#gwynrielweek

[azrielsbxtch]

#gwyneth berdara #azriel x gwyn #gwynriel #pro gwynriel #gwynriel headcanon #gwynriel fic #gwyn berdara #pro gwyn #nesta archeron #house of wind gang #gwynriel supremacy #cassian #nessian #gwynrielweek

[thalunalovegood]

Two sides, same coin

It's day 2 of Gwynriel week @gwynrielweeksofficial

Today it's about complementary, and I think Az and Gwyn really complement each other, and one of the parallels that I really like is the siphons and her invoke stone.

Gwyn says the Invoke Stone can be used to heal and protection, whereas we know that the Illyrians Siphons were made to filter the magic into something to harm, the Invoke Stone and the Siphons are the opposite and they complement each other, can you imagine this in a battle field? Or during a mission? for me it's clearly that the both itens can be connected, and can be used together, one to attack one to defender.

[Not sure if the siphons can be "borrowed" or the Invoke Stone, but I think it would be interesting to see Gwyn use the siphon and Az the invoke stone.]

I also think that Gywn is really curious and she verbalize her questions, and Az is more the type that don't speak, unless it's necessary, so this another way they can complement their personalities, I imagine will be something like this:

They during a mission, waiting and waiting, and Gwyn whispering a lot of things, cause she can be loud and bring attention, and Az just listening to her, with a soft smile.

We know they are both competitive, and even though this may not look like something to complement, cause isn't the opposite, it is. A lot of thing that are opposite have their complement, like sun and moon, day and night, salt and sugar, but their competitiveness will complement each other.

They will be able to create strategics together.

They will love to hear each others stories about their winnings.

They will be living challenging themselves.

Another thing is, they ara both strategists.

How will this complement them? Like I said, they can work together on some strategics, I can see Gwyn become a spy too, so I think they will spying together, and they will work like a symphony in harmony.

Last, but not least, admiration, you can be with someone that you don't admire or you trust.

We know that Gwyn trusts Azriel, and we know that he admires her, and trust her abilities, so they will be able to complement each other in a lot of ways, and helping each other to heal.

Gwyn and Az are the perfect complement to each other, their opposites are a perfect match, and their similarities bring the best of them.

That's it, can wait to see more of them!

#azriel x gwyn #gwyn berdara #gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel #gwyn #gwyn x azriel #pro gwyneth berdara #pro gwynriel #gwynrielweek #gwynriel weeks 2024 #azriel shadowsinger

[animezinglife]

Prior to starting any real adult job, my event coordinating/organizing/planning experience all came from themed weeks on Tumblr.com.

For those of you who do organize themed weeks for your fandom, I can genuinely say it does give you a decent foundational skillset--especially from the communication and marketing standpoint.

Own it. Embrace all you're learning from it, because those skills absolutely do translate to the real world, and you're doing great.

#fandom #just throwing this out there #you're genuinely learning good skills and you don't even realize how many yet #work life #30 and thriving #acotar #elucienweek #gwynrielweek #gwynrielweeks #adulting

[crescentcitytavern]

New Gwynriel design for our titles of ships collection! We created this one for @gwynrielweeksofficial a few months ago♥️

“Lightsinger and Shadowsinger”

#gwynriel #gwynriel merch #gwyn berdara #azriel shadowsinger #azriel #shadowsinger #gwyneth berdara #gwyn x azriel #azriel x gwyn #acotar #ACOSF #a court of silver flames #a court of thorns and roses #gwynrielweek #gwynrielweek23

[fieldofdaisiies]

You're in the wind, I'm in the water Nobody's son, nobody's daughter ~ Chemtrails Over the Country Club - Lana Del Rey

for @gwynrielweeksofficial, day 6 mates🩵

#heheh maybe I have two things to offer for gwynrielweeks #one shot comes next week #gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #acotar #acosf #azriel #gwyneth berdara #gwynriel weeks 2024 #I know this is not perfect #but I got the idea and had to do it right now

[sunshinebingo]

@gwynrielweeksofficial Day 10 - Theories

Gwyn & the shadows

Azriel’s shadows will love Gwyn so much that there will always be a few that will be glued to her at all times. And she will love them just as much. To everyone else the shadows are mysterious, scary and deadly, but to Gwyn they'll just be like adorable pets needing attention. I'm afraid Azriel will sometimes find himself third wheeling 🤷‍♀️

#the shadows #And their mommy #gwyneth berdara #gwynriel #azriel shadowsinger #gwynriel weeks 2024 #gwynrielweeks #gwynrielweeks2024 #The shadows are like black cats to me and nobody can make me stop seeing them as such

[gwynrielweeksofficial]

Art by @mftfernandez. Comm by @freyjas-musings

Week 2 prompts are here! Once again, if you have any questions at all, please don't be shy to message any of the event accounts or leave a comment!

Day 8: Poetry

Gwyn and Azriel each have a way with words in their own right, as seen throughout this series and with each other. Do you think we’ll see them sprouting poetry to each other? Are there any poems that remind you of Gwynriel?

Day 9: Music

With both Azriel and Gwyn being wonderful singers, it’s far too easy to find musical connections between them. What scenes involving music do you envision for Gwynriel? Are there any lyrics or songs that scream Gwynriel to you?

Day 10: Theories

With 2 books and a novella left in the ACOTAR series, there are so many theories as to what the future holds, especially for these two. What are some of your favourite Gwynriel theories? How do you think that their relationship and characters could help contribute to the plot of the next books?

Day 11: Alternate Universe

In our hearts and minds, Gwynriel belong to each other in every universe! Whether that be a modern AU, a retelling, or even another fantasy series, their dynamic flawlessly blends in. What other universes do you like to imagine Gwyn and Azriel in? Gender swap AU? College AU ? The possibilities are endless!

Day 12: NSFW

It is undeniable that Gwyn and Az both deserve to have a healthy and romantic sex life, that is filled with consent and communication! How do you think Gwynriel get down and dirty in the bedroom? Are they exploring kinks? Maybe having their first time together?

Day 13: Secret Lovely Beauty

This term was used at the end of Azriel’s bonus chapter to describe the feeling in his chest at the image of Gwyn’s smile. How do you think this line holds significance? What images come to your own mind when you think of Gwynriel and this quote?

Day 14: Free Day

For the final day of Gwynriel weeks, you have free reign to imagine this wonderful couple together! If there was an idea that you had that didn’t fit the prompts, you are more than welcome to share it today!

#gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #azriel x gwyn #gwynriel fanart #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #gwynriel fic #gwynriel fanfic #gwynriel theories #pro gwynriel #gwynriel weeks 2024 #gwynrielweeks2024 #gwynrielweeks

[bearbluebooks]

Day 8 - Poems @gwynrielweeksofficial

Two poems about our favorite Shadowsinger and Priestess. So many words rhyme with night😱

I wrote this as a preface to my fic a Court of Whispered Melodies which you can read on AO3🤗

#gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #acotar #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #gwyn acosf #acotar fanfiction #a court of silver flames #ao3 fanfic #poems #gwynrielweeks 2024

[dimalry]

Ahem... Another one?

#this one is for gwynrielweek too #the other one is set at day and this one at night! #I’m just obsessed with them wearing black #and now help a girl out and tell when elucienweek is #I’ll do Elucien in this style too #because honestly #elucien own black and gold #I don’t make the rules #gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #acotar #wip #digital art

[azrielsbxtch]

Gwyn texting Azriel

#gwyneth berdara #azriel x gwyn #gwynriel #pro gwynriel #gwynriel headcanon #gwynriel fic #gwyn berdara #pro gwyn #nesta archeron #house of wind gang #gwynriel supremacy #cassian #nessian #gwynrielweek #rhysand #nessian supremacy #nesta supremacy #feysand #lidia cervos #crescent city

[thalunalovegood]

Gwynriel Week 

Day 1: It's all about the firsts. 

The first Kiss: I think that their first kiss will be something "light", lots of brushes over lips, kind of "tentatively", like they are hesitating, not wanting to ruin the moment, in a private space, and I imagine something like this.

[...] Az stepped a little closer, a smirk on his face. "Say that again Berdara". Gwyn lifted her chin, she wouldn't back up, she would challenge him. "I said that I think it will be difficult to beat the books I read, they are too good, you know". He closed the remaining distance between them, locking his eyes on hers. "Do you want me to prove you wrong? I'm looking forward to it". She almost rolled her eyes, of course he would say something like this, she returned his stare, it was like they were staring into their very souls. "Please, shadowsinger, try to prove me wrong". She smiled, but all trace of the smile disappeared when Azriel put his hand around her waist pulling her towards him, and his other hand on her chin, tilting her head, his eyes dropped to her lips, then back to her eyes, she put her hands on his chest, feeling his heartbeat increasing, as she knew her own was the same, as he moved his hand from her chin to her neck, Gwyn closed her eyes, and felt the light touch of his lips over hers, one time, two, three, he brushed his lips over hers so gently, like he wasn't sure if he or she might break, and teasing her, making her almost to beg, he closed the gap between their mouths, kissing her calmly, Gwyn let him kiss her as he wanted, she knew that he would be better in his than her, she needed this, this first, with someone she trusted, someone she knew wouldn't hurt her, she gasped when she felt a soft bite in her lower lip, Az took the chance to explore more of her, putting his tongue in her mouth, while stroking her waist in soft and slow movements, taking a little break, he moved his lips from hers, leaving littles kisses and her skin, her neck,   to whisper in her ear "This is just the beginning Berdara, you have no idea what you started", biting her earlobe, he didn't left her answer before kissing her again.

The first date: I think that would be something music related, or just them sitting somewhere talking about the universe.

The first starfall: I think that they would use matching clothes, like the same shades of blue.

The first "family" dinner: I think that everybody would have questions, but Gwyn would nail every question.

The first visit to his mom: This is going to be an emotional moment, and I think that Az's mom would cook a lot of food for them.

The first time in Illyria: I think that is going to be a blast, they are going to attack Gwym, and she will eat them up with her smart answer, and Azriel will love every second of this.

The first time they sing: I think either Gwyn or Az will be having a hard time, and the other will sing to help, and eventually they will sing together.

I hope you enjoyed it.

I'm not sure if anyone already said something like this, if so, sorry.

And Gwynriel for the win!

@gwynrielweeksofficial

#azriel x gwyn #gwyn berdara #gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #gwyn #gwynriel weeks 2024 #pro gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #pro gwyneth berdara #pro gwyn #gwynrielweek

[tpcanvas]

a man of few words, so action it is. az confessing to gwyn with an impulsive kiss. 💙

DAY 3 of GwynrielWeek ~ CONFESSION

instagram: tp.canvas

#gwynriel #acosf #azriel x gwyn #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #digital fanart #gwynriel fanart #acotar #gwyn berdara fanart #gwynriel week #gwynriel week 2024

[freyjas-musings]

Wtf is wrong with the anti elriels in the gwynriel tag?? Right before Gwynrielweeks? I don't need all this bad energy damnit

I am not happy about it but I have had to block two people , there is a reason I blocked most Elriels - I don't want to know what they are saying . If I have to read what they said on our tags then what is the use of that entire exercise. It's not personal I have been here over 2.5 years now , I know how it can chip away at your mental health so I just protect my space.

I don't mind people debunking theories that's not the stuff I have an issue with ... my issue is people putting all the nasty stuff elriels are saying on our tags .... I am confident about Gwynriel so I simply don't seem to see the need to obsessively follow what elriels are saying , it makes no difference to me ... except when I want to laugh at dumb theories.

Block generously protect your space .

Gwynriel weeks are here .... and we have all worked really hard to get the content up ... I want to enjoy it with fellow Gwynriels and just vibe .

#gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #pro gwynriel #gwyn acosf #acotar #azriel shadowsinger #gwyn x azriel #post acosf #acosf theory #azriel

[beardburnsupersoldiers]

“Series of firsts- training, acknowledging feelings, kiss”

Look, I am in no way shape or form good at writing, but I freaking LOVE Gwynriel so much and thought I would participate a little in Gwynrielweeks! 

I don’t think there are any warnings unless you count horrible grammar 🤷🏻‍♀️

-The very first time he came to training, Azriel kept a respectable distance. 

-He wasn’t sure if she remembered him or not but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable

-He observed from afar, using his shadows to watch Gwyn’s form and then would relay notes to Cassian, someone he knew she was comfortable with

-Gwyn noticed his actions right away but she kept that observation to herself.

-After a week of this, Gwyn approached Azriel and Cassian as they were talking. and asked Azriel for advice on her form. Cassian was immediately in hysterics wheezing something about sneaking up on the spymaster when he saw Azriel’s surprised look.

-Azriel took the time to answer any and all questions she had. He found her really enjoyed listening to her talk.

-Everything changed after that. Gwyn and Azriel became inseparable. They would pair off to demonstrate certain skills and they would joke back and forth during their sessions.

-Azriel couldnt help but look forward to training. He wanted to see Gwyn, but he lied to himself about why.

-Gwyn found herself gushing about her training with Azriel to Nesta and Emerie. When her two sisters in arms teased Gwyn about her crush, she would suddenly lose all ability to speak and she would blush furiously.

-Cassian and Rhys were no better with Az. They could see what he refused to see. He had feelings for Gwyn, but, Az, being Az, didn’t feel worthy of such a partner. 

-This led to Cassian and Rhys talking with Emerie and Nesta to try and formulate a plan to get the two to admit their feelings for each other.

-Of course, while they thought they were being sneaky, both Az and Gwyn had realized what they were up to. 

-They talked about it while doing some dagger training one night, and Azriel tried to laugh off the idea that someone like Gwyn could possibly be interested in him.

-Gwyn stopped what she was doing and looked him in the eye saying “I don’t think it’s far fetched at all...as a matter of fact, I think it’s a very good possibility that someone like me could like someone like you...”

-Azriel was struck speechless for a moment before making up his mind. He reached out slowly (to give her an out if she was uncomfortable) to caress Gwyn’s face.

-When Gwyn leaned into his touch, he gently brought his lips to hers and they shared their first (of many) kisses.

#gwynrielweeks2023 #gwynrielweeksofficial #gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #acotar fandom #azriel #gwyn

[fieldofdaisiies]

Wip Game

thank you for the tag @bearbluebooks @thelov3lybookworm @moonlightazriel @goldenmagnolias💛

Rules: In a new post, list the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

A Court of Covert Desire (Azris)

Unnamed Gwynriel one shot (hehehe yes, guess who is writing one story for Gwynrielweeks)

Unnamed Azris short story

Elucien one shot for SJM romance week (still unnamed because I can't decide which name I like best)

Tamlin x OC (7 parts for Tamlin week)

3 part Feysand fic (which has half a title that is Fate)

Azriel x Reader - Whispers

fic for SJM romance week but the name would spoil everything so 🤫

tagging (no pressure): @secret-third-thing @born-to-riot @chunkypossum @iftheshoef1tz @thelovelymadone @witch-and-her-witcher @reverie-tales @headcanonheadcase @acourtofladydeath @tuzna-pesma-snova💛

[sunshinebingo]

@gwynrielweeksofficial Day 11 - Alternate Universe

Synopsis: Feeling restless, Gwyn watches the rain from inside the library at Rosehall. When she is unexpectedly joined by Azriel, she realises that perhaps her dear friend could be the one to answer the question that has been plaguing her mind and keeping her from sleep.

A Gwynriel Regency AU inspired by the Bridgerton series.

Word Count: 4k

Read on Ao3 or below the cut

On the summer of 1813, sitting in the large library of Rosehall manor with her head pressed against the window while it rained cats and dogs outside, Gwyneth Berdara pondered. There was nothing unusual in the fact that she was partaking in the act itself. What was odd, however, was the subject that seemed to have taken her mind hostage to the point where she felt so restless that she had to leave the comfortable bed of the guest room that she had been assigned for the duration of her stay. She didn’t know why she was thinking about this so much but she knew that it was the novel she had been reading for the past day that had triggered the thoughts that had gotten her out of bed in the middle of the night, when the air inside the manor was so still that even the place seemed deep in sleep.

She opened the window just enough to let some air in. The flame of the candle that sat on the cherry wood table behind moved more wildly but did not snuff out. Gwyn closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as the cool breeze caressed her heated cheeks and blew her unbound hair away from her face. For a moment, the smell of rain and trees brought her 18 years back, to her childhood bedroom painted in soft blues and white – similar colours to her current room in London – where she had often sat by the window just like tonight to read or to simply stare at the beauty that was Ireland in Spring, or any season really. 18 years and she still missed the air of the country enough to revel in it every chance she got. Rosehall reminded her of how much she loved the greens and the outside; walking bare feet in the grass, swimming in a lake or a river somewhere no one could see, the freedom, the quiet and peace.

Gwyn had been 10 years old when her family had left Ireland to settle in England after her father’s death from an illness a few months prior. It had been at her brother’s request that the Lady Berdara, formerly Miss Vanserra, and her two daughters had moved to London where the rest of her family still resided. Gwyn had been in awe of London even before their carriage had stopped before the grand house that had already been prepared for them. The streets had been busy with the comings and goings of everyone who had already left their country estate to come to the city for the marriage season. Everything was so different.

While her twin, Catrin, had run straight to her new bedroom, Gwyn had sneaked out that day past the trunks and boxes filled with their belongings that were being moved into their new house to explore the outside. The green of the grass had reminded her of the hills that she saw every day from their manor back home. She knew that the garden, no matter how pretty it was, would not replace the view she had there. It was too confined with its tall hedges and limited space to run around. There were not enough big trees that she could climb and sit in to read quietly.

However, one thing had made the garden and life in London much better than Gwyn could have imagined. It had started with the – rather loud – whispered voices she had heard and who were wondering who she was. She had soon found out, after peering her head through the hole in the hedge through which they had been trying to see her, that the voices belonged to her neighbours, Nesta Archeron and Emerie Windhaven and that the latter’s house was right in the middle of hers and Nesta’s. Their friendship had started when Emerie had pointed out that she didn’t understand half of the words that Gwyn had said when she introduced herself and had wondered why they were being so nosy. Gwyn had laughed which had then sent the three girls into a fit of giggles. Although she had lost the thick Irish accent she had when she left her home country, it was still evident today to anyone with ears that she was not born in England – if the fact that she had coppery-reddish hair was not clue enough that is.

Till this day, there were still barely concealed holes in the hedges surrounding the girls’ houses that they had used to visit each other. Although Gwyn and Em didn’t use Nesta’s one since the day she had eloped to marry Cassian, the man she had hated and loved so fiercely. She had a feeling that the one between hers and Emerie’s house would not be in use for much longer either. Gwyn knew that Emerie was close to saying hang society and run away from her home too. That house wasn’t her friend’s home anyway. Emerie’s home was wherever Morrigan was, regardless of what their families had to say. And currently, it was at Rosehall Manor where it’s Lord, the Earl himself, had invited his brothers and closest friends to spend the summer with him.

“What are you doing?”

As though the mere thought of him was enough to summon him, Gwyn’s musings were interrupted by his warm and rich voice. He sounded like he had just come out of bed. By the look of it when she turned her head to the left, she assumed that he probably did. Azriel stood barefoot at the door, his hair looking as though he had fought with a harsh wind. He wore what seemed to be his sleeping pants and a white shirt that was unbuttoned halfway down his chest. She knew it wasn’t proper to stare, but she couldn’t bring her eyes to look away when the single candle in the room was illuminating his tanned skin in that subtle way and making his hazel eyes glow in such a beautiful way.

Azriel followed the direction of her gaze and looked down. Gwyn blushed, looking away and closing her mouth that she hadn’t known was open like a dead fish, when she realised that he had noticed where her eyes had been lingering. He huffed a small laugh before bringing his hands to his chest to button his shirt up.

Azriel cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your quiet time, Miss Berdara.”

Gwyn brought her feet down from the ledge of the window and adjusted her nightdress. There was nothing exceedingly scandalous about the long white dress she wore, but had she known that she would have stumbled upon other people at this time of the night, she would have bothered to put on a robe regardless.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Can it really be called intruding when it’s your own home? And please, you can drop the formalities. We are far away from eyes that can be scandalised simply from a tap on the shoulder.”

Everyone who was currently residing at the manor called each other by their first name, including Azriel’s mother who was used to the close bond that they all had with each other. It was not the case however when they were in company of other people where they were expected to use titles for the sake of decorum. It would be particularly scandalous for Gwyn and Azriel to use their first names with each other in public when they were neither married nor courting. Even the extent of their friendship could be deemed inappropriate.

Azriel laughed as he walked and sat next to her on the window ledge, adjusting himself until one of his legs was crossed on the other and his back rested against the wall. Gwyn turned to her side so she could face him. His mother would probably frown at him for sitting so close to an unmarried woman but they had sat much closer before. Close enough for him to rest his head on her shoulder as they read together, or close enough for her to whisper a joke to him at the expense of their friends.

Gwyn had met Azriel – Lord Azriel Allen or simply Lord Allen when among polite society – two years ago, at the time when his chosen brother, Rhysand Night, the famous Duke of Velaris, had started courting Nesta’s youngest sister, Feyre. Courting might not be the correct term but only their close circle knew of the circumstances that had led the pair to fake a courtship which had eventually turned into a true love match. It was at that time that Nesta had met her ‘nemesis turned love of her life’. One could say that Gwyn and Azriel’s first meeting was quite…surprising. Especially since it had left Gwyn in shock and Azriel with a bloodied hand after he had punched, repeatedly, a man who had tried to take liberties with her in a discreet corner of one of the endless parties that she had to attend during the season. Gwyn had left that evening with the hope of having made a new friend in Azriel and a new feeling that friends and her blood relations were the only thing that the future held for her.

Gwyn’s mother had been hopeful that living among the ton would be an opportunity for her twin daughters to make good matches when the time would come for them to marry. But Gwyn had been out in society since she was 18 years old and ten years had not brought anyone who could convince her to settle down. Gwyn’s twin had been lucky to find her happiness at the end of their very first season out. Catrin now lived several hours away from London with her husband and their son. Catrin had been trying to expand her family, especially since learning that their cousin, Lucien, and his wife Elain, the second Archeron daughter out of three, were expecting their second child. Gwyn smiled at the thought of the lovebirds who were even more in love with each other 5 years into their marriage as they had been on the very first day they had met.

It was not so much that Gwyn had been picky with her suitors. She might have been a little. But she mostly felt like she hadn’t been lucky. Ever since she could walk and talk, Gwyn had been taught what a lady should expect to be, which mostly summed up to being married and making babies. And ever since she could read, she had learned that there was so much more to it. There was more to marriage than acquiring wealth and making arrangements between families; there were feelings that some people were convinced weren’t needed for a marriage to work and other things said between pages of books that proper ladies weren’t allowed to read. It all seemed like a fantasy but deep down she wanted it to be real.

She had decided soon in life that she did not want to be someone’s doll. She did not want someone who would treat her like she was simply here to plan tea parties and make babies just for the sake of the ton’s eyes. Her mother had warned her many times that she would end up a spinster if she continued that way. “Better a content spinster than being not worth more than a horse in the eyes of an indifferent husband,” she always thought but did not always say. She knew her mother meant well. But she hoped for more. She knew it wasn’t impossible. She saw it in her sister’s marriage and that of her friends. It was not like she would go out of her ways to find what they had all found. She was very content the way she was. But knowing that love existed, she knew that she could not settle for less.

“You couldn’t sleep?”

Gwyn shook her head at his question.

“Is your room not comfortable enough?”

“No. I mean yes, its very comfortable,” she tried to explain before he proposed to give her another room. God knew that there were enough rooms in his manor to welcome the entire ton.

“I was just thinking about something.”

Azriel bumped his leg against her knee. “What something?”

Gwyn thought of the novel that she had left on the bed upstairs and the words she had read in it.

“I don’t want to tell you,” she replied with a shrug.

He raised an eyebrow at her. The candle on the table was the single source of light in the library but Gwyn didn’t need any light to discern the silent words spoken by his eyes.

“I am not certain that you are the best person to talk about such things with.”

Azriel placed a hand on his heart as though she had physically wound him. “Well, you didn’t have to hurt my feelings.”

She crossed her arms and stared at him. “It is not your feelings that are hurt but your ego.”

Azriel shook his head and laughed again. Gwyn stared and stared at him. The passages she had read in that book bounced around her head, putting forth images that her mother would faint to see and desires that some men would flock before her house to hear about. It was far from the first book that Gwyn had read that made her think such things. She suddenly felt like she wanted to tell him what was on her mind. Not the images. That would be going too far. But she wanted to talk about it. And he was the first person available.

“Can I ask you something?” Her voice was barely above the sound of the heavy rain pouring outside.

Azriel’s smile softened as he looked at her. “You know you can tell me anything.”

“How does one know, in the moment, if they are good at sex?”

By the way Azriel went still, Gwyn thought that perhaps she could tell him anything but this. She felt the intensity of his gaze on her until he finally seemed to remember that her question had remained unanswered.

“Have you...” he trailed off.

Gwyn furrowed her brows for a moment until his implication clicked in her head.

“Sorry...”

“No,” she exclaimed at the same time as him.

“I mean, it’s none of my business. Unless someone...Oh god, Gwyn.” He moved forward and took her hands in his. “Did someone manipulated you into doing something?”

“No. Azriel no.” Her confirmation seemed to loosen a tension in him. “I was just wondering,” she admitted.

“Why?”

Gwyn could have laughed at him and retorted that it was inappropriate of him to ask why but then she would have to laugh at herself for asking the question that had led him to wonder the why. So, she shrugged flippantly instead.

“I just want to know. Such information could help me someday.”

Azriel squeezed her hands. She knew that they were tempting scandal by ignoring propriety and even more with this conversation. But there wasn’t anyone here to witness any of this. Also, propriety had always been quite overlooked among their group of friends. Except when they were in public, when surrounded by their friends only, the couples never tried to hide their affection or conceal their...urges. Gwyn liked the way they openly showed their love. It was like their love was so grand that they couldn’t keep it all in. Though some things were best kept in. Gwyn’s ears and eyes had been assaulted more times that she could count in the week since she had been here.

“How much do you know about sex, Gwyneth?”

Gwyn sat straighter but didn’t let go of his hands. She held his gaze, emboldened by the fact that he did not treat her like an innocent little thing. They were close friends after all, she reminded herself. They had seen each other’s tears and had accidentally fallen asleep on the same couch.

“I might not have much experience but I do have extensive theoretical knowledge on the subject. Enough that I do not require the little talk that all ladies get prior to their wedding night.”

Azriel raised a brow. Gwyn was tempted to stare and stare at him again.

“Although, I have little enough knowledge in the practice of it that I had hoped to indulge in learning everything that my husband would be willing to teach me.”

The light from the candle flickered in his eyes, making the hazel shine as if from a fire within. Gwyn wondered what good she had done to have been blessed by the presence of such a magnificent man.

“I have read this book that has made me think about it. And I wonder whether it’s too much to ask of a partner to wish to learn from me.”

Gwyn thought back to the book again and how the protagonist, a woman with years of experience in the art of sex, had been praised by her partner for everything she had done to him and how, in several passages, she had gone on saying how grateful she was for her own experience before him.

“I was hoping that my partner would also find some things to learn from me. It sounds silly to say this with my lack of experience. But I was truly hoping to find someone who wants me, and is not just settling for the first random person just to have a wife. As such, I was hoping that they would find the experience with me to be...” She pursed her lips while searching for the right word, “...not akin to lying with every other woman.”

Gwyn had never tried to seek pleasure from anyone but herself. Her decision to wait for love extended beyond marriage. But now she wondered whether she should do what she usually did with every task she set her mind to and practice until she became perfect at it.

“But now I’m wondering,” she continued, “What if I have waited all this time and I’m just...not enough.”

The gentle caress of Azriel’s thumbs over the back of her hand send shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with the breeze coming in.

“If I may be bold enough to tell you something, I –”

“You may,” she interrupted, earning a smirk from Azriel that made her heart flip.

“I don’t think it’s possible for you to be bad at it.”

At the sceptical look on her face, Azriel continued, every single one of his words meant to reassure her.

“I can’t force you to believe me. But I can assure you that sex isn’t a game of who knows more of what. It’s about being together and enjoying each other.”

A strong wind blew, some of it made it through the slightly opened window. It sent a strand of Gwyn’s hair floating in front of her eyes. Azriel’s hand was faster in reaching it. He twirled it around his finger a few times before tucking it behind her ear. Gwyn held her breath for the whole time his fingers drifted from her ear, down her jaw, before he cupped her cheek.

“Trust me Gwyn. Whatever you do will be more than enough. Because it’s you. Because you’re perfect.”

She sighed. She knew she was blushing even before she noticed his eyes travelling across her nose and cheeks, his thumb soon doing the same. He had done this on the day he had told her that he enjoyed making her blush as much as he liked making her smile.

“In that book I read,” Gwyn leaned forward and brought her face closer to his. “It said that the act of sex is different from the act of love. The author added that only those who are lucky enough to make love at least once in their life will understand the vast difference between simply chasing release and giving yourself body and soul to your partner.”

She looked at him, at his lips then at that fire in his eyes that lit up her whole being.

“I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with only chasing release. But the way she describes the latter makes one want to pray harder to find the perfect partner.”

Gwyn had an idea why Azriel was still unmarried at the age of 32. He had confessed to her of the bitter feeling that his parents’ marriage had left in him. In this moment, sitting in the library of Rosehall while it rained, the only witnesses being the silent books and the single candle in the room, Azriel held onto Gwyn’s hand for dear life and looked at her like she had dreamt for some time that he would.

“How would you describe the perfect partner?” he asked.

A single word was on the tip of her tongue. But she swallowed it and forced others to come forth. Words that she had told herself like a list before, repeating them in her head every time she refused a suitor and every time her mother reminded her that she was close to becoming a spinster. But it was only now that she felt the depths of her own words. Suddenly they weren’t just a series of requirements that she was saying out loud. They were words spoken from the heart. A plea, almost a summon.

“Someone you care for. Not someone that you choose because it is required of you. But someone that you want so much that your heart needs them. Someone who, even if you see their flaws and don’t like them every minute of every day – God knows some people are not always tolerable,” she muttered the last sentence with a pointed look at him and waited for his inevitable chuckle before she continued, “- you still love them. To me, the perfect partner is a friend. One that you want to give yourself to body and soul.”

His thumb moved to her lips where he traced them from one corner to the other. “Can I tell you a secret, Gwyneth?”

Gwyn nodded when she found herself unable to form words. He smiled, eyes fixed on her lips as though they were pulling him in.

“I have a friend like the kind you speak of. That single friend who I love so dearly that I wish she would have me body and soul.”

She didn’t know her free hand had moved but when she felt a beating heart beneath her palm, she suddenly realised that her hand was now on his chest. The other one would be shaking if he wasn’t holding it so firmly.

“I have that one friend too,” she admitted, her face inching closer and closer to his.

Another strong wind whooshed, opening the window widely and snuffing out the candle at the same time lightning illuminated the whole room. A loud thunder followed right behind. But Gwyn neither saw nor heard any of it. The only thing left to her was Azriel’s hands holding her and his lips as he kissed her.

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