he looked over her shoulder to Hunt. âYouâre an asshole.â
Ruhn was in the apartment lobby when Fury dropped her off. Tharion left them at the docks, saying he was going to help haul in the seized synth shipment, and Fury departed fast enough that Bryce knew she was heading out to make sure the Viper Queen didnât abscond with any of it, either. Ruhn said nothing as they rode the elevator. But she knew Fury had told him. Summoned him here. Her friend had been messaging someone on the walk back from the docks. And sheâd spied Flynn and Declan standing guard on the rooftops of her block, armed with their long-range rifles. Her brother didnât speak until they were in the apartment, the place dark and hollow and foreign. Every piece of clothing and gear belonging to Hunt was like an asp, ready to strike. That bloodstain on the couch was the worst of all. Bryce made it halfway across the great room before she puked all over the carpet. Ruhn was instantly there, his arms and shadows around her. She could feel her sobs, hear them, but they were distant. The entire world was distant as Ruhn picked her up and carried her to the couch, keeping away from that spot where sheâd yielded herself entirely to Hunt. But he made no comment about the bloodstain or any lingering scent. 4. Lucien Vanserra (or Spell-Cleaver? Vanserra sounds better)
Ah, Lucien, Lucien, Lucien. My poor baby just wants somebody to marry him. Does it get any more pathetic than "I'm a mated male now?" My man prepares for rejection every holiday without fail. He and Lucien did not exchange gifts, though the male had brought a gift for Feyre and one for his mate, who barely thanked him after opening the pearl earrings. Cassianâs heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucienâs face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing. 3. Chaol Westfall I don't think many people remember Lithaen, but Chaol was in love with her and she fucked Dorian's cousin instead. Also there was this:
Babe, ily but wtf. You ran into a different fucking dimension to save your ex-girlfriend's DOG??? Talk about pathetic. 2. Lorcan Salvaterre Bro abandoned the queen he served more loyally than any of the rest of the cadre the moment a tiny little human with witch blood showed a little cleavage and bossed him around. Bro wanted to be someone's bitch SO BAD. He RIPPED his shirts up for her periods even after she refused to even speak with him and said she hopes he's miserable and spends the rest of his life alone (and threatened to gut Rowan and Gavriel if they ever told her it was him). He swore a blood oath to his greatest enemy just to protect her and lost the will to live when she called him a monster. Absolutely fucking pathetic and we love him for it. 1. Tamlin It was a close fight to first, but nobody can beat Tamlin in the pathetic category. For one, of all the love interests we have seen, he is in possession of the least rizz. Negative rizz, actually. Lucien actually roasted him so badly for his negative rizz, and Lucien personally backed off so Tamlin and his negative rizz could rizz up Feyre. Bro sacrificed all of PRYTHIAN to keep Feyre safe, bartered with his enemy to get her back, only to have her destroy his court. Even after that, he saved her life at the Hybern camp and revived her mate. And unlike the others above, he didn't get the girl, and probably won't get any girl, actually. We could always put him up for adoption and one of the members of the fandom can take him? Maybe??? Maybe @kateduchessofdolittle will take him.
#ithan holstrom#fenrys moonbeam#eris vanserra#hunt athalar#tarquin#ruhn danaan#lucien vanserra#chaol westfall#lorcan salvaterre#tamlin
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Iâve had more time to sit with HOFAS so here are things I loved and things that bugged me.
THINGS I LOVED
AZRIEL AND NESTA - Where to even begin. Their relationship and friendship is EVERYTHING. I'm so glad SJM chose to highlight both of them for the ACOTAR part because their chemistry is everything. I can't wait for more in ACOTAR 5
AZRIEL - Every new thing we learned about Azriel had me screeching. It's so clear SJM is setting him up for the next book. Every scene he appeared in I was obsessed! Finding out about truthteller, him being protective of his mom, him interacting with music, him being all hot and threatening....this bat has me in a chokehold I swear.
THE LORE - All the new information we got about Prythian and Midgard is so interesting. I wish I was a theories person because there's so much to theorize about!
RUHNLIDIA - They served in this book omg. When Ruhn was like "this is my first mission with my girlfriend I want to impress her" I almost threw my phone I'm not even kidding. They are so cuteđ„čâšâš
HUNT - I still feel like I need more Hunt. He's such a sweetheart and was truly a highlight for me in this book. I love him so much and I was totally rooting for him to fry Celestina.
THINGS THAT BUGGED ME
Ruhn and Lidiaâs mate announcement. I knew Ruhn and Lidia would be mates from HOSAB so I was only waiting for confirmation but the way it was written threw me off. Ruhn just said it out of nowhere and toâŠof all peopleâŠPolluxâŠ.like what? Why? Idk it could have been more emotional.
Ariadne- I donât understand the point of introducing this new character only to do NOTHING with her. I shipped her and Flynn sooo much. The way she was introduced in the beginning of the book had me so hyped only for her to disappear. Like imagine a dragon marching with the armies of Hel when they fought the AsteriâŠ
Sigrid - That entire plotline felt useless to me. She was set up to be this hope for the wolves and it all amounted to nothing. So why did we waste so much time on her. I enjoyed Ithanâs chapters because I really like him. But from an objective point of viewâŠmost of what SJM made him do didnât make sense. If she wanted him to become Prime (which I loved btw) she didnât need to waste all that time on Sigrid and her resurrection only for her to join Sabine the person sheâs supposed to hate and then disappear.
Tharion and Sathia - NoâŠjust noâŠ..
Bryce ignoring Huntâs trauma - She did it in HOSAB but again and on a larger scale in HOFAS. Everytime Hunt brought up his fears (understandable because he has now faced the Asteri twice and suffered insane consequences) Bryce just got angry and put him in such a bad position. She made it look like he didnât want to support her when he has very valid reasons to be afraid. After what he went through the first time in the Asteri dungeons for years and then again! Iâm surprised he didnât break down even more tbh. His feelings were so valid.
Bryce - SJM tried to do the âAelin is always two steps aheadâ thing with Bryce but honestly it didnât work. A lot of the times I was side eyeing and was like âthatâs convenientâ Bryce was guessing a lot of times so that whole thing just didnât work.
The plot was all over the place. The book really didnât flow well.
#cc hofas#houseofflameandshadow#cc3#bryce quinlan#hunt athalar#ruhn x the hind#ruhnlidia#ruhn danaan#lidia cervos#nesta stan#nesta archeron#azriel x gwyn#crescent city#ruhn crescent city
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