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leiawritesstories · 2 years

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The Next First Beltane

Aelin Week, Day 1: Beltane

I cannot properly say how excited I am for Aelin Week!!!! Thank you so so so so much @rowaelinscourt for organizing this!! Anyway. Here’s my first piece!

Word count: 1,595

Warnings: some language, mentions of war/Erawan/Maeve/KOA (post-canon do be like that sometimes), implied smut

Enjoy!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Fireheart?” Rowan peeked into the bedroom, finding Aelin adjusting her kingsflame crown in front of the mirror at her dressing table. “You alright?”

“Fine,” she returned, her tone a little shorter than usual.

Rowan stepped into the room, closing the door behind him and walking over to stand behind her with that immortal Fae silence of his. Aelin.

What.

You know you’re allowed to tell me the truth, love.

I am telling you the truth, you fussy buzzard. I’m fine. A hint of...something flickered deep in her eyes, whatever it was quickly being repressed.

If you insist, Fireheart. He rested his hands on her shoulders, hoping he could lend her some small measure of comfort. You don’t need to feel obligated to light the fires, you know.

I know. Her voice soft, still a little hollow. But I want to. Determination underlying her words.

I’ll be right beside you, Rowan promised, kissing his queen softly.

She leaned into his embrace, drawing strength from his presence. I love you, buzzard.

I love you too, Fireheart.

He stood behind her for several long moments, arms around her waist, calming her nerves. She threaded her fingers through his, leaning into his chest. I will never not say how absolutely stunning you look in courtly clothes, my love.

Damned itchy things, he grumbled. You know I hate dressing up.

Yes, but you look so wonderful when you do. Itchy collars and all.

Still...

Aelin grinned at him. “Are we ready, my king?”

“We are, my queen.”

“Dorian!” was the first thing Aelin exclaimed when she and Rowan entered the expansive grounds of the Palace of Orynth. Still a little battered from the battle, still bearing some scars from Erawan’s armies, the green had just begun to return, creeping over the terrain, casting it once again in life. “I thought you weren’t going to make it!”

“Cleared my schedule,” the king of Adarlan grinned, slinging his arm around Aelin’s shoulders. “I wasn’t about to miss Terrasen’s first Beltane in years. Especially not when the Queen of Ash and Flames herself is making a grand appearance.”

“You’re the best, Dorian.” Aelin hugged him back, catching up with how his recovery and rebuilding efforts were going as they made their way into the crowds gathered in the palace grounds.

“I do try,” he laughed.

“And just how fares the witch kingdom?” she inquired, innocently.

“Quite well,” Dorian mumbled, averting his gaze.

Aelin poked her elbow into his ribs. “Quite well indeed, if that’s all you have to say about it, hmm?”

“Shut up,” he grumbled, flushing slightly.

She just chuckled, winking slyly at him as she headed over to chat with a circle of ambassadors. And from there she barely had a moment to breathe, moving from one cluster of nobles to the next, politely answering all the questions about the rebuilding, about the future of Terrasen, about her plans for the future, and avoiding the questions she had no desire to answer. Like the three pushy lords of Terrasen who outright demanded to know when she was going to “produce an heir.” Literally. Those exact words. Rowan had gone tense with anger when he heard that question via the bond, striding over to the lords and demanding to know when, exactly, they were going to introduce the new budget plans.

That shut them right the hell up.

As dusk began to fall, Aelin made her way over to the open fields, where four unlit bonfires stood dry and waiting in their stone pits. Beside her, Rowan rested a hand against the small of her back.

I’m here, Fireheart.

Standing towards the front of the crowd, who were gathering around the fires to hear the queen speak, Fenrys caught her gaze, blinked four times. I am here, I am with you. Aelin pressed her lips together, forcing back tears at the unexpected gesture of support.

And then she stepped forward, every inch the Queen of Terrasen, and delivered a short, heartfelt speech to the people gathered there. When she had finished, she took a deep breath, reached down into the well of power she kept coiled within herself, and allowed a small, soft strand to curl out, wrapping itself around her hands.

“Happy Beltane, everyone.”

With that, with Rowan’s hand once more against her back, tethering her to the ground, anchoring her, she reached into her power, welcoming the warmth of her flames, and sent her fire outwards, surging towards the four bonfires. The dry wood caught, crackling to life, sparks exploding upwards into the air as the Beltane bonfires flared to life, casting the gathered crowds in shades of red, orange, and gold.

Aelin let her hands fall, watching as the gathering resettled around the fires.

You did it, Fireheart. Rowan’s voice tinged with pride.

I did it, she repeated, leaning against him, smiling softly. I did it.

Together, they watched the Beltane revels progress, Aelin poking a wicked finger into his ribs when she saw the line for jumping over the fire beginning to form.

“You want to go fire leaping, Ro?”

“Absolutely the hell not,” he grumbled. “’S too dangerous.”

“Oh, you have no sense of fun, you grumpy old buzzard.”

“Old, am I?” His hand flexed against her waist, a warning. A promise.

“Indeed,” she hummed, shifting her position so his hand slipped down to her hip, caressing the curve. And then she pulled away, laughing at his frustrated snarl, and headed straight for the line to leap over the fire.

Rowan followed her, keeping himself well away from the line, just wanting to keep an eye on Aelin as she leapt the fire. He knew she was still recovering from the war. They all were. He knew she was trying her best to participate fully in Beltane for her people, for her kingdom, because as she put it, “it just would not do for the Queen to visibly avoid celebrating.” He couldn’t argue with that, but he could, however, hover nearby just in case anything went awry.

Overbearing Fae buzzard, she huffed into his mind, sensing his presence off to the side.

...Moral support? he offered, halfheartedly. She was right about the overbearing thing, that she was.

She chuckled. Fine fine, call it whatever you have to. I won’t try to stop you from fussing, buzzard.

You know I can’t help it, Fireheart.

She just nodded, her eyes meeting his from her place in the line. As she moved forward, approaching the low, crackling jumping fire, he felt her heartbeat increase just the slightest bit, the only sign of any apprehension she displayed. The demi-Fae in front of her jumped, a couple of sparks barely grazing his lower legs, and whooped with glee to his cluster of friends, who cheered for him.

And then it was Aelin’s turn.

She gathered her skirts in one hand, facing the fire with the steely, determined gaze of the unflinching, gold-clad warrior queen who’d led her forces to victory in the face of impossible odds. And, taking a few running steps, she leaped, her Fae strength propelling her over the crackling fire pit. As she arced over the flames, they surged up just a little brighter, as if greeting their queen. She landed on the other side, released her skirts, a wide grin spreading over her face. Whoops and cheers sounded from the line behind her, from the people gathered to watch the fire leapers. Grinning happily, she shook herself out and hurried over to Rowan, her smile infectious.

“I told you I’d be fine,” she giggled, looping her arm through his. “You sure you’re not going to jump?”

“Positive,” he sighed, following her lead as she started towards one of the four great bonfires.

“You’re no fun,” she teased, puffing out her lower lip in a fake pout.

“Oh, princess, I assure you I can be plenty of fun,” he murmured, his breath fanning hot against the delicate point of her ear.

A delightful shiver raced down her spine at his words, at the sinful promise lacing them. “And can you prove that claim, prince?”

“Indeed.” His voice just the faintest bit smug. “Indeed I can.”

The last embers of Beltane night burned brightly in the glass lantern Aelin carried, lighting her and Rowan’s way back into the palace. As was tradition, she left the lantern on its little pedestal between the two thrones in the throne room, imbuing the small fire with enough of her power that it would continue to flicker and glow all through the night.

Up in their rooms, she carefully removed her crown, placing it into its box, before flicking open each clasp of Rowan’s jacket slowly and deliberately. He loosed a strangled growl at her pace, flinging the jacket off into a corner of the room and sweeping her up into his arms, kissing her hungrily.

Her lovely eyes were blown out with desire when she pulled back, her chest heaving. “I believe someone has a claim to prove,” she purred, shifting her hips in a slow circle. Rowan’s eyes tracked her movement, darkening with a hundred emotions.

“Indeed I do,” he rumbled, sliding his hands up underneath her dress, pulling it off in one fluid motion and throwing it in the general direction of his jacket. “Indeed I do,” he growled again, moving her up against the pillows. “And I intend to prove it most thoroughly.”

“Do your worst, my king,” she purred, smiling brightly at Rowan as he laid her down and made love to her all through the night.

~~~~~

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#my writing #aelin week #day 1 #beltane #canonverse

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flowerflamestars · 3 years

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What are your favorite rarepairs from sjm’s works?

This is it, this is my favorite ask of all time, because I get to yell about the tog ships I entered the fandom too late to get to interact with!

Let me introduce you to the rarest of pairs. A ship, that appears? to not even have a relationship tag on ao3: Lady Lysandra of Caraverre/REN ALLSBROOK

Listen, Aedion had potential. That a man sees a woman and is immediately like: I’m going to marry her, she’s incredible- that’s my catnip. Staying with her sea monster body? You know what? It’s working for me! and then everything else...not so much.

See- if that moment had been about Lysandra’s bravery, about how Aedion saw her in that moment, it works. But their issue is, always, that Aedion isn’t interested in understanding Lysandra- he just filters everything about her through his own context. (See: he’s going to make her a princess. Her forced sex work? totally the same as him...being depressed and sleeping around for fun! Her time on the literal streets, not remembering her own real face? Aedion’s family is dead too, what of it!)

It also DEEPLY rubs me the wrong way that they immediately get married? but I’m getting off topic

Ren and his grandfather are who Lysandra trusts to keep Evangeline safe! GUYS I would kill for a fic about like, how much that trust meant, after the death of both of Ren’s sisters. Ren and Evangeline bonding over facial scars. Even after the war, after peace, Ren being sort of like...a surrogate big brother?

And Ren is mortal. As is Lysandra, by all accounts. They have so much less time than everyone they know- and i JUST CANNOT imagine a post-war Lysandra who wouldn’t take a step back. She’s totally free for the first time in her entire life.

She has her inheritance. Her land, her name, Evangeline safe.

I think she’d spend a lot of time building a life that was hers.

And sometimes, she see’s the neighboring Lord. They share a boundary, after all. Ren, whose bleeding loyalty has made peace with Aelin, who still remembers Evangeline at every birthday, every holiday.

He’s alone like Lysandra, rebuilding a life from the ground up.

I just think he’d respect her. Fundamentally. What she sacrificed in the war, the same ‘lie’ cough important political secret cough that made Aedion lose his shit, if it ever came out. She’s not even from Terrasen, but she was willing to give her whole life to the cause.

Maybe they never marry- maybe Ren is smart enough to understand Lysandra is done belonging to anyone but herself. But that wouldn’t stop them from being the sort of couple who are together for like, sixty years, never far from each others sides. There’s a kindness to him, and it’s a life well-lived, without regret.

SECONDARILY: I’m still pissed about Malide. I might be forever- if Manon was a man, she would have been MARRIED to Elide by the end of ToG.

No room for ship wars here, I like Lorcan too. But yall, Lorcan is cut from the same lines as Manon??!

The sheer power of it- Manon, raised to be a monster, learning from the arbitrarily soft seeming, forgotten woman that no, no, that’s not what it takes. Elide has what it takes and her blood bleeds blue.

Elide falling in love with the first person she allows to see all of her, and recognizes that value. Who ferociously defends her, but empowers her to save herself. Who never forgets her, even when they’re on separate continents in the middle of a war.

It! just! It was so so so there, and it would have eliminated easily three different plot loops. It brings the witches into the war. It COULD have been the jumping off point to find the Crochan, because Elide, despite having witch blood, is pretty damned obviously not an immortal ironteeth. THE WITCH LINES REUNITED IN LOVE. You can even still have the emotional beat of: I wanted you to come home to Perranth with me, BECAUSE MANON DOESN’T HAVE A HOME ANY MORE EITHER

and you know, it doesn’t reduce our Manon Witch Queen Walking Symbol of Female Freedom to...asking a dude to marry her? as a protection measure/way out...AND HIM TURNING HER DOWN...rightly? because their entire relationship is a) sex is fun and b) Dorian being fucked up over his fiance dying and only feeling safe getting tangled up with someone literally indestructible.

Fuck, this got so long! Thank you for the ask :)

#honorable mentions:#az/lucien (pre acosf reading)#aelin/fenrys #rhysand/staying dead #TARQUIN/NESTA #nesryn/yrene

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house-of-galathynius · 7 years

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48. Rowaelin

Meeting at a high school reunion: Aelin and Rowan haven’t seen each other since they graduated, and now 10 years later they meet again at their HS reunion.

Aelin had been skeptical about coming to the ten year reunion. Not only had it involved her taking time off work, but she also had to fly half way across the country- and there was also the small fact that she didn’t particularly like anyone from her high school. If it hadn’t been for Lysandra pestering her every second, she wouldn’t be stood in the large room surrounded by her old peers.

She wasn’t the only one to be surprised at her being there; old friends and even people she’d probably only spoken to once were shocked to see her, and didn’t hold back in telling her.

She made polite conversation with everyone who came up to her. Congratulating many on their marriages, listening to them drone on about their children or how they’re redecorating their pool house. She eventually made her way to the bar, where she spotted Rowan Whitethorn.

Her and Rowan hadn’t exactly been the best of friends during high school. In fact, she was certain that Rowan had hated her. Ten years had passed since she had last seen him; Aelin had certainly mellowed in that time, perhaps he had too. She approached the empty chair next to him, and sat down.

Rowan didn’t hear her approach. He only noticed her presence when the chair next to him moved and she sat beside him.

Aelin Ashryver Galathynius.

He hadn’t thought about her in ten years. She didn’t seem to have changed much, her features remained the same, the long blonde hair, the blue eyes with the ring of gold and that mouth that had once driven him crazy- and not in a good way.

“I have to say, I’m shocked to see you here.” Aelin’s voice filled the silence around them, and Rowan turned to her. She was staring down at her hands, focused on a scar running along her palm.

He focused on her face and replied, “I could say the same to you. I thought you couldn’t wait to get rid of us all.”

“I’ve somewhat calmed down since I was a teenager. Also, my friend practically forced me to come.” Aelin finally look up at him, and he noticed how her eyes seemed sad, not like the girl that used to terrorise the hallways all those years ago.

“You didn’t bring someone with you? A boyfriend, husband?”

Aelin’s shoulders slumped, and she just shook her head slightly.

“My boyfriend… died. Two years ago.”

Rowan didn’t know what to say. It explained why she was quieter, why she didn’t have the same energy she used to have. He’d known about her parents- everyone in the school knew about her parents- the news of their murder had been huge, he’d known she had been separated from her cousin, and now losing a partner. The fact that she was still functioning was a miracle.

His thoughts were interrupted when Aelin began to speak again.

“What about you? Are you married?”

When Rowan had decided to come, he had known questions like this would be asked. He had tried to mentally prepare himself to talk about what had happened that fateful night; it had been four years and yet the pain was still raw.

“I was.” He didn’t expand, afraid that his emotions would get the better of him.

Aelin glanced around the room, noticing everyone had formed groups and were deep in conversation. She didn’t care to join any of the conversations happening, so once again turned to Rowan, “do you want to get out of here? My hotel has a bar, we could get a drink and talk?”

They arrived at the hotel bar and both ordered the strongest drink on the menu, and proceeded to sit at the table in a corner, out of the way of everyone else.

The first few minutes they sat in silent, nursing their drinks; until Aelin finally broke the silence.

“So… what happened?”

His heart sank as he remembered the night. The knock at the door, the police who came in and sat him down, and told him what had happened. The breakdown he had once they’d left- the screaming, the crying, the anguish and pain that consumed him. It had been so long since he really thought about that day, and it was just as heartbreaking as before.

He looked to Aelin, who was waiting patiently for a reply.

“She died in a car crash four years ago. She was pregnant and I lost both of them.”

Aelin had almost wished she’d never asked. The mood shifted and she could sense he was done talking about it. Her heart ached for him. She had thought losing Sam was bad, she had known that his job was dangerous, that he could walk out of the door and never return… but to lose someone without any sort of warning, it would ruin her… it did ruin her.

“I’m so sorry Rowan, losing someone you love… It’s something no one should have to go through.”

“Thank you. It’s been so long, but I still think about it sometimes.”

“I do too. Not only Sam, but my parents… sometimes I wake up and I’m just consumed by this grief, this unrelenting sadness that wrecks me. I don’t think it ever really goes away, you’ll have days where getting out of bed seems like the hardest thing you’ll ever do… and then you’ll remember that they would want you to be happy and live your life,” Aelin sips her drink, “so I guess that’s what I’m trying to do.”

“I think you’re doing great. I mean, you managed to come here today.”

Aelin laughed and rolled her eyes, “that was thanks to my friend Lysandra. She’s very persuasive.”

They finished their drinks in relative silence, and when Rowan glanced at his watch he knew it was probably time to go.

Aelin walked with him to the doors. it’s funny how ten years can change people. She’d hated Rowan, or at least strongly disliked him during high school, but looking at him now, they weren’t so dissimilar, and despite death being the thing connecting them, she found herself wanting to see him again.

“Rowan?”

He paused in the doorway, studying Aelin’s face, trying to grasp what she might say next.

“If you ever find yourself needing someone to talk to about her, or about anything, I’m only a phone call away.”

Rowan merely nodded and walked away, but his heart felt fuller than it had since the day Lyria died.

Maybe Aelin would be the one to walk the dark path back to the light with him.

So I know technically in the books Rowan was the one who helped Aelin get over her grief, but for this fic I switched it.

I also apologise that this ended up quite sad… I have a tendency to make everything I write into a sad thing. So sorry!! But I hope you did enjoy this!

Please no more prompts because I literally cannot keep up!

#rowaelin #rowaelin fanfiction #fanfiction #throne of glass #rowan whitethorn #rowan whitethorn galathynius #aelin ashryver galathynius #aelin ashryver #aelin galathynius #rowan x aelin #aelin x rowan #house-of-galathynius #rowaelin fanfic

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aelin-and-feyre · 7 years

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Preference: Wedding

Requested by @highladyyfeyre @writergash and a nonnie

Thank you @autumn03 for being my beta <3

Preference Tag List: @runesandfaes @autumn03 @fiery-feyre @januarystears @caitlyn-blackwell @starzablaze @writergash @illyriangoddess @wyrdtoyourmother @perks-of-being-a-lunar @justbooklover @aelinxfeyre @highladyyfeyre

Rowan:

It’s on top of a mountain so everyone is wearing furs and boots. Pine trees surround the area and snow crunches underfoot. It’s perfect. Rowan stands at the altar, looking at you with joy and wonder. His chest puffs out proudly as you begin walking toward him. His warmth and love dispel any chill that might penetrate your long-sleeved dress. Although a shiver does go down your spine when he says his vows. They are obviously from his heart, and fully dedicate himself to loving and protecting you with everything he is, was, and will be for as long as he may live. And goosebumps do erupt across your skin when he kisses you for the first time as husband and wife, his eyes scrunched with the intensity and passion of his feelings.

Rhys:

He lets you pick everything. Rhys wants the day to be everything you’ve ever imagined it would be. Except the rings, which he surprises you with the day of. They are intricately woven and the gem resting in the center seems to hold starlight inside. Rhys says in his vows that he will give you the sun and the stars if you ask for them, his gaze drifting towards the rings and you wonder if he already has. When the wedding is over and for many days after, Rhysand cannot stop murmuring ‘My High Lady’ over and over and over - mostly because it has yet to fail to make you blush.

Aelin:

It is extravagant, as everything always is with her. It is meticulously planned down to the very last place setting and it’s all beautiful. Especially Aelin and you. ‘I’ve always known I have exquisite taste’ she murmurs when she sees you. The two of you stuff cake into each others mouths at the reception - chocolate cake, of course. She also takes the liberty of writing and performing a song on the piano as a surprise to you. Halfway through, another ultra talented musician takes over for her and Aelin offers you her hand, pulling you onto the dance floor to twirl and sway for the remainder of the beautiful melody. Everyone can tell that the two of you are in love, and it fills your heart to the brim.

Dorian:

Lady attention towards him doubles when he announces he’s getting married to you, because to them, he isn’t married yet, and they still have a chance, a small window that is closing rapidly. You become very self-conscious about it, assuring yourself that one of these days, Dorian is going to leave you for one of the more beautiful or eligible woman who are begging for his attention. However, until the very last step you take down the aisle, Dorian never looks at another woman, never gives you the inkling that he may be enticed by their curves. He assures you that he is yours and no one else’s in every way possible, saying in his vows, ‘I promise to stay true to you forever, for everyone else in the world makes me feel like a boy, but you - you make me feel like a king.’

Cassian:

He is not a very superstitious person, and neither are you, so the two of you sleep in the same bed the night before you’re wedding. When you wake up, Cassian leans over and places a lasting kiss on your lips. Then, you both get ready for the ceremony together. He helps you zip up your dress and you help him with his tie. He buries his nose in your warm, freshly curled hair just before you spray it with hairspray, just to memorize your scent for the thousandth time before you mask it. He finally slips on his jacket while you are just finishing your makeup and turns before leaving. You haven’t put on lipstick yet so Cassian walks over and kisses you passionately one more time. ‘I look forward to waking up like this for the rest of our lives’ he says, his eyes gleaming. ‘I’ll see you out there, love,’ Cassian promises as he walks out the door, leaving you flushed with a pounding heart.

Chaol:

He’s not usually a dancer, but he surprises you at the reception during your first dance. Somehow, Chaol had found the time to take dance lessons, and twirls you around the dance floor all night. The two of you laugh and talk and reminisce. He keeps saying ‘Mrs. Westfall’ whenever addressing you, loving the words on his tongue. Chaol finds a way to dip you at every possible moment too, as he’s become a master at it. His hold grows slowly tighter with each song until you are both flush against each other and whispering in the other’s ears. Towards the end of the night, he leans in a murmurs, ‘Shall we ditch this party and advance to the bedroom, Mrs. Westfall?’

Mor:

The two of you elope. She mentions wanting to marry you countless times but always talks herself out of it, convinced that no one will approve and no one will want to come no matter how many times you try to persuade her otherwise. Finally, one day you suggest that you two go to a priestess out of the blue, get married, and be done with it. She says yes almost immediately. The ceremony is sweet and short and Mor cries because she loves you so much because you understand and cherish her. She thanks you profusely afterwards, even though you insist that there is nothing to thank, that you love her and wanted to marry her just as much. Mor truly cannot stop kissing you.

Azriel:

All seven of his siphons gleam and pulse in full display as you walk down the aisle towards him. You have never seen Azriel so bright. There is absolutely no sign of his shadows anywhere, and he knows it. His smile stretches across his face and there may or may not be just a small tear in one of his eyes. He does not hesitate as he reaches out and grasps your hand in his scarred one. He does not grimace at all at the difference between your pristine skin and his own. His eyes stay locked on yours the entire ceremony, his wings outstretched and also on full display. His voice is loud and certain when he finally says ‘I do’ and you think you’re heart might crack at how happy he is when you finally say it back.

Lorcan:

After Maeve, he has a hard time with big oaths of commitment to anyone. But for you, for the love of his life, he will do it. He is sweating bullets though, and you have never seen him so nervous. Lorcan’s eyes are wide as you walk down the aisle, and you almost think he might vomit from stress. As soon as you touch his hand, you’re small fingers being completely enveloped in his own, Lorcan releases a breath and... smiles. His expression shifts from nervousness to everlasting love and devotion, and you know that he want to do this, that he wants to tie himself to you, forever. Because you are not Maeve, and you love him more than anything else in the world, just as he loves you.

Lucien:

It’s finally happening, he is getting to marry you. After heartbreak and struggle and strife, Lucien gets to be happy. He feels like he’s in a dream. After so many times he has asked you to marry him, here you are, standing at the altar across from him and you’re smiling and happy and flushed and his gaze physically cannot drift from you. You are so beautiful in the sun rays and Lucien is literally glowing with happiness. He can’t help himself as he reaches out and brushes a stray strand of hair from your face in the middle of his vows, his hand lingering on your cheek as he stares at you. His wife. The future mother of his children. The love of his life.

Aedion:

You are nervous. So nervous in fact that a couple of your bridesmaids are worried that you are getting cold feet and may bail. They immediately call Aedion and he is there in an instant, his soothing hands on your face, his firm, loving voice caressing your ears. He pulls you into him. ‘If you want to call the whole thing off, it is completely fine, I will understand. But if not, I am happy to warm up these feet for you’. His hands grasp your bare feet, jokingly, though his eyes are sincere and you know he means every word. After all the planning and waiting, he is willing to cancel the wedding. For you. And that’s when you realize that there is absolutely no reason to be nervous. Aedion loves you and wants to marry you and you want to marry him. ‘You need to get out so I can put on my dress,’ you finally say to him, your breathing now even, your voice just a touch mischievous. Aedion grins widely, planting a kiss on your lips and leaves with a wink.

Feyre:

She makes the vows into a bargain, and the rings are tattoos, because that’s how serious she is about marrying you. It’s a very informal wedding, with just your closest friends, but it is still so much fun. Feyre keeps finding an excuse to hold your hand, or place a kiss on the new tattoo wrapped around the fourth finger of your left hand. She even commissions a portrait of the two of you to hang in your bedroom so that she can admire it - even though she knows she could have done so much better. All the other memories of the wedding she paints herself; your bouquets; the place settings; the image of you dancing in the middle of the floor, completely happy. All of these are also hung around your house in some way, and both of you cherish them forever.

Helion:

The High Lord of Day was never able to convince you to sleep with him. Instead, he spent every waking hour trying to woo you and falling in love with you instead. So, when you’re wedding day comes around, he’s yet to bed you. That is, until things get a little too passionate the night before and you wake up naked in his bed the morning of your wedding. ‘Y-you still want to marry me? Even though we’ve had sex?’ Helion is taken aback by your question, not knowing that it had been one of your fears all along. He is quick to put your worries to rest. ‘My sun, I have never wanted to marry you more.’ He assures, and for the rest of the day you are red-faced and flustered from round two.

Fenrys:

Just because it’s your wedding day does not mean that Fenrys is able to keep his hands off of you. In fact, it seems that he is even more inclined on holding you closer than ever. His smile is ever present the entire day, except when a male gets to close to you. It seems that being his bride has heightened his protectiveness, not that you care too much, you enjoy being in his arms. He also absolutely loves to dip you whenever you kiss, his smile turning mischievous. You only find out later, when the two of you are alone in a room together, than the entire day he has been waiting to get you out of that dress. You smirk at him, draping your arms around his shoulders and placing a firm kiss on his lips. ‘Then what are you waiting for, exactly?’

Kallias:

The High Lord of Winter truly outdid himself. The winter scape around you is absolutely breathtaking as snowflakes drift down lazily. His cheeks are flushed as you reach him at the altar. He looks so happy, his usual cold exterior melting away to exhibit the warm and caring man underneath, a man you love with all your heart. When you are declared as husband and wife, and Kallias kisses you, snowflakes begin to embed themselves into your hair, building until a tiara of snow forms. Kallias grins at his handy work, a crown of his own slowly materializing atop his head. ‘It’s beautiful.’ You murmur. ‘You’re beautiful,’ he replies, his gaze soft and adoring.

Manon:

The witch is cordial and well behaved the entire day. That is, until the garter toss. Smirking, Manon goes under your skirt and proceeds to mercilessly torture you as she takes her sweet time retrieving the garter. Her iron teeth just slip out the tiniest bit, grazing the inside of your thighs and making you restrain a squeal. When she finally gets it off, instead of throwing it, she lets her teeth slip out all the way, and shreds it right in front of you. It’s impossible to stop the dampening of your panties at the hungry look in her eye. Neither of you stay at the reception for much longer after that.

Gavriel:

He can’t believe that its happening. He can’t believe that you’re walking down the aisle to him. He can’t believe that you are standing in front of him at the altar. He can’t believe that you are saying ‘I do’. He can’t believe that he is slipping a ring on your finger and you are sliding one onto his. He can’t believe that you are smiling with tears in your eyes. He can’t believe that you are marrying him, that you will be his forever. Gavriel cannot believe that you love him. But it is happening, and with a final kiss to seal the deal, Gavriel actually starts to believe it.

Tarquin:

You are not sure Tarquin is capable of saying anything other than ‘I love you’ after you both say your vows. He murmurs it onto your lips as you kiss for the first time as a married couple. He sings to you during your first dance, the song mostly consisting of those three words. He writes it in water droplets along the rim of your plate when it is placed before you. Not that you mind, you adore hearing him say it, because you know he means it with all his heart. It isn’t until the two of you get to your chambers that night that the phrase alters a little bit to, ‘I want you’.

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sparkleywonderful · 7 years

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Chance Encounters: Part 1

Parts [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

She slipped through the window of the tavern and into the shadows. She settled into the shadows listening to the most recent news traveling northward. She had 15 minutes, 30 tops before Ren found her. She’d thank the gods everyday for sending her Lysandra. Sure she knew more about the world than any thirteen year old had a right to, but Lysandra saved her from a much worse fate. And now she had Ren, the man had started to fill the roles of father and brother.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a kind whisper, “What’s a girl like you doing in a tavern like this?”

She looked over the hooded stranger, he was hiding in the shadows as much as she was. “I find the taverns of Orynth give me unfiltered news from all the corners of Erilea.”

“You should be careful there are worse things than drunks and rogue Adarlanian soldiers about.”

She nodded her agreement to his statement before they both blended back into their shadows. She rarely started a conversation, it was easier for her to read what people wanted when they started the conversation. She could read their tells.

“What are you hoping the shadows tell you?”

“I’m listening for two shadows to tell me the fates of two kind souls that I owe a debt too. Have you heard news of a Celaena or Elide?”

She was not going to respond, instead feign ignorance, but there was an other worldly push telling her to trust this hooded stranger. “I have news of both, well news of one and whispers of the other. What would you give me for such news?”

The man chuckled, “I am the King of Thieves and a child of Terrasen, I will pay you anything that my skills and strong will can obtain.”

In that moment she knew he was desperate and the news he seeked was dangerous. She nodded her head towards the door, indicating these words were better heard in a place without shadows.

No one ever asked where he had come from, everyone assumed that he had been a thief his entire life. He had always been good at watching people from the shadows, especially the courtiers of Perranth. When it all fell, he took on a new name, Owen meaning young noble, Nox meaning night where the shadows kept him hidden. Like many of the lost children, they did what they had to do to survive, to fight another day.

He did not really owe a debt to Lady Lochan. She was just a girl when it all went to shit. The true debt was owed to an assassin, another lost child of Terrasen.

“In the darkest shadows there are whispers of a bounty for the return of the Lady. The Lady had long believed to be dead by the Lords of Terrasen, but one does not give a sizeable bounty for the dead. I have learned that the description of the Lady is a mirror of her mother and she is to be returned alive.”

There was a pregnant pause, “I do not think it is a coincidence that there are whispers damage to the keep of Morath and now a bounty for a lost child of Terrasen.”

Who was this girl? She was twelve, maybe thirteen, the scars on her face were years old. She hid in shadows as well as him and knew more than he did. Her accent was that of... that was the thing, she masked her accent. Who ever had trained the girl, he was not sure he ever wanted to come across them. Maybe she was an assassin in training, they started young.

They continued to walk the girl leading them into a small house, where she eventually sat at a small table. “Before I tell you of the other, I need to know why you look for her.”

“I owe her a life debt, three actually. A few months ago there was a whisper in the shadows that she was calling in my debts.”

Behind them a male voice interrupted them, “And how would a thief pay such a debt to an Adarlan assassin?”

He turned to see Ren Allsbrook, no longer an adolescent boy, but a man. Another lost child of Terrasen. The scars on his face said enough of the horrors he had survived in the last eleven years. It was well known in shadows of Terrasen that the Allsbrook’s had led the rebels. That was the first shock he had received when returning to Terrasen, the second had been that the powerful army led by a prince turned general had hidden their true allegiance.

“Lord Allsbrook, I am sure that you have noticed that the coffers of the Bane have been heavier these past few months.”

He had met the Wolf of the North once, a beautiful male with stunning eyes and he wanted to kill him for being a traitor to Terrasen. He had heard stories before the fall that the Prince was the guardian to the Princess. That the two cousins were inseparable. Some even spoke of a future union between the two. And maybe when his princess died, the prince died as well. He had believed that until the shadows whispered that the Princess was alive and that the Wolf was to be executed as a traitor to the crown.

The lord pulled him from his thoughts, “And you’re telling that the King’s champion instructed you to fill those coffers?”

“The King’s champion was a lost child of Terrasen. Maybe she stayed hidden in the shadows as we have Lord Allsbrook. biding our time until we could strike.”

Ren looked at him, really looked at him, “And how do you know the assassin?”

“If you know that she was the King’s champion, then you also know there was a competition. It was then that I met the assassin and it was then that I owe her three life debts. Once from the competition and twice from the demons that owned that castle.”

He remembered that last warning from the golden haired assassin, the girl was beautiful, not his type, but he could easily see why the Captain and the Prince were enamored with the assassin. He knew many men that would sell their souls to get lost in those eyes, if only for a night. Holy rutting gods, those eyes! How did he not make the connection before.

The realization must have been written on his face, Ren handed him a glass of amber liquid before saying, “She is as much as Celaena as you are Nox.” He stared at the handsome face, “I will ask again what debt did she call in from a minor lord turned thief?”

The time for secrets and half truths appeared to be over, “She called for an army of thieves.”

Ren chuckled, “I cannot wait to see the look on Darrow’s face when he realizes that she will make good on her promise to him, to Terrasen. I wonder what other debts Aelin has called in.”

Parts [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

#evangeline #tog #nox owen #ren allsbrook #Chance encounters #sparkleywonderful

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shewhotellsstories · 7 years

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Your Fave is Problematic pt. 2: To Love is to Destroy

Fair warning this is highly critical of Rowan Whitethorn and his relationship with Aelin Ashryver Galathinius and Sarah J. Maas

Unfortunately the Throne of Glass series published five years after The Mortal Instruments has similar troubling portrayals of relationships. Throughout the series, Celaena/Aelin has more than one romantic relationship. For the purposes of this analysis, I am choosing only to focus on her permanent romantic partner Rowan Whitethorn. Celaena’s relationship with Rowan Whitethorn takes the Belligerent Sexual Tension trope to another level. The pair meet in the third book when Celaena is in a deep depression due to the events of the previous books, in particular, the brutal murder of her best friend. She is sent to Wendlyn by her ex-lover Chaol. Once there her mission is to find a way around the king’s orders and to keep her promise to her departed friend: see her kingdom freed. To get answers on overthrowing the King of Adarlan she goes to her long lost Fae Queen aunt for answers.

To say that her interactions with Rowan are tense would be an understatement.

After Celaena’s Aunt Maeve hands down the order that Celaena must train with Rowan, Rowan walks her back to the room where she’ll be staying. Neither Celaena nor Rowan is happy about this arrangement. Rowan thinks that Celaena is a spoiled child and Celaena believes him to be an arrogant brute. When Rowan expresses his displeasure for the task, Celaena says angrily, “Fae like you make me understand the King of Adarlan’s actions a bit more, I think.” (Heir of Fire 109) For added context, the King of Adarlan has spent a significant part of the past decade having his army slaughter magical creatures, the Fae in particular. Celaena’s entire family with the exception of her cousin Aedion and herself were among those executed on the king’s orders when she was only 8. She does not actually feel this way. Rowan is infuriated and chooses not to respond with words but with violence.

“Faster than she could sense, faster than anything had a right to be, he punched her.

She shifted enough to keep her nose from shattering but took the blow on her mouth. She hit the wall, whacked her head, and tasted blood. Good.” (Heir of Fire 109)

Rowan punched her the face, so hard that she bled and her lip was swollen. Not in a duel, not in training, not in defense, but simply because Celaena insulted him. This behavior is excused almost immediately. As Celaena is lying in bed later that night she would think to herself that she “deserved it” the following morning she would also find a tin of salve outside her door from Rowan per the orders of the queen attached to a note that said she deserved it. (Heir of Fire 114) Upon pondering the incident when thinking of the power of the Fae and Rowan’s age and experience Celaena observes that if Rowan really wanted to he could have shattered her jaw. So by only leaving her slightly bloodied and bruised the audience is supposed to believe he practiced restraint by not hurting her as badly as he physically could have. In the beginning of their acquaintance, being an immortal being Rowan makes a show of telling Celaena how much older and more experienced he is than Celaena. So having a century or two on Celaena one would think Rowan would be above the taunts and provocations of an 18-year-old girl.

In order to teach Celaena to control her magic, Rowan is determined to get Celaena hone her shifting abilities. He believes that Celaena obtaining control over these abilities are the keys to her having control over her long suppressed magical abilities. Rowan tries to get her to shift through violently provoking her in training sessions. Celaena’s sessions with Rowan often leave her bruised and sore. So much so that those she’s stationed to work alongside in the castle’s kitchen take notice. An important character trait of Celaena is that she’s proud, she hates the thought of anyone pitying her. When Emrys an older man who runs the kitchen is concerned about her bruising she simply says: “I’ve been through worse.” (Heir of Fire 225)

She then proceeds to show Emrys the scars she’s acquired throughout the course of her life. “She silently invited him to do the calculations: a life in Adarlan with Fae blood, a life in Adarlan as a woman . . . His face paled.” (Heir of Fire 226) With that, he drops it and orders Luca a fellow half-breed Fae who works under him to do the same. In further rationalizing Rowan’s treatment of her within the text, the morning after a particularly brutal training session Celaena recalls that she’d been bloodied up more at the hands Arobynn, her trainer, for disobeying orders. This passage is telling the audience that because Celaena is capable of violence, is not a stranger to being treated violently, and has been by her own account hurt worse by others. Rowan’s violence towards her is inconsequential. In this respect, her strength is used against her and used as evidence that because she theoretically can take a abuse, she is incapable of being victimized.

During an argument that takes place during a training session, Rowan grabs Celaena’s tongue and pinches it. Then when she swears at him once he lets go of her tongue he presses her against a tree and bites her neck so hard that she bleeds and shifts into her at this point elusive Fae form. There is a sexual component in biting for the Fae. However, it’s ambiguous if he bit Celaena out of rage, lust, or with the purpose of getting her to shift. Either way, in the end when after realizing from the taste of her blood that she’s been recently romantically involved with someone else, he promises not to bite her again not out of respect for her or her personal space, but out of respect for the desires of a man he’s never even met saying, “You don’t bite the women of other males.” (Heir of Fire 280) Unfortunately, this isn’t the end of it. Rowan proceeds to berate her for her lack of self-control:

“You’re worthless.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

He went on, “You would probably have been more useful to the world if you’d actually died ten years ago.” (Heir of Fire 283)

At this point in the story, Celaena is grief stricken and depressed. She truly believes that the world and the people she has grown close to in the years that followed her parents' death would be better off if she had died along with the rest of her family. However, that is the final straw. Celaena decides to leave and be done with Rowan. However, this doesn’t last. She journeys away from the castle and is attacked in the forest and nearly killed by skinwalkers (monsters) only to be saved by Rowan and with his help they are able to defeat the skinwalkers. He then informs her after they work together to defeat the skinwalkers, that she isn’t leaving. This is meant to be a somewhat redeeming moment for Rowan, despite his past treatment of her how bad could a guy who saves her life be?

After this temporarily Rowan becomes slightly less harsh and then goes back to treating her horribly. When Emrys tells Rowan that the way he’s “training” Celaena is crushing her spirit Rowan shows no sign of regret but does decide to change his training tactics and the two begin to bond. So much so that at the end of the third book Celaena saves Rowan’s life and he swears a blood oath to her. Emrys is interested in Celaena in part because he’s worked out who her parents are, but also despite having only known her for a short time, he can see that she’s lost all hope. Upon the third book when the audience is introduced to Rowan one could draw the conclusion that he’s either not as observant as Emrys or simply doesn’t care that Celaena’s at an all time low. This relationship starts with Rowan figuratively and literally kicking her while she is down. Later we learn that Rowan himself is mourning because his wife died. The narrative is at first he’s in so much pain he can’t connect with anyone else. Later on, it’s revealed that Maeve had his wife killed to “break” him. (Empire of Storms 1443) These revelations remove responsibility from Rowan for actions in a number of ways: Firstly this suggests that his cruelty wasn’t really his fault but Maeve’s. Secondly, the audience is meant to feel for him because according to this information he’s not an abuser, just a man who lost his wife.

When Rowan and Celaena become romantically involved the fourth book Rowan’s behavior towards Celaena shifts from being cruel and violent to being possessive and controlling.

“It’s not just your business, not anymore. You will take me along with you the next time.”

“The next time I sneak out,” she seethed, “if I catch you following me like some overprotective nursemaid, I will—”

“You’ll what?” He stepped up close enough to share breath with her, his fangs flashing. In the light of the lantern, she could clearly see his eyes—and he could see hers as she silently said, I don’t know what I’ll do, you bastard, but I’ll make your life a living hell for it.

He snarled, and the sound stroked down her skin as she read the unspoken words in his eyes. Stop being stubborn. Is this some attempt to cling to your independence?

And so what if it is? she shot back. Just—let me do these things on my own.

“I can’t promise that,” he said, the dim light caressing his tan skin, the elegant tattoo. (Queen of Shadows 635)

His possessive, controlling, paternalistic behavior in a romantic relationship was excused before it even starts. Celaena and Rowan officially become involved in the fourth book, but when we are first introduced to the fae one of the first things we learn about the species is that fae men cannot help their alpha male behavior. It’s in their blood:

“It’s in our blood,” Luca said, lifting his chin. “It is our duty, honor, and life’s mission to make sure our families are cared for. Especially our mates.”

“And it makes you a thorn in our side,” Emrys clucked. “Possessive, territorial beasts.” The old man strode to the sink, setting down the cool kettle for Celaena to wash. “My mate means well, lass...” (Heir of Fire 288)

This portrayal of fae male behavior as well-meaning and noble echoes the unfortunate reality that abuse victims are sometimes told that their abuser's abusive behavior is for their own good. It also echoes one of the most damaging myths about dating and domestic violence: men simply cannot help themselves, therefore, cannot be held responsible for the damage they do. (Deffenbacher 926)

Within the relationship Rowan’s behavior is even further rationalized, simply because he’s not human:

“Before you call me a territorial Fae bastard, allow me to apologize and explain that it is very difficult—”

“Rowan.” He stilled. She crossed the small lingering distance between them, every step like the answer to some question she’d asked from the moment her soul had sparked into existence. “You are not human. I do not expect you to be.” (Empire of Storms 936)

This could have been a turning point for Rowan, instead, his poor behavior is further excused. In Throne of Glass specifically, the possessive and territorial behavior mentioned is only ever addressed as a joke or in passing and the fae males who exhibit such behavior face no real consequences for it, therefore have no incentive to change. They never change and yet Celaena and other characters paired with Fae men stay with them. Passing this sort of behavior off as an endearing quality is irresponsible. With every passing moment that the toxic masculinity of Rowan and others is laughed off, it is normalized. (Taylor 390) Additionally, in the fifth book of the series, it is revealed that Rowan and Celaena are mates, meaning soulmates. Which unfortunately tells the audience that Rowan and Celaena’s relationship cannot be unhealthy because they were born for each other. (Deffenbacher 924)

For the purpose of this analysis, I will go with the definition that defines toxic masculinity as society making manhood synonymous with violence, sex, dominance, and aggression. Portrayals of relationships like Rowan and Celaena’s in this fashion rewards, reinforces, and normalizes this concept of manhood and ignores the very real danger in defining manhood in terms of violence and dominance. Even if one could overlook the toxic masculinity and the deeply unsettling way that sex and violence are so casually linked in this relationship, a lot of Celaena’s character development is sacrificed to validate her relationship with Rowan. For all her pretend arrogance there’s one thing can’t truly forgive herself for: living. She spends much of the series hating herself for surviving when her parents, her governess, her best friend, and her first love died so brutally. This guilt is so crippling she spends much of the series running away from her past. Until she can’t any longer. Exploring her magic in the third book also forces her to remember her childhood and remember the person she was before everything went so horribly wrong. Due to a series of events she is kidnapped by demonic creatures who force her to relive her most painful memories. This causes her to see her life clearly for the first time and decide to honor her loved ones by living. And yet, in the following book, she says she wants to live because of Rowan. “She said softly, “You make me want to live, Rowan. Not survive; not exist. Live.” (Queen of Shadows 1067)

It goes without saying that Celaena’s will to live really should not come from a man, but this moment undid a lot of her growth from the previous book. Even her lack of fear of her once mentor is attributed to Rowan. In the text, she isn’t afraid because she is no longer a child, but because now she has Rown. This situation isn’t helped by the fact that once she and Rowan become romantically involved every other friendship and or relationship in her life is put on the back burner.

To be continued...

#my senior thesis #anti sjm #anti rowaelin #celaena sardothien #anti rowan whitethorn #anti sarah j maas #anti tog #feminism #media literacy #tw abuse

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vannserra · 7 years

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Umm you know Rowan made Aelin want to die?

Yes. I do know that. But with help from the wonderful @my-name-is-fireheart and @underthe-mountain I have 3 insights I can offer you (myself included) so you dear nonnie, and anyone else reading who is prepared to read a lot, don’t feel like you’re only getting my answer. I’m not alone in the way I feel.

It is an undeniable fact that Rowan made Aelin want to die.

And depending on how you define “abuse”, “abusive”, and “abuser”, Rowan could easily and most deservedly fall into any or all of those categories. I, personally, agree with those that say Rowan displayed abusive behavior. At the beginning of HoF, these two characters treat each other abhorrently, but I think it’s important to realize what a terrible place both of them are in when this is happening.

Aelin’s misery is something we’ve experienced first hand, and I think that makes it easier for us to forget that Rowan is suffering just as much. WHILE NONE OF THIS EXCUSES HIS BEHAVIOR, I think it allows us to see why he did what he did.

Rowan has lived the past couple hundred years of his life mourning a woman that he believed to be his mate and that was pregnant with his child. He has spent those years wrapped in indescribable self-hatred and under the command of Lorcan, a fae who admits in EoS that he used Rowan as the perfect killing tool. Rowan has been honed into this terrible, heartless thing. He has been taken like Arobyn took Celeana and molded her, only Rowan has had this happen to him for so much longer.

And this cold, emotionless asshole is the person that meets Aelin. A drunk, absolutely wasted, snarky sassy bitch queen that is equally as emotionally low and he takes what she shows him at face value.

Rowan puts Aelin through gruesome, mind and body breaking torture. But this is training that fae warriors go through. The limits he’s pushing Aelin to are normal for his people.

Allow me to reiterate that NONE OF THIS WARRANTS HOW HE TREATED HER, especially emotionally.

But now we get to the point where Rowan changes. He sees her scars, he goes to demand answers from Maeve, and when he realizes that was the wrong move he comes back to Aelin.

He takes time to learn about who she is and what she loves.

He allows her to learn those same things about him.

They stop fighting with the intent to hurt, it turns into banter.

Rowan became a better person for Aelin.

She thaws his heart, makes him realize that the way he’s been acting is NOT OKAY.

A lot of SJMAAS characters get flack for being abusive, but what makes Rowan important to me is that he realizes it and stops it.

Take a look at Tamlin. Tamlin is the character that I cannot forgive, (at least as of now before ACOWAR because I don’t know his ending character yet) because he is directly told that he is suffocating Feyre but he does not give a single shit. Tamlin is an abuser.

Rowan was abusive, but he changes.

He is freed from a blood oath that has ruined his life only to enter immediately into a new one. For a woman that has made him realize the error of his ways, for a woman that he respects and loves and doesn’t hurt after deciding to change.

Rowan went from making Aelin want to die to making her want to live. They did that for each other. Rowan was abusive, but I do not consider him an abuser.

Rowaelin is two broken people/fae that were mere fragments apart but something beautiful together.

Yes, Rowan was abusive. But why do so many people want him to stay that way? He does not earn forgiveness for the horrors of how he treated Aelin, but we see so many characters who are irredeemable. (like Tamlin, overall Snape if you read all that’s been written about him, etc.) Finally we have a character who realizes he was wrong and literally pledges to dedicate the rest of his life to righting that transgression. How come we can allow Aelin to change from being a Celaena that has ripped Lysandra apart her entire childhood into one of her closest friends once they found common ground and realized what they had together was better than when they were at each other’s throats?

Lysandra and Aelin were not what they first seemed to be to each other, and the same goes for Rowan and Aelin.

So yes, believe me, I am aware that Rowan made Aelin want to die, but I’d like to conclude with one of my favorite bits that @my-name-is-fireheart contributed. The enemies to lovers romance trope is not the same as abuse. And conflict in a relationship is not abuse. Two people being assholes to each other is not abuse.

Taking someone who is suffering in the darkness as much as you are and pulling yourself out together is not abuse, and it is why I will always support Aelin and Rowan together.

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lonely-little-lovely · 7 years

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Tog fake dating for the au thing! Btw I love your blog!

IT’S FINALLY DONE. You didn’t say a specific ship so I hope you’re okay with Rowaelin. And tysm darling, I love your blog too! I hope you like this

"Okay," says Aelin, nails (which are freshly manicured, of course) thrumming against the side of her her laptop. "How about this? 'Ms. Galathynius regrets to inform the class of '07 that she cannot make it to this year's class reunion, as she has better shit to do.'"

"No, that sucks," Aedion, her cousin, shakes his head from where he's sitting on the couch. His girlfriend Lysandra, Aelin's ex nemesis turned best friend, lounges on the other side, her feet in Aedion's lap, and she makes a sound of agreement at his claim. "That makes it obvious you're hiding something."

Aelin glares at him. "I'm not hiding anything." She shuts the laptop on 'anything' as if to prove her point and swirls in her chair, knees up to her chest. "High school is a closed chapter of my life that I'd rather not open." That part is true. At a young age, her parents had been murdered, and she and Aedion had been separated in the foster system. Aedion was lucky enough to stay close to home, but Aelin had been shipped to Rifthold, where her creepy foster dad Arobynn had let her roam free. And roaming free for teenagers sometimes equals multiple overdoses, getting arrested, and starting riots at block parties.

But that's not necessarily why she doesn't want to go. Both Lys and Aedion know she's been looking forward to this for years, to show how she's gone from druggie to successful lawyer who, at 28, is already partnered with a law firm in New York City. And she still is damn proud. But also... single. "I don't want to go alone, okay?"

"Jesus, Ace," groans Aedion. "You're in your twenties and can afford a flat-a nice one- in the Big fucking Apple. So what if you don't have a boyfriend right now?"

Lysandra winces. "Um... I know this isn't helpful, but all of Rifthold High will probably care." Aelin nods and throws her cousin an 'I told you so' look.

"Definitely not helpful, Lys." He sighs. "It won't help that we're going to be there, too?" Lysandra was also Rifthold High alumni. She and Aelin-who'd gone by Celaena back then- had hated each other until after graduation, actually, when Lysandra had needed 'professional opinion' on which lawyer to go to help get her now adoptive sister, Evangeline, out of an abusive home. Aelin had seen the girl's scars and gone spitting, pointing Lysandra in the direction to the right lawyer and giving them a place to stay. Six years later, Lys was still her roommate, though Aelin wasn't sure how long that would last. Not after she'd caught Aedion ring shopping.

"No, it won't," she tells them. "I... this is super petty, but both Chaol and Dorian are in relationships." Dorian had been a fling senior year for a few months. They'd agreed to stay just friends that summer, as he was staying in Rifthold and she was going to get her life together, and they'd done quite a job at that, actually. It was Chaol she was worried about. They'd bumped back into each other when she was 24 and he'd just turned 25, a police officer at NYPD. Of course they just had to hit it off. Really well. They stayed together for two years, migrating Dorian back into her life as well, when he proposed. She said yes, but everything fell to hell not soon after that. Though they'd made up and stayed tentative friends, he'd moved on much more quickly, is already engaged again to one Nesryn Faliq, who Aelin desperately wants to hate but can't.

Aedion mutters something that sounds like, 'Yeah, that's definitely petty,' but Lysandra shoots into a sitting position. "Oh Gods, I didn't even think about that. Okay, let's think. Fenrys?"

"Dating Asterin Blackbeak," Aelin tells her.

"Ren?"

"Gay, and since I want to set him up with Nox, I can't pretend he's straight."

"Uh... borrow Lorcan from Elide?"

She laughs at that, hard, and so does Aedion. Elide, her adoptive sister, definitely would let her, but even though she and Lorcan have a tentative truce going, Aelin has no doubt that he'd tell everyone that he's actually engaged to her little sister at the first chance he got.

"Yeah," Lysandra sighs. "I figured."

"Really, I'll just go to the 25th annual reunion," says Aelin, playing with a piece of blonde hair. "Even if I'll be so much less hot."

"You have to go!" Her best friend protests. "Nehemia and Nox will be there. And... Aelin, Gods, you have to go for Sam." Immediately, her heart lurches . Damn it, Lys has her. Sam had been her high school sweetheart sophomore and junior year, until he'd driven drunk, Aelin hopped up on coke in the passenger seat. They'd gone into an intersection without stopping, and, well... only one had come out.

Aelin curses. "I know." She also knows that if he had lived, they'd be going there together, possibly married, possibly already with a kid. The idea of bringing another guy suddenly puts a rotten taste in her mouth, but she knows she's too proud and vain to go alone, even with the thought of Sam looming overhead.

And then an idea hits her.

"Holy shit I'll be right back," she tells them before she's out of her chair and sprinting to the door and across the hallway. She bangs impatiently, because honestly, it's only 7:00 and if he's asleep he's a pansy. He isn't- the door opens, revealing his ridiculously hot and scowling face, and the dyed silver hair that should look dumb but doesn't at all.

"Oh," he sighs. "It's you."

Usually, she'd respond with a rebuttal, but there's already a big chance he'll say no and sassing him won't help in any way. She takes in a deep breath and says, "Whitethorn, I need a favor." -

Aelin is already regretting this.

Not Rowan himself, surprisingly. He'd shown up at her flat in a tux that goes surprisingly well with his face tattoos, contrasting them to just the right amount, and been a perfect gentleman. Aedion's still a little mopey that there's another alpha male in his presence, but he's coming around, and Lysandra had already known him, so it's no surprise she approves of Aelin's date choice. No, Rowan has been nothing but courteous and surprisingly funny, and they aren't even to the reunion yet, so she can't exactly regret him.

What she regrets is what she'd agreed to give him in exchange for him accompanying her to the reunion and behaving.

'I'll owe you' she'd told him like an idiot. They've just gone from hating each other to disliking each other and also wanting to fuck each other's brains out, and so when she saw the way his eyes lit up mischievously and he'd immediately agreed to doing this, she'd known she was fucked.

Oh well. As long as he doesn't make her favor writing to her entire graduating class, 'Hey, you know that really hot guy I took with me to our reunion? Not my boyfriend! I lied, lmao!' she'll be fine.

"I didn't say this before," he murmurs in her ear as they begin the walk up to registration for the reunion. "But you look stunning."

She's not sure if she's blushing or not as she says, "I know. You clean up well too, Buzzard." Had his lips just twitched into a half smile?

The registration doesn't take long, only signing her name to show she was here, as well as clicking an x for 'one guest,' and as they wait for Lysandra to do the same, Aelin checks her reflection in a nearby glass display case. She'd chosen to wear a dress she's had for a while but never been able to wear- it's black and long sleeved, hugging to her body, and on the back of it is a gold dragon that winds up her body, which is evidently her favorite color. Of course she looks magnificent. She'll never look anything less.

Lys and Aedion join them-they're color coordinated, Gods, they're so cute it's nauseating- and then it's the four of them striding towards the old gym doors. Aelin loops her arm through Rowan's, half expecting him to raise an eyebrow at her, but of course he doesn't. Of course he knows they're pretending to date, because duh, it's implied.

She jumps when she feels his breath against her ear, followed by the low timbre of his voice. "Pretend I just said something funny."

Aelin laughs softly even as she grits back, "Or you could, you know, actually say something funny. If you're capable of that."

"Ouch," he chuckles softly. "Easy, Galathynius. Remember I'm doing you a favor." How could she forget? She glances at him, expecting there to be hidden warning in his eyes, but there's nothing but amusement. And it only makes her feel as though he's REALLY going to make her regret this later on, even more than she’s been assuming. "I've never seen you so nervous before. Or, well, I've never seen you nervous at all, actually."

She's sure it's obvious, but she still replies, "High school wasn't the best of experiences for me."

She, again, expects him to tease her, or subtly use that information against her, but instead he starts telling her this story from when he and Lorcan used to work together. She had been aware her sister's fiance had worked with her neighbor, but she hadn't known they had worked so closely. And she's so busy listening attentively that she doesn't notice the few people in the hall that stop, doesn't hear them murmuring. 'Wow, is that Celaena? Twenty bucks says she relapsed.' 'Who is that with her? He's a hunk.' She hears none of it, because of Rowan.

They enter the gym, which is filled with tacky lighting, including strobe lights, and a bar that Aelin will not be partaking in, despite everyone else's beliefs. They're just moving to the sober people punch when there's a shout. "Elentiya!" Aelin's immediately turning, letting go of Rowan's arm, because there's Nehemia, looking radiant in gold. She looks older, more mature, but as soon as she smiles Aelin's pretty sure she's never been happier to see someone in her entire life, except perhaps when she'd found Aedion again after graduating.

They embrace, laughter bubbling over. Nehemia will always have a soft place in her heart, will always be her original anchor. Without her, Aelin would probably still be Celaena, and she'd probably be six feet under. Behind her is Nox, who she embraces as well before leading the both of them back to the group. "You've both met my cousin Aedion." Aedion nods, even embraces Nehemia. "This is Rowan Whitethorn. Rowan, these are Nox and Nehemia, two of the only people I actually liked during high school." And it's true. 'Celaena' had known everyone, but liked very few.

She's thinking 'okay, NOW he's definitely going to screw this up.'But again, stupid Whitethorn with his stupid perfect face and stupid manners and stupid intelligence that has even Nehemia impressed, proves her wrong. "I'm going to go get us some punch," he excuses himself after a few minutes, and maybe her heart skips a beat when he brushes a piece of hair back behind her ear, maybe it doesn't. "Oh my Gods, where did you find him?" Nox exclaims as soon as Rowan and Aedion have strode out of ear shot. "He's so yummy, Ce-Aelin."

"I suppose 'yummy' is one accurate way to describe him," teases Nehemia. "But really, Elentiya. Where did you meet him?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Aelin replies primly.

Both of her friends look to Lysandra, who immediately reports, "He's our neighbor."

Aelin glares. "Lys!" Her best friend merely grins like a cat in response.

"Where is it he's from?" Nox asks. "Because the accent is sexy and I've decided I want one of him."

Aelin smirks, and almost feels like she's... bragging when she says, "He's from Wendlyn, Scotland."

"Who's from Scotland?" She knows that voice.

"Dorian!" She's smiling as she turns and pulls him into a hug, which he gladly returns, before turning to his date. "Manon."

Manon dips her head. "Aelin." They've just recently gotten on first name terms, mainly because of the fact that they both love Elide to death and Manon's around enough to make herself tolerable.

"No, really, who's from Scotland?" Dorian asks again, and Nox looks so smug she's half convinced he's going to sing out, 'Aelin has a boyfriendddd!"

He doesn't get the chance, though. Chaol strolls up, Nesryn on his arm, and Gods, Aelin REALLY wishes she could hate her, simply because of the way she looks in that dress. But she can't, and in that moment, she doesn't even feel slightly resentful towards her ex, which she typically does. She smiles in a way that's not pained, and their hug, for once, is not tense. And Rowan walks back over.

The night goes smoother than she can imagine, and she should be worried about how well he's behaving like she was before, but most of the time she's too busy laughing. She introduces Rowan to her friends, and she can immediately tell Chaol is jealous- but not because of her. No, he's jealous because Dorian and Rowan are 'bros' in a solid five minutes. Cain is still a dick, but his remarks roll right off her back, and he only says them until Rowan saunters up with a 'Everything okay, Fireheart?' -which oh my Gods, she's pretty sure Fireheart is her new favorite nickname. And Kaltain... Kaltain is better, less of a bitch. Maybe a little empty (Aelin had heard that she'd done meth for a while), but trying. Aelin, of all people, knows what trying to move passed your mistakes looks like.

And she dances. 'Warning Sign' by Coldplay comes on, and Rowan literally sings in her ear-except instead of the actual lyrics, he's singing about what people are doing around them to the melody, and she has to put a hand over her mouth to keep from ugly snorting, her shoulders shaking with the effort. Still, even though she stays longer than she expected (she'd expected to stay for thirty minutes tops and they're bordering on two and a half hours now), she's ready to go long before Lysandra is. She turns to Rowan. "Want to get out of here?" He raises his eyebrows, and she rolls her eyes. "Not that, you buzzard. There's a pancake house down the street." She'd spent many hungover mornings there in her teens. "They have no real food here and I'm starving."

He doesn't even have to consider- doesn't shrug in disinterest like Chaol would have, either. "That sounds great." She leaves with plans for Nehemia and Nox to come visit soon (and more frequently), and to the sounds of whistling from her friends as she laces her fingers through Rowan's and they exit the gym. Once they've made it outside, Rowan glances at her sideways, their hands still laced together. "You made it sound like it was going to be awful there."

"Well, to be fair, I thought it would be," she shrugs. There's an urge to tell him the real reason why it would be awful- because of Sam, but she still barely knows this man. And 'hey, I'm partly responsible for the first love of my life's death' is not a light first date-fake, she reminds herself, fake date,- topic. Maybe someday, though. If he doesn't do a personality 180 and make more bonding like this impossible.

"Your friends are nice. Did you date the Chaol guy?"

Ever perceptive Rowan. "Yeah, I did. It, uh, didn't end well, but we've worked through it. Ah, here it is." They stop in front of the pancake house. "I'm eating french toast until I pass out." He chuckles-he's been doing that a lot tonight- and follows her inside.

They go straight to their seats, and ten years later, the booth she picks is still HER booth. It brings an ache to her heart, but she focuses on the hot guy sitting across from her in the present instead of heartbreaking memories, and they chatter as easily as they have all night. It's only when she's (finally) pouring syrup onto her french toast that she says, "I haven't thanked you for tonight."

He looks confused. "You have. At least five times."

"No, I don't mean the favor," she shakes her head. "I mean thank you for making it fun. And helping me relax a bit. Also, thanks for scaring the shit out of Cain. I hate that guy."

His lips curl up in a way that makes him look almost... bashful? "Thank you for inviting me." Okay, she's had enough- she can't wait any longer to know what he damn wants. He's been nothing but perfect, and NO ONE acts this way without a price. Not for her, anyways.

"Okay, spit it out," she sighs, spearing a piece of strawberry with her fork. "What's your price?"

He blinks. "What?"

"I told you I'd owe you a favor, and there's obviously something you want really badly, so what is it? I would really appreciate if it wasn't gross, but if it is I'll do it anyways. Because I'm not a wimp."

His face goes from shocked to amused to- ah, there it is- mischievous. "Okay, you caught me." She braces herself. "Go on a real date with me."

Wait.

"Wh-what?" She stammers.

His confidence sputters for a second before he repeats himself. "Go on a date with me. And no, it doesn't include this pancake house."

She's gaping. "Is this a joke?" His confidence sputters again, and he shakes his head. "I... I thought you hated me."

He looks actually affronted by the idea. "Maybe at first, but it hasn’t been that way for a long, long time. I've just..." Maybe it's the lighting, but she can swear his cheeks have gone a little red. "I've been too much of a coward to ask you."

"And that's what you've been planning to use your 'favor' on the entire time?" He blushes harder. Oh my Gods, this is the cutest thing she's ever seen, and she can't wait to tell Lysandra, but she forces herself not to blurt out a 'Yeah, when? Right now? I'm game for now.' Instead, she sighs dramatically. "Oh, I should have never given you that damned favor." But her voice drips with sarcasm and she's grinning, and when he does too her heart leaps in her chest. It feels familiar, slightly. It feels long waited. "Text me when, Buzzard. You've got yourself a date."

Has she mentioned how glad she is she went to her high school reunion?

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sparkleywonderful · 7 years

Text

Chance Encounters: Part 2

Parts [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

The time for secrets and half truths appeared to be over, “She called for an army of thieves.”

Ren chuckled, “I cannot wait to see the look on Darrow’s face when he realizes that she will make good on her promise to him, to Terrasen. I wonder what other debts Aelin has called in.”

He then looked at the young girl, quiet, forgotten in this conversation. Oh the person that trained her, did one hell of a fine job. He had forgotten that she was there, listening absorbing the information.

“What is your story?”

Ren spoke up, “That is no concern of yours.”

And he wondered if all the lost children of Terrassen would be protective of the next generation of children, attempting to give them some semblance of peace and safety. He did not know the girl and almost every fiber of his being wanted to protect her from the world, from the evil lurking in it, the look on Ren’s face said the same thing.

The girl looked up to Ren, that beautiful face. They both wore similar scars, whoever gave them, did not realize that it would not distract for their beauty, only enhanced it.

“Rifthold was not kind to their poor, we were hungry, days away from starving. My mother would have sold herself, she occasionally did, but she did not look like me. The only thing my mother gave me was the copper hair, the rest had to have been from my father. She made a choice, that no mother should ever have to make.”

His heart stopped. He knew where this story was going, this beautiful girl, what she would be worth to the wrong people. Holy Gods.

“That first day I cried, a part of me wondered if starvation was a better fate than what my mother sold me for. I was given to another as an acolyte, to a courtesan that had two weeks tops before her debt was paid. I cried until I was sick, Lysandra my new mistress cleaned me up. She was kind and told me not to run, that she had ran, and it did not end well for her when she did. So she gave me another out, it was my choice and that it would hurt. She warned me that I would never be the same.”

The girl shot a glance to the both of us. It was then that I realized Ren had not heard this story. The girl drew a deep breath, “I said I would do anything and I meant it. She could have stabbed me and ended my life right then and there, and I would have considered it a favor.”

The girl grinned as she traced her scars, “Instead she gave me these.”

The girl shot a look to Ren, knowing he was about to say something that she would not like, “She gave her freedom for me, the mistress of the house beat her, she ordered Lysandra to buy me. Instead of weeks away from freedom, she was decades away.”

Everyone who looks at Lysandra, they only see the whore that she was. The men of the world often forget how many of the whores they enjoy come to be. They judge us for the choice that we were never given or for the choice to live on our backs instead of starving in the streets.”

It was then that the tears started to fall, “That Queen that you judge for hoarding blood money,” it was then that the girl held out her wrist to show the tattoo of what she once was and that the debt had been paid in full. “That blood money, you spat on paid for my freedom, the freedom of two forgotten children.”

Ren bowed his head in shame. I instead reached for the girl and embraced her, I let her sob into my shoulders. I watched the young Lord look to a man in the corner. The old man just said, “She was a child, just like you. But unlike you, she was alone. Maybe you should let go of those judgements that you hold so dearly to.” I just watched as Ren nodded his head.

The old man gave me a knowing look, “So it seems that our young Queen called in a debt to the King of Thieves. We received word from the Bane, it also appears that she called in another debt.”

Ren looked up then. “What other debt?”

“I’m starting to think that the gods had a hand in how Aelin spent the last ten years. It just so happens, that the young Queen of the Western Wastes, has sent her army to the aid of Terrasen. They will be here in a fortnight if the weather holds.”

Ren looked at the old man, “What does that have to do with a debt?”

I spoke up then, “The Queen of the Western Wastes trained as an assassin before taking her crown. It is rumored that she went to the Red Dessert to finish her training.”

He let the realization set in for the young Lord.

The old man spoke up, “The other half of her army marches for Melisande.”

Ren whispered, “It could be a trap.”

“It could be, but I wonder if two lost queens found each other in the darkness.”

The old man looked to me, “Do you think she knew who you are?”

I shook my head, “I doubt it, my father was a minor lord, we mostly stayed in Perranth. When I met her, I did not recognize her, I doubt she would recognize me. Elide on the other hand will, there were enough court functions that she will recognize the family resemblance as you have.”

I looked down to the sleeping girl asleep in my arms. I did not want to let her go, the old man spoke up, “Her room is the second door on the right.”

I set her on her bed and covered her in blankets. I did not care what the men in the kitchen thought of it, I would protect this girl I found by chance in the shadows.

Parts [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

#tog #evangeline #nox owen #ren allsbrook #chance enounters #sparkleywonderful

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