#prince of doranelle

[mariaofdoranelle]

The Courtship Deception - Part 2: Heirloom

Fic masterlist

Written for @throneofglassmicrofics

I have 15-ish parts outlined (and most already written, a big feat for me! Yay!) so updates will be frequent since I have to finish by the end of the month heheh

Warnings: Rhoe being his shitty homophobic self

Words: 829

“He’s from Doranelle too,” Fenrys answered to one of her million questions about Rowan while they waited outside her dad’s office.

“But is he just from Doranelle, or did you meet him in Doranelle?” Aelin insisted, her voice hushed so no one would hear it.

For all his talkative personality, Fenrys was awfully secretive about his life back in Doranelle. All she knew was that he used to work for the royal family, hence why Rhoe was paying him the big bucks to babysit Aelin, but she got nothing beyond that. What did he do? Who did he work with? Are the gay rumors about Prince Endymion true? Nada.

Fenrys snorted. “He can answer that himself, Princess.” An eyebrow raised at her. “Didn’t you get his phone number?”

Aelin rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t mean he’ll answer all my questions, though.” But his flirting skills certainly made up for it, was what Aelin didn’t say because Rhoe’s assistant called them in.

His office was unsettling, or maybe it was just Aelin that felt unsettled, considering that her father only called her here for important conversations. It would be simple, just a big desk and some filing cabinets, if not for his bookcase. Instead of books, he showcased airplane miniatures—one of each model from Gala Airlines—but also family heirlooms, crests, and whatever old royal nicknack he liked to keep as a reminder of what he’d be if some very smart people hadn’t an ancestor of theirs one hundred and a half years ago.

“Fireheart.” Her dad smiled, gesturing for her to sit while Fen stood by the door. “I was just on a phone call with Lord Westfall. I have great news for us.”

“Do tell…” she trailed, unsure of what to say. Great news usually led to special dinners, not meetings mid-afternoon.

“I ran into Westfall on that trip to the Southern Continent last week. We talked a lot, including about how things are going south in business, and he’s willing to help us out if we give him a hand as well.”

“Okay…?”

Rhoe’s expression turned somber. “You do know what happened with his boy, right?”

Aelin nodded, her chest tightening just to think of their situation. Chaol and Dorian’s secret relationship was recently outed online and treated as an international scandal, leading to their breakup.

“Very well.” Her father leaned on the table, hands clasped together on the surface. “Westfall’s willing to invest in Gala Airlines if you agree to marry his boy. You know, so people stop thinking he’s a sissy.”

“EXCUSE ME?” Aelin shouted, standing up. She didn’t know what to call out first, this stupid-ass plan or the blatant homophobia.

He held both hands in surrender. “I know this isn’t fair to you, and I know you deserve to choose who you marry...”

Aelin crossed her arms. “Go on.”

“That’s why I reached out to King Dorian. He offered the same deal on his son’s behalf, and now we’re willing to let you choose which one of the boys you’ll marry.”

“Oh!” Aelin’s mouth fell open, a flush of adrenaline tingling through her body because how dare he. “How generous of you!”

Rhoe relaxed on his chair. “I knew you’d see reason.”

“No, that’s not—“ Aelin pinched the bridge of her nose, blood boiling with anger. “Have you ever considered that, if business is going south and your first solution is to sell your daughter, maybe things are sinking because of you?”

“Fireheart, this is hardly about me.” Rhoe tilted his head, as if trying to understand her. “Can’t you see that you’ll get back what was taken from you? Your birthright?”

She took a step back, mind going a mile a minute. Not this bullshit again.

“Daddy, it’s not my birthright, and even if it were, I don’t want it.”

He sighed. “Royal duties aren’t about want. It’s the most honorable—“

“That I don’t have any right to!”

“But if you can’t reclaim your own title, you should at least marry into one!”

The reason why her father married her mother, a princess from Wendlyn, before the monarchy fell there too and he lost his title—and his marriage.

“Dad, this might seem unbelievable to you, but I’m actually glad I’m not a crown princess, and I’m certainly glad your great-great-great-grandfather was such an incompetent fuck he got—“

“Enough!” her father shouted. “Watch your mouth before you talk about—“

“But I am! I’m fine with it! I have a princess’ wealth and Instagram following, why would I ever want more obligations just for the sake of a title? Can’t you see Queen Georgina? She’s boring, she dresses boring, she has a boring schedule—“

“I guess you’ll have to get used to boring, then,” he snapped, eyes cold in a commanding way. “Or choose to become a duchess. Both boys will be flying in soon to start courtship. You’ll have a few weeks to choose—unless you come up with a better deal, which I doubt.”

You can get notified when I update by either turning notifications on for @mariaofdoranelle-fics or entering my (sometimes glitchy) tag list!!

TAG LIST

I couldn’t tag the people in bold, sorry!

@aelinchocolatelover

@autumnbabylon

@bookcide

@booksandteaonarainydayislife

@cookiemonsterwholovesbooks

@courtofjurdan

@dreamer-133

@elentiyawhitethorn

@elizarikaallen

@emily-gsh

@empress-ofbloodshed

@fangirlprincess09

@goddess-aelin

@gracie-rosee

@leiawritesstories

@lululululululuop

@renxzs

@rowanaelinn

@s-uppertime

@sarahjswift

@staghorn-mountains

@superspiritfestival

@swankii-art-teacher

@thegreyj

@throneofus7

@violet-mermaid7

@wishfulimaginings

#rowaelin #throne of glass microfics #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #throne of glass #rowaelin fanfiction #rowan x aelin #aelin x rowan #rowaelin fanfic #throne of glass fanfic #the courtship deception #tcd

[leiawritesstories]

A Visit to Orynth

Rowaelin Month, Day 24: How Rowan Knew "Fireheart"

Word count: 2.2k

Warnings: canon has been edited because i said so, Maeve, royal politics, references to the blood oath and other canon fun

Enjoy!!

@rowaelinscourt

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

The prince first visited Orynth when he was a young male, barely twenty-four years old. His parents frequently traveled for diplomatic reasons, and they’d invited him to accompany them for the first time that year. We won’t ask you to do anything, they promised. Just come along and get a sense for what the world of politics is like. 

Prince Rowan Whitethorn had never been a fan of politics. He preferred steel to statecraft–give him a broadsword or a pair of hatchets any day. 

But he went to Orynth that spring, and for some reason that he couldn’t name, he felt oddly at home in the sprawling city with its unusual but somehow perfect blend of stone buildings and patches of greenspace like little meadows dotting the cobbled streets. 

He left most of the diplomacy and politicking to his parents, who spent most of their days holed up in council chambers with Queen Elena and King Brannon and their court. The first couple of days, he had to attend the sessions, and he paid as much attention as he could before resorting to drawing little battle diagrams on his note sheets. His father noticed, but said nothing, only muffled his knowing smile and quietly directed Rowan towards the training yard. So Rowan spent the rest of that visit with the palace guards, sparring and training and exchanging technique and tactical notes with the highly skilled military. 

That was the last time he visited Orynth for nearly three centuries. 

Upon his return to Doranelle, Rowan entered the legions, and he barely saw his home or his family for the next three hundred years. He rose swiftly through the ranks, ascending rapidly to the rank of captain before he was seventy-five years old. His queen took notice of his prowess, and he was inducted into the bloodsworn legions, an honor granted to precious few warriors. The decades he spent serving closely under the queen’s command honed him into a warrior of near-impossible capacity, and honed his heart into a block of ice, as impassive as the glaciers of the far north. 

~

Prince Rowan Whitethorn was three hundred and thirty years old the second time he visited Orynth. 

Erilea had been casually discussing their relations with Doranelle for the last century, and it had finally reached a point where the rulers of the Erilean kingdoms decided to host a summit and invite representatives from Wendlyn and Doranelle. Wendlyn, of course, sent a delegation of Ashryvers, who were relations of the royal family of Terrasen. Maeve called together her bloodsworn and chose two of them to accompany the five selected Fae delegates. 

“I trust you will keep your Queen aware of the discussions,” she purred, a deceptively soft smile gracing her lips as she handed Rowan and Vaughan their notes for the talks. 

Rowan dipped his head in acquiescence. “Of course, Majesty.” 

Three weeks later, as he stepped off the ship and set foot into Terrasen for the second time in his life, he drew in a lungful of the crisp, clear mountain air, and found that its scent comforted a part of him that had been empty and aching since his parents passed away. 

He pushed that thought to the back of his mind, occupying himself instead with the concerns of the discussions. Maeve had sent him–her legendary warrior-prince–for a reason, despite his lack of diplomatic skill, and he intended to prove that he could hold his own at a meeting full of human royalty. And if things went poorly, then he could fall back onto Vaugahn’s quiet, diplomatic tact. 

King Orlon Galathynius greeted the Doranelle contingent as they entered the council room on the first day of the summit. The human king was aging, but the lines around his eyes and the gray of his hair only strengthened his image as a capable, compassionate leader. According to what Rowan knew, Orlon had ruled Terrasen for nearly twenty years and showed no signs of abdicating soon, although his younger brother, Crown Prince Rhoe Galathynius, worked closely with the king. 

“Welcome to Terrasen,” King Orlon said warmly, clasping Rowan’s hand in a firm handshake that proved he retained his physical strength. “It’s an honor to welcome Doranelle back to our land.” 

“The honor is ours.” Rowan dipped his head in a bow to the king. He bowed lower for his own Queen, but the courtesy was still due. 

Inside the meeting chamber, a dark-haired, younger version of Orlon approached Rowan and Vaughan and exchanged greetings. “Rhoe Galathynius. Pleasure to meet you in the flesh, Prince Whitethorn, Lord Recorre.” 

“Please, leave off the title, Highness.” Rowan shook Rhoe’s hand, noting the insignias the human prince wore on his jacket–military rankings. “We’re all just delegates for peaceful relations, aren’t we?” 

“Indeed.” Rhoe smiled. “Let me show you to your seats; this room is rarely used, so it’s always a nightmare to navigate. I keep telling Orlon we need to use the throne room, but he–ah, Evalin!” A stately, golden-haired woman with the distinctive turquoise eyes of the Ashryver family and a slender silver circlet around her brow had walked up and laid her hand fondly on Rhoe’s arm. He tucked her arm into his with a soft, tender smile. “Vaughan, Rowan, allow me to introduce Princess Evalin Ashryver, my lovely and far more talented wife.” 

“Welcome back to Orynth,” Evalin smiled. “It’s been far too long since we hosted Queen Maeve’s people.” 

In that moment, Rowan knew two things with absolute certainty. First, Princess Evalin Ashryver knew that he and Vaugahn were bloodsworn–he didn’t know how she knew, but she did. And second, if her lineage (and her scent) were correct, she was a direct descendant of the Fae Queen Mab, Maeve’s sister, and therefore was most likely the Fae Queen of the West. 

Suddenly, he wondered if he’d been sent to Orynth to view Evalin with his own senses and bring knowledge of the Ashryver princess back to Maeve. 

The sonorous peal of the great brass gong tore Rowan away from his thoughts. 

“Ah, we’re about to start.” Rhoe dipped his head at Rowan and Vaughan. “It truly is an honor to host you in Orynth. Please, attend dinner with Evalin and I.” He flicked a half-grin at his wife. “We’d better get to our seats, Fireheart.” 

Fireheart. 

“You and your misleading nicknames,” Evalin teased as she and Rhoe walked off. Rowan’s Fae hearing picked up their conversation. “I don’t have the fire gift, my love, only the water. Fire is Brannon’s line’s gift.” 

“You have the fire in your heart, my love,” Rhoe returned. “And who knows? Perhaps someday the gift will manifest in one of our children, if we’re so blessed.” 

“It’s a slim chance.” Evalin’s whisper contained an ocean of sadness. 

“It’s still a chance, Fireheart.” Rhoe kissed his wife’s forehead. 

Rowan stopped listening then, overcome by what he’d just learned. The fire gift. It wasn’t a myth after all–the gift of fire magic laid dormant in the royal bloodline of Terrasen, and the intersection of the Ashryver and Galathynius lines with Rhoe and Evalin’s marriage just might be enough for the near-mythical gift of Brannon Galathynius’s fire to manifest again. 

Fireheart. So the prince’s affectionate name for his wife was more than just an endearment–it was a wish for their future. For their kingdom’s future. 

Fireheart. 

~

Rowan went to Orynth again ten years later, but this time, he went uninvited. He shifted into his hawk form when his small ship had docked in the harbor, and he remained in that form for the entirety of the next few days. He went to Orynth not to negotiate or pay a formal visit, but to linger on the parapets of the castle and pick up conversation. 

He went as a spy. 

On his last night in Orynth–a blustery, rainy night–Rowan perched on a window ledge and pressed his hawk body as close to the window glass as possible without making a terribly loud noise. He stretched his Fae senses down and out, into the dining room below his perch, and strained to hear the conversation taking place in the room. The royal family of Terrasen was hosting the royal family of Adarlan, and rumor had it that relations between Adarlan and every other Erilean kingdom were tense, if not outright hostile. 

Rowan couldn’t make out much of the conversation, but he heard enough. Bits and pieces of politely veiled threats, the sneer behind the king of Adarlan’s tone, the uncomfortable shifting of the staff and guards who stood at the edge of the room–it pointed towards looming conflict. He hopped off his perch and flew up to a window he knew was in Rhoe and Evalin’s chambers. Perhaps he’d hear something worthwhile from them. 

It wasn’t long before the prince and princess came wearily into their rooms, speaking in hushed tones about the poor signals from Adarlan. 

“I’m worried, Rhoe,” Evalin admitted. There was a soft clink as she laid her jewelry on top of the dressing table. “There’s something bigger than just Adarlan at play here.” 

“Something magical?” Rhoe asked. 

“It’s possible. I…I don’t think it’s purely magical, though. That ring of Adarlan’s…I can’t describe it, but I felt like it was looking at me, almost like it wanted to claim me.” 

Rowan gripped his perch with all the strength of his taloned feet, determined not to slip despite his shock. 

“Fireheart,” Rhoe breathed, coming over to embrace his wife, “are you certain? I trust your judgment–I have no way of detecting magic–but…” He took a deep, measured breath. “A wrong move from Adarlan could constitute war, and if there’s magic at play…” 

“It could end us all,” Evalin whispered. 

Rowan had heard enough. Quietly, he hopped off the window ledge and launched himself up into the wind and rain, his thoughts churning as rapidly as the storm. Adarlan. Magic. War. He hadn’t known what his Queen had wanted him to discover when she sent him to Orynth, but he’d bet his broadsword that it wasn’t rumors of magical war. 

Three weeks later, when his ship docked back in Doranelle, Lorcan delivered the news, and the information he’d heard while spying suddenly clicked into place. 

Adarlan had performed some kind of ritual that banished magic. The King of Adarlan had armies marching across Erilea to root out magic-users, and everywhere his army went, he claimed dominion. Melisande and Fenharrow had capitulated. Eyllwe seemed on the brink of collapsing. The Western Wastes and the Witchlands had separated. 

And the entire royal family of Terrasen was dead. 

~

Orynth was so different from the first time Rowan had set foot in the city, but the mountain breezes still smelled the same. The ancient and modern buildings and the winding cobblestone streets bore scars from the war, but new green life had begun to creep across the slashes and scuffs and scorch marks, blanketing the damage of war. The grand stone castle still crowned the city hill, but its doors were no longer barred. Instead, commoners and nobles and Fae–both full and partial–filtered in and out of the castle grounds, uniting the crown and the city. 

The continent was healing, and his wife had made it all possible. 

Speaking of…Aelin’s voice sounded in his mind. Is the castle really that bad, buzzard?

He grinned. I find my skills better suited to the physical act of rebuilding.

I know a physical act or two that could use your skills. 

I’m sure you do, Fireheart.

A surge of her love filled his mind. Where are you?

Near the western wall.

Solitary buzzard. He felt her bright laughter ripple through his blood, warming him through. I’ll be there in a moment.

And a few minutes later, she was there, her crown tipped sideways atop her messy hair. “Rowan.” 

“Fireheart.” He set the one last stone into place in the section of wall he was working on, turned, and pulled her against his chest, reveling in the trace of embers that always followed her. 

“You keep avoiding court when I need you,” Aelin teased. “Who else is going to scowl at the lords when they say something idiotic?” 

“I’m sure you can handle that,” he drawled. “You are the queen, Fireheart.” 

She chuckled and went quiet for a moment, gazing over the tumbled wall out into the evergreen hills. “I’ve been wondering, buzzard. Why ‘Fireheart?’ You can’t have known that’s what my parents called me when I was a child, even with all your centuries of knowledge.” Humor laced her last words. 

“Are you calling me old, love?” 

“Always.” She smirked. “Tell me, buzzard.” 

Rowan was silent for a long moment, working over the story, wondering how much he could say before someone inevitably interrupted the queen’s private time with her husband. “I met Rhoe and Evalin, once, many years ago. I remember Rhoe calling Evalin Fireheart.” 

Aelin stroked her thumb over the ruby of Rowan’s wedding band. “I never knew you met them.” I miss them, she murmured into his mind, muted grief shadowing her mind. 

“Just once.” Cupping his free hand under her chin, he tilted her face up and kissed her, soft and tender, a gesture of both love and comfort. “You are everything they dreamed Terrasen would be.” I’m entirely sure they’re smiling down on you from the afterlife, he added. 

“I love you,” she whispered. 

He touched his forehead to hers. “I love you too, Fireheart.”

~~~

TAGS:

@live-the-fangirl-life

@superspiritfestival

@thegreyj

@wordsafterhours

@elentiyawhitethorn

@morganofthewildfire

@backtobl4ck

@rowanaelinn

@house-of-galathynius

@tomtenadia

@julemmaes

@swankii-art-teacher

@charlizeed

@booknerdproblems

@chronicchthonic14

@earthtolinds

@goddess-aelin

@sweet-but-stormy

@clea-nightingale

@autumnbabylon

@darling-im-the-queen-of-hell

@llyncooljones

@silentquartz

#my writing #rowaelin month #rowaelinmonth #rowaelin month 2023 #rowaelin #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #rowan x aelin #rowaelin fanfic #rowaelin fanfiction #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfic #throne of glass fanfiction #ft aelin's parents because i said so #canon au #except we kinda ignored canon oopsies

[lorcandidlucienwill]

Rowan would have liked nothing more than to slit the male’s throat for leaving Aelin to die at the hands of the Valg princes. He might very well get the chance to do that—soon. “I will never forget, not for one moment, what you did to him that day in Doranelle. Your miserable existence is at the bottom of my priority list, but one day, Lorcan …” She smiled a little. “One day, I’ll come to claim that debt, too. Consider tonight a warning.”

Sorry, but... Rowan and Aelin's reasons for hating Lorcan don't even make sense. Especially when you consider this:

Rowan ran, shoving aside his oldest friend, shouldering past the other towering male who now appeared—Lorcan. Even Lorcan had answered his call.

Lorcan came to help. And he came to help ROWAN, not Aelin. But the darkness did not advance over the ward-stones, and Rowan, who had been restrained by Gavriel and Lorcan in the grass outside the fortress, knew why. Lorcan AND Gavriel were restraining Rowan, yet only Lorcan gets the blame. Plus, they were doing it to save his life. Lorcan swore over the roar of the torrential rain. “She is dead, you fool, or close enough to it. You can still save other lives.” They began hauling him to his feet, away from her. “If you don’t let me go, I’ll rip your head from your body,” he snarled at Lorcan, the commander who had offered him a company of warriors when he had nothing and no one left. IT WAS LORCAN WHO OFFERED ROWAN THE FIRST FRIENDS HE EVER HAD. LORCAN. LORCAN. NOT ANYBODY ELSE. Celaena went for Goldryn, but the twins went for Rowan, who did nothing, didn’t even struggle as they gripped his arms, forcing him again to his knees. Two others emerged from the shadows behind them. Gavriel, his tawny eyes carefully empty, and Lorcan, face stone-cold. And in their hands … FENRYS AND CONNALL RESTRAINED ROWAN. Gavriel sent his whip flying so fast Rowan had only a breath to recover. There was no remorse on Gavriel’s lovely face, no sign of the male she’d thanked weeks ago. Gavriel AND Lorcan whipped Rowan. ALL FOUR WERE CULPABLE. IT WAS NOT LORCAN'S FAULT ALONE. BESIDES, THERE WAS THE FREAKING BLOOD OATH. REMEMBER??? “No,” Fenrys agreed. “But we would offer that strength to another.” And he looked at Rowan as he said, “When we got your call for aid this spring—when you asked us to come defend Mistward, we left before Maeve could get wind of it. We ran.” “That’s enough,” Lorcan growled. But Fenrys went on, holding Rowan’s steady gaze, “When we returned, Maeve whipped us within an inch of our lives. Tied Lorcan to the posts for two days and let Cairn whip him whenever he wished. Lorcan ordered us not to tell you—for whatever reason. But I think Maeve saw what we did together in Mistward and realized how dangerous we could be—to her.” LORCAN DID THIS FOR HIS HOMIE ROWAN. I KNOW ROWAN DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT LORCAN STILL DID IT. ROWAN SEVERELY UNDERESTIMATED THE DEPTH OF LORCAN'S REGARD FOR HIM. Reading all of this and then seeing Rowan say Gavriel was his only friend just makes me so mad. At the end he called them all his brothers, but I was MAD pressed in the middle here.

#lorcan salvaterre #lorcan stan #lord lorcan lochan #cadre #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #heir of fire #rowcan

[aelin-sgalathynius]

Rowan Whitethorn in his long hair's days

Do you prefer the Prince of Doranelle with short or long hair?

Art by: 🎨sage.and.other.herbs on instagram

#sarah j maas #throne of glass #aelin ashryver galathynius #rowan whitethorn #aedion ashryver galathynius #gavriel #fenrys moonbeam #lysandra ennar #elide lochan #manon blackbeak #dorian havilliard #chaol westfall #irene towers

[goddess-aelin]

Little Did I Know

Chapter 11: The Party

Masterlist | LDIK Masterlist

Word Count: 4.5k

Warnings: Innuendo, language.

Aelin woke up feeling so incredibly warm. Warmer and safer than she had felt in months. In fact, she felt better than she had maybe ever. As she rose to consciousness, Aelin noticed a few things. One, there was a weight banded around her middle that was making her feel as if she was wrapped in a cocoon. Two, there were tiny puffs of air hitting the back of her neck. And three, if the hardness that pressed against her backside was any indication, there was currently a man spooning her. 

As she became more aware, the night before came rushing back to her. Going down to the kitchens for some ice cream. Rowan begging her to listen to him and her, for once, actually acquiescing. Finding out about her parents. Rowan comforting her and making her feel better about the whole thing. Which all lead to this situation where Rowan was currently spooning her.

She couldn’t say she minded one bit.

Deftly, she tried to roll over so she was facing him. Surprisingly, Rowan did not wake from her maneuvering. She took the opportunity to just observe him. She already knew he was quite handsome but it was taken to a whole new level when his features were relaxed. The worry lines that usually appeared on his forehead were gone, his eyes gently closed so she could see the long, light eyelashes that adorned his face. Gently, she traced a finger down his straight nose, over his silvery eyebrows, across the apples of his cheeks. She brought her fingers over his pillowy lips, wondering what it would be like to actually kiss him. And she wasn’t thinking about the cheek kisses or the hand kisses he’d given her a hundred times now, but rather what it would be like to actually kiss him. 

She supposed she’d find out next week. 

The touch to his lips caused Rowan to awaken, sharply inhaling and tightening his arms to press her closer to him. She’d have to tease him about this later. Because Rowan Whitethorn, her stoic prince of Doranelle, was a cuddler. And if she was being honest, she loved it. Though his defined muscles should’ve indicated otherwise, the body wrapped around hers was soft and comforting. She guessed that this probably had more to do with the person rather than the body itself. Because somewhere over the last few months, Rowan Whitethorn had become her safe space. Her person. She had started coming to that realization before but to actually be able to acknowledge it felt completely different. It felt…wonderful.

“Mornin’, Fireheart.” Gods. His rough, sleepy voice was something else entirely. 

“Mmm, good morning, Buzzard.” She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face as he let out a halfhearted scoff at the nickname. 

Rowan pressed a kiss to her forehead, bringing her in tighter. Here she was, thinking that once he woke up, he’d push her away or stop holding her. She’d never been happier to be wrong. 

“Did you sleep well?” Rowan asked as he started stroking her wild nest of hair out of her face.

“Mmhm.” That was an understatement. “Did you?” 

“That was probably the best sleep I’ve gotten in a while.” 

Aelin gave a sound of agreement. “We should probably get up soon.”

“Hmm, just a few more minutes. You’re warm and frankly, I have no desire to leave this bed.”

“Wait wait wait. Are you telling me that you, Rowan Whitethorn, are suggesting that we shirk our duties to lounge in bed?”

“I guess so. Why are you so surprised by that?”

“Because normally I’m the one who has to be pulled out of bed and held at swordpoint to get up. Lysandra hates me in the morning.” 

Rowan just laughed, his beautiful voice music to her ears. Once the melodious sound died down, a comfortable silence settled between them. 

“Are you really surprised that I don’t want to leave this bed?” A small look of nervousness took over Rowan’s face. “After everything that happened the past few days, I’d be happy to lay here with you for a few weeks. Plus, you’re an excellent cuddle partner.” As if demonstrating that fact, Rowan’s arms banded tightly around her middle.

“Wow. Now that I know you’re just using me for my cuddling capabilities, I’m not sure I can go through with the wedding next week.”

Rowan pinched her side. “Don’t even joke about that.” Though, as he said it, there was mirth dancing in his eyes. 

“I would never.” Seriousness overtook Aelin’s features. “On a serious note, thank you, Rowan. For being here. For being my friend. For marrying me. I know it’s not the most ideal situation but I’m– I’m glad that it’s you who I’m marrying.” 

Rowan’s eyes softened. “Anything for you, Fireheart. For what it’s worth, I’m happy that I’m marrying you, too. We’re in this together.”

The seriousness in Rowan’s eyes should’ve made her nervous. Should’ve caused her to run away at breakneck speed. But instead, it drew her closer to him, made her want to bare every inch of her soul and her body to him. Rowan inched his head closer to hers and Aelin thought he was about to kiss her. Finally. But before they could go any farther, a loud knock on the door broke them out of their reverie. Aelin jerked back, rolling onto her back and letting out a frustrated groan. 

“Aelin, are you decent?” Lysandra. She should’ve known her friend would come to check on her as soon as she woke up. 

Knowing that her friend had a penchant for barging in, Aelin shouted back, “Don’t come in!” Shit, well now Lysandra was going to think something was up. And if she found a half naked Rowan in bed with her…well… “I’ll just meet you in the dining room in a few minutes!” 

Aelin swore as she heard her friend’s footsteps walking away. She turned to Rowan but he was already rolling out of bed. She sat up slightly, resting on her elbows.

“I guess lounging in bed all day isn’t an option anymore. Sorry.”

 He turned to look at her, smiling slightly. “It’s alright. I’m pretty hungry anyway. I think we slept later than usual.” He pulled his shirt over his head, making his way around to her side of the bed. “I’ll see you downstairs, yeah?” Aelin nodded back. 

Rowan bent down over her head again, his nose almost touching hers. Maybe now she’d get that kiss. But at the last second, he swerved his head to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek. As he pulled away, a smirk made its way over his face, indicating that he knew exactly what he was doing. But instead of giving her what she wanted, he walked to the door and gave her one last, lingering look before walking out of her room. 

Aelin flopped back onto her bed with a frustrated yell. Her ears might’ve been deceiving her but she could’ve sworn she heard Rowan’s familiar chuckle as he made his way down the hallway.

- - - - -

“So, are you going to tell me what that was?”

“What what was?” Aelin played dumb to her best friend’s questions. 

“Oh, you know, just the rampant sexual tension between you and the Prince. Not to mention the eye-fucking you two were doing across the table.”

“We were not eye-fucking.” Lysandra came a non-committal hum. “We talked last night. Things are good between us now. That’s all.”

“Right. So you’re saying that your quick denial for me to come into your room this morning wasn’t because you spent the night with your fiance?” 

Aelin sputtered, the tea that she was drinking splattering down her shirt. “Damnit.”

A feline smile crossed her friend’s face. “That’s what I thought. So how was it? Did he live up to your fantasy romance books?”

“It wasn’t…We didn’t…I–” Aelin blew out a puff of air. “It wasn’t like that, okay? We talked in the kitchens last night and he walked me to my room and he stayed. That’s it.” Aelin remembered back to her friend’s untimely interruption this morning. “It could have been more but someone had to knock loudly on the door and break us up.” 

“Ha! I knew it! Aedion owes me fifty dollars.”

“Since when are you and my cousin friendly?”

“Oh my dear, dear Aelin. You’ve been so wrapped up with your loverboy that you haven’t even noticed that I haven’t been sleeping in my own room for the past week now?”

It wasn’t often that people surprised Aelin. But her best friend just did. “What?!”

Lysandra just laughed. “It’s still new. But yeah, I made a move since he obviously wasn’t going to and here we are. We’re seeing where things go but…It’s fun, it’s exciting. Your cousin is  putting me in such good moods in the morning.”

“Ok, eww. First of all, please don’t tell me anything else about my cousin, thanks. And second of all, I have been sort of out of commission the past week.” 

“Oh yeah.” Lysandra managed to look a little sheepish. “Well, I at least won’t tell you how many times he made me–” Aelin quickly slapped a hand over her friend’s mouth. 

“Not. Another. Word.” Lysandra just licked her hand in retaliation. Aelin was about to pounce on the woman but was interrupted by a familiar male voice.

“Ladies…” Rowan was standing in the doorway, smirking. And of course, her cousin was standing right next to him, looking a bit pale. The sight made Aelin smile with a vindictive glee. 

Aelin quickly dropped her hand away from Lysandra’s face and put on her most innocent face. “What can I do for you boys?” Rowan gave her a look that said he wasn’t buying her nice girl act. But she sent back her sweetest smile and a few bats of her eyelashes. 

With an exasperated sigh, Rowan sat down next to her. “We have some news from Doranelle.” That made Aelin drop all pretenses of humor. She was waiting for what Rowan would say next with bated breath. “Lorcan did it. He gave the evidence to my uncle and Sellene.” The pause after Rowan finished talking was way too long for Aelin’s liking. 

“AND?!”

A small smile graced Rowan’s lips. “And Maeve was ousted. The parliament themselves took her off the throne but there was no question on what would happen once the story broke to the news. The people were basically rioting in the streets, calling for Sellene to take the throne.” By the end of his statements, Rowan, though serious, was beaming at her.  Not caring who else was in the room, Aelin grabbed his hand. 

“She’s gone?” She whispered.

“She’s gone, Fireheart. You don’t have to worry about her anymore. In fact, Lorcan made sure that she wouldn’t be getting out of prison for a very long, long time.”

Aelin felt as though she could cry. Though they had no evidence against her for Aelin’s accident, she knew in her heart that Maeve had something to do with it. Just like she had a lot to do with her parents’ accident. A strange sort of peace settled over Aelin, enveloping her in an air of calm. It was a relief to know that there was one fewer person out there that could harm her. 

“Lorcan is on his way back here now. He wants to deliver the news to you and the lords personally. Lorcan isn’t a sentimental guy but he is big on duty. And he wants to be the one to break the news, to give you some semblance of closure.”

“You know what I think?” Lysandra asked as she met eyes with Aelin. A slow, feline smile spread over her features. “I think this calls for a celebration.”

Aelin returned the smile. 

“Once the hulking brute gets back, we can even invite him since Elide can’t seem to keep her eyes off of him when he’s around.” Rowan seemed to pale at that. “Think of it like a celebration of the witch being locked up forever and also a pseudo bachelor and bachelorette party for you both since we never got to do anything normal before your wedding. Just the six of us.”

Knowing that her friend always had some entertaining tricks up her sleeve, Aelin agreed enthusiastically. This was going to be fun.

- - - - -

A few nights later, Aelin was free from her duties. Just like Rowan said, Lorcan came to meet with the lords and herself and delivered the news personally. She took too much glee in inviting the man to a pool party on palace grounds, his stoic features never wavering yet it was as if he was irritated to be invited. She wasn’t sure what Elide saw in the man but a brief mention of him had Elide’s cheeks staining pink. 

And that’s how she found herself in her closet with Lysandra, trying to choose a swimsuit to wear. She always threw on whatever she felt like wearing. But this night was different. She wasn’t sure why, but she wanted the most spectacular suit possible. 

Ok, maybe she did know why but she sure as hell wasn’t going to voice that reason in front of her friend. 

Lysandra waved yet another suit in front of her face, making her try it on for her.  Lysandra insisted she was just looking out for Aelin but Aelin also knew that “looking out for her” also meant finding a suit that made Rowan want to drop dead. 

Which was how she found herself in a skimpy gold bikini. It definitely was not her normal choice for swimwear but she couldn’t deny that it made her boobs look fantastic. And she wasn’t usually one for cheeky bottoms but… yeah….this would work. It wasn’t like she was actively trying to seduce Rowan but since his little tease the other morning, she had to get back at him somehow. 

Lysandra whistled as Aelin exited the bathroom, spinning in her suit and see-through coverup she was wearing. 

“Oh, loverboy is going to have a very…hard night.” Aelin’s eyes widened as she smacked her friend's arm. 

“Stop it!”

“I’m just trying to get you two to stop beating around the bush and fuck already, okay? I think it would make things easier for all of us.”

Aelin rolled her eyes. “Let’s just go.” The girls made their way down to the pool, where everyone was already settled into seats or floating around the warm water. That was the benefit of having a heated pool: even though it was still chilly April in Terrasen, swimming was an option. And thus, Lysandra planned a pool party just to make Aelin squirm.

“Finally! It’s about time you two showed up.” Her cousin threw an arm around her shoulders, his breath smelling like whiskey already.

“How much have you had to drink already, cousin?”

“Oh, just a few. Would’ve been less if you had gotten here sooner. We were taking shots for every minute you two were late.”

“Gods. You’re lucky you don’t have alcohol poisoning. You know I’m always fashionably late.”

“Don’t worry, Dad was watching over all of us.” 

“Dad?” Aelin raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, Lorcy, Ellie and I have started calling Rowan dad since he’s a killjoy that doesn’t want to make bad decisions with us.” Aelin snorted. 

“Ok we’ll circle back to the dad thing later but…Lorcy?” Aelin burst out laughing at the look on the man’s face. Lorcan looked as if he would rather be called anything other than Lorcy. Though there was a softness to his features when he looked to the woman sitting on his left, giggling as if it was the funniest thing in the world. Aelin had a theory that there would be one person he would let call him Lorcy. But she kept her mouth shut for Elide’s sake.

“Ok, now that the life of the party is here, what’s first? Body shots? Spin the bottle?” She would’ve kept going but she had come to the realization that Rowan was nowhere to be found. “Hey, where’s Rowan?”

“Right here.” The man in question came walking around the hedge lining the pool, two more bottles of alcohol in his hands. Without even looking her way, he said matter-of-factly, “These are only for–” Rowan stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes slowly made their way up her body. She could see his adam’s apple bob tightly, his breathing becoming sharper as his eyes landed on her golden bikini. She thought she heard Aedion mutter a few curses and a short ‘that’s my cousin bro,’ but she couldn’t be sure. Because if she was being quite honest, her eyes were on him, as well. 

It was as if it took all of his willpower to snap himself out of his reverie because with a few fast blinks and a shake of his head, he was continuing his sentence. Or trying to, at least. “I.” Another head shake. “This is for you. Not them. They had too much. Just you. And Lysandra. And. I’ll shut up.” Aelin bit her lip as a smirk crossed her face. Gods damn her but he was just so cute when flustered. And she was proud that her little plan worked.

She grabbed the bottles from him, giving him a smirk. “Thanks Dad.” Rowan groaned in response.

Lysandra chimed in from behind her, “I think you mean Daddy.” 

With a gasp, Aelin spun around to push her friend into the pool but Lysandra was too fast. Aelin stumbled and fell forward, waiting for the impact of the warm water to take her but it never came. Strong arms were banded around her waist, already hauling her back to the hard body behind her.  

“Careful there.” 

Aelin’s breathing hitched. Sure, she spent the night with the guy but she was never this close to him with so few clothes on. Through her thin coverup, she could feel the hard planes of his abs. She swallowed hard as she looked up to him. Breathlessly, she muttered, “thanks.” 

He just gave her a smirk in return, letting go of her though keeping her hand in his and making his way over to the drink station. 

“Here,” he handed her a drink. “I think you should probably have one if you’re ever going to tolerate Aedion tonight. He’s a bit of an…interesting drunk, isn’t he?” 

Aelin gratefully accepted the drink, a whiskey sour, and huffed a laugh. “That’s an understatement. Between you and me, Aedion’s a lightweight. He gets giggly, then loud, and finally he just gets unintelligible.” 

“He’s been calling me Dad since drink number two so there’s that.” 

On cue, Aedion shouted from the pool, “Papá! Aelin, wrestle us!” Indeed, Lysandra was perched on his shoulders, waiting for an opponent. 

Aelin burst out laughing. Aedion….he called Rowan Papá. Oh, she was never going to let him live this down. Judging by Rowan’s irritated face, he was not looking forward to her remarks, either. Though there was a lightness dancing in his eyes that she had only begun to see. 

Rowan offered her his hand. “Well? What do you say? You and I make a formidable team. Think we can take them?”

Aelin took his offered hand. “Oh, I know we can.” 

A few minutes or hours later, Aelin couldn’t tell, she was gloriously buzzed. Not completely drunk, but enough to feel light and giggly. After the wrestling came the truth or dare, which turned into a game of just dare since Aelin stayed away from any truthful questions. While she felt great, her ribs were starting to ache. She thought she was doing a fairly good job of hiding it until she caught Rowan frowning at her. 

Damnit. The man could read her like a book. 

As he made his way over, she tried to school her features into a placid, neutral look. To her surprise, he didn’t say anything about her ribs or mother-hen her. Instead, he offered his hand once again, inviting her to the hot tub that was set apart from the pool where their friends still floated. 

“Fireheart, will you join me?” 

She hoped she didn’t look too eager as she took his hand but she couldn’t deny she’d been trying to get a moment alone with him all night. They hadn’t really even gotten to talk without their friends inputting an opinion or two. So this little venture to the nice, private, secluded hot tub felt like a dream. 

They both eased their way into the scalding water, the ache in her ribs soothing instantly. Aelin let out a sigh of relief and rested her head on the side. Distantly, she heard Rowan chuckle. 

“What’s so funny, Buzzard?”

He gave a small eye roll, though it held no animosity. “I knew you didn’t feel quite right. You got quiet all of a sudden. Is it your ribs?”

Aelin just gave a grunt of affirmation. 

“You should’ve told someone. You can take a break every once in a while, you know?” 

“I know. This is just the only night that we all get to be ourselves. We’re not royalty, we don’t have a kingdom to run, no wedding to plan. Just a fun night with our friends. And I didn’t want to ruin that.” 

“I don’t think anyone would’ve thought that. They’re just happy you’re okay and able to be with them.” Rowan paused. “I am happy that you’re okay and with me.”

Aelin opened her eyes and met Rowan’s sparkling green ones. They both gave each other a soft smile and when Rowan reached his hand out to touch her arm, she allowed him to pull her closer to him. Rowan gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, her head taking its place on his shoulder. She couldn’t help but feel that this was where she was meant to be. This spot was made for her and her alone. She just wondered if he felt the same. 

“Did you have fun tonight, Fireheart?” Rowan’s voice was achingly gentle, his lips brushing her hair with loving ease. 

She smiled at the gesture. “I did. Did you?”

“I mean, apart from Aedion calling me Dad every five minutes, yes. Yes I did.” 

The moment was so serene, Aelin could’ve fallen asleep. “What was your favorite part?”

Rowan didn’t answer for a while. “If I’m being honest. Right now. Right here is the best moment.”

The sincerity in his voice made Aelin turn her head to look up at him. The want that she felt so strongly was reflected in his eyes, sparkling with every undulation of the water around them. Aelin turned her body more fully to him and she felt his hand trail down her arm to her waist. She was practically on his lap at this point. 

In her buzzed and comfortable state, her sense of self preservation was clearly not working. Which is what she told herself as she threw her leg over his, straddling him. His other hand came up to her waist, just gently holding her there but the intensity in his gaze was something else entirely. 

As they drifted closer, Aelin couldn’t help but think that every moment they’d been through led to this. She didn’t just want to kiss Rowan, she needed it like she needed air to breathe. Aelin concentration was zeroed in on every place they were touching. The roughness of his swim trunks against the insides of her bare legs. The circles his thumbs were making on her sides, the way that they dug in slightly to the fleshy part of her stomach. His nose, which was ever so slightly touching her own, the coldness startling against the rising steam of the hot tub. 

Aelin never wanted this moment to end. They were sitting on the precipice of something new. Something beautiful. And all she had to do to jump over that ledge was lean forward an inch, bringing her lips to his and sealing her fate. 

Just as she was about to do that, lips already brushing a featherlight pressure against his, a commotion broke through the hedges. Startled, Aelin pushed herself off of him, drifting quickly to the other side of the hot tub. 

And it was just in time for Aedion to burst through, slipping loudly into the hot tub with them, seemingly oblivious to what he just walked into. Aelin rested her head back against the lip of the tub again, trying to calm her racing heart. She assumed Rowan was doing the same if the awkward quietness was anything to go by. 

And Aedion sat there, unaware that he broke up what could’ve been the best moment of her life. She knew it wasn’t fair to be angry at her cousin but she couldn’t help but feel a little resentment toward him. And of course, he hadn’t stopped talking since he entered the tub with them, having already reached the unintelligible stage of drunkenness. Usually, Aelin would find it funny. But not tonight.

“Aedion, please, please be quiet. I’m begging you.” Aelin rubbed her eyebrow, a headache forming already.

When she couldn’t even understand a word of his reply, she knew it was time to get him to bed. Shouldn’t this have been Lysandra’s job? The woman in question was nowhere to be seen, however, so for now it would be left to Aelin. 

“Alright, buddy,” Aelin slapped Aedion’s shoulder. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Rowan graciously helped her to get him out of the hot tub, tugging Aedion’s arm around his shoulder. “I got him, Fireheart.” He gave her a soft smile. “Go and get some rest.” 

“Are you sure?” 

It was that moment that Aedion chose to say something more, the only clear word being “Dad.”

With an exasperated eye roll, Rowan nodded. “Yeah, rest up. I’ll see you tomorrow at the rehearsal?” 

Aelin nodded. She did nothing more than give him a soft smile as he turned away. “Good night, Rowan.”

“Good night, Fireheart. Sweet Dreams.” 

As she made her way up to her room, there were two questions on her mind. First and foremost, would she ever be able to actually get that kiss from Rowan? And how was she going to sleep when her heart was alight with a fire she thought burned out long ago?

A/N: Oh, Aedion. You and Lysandra are two peas in a pod. Sorry for the long wait. For some reason I just could not get into writing this chapter. Next one is the big one and there's only two left and then the epilogue!

Tagging: @cretaceous-therapod @morganofthewildfire @tomtenadia @live-the-fangirl-life @charlizeed @violet-mermaid7 @euphoric-melancholyy @kritical24 @rubyriveraqueen @dealfea @wellofnothing @ayaashryver @moonknight-spector @leiawritesstories @whoever-you-choose-to-love @holdthefrickup @heirofflowers @thecrispypotatochip @shanias-world @rowanaelinn @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity @hanging-from-a-cliff @fantacysoup @swankii-art-teacher @thegreyj @fromthelibraryofemilyj @westofmoon @lovely-dove-zee @books4eva04 @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @backtobl4ck @dreamer-133 @elentiyawhitethorn @writtenonreceipts @shyvioletcat @aelinchocolatelover @captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @athena127

#Rowaelin #rowaelin fanfic #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin fic #ldik #my fic #rowan whitethorn #Aelin galathynius #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfiction #Aelin x rowan #rowan x aelin

[shallyne]

Updated Theory Post Part 1 kinda

1. Tiktok: Balthazar is Bryaxis

2. Nyx is born on Calanmai Tiktok Tumblr Post

3. The Weaver, The Bone Carver and Koschei are Valg

4. Feyre is a storyteller (like Emrys in Tog) Tiktok

5. Theia had a child with Aidas, Bryce is a descendent of that child Tumblr Post

6. Archeron sisters are witches/have witch blood

7. Feyre will be High Queen Tumblr Post

8. Feyre is a goddess (Deanna, Luna)

9. Mother, Maiden, Crone = Feyre, Bryce, Aelin

10. Mor will be High Lady of Dusk Court (starborn) Tumblr Post

11. Helion is a descendant of Theia -> Helion and Feyre have starborn gifts Tiktok Tumblr Post

12. Rhys, Ruhn and Dorian are related (Dorian = Feysands child? Tumblr Post)

13. Rhys is part Valg -> Witch? Tumblr Post

14. Tarquin and Feyre are Carranam

15. Archerons are descendants of the mortal queens (related to Vassa? Related to andromache?)

16. Bryaxis knows what's under Ramiel

17. Mor is playing a part in the crossover. Bryce will wield the starsword and Mor truth teller to defeat the asteri (ties in with Mor is starborn)

18. The Ouroboros Mirror is a Witch Mirror (Throne of glass)

19. Prythian is Hel (7 levels -> 7 courts) Tumblr Post

20. Apollion, prince of the pit, Illyrian? Leathery wings. Tied to Prythian is Hel theory, maybe

21. Cassian is a descendant from Enalius Tumblr Post

22. Hunt is a descendant from Enalius

23. Tying together point 21 and 22 -> Hunt and Cassian are related

24. Persephone and Hades -> Feyre and Rhys. Cerberus -> Bryaxis

25. Mother Archeron had intercourse with a demon/prince of hel -> Feyre is born, "princess of decay, princess of carrion"

26. Tying in point 25, Apollion is Feyres real father

27. "No King or Queen remained in these lands. No memory of their name, their lineage. At least amongst the humans. The Fae might know." - Acofas. Feyre talking about the southernmost part of Prythian. Archeron sisters = princesses with Fae lineage?

28. Rhys (and Nyx) is a worldwalker

29. Amren is a Valg Queen/Princess Tiktok

30. Fury is Sirius, the seventh Asteri

31. Syrinx is Sirius

32. Doranelle/Night Court castle similarities & Lorcan was in Velaris Tumblr Post

33. Brannagh and Dagdan were Berons illegitimate children - Beron is KoH brother

34. Feysand, Quinlar and Rowaelin are the same couple in different lifetimes

35. Enalius=Thurr

36. Lidia, Elain and Aelin are related

37. Feyre is a bloodhound. (found Ring, book of breathings and found out about Lucien and Helion.) Weaver called her little wolf. Called bloodhound in Chapter 32 of acomaf.

38. Mor is an acotar witch

39. Timeline of the universes are ACOTAR -> Tog -> CCity (based on Feyres powers)

40. Xian (acotar continent) is the southern continent (tog)

41. Bryaxis is Apollion

42. Baxian is the 7th Asteri

43. ⬆️ Or Baxian is from the dusk court

44. Rhys's last name is And

#acotar #a court of thorns and roses #throne of glass #tog #Crescent City #hosab #house of sky and breath #sjm #sjmaas #sjm theories #acotar theories #acotar theory #sjm multiverse #Tog theories #throne of glass theory #hosab theory #HOSAB theories #crescent city theories #crescent city theory #Throne of glass theories #Shallyne theories #Shallyne theory

[tomtenadia]

Rowaelin month - Library of dreams

Rowaelin month day 12 - Rowaelin in the library he gave to her ( @rowaelinscourt​)

It had been only two years since the end of the horrible war that had gripped the land. Terrasen was slowly showing signs of recovery, but they were still a long way from the prosperous land it had been before the conflict. Aelin and her court had worked hard to keep the promise she had made on her coronation day. To  guard, nurture and honour Terrasen. Certain days it had been harder than other as Aelin spent hours on end in meetings with the council to try and improve things. On his part, Rowan had supported her and when needed he had attended to his courtly duties, although Aelin knew that he hated it very much. Rowan preferred manual labour so he had started working on the rebuilding plans and the citizens of Orynth and Terrasen were getting now used at seeing the king consort working hard to rebuild all that had been destroyed. Aelin had confessed that the people loved it and he had become very popular. A bit too popular, she would add as a joke. Rowan had also started training young magic users and some of the new recruits for the guards.

On top of that, the king consort had been working hard on a second project. As a mating present he had given Aelin a theatre and promised a library too. All of it with the funds he had recovered once Maeve was dead. He was prince of Doranelle once more and could afford to gift his mate with what she liked the most.

And that was where he was headed now. The library was in Orynth. It was meant to have the best collection of books in the north of Erilea. He had contacted scholars who had fled Terrasen after Adarlan’s invasion. They were going to bring back all the collections they had stashed away to prevent such treasure from being destroyed. With the help of Lysandra and Elide who had travelled back and forth from Caraverre and Perranth respectively he had set up sessions for young people to learn to write and read and for older folks to learn new skills. The library was going to be public. Aelin believed that everyone should have access to it for free. 

It had been a painstaking job that took almost two years. But now it was almost opening time and he was looking forward to show it to Aelin. They would have an evening just the two of them and then it would be followed by the royal inauguration. 

He reached the building and looked at the structure. The dome was made of glass and the outside walls were of granite. It was a stunning building. the main doors where in heavy local wood and had carvings that he had chosen personally. There was a stag, prominent, representing Terrasen, and beside it a flame that was Aelin. On the other door there was a hawk and a depiction of the Little Folk, marking the Fae heritage of the land. He brushed the woodwork and smiled happily. Aelin would definitely love it. 

Inside, the head scholar met him and quickly gave him an update and Rowan relaxed in knowing that all was on schedule for the grand opening. He wanted the library to open its doors on the second anniversary of the end of the war. He had contacted all of their friends and allies. All of this without his beloved wife knowing. A task that had proved hard considering her large network of minions. 

“Your Majesty, please, let me show you the main room.”

Rowan followed the scholar, hands behind his back while his eyes appreciated the beautiful work.

The two walked through a heavy door and once inside Rowan gasped. The room was circular and the walls were covered in books from floor until just under the edge of the glass dome. The shelves stacked with books and ladders leaning against the wall to allow people to access the higher levels. It was a dream.

“We have shelves in the middle too and a catalogue system too that people can browse.”

“This is incredible,” he breathed as he kept looking around him in amazement.

The man at his side motioned to follow him and Rowan forced himself to leave the room “these are the study rooms you have requested and we have created a way for people to register with us, obtain a card and borrow books too.” “Her majesty will be extremely happy with the incredible work you have done.”

The man bowed his head “this is a magnificent project and my colleagues and I are very proud to have helped.”

*

A week later Rowan was in the royal chambers and was getting ready. It was the evening he had planned to take Aelin to the library and was waiting for his wife to finish her bath.

Aelin appeared a few minutes later with a towel around her body.

“Why all dressed up, buzzard? Did Fenrys threw a function behind my back?”

Rowan moved closer and kissed the spot behind her ear “get dressed, fireheart. I have a surprise for you.”

“A chocolate one? Because for that we can stay in bed and have far less clothes on.”

“Get dressed, menace.”

She gave him a small bow “at your orders, my king consort.”

When it was time to leave he grabbed a cloth big enough “it’s okay if I blindfold you?” Two years might have passed but he knew that some of the trauma she had suffered in the coffin had never actually fully left her.

“Yes, it’s okay.”

The carriage ride lasted a good ten minutes and Aelin had sat at his side with her hands in his. He felt bad for blindfolding her but it was meant to be a surprise.

“We are here, fireheart. It’s almost over.”

With extra care he guided her off the carriage and through the door. No one was going to be in the library. He had ordered to have the place all for himself and his queen.

He pushed Aelin at the entrance of the main room and finally removed the blindfold.

Aelin gasped and looked around speechless. She took a tentative step and lifted her head to stare at the never ending amount of books, at the moon light filtering through the glass dome illumniating the walls.

“Rowan…” she turned and looked at him still incapable of express what she was feeling. Rowan stared at her joy and his love for her grew even more.

“Your library, fireheart. It took me a while but I promised.”

“Ro, this is stunning. This place is incredible.”

He took her hand and started walking around the room looking at the various sections until Aelin burst out laughing “did you really create a corner with romance books?”

“Of course, I had to ask Lysandra for some recommendations but yes.”

Hand in hand they walked the entire perimeter while Aelin’s hand brushed the covers.

Rowan then took her to the old books section where the scholars had brought in some of the ancient manuscripts..

“Come,” he took her hand and guided her to the spacious reading room. Along the walls there were shelves too but definitely smaller compared to the main room. There were tables with chairs and a couple of sofas. 

“The library will be open to everyone. People will be able to come and borrow books or just stay here and read.”

“I love this, so much.”

“There will be also session to teach people to read and write or help with anything they need. And this is only the beginning.”

Aelin walked to her husband and kissed him softly “after all the pain our land has suffered, this place is a beacon of hope, and I love it so much.”

Rowan chuckled and extracted something from his tunic.

“This is for you, it’s your library card. You have number one. The first user of this magnificent place.”

She leaned against him “now you are making all wet.”

Rowan laughed hard and lifted Aelin on the table “Library card,” he whispered in her ear.

“I love when you talk dirty to me, buzzard.”

“Books…” a kiss on her neck “romance books, mythology… books… books… books…”

Aelin gripped the hem of his tunic and pulled him, closer. Her lips crashing against his for a sizzling kiss “I assume we are all alone.”

Rowan nodded.

“Then I order you to celebrate this achievement with me, husband.”

Rowan lifted Aelin back in his arms and started walking back to the main room and deposited Aelin on the floor and ran away. He came back a moment later with a blankety and some wine and a white box.

“Buzzard…”

“I was prepared.”

He spread the blanket and filled two goblets of wine and then opened the box exposing a chocolate cake.

“Now I am really horny.”

Rowan’s boisterous laugh resonated in the empty room “you love chocolate more than me.”

Her hands brushed his hair now long once again “you are right behind, I promise.”

He leaned forward and kissed her deeply.

Chocolate cake and wine forgotten, Aelin pulled him down towards her “How much you want to make love to your wife surrounded by books?”

His reply was an avid kiss

Together they had a picnic in the library, celebrating life and dreams and the flicker of hope that was now burning brighter every day.

TAGS:

@rowaelinismyotp​​ @swankii-art-teacher​​ @whimsicallyreading​​ @elentiyawhitethorn​​ @aelin-bitch-queen​​ @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity​​  @mis-lil-red​​ @thegreyj​​ @sailorsassley​​ @leiawritesstories​​ @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire​​ @sv0430​​ @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon​​ @rowanaelinn​​ @backtobl4ck​​ @susumaus98​​  @gracie-rosee​​ @mybloodrunsblue​​ @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah​​ @whoever-you-choose-to-love​​  @theywillnotsingforme​​ @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water​​ @goddess-aelin​​ @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart

#rowaelin #rowan x aelin #aelin x rowan #rowaelin fanfic #rowaelin fanfiction #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #rowaelinmonth #rowaelin month 2022 #rowaelin month

[cwjehotara]

A lot of people are confused with timeline of Throne of glass. Indeed there are 8 books with each over 400 pages so that's not unexpected. So I put books and events chronologically to explain the whole series

Assassin's blade - timeline starts around one and a half year before Throne of Glass. In the first novella The assassin and the pirate lord timeline takes around 3 weeks ( Celaena and Sam go to Skulls Bay to see Captain Rolfe). Their journey to the islands takes around 1 week and they stayed there for a week untill they demolished the whole place. In the two other novellas The assassin and the healer and The assassin and the dessert timeline stretches for 2 months. Celaena stays in Innish for 2 days and meets Yrene and teaches her self defense. After that she goes to Red dessert to meet Silent Assassins. She stays there 1 month and it takes her 1 month to come back to Rifthold. In last two novellas The assassin and the underworld and The assassin and the empire timeline takes place around 1 month when she understood her feelings towards Sam and wanted to move away with him. That was in June because she heard ladies in taverns gossiping that Crown Prince is going to the beach with his friends for his birthday. It's important to notice that in between novellas are time gaps due to her travelling and so on.

Then it's a year break in between two books due Celaena going to Endovier

Throne of glass - the timeline takes place around September when Dorian and Chaol went to Endovier to get her be Dorian's champion in competition. It takes them 2 weeks to come back to Rifthold and then her training starts that last around 2 weeks. She recovers and the competition starts. It's said that the last competition will be held after Yullemas and that's 21st of December . So the book ends at the end of December

Again the break between two books around one to one and a half month due Celaena going to her missions.

Crown of midnight - book starts at the beginning of February. She and Chaol become even closer and soon it's his birthday. It's around middle of February ( 14th of February;) ) and they confess their love towards each other. It's said that they were together for a week until Nehemiah's death happens. Chaol then send her to Wendlyn

She goes off to Wendlyn and it takes her 2 weeks to get there.

Heir of Fire - in first two weeks Celaena lays on roofs of Wendlyn until Rowan spots her and brings her to one of the keeps for in a case of siege. Plot continues as Celaena trains with Rowan. In that time the love story between Dorian and Sorscha happens that lasts couple of weeks. And the book end around middle of May because Celaena's birthday is at the begging of May and she was still training at that time. Week later she came to Doranelle as she mastered her gifts and confronted Maeve.

Another pause of two to three weeks after she onboarded to the ship to Rifthold and after Sorscha's execution.

Queen of shadows - the whole plot is told in two weeks, nothing more, nothing less. The reason is that when Celaena came to Rifthold she met Chaol again and made a plan how to rescue Aedion. That took 2 days. The dinner with Arnobynn and his murder happened during that week. After that they planed how to free Dorian from the Valg collar. Their trip to Oakwald forest took 4 days and after they came to Rifthold, the day after, Celaena presented herself as king's Champion who came back from Wendlyn. The glass castle scene happened and that sums up this book. So the book takes place in June because Dorian's birthday is mentioned and in Assassin's blade it says it's in begining of summer.

After that Aelin and her court parts with Dorian and Chaol to go to Terrasen which journey takes two to three weeks.

Empire of storms / Tower of Dawn - those two books take place in the same time but the perspective and place are different. In empire of storms it's in Erilea while in Tower of Dawn it's in Antica due to Chaol being invalid. Both books take place during the summer but while Empire of storms end in August due to Aelin being locked in coffin, Tower of Dawn continues until September. Because it mentions Yrene's birthday while the weather becomes colder.

Another pause of two months and during that time Aelin is held captivated in Doranelle.

Kingdom of Ash - the two months have passed and Rowan, Elide and Lorcan continued for their hunt for Aelin. Until she blows off some of the power they sensed her and planed to distract Maeve until they rescue her. It took them two days for the whole rescue plan and another five days to get to the Wendlyn's shore flowing in underground waters. During that time Chaol and Yrene travel from Antica with the army until they hear that there is attack on Anielle. The siege lasted five days until Aelin and her court appeared to beat the army. During that time Dorian and Manon find Croochan's while Aedion and Lysandra fight in Terrasen. Time laps between every battle in the north is around one to two weeks because the only mentioned are in Eldrys and in Perranth ( not including one In Orynth ). After that they march towards north when the final battle of Orynth happens. In one of the dialogues Rowan tells Gavriel they will fight in Terrasen with Aedion before Yullemas. So the story ends in late November. In the epilogue it's fast-forward to spring and rebuilding the kingdom.

Disclaimer : this is not synopsis of the series and I did not include a lot of events, only the one that are important to understand time-place connection.

I hope it helps!

#throne of glass #aelin galythinius #rowan whitethorn #dorian havilliard #chaol westfall #yrene towers #throneofglasstimeline #elide lochan #manon blackbeak #lorcan salvaterre #gavriel #fenrys moonbeam #sarah j maas

[thegreyj]

A Royal Promise

Rowaelin month day four: Royalty AU @rowaelinscourt​

I originally wasn’t meant to write anything for this prompt, but inspiration works in the weirdest of ways. I've never written royalty AUs before and I have no idea how to do that either. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this yet, but I decided to go ahead and post it anyway. I may have an idea/plan to make this a multichapter too.

CW: arranged engagement, loneliness between the lines, angst (I’m sorry angst just comes to be easily)

A Royal Promise

Crown princess Aelin Galathynius had lived her entire life being told she would be queen.

Right when she learned how to talk, she was taught how to speak properly, how to address other royals and subjects, and how to speak to delegates from kingdoms far away and close.

She was taught how to walk gracefully, never run. She knew how to dance the proper dances, how to kindly decline any improper requests for a dance – which were rare to be honest, only those unmarried and lower in rank than her. Because it wouldn’t do for a queen-to-be to marry any low-ranking royals.

The crown princess lived her life without ever actually living.

Oh, how she yearned to live.

Her only chance of living was the prince she had been promised to when she was five years old.

**

Prince Rowan Whitethorn had lived his life to the fullest. He had been taught how to speak properly, how to act properly and how to rule over a kingdom. He also knew swear words and how to fight.

He also knew the proper dances and how to request a dance with royal lady. His knowledge included some of the rowdier dances as well, along with where to find the best ale on tap.

The prince lived each day of his life like it was the best day of his life.

He didn’t think twice about the lonely princess he was betrothed to.

**

The day had finally come, and prince Rowan Whitethorn and his delegates were set to arrive to Terrasen. Crown princess Aelin felt almost giddy for the first time in her life. She was going to be meeting her future husband, the man who was set to become king to her country.

So far, she had only seen his face in the portraits they had gotten. To her knowledge, he had also seen her portraits as well – at least they had been sent to him.

But this would be the first time they would actually see each other, to hear each other speak. To get to know each other. Would he be as excited and terrified as she was? Were his delegates nice, the ones he had chosen to travel with him? The crown princess had so many questions, and no answers yet as she was patiently waiting by the steps of the palace with her parents and other important royals, like the lords and advisors, and her cousin Aedion.

Aelin could already see the carriage bringing her future husband and his friends. If it weren’t for her training on how to act, she might’ve started to shake or jump due to the excitement.

Once the carriage stopped and the door opened, she swore the world stopped. Aelin couldn’t tell if it was prince Rowan who had been the first or the last to step out, her excitement allowed her to see no one else except the man who would have her heart.

“His royal highness, Prince Rowan Whitethorn of Doranelle, your majesties,” someone introduced.

Aelin finally laid her eyes on the most beautiful green eyes. The silver hair was real too, not just something they embellished on the portrait. Her heart fluttered, but she tried to act nonchalant and curtsied as she was supposed to. The prince bowed. She could faintly hear the others being introduced as well, curtsying to them when it was deemed proper.

Then prince Rowan stepped closer to Aelin, offering her his arm.

“May I walk you to the luncheon, your highness?”

Aelin nodded her confirmation, smiled and slowly placed her hand on the arm offered to her, feeling all the muscles on there. He truly had been present during his physical exercises.

They walked towards the hall where the meal had been set up for the arriving guests and got seated to their assigned places. As was custom, the pair betrothed to each other were places opposite each other. Prince Rowan’s friends seated next to him.

During the meal, everyone enquired about the others, just to get to know each other better. Some well-timed compliments about looks and successful functions.

“Your portraits really do you no justice, prince Rowan,” the crown princess stated.

“Thank you, your highness. Your beauty hasn’t been exaggerated at the least either,” the prince responded kindly. Aelin felt just the tiniest bit of blush spread on her cheeks.

They continued their chat a bit as they ate. Aelin found out the prince enjoyed swordfighting, his favorite meal was meat on a stick – how on earth does a royal enjoy something so bland did not make sense to the princess. Then again, prince Rowan could not understand how the princess’ favorite meal was ‘anything chocolate’. They did have something in common as well, both enjoyed reading and made plans to explore the royal library together later.

After the meal, the prince and his friends were showed to their rooms for a bit of rest before the evening festivities.

**

Aelin spent the few hours after lunch reading, then choosing the dress to wear that evening. For the first time in her life she actually wanted to impress someone, so it was extremely important to choose the perfect dress along with the perfect accessories.

Once the crown princess was dressed and her hair was done, she decided to leave her rooms a bit earlier to walk to prince Rowan’s to ask him if he’d like to escort her to the fest as well. It was unusual for the princess to walk the halls alone, but not impossible, so the maids and guards didn’t even bat their eyes at the lone princess walking towards the guest quarters.

As she was turning the corner to the hallway where the prince was staying, Aelin froze.

The sight in front of her was most definitely her betrothed.

But with someone who wasn’t her.

Prince Rowan was holding the hand of one of his delegates, lady Lyria, to his heart. Aelin stayed still, partially hidden behind the wall, as she listened to what the prince was saying.

“I can’t help it; we were promised to each other when we were children. I can’t just break it off and run away, Lyria. But I’m not letting you go. I would marry you in a heartbeat if it was possible. It is you I love. You and our child.”

Aelin was horrified at what she just witnessed. Not only her future husband was in love with someone else, but he also hadn’t even given Aelin a chance. And now he already was expecting a child with that someone else.

Aelin could feel her heart breaking before it had even started really beating.

--

Tags: | @rowanaelinn​ | @morganofthewildfire​ | @tomtenadia​ | @leiawritesstories​ | @aelinchocolatelover​ | @backtobl4ck​ | Let me know if you want to be on my Rowaelin taglist.

#rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #rowaelinmonth #rowaelin month 2022 #throne of glass fanfiction #tog fanfic #tog fic #throne of glass #fanfiction #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin

[385bookreviews]

1.72.4 Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

SPOILERS

Pages: 569

Time Read: 10 hours and 27 minutes

Overall Rating: ★★★★★ Storyline: ★★★★★ Dialogue: ★★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★

Genre: YA Fantasy

TWs for the book: Death, violence, blood, murder, grief, death of a parent, gore, war, torture, slavery, fire/burns, injury/injury detail, genocide, physical abuse, su*c*dal thoughts, animal cruelty, emotional abuse, body horror, vomit, mental illness, confinement, bullying, colonization, cursing, panic attacks, toxic relationship, self harm, abandonment, classism, misogyny, racism, child abuse, child death, su*c*de attempt, drug use

POV: Third person

Time Period/Location: Varese, Doranelle, and Mistward on the fictional continent of Wendlyn; Rifthold, Adarlan, and The Ferian Gap on the fictional continent of Erilea

First Line: Gods, it was boiling in this useless excuse for a kingdom.

Two months after being sent to Varese to kill the King and Prince of Wendlyn, Celaena has made no progress and realizes she doesn't plan on it. Drunk and starving, she is confronted by a Fae named Rowan and taken by him to a fortress outside of the Fae city of Doranelle called Mistward. There she is confronted by her aunt, Queen Maeve, and she demands to know about the Wyrdkeys. Maeve says that because she is demi-Fae, she cannot gain access to Doranelle or the answers she wants until she trains in her magic and proves herself worthy. She instructs Rowan to stay with her in Mistward and train her.

In Adarlan, Aedion Ashryver arrives in Rifthold at the behest of the king. He is Aelin/Celaena's cousin, and since the fall of Terrasen has become one of the king's best generals. Dorian and Chaol dislike him immensely, especially after Aedion starts taking Chaol's guards away to parties. Chaol goes to search for him, but discovers that Aedion doesn't even attend his own parties. Chaol begins to track Aedion all over the city in order to get blackmail so he can tell him to stop stealing his guards. He sees him meeting with a hooded figure, and is then kidnapped. He discovers Aedion has been meeting with two of the rebels who were working with Archer Finn, Ren and his grandfather Murtaugh. Aedion is also a rebel, and Ren and Murtaugh are former nobles from Terrasen. Chaol tells them that Aelin is alive, and privately tells Aedion that she is Celaena Sardothien.

We are introduced to a new character named Manon Blackbeak, an Ironteeth witch, heir to the Blackbeak clan. By order of the King of Adarlan, all three witch clans, the Blackbeaks, Bluebloods, and Yellowlegs, are all required to gather in the Ferian Gap and train to ride wyverns bred by the king so they can be his new aerial cavalry.

Rowan instructs Celaena to work in the kitchens in the morning, where she meets Emrys and Luca, two demi-Fae. Rowan comes to get her to train and commands her to shift into her Fae form but she refuses. Growing frustrated, Rowan tells her to walk through a field full of barrow wights, grave robbing cave creatures, and if she can come out the other side she can go to Doranelle. In the field, she is attacked by a creature who looks human but wears a black stone collar. It makes her relive her worst memories and slowly begins feeding on her essence. She is rescued by Rowan, but he refuses to take her to Doranelle. After several days of not shifting, Rowan bites her, forcing her to shift. She can't do this again, and slowly bodies of demi-Fae begin to appear around the area, withered husks sucked of all life. Rowan and Celaena get into a fight, and she decides to leave Mistward. She treks off on her own and lights a fire, but is very quickly hunted down by skinwalkers. Rowan saves her, and the fear and panic makes her able to shift and use her fire magic, and she burns the skinwalkers alive. After another fight between them, Rowan takes Celaena to a cave under a mountain with a lake, and he freezes it completely with Luca chained in the center. Celaena makes her way across the ice and controls her fire enough to free Luca, but they are then attacked by a lake monster. After leaving Rowan and Celaena fight again, and Rowan promises to never involve anyone else in their training again, and they grow a bit closer.

Dorian is lonely since Celaena left, not trusting Chaol and Chaol keeping his distance so Dorian doesn't discover that Celaena is Aelin. Dorian gradually grows closer to a healer named Sorscha, and it quickly turns romantic. Aedion and Chaol meet in the secret tunnels to discuss everything Chaol knows about Aelin and the king and the Wyrdkeys. Dorian, who was already in the tunnels, hears everything and is angry with Chaol for keeping all of this from him. Ren, Murtaugh, Chaol, and Aedion begin investigating how to bring back magic so Aelin and Dorian can stand a chance against the king.

Manon begins training her covens, and the time comes to pick a wyvern. She has her eye set on the biggest and meanest one, Titus, but when he is put in the pit and set on the bait beast to show off his skills, Iskra, the Yellowlegs heir, shoves Manon into the pit. The bait beast defends her when Titus tries to attack her, and, with her help, he successfully kills Titus. Manon chooses him as her mount and names him Abraxos, much to the anger of her grandmother, as he has never flown. He is able to fly, but not able to pass the test of flying the Crossing, so Manon goes to the Ruhnn mountains and steals spider silk from the Stygian spiders to reinforce his wings. With this, Abraxos is able to make the Crossing and lead the rest of Manon's coven, the Thirteen, in battle.

Rowan and Celaena continue to investigate the murders of demi-Fae, and come across 200 Adarlanian soldiers and three of the creatures with the black collars hiding in caves. They begin to prepare Mistward for attack, even though no aid would be coming from Doranelle or Wendlyn. They set traps, and plan to flee down a secret tunnel if the fortress becomes compromised, but they are betrayed by someone in the fortress, and the soldiers infiltrate through the tunnel while the creatures attempt to break down the magical wards surrounding the fort. Celaena goes out and uses her fire magic to hold off the creatures, and the reveal themselves to be Valg demons that Elena and Brannon fought centuries ago, all being controlled by the king of Adarlan. A fourth Valg appears in the body of General Narrok. Rowan's warrior friends arrive to help defend the fort, but when Rowan tries to run to Celaena, Lorcan and Gavriel stop him. She begins to be consumed by the memories of the days leading up to her family's death, starting with a magical meltdown she had when the king of Adarlan arrived in Terrasen. She realizes he was using his dark magic to make her react like that so they would have to send her away and split up their family, making them easier to assassinate. She also remembered her mother's lady in waiting, Marion, who died to save her, and the fact that her family heirloom necklace that she had been wearing, the Amulet of Orynth, went missing that night. While the demons continue to torture her, she is given a vision of her younger self that tells her to get up, and she does, unlocking the true depth of her power and she begins incinerating the Valg. She slowly begins to lose power, and Rowan finally frees himself and runs to her. They cut their palms open to form a blood tie and combine magic to destroy the rest of them, making them carranam, magical soulmates. After the battle Celaena realizes the third Wyrdkey is in the Amulet of Orynth, and that Arobynn Hamel must have it. She doesn't tell Rowan this though in case Maeve tries to force it out of him using the blood oath.

Manon and her coven participate in the War Games to see who will be crowned Wing Leader. The Blackbeaks are winning, but Iskra commands her wyvern to kill Keelie, the Blueblood heir Petrah's wyvern. Petrah and Keelie begin to fall to their death, and instead of securing her victory right then, Manon saves Petrah's life. They win the War Games anyways, but Manon is beaten by her grandmother for saving the life of her rival. As reward/thinly veiled threat to stay in line, her grandmother orders her to kill a Crochan witch and take her cloak for herself.

Rowan and Celaena travel to Doranelle and Maeve gives Celaena what she wants to know, which isn't much. She tells her what the Wyrdkeys look and felt like and then asks her where the third key is. Celaena refuses to tell her, and Rowan doesn't know, so Maeve begins whipping Rowan. Celaena encircles the whole city in fire and threatens to burn the people in it if Maeve doesn't stop. When they were in the cave with the lake monster, Rowan found a sword named Goldryn and and a golden ring, both that belonged to Athril, Maeve's former lover. Celaena figured out the true story, that Maeve tried to keep the Wyrdkeys for herself, but Brannon and Athril fought her. When Athril died, she was so distraught that Brannon took the Wyrdkeys from her. Celaena bargains the ring for Rowan being freed from the blood oath, and Maeve relents. Rowan immediately kneels and takes the blood oath to Celaena, and they leave Doranelle.

Aedion, Dorian, Chaol, and Sorscha are called before the king. The king threatens to cut off her head if one of them doesn't admit to treason, and Aedion takes the fall and is arrested. The king reveals that Sorscha was actually a rebel spy this whole time, in contact with Ren and Murtaugh and feeding them information. He cuts off her head and Chaol tries to fight the king. He is almost killed with an arrow until Dorian uses his magic to save him and Chaol escapes the castle with Fleetfoot. Dorian is captured by the king and given a Wyrdstone collar.

Celaena, leaving Rowan in Wendlyn, sails home.

Celaena Sardothien (Aelin Ashryver Galathynius/Elentiya): Watching Celaena/Aelin's growth throughout this series makes her one of my favorite characters ever. Especially in contrast to The Assassin's Blade and Throne of Glass, she has matured a lot, and her realizing that her parents' death wasn't her fault, and the memories pulled up by the Valg making her stronger, really shows her strength as a character and made for very believable character development.

Storyline: When I first read this series I didn't care much for Heir of Fire with the bouncing POVs, but after this second read through, this is one of my favorites. The series really starts to pick up and come together at this point, and a lot of growth happens, along with the introduction of Manon and the Ironteeth witches. There were a couple of slow parts, but I honestly didn't mind that much.

Representation: Emrys and Malakai, two the demi-Fae living at Mistward, are gay. I believe some of the demi-Fae are described as being POC, but no one major, and as much as I love this series, I would be remiss to not point out the lack of representation.

Summary: This book, along with Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, and Kingdom of Ash is some of SJM's best work as far as plot and character development.

Quotes: "See what you want, Aelin, and seize it. Don't ask for it; don't wish for it. Take it."-Rowan Whitethorn (p.234) "You cannot pick and choose what parts of her to love."-Dorian Havilliard (p.344)

#book review #book blog #books #book reviews #fantasy #sarah j maas #sjm #throne of glass #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #aelin ashryver galathynius #the assassin's blade #crown of midnight #heir of fire #queen of shadows #empire of storms #tower of dawn #kingdom of ash #celaena sardothien

[mariaofdoranelle]

The Courtship Deception - Part 4: Wanderlust

Fic masterlist

Written for @throneofglassmicrofics

I faded the smut to black, sorry! I’m just a gemini who talks too much, I’m doing miracles with this word count already LOL

Warnings: closed-door sexytimes

Words: 863

“You really are a prince, aren’t you?” Aelin whispered to Rowan while ushering him out of the party.

“Technically, yes, but not really.”

“How does that work?”

“It works really well after some family drama with a tabloid-obsessed aunt.”

Dodging her father’s acquaintances was easier than avoiding his men’s questioning looks. Well, that’s what happens when her father told a bunch of big guys that they’re entitled to every detail of her life: they believed it. But they wouldn’t cause a scene if she didn’t either, and that’s how she was able to move through the crowd effortlessly with a man that wasn’t one of her suitors.

“Where’re you going?” Lorcan hissed, one of her Rhoe’s most trusted and least subtle men.

“Out!” Aelin barked while dragging Rowan out the main doors. But the man’s eyes weren’t on her, and something dawned on her. He was the one who came with Fenrys from Doranelle, wasn’t he? Was he friends with Rowan too, or just acquaintances?

Out of the main venue, Aelin found a storage closet of sorts and shoved Rowan in it, locking herself inside with him.

He sighed, taking in the tiny room. “I didn’t know you liked it tawdry.”

She crossed her arms. “You were talking about family drama and tabloids.”

“When we texted last night, I thought you’d want my mouth for entirely different reasons.”

“Well, I—“

Aelin was silenced by his hand holding onto the back of her neck, tilting her head toward his.

He raised a brow in question. *What do you want?* he seemed to ask.

Well, fuck. This was such a cheap trick, but she could Google her answers later to figure it out. Neck-grabbing with those rough hands? Not so easy to do on her own.

Aelin closed the distance between them, and their hands found each other’s bodies like magnets. Rowan’s kisses were rough and hungry; when he backed her against a shelving unit and sneaked a hand up her thigh, Aelin grasped how thoroughly ravished she was about to be.

She lost sight of her initial goal completely.

˜˜

Rowan had one hand on her waist and another using the shelf to hold himself upright. They were both panting, breaths mingling in that near claustrophobic closet.

He grabbed a few napkins behind her to dispose of the condom, and that was her cut to fix her hair and smooth down her dress.

“Can you—“ Aelin was brutally interrupted by a kiss. “I’ll be right back.”

She peeked out the door. The only person close by was Lorcan, looking grumpier than ever.

“Psst!” she called him. “Yes, c’mere.”

“You missed dinner.”

“Your friend didn’t.” Aelin smirked with the memory. Him kneeling before her, face between her thighs, was definitely something. “What time is it?”

Aelin had no way of knowing—she didn’t have her phone with her, and Rowan would do anything to avoid their conversation.

“Late.”

“But is it too late?”

The man gave her a hard look, and it was all she needed to know—no, it wasn’t too late, but she should get back to the party before her dad notices it and incites chaos. Still, she got back to the storage closet and locked the door again.

“Round two so soon?”

Aelin crossed her arms. “Family drama and tabloids. Spill.”

“You’re not unlocking that door until I tell you, I take it?”

“Absolutely not.”

Rowan sighed, but conceded. Then, he went on about how much he disagreed with Queen Maeve’s contrarian policies, and the rupture it created between him and his family. About how he left Doranelle without looking back, and only remained as a prince in name, since the royal family wouldn’t rescind his title for the media havoc it’d cause—even if he wasn’t so much in the public eye.

Prompted by Aelin, he told her about how he found a remote job with his engineering degree and traveled the world with no royal privileges and no money—for a prince’s standards, at least—, met people who weren’t royals or billionaires. How he lived his life with no constraints.

She liked it. She wanted it. To live freely, to travel without a team of bodyguards who reported everything to her father, to be able to drive on her own.

Just like that, Aelin saw a new plan unfold right before her eyes.

Moving from her father’s highly-guarded mansion to Dorian’s or Chaol’s castle with a different set of guards was just trading one pair of shackles for another.

But Rowan… she could live like him. She could live with him—anywhere and everywhere, like he’s been living so far. Rhoe could be so blinded by her having a royal title he’d forget that her groom was penniless. Rowan didn’t sound like the type to hold her down, he sounded like the type who would let her live her own life, or even give her a divorce if she truly desired it, no politics involved.

She’d keep her money and her relationship with her father, but also have freedom. It was perfect. It was her best plan so far.

“Rowan…” she trailed, uncertain of his reaction to her next words. “Will you marry me?”

You can get notified when I update by either turning notifications on for @mariaofdoranelle-fics or entering my (sometimes glitchy) tag list!!

TAG LIST

I couldn’t tag the people in bold, sorry!

@aelinchocolatelover

@autumnbabylon

@bookcide

@booksandteaonarainydayislife

@cookiemonsterwholovesbooks

@courtofjurdan

@dreamer-133

@elentiyawhitethorn

@elizarikaallen

@emily-gsh

@empress-ofbloodshed

@fangirlprincess09

@goddess-aelin

@gracie-rosee

@leiawritesstories

@lululululululuop

@renxzs

@rowanaelinn

@s-uppertime

@sarahjswift

@staghorn-mountains

@superspiritfestival

@swankii-art-teacher

@thegreyj

@throneofus7

@violet-mermaid7

@wishfulimaginings

#rowaelin #throne of glass microfics #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #throne of glass #rowaelin fanfiction #rowan x aelin #aelin x rowan #rowaelin fanfic #throne of glass fanfic #tcp #the courtship deception

[leiawritesstories]

I loved your take and the Rowan POV on that QoS reunion scene, but I've always wanted to see Aedion's POV on that too. Because you know he would be fangirling on the inside over Rowan lol

thank you so much ❤️

and here you go!

The QOS Reunion: Aedion POV

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

Aedion hadn't exactly wanted to follow Aelin and Nesryn Faliq and Westfall out into the streets of Rifthold at night, but when one's cousin and queen gave an order, one did not refuse. Which led him and his cousin and the other two to this random alley in the middle of the sketchier part of the city for gods (and Aelin) only knew what reason. 

His demi-Fae ears pricked as the silence of the night was broken by the soft scuff of a boot over the cobbles, his posture going tense. “Don’t move,” he hissed to Aelin, “Think I heard someone.” 

Aelin turned without moving her feet, one hand creeping to the knife sheathed at her waist. “Where?” 

“Down at--” Aedion’s words died in his throat. 

For there was a broad male figure at the other end of the alley, cloak and hood and darkness obscuring his features, and he was decidedly approaching them. 

Aelin’s eyes widened as she watched the figure, her nose flaring as if she was trying to yank her Fae senses out. Just then, like it knew what she was trying to do, the wind shifted, a soft breeze blowing down the alley towards them, carrying the scent of snow and pine and mountain breezes and...embers? Aedion’s brow furrowed as he tested the scent. Male. Definitely male. And a powerful one at that. And...

And Aelin was sprinting down the alley, a choked sob escaping her, and flinging herself at the stranger, who caught her effortlessly. 

The male’s hood slipped back as he swept Aelin into his arms, the dim lamplight playing over his features and revealing tanned skin ornamented with stark black ink, what looked to be characters of the Old Language etched onto the side of the male’s face and spilling down his neck, disappearing into his shirt. Aedion’s eyes narrowed as he watched his cousin embrace the male, catching a whiff of her shock, her joy, and...

Holy shit. 

Her scent lingered within his. 

Somehow, in some way, Aelin was bound with this male. Which meant...

Holy rutting gods. 

Aedion was going to pass out. 

Because that was Rowan Whitethorn standing in the alley, clinging to Aelin like she was his life force. Rowan Whitethorn, pure-blooded Fae warrior of Doranelle and a walking, breathing legend. Rowan rutting Whitethorn, in the flesh, a page of Aedion’s storybooks come to life right in front of his incredulous eyes. 

“Who...” The question came from one of the two others with Aedion. 

“Rowan,” Aedion whispered. “That’s Rowan.” 

He may have spoken the words, but he was half convinced he was dreaming, that Rowan Whitethorn couldn’t possibly be in Rifthold, couldn’t possibly be holding Aelin, couldn’t possibly have somehow bound himself to her. Their bond, from what Aedion’s senses could tell, wasn’t as deeply entrenched as a mating bond--yet--but...it was deeper than purely emotional. Something had been exchanged between them. 

He scented them again as Rowan let Aelin stand on her own feet, lacing his fingers with hers, tears shining in Aelin’s eyes. And he caught...

Gods. 

He’d scented a blood bond. 

Questions crashed through his mind--did she give the blood oath to another? Did she take Whitethorn’s blood? Why a blood bond?--but he forced them down as Aelin approached, beaming like it was the first day of her life, bringing the warrior prince over to meet her cousin and her guards. .

Aedion felt like he was about to faint as Rowan Whitethorn, Prince of Doranelle and legendary Fae warrior, scanned him, his eyes alert, a little wary, always flicking back towards Aelin like he couldn’t believe she was here, at his side, holding his hand. 

Blood bound to her. 

Holy rutting gods. 

~~~

TAGS: 

@charlizeed

@cretaceous-therapod

@clea-nightingale

@autumnbabylon

@nerdperson524

@claralady

@fireheartwhitethorn4ever

@morganofthewildfire

@rowanaelinn

@wesupremeginger

@story-scribbler

@nicolivesinbooks

@mackenzieclutt

@stardelia

@shanias-world

@mybloodrunsblue

@swankii-art-teacher

@wordsafterhours

@cookiemonsterwholovesbooks

@violet-mermaid7

@holdthefrickup

@goddess-aelin

@rowaelinismyotp

@dealfea

@irondork

@elentiyawhitethorn

@live-the-fangirl-life

@darling-im-the-queen-of-hell

@chronicchthonic14

@whispers-in-the-darkest-heart

@sweet-but-stormy

@hanging-from-a-cliff

@jorjy-jo

@rowaelinrambling

@thegreyj

@silentquartz

@backtobl4ck

#my writing #queen of shadows #alternate canon #aedion ashryver

[luxmaeastra]

Temeluchus walked briskly up the stairs. He wore his medals for the occasion, to think Azriel would ask him to train his sons, he thought he'd never see the day.

Temeluchus had served with him in the Valg Wars 300 years ago. He remembered thinking less of him in the beginning, how he kept to his morals and ways. How he would never survive in the lands of Doranelle and the Mountains surrounding it.

His opinion had changed quickly, Azriel was quiet but just as deadly as his parents and family. Temeluchus was proud to see how far his old friend had come, especially when he had once scoffed at power and everything it could offer.

The High King of the Valg, the entirety of Hel and it's princes under his sway. Temeluchus still hated he'd missed that battle between Hypaxia and Anastasiya. But Micah had been poisoned and if something had happened to her...

He shoved the memories aside as he saw Azriel waiting for him. His sons stood at his side, they looked like him. Though they didn't carry the shadows he and Azriel had at their age.

Temeluchus slid his eyes to Azriel and inclined his head low. His Reaper Blades winked in the afternoon sun. Blades forged from the bone of Daglan and the ashes of Reapers. Blades that were rumored to kill anything and devour their soul.

But his blades had been satiated in this long stretch of peacetime. He wondered if it would last, but then that was why he was here wasn't he? If it didn't, well then at least the next generation would be prepared.

Azriel's lips twitched and he rose an eyebrow.

"Are we waiting for someone else?"

"Hypaxia trusts me to train her boys?"

Azriel tilted his head turning on his heel to walk into the training yard. Temeluchus rolled his pale blue eyes following behind him. He recognized a power play when he saw one.

He may be sworn to Drakon, the strongest of the Valg Kings. But even he was subject to Hypaxia and Azriel's control. He had counted the soldiers and the wards in the halls as he'd been guided here. He knew exactly how it would end if he provoked Azriel enough to be attacked.

He may be merciful but the soldiers here would not. Hypaxia had earned her people's loyalty and fear fairly. None would stand for her mate to be disrespected in his own kingdom.

Azriel sat on the ledge of a window looking over the training room. It was a big, sandy and enclosed by the four stone walls. It must have been for the royal family, deep within the castle to protect them.

Azriel gestured for him to inspect it as he wished it.

"You won't be training our boys alone, obviously. I trust you train them with supervision."

"I'm not that violent to hurt children Azriel."

He stood stepping away from a corner mark he'd been dissecting. Azriel rose another eyebrow at him from his perch.

"Do I need to remind you about the war and that house?"

"Daglan house, they deserved everything I did to them."

Temeluchus turned to the boys, quietly amused to see Creon had moved between his younger brother and him.

"Your Grace I won't hurt your brother. You must let him train too."

Creon raised his chin, his hand didn't move from Orion's shoulder. His eyes were green like his mother's.

"I'll train with you, if you please me you may train with my brother as well. You may begin whenever you wish."

Temeluchus lips curved into a smile. He shot Azriel a look whose eyes sparkled as he watched in pride. Of course their children wouldn't have been coddled, Azriel and Hypaxia had too much riding on them to blunt their teeth and claws.

Temeluchus turned back to Creon and gave a nod. He stepped back and pointed to the armory in the corner.

"What would like to work on first Your Grace?"

It was ridiculous to call the boy anything but his name. But politics trumped his own thinking. Creon shot him an unimpressed look.

"Do you not have any ideas? Do I have to figure out my own lessons too? Father why did you hire him to train us? He doesn't know anything!"

Temeluchus exhaled, focusing on his breathing. This wasn't Drakon's court or children. He couldn't discipline them the same way he would have them. But he could fantasize about it. Knock the price to his knees, a blade at his throat till he Yielded and realized exactly who he was talking to.

//Pre war!!!!//

This was a two-way means of entertainment, if Temeluchus had not figured that out at this time. As much as he trusted and knew his old friend would train his boys, he was also interested to see if he could handle them. They both were strong-willed, Creon much more vocal and opinionated than his brother.

Both were fine fighters, but they needed refining and honing of their skills. Just as Temeluchus needed more experience outside of Drakon's court, deal with someone who you could not knock down with brute force so easily.

Azriel's lips quirked when Creon spoke back, he watched the scene unfold waiting to see how it played out. Waiting to see how the other would react, watching that attempt to focus his breathing. There was a reason why they were not as easy to get on with he supposed...

"Rethinking training them yet?" He spoke up.

#Muse | Azriel

[thedarkthrone]

//idk if you want to play Ulla? I feel like you'd like her. So if yes here she is for you!!//

The last 24 hours made his head spin. Creon had tried to bargain for Lorin's life with his? Only Orion had done it, saving Lorin and Creon from the Daglan's claws.

And now, now Nehemiah had left in the night for her supposed mate in Wendlyn. If the rumors were true....

He found Ursula torturing a rabbit, or was she killing it?

"Having fun Ulla?"

"Are you here to annoy me? If so, fuck off Grigori I'm not the mood."

She didn't turn, her claws in the rabbit's innards. If the story of Nehemiah was true...she would be ineligible for Doranelle and unless Hypaxia picked another....Doranelle would be Ursula's.

He looked back to castle, the dark rooms. He hadn't seen her parents since it had all come to light. He didn't know what Orion was thinking, he didn't understand the politics of this. Should be stop pursuing her? If she was to be their Queen she'd need someone more cultured not a warrior poet like him.

He turned back to her back, eyes taking in her long hair. She usually braided it, cared for it. Was she still? Did she want to talk about -

"I actually came to see if I could kiss you."

To give into the music swirling between us. Do you want to kiss me Ursula?

Would she heard those words down their bond?

//Valg Matings connecting to the music side of the mating bond that fae hear when the bond snaps?? 200 years ago!!! The aftermath of Orion's decisions! Up to you if he's home! You can also have him in this too!!//

Of course she wanted to fucking kiss him. She wanted more than that, but she refused to give into it. She feels the music swirl and she wants to be sick. The bond twists her gut-- and she blinks at him, "Do you ever give up?" The words are deadly and pointed in his direction. A loaded gun pointed at his temple.

She wanted him to say no. Ursula wanted him to chase her to the ends of the earth. "You might want to consider your answer--before blurting it out." Urusla had been up all night, waiting for a messenger from their Daglan spies. Wondering if Doranelle was safe.

But she'd thought of him. Gregori, her warrior prince. When the hawk had come, a small, nearly tiny message that all was well, she wondered how all could be well? Was this a lie or a plea for help? She discards the rabbit, tired and smelling of blood, "Let me clean up?" She went over to the water pump, and wished she could drown in the water. "How many could go to help me rescue our spies?" Ursula says, shaking off her hands, and drying them on the pretty, ornate cloth. "I should have splashed you, an opportunity missed, am I right?"

It was a political move, one she'd worked on all night and all day. "I'm going to have to find our spies, they're in trouble and can't ask for an extraction." She didn't want to give him more information than that. "Can you spare fifty Valg soldiers who will answer to me?"

She feels small, small and fragile as she stands before her mate trying and failing to explain her motivations. "I want to kiss you," Her long lashes cover her cheeks, "I've wanted to kiss you for too long." But the war effort always had to come first.

"Please," she pleads with him, stepping forward, about to kiss him. "I will let you claim me, if you give me this, they are my kind and they are good warriors," her voice breaks on the words, "And friends." // @siderealxmelody

#asks #siderealxmelody #𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: au #𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂: ursula #𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: ic asks

[goddess-aelin]

Little Did I Know

Chapter 13- The End, The New Beginning

Masterlist | LDIK Masterlist

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: none!

The days following the almost-wedding ceremony had been a whirlwind of activity. Since she was now officially set to take the throne, the Lords turned to her for more matters than ever, asking for her opinion on small things like colors of tablecloths for the coronation to the bigger things like moving funding to a specific charity. To say Aelin was overwhelmed would have been an understatement.

On top of it all, Arobynn’s trial had been scheduled for just a few days following the attack. She had never been put into a position to dole out punishment like this before and it certainly wasn’t something she enjoyed doing, even if the turdish ex-lord deserved it. 

Aedion, Lysandra, and Elide were by her side through it all. Aedion, her trusty advisor and protector, just as he’d always been. Lysandra, the voice of reason that came with a surprisingly sharp tongue. And Elide, sweet Elide, who on the surface looked like a quiet, gentle ruler, yet was the most cunning and ruthless of them all. The four of them together made up what would be her main court, her most trusted advisors. There was just one thing missing. Or one person. 

The days following the ceremony, Aelin hadn’t seen Rowan since he slipped out amongst the chaotic aftermath of Arobynn’s arrest. She didn’t know what to make of it. She thought that she was worth more to him than cheaply fleeing. She didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to him after their departure. And when she made her way to his room two days later, they were sparse. When Aelin questioned the maid cleaning the room, she simply replied that the Prince had left for Doranelle. 

Maybe it was better this way, she thought. Maybe it would hurt less if they didn’t linger. Maybe she wouldn’t be prompted to blurt something that she probably shouldn’t.

But all those maybes didn’t make her feel any better. Missing Rowan was like missing a limb. Her realization that she loved him came at the most inopportune time, directly before she called off their wedding and he fled. She was proud of herself for being selfless and putting him first. He could marry who he wanted, he could move where he wanted. He could be free. He was no longer shackled to her.

That didn’t make the fire that was eating away at her insides hurt any less when she thought of Rowan going back to his lover in Doranelle. While she was trying to be a selfless person, she could still admit that she was wholly jealous. The feeling was unwelcome, burning her stomach and occupying space in her thoughts that she didn’t have room for. Her focus needed to be on her kingdom, on a peaceful transition of power, not on puppy love that lasted a few short months. 

Who was she kidding? What she felt for Rowan was more than puppy love. 

She tried to put on a brave face, smiling when she needed to and laughing when she knew something should’ve been funny. Yet she knew that Lysandra and Elide could see right through her facade. She knew her smiles didn’t reach her eyes, her laughs hollow. None of the warmth that Rowan brought into her life was there anymore. 

Time. It would just take time. That’s what she told herself. She was in love with the man, for the Gods’ sakes. She wasn’t expecting to snap out of that in a few days. 

It was the Thursday after the wedding debacle when she finally had a chance to breathe. She felt stuck in a never ending circle of council meetings and the lords ambushing her to butter her up so she would be on their side of whatever debate they were trying to win. To be alone and breathing in the cool air on the balcony attached to her room was an absolute gift. Here she could just be Aelin. She could breathe without feeling the pressure of the crown and she could bask in the beauty of Terrasen. 

Down time, however, also meant room for an idle mind. And her idle mind always led to thoughts of him. As she watched the sky turn from blue to golden-streaked hues of pink, Aelin wondered what Rowan was doing. Was he looking out of his window watching the night sky? Were his thoughts turning to her just as hers always were of him? Out of all the things she hoped for, she hoped most of all that he was happy. 

She started humming a tune, one that she couldn’t place the name of but was sure her mother used to sing to her when she was a child. The song was slow and meaningful, yet held an undertone of melancholy. How fitting. She allowed her humming to take over through memory alone, a slight sway to her body carrying her away from time and space, the wind brushing past her skin, her dance partner. The melody was a mournful ode to a lost lover. A lost almost lover. A goodbye. 

As the final notes left her lips, Aelin sighed, taking in the quickly darkening sky, as a single tear rolled down her cheek. 

“Fireheart.” Her nickname was murmured so low, she almost didn’t hear it. But what a beautiful sound it was. 

With a sharp intake of breath, she turned around slowly, eyebrows raised to her hairline and eyes wide, not understanding why he was there. How? The setting sun illuminated half of his face in brilliant purples and pinks. She thought he had never looked so beautiful. 

“Fireheart,” he repeated lowly. She swore his voice cracked, emotion hoarse in his throat. 

Swallowing thickly, she forced herself to reply. “Rowan?” Her voice was little more than a breath of air. “What are you doing here?” 

“I’m here to see you.” A non-answer. 

“What…Why…I—” She paused to gather her thoughts, breathing deeply. “I thought you went back to Doranelle?”

“I did,” he replied as he began stalking his way toward her. Step by step, he came closer and her breath got shallower and shallower. Could he be- no. She would not get her hopes up. Of course he was just here to say goodbye, to collect his things. Not to confess his undying love for her. 

She tried to school her voice so it contained less emotion than the bursts of it she was feeling inside her chest. “Then why are you here? If you forgot something, we surely could’ve just shipped it to you or something. And your horse, I know that we could have secured passage for him.” Aelin knew she was rambling but she couldn’t help her racing thoughts.

“Aelin, breathe.” His hands came up to cup her cheeks now that he was right in front of her. “I did go back to Doranelle. But I went back just to get my affairs in order.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Because somewhere in the last few months, Terrasen has become my home. Its future Queen is one of the most selfless and amazing people I’ve ever met. And if she’ll have me, I would like to move here and serve her in any way that I can. It would be an honor to be a part of this court.” He paused before adding, “The court that will change the world.” His brilliant smile illuminated the dying light of the sunset. 

Aelin felt tears starting to swell in her eyes. He was truly here to stay?

“But what about your family? And Lyria?” She looked away from him, shaking her head, fearing his answer to her next statement. “You deserve to be with the woman you love.” 

Rowan leaned his head toward hers, keeping his gentle yet steadfast touch on her face, and bringing his forehead to meet hers. It felt like ages until he spoke again. “I am right where I want to be, where I need to be. With my best friend, my Queen, the other half of my soul. I’m already with the woman I love. You, Fireheart. I love you.” 

Aelin couldn’t help the sob that escaped her at his words. His beautiful, beautiful words. The ones that she swore she waited her whole life to hear- just from him. 

It seemed like Rowan was getting good at wiping the tears off of her face. She didn’t think she’d ever cried in front of anyone as much as she had with Rowan the past few months. Yet every time that she felt like she was falling apart, he was there with those damn thumbs to put her back together, one wiped tear at a time. 

When she was all out of tears, she slowly turned her face up to his. He was so, so beautiful. So beautiful and perfect that it took her breath away. But she needed her breath to say what she wanted to say next. 

“I love you, too.” 

The smile that crossed Rowan’s face at her words, well, she didn’t think she had ever seen anything as dazzling or flawless. She felt his smile, not only against her forehead as he placed a gentle kiss between her brows, but inside, in her soul. It was as if a puzzle piece had been fitted into a part of her heart she didn’t even know was missing. 

She felt the more sturdy press of his hands against her cheeks and the back of her neck, tilting her head towards his. She knew what was coming next yet she wasn’t sure that anything could have prepared her for the elation she felt when Rowan’s lips touched her own. As her heart was beating rapidly, her face heating, and butterflies erupting throughout her entire body, the only word that made its way to her mind was finally. 

Kissing Rowan felt like coming home. And after weeks of almost-kisses and interruptions, she finally was able to experience it in all its beautiful and mind-numbing glory. The peck she gave him after calling off the wedding was nothing compared to feeling the soft press of his lips against hers, feeling the heat of his body through their clothing like this, his tongue sweeping across her own. She couldn’t even think further about how it would feel to have him inside her, their bodies and souls melding as one, for fear of her entire body combusting.   

Their breathing was heavy when they finally pulled away; seconds, minutes, hours later. Aelin couldn’t be sure of the time just as she couldn’t be sure she wasn’t dreaming. Because everything she was experiencing was right out of one of her beloved romance novels. 

“Does that mean I can stay?” Rowan broke the silence with a hushed murmur. 

Aelin lightly smacked his arm, knowing he was joking but finding it not funny all the same. “Of course you can stay, you dumb buzzard.” He chuckled.

“I missed you.” Rowan’s voice took on a serious tone. “I know we were only apart for a few days but I missed you like crazy. It killed me to not say goodbye to you. I hoped I hadn’t ruined everything. But with everything else going on, it was easier to just slip away quietly, hoping you didn’t even notice I was gone.”

“I noticed,” Aelin admitted. “I noticed right away. How could I not? The man I loved fled after I called off our wedding. I thought that I had ruined everything. I don’t necessarily regret how things happened but I wish that I would have told you how I felt. I wish that I was just honest and maybe we should’ve just gotten married. It might have saved us both some angst.” She chuckled.

Rowan tipped her head up, shaking his own as their eyes intently met. “I disagree. I think everything happened exactly as it should have. You needed to be independent and fight for your throne without a man by your side. You deserved nothing less than to get what you were rightfully owed without having to marry someone. And I’m so, so proud of you.” Rowan pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. “If you had confessed, I’m not sure I would’ve made it back to Doranelle. And I needed to go back so that I could explain to my family what was going on, to say my goodbyes and tell them that there’s a better way to live than what we were doing in Doranelle. And I had to go back so that I could get this…” 

Rowan dropped her face, taking a step back and reaching into the pocket of his trousers. His hand was holding a small, nondescript box when he brought it back out. He took another step back while taking one of Aelin’s hands in his own.  She wasn’t sure she was breathing when he got down on one knee. Again.

“I know we’ve only truly known each other for four months but I feel like you are part of my soul, Aelin. And this doesn’t have to be a true engagement if you don’t want it to be, but maybe rather a promise. A promise that I will always be by your side, a promise to love you and support you in whatever you do. A promise that you are my Fireheart, and I am your Buzzard. And when you’re ready, when we’re both ready, we can talk about getting married.” He pulled his hand away so he could open the box. A beautiful green emerald stared back at her, not too large, yet enough to catch the light of the sunset just right. 

“I know you technically already have a ring but that one…I hated that one. I didn’t pick that out and it wasn’t truly from me. Darrow just gave it to me to give to you and that was it. I had no say in it and to be quite honest, I don’t think it was something that you liked either. I’m hoping that you’ll like this one better.” Rowan plucked it out of its cushion, slowly standing and taking her hand once more to place it on her finger.

He paused before sliding it on and Aelin realized belatedly that he was waiting for her assent. “Oh Gods, yes! Yes, Rowan. Whatever you’re offering, everything you’re offering, it’s a yes.” He breathed out a sigh she didn’t realize he was holding, slipping the beautiful ring onto her finger before she flung her arms around him. He picked her off the ground, holding her like his life depended on it and twirling her. She wasn’t sure that she’d ever been so happy. 

As he set her back on her feet, she admired her new jewelry. The weight, unlike the diamond from before, was a welcome feeling on her ring finger. And the band was truly beautiful, a gold to match the ring around her eyes. “It’s beautiful, Rowan.” 

He touched his forehead to hers once more. “I’m glad you like it. It…it was my mother’s, actually. I’ve kept it all these years because I just couldn’t part with it. And then I met a woman with fire in her soul who’s beauty rivaled the gem in this ring. And at some point, I realized that since my heart already belonged to you, so did this ring.” 

“Such a sappy Buzzard.” Aelin chuckled but her eyes were once again filling with tears. Rowan leaned down and kissed each one away, trailing a path down her cheek until his lips met hers once more. Aelin started chuckling against his lips as a thought popped into her head. “We’re going to have to have a very, very longggg engagement. Otherwise, Darrow might kill me if he has to plan another wedding after I called off the last one.” 

Rowan’s full belly laugh was music to her ears. She didn’t know how she got so lucky. After all she’d been through, there was finally someone that was her equal, her soulmate. She never used to like thinking about the future and what it might bring. There was too much death and pain in her past to think about a family or finding love. But she could have that, she realized. With Rowan, she could see herself having it all.

 Her thoughts drifted to their friends, gathered around for a (real) wedding ceremony; of taking a honeymoon to Antica, where she always wanted to go but never had the chance; to meeting Rowan’s family and getting to know the people who shaped her fiance into the man he was; to their future children with silver hair and turquoise eyes. Thoughts of the future didn’t scare her at that moment. Not if Rowan was with her to take on every battle that came their way. 

A finger on her chin brought her back to reality. “Hey, where did you go?”

Aelin smiled at him, her best friend; Her fiance once again. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

“Do I get to know what my Fireheart was thinking about?” He raised his eyebrows playfully.

“Hmm…maybe I could be convinced to tell you…” 

Rowan pulled on her hand, leading her into her bedroom. “Well, then allow me to convince you, your Highness.” Aelin couldn’t help but smile back at him as they started their future together.

A/N: Well, here we are. It's technically the end though we have an epilogue after this to tie it all up. This has been my biggest project to date and while it's probably small compared to some of your monstrous fics, at 38k words, I'm pretty proud of how much love went into this. Fun fact: It all started with a single scene, the one that can be read above. I was listening to Love Story by TSwift and this image popped into my head of Aelin and Rowan on a balcony, confessing and proposing and crying and it was beautiful. So I hope that translated into the scene from this chapter. That one idea evolved into an entire Princess Diaries 2- based fic. Thanks for reading, my loves!

tagging:

@cretaceous-therapod @morganofthewildfire @tomtenadia @live-the-fangirl-life @charlizeed @violet-mermaid7 @euphoric-melancholyy @kritical24 @rubyriveraqueen @dealfea @wellofnothing @ayaashryver @moonknight-spector @leiawritesstories @whoever-you-choose-to-love @holdthefrickup @heirofflowers @thecrispypotatochip @shanias-world @rowanaelinn @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity @hanging-from-a-cliff @fantacysoup @swankii-art-teacher @thegreyj @fromthelibraryofemilyj @westofmoon @lovely-dove-zee @books4eva04 @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @backtobl4ck @dreamer-133 @elentiyawhitethorn @writtenonreceipts @shyvioletcat @aelinchocolatelover @captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @athena127

#rowaelin #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin fanfic #rowaelin fic #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #throne of glass #tog #throne of glass fanfiction #rowaelin au #rowan x aelin #my fic #my fics #ldik

[therealmissmagoo2]

The Sims 4 - Lookbook Rowan Whitethorn (4.15.24 edit)

Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Fae

Title: Prince of Doranelle

Age: 350+

Abilities: Wind, Ice, & Lightning Powers. Healing & Shapeshifting (white-tailed hawk)

Tray

#missmagoo2 #the sims 4 #sims4 #the sims cc #sims 4 #sims 4 cc #sarah j maas #alpha cc #rowan whitethorn #aelin galythinius #sims3melancholic #obscurus #pralinesims #anto #plazasims #dansimsfantasy #beckysims #northernsiberiawinds #plumbobsnfries #throne of glass #tog #chaol westfall #lysandra ennar #aedion ashryver #dorian havilliard #manon blackbeak #magic bot #yrene towers