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wordsafterhours · 2 years ago

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Songs About You - Chapter 14

Author's note: About time I got this done. I hope everyone who still likes this fic is around and will take time to enjoy this update. I made myself laugh, which is almost just as good as making someone else laugh.

*don't come for me at the end with pitchforks.*

Word Count: 3.3k

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She was floating somewhere between dreaming and unfortunate consciousness. Seeking to keep hold of sleep, Aelin flopped onto her side, groaning when she hit a dense mass instead of her usual plethora of feather pillows. Cracking a heavy lid, she peered at the lump. Dorian hadn’t moved, his soft snores unwavering. Least one of them was still delightfully asleep and unaware.

With the last tendrils of grogginess dissipating, a splitting headache became apparent. It felt like the bones were trying to crack apart in areas long knitted together. A dull sense of nausea was also floating around, but she was trying very hard to not acknowledge it, hoping it would sink away. Hangovers were merciless and never worth the night before.

Fleetfoot wasn’t bothering her, which likely meant it was still early or the dog was sleeping in as well. Whatever the case, Aelin decided more sleep would cure her ailment. Flipping over, she was met with brief surprise, again. Fenrys, a more eloquent sleeper than Dorian, was cuddling her stuffed animal, looking as though he was having the best sleep of his life.

Two attractive men in bed had to be somewhere on everyone’s fantasy list, likely even hers if she gave it enough honest thought. This would likely be a running joke in the days to come, but for now, it was comforting. One old friend, one new, both irreplaceable. After the events of last night, they had driven her home, whispered soft words as she cried, and offered to pummel both Rowan and Elide. It was exactly what she had needed.

Sinking into the mattress, Aelin closed her eyes, trying to calm her mind enough to fall back to sleep. But it was pointless. Her body was relaxed, the soft linen sheets caressing her skin, attempting to soothe her back to sleep, but her traitorous mind was in hyperdrive. It kept replaying the events of last night over and over, on a high-definition loop.

The betrayal was a feeling reminiscent of when she was a kid, and her mother would dab antiseptic on her cut. Except now, there was no one to blow on it, the stinging felt painfully in full affect. Rowan, in the days prior had eased it all, and somewhere in the depths of her disappointing sadness, there was a part of her that would fall at his feet, hoping he would do it again.

Aelin’s body froze momentarily, shocked, as an arm fell across her body, pulling her close. “I can hear you thinking from here and it’s disturbing my slumber,” the sleep-addled voice said against exposed shoulder.

“We cannot all be unbothered by the world, your highness,” she cheeked back.

He let out nothing more than noncommittal grunt. She would have thought him back to sleep if not for the occasional lazy circles he was drawing across her skin. This was their friendship, strong and ignorant of proper boundaries. To an outsider, they would appear like a couple, but having tried that once, it was evident friends was the better choice.

“I’m not sure if I should be turned on or jealous at the moment,” tutted Fen, his voice a little huskier than appropriate for morning hours.

Aelin cracked a lid, her bright eyes connecting with his appraising stare. He looked like the cat who ate the canary, and it made her face scrunch from a widening smile. “You’re just jealous that the stuffed animal doesn’t snuggle back.”

“Hmm, I don’t think it’s that,” he declared with a low chuckle.

“Aelin, where did you find this mannerless mongrel?”

“The same place I found you: the bar.”

“Excuse me, that is not where you found me.” She bit her lip, trying to hold in a laugh. She just knew his face was pinched in indignation. Dorian was known to be quite wanton in his behavior, but it wasn’t a topic of discussion. Everyone just knew and that was that.

“Is anyone going to invite the dog to snuggle or…?”

“I didn’t see Fleetf—” her remark stilted as a pillow collided with her face.

“Well, Dorian, you were right, he is a mannerless mongrel.”

“Fine! I didn’t want to cuddle with you two anyways. Wouldn’t want to give anyone fleas.”

Aelin let Fenrys roll almost out of bed before reaching out, grabbing his shirt beneath her fingers. “C’mere.”

The body heat from both men was almost too much to bear and she fought the comforter to stick a foot out for some relief. Contentedly, she relaxed, feeling unexpectedly safe in the current arrangement. She may not have Rowan and her best friend may have slit her heart from her chest, but in her bones, she knew Dorian and Fenrys would never hurt her. Perhaps, if she was less damaged, she’d let the blond seriously pursue her because underneath his cheeky persona, his heart was gold.

“Shhhh, you’re going to wake her up,” a harsh, hushed whisper grated across Aelin’s semi-conscious mind.

“I don’t even know how she’s sleeping through that loud banging.”

“I get the impression she doesn’t often sleep good.”

“Well, sleep is on the bottom of what’s important right now. If you haven’t noticed, it sounds like someone is making off with half the downstairs!”

“Buck up buttercup and put on your big boy pants. I think two of us can take whoever it is,” Fenrys claimed, sliding from the bed and into his discarded jeans from the night prior.

“I know we just met and all, but confronting robbers isn’t in my area of expertise. I have a full security team at home.”

Aelin, who had been listening to this entire exchange, was two seconds from losing all sense of decorum and giving up that she was awake. Dorian sounded so panicked, surely his eyes were the size of saucers, and he was likely clenching her comforter tight. He lived a far more sheltered life than she had, despite also growing up in the public eye.

“Dorian, get up!”

“You can’t just order me about.”

The bed jostled followed by loud thump. That’s one way to do it, she amusedly thought to herself. Cracking a lid, Aelin could see Fenrys holding out Dorian’s clothes with an annoyed expression.

Dorian huffed, his face matching Fenrys’, as he took his clothes and started to put them on. His lean arms slipped into his shirt, but he paused, angling his head—clearly he heard something she did not. Fenrys froze, too, his stance stiffening as he stared at her bedroom door.

Worry hadn’t been present before because if it had been anyone serious downstairs, Fleetfoot would have barked her head off. More than likely, the boys had heard the dog causing chaos downstairs, and not people. But now, doubt was filtering in.

The bedroom door flew open and before Aelin could even process what was happening, Dorian was running full speed and tackling the intruder, landing outside in the hallway. Fenrys froze in a shock, arm still raised, a heavy book in hand.

“GET OFF ME!” screeched Manon.

“Ah gods,” Aelin muttered, immediately springing past Fenrys.

A pant-less Dorian was moving to stand, and Manon was flat of her back, white-blonde hair splayed out on the wooden floor, red faced and angry.

“Hey M,” she supplied coolly, extending an arm to help to help her up. Manon waved her off, too busy staring daggers at Dorian, who looked like he was wishing he could be anywhere but here.

Aelin could feel Fenrys standing behind her and she leaned into him, enjoying the feel of his warm skin against her shoulders. Truthfully, an angry Manon scared her, and she wasn’t afraid to seek Fernys’ protection against her.

Manon sat up, her piercing gold eyes roving over each of them, no doubt cataloging details and mustering up ideas.

“Before you jump to the wrong conclusion, it’s not what it looks like,” Aelin rushed out defensively.

“So, you didn’t all come out of the same room in various stages of undress? No shirt, no pants, and don’t even get me started on the amount of skin you’re showing.”

The tips of her ears burned in embarrassment.

“I swear, it really isn’t what it looks like.”

“Somehow you saying that just makes it that more unbelievable. Everyone knows how you are.”

“Manon,” Aelin chastised. Dorian may have been a flirt, opportunistic in bedding people, but it didn’t warrant his feelings being stepped on because she someone was angry.

“You act like what I said isn’t true.”

“That may be, but it isn’t true in this moment. We don’t know one another well, but they’re both being honest when they say nothing is going on. Please don’t make either one feel bad for something that’s strictly innocent in nature.” Fenrys brushed passed Aelin, extending a hand to the woman still laid out on the floor. Manon took it, rising to her feet. No thank you was given and the four stood in silence.

She wanted to ask what Manon was doing there and why there was an almost musical banging coming from downstairs, but at the same time, she was tired of being talked down to. Self-conscious, she pulled down on her tank top, eliminating the skin showing above her sleep shorts. The pair of golden eyes missed nothing, zeroing in on her movements.

Fenrys noticed, stepping a few paces and giving her shoulder a soft squeeze in reassurance. “Manon, how about we go downstairs and get you some ice.”

“What for?” she sniped.

“To cool you off.”

“I’m not hot.”

Regret colored her face the minute she said she wasn’t hot, and Dorian looked too pleased with himself when he followed up with flirty statement declaring otherwise. Manon rolled her eyes and headed back to the first floor, taking the stairs two at a time.

“Does she eat children for breakfast?” Fen asked with shiver.

“With a side of kittens,” Dorian confirmed, his blue eyes watching the stairs, as though he were waiting for her to rush back up them and give another lashing.

“I think I’ll get dressed,” Aelin said to no one in particular, ducking back into her bedroom. The two boys followed, each grabbing their missing clothing and shrugging into them.

“We’ll see you down there, ‘kay,” Dor declared in parting, Fen hot on his heels.

With a resigned sigh, she flopped back into mussed bed covers, all will to change clothes dissipating. She grabbed the stuffed animal, sitting him on her chest, “Did you enjoy being cuddled by Fen, Mr. Snuggles?”

She manipulated the bear into nodding, smiling to herself at her antics. “That’s great, me too.”

“And here I thought I was the only guy that had been in your bed lately.”

Aelin let out a surprised shriek, throwing the animal at the intruder without a second thought. The attack was easily deflected with an arm wave and Mr. Snuggles fell to the ground with a soft thud. His large, tanned hand scooped him up and tossed him back on the bed, a predatory glint in his eyes and a pleased smirk affixed on his perfect face.

The embarrassment and anxiety coursing through made it feel like her stomach was in her throat, about to jump ship at any moment, and her lips pressed tighter together as though they could prevent it from happening. Women her age weren’t supposed to sleep with animals, much less talk to them, and now she’d been caught red-handed. How was it this man consistently had the worst timing?

Maybe if she closed her eyes and pretended he wasn’t there, he’d just poof into thin air, leaving her and Mr. Snuggles to their conversation. Squeezing them shut, she waited, listening intently for his departure, but in didn’t come. Fighting against her better judgement, Aelin kept her lids tightly shut, refusing to give him another ounce of her time.

Unreliable. Hot. Cold. Friend. Foe. The push and pull dance weighing down an already exhausted soul. It had been pretty clear last night where they stood and why he was here, she had no idea. The “why” bothered her more than his actual presence if she was being truthful. Nonetheless, she dug her heels in, refusing to inquire, refusing to acknowledge.

A gentle yet firm pressure forced her knees apart. Rough fabric skated across bared flesh, goosebumps raising in response. The bed dipped beneath new weight. The very distinct smell of Rowan wrapped around her.

“Aelin,” he said lowly but in a way meant to command attention.

Childishly, she turned her head to the right, eyes still screwed tightly shut. Her lungs were screaming in protest, fighting for her to release the breath she was unconsciously holding. A traitorous breath whooshed out, the subsequent inhale assaulting her senses again in pine and snow.

The bed dipped more right and the feeling of rough fabric became more pronounced as he shifted. Featherlight, the unmistakable feel of a calloused finger traced the bridge of her nose, across the light smattering of freckles decorating her high cheekbone, ending with a careful tuck of hair behind her ear.

Still, she didn’t move. He loosed a frustrated breath.

Fingers threaded throughout her hair, as though he’d done it a million times before, his thumb coming to rest just in front of her ear. “Ace, please,” he begged, just barely more than a whisper. The defeated tone wilted her fortitude. He sounded so desperate and while Aelin shouldn’t care, she did. He sounded like she felt.

“Why are you here?”

“I won’t tell you unless you look at me.” His thumb skittered across her cheek in a circle, a silent imploration meant to chase away the rest of her resolve.

“You’re not an any position to be making demands.”

“No, but I’ll get on my knees and beg if I must. It’s just five minutes of your time and I can leave when I’ve said what I needed to say.”

Rowan on his knees sent her brain sideways, as she allowed for a momentary glimpse of it under much different circumstances to play out in her mind. But as quick as it had appeared, she pushed it aside, returning her thoughts to the present.

His eyes were brilliantly green, every color of the Oakwald forest interwoven within their depths, but they stood out more than usual because the dark circles beneath his eyes. Rowan looked the roughest she’d ever seen him. Handsome, painstakingly so, but tired, sad, and something she couldn’t place. His silver hair, usually plaited and put up, was messily loose, like the day she’d seen it when he was cutting wood.

Dropping his hand from her face, he shifted, resuming likely what had been his initial position: a hand on either side of her shoulders, one leg resting against the bed between her knees. Unable to resist the urge, she raised her hand, gently brushing against his side to grab a piece of silver that had fallen forward. She swore he shivered but it had been such a quick response, it could have been entirely imagined.

Idly, she twirled the lock with her finger, waiting for him to divulge the reason for his forced presence.

“Lyria’s pregnant.”

A million and one reasons could have come out of his mouth, but Aelin would have never thought that’d be the one. The feeling you get from dropping great heights on amusement rides could not compare to how she felt in the moments following his admission.

Space. She needed space. Breaking out of his embrace, she was on her feet halfway across the bedroom before turning to face him. His eyes looked glassy, his proud shoulders rounded and sagging in defeat.

“How long have you known?” Aelin wasn’t sure why she asked. In her bones she already knew the answer.

“After I left here that morning. Lyria was waiting for me in the driveway of my house.”

Life was cruel. Or the gods were. Had she wronged the world so in her past life and was thusly being punished in this one? He had become a bright spot in her life and now, reduced to another pile of ash. Hiding her anger, she turned and stared into the empty fireplace, a too literal example of how it all felt.

“Say something.”

“What do you want me to say, Rowan? That I understand why you stopped answering my texts and made me feel like I wasn’t worth your time? That I understand you’re doing the best you can?” She clenched her fists and turned back to look at him, face red, lip quivering with emotion. “Because I don’t. I feel hurt and let down. Gods I’m so furious with you.” Her voice cracked and it only made her more mad at this entire situation.

“I’m sorry. I’ve spent weeks trying to decide how to tell you that I can’t be here for you like I promised. I want to be right here Aelin, and I just….,” he raked his hands through his hair, messing it further, “I have to be there for her and for my child. I won’t be someone who shirks their duty because it’s not convenient for me.”

“What about me?” she hated how small and pitiful she sounded. Selfish even. But she had to ask it. Where did she fall in this fucked up situation?

Somehow, in two strides, he had crossed the room and was holding her in a vice grip to his chest. “I won’t give you up.”

“You just said you can’t be here because you have to be there. I don’t understand.”

“It’s been hell, but I was respecting the boundary Lyria set as my girlfriend and mother of my child, but then last night, when I got a glimpse of how it felt to not have you at all… watching you crumple because of me, that’s worse than anything I’ve had to deal with since losing my parents."

Rowan’s strong arms held her tighter as he continued, “I can’t be here like I promised, like I want to, but I still want you in my life, Aelin. You’re my friend and you’re about to go through a very hard time. I won’t desert you when you need people on and by your side.” His assertion rumbled against her, putting to bed some of the crippling sadness he had descended on her only moments ago.

Ever a glutton for punishment, Aelin squirmed in his grasp, until her arms were free to wrap around him. She splayed her hands against his back, enjoying the feel of his strong muscles ripple beneath them. Rowan rested his cheek on the top of her head, neither ready to break the contented silence they found themselves in.

The pair stayed like that for some time before Rowan made to step back but was quickly stopped when the blonde let out a warning huff. His chuckled bounced her head albeit not in an uncomfortable way. “I was going to show you your surprise, but I guess not.”

Aelin tipped her head back to look at him, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“I think I’ve had all the surprise that I can handle for today,” she fired off, still looking up at him.

He smiled, one that reached his eyes, as he lightly thumped her nose. “You’ll like this one, Ace.”

“If it’s not a hazelnut chocolate cake from Emrhys’, I don’t want it.”

“Gods woman, it’s amazing you don’t weight 300 pounds with all the sweets you devour,” he teased.

“I have a great figure, thank you very much.”

“I’m not going to touch that statement with a ten-foot poll.”

“You sure?” she asked suggestively, giving him a once over with a raised brow.

“I’m leaving, see you downstairs,” he said hurriedly retreating for the door.

Not even waiting to see if he had left the room completely, Aelin chanced it and slipped her sleep cami over her head. A choking sound covered by a cough and subsequent slamming door let her know he’d seen something and that warmed her with satisfaction. If she couldn’t have him, at least she could bother him, and that would have to do for now.

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Tag list:

@theresyourfireandblood @backtobl4ck @leiawritesstories @morganofthewildfire @rowaelinismyotp @jorjy-jo @theresyourfireandblood @numbers-colors-fashion @swankii-art-teacher @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart @stardelia @astra-ad-mare

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #rowaelin au #throne of glass #rowan x aelin #songs about you #slow burn #bury me in angst #Lyria #fenrys moonbeam #dorian havilliard #Manon #rowaelin fanfiction #throne of glass fic #I like to be sad

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leiawritesstories · 2 years ago

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Halfway through HOF and got to the part where Rowan tells celaena about his mate lyria and he says they can find there way back together…. Is this the beginning of relationship blooming or would you say it’s more of avarice and the beginning of a friendship??

ahhhhh Heir of Fire 😊 thanks for asking!!

First of all, I'll preface this by saying I've read the whole series more than once and I do not want to spoil anything if you haven't read it all yet! With that said, this answer might not make much sense hahaha because I'm reeeeeallyyy trying not to spoil anything important

Lyria is...an important piece of Rowan's backstory. She was his first love when both of them were young, and what happened to her is something that holds him back from diving headfirst into a new relationship. Plus, he and Celaena aren't exactly best friends at this point in HOF 😅.

When Rowan chooses to tell Celaena about Lyria, it's a sign that he's ready to share that part of himself with another person. Maybe he isn't ready for another full-blown relationship yet, but healing takes time! The fact that he chose to tell Aelin/Celaena about Lyria is definitely a good sign for the two of them, especially since they've been fighting each other for most of the book. It's a sign of trust. I...I can't say whether this is the beginning of a relationship blooming or if it's just friendship because spoilers, but I can confirm this is a good thing.

again, thank you so much for asking!! feel free to send me any more questions, I love these books so much <3

Also, feel free to ask more of the TOG community!! @heirofflowers, @morganofthewildfire, @rowanaelinn, @backtobl4ck, @tomtenadia, @sassyhobbits and many more have such amazing things to say about the series :)

#ask #heir of fire #throne of glass #rowan whitethorn #celaena sardothien #rowan and lyria

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galaxyofstars · 10 months ago

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guys (spoilers for tog)

rowan literally had a whole "fake" mating bond that he believed was real for years. he was married. he spent over a century of his life in perpetual morning of someone he believed was his dead mate. lucien believing that his dead love was his mate without even feeling the mating bond does not mean that he can't have a romance with elain lmao.

it's just a question of how disrespectful sjm will be to jesminda (i never got over the way they talked about rowans ex sometimes. hoping and praying the same does not happen PLEASE)

“She was nothing like Jesminda.”

People are always up lucien’s ass for this line and for comparing elain to jesminda but like…no shit he’s gonna be comparing them 😭—the female he thought was his mate and his actual mate.Lucien genuinely believed him and jesminda were mates and she died with him thinking that.It’s only natural now that he’s found his real mate his mind would wander back to jesminda and he’d subconsciously compare the two.Lucien did not think anything negative about elain he was merely making an observation on how different she is than who he’d expected to be his mate(jesminda).

“Elain had been … thrown at him.”

People also twist this line in a million different ways.Lucien was thinking back on how him and jesminda had this epic love story where she had seduced him and teased him and chosen him in every way there was.He had then spent centuries believing his “mate” was dead so elain had been thrown at him.Thrown at him as in he never expected to find his mate because he thought his mate was DEAD.The mating bond snapping was just as shocking for lucien as it was for elain.So just like elain,lucien is allowed to be confused and uncertain about their mating bond especially in this scene where he was literally meeting her for the first time.This is not proof lucien doesn’t want elain or that he resents the mating bond,it’s literally just him thinking and making keen observations regarding their situation.Stop twisting my man’s words 🗣️.

#she didnt do anything wrong guys #she was collateral damage in some bitchs campaign for power and she deserved so much better #acotar #lucien vanserra #elucien #elain archeron #acowar #acosf #anti whatever the fuck you call discussions about lyria after *everything* was revealed #tog #rowan whitethorn #throne of glass #lyria tog #jesminda acotar

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greenleaf777 · 1 month ago

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“….Stepping back and looking at it from a writing perspective. WHY would SJM write a fake mating bond?…”

HELLLLOOOOOO

*knock*knock* anyone there????

👋 Rowan and Lyria had a fake mating bond

You know from Throne of Glass? Sjm’s other series?

Elriel’s aren’t making any of this up my brothers in christ. Not the potential fake mating bond or the rejected mating bond.

Sarah J Maas is. Shes the one coming up with it. Yes thats right, the one that created these characters we know and love is the one introducing these storylines. Not Elriels.

#elriel #anti elucien #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #azriel #elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger #azriel acotar #sjm #sarah j maas

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mariaofdoranelle · 3 months ago

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Stage Kiss

Written for Throne of Glass Microfics

This accidentally ended up the size of two microfics but I’m tagging you if you’ll still have me @throneofglassmicrofics

Prompts: mainly indulge but I ended up using mayhem too

Warning: teenagers

Words: 1,9k 🫣

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 Aelin’s ivory—occasionally rosy—cheek.

“Whitethorn!” Fenrys shouted in the hallway several steps behind, forcing him to turn and stop so his friend could catch up. “Looking good,” Fen said, playfully slapping the back of his hand against Rowan’s bicep.

Rowan rolled his eyes. He thought that going to the gym every day—plus taking supplements behind his mom’s back—would magically make him more confident. It didn’t. 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 Aelin’s attention absolutely backfired.

As if he was a mind-reader, Fenrys said, “And how does it feel to be Aelin’s husband?”

Rowan blinked. “Uh…”

“I mean in the play!” Fenrys threw his head back and cackled, then urged them towards the school theater. “Bro, you’re—“

“I obviously knew that!” Rowan said, defensive.

He was just taking theater classes because his mom thought it’d help him with the shyness. But Aelin? Aelin Galathynius could give Margot Robbie a good run for her money—in both talent and beauty.

If enduring his crush on her during classes wasn’t 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 virgin—that thing with Lyria didn’t count—and while having an almost first kiss with Aelin would’ve been great, he wasn’t looking forward to a very public cardiovascular malfunction.

Once inside, he quickly found her by a wall with Nehemia. Aelin didn’t see him at first, but he slowed his pace to look at her better, making Fenrys—who was right behind him—trip 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 Aelin’s attention. At the worst moment imaginable.

She smiled at him and sent a tiny wave, and by the poorly hidden smirk on Nehemia’s face—very similar to Fenrys’—she must’ve figured out his crush on Aelin. She had to. Nehemia Ytger was one of the smartest people he knew, he just hoped she’d 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 throne—simple practice chairs, actually—with Gertrude at his side. Hamlet watches from a distance, looking somber and disapproving.

Rowan didn’t want to read too much into why he learned even the narration. He turned to his “court” and said:

Though my dear brother’s death is fresh in memory, we must also move forward.

Therefore, I have married my brother’s widow, Gertrude, to strengthen Denmark and honor our kingdom.

Gently holding Aelin’s hand, Rowan swallowed and almost froze when it was time, but her encouraging smile propelled him further.

He might’ve 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 he’d embarrassed himself somehow, until he found everyone staring at Fenrys, waiting for Hamlet.

His friend looked like a deer in the headlights.

“I forgot.”

“A little more than kin, and less than kind, Moonbeam.” Mr. Emrys took a calming breath. “Let’s do another run of this scene, shall we?”

2nd run

Therefore, I have married my brother’s widow, Gertrude, to strengthen Denmark and honor our kingdom.

Rowan took Aelin’s 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.

“Mr. E, I have ADHD,” Fenrys protested, though the twitch in the corners of his mouth betrayed the seriousness. “Don’t you think it’s a bit fascist of you to make me learn all these lines in medieval?”

It’s called ‘Early Modern Common Tongue’, Moonbeam. You’ll learn with practice.” Mr. Emrys settled back into his seat. “Let’s do another run.”

4th run

By now, Rowan was very well practiced in kissing Aelin’s cheek.

Because of the political nature of their characters’ 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 should’ve thought twice before casting Rowan.

Therefore, I have married my brother’s widow, Gertrude, to strengthen Denmark and honor our kingdom.

As practiced, he reverently took Aelin’s 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.

“Whitethorn!” Mr. Emrys called, one finger pointed at him. “That was supposed to be on the cheek, mister.”

He froze, glancing wide-eyed between the teacher and Aelin’s mischievous look. He could protest and clarify that she was the one to incite the kiss, but that would just be loser—worse, virgin—behavior.

Rowan may be both, but he sure wasn’t acting like it.

With the snickers that came from the students, their teacher’s stance relaxed. He slowly shook his head and muttered, “Teenagers,” as a chuckle escaped him.

5th run

Rowan was determined to return Aelin’s 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 brother’s 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 he’d ever tasted.

“A little more than kind, and—“

“Gods, Fenrys, it’s kin!” Nehemia shouted from the sidelines, distracting the teacher enough to forget about the kiss.

After this, Mr. Emrys stopped complaining—he had bigger battles to fight.

7th run

After their third kiss—plus four on the cheek—Rowan began to wonder if it was too soon for a “What are we?” conversation.

Maybe he should ask her out.

Scratch that, he was absolutely asking her out. If he got rejected, life would go on—after he changed schools.

Therefore, I have married my brother’s 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 didn’t come.

Shit. Was this—

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 couldn’t believe he was kissing Aelin Galathynius, and she felt so soft. Soft lips, soft skin, a soft sigh that he felt in areas he’d rather forget to not embarrass himself.

“A little more than kin, and—HOLY SHIT”

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 Aelin’s, who stared at him with flushed cheeks and wide turquoise eyes that sparkled with something he couldn’t quite place. She giggled and hid it behind her hand, and the sight of her nervous excitement brought a funny feeling to his stomach.

“Okay, that’s enough,” their teacher said to interrupt everyone’s shouts and cheers. “Moonbeam, you’ll arrive with your lines fully memorized next time—this is not a request. Everyone’s dismissed except for Whitethorn and Galathynius.”

The mood immediately sobered as students grabbed their things between whispers. It didn’t affect him like people thought it would, though. Rowan had just kissed Aelin—with tongue. Mr. Emrys could put him in detention ‘til eternity, he didn’t 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. Emry’s lips into a firm line told them he was trying to get into ‘stern teacher’ mode. He’s not really the authoritative type, but they broke the rules, and it was in the job description that he plays a role for discipline’s sake.

“In the script, it says ‘kiss on the cheek’, and I need my actors to do exactly as scripted, okay?”

Rowan and Aelin both muttered their agreements.

“Great. If that—“ Mr. Emrys pointed at the spot their kiss happened. “happens again, I’ll have to take measures all three of us won’t like.”

“We understand.”

“Great.” He said in an upbeat mode, without his ‘stern teacher’ frown, switching back to ‘nice teacher’ mode. “Glad that’s settled. You can go now, but I want you in your best behavior from now on.”

The thing about Mr. Emrys is that he’s a really cool dude. He rarely gets angry at his students, most times it’s an odd sort of fond exasperation. It worked on their favor this time, but Rowan wouldn’t 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.

“So, that happened.”

He gave her a brief, close-lipped smile. “I was thinking…”

“Yeah?” She swiftly looked up at him, eyes wide.

“Doyouwannagooutsometime?”

Rowan hoped the blood rushing into his cheeks wasn’t 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.

“Sure,” she said. “Do you have something in mind? Because there’s this movie I really wanna watch—”

“We can watch it.”

Aelin bit her bottom lip, eyes brimming with amusement. “I haven’t told you which movie it is yet.”

He tilted his head, silently urging her to give the information.

Please, anything but that gorey demon one he saw last weekend.

“Do you wanna go see Healers vs. Demons?”

“Sounds great,” Rowan half-lied.

Any movie sounded great if it was on his first date with Aelin.

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shallyne · 1 year ago

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HOFAS SPOILERS

I bet Lyrias name just got changed a little over the years and rowaelin named their kids Sam and Lyria and Lyria is the person Lidia was named after

They do sound a little similar

#hofas spoilers #hofas #cc hofas #house of flame and shadow #lidia cervos #The hind #Lyria #rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #throne of glass

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shitwillnotbegiven · 8 months ago

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Some people really forgot where Sjm has used "was given to another" before 👀

Spoilers for the throne of glass series

In Empire of Storms, Maeve tells Aelin that she "gave" Rowan to Lyria :

Maeve said, “So your mate was given to another. And I let him fall in love, let him get her with child. And then I broke him. No one ever asked how those enemy forces came to pass by his mountain home.”

And, in Azriel's bonus chapter, Azriel questions why Elain was "given" to Luc*en :

Azriel ignored the question. "The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it's possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another." He had never before dared speak the words aloud.

When we get to Kingdom of Ash, Rowan explains that he wondered if Aelin was his mate even as early as Heir of Fire (at that point, he still thought Lyria was his mate) :

“I wanted it to be you,” he breathed, closing his eyes. “For months and months, even in Wendlyn, I wondered why you weren’t my mate instead. It tore me up, wondering it, but I still did.” He opened his eyes, and they burned like green fire. “All this time, I wanted it to be you.”

The bonus chapter was the first time we see Azriel daring to say something about feeling that Elain was his mate. He must have been wondering it just like Rowan did but when he finally dared to voice it out, he was shut down by Rhys.

Whether some people like it or not, Azriel does behave like Elain's mate and the bond between Elain and Luc*en has already been questioned 2 times.

Azriel is doing the same thing Rowan did before he learned Aelin was his mate but some people aren't ready for that conversation.

#azriel #elain archeron #elriel #elriel x rowaelin parallels #rowaelin

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acourtofquestions · 8 months ago

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She was still staring at the fire. Was Sam ...

"What happened?"

She looked at him, smiling sadly. "He died."

"When?" he got out. He would have never teased her like that, never said a damn word if he'd known ...

Her words were strangled as she said,

"Thirteen months ago."

A glimmer of pain flashed across her face, so real and endless that he felt it in his gut. "I'm sorry," he breathed.

She shrugged, as if it could somehow diminish the grief he still saw in her eyes, shining so bright in the firelight. "So am I," she whispered, and faced the fire again.

. . .

"When my mate died, it took me a very, very long time to come back."

It took her a moment to think of what to say.

"How long ago?"

"Two hundred three years, twenty-seven days ago."

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elains · 2 months ago

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An Abundance of Mates?

One of the greatest hallmarks of the Maasverse is the existence of Mating Bonds . They’re at the heart of all SJM’s works (except Catwoman, but we don’t talk about Catwoman) and most of her protagonists have the privilege of finding their mate, this deep connection that most words we have fail to properly describe.

Yet for all their importance, the truth is that the lore around mating bonds is sparse, and I’d very much say deliberately vague. Why deliberately vague? Because going into too much detail about how they work and establishing hard rules could drive Sarah into a corner and as she’s very much a pantser, better keep her options open.

For all we don’t know, however, there have been things that have remained constant throughout Throne of Glass, Crescent City, and A Court of Thorns and Roses. For this meta, I’ll be focusing more on the last two, as they’re still ongoing and really, let’s be real, it's where most of this debate around mates comes from. This contains spoilers for all SJMs series.

• They’re bestowed by a higher power.

How this higher power is named varies from series to series, be it the Mother, Wyrd, Urd. What is made abundantly clear is that this isn’t a choice. In Crescent City, for all the engineering surrounding Hunt’s birth, when he questions whether his mating bond to Bryce is also artificial, he gets immediately shot down by Aidas.

Hunt gripped Bryce’s hand atop his knee. “Is it in my DNA that Bryce and I are mates? Was that engineered, too?” “No,” Aidas said quickly, “that was never intended. I think that was left to higher powers. Whatever they may be.”

Granted, the way Aidas answers this opens the question whether they could have engineered a Mating Bond, had they wanted. We do know it’s possible to create something that resembles a mating bond to trick one of the parties, as happens with Rowan, courtesy of Maeve — but that’s not a true bond. Aelin comes along, Rowan’s fated mate, and the difference is stark. Lyria is literally described as a Fake Mate, someone who, like Rowan, was duped by Maeve’s sorcery.

Overall, I think it’s clear that no, you cannot create a Mating Bond. That is the purveyor of the Higher Powers that govern the universe. All other beings can only hope to accomplish are imitations of the true thing, some more successful and real than others. In the excerpt above, I’d wager the reason Aidas refutes it so fast is because he, as a Prince of Hel, knows that there are forces out there you do not mess or interfere with.

Also, Sarah has no problem creating circumstances where her characters can have something that is adjacent to a mating bond, but not really one, like Chaol and Yrene’s bond by the end of Tower of Dawn and it's still framed positively.

• They exist from birth, across species and worlds.

Let’s tackle this one by one. Another constant we have about the mating bonds in SJM’s worlds is that it very much can exist across species, with the caveat that one of these parts is always Fae or Part-Fae. In Crescent City, we have Bryce (Demifae) and Hunt (Malakim), Danika (Shifter Fae) and Baxian (Malakim) and my favourite one I think, Theia (Fae) and Aidas (Demon Prince).

Theia and Aidas are particularly fun one because not only are they from completely different species, but they are also from completely different planets. Chances are that had Theia never crossed into Midgard, she’d never have met Aidas. This does imply that whoever or whatever is responsible for the Mating Bonds operates on a cosmic scale. It’s not some weak force ruling over one world, but rather something that spans the universe, and this level of foreknowledge points at it being an all-knowing, all-seeing force/power/being.

Which we then circle back the first of the topic, last to be broached: mates are from birth. This is pretty much what we see and learn in ACOTAR, when it’s established that Feyre was always Rhysand’s mate, even when she was still human, and that inspired her to paint the stars on her drawer. By that point, they had never interacted, but the bond was already there, and it was only made stronger when she became Fae, eventually snapping.

Why was it made stronger? This is speculation and a murky area because Sarah hasn’t given many details on it, my working theory is that the Fae are more tied to the “Powers of the Universe” (Read: they’re the Creator’s Favourites) than humans are, so they feel it more keenly. I do think that what we get in Crescent City with the Parasite dulling the Vanir’s primal abilities and instincts, things that are intrinsic to their beings, which also dulled the signs of a mating bond, though it’s unable to erase them.

• Multiple types of mating bonds confirmed in Crescent City?

One of the major discourse points in the fandom after Crescent City released was the existence of multiple types of mates, as some people argue that in HOSAB, there’s explicit confirmation that the Malakim can have mates, and they can choose them. I could never accept them because most of the ones I’ve seen are eager to ignore some important points: 1) The context of how it comes up. 2) The general context of the series.

When it comes up in HOSAB, it’s when Ithan and Bryce are talking about Connor. Ithan tells her that Connor thought she was his mate, and this is when first she thinks about the various definitions of the term. To our two kinds of Fae, mates are something deeper than marriage, chosen by Urd, beyond an individual’s control. This is verbatim what the description says:

There were several definitions of the term mate—though Bryce supposed that to Ithan, to a shifter, only one mattered: one’s true lover, predestined by Urd. The Fae had a similar concept—a mate was a bond deeper than marriage, and beyond an individual’s control.

This is contrasted by how the Malakim use the term “Mate” as specified right after. It’s not nearly as serious:

The angels, she knew, used the term far more lightly: for the malakim, it was akin to a marriage, and matings could be arranged. Like breeding animals in a zoo.

There's nothing romantic about “Like breeding animals in a zoo”. The definition of Mate to the malakim has nothing to do with the soul bond level of the Fae. When Celestina says she’s going to be mated to Ephraim to produce children, she’s not talking about them being bound body and soul in a something deeper. She’s talking about “Yeah, they have selected us to mate and breed like cattle to bring forth new Malakim offspring”.

It doesn’t have to be as bleak! As Bryce herself acknowledges, it’s akin to a marriage. Mate, in this sense, has the same meaning as spouse, lover, significant other, companion. But True Mates, mates in the way the Fae are, have a much deeper bond that defies these simple labels.

Later, when talking to Hunt, Bryce also says that it can be a biological thing, as some mates can feel an invisible link between them, a scent or soul bond. The fact that it can be but not necessarily is does seem to imply you can have a mating bond without these other biological aspects showing up, but that doesn’t take from the main point of this meta and the main conclusion.

• Mates within the context of SJMs works

With this, we go back to point number 2 I stated above: context of this series. It’s clear as day that Sarah adores the fated mates trope, the existence of a predestined love and a bond that surpasses all others. Aelin and Rowan, Bryce and Hunt, Ruhn and Lidia, Feyre and Rhysand, Nesta and Cassian, hinted with Elide and Lorcan — they’re all mates. It’s supposed to be rare, mind, but even side-characters get mates because she loves them so much.

However, being mates with someone doesn’t mean insta-love. Theses couples didn’t meet and were all stars and rainbows from the get got! There might have been attraction, but there wasn’t really insta love. They had to go through things together, to build their relationship, and some just found out/had confirmation about their bond later, when they had a solid foundation.

As far as romantic relationships go, Sarah’s work has never been about defying what fate established. Rather, they’re journeys about finding their way together, to where you’re supposed to be, and making it work despite being fated for each other. Some people have said it before, but choosing to embrace a mating bond has weight insofar as you have the possibility (or the illusion) to reject it.

This isn’t meant to be a shipping post and more one about Mates in general, but I will speak about Elucien and Elriel (Gwynriel isn’t here because Elain is the one with a confirmed mating bond) because Elain’s mating bond is at the heart of these discussions.

Unlike most Sarah’s couple, Elain and Lucien know from the start they’re mated. The tension exists because of it, as Elain didn’t want to be turned Fae and at the time was in love and engaged to someone else. The Mating Bond foisted upon them is the very source of tension, as it comes not as a confirmation they’re meant to be, but as an indication. Their story would be about knowing they’re meant to be, in a way resisting it, but falling in love and choosing each other anyway.

What of Elain and Azriel? I know there are a lot of theories about how they’re “Mates by Choice”, but I digress. They won’t be mates of choice, nor they’ll have something mate adjacent. Elain and Azriel’s story would be about them being True Mates and them finding their way to each other and staying together despite whatever external forces are keeping them apart. If Azriel and Elain are endgame, her mating bond with Lucien will be (for some reason) revealed to be some kind of spell or lie. Az will always have been the real one.

For more details of how these two ships would come about and the details, there are great theories and meta for both around which goes in depth about my points here.

• The Conclusion:

The word “Mate” can be used to describe multiple types of relationships, but there’s only one type of true (soul)mates, and they’re chosen by a higher power beyond and individuals’ control. Calling someone your mate does not equal them being your soulmate.

#my meta #sjm #acotar #ccity #tog #mates #hosab #hofas #i'll die on the hill that there's only one kind of true mates #regardless of ship

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anarchiii · 11 months ago

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𖤓 THRONE OF GLASS MASTERLIST 𖤓

One Shots:

Happy birthday Buzzard —Canon AU

Summary: it’s Rowan’s birthday, he doesn’t want to do anything for it but Aelin thinks his birthday should be celebrated. Whether Rowan wants to or not, Aelin is going to do something special and Rowan can’t stop it.

I never left your side. —Modern AU

Summary: pay attention to the road, it’s a fickle thing.

Notebook —Modern AU

Summary: I wrote this for the Throne of Glass August prompt ‘Notebook’.

Continuing Fics:

Star-crossed lovers —Canon AU

Summary: What if Rowan had known Lyria was pregnant and didn’t go off to war? Fenrys would have most likely trained Celaena, not Rowan, Would Celaena be the person she is in KOA?

Crossovers:

Worlds apart —Canon AU

Summary: Pain and suffering one after the other, Azriel decides that maybe he’s not meant for this world, but maybe he is meant for another…

Twin Flames —Canon AU

Summary: Y/N had been born from a great darkness, and yet her soul burned brighter than any Firewielder. She didn’t care for someone who would try smother those flames, she wanted someone that would set them alight. . .

(All characters listed in these fics—excluding Y/N—respectively belong to Sarah J. Maas)

Last updated 9th, September, 2024

*Dividers by @cafekitsune and @saradika

#fantasy #sjm universe #sarah j maas #books #throne of glass #aelin x rowan #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #aelin fireheart #heir of fire #queen of shadows #crown of midnight #kingdom of ash #empire of storms #the assassin's blade

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queenofwolvesworld · 2 months ago

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Star Wars Prompt 1

So, here's an idea that's been rolling around in my head.

There's a scene in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, after Aelin is captured and freed from Maeve. Aelin tells Rowan that Maeve showed her a vision of the world as it could have been, without all the death and pain that the two of them had been through. In that future, Aelin didn't go through the death of her family, and was raised in Terrasen, among Orlon's court, and Rowan never met Lyria, never had her taken away. They meet for the first time when Aelin is 18 (or around that age), and Rowan is accompanying a delegation to Terrasen from Doranelle on Maeve's behalf to make up with Aelin's mother and the rest of the Ashryver family. But the line that struck me was when Aelin says something along the lines of "I took one look at you and I knew. I knew that you were my mate."

So now, apply this to Star Wars, and make it Obikin. Make Anakin female, and let's deage Obi-Wan so that they're closer in age to make things interesting (like an 8 year age gap?). Anakin was born a girl, and goes through the horrifying experiences a female slave goes through. She's never found by the Jedi. Sometime when she's in her teens, she, Shmi and other Tatooine slaves lead a rebellion and win Tatooine from the Hutts. Anakin is still just as powerful in the Force as in canon, but now, we'll make Shmi force-sensitive, too. Shmi rules as the Queen of Tatooine, with Anakin as her General. Anakin is really powerful, and the Amavikka (the slaves of the galaxy, but more particularly those of Tatooine) have their own, very cultural understanding and usage of the Force, which I imagine is somewhat a combination of ToG's magic and that seen in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle.

But when the Senate hears about all of this, they're terrified, because they don't want a bunch of ex-slaves overthrowing their governments, because slavery is more rife in the Republic than they'll ever admit. And the Jedi are worried about the rumors of strong, potentially hostile Force users, so they convince the Senate to send some Jedi along. The Senate agrees, and so Obi-Wan Kenobi, Aayla Secura, Padmé Amidala, Quinlan Vos, Qui-Gon Jinn, Bail Organa and maybe some others are sent to Tatooine to negotiate with the new government and hopefully convince them to sign some treaties with the Republic.

When they get there, they make contact with Shmi, and she's not impressed. But she agrees to show them around as a sign of good faith, and to let them see how much better Tatooine is faring under their control. So she calls Anakin forward, and the moment Anakin lays eyes on Obi-Wan, who's kinda standing at the back of the delegation, feels an instant connection with him. But she's very suspicious of the whole delegation, since they're Republic, and the Republic and the Jedi have never done anything for them at all. She takes them around anyway, because her mother asked her to.

This is where I only have vague ideas. I want Anakin to have epic friendships with Padmé and Aayla. I want Qui-Gon to really like the Amavikka, as he really likes the way they view the Force. I want Obi-Wan and Anakin to clash like Rowan and Aelin do because of their opposing views and equal stubbornness. I want Anakin and the Amavikka to keep freeing worlds from slavery, and Obi-Wan, Aayla and Padmé getting sent to investigate, but Padmé and Aayla keep letting them go while Obi-Wan is frustrated. Anakin also occasionally saves Obi-Wan’s skin when he’s out on missions, even though she still doesn’t like him, leading to some charged moments.

Of course, it ends with Obi-Wan and Anakin truly falling in love as he learns to become less of an uptight Jedi and let loose. This is because he and Anakin need to work together to fix something that is threatening both the Amavikka and the Jedi (read- our Sith Lord Darth Sidious, AKA Skeevy Sheevy), which both of them aren’t happy about, but agree to out of duty. Anakin teaches Obi-Wan more about how she views and uses the Force. Obi-Wan also shows her that there are good people in the Republic, and that they are willing to change, essentially teaching her that there is good in the galaxy again. Bonus points if you can include a thrilling/romantic/heart stopping moment of Anakin taking Obi-Wan with her to fly on her bonded bird.

Thank you for reading this long-winded ramble of very jumbled thoughts. *Waves goodbye and scuttles under rock from which she emerged*

#star wars #writing prompt #writers on tumblr #writing inspiration #throne of glass

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