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damedechance · 7 months

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𝖈𝖗𝖔𝖜 𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖌

𓇢𓆸 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑜3 || 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

Pairing: Gwynriel Status: Ch 2/? (Read from Pt 1) Rated: E (Explicit) Summary: Three years ago, Gwyneth Berdara became the ward of the Night Institute, a band of hunters led by Rhysand who work to rid the world of vampires. After one fateful night where Gwyn unwittingly welcomes one such creature into their home, she strikes a deal with Azriel, one that is just as likely to condemn them as it is to save them.

CWS: descriptions of blood/injury, eventual smut

𓇢𓆸 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑓 𝑠𝑛𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑡

It’s funny how even daylight itself pales in comparison to the inheritor of the Night Institute. How even the bronze stars inlaid in the ceramic tile seem to be laid out at his feet, where he stands leaning against the kitchen island. And even as Gwyn stares at his back, she thinks how it is still so strange seeing him here. In some place as ordinary as the kitchen. His arms are crossed, and Gwyn cannot see who sits at the kitchen table from around his shoulders. “I might kill you myself,” Rhysand says, pitching forward slightly as he spits the words at the other man. “If your actions don’t finish the act for me, you fucking–” “Good morning,” Gwyn murmurs, as she ducks behind him. Rhysand whips around, his arms loosening from around himself as he looks at her. His eyes had flashed wide, but as he rests his hands on the counter, a small smile spreads over his face, a bit sheepish. Gwyn hurriedly turns around, and opens the door to the icebox to collect a bottle of milk. “Good morning, Gwyn,” Rhysand says warmly. As she closes the icebox and steps towards the stove, where the coffee has been brewing. Evidently forgotten by Rhysand. “Can I make your coffee?” Gwyn asks, making an effort to add some cheer to her voice. She reaches into an upper cabinet for two cups, and purposefully does not look to Rhysand for his answer. “That would be lovely, thank you,” he says. Sighing, almost in relief, Gwyn busies herself with pouring the cups as Rhysand turns back to the person sitting at the table. “And if you say you weren’t hunting,” Rhys asks. “Then why do you look like death?” “Nightmare.” Gwyn’s fingers begin to shake around the neck of the milk bottle, and when she sets it down, it clatters discordantly against the wood countertop. She heaves out a breath, and slowly turns to face the rest of the room, hands braced on the edge of the counter behind her. Azriel sits there–she can see him now that she’s edged around the island. His head hanging low and his elbows propped up. He has his hands wrapped around the back of his neck, staring down at Rhysand’s shoes, but when Gwyn turns, his eyes flash up to meet hers. Gwyn takes in his appearance, the dark circles beneath his eyes and the slight sheen of sweat over his skin. He’s hungover, clearly, and his gaze falls so heavily on her, she feels like her lungs are being crushed beneath its weight. “A nightmare?” Rhysand scoffs. “That’s a fine excuse, Az, but you might want to try it on someone who isn’t so used to your bull–your tricks. You ever try to go hunting alone, Azriel, and I will personally see to it that you never hunt again. Are you even listening?” Rhysand’s jaw tenses, eyes narrowing, and then he follows the path of Azriel’s gaze and finds Gwyn. She scrambles to collect the cups from the counter, and strides forward to offer one to him. “Coffee, Mr. Corbett?” she asks, offering him a wobbly smile. “Thank you, Gwyn.” Despite himself, Rhysand smiles back. “And you know we have no need for such formalities. Not in this house.” Gwyn pointedly ignores his offer. “Did you sleep well, then?” “Well enough.” Rhysand takes a sip of his coffee, and sighs. “And you didn’t stay up too late in the library, I hope.” Gwyn’s smile widens. It feels tight on her face, as she lies, “Of course not.” “I’m pleased to hear that,” Rhysand says. He turns back around, to where Azriel has collapsed with his cheek pressed against the table, and kicks him in the shin so that he jumps up. “And you. I don’t care what state you’re in, I expect you to be in attendance this evening. Even if it means Cass and I have to drag you in there ourselves.” Gwyn hides her abrupt frown behind a sip of her own coffee, and returns Rhysand’s departing nod in her direction with a small wave. She watches as he exits the kitchen, and only allows her shoulders to sag once she can no longer hear his footsteps. Until Azriel snorts from over at the table, and then her spine is straight as a board again. She whirls around to face him, and slams her cup of coffee down on the counter. “What?” she bites out.

˖⁺‧₊˚⸸˚₊‧⁺˖

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#gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #azriel acotar #acotar #acotar fanfiction #acotar fanfic #gwynriel fanfiction #gwynriel fanfic #vampire au

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daevastanner · 4 months

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A Court of Blades and Beginnings Pt 2

P A R T I I

“Hm. I like your ears.”

“M–mine?”

“Mmhm.”

“Th-thank you. I like your–your spots.”

“Really? I used to cover them up, but, ya know?”

Agnes and Kristofferson in Wes Anderson’s “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” 2009

“They’re so… smooth.”

Azriel chuckled softly as Gwyn’s long finger traced the rounded edge of his right ear. She was so close, studying him with such scrutiny, that every breath he took smelled of willows and water lilies. What he had come to identify as her scent.

“I bet you can’t hear anything…” she murmured.

The edge of Azriel’s lip twitched. “What was that?”

“I said that you can’t—oh…” she snickered, withdrawing her hand. “I see what you did there. That was funny.”

Azriel dipped his head, in a sketch of a bow.

They sat cross legged, facing one another in the training ring, no one for company but themselves and the setting sun. Casual chats after private training had become routine. Any time Azriel went on an assignment that involved prolonged departure from the House of Wind, he had found that the absence of their conversations weighed heavily upon him. He would hunger for the priestess’s charming irreverence. For her quick wit and willing ear.

His shadows nuzzled his neck, bringing him back to the present. Drawing his attention to the way Gwyn stared at him, a brow quirked curiously.

“Something on your mind, Shadowsinger?”

Azriel waved an errant hand. He wouldn’t add weight to this carefree arrangement. He didn’t dare tell her how he’d come to treasure their private lessons.

Instead he said, “I’m just thinking about your freckles.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. He contemplated her freckles often.

Gwyn’s brows shot up. “Oh?”

Azriel nodded. “I’ve never seen someone with so many.”

A speckled hand lifted, touching her blushing cheek. “I used to hate them,” she said with a wry smile.“But, you know? There’s nothing to be done.”

“Nothing needs to be done,” Azriel said stiffly. “I like them.”

Gwyn smirked at him. “Ah. So because you like my freckles they can continue to exist.”

Azriel leaned forward, elbows on the knees of his criss-crossed legs. “And because you like my ears they can continue to be round?”

“I never said that.”

“Neither did I.”

Her teal eyes narrowed, the teasing smile remained on her clever lips. “Well, then I suppose I can acquire a complexion clearing tonic in Velaris and wipe them clean off my face—“

“Don’t you dare,” Azriel growled playfully.

Gwyn dissolved into a fit of laughter, nose scrunching. She reclined to lie down on her side, propping up her elbow and resting her head in her palm. “You military males are all so bossy.”

“Well,” grunted the shadowsinger, tucking in his wings so he could mirror her posture. “You priestesses are all know-it-alls.”

“Ever consider that’s because I know everything?”she grinned.

He chuckled, eyes briefly scanning the way her new position displayed the dip of her waist and the curve of her hip, hugged tightly by her training leathers. He consciously averted his gaze, turning his attention to a deep nick in the training mat from one of their more intense sparring sessions.

He knew that with each session Gwyn got closer and closer to her goal. Her goal of feeling as though she could defend herself, of being whole enough to meet with her mate. He prayed that whoever in the Velaris Defense it was would allow them to continue to meet privately. While he had more faith in the Velaris Defense than he did in the Windhaven War-camp to be civilized, Azriel knew that the mating bond made even the most level-headed males complete barbarians. Rhysand himself had beaten Cassian bloody over a lewd comment during the heat of the frenzy. How would Gwyn’s mate react to Azriel’s close proximity to her during training? To their banter?

But those were worries for another time. For now, he would continue to bask in the meager but brilliant glow of their companionship. “Three months of training, Berdara,” he said, hedging towards the subject. “You’ve completed a sacred Valkyrie Rite. You’ve won the Blood Rite Qualifier. You’ve become formidable with a dagger. How do you feel?”

Gwyn smiled. “Like I may be able to venture into the world, albeit with a fair degree of nausea.”

“Truly?”

“Mmhm,” Gwyn replied. “Given the appropriate motivation.”

Azriel gave her a wolfish grin. “Say a courtship with your mate in Velaris?”

Gwyn’s smile grew subdued. “A mating bond does not always equal attraction. I don’t know that he’ll regard me in such a way.”

“Then he is a fool,” Azriel grumbled.

She laughed, but he could tell by her expression she was not convinced.

Read the rest on AO3

#gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #azriel acotar #gwynriel supremacy #gwyn and azriel #acotar fanfiction #gwynriel fic #gwynriel fanfiction #ao3

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the-new-ribbon · 26 days

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I’ve Been Loving You For Quite Some Time (and it’s about time we do something about it)

synopsis: Gwyn Berdara and Azriel Night have been friends since their senior year of college. Years later they find themselves both working at Moonlight University. They've strictly stuck to being friends, but when they travel to Nesta and Cassian’s elopement, the last thing they ever expected was to wind up drunk and standing at the altar of a drive-thru wedding chapel.

word count: 1825

read here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54767785/chapters/138810226

or below the cut!

Gwyn

The hot and dry air welcomes Gwyn and Azriel as they step out of the airport. There is also a tension between her and Az that was stronger than before. She wonders if his heart beat is as fast as hers. Heart palpitations from a crush wouldn’t be the worst way to do, but it would be just a tad embarrassing. Unrequited love because she couldn’t get it together and tell Azriel how she feels.

Nesta and Cassian are standing in front of their Jeep they rented for the weekend.

Gwyn’s bag is left behind on the sidewalk when she spots Nesta and runs at full speed towards her. “Gwyn, you made it!”

“Were you worried I wasn’t? You’re my best friend, I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Plus my students love me since I canceled class today and Monday.” one of the many reasons why she is one of the most popular professors at Moonlight. Other reasons included that she didn’t give ridiculous homework assignments, rather they just read romance books and discussed them in each class. Az on the other hand is the grumpy professor who’s always giving out homework and never cancels class.

“No, I knew you would be here. I was worried you’d be bored with Mr. Grumpy Professor.” Nesta breaks eye contact and shoots a look at Az, who’s now holding Gwyn’s discarded bag.

He’s making it very difficult to just be friends. If he keeps doing stuff like this she’ll get down on one knee and marry him now. And being in Adriata, there’s a heightened sense of romance, making it only more difficult to be just friends with Azriel Night.

First it was the first class ticket, then it was their banter about her bag, him saying her name as he begged for her attention just so he could read one of her books, plus all the other things he’s done since their senior year of college.

“Good to see you, Gwynnie.” Cassian wraps his arm around Gwyn in a hug. His shoulder length hair is tied into a bun, a few small pieces have even fallen or were pulled out for some shaping.

“Hi Cassian.”

“We should get going. We have to get ready for tonight.” Nesta cuts it. “We’re celebrating my last night before becoming a wife!”

Cassian clears his throat and tightens his hold on Nesta in a loving way, “Sweetheart, you’ve been my wife since the day I put that ring on your finger.”

“I know and I love you for it. But technically speaking, it’s my last night as a fiancee.” Nesta looks up and smiles at her fiance.

The four of them climb into the car, Nesta and Cassian grab hands as soon as they’re situated but there’s a weird tension between Gwyn and Azriel. The middle seat of the back seat is empty, Gwyn’s right hand rests in it and Azriel’s left hand is only a few inches apart.

Without thinking, as the car gets closer to the hotel, Gwyn feels a warm hand cover her freezing ones. She looks away from the window and sees Azriel looking at her. His longing gaze makes her stomach fill with butterflies. A simple, beautiful smile spreads on her face and Gwyn feels like she could faint. Az never smiles but Gwyn learns that she might be more special than others around him.

While they were walking out of the airport, Azriel and Gwyn made a promise that when they got to the hotel, they’d immediately take Nesta and Cassian to get ready. Nesta was spending the weekend in the same room with Gwyn, and Azriel and Cassian would be in the same room.

That’s exactly what they do. Gwyn’s hand intertwines with Nesta’s and begins to pull her to the elevator.

“Wait!” Nesta shouts, stopping in her tracks. She runs back to Azriel and Cassian, jumping into Cassian’s arms and kissing him. “I love you, I’ll see you in an hour. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’m going to do one stupid thing, I’m hanging out with Az afterall, but it won’t affect our wedding or you.”

She gives Cassian a look that makes Cassian smile.

“Okay, okay. I won’t do anything stupid. I love you, sweetheart.”

The white marble floors have a light blue undertone that matches the waves crashing outside the window. The large columns have seahorses carved into them. Gwyn and Nesta’s room is full of natural light and has a matching aesthetic as the lobby and the rest of the hotel.

The two of them each unpack; setting their toiletries on the pearl colored counter. Gwyn’s copper colored hair and Nesta’s golden brown hair reflect the sun as Gwyn rests her head on Nesta’s shoulder in the mirror.

“I’m really happy for you Nesta.” Gwyn says.

“Thank you. I’m happy you’re here with me, Gwyn. I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t set me up on that date.” Gwyn and Azriel met before Nesta met Cassian, but with Gwyn being best friends with Nesta and Azriel being best friends with Cassian, the two worked tirelessly to get them both at the same place at the same time. Nesta protested since Thomas broke her heart just weeks before, but with Cassian’s charming smile and personality, it worked. Even if it hasn’t always been easy.

“I think Cassian would have gotten your attention sooner or later, he’s very in love with you and has been for a very long time.”

A cherry red blush covers Nesta’s cheeks.

*~~~*

Gwyn applies eyeliner to her freckled eyelids, and a light pink gloss to her lips. Nesta applies a dark red lipstick to her lips and steps away from the bathroom counter to the full length mirror on the adjacent wall.

“So are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?” Nesta asks, adjusting her black, skin tight dress in the mirror. She spins to look over her shoulder at the back of her dress.

Gwyn finishes tying a white ribbon in her hair and looks at Nesta, “What are you talking about?”

“Gwyneth Berdara, Azriel has eyes for you and has a giant crush on you.” Nesta says loudly. Gwyn’s stomach drops and she feels her cheeks warm.

Her arms go behind her back as she thinks back to what happened on the drive here and the flirtiness on the plane. The teasing in the gate at the airport about her bag.

“I think he was flirting with me on the plane, he even asked to read one of my books.” Gwyn says with a huge smile on her face. “But I’m not sure, maybe he was just being friendly.”

“Two things. One, “just friends,” don’t look at or act like you two. You two are basically dating. Two, which book did you give him?”

“My favorite book, A Dance of Shadows, of course!” with plenty of post-it tabs and notes in the margins, even highlights of her favorite quotes and scenes.

“Good choice, Berdara. He’ll definitely like it.” especially because it’s your favorite, Gwyn, is unsaid but Gwyn can see it on Nesta’s face.

“There’s one more thing.” Nesta’s head shoots up and she steps closer to Gwyn. “Heheldmyhandinthecaronthewayhere.”

Nesta’s jaw drops and Gwyn’s hands move from behind her back to her face, covering her smile but it’s so big that smile lines form around her eyes.

Azriel

To say that holding Gwyn’s hand changed his entire life would be an understatement. It changed his entire universe. New stars formed in the sky and the world is suddenly brighter than it was just hours ago. He used to think that he never had a chance with her but these past few hours proved that he might have a chance. Her freckled hand against his scarred hand that once made him shudder in unworthiness and flood with insecurities. But with Gwyn, those feelings and insecurities aren’t there anymore. He just felt something that feels a little like something like fondness. With Gwyn, a new sense of intimacy he’s never felt before comes to light.

“Az!” Cassian slams his hand on Azriel’s back. “This is my wedding weekend but why can I feel that you’re keeping something a secret? You’ve been different since we picked you and Gwyn from the airport.”

“I flirted with Gwyn on the plane and then I held her hand in the car on the way here.” He confesses, feeling like a weight has been lifted off his shoulder but still feeling a smaller weight on his heart. Why can’t he just tell Gwyn how he feels? It’s been years, small flirty comments here and there but it’s finally caught up to him. It’s taken over his thoughts.

“Well it’s about time. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. You’ve been in love with her for years, I’m surprised it took you this long to finally say it out loud.”

Cassian has this ridiculous smile on his face and ruffles Azriel’s hair. Azriel elbows him in the stomach. “You’re an ass,’’ he says even with a smile on his face.

“Correction, I’m your best friend.” Cassian says, holding his pointer finger up.

*~~~*

Azriel changes into a black button up shirt and black slacks, and a pair of dressier, but not too fancy, black shoes. His silver chain around his neck peeks out from behind the couple of undone buttons. He runs his fingers through his inky black hair and fixes all his ringers on his fingers before grabbing his glasses from the table, sliding them back on his nose.

Tell her how you feel, Az. You can’t keep going down this path of avoiding your feelings and continuing to flirt with Gwyn if you aren’t going to do anything about it. She doesn’t deserve it.

Cassian strolls out of the second room, a red button up forms around his defined biceps, his hair tied back.

“Ready to go? We should get down there before Nes and Gwyn.” Cass says, fixing the black leather bracelet Nesta gave him last Christms.

There aren’t many people in the lobby – a few hotel workers walking around making sure everything looks good while a few guests talk at the bar across the way. Az and Cass find two empty chairs with a view of the elevators to wait.

When the elevator door chimes a few moments later, the two males stand up, tucking their hands into the front pockets of their pants. Gwyn and Nesta walk out of the elevator, Gwyn’s arm looped through Nesta’s, and giant smiles on their faces.

Gwyn's attention leaves Nesta and focuses on Azriel. She smiles at him from across the lobby, waving at him, and contrary to everyone else, he smiles and waves back. It isn’t a small, toothless smile either, it is a full on smile that makes his dimples pop and his cheeks hurt.

His smiles are reserved for Gwyn only.

#gwynriel #gwynriel fanfiction #gwynriel fanfic #gwynriel supremacy #pro gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel #acotar modern au #acotar fanfiction #au gwynriel #i've been loving you for quite some time #acotar

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vulpes-fennec · 1 year

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Happy Day 3 of @sjmromanceweek!!!

Pairings mentioned: Nessian, Gwynlain, Rowaelin

I’m going to leave all the “Dear Suriel” parts a mystery to the readers hehe. You can read the regular text below the cut!

Dearest reader, if you did not have the pleasure of attending Nesta Archeron and Cassian’s mating ceremony last week, I feel sorry for you. But Suriel, I thought you were dead? Rest assured that death is merely the gateway from one realm to the next.

Under the flower-bedecked temple by the flowing Sidra, Nesta and Cassian exchanged tender vows and offered each other sweet cake. Cynical readers may question the purpose of such extravagance. Is such formality necessary when two people already love each other, when they have already accepted their mating bond? This author posits a different question: why live, if we cannot find causes for celebration?

But sending well wishes to the happy couple was not my sole reason for attending the mating ceremony. As we all know, there is nothing this author loves more than a scandal. It has become common knowledge that a singular stained glass necklace was offered to Elain Archeron, and then Gwyneth (Gwyn) Berdara last Winter Solstice by an errant Azriel Shadowsinger. I can only hope Mr. Shadowsinger’s future partner does not have the love language of gift-giving!

Society, like a snarling, salivating hound, has hungered for an explosive resolution to this whole debacle. With both ladies attending the ceremony, has the other shoe finally dropped?

Not in the way you may presume. For the gentle Kingslayer and the cheerful Valkyrie were spotted giving each other shy glances while walking down the aisle. After the luncheon, Gwyn sidled up to Elain with an innocent request to dance. As the rest of the party grew raucous over copious cups of wine, Elain gave Gwyn a tour of the peaceful River House garden, demurely clasping the priestess’s hand midway.

Surprised, reader, by this budding romance? Not I. Miss Archeron spoke true of not wanting a male, and perhaps Miss Berdara will find solace in feminine intimacy as she ventures out of the library.

Thanks to the revocation of Cassian’s Summer Court ban, the happy couple is currently soaking up the sun in a stunning overwater bungalow. Let us pray that the Illyrian general does not destroy yet another Summer Court dwelling with his…honeymoon activities.

One can only assume that Nesta and Cassian had their hands full, as they did not pay a visit to the Adriata’s annual Turtle Days Festival. A shame! This author is particularly fond of turtles, for they are some of the longest lived creatures in the sea. Wise, yes, but also prone to chit chat like me. After all, life can get incredibly dull without gossip…

There is nothing like the warm sun and ocean breeze to put one in the mood for love. Summer Court’s most eligible bachelor, Tarquin, was spotted with a pretty female at his side the entire time!

As schoolgirls tearfully take down the posters of their handsome High Lord, several of them wrestle with the silver lining: perhaps one day, they may have a shot with him. For it appears he does not limit himself to the court ladies when it comes to relationships! Tarquin guided his companion down the art gallery, listened attentively to her input while judging the seafood bisque contest, and tore up the dance floor with quadrille after quadrille. The two looked positively over the moon as they stole away to a secluded beach for an evening swim in the warm summer sea.

Enjoy the honeymoon phase, young lovers! This mystery lady is certainly a lucky one, for the high lord of summer is working hard to ensure all fae are elevated to equal status in his court. For workaholics everywhere, this is a sign: perhaps finding love is the quickest way to make you all take a break.

Across the worlds, Her Majesty Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius (a mouthful of a name!) and Prince Rowan Whitethorn have retreated to the royal summer estate on a much-delayed honeymoon.

While much of the estate has fallen into disrepair over the years, the remaining locals did their best to fend off looters and even buried the late prince and princess in the estate gardens.

Queen Aelin is renowned for her love of luxury, but one can imagine that peace and quiet are of higher priority on her honeymoon. The opportunity to retreat from the hubbub of court should not be taken for granted, and I fully expect the couple to make the most of their privacy.

Perhaps revisiting this once-beloved home and forging new memories is the final piece of healing needed for the young queen. This author does affirm Prince Rhoe and Princess Evalin were contentedly watching over the newlyweds from their garden bench. That is, before that pesky dog Fleetfoot decided to charge at me, snapping at my robes! All right, all right. This author will leave the happy family be.

Dear Suriel, I am thinking of proposing to my girlfriend. Marriages, engagements, most of all love…these are foreign to us Ironteeth witches. So I have been doing my research: I’ll need to procure a diamond ring, take her to an upscale dining establishment, plan a fun sedentary activity for afterwards, say a sappy speech, and get down on one knee. But I am worried she will decline because this may be a long-distance marriage (we have duties to our respective queendoms). Respectfully, Abraxos’s Mom.

Dear Abraxos’s Mom, I am honored you consider me the expert in marriage proposals. I commend your commitment to researching an unknown area, but I am sure your darling would find more meaning in a personalized proposal over an expensive (and sometimes gaudy) one. I suggest finding a ring that will, most importantly, fit. I also recommend focusing on her favorite dishes, rather than expensive fine-dining. Speeches are not a must before the fateful words “will you marry me,” but if the moment calls for it, opt for genuine words over spouting poetry. Wishing you luck!

Win a free honeymoon trip to Terrasen National Forest! A three-night stay at the Peregrine Resort, complete with deer park, Kingsflame meadows, Staghorn mountains aerial tramway, spa, and fine dining vouchers for two!

Erilea residents only. Submit your wedding invitation and the story of how you met your partner to Terrasen Parks Service before Beltane Eve.

#sjmromanceweek2023 #nessian #gwynlain #rowaelin

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sunshinebingo · 11 months

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Dating My Neighbour, But Not Really

This fic is a birthday gift to @shadowsxgwynriel. Happy birthday for the hundredth time bestie. Love you loads ❤️❤️

CRACKSHIP ALERT

Pairing: Gwyneth Berdara/Lorcan Salvaterre (😏!)

Word Count: 8.5k

Warning: NSFW

Synopsis: Gwyneth and Lorcan started as neighbours and friends until a little misunderstanding led them to become more.

Snippet:

HIM

“Why did you tell him that we are together?” Lorcan complained to Gwyn as they made their way together to their apartment building. Great, he thought, not knowing himself if it was a good or a terrible thing. The woman he had been crushing on for two whole months was now his fake girlfriend. Fucking great.

“You begged me for help, remember?”

“I did not beg,” Lorcan retorted. “And I didn’t ask you to play my girlfriend.”

He did not even know what he had meant when he had asked Gwyn for help. He just wanted to get rid of Fenrys since he knew that his friend would insist on him being present tonight. And Lorcan was really not in the mood to sit and watch all of his friends being disgustingly in love on another Friday movie night. He had reached his limit when he had had to listen to the random kissing sounds that rose in the middle of the movie last time. Just thinking of their kissing orgy made him gag.

When he had informed them by text that he would not be attending tonight, Aelin, the brat, had immediately called him to remind him that movie night was tradition. As if some gods would be angered if they did not spend time together for once. She had also taken the time to make him a list of all the reasons why he should find himself a girlfriend if being the single one was starting to bother him. One of the first reasons being that he would no longer look like a lost puppy among the group.

Running into Fenrys had been a coincidence. One that had resulted in him accepting to meet with his friends. But also to walk out of the store with the best fake girlfriend one could wish for.

“How was I suppose to help you then?” the fake girlfriend asked.

“I don’t know,” he grumbled.

“Well you should have been clearer on how you wanted me to help Mr I-don’t-have-a-fucking-girlfriend.”

He looked down at Gwyn to find her looking at him with an exasperated expression. This was one of Gwyn’s expressions that his mind automatically conjured whenever he was about to say or do something stupid. He had known her for two months and she had already taken residence in his mind.

“I hate you,” he frowned at her.

“No you don’t,” she replied in a sing-song voice.

Lorcan did not know whether to be thrilled or scared at the idea of pretending to date her. It was probably a bad thing because after she would fake-dump him, it was going to be harder than when he was still pining after her.

“You know what, this could be a win-win situation for everyone.”

Read on Ao3 here

#Gwyn x Lorcan #gwyneth berdara #lorcan salvaterre #crackship #I love them ♥#so why not #🤷‍♀️#modern au #fake dating #idiots in love #acotar #acosf #throne of glass #tog #HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE!!

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moodymelanist · 3 years

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mr. & mrs. berdara chapter five is up!

omg, I can’t believe this is the final chapter! thank you to each and every one of you for sticking with me on this Gwynriel journey; I’ve had a surprising amount of fun writing them!!!

stay tuned for more news about Mr. & Mrs. Vanserra, which I should start posting within the next 2 weeks. I’m planning on keeping that story to about 3 chapters, but they’ll be longer than my usual chapters so it won’t be a quick story by any means. if I end up extending it, you’ll be the first to hear about it <3

read the last chapter on ao3 here! and yes this is the long awaited smut chapter 😏

and as always let me know if the tags work xoxo

#acotar #acosf #Gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #gwyn x azriel #AO3 #Gwynriel fic #mr. and mrs. berdara #final chapter #yes there is a lot of smut #enjoy my babies

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ruthieluvsbooks · 2 years

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elizabeth+darcy/gwynriel parallels pt.4

pt.1, pt.2, pt.3

HANDS HANDS HANDS HANDS (+ the rest of their hotness ig)

i rest my case. i love them so much your honor.

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damedechance · 6 months

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𝖈𝖗𝖔𝖜 𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖌 (pt 3)

𓇢𓆸 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑜3 || 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

Pairing: Gwynriel Status: Ch 3/? (Read from Pt 1) Rated: E (Explicit) Summary: Three years ago, Gwyneth Berdara became the ward of the Night Institute, a band of hunters led by Rhysand who work to rid the world of vampires. After one fateful night where Gwyn unwittingly welcomes one such creature into their home, she strikes a deal with Azriel, one that is just as likely to condemn them as it is to save them.

CWS: descriptions of blood/injury, eventual smut

𓇢𓆸 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑓 𝑠𝑛𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑡

“Would you care to dance?” Gwyn asks. She drains whatever bit of wine remained in her glass, and sets it upon a passing tray. The waiter quickly supplies her with another. “It appears my partner is otherwise engaged.”

Cassian turns to her, swallowing hard, but his eyes follow just a moment later. He forces a smile for Gwyn, but after months of training with him, she can tell that it is hardwon. Still, she appreciates the effort.

“I’d love to dance with you, Gwyn,” he says warmly. “Come.”

Gwyn takes his arm, and follows him out into the center of the crowd. She suspects it is so that Cassian can keep a better eye on the exchange between Nesta and Eris, but she doesn’t mind. Gwyn would very much like to see, as well. Nearby, just to the side of where Rhysand and Feyre are introducing Nesta, Azriel lingers. Like a shadow pressed against the wall.

“What convinced you to come?” Cassian asks, as he places a hand over her waist and guides her into the beginning steps of a dance. Far less skilled than Nesta, perhaps, but Gwyn is only excited at the prospect of unrestrained movements, ones that are wild and unrefined. She goads Cassian into leading her faster by pulling on him.

“What do you mean?” Gwyn asks, breathless as the music begins to pick up. She still holds her wine, and it begins to slosh around in the glass. She hurriedly brings it to her mouth, before most of it can spill out onto Cassian’s suit.

Cassian laughs, and for a moment Gwyn is grateful that she can distract him from his longing for Nesta. “You never wanted to come to these parties before.”

Gwyn shrugs, even as Cassian spins her. No one else is spinning, and Gwyn can’t help but wonder why. It is such marvelous fun.

“I was never invited,” Gwyn says finally.

Cassian frowns a bit, pulling Gwyn slightly closer. “You were always invited.”

His face is so beautiful. In this violent sort of way, with a scar through his brow and such sharp lines to his face. He is what she expects when she thinks of a Hunter, what she suspects vampires fear when they see his face behind a Hunter’s blade. And with his hand across her back, pressing her close to him, Gwyn doesn’t think any reasonable woman would ever turn him down.

Aside from Nesta.

“Do you think you’ll take me hunting now?” Gwyn asks around another laugh, as Cassian dips her. “Now that I’ve made it out of the house?”

Cassian speaks carefully, “Hunting is very different from attending a party, Gwyn. I still think–”

All at once, Gwyn shoves away from him, holding up a finger to indicate he should wait while she drains the rest of her glass. She wipes her mouth with the back of her gloved wrist, and lets the hand holding the empty wine flute fall to her side.

“You think I am a liability,” Gwyn says. Her voice is hard, even as the music buzzes in her ears.

“That isn’t true,” Cassian says. His hands are still hovering in the air towards her, but he keeps glancing to the side. Where Gwyn can see that Nesta is dancing with Mr. Vanserra, and they are completely engrossed in the act.

She takes pity on him.

“It is,” Gwyn says. “But if you dance with me again, I might forget about it.”

He takes her suggestion to heart, and then Cassian leads her in endless circles about the room. Until Gwyn cannot fathom the fact that her feet have ever touched the ground, or that her head is not a weightless bubble floating in golden, honeyed champagne. At one point, Cassian hands her off to Rhysand, who then hands her off to Elain, and it is the longest night of the year.

And Gwyn doesn’t stay in one place for a second.

“I’m so,” Gwyn pants, pressing a hand to her chest as she extricates herself from Feyre, this time. “Thirsty.”

Feyre laughs, walking with Gwyn towards the refreshment tables, but once she sees Rhysand beckoning to her from across the dance floor, she places a hand on Gwyn’s shoulder.

“I’ll be back in just a moment,” she says. “Are you alright?”

“Magnificent,” Gwyn says.

And whatever Feyre saw in Gwyn’s eyes clearly did not instill her with much confidence, because she says, “I’m sure Nesta has had enough of Cassian by now. I’ll send her over here.”

Gwyn waves her off, making the rest of the way to the refreshment table on ungainly feet. As the night has progressed, the crowd has dwindled, but there are more than enough arms and shoulders left for her to bump into. Hands shoot out to steady her, and she doesn’t shirk away at the contact, doesn’t scream until it scrapes her throat raw. She smiles, and laughs these hiccuping laughs until she cannot breathe.

Until every inch of her skin is buzzing with this rush of heat. Pouring over her body is liquid, tantalizing elation. She’s giddy, she realizes, as her lips spread wide and her pulse thrums to the music.

She can feel it, once she finally reaches the table and catches herself by clutching the edge with tingling fingers. The music and the night creating a clamor within her. As if the very fabric of her being is a tenuous thing that she cannot grasp. But there is a spot of calm, somewhere, and her ears sense it before her eyes do.

She’s tipping her head back, waiting for the last drops of her wine to fall across her tongue before she accepts another glass. And from around the crystal rim, she sees a dark shape. She sees his hair, a flash of his unreadable face, as he ducks out of the ballroom and into the hall.

And in the midst of all this ecstacy, it doesn’t exactly seem like the worst idea to follow him.

Gwyn slams her empty wine glass down on the table, and gathers her skirt in her hands so that she doesn’t trip over it as she makes her way to the archway Azriel disappeared out of. With each step, she seems to regain some aspect of control of herself. Her breathing returns to a regular pace, her steps become more steady. Until the warmth in her veins recedes only to her cheeks and her chest, and that dizzying feeling in her head wans to all but a soft smile. She’s so happy, she can forget that she doesn’t particularly like Azriel.

˖⁺‧₊˚⸸˚₊‧⁺˖

Happy Halloween!

#gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #azriel acotar #acotar #acotar fanfiction #acotar fanfic #gwynriel fanfiction #gwynriel fanfic #vampire au

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daevastanner · 4 months

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A Court of Blades and Beginning Finale

Tomorrow the Epilogue releases :)

F I N A L E

“You must know... surely, you must know it was all for you. You are too generous to trifle with me. I believe you spoke with my aunt last night, and it has taught me to hope as I'd scarcely allowed myself before. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever. If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love--I love--I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”

Mr. Darcy in Joe Wright’s “Pride and Prejudice” 2005

Azriel was going to murder Cassian. On the night of his mating ceremony no less.

And all for dancing with Gwyneth Berdara. A mild offense, all things considered… if Gwyneth Berdara were not Azriel’s mate.

If Gwyneth Berdara had not been utterly resplendent in that blue gown.

If Gwyneth Berdara had not been laughing and giggling as his brother twirled her.

But perhaps the most vicious offense was that unlike Azriel, Cassian had Gwyneth Berdara all to himself. A privilege that the shadowsinger had yet to be afforded.

Then do something about it, his shadows urged.

Maybe I will.

With that, Azriel tossed back the remainder of his champagne flute, setting it back down on the banquet table with a bit more force than necessary. No one remained to witness his ire. His seatmates were all up dancing after all. Emerie with Morrigan. Elain with Lucien. Feyre with Rhysand. Nesta with Nyx. Amren with Varian.

And fucking Cassian with Gwyn.

Pushing out of his chair, uncaring of the way the legs scraped crudely against the marble of the temple floor, Azriel walked around the banquet table and straight for the dance floor.

He maneuvered through the sea of dancing bodies, heading straight for Cassian and Gwyn.

The string quartet’s music wound down and the pair separated, just as Azriel arrived before them. When Gwyn rose from her curtsy and Cassian from his bow, they both noticed his fuming presence.

Cassian chuckled. “Thank you for the dance, Berdara.” He nodded to the shadowsinger. “Azriel.”

Gwyn turned and beamed at Azriel, her expression so breathtaking that his anger nearly dissipated.

Nearly.

He was unable to account for the cause behind the full extent of his anger. He knew it was mostly just the damned bond, paired disastrously with his own natural inclination towards jealousy.

“Would you care for a dance, Shadowsinger–”

“No, I would not,” he bit out. “Come with me.”

He took her hand and began towing her towards the exit as the band struck up their next number. The doors shut behind them muffling the sound of music and merrymaking, but Azriel did not stop. He continued towing her along the grounds of the river house, all the way to the moonlit bank of the Sidra, where he finally released her.

Gwyn gestured to the water, then said meekly. “It’s lovely at night.”

“The sound of the rushing water will prevent anyone from overhearing.”

“And what might they overhear?” Gwyn asked, amusement coloring her tone.

But her amusement only served to feed his outrage.

Read the rest on ao3

#gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #azriel acotar #gwynriel supremacy #gwyn and azriel #acotar fanfiction #gwynriel fic #gwynriel fanfiction #ao3

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mystical-blaise · 2 years

Note

I got so happy when I saw you're back working on your fic again but then I remembered where the last chapter ended and if I'm screaming now then that's nobody's business but my own😂 (also I'm sorry about the war in the fandom. I'm a non active member just watching it all from afar and it's horrific. Can't imagine what it's like for everyone else receiving the hate💖)

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I didn't forget about how it ended. It's been haunting me. But seriously, I've been careful about the next two chapters in their pacing and plot because the chapter there's one coming up where I feel like I'm going to either need to take breaks or it's all going to come out in one sitting and one long sob.

BUT, I promise it'll all be worth it.

Fun fact, besides my husband who literally zones out when I try to tell him about this fic lol, only @hlizr50 knows where it's going.

#gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #gwyn x azriel #azriel x gwyn #gwyneth x azriel #azgwyn #gwynriel supremacy #gwyn berdara #gwyneth berdara x azriel #gwyn acotar #pro gwynriel #pro gwyn #gwynriel fanfiction #my asks #ask mr #acowas news #acowas teasers #acourtofwhispersandsong #a court of whispers and song

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littlefishbigsea · 3 years

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Voluntarily Fell into some ACOTAR threesome fanfics today and noticed how often Azriel is the third of choice about 9.75/10 times. Hot damn, our boy is versatile. 🖤

#he doesn’t need poetry #top or bottom #your choice #mr berdara #azriel #shadowsinger #acotar fanfiction

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sunshinebingo · 1 year

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Totally Spies (Valkyries) Chapter 18

@emeriethevalkyriegirl @aelinchocolatelover

Read on Ao3

The girls looked for other possible exits but found none.

‘’Wait,’’ Gwyn exclaimed, ‘’he said we would not leave until we’ve completed the task, right?’’

‘’The bastard,’’ Nesta hissed, realising what Cassian had done.

Since they had already tried and failed at dragging Emerie across the room without her touching the floor, the girls decided to take a different approach. They looked around the gym for any equipment that they could use to build a bridge from one end of the room to the other. They piled all the thick mats that they could find and made a bridge tall enough that whoever would be carried wouldn’t touch the floor directly if dropped.

Emerie and Gwyn stood on opposite sides of the bridge as they carried Nesta who was definitely lighter than Emerie. It took them some time but eventually, the girls touched the wall on the furthest end of the gym. A few moments after Nesta stood up a beep was heard from the door, indicating that it has been unlocked. This confirmed that Cassian was watching them despite being away.

The girls left the gym and headed to their dorm where the boys awaited them for lunch. As they discussed the last exercises that the girls would be going through before they go back home later, Gwyn received a call from her aunt. Gwyn had told her that she was spending the weekend at Emerie’s place and Louisa was calling to ask if she had to come get her.

‘’Don’t worry Lou. Emerie’s dad will drive me home later,’’ Gwyn explained. Fortunately for Gwyn, her aunt Louisa did not know Mr Keen at all.

‘’Are you sure it won’t bother him? He was already kind enough to let you stay the weekend.’’ Gwyn hummed over the phone. ‘’Well can I least talk to him for a minute?’’

Gwyn froze. ‘’Why?’’ she asked.

‘’Well you told me that you had a good time there and I would like to thank him for taking good care of you and your friends.’’ Gwyn mentally cursed her aunt for always being so kind towards everyone. But she knew that Lou was just excited that her niece had finally found friends like Nesta and Emerie. After all this was her first official pyjama party in 13 years. The rough training and near death experience was just an added bonus.

Gwyn’s panic rose when Lou deflected all her excuses to not talk to who she believed was Mr Keen. ‘’Ok wait a minute,’’ she told her aunt before muting the phone and rushing to the living room. ‘’Guys I need one of you to pretend to be Emerie’s dad.’’ The boys looked at Gwyn as if she had grown a second head. ‘’She put me on the spot and you told us that you would take care of everything so we wouldn’t get in trouble and if she finds- ‘’

‘’Okay okay stop we get it. Pass the phone to Cassian,’’ Azriel, who was busy petting Shadow, interrupted Gwyn’s pleading. It seemed that he liked the little terror more than he would like to admit.

‘’Why me?’’ Cassian frowned at his brother. ‘’Your voice is deeper than mine.’’

‘’You look older,’’ Azriel said to Cassian. ‘’Plus I’m busy at the moment." Shadow purred on Azriel’s lap.

‘’She needs someone to speak on the phone idiot,’’ Cassian replied.

Gwyn handed the phone to Cassian and offered more pleas. Cassian mumbled something about Gwyn doing his laundry and took the phone from her, putting it on loud speaker.

‘’Hello?’’ Cassian tried to deepen his voice as he spoke to Lou.

‘’Hi, you must be Mr Keen,’’ came Lou’s sweet voice.

‘’Yes ma’am. And you must be Mrs Berdara.’’

Lou laughed at that. ‘’No I’m Gwynie’s aunt. You can call me Lou.’’

‘’Well it’s very nice to meet you Lou,’’ Cassian drawled, a grin spreading on his face. Rhysand, Azriel, Emerie and Nesta all stifled their laughs. Gwyn only rolled her eyes.

‘’I wanted to say thank you for taking care of my Gwynie. I hope it hasn’t caused you too much trouble looking after her in addition to your own daughter,’’ Lou said.

‘’Oh I can assure you that it was no trouble at all. Actually the girls are already planning their next stay. Maybe next time you could drop Gwynie and we can have a chat in person?’’ the others laughed when Gwyn smacked Cassian in the head. ‘’Stop flirting with her,’’ she hissed.

Lou on the other hand seemed flustered when she answered ‘’I-I will think about it. Thank you.’’ Gwyn could tell by her voice that her aunt was smiling over the phone. She wouldn’t be if she knew that Cassian was just a big oaf pretending to be a man of 40 years old.

‘’Great,’’ Cassian tried to push Gwyn away as she attempted to snatch the phone from him.

‘’Goodbye then Mr Keen.’’

‘’Bye Lou,’’ Cassian replied before Gwyn’s aunt hung up. He handed the phone back to her with a grin.

“Good luck coming up with more lies to cover this mess brother,” Rhysand clapped Cassian on the shoulder. But Cassian wasn’t ready to drop the act yet. ‘’It seems like I have a date with your aunt Gwynie.’’ He wiggled his eyebrows at Gwyn and the others fell into fits of laughter.

Gwyn narrowed her eyes at Cassian. ‘’Prick,’’ she said before she grabbed Cassian’s hair and pulled on it.

#🌈#gwyneth berdara #nesta archeron #emerie #azriel #cassian #rhysand #valkyries

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kimstclair · 2 years

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Gwynriel Regency AU (part 2)

The Wedding

TW: Mentioning of past SA

Part 1

Their wedding ball was going perfectly as planned. But suddenly, Gwyn froze at his side, her hand that was resting over his forearm now gripped him with strength.

Azriel followed the direction his wife was staring at and found nothing but one of the guests arriving on the other side of the ballroom.

With a more careful look Azriel identified him. Of course Gwyn would be a little scared about his arrival, but Azriel had a plan.

"Gwyn, I know his presence here might be a little odd for you", Azriel explained with carefulness, he placed his other hand over hers on his arm, "But Rhysand and I thought it would be great to finally put an end on that rumor that has been haunting you for so many years".

The rumor that had ruined Gwyn's life on her first season, almost five years ago, if he remembered well.

Nobody knew who started it, but one night, in the middle of a ball, the rumor that Miss Gwyneth Berdara's honor had been broken by Mr. Hybern in the backyard began to circulate among the guests.

Mr. Hybern himself and Mr. Eris Vanserra, Gwyn's closest male family, assured that it was just a rumor. There were no testimonies, no proof that it actually happened, but the high society’s gossip sure turned Gwyn's life into misery.

Azriel wasn't surprised when Gwyn left for a private school for girls only one week after the rumor started. She'd finally returned to London with Nesta for last year's season and stayed until the moment.

And now she was marrying Azriel, and his first action as her husband would be to resolve this situation that had frightened his wife for so many years.

"We'll just welcome him to the wedding and talk a little louder than usual, so people around can hear it and see that the three of us are on good terms with each other".

"I can't", Gwyn said, her eyes still fixed on Mr. Hybern, "I- I can't, Azriel. I can't".

His wife seemed so lost, her grip was starting to cause a little pain in his forearm. "It'll be really quick, Gwyn, I promise".

"No, no", Gwyn shocked her head desperately, "No, Azriel, please. I can't".

Some nearer guests started to look in their direction, worried glances thrown at his wife's behavior. Azriel knew the last thing Gwyn would like was a public commotion over her, so he gently guided his wife to an emptier place of the ballroom, near to the garden's doors.

Through their way to the doors, she not once took her eyes away from Mr. Hybern on the other side of the room, like she was observing his every step. Azriel cupped her face with both his gloved hands and said with a soft voice, “Gwyn, look at me”.

For one who observed them from a distance, it would look like he was proclaiming love words for his wife. And Azriel told himself that it was only for acting purposes that his thumb started caressing her freckled cheek.

“Look at me, wife”, and Gwyn indeed changed her gaze to his face when he called her wife, Azriel would remember that for further occasions, “Let’s make a change of plans. You stay here, talk to other guests and drink some lemonade while I’ll welcome Mr. Hybern to the wedding”.

He got no reaction from Gwyn, she kept staring directly at his eyes with furrowed brows and parted lips. Perhaps she was just processing everything, Azriel thought, perhaps she was already calming down.

“Alright then”, he nodded with assurance, “I’ll talk to him now and soon I’m back for our toast”.

Again, there was no response from her, just that perturbing expression. Azriel dropped his hands from her cheeks, but before he took a step away from Gwyn, he felt a strange urge to reach for her own hands and held them to his chest, “I promise there will be no more rumors about you, Gwyn”.

He stepped back, sure there would be no answering from her as before, but he barely took three steps in Mr. Hybern's direction when Gwyn's voice reached his ears, “It wasn’t a rumor”.

Azriel stopped himself, his brows shot high in confusion as he turned back to his wife, “I’m sorry?”

Her face showed even more agony than before, “I said '', she pressed her lips together in a thin line, “It wasn’t a rumor”.

Azriel moved close enough to his wife that he could feel her breath against his face. He locked his eyes on hers and the only thing he found in those usually vivid teal eyes was fear. Pure, indomitable fear.

She shouldn’t be feeling like this at their wedding. Damn, Gwyn shouldn’t be feeling like this at any time. She was his wife, his to protect and to be taken care of. But right now, he was providing her no safety at all.

Rage burst through Azriel’s veins. He needed to put an end on everything that was responsable for frightening his wife, starting with that stupid crowd of nosy guests. Azriel held her wrist firmly, but taking care not to be rough and hurting her, while he guided them out of the ballroom and directly into his personal office that was just at the end of the first floor’s principal hall.

He knew that this act might make some guests buzz around about them, but they were already married anyway. Perhaps people would think they had left early for the consummation. Which would be considered rude, but not sinful.

—

Just like its door, the interior of Azriel’s office was in tones of dark brown. The place was poorly illuminated and cold, but provided an effective barrier to the noises of the ball going on outside. Azriel sat Gwyn on the small couch he kept there and leaned against the unlit fireplace in front of her.

They stared at each other for a few silent seconds, her eyes were silver with tears, the moonlight entering through the windows making them look like endless pools. Azriel didn’t know where to begin asking. What Gwyn had just implicitly revealed was too much… He felt like someone had punched him in the stomach.

And as if she just remembered what she’d said, Gwyn lowered her eyes to her lap, her finger playing with her white satin dress.

“You can tell me”, Azriel made the opening for her to choose whether she would talk to him or not. He couldn’t pressure her into saying anything, it didn’t feel right to fill her with a bunch of questions she wasn’t willing to answer.

A moment passed and the only thing heard were the music and chatting of the celebration outside. But Azriel's focus was on the pressure of his heart beating inside his chest. It was so heavy that he wondered if that was what it felt like to have a heart attack. Probably not, or else he would have fainted before his wife started to talk.

“I didn’t know at the time”, Gwyn shocked her head, tears finally falling down her rosy cheeks, “I didn’t. And he told me-” She sniffed, “He told me we would see the orange trees in the garden. And I always wanted to see orange trees, you know?”

Azriel felt his blood boiling inside him as his wife turned into a frightened, trembling thing in front of his eyes. But she kept saying with a cracked voice, “I was too innocent to wonder why he didn't invite anyone else to see the trees. But I was so excited", the tears didn't stop falling, "So I followed him to the gardens and when we got there- When we got there… There were no orange trees”.

“What-” Azriel made a move to take a step towards Gwyn, but she instinctively curled up on the couch, away from his reach, making Azriel curse himself for scaring her even more at this moment. So he kept stuck in place as he asked, “What happened then?”

“Don’t make me say it”, her teary eyes shot him a pleading gaze and Azriel felt tears rolling down his own cheeks.

"If you allow me to ask, why hadn't you told no one about it?" Azriel couldn't understand why she preferred to keep that as a secret for herself, it should be excruciating. And there was also the fact that no justice had been put over Mr. Hybern for his crimes.

"You think you're the first one who knows about it?" She asks with a cracked voice and Azriel felt like a dumbass. Of course there were people aware of that, just not people who cared enough that an innocent girl had been raped.

"Who knows what happened?"

"Eris. He was the one who noted my absence in the ball and found me", she swallowed hard, "And Beron, of course".

"Just the two of them?" Azriel's voice was like a cold blade cutting the air between them.

Gwyn shocked her head slightly, "I've told Nesta and Emerie before we came back to London last season".

"I suppose that was the reason why you left for the private school in the first place", Azriel never heard his own voice so soft as now.

Gwyn sniffed again, her cheeks were wet and pink from crying , "Kind of. Beron didn't leave me much choice. He first wanted me to be married to- '' She frowned into an expression of disgust, "But Mr. Hybern was not a good enough match for me in Beron's eyes –not one that would bring him any political advantages. So he paid Eris and Mr. Hybern to publicly declare the gossip going around about me was nothing but a fake rumor. After that he just sent me to the private school so me and my trauma wouldn't be a burden for him anymore".

She stared numbly to the floor, sobbing quietly while lost in her own thoughts. It wasn’t right. What happened to his wife wasn't right.

Fuck. His wife had been raped and he had invited her assalter to their wedding. And after that he had asked her to go talk to him and to smile at him like nothing had happened.

“Gwyn”, he called her on the edge of despair. He needed her to know he was deeply sorry for that. He needed her forgiveness or he would- or he would…

“Don’t say it”, she cleaned the tears with the back of her hand, “Don’t apologize, don’t say you’re sorry. Because this”, she pointed at her red, puffy eyes, “This is not about you”.

Azriel was startled by this woman in front of him. Her words… How could one speak so bravely when they should be at their frightnest?

Azriel moved from the fireplace without a word to look after something on his desk. It was filled with piles of reports and court documentations, but what he was looking for was safely guarded inside the drawers. Once he found what he needed he returned to Gwyn and placed the items on the center table in front of his wife. A key and a pistol.

Her teal eyes widened as she understand what he was doing, “There’s no other copy of that key. Lock the door once I’m gone and don’t let anyone in unless it’s me calling you outside. You probably won't need to use the pistol, but in any case..." Azriel showed the bolt up, "It's loaded. Pull the trigger to fire and the bolt to reload”.

Gwyn opened her turning purple lips to say something, but Azriel realized one more thing, “Oh, right”. He crossed his office once more and opened the door on the opposite wall to the fireplace, which led to a small closet. He knew Gwyn was watching him as he walked out of there carrying a cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders.

“I don’t have time to light the fire now, but it might keep you warm while I’m out”.

“Out?” Gwyn’s eyes were still wide, “What are you doing, Az?”

She's never called him by his nickname. Azriel returned her worried glance with an assuring one. “I’ll be back soon, Gwyn”.

“Will you kill him?” she asked, her lips trembling. Azriel wasn’t sure it was from the cold.

Azriel only answered her by saying, “I’ll take Cassian with me. You’ll never have to worry about that bastard again”.

“Azriel”, she standed from the couch for the first time since they entered his office, hands holding his cloak tightly against her shoulders, “Killing him will only raise suspicions of… What happened”.

She kept her head up and her voice clear as she spoke. But Azriel could see her through her steady posture, for some reason, Azriel could see her completely. She didn't want to be broken again, she wouldn't let anything break her again, but she was also so tired of being brave.

How many years had she hidden that story for herself? How many times had she needed to pretend everything was fine when it just wasn't? Azriel knew more than he would like to admit what it felt like.

And perhaps what she needed now was the simplest of the acts one could do.

Azriel took one of his gloves out, letting the scarred skin of his hand free for her to look at. He approached her and, this time, she didn't flinch from his closeness. Her eyes were fixed on his hand as he held hers with so much gentleness, intertwining their fingers.

“It’ll be fine, Gwyn. Trust me”, Azriel whispered close enough to her face that she could feel his hot breath against her cheek.

Gwyn closed her eyes for a moment, but nodded, “I do”. And when she opened her ocean color eyes she was fighting the tears that wanted to fall again, “I trust you, Azriel”.

For some reason he struggled to pull his hand away from hers. There was just some rightness about being this close to his wife. But Azriel unlaced their fingers anyway.

And with a last assuring nod at her direction, Azriel left the room with nothing but a blade and rage in his veins.

#gwynriel #gwynriel fanfiction #I still don't know if there will be more parts #gwyneth berdara #azriel x gwyn

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