Author's Note:
This is actually some Rowaelin fluff that was requested by a reader. I hope you like it, so please review letting me know what you think and feel free to request scenes of your own!
. . .
Aedion
Aedion smiled. It was the first time he had smiled properly for almost a week. They had been at sea for a month now, and the mood on the ship had plummeted. Aelin had been distant for the first week, whilst separated from Rowan, whom they had left in Teressan for a week to ensure that everything ran smoothly without Aelin. They had left Lysandra behind also, to take care of things the whole time Aelin was away. She had a lot of practice from when Aelin had been with Maeve and now that Aelin had had to leave Teressan again, Lysandra would stay to take care of things there. Aelin had then become angry when Manon had come on board. So had Aedion, for that matter. Gods, he hated that witch, especially the way her and Aelin had some sort of connection, like a cord tying together their paths. He knew Aelin hated it too. The King of Ardalan didn't help, since Dorian spent most of his time brooding over his kingdom. Fenrys delighted on pissing people off, quipping around comments about one thing or another. All in all, the boat trip was miserable, and Aedion hadn't missed the fact that his cousin seemed more out of sorts than the rest of them. She barely smiled anymore, and her eyes, his eyes, were often glazed over. Most of the time when he looked at her face, she seemed haunted; haunted by the losses that she had endured, haunted by the burden on her shoulders. Sometimes, a spark of light would return to those Ashryver eyes, when she and Dorian shared a joke about something that had happened back in Ardalan, or when Lysandra shared a memory of some fight she and Aelin had had when they had been simply a courtesan and an assassin. In those moments, Aelin would sit up a bit straighter, have a familiar twinkle in her eye, but then the moment would pass. The memories of Ardalan would remind her of all that had happened to her in that glass castle, all that she had lost, and memories of the young assassin she had once been just made her think of Sam. Once more, she would lower her eyes, and slump slightly in her seat, usually before excusing herself. It hurt Aedion to see his cousin in such a state, but he noticed that his cousin could come back at times. That was what was making him smile now. As he watched Aelin and Rowan from across the ship, Aedion was happy. He was happy that she had someone who pulled her out of the darkness. He was happy that she had someone who brought back the light in her eyes and made it possible for her to live some kind of life despite everything they were going through.
Aelin
She hated that the witch was here, on the ship. Gods, she despised that she had that to worry about on top of everything else. For days, it had been strategy meetings and sparring and writing letters, calling in old debts and promises. They had spent three hours this morning in one of the cabins below deck, trying to anticipate Maeve's next move, but it had been too hot to do anything. The stuffy cabin was only made worse by the large number of people and Fae that they had squeezed in there, and Rowan and Dorian's magic was exhausted under the heat of the sun. Aelin had been on the verge of fainting when she had called the meeting off and stated that there was nothing to be done whilst the sun insisted on baking them. With the fire magic that already coursed through her veins, her blood was close to boiling and the fresh air on deck was much needed relief from this. It had been around six months since Rowan had rescued Aelin from Maeve – though she still like to argue that she helped with the rescue mission – and they had been sailing for a month now. They had had no contact with Maeve or Erawan, but they knew that they would have to face Maeve again at some point. Aelin held back her flinch at the thought of the dark queen who had tortured her for all those months. Rowan still bared his teeth whenever she was mentioned and grew quieter, sticking to Aelin's side and ignoring those who tried to engage him. Ignoring anyone but her, his mate. She knew how pissed he was that he hadn't managed to kill the bitch whilst saving Aelin, and how much those months of fear for his fireheart still affected him. She remembered every night when they would wake each other from a fresh set of nightmares. Aelin tried to shake off these thoughts, tried to focus on the day before them. They had slowed down, and since they hadn't had contact with Maeve, Aedion had decided they needed a break. Aelin had protested at first, but then Rowan and Gavriel had sided with her cousin and she decided it was utterly useless to try and argue. Coming up from his afternoon sun bathing, Fenrys seemed giddy at the idea of a break.
"Oh, you know what this means," he had hopped about and jumped madly in front of Rowan and Gavriel, like a child waiting for Christmas presents. Rowan had frowned at him, but Gavriel eyed Rowan hopefully.
Rowan shook his head firmly. "Not a chance." Aelin's brow furrowed as she looked from her mate to his brothers, and then to her cousin who wore a similar mask of confusion.
"What?" Aelin folded her arms and looked pointedly at her mate, but despite her cool stare, his lips remained pursed. Fenrys, on the other hand, couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"When we used to rest on missions with the cadre, if we were at sea, Rowan would put a barrier around us, like a protected bubble and we would swim in the sea. If you know where to look, you can find a small ladder on the side of any ship." His eyes sparkled and he turned back to Rowan with a challenging stance. "Come on, Whitehorn. You know there's no point arguing." Rowan groaned and turned to Aelin, pointedly facing his back to Fenrys.
"What do you think, my queen?"
Aelin peered around Rowan and took in Fenrys bouncing on his heels. "Well, I feel Fenrys may never forgive me if I say no. Plus it is awfully hot today." Fenrys jumped up and punched the air, not waiting for Rowan's agreement, knowing that he wouldn't say no now Aelin had agreed.
When Dorian Havilliard emerged from below deck, the white wolf of Doranelle was tugging off his loose white shirt and kicking off his boots. Aelin laughed at the shocked expression that has hijacked his features for more than a few moments. It was a sharp, unfamiliar sound that made her close her mouth quickly. So many things were different now, so many things that she couldn't do or think or say. Shaking off this thought, she watched as Fenrys back flipped off the side of the ship. Dorian let out a short yell, and glared at a chuckling Gavriel. The low laugh made Aedion raise his eyebrows at the low happy noise coming from his father, who just shrugged off his own shirt and followed Fenrys with a delicate dive into the water. Fenrys' shouts could be heard from below as water splashed him and were joined momentarily by those of Aedion and Dorian, after Aedion bombed into the water and Dorian found the small ladder that Fenrys had mentioned and slid down into the water slowly. True to the nature of her court, Aelin heard Dorian's protestations as they dragged him off the ladder and into the water. She smiled slightly and moved over to the steps that led up to the quarterdeck. Collapsing down onto the steps, she let out a breath of air, and placed her head in her hands. She hadn't noticed the presence of her mate, and his steps remained silent as he approached her. When Rowan touched her shoulder gently, she jumped, and scrambled back, stopped by the wooden stairs. Seeing her mates concerned face, she relaxed and shifted forwards again, shaking her head. "Sorry, I just thought you had gone with the others." She hated that she was still so jumpy and closed her eyes as Rowan eased in beside her.
"Aelin, you don't need to be sorry. I should have made my presence known, I didn't think." When she raised her eyes to him, she noticed the regret that shadowed his features.
Reaching out and spreading her hand over his cheek, turning him to face her, she smiled softly. "It's fine, my love. I'm fine. I promise." The tension left his features, but still his worried expression remained.
"You agreed to the swimming. Why aren't you down there with your court, your family?"
"Why aren't you?" Aelin quipped back, but Rowan just raised one eyebrow, in a way that still made a shiver go down her spine. She shifted, and stared out at the clear blue sky, but her gaze was distant. "I just wanted some quiet. I wanted them to have a bit of fun. In case you haven't noticed, this hasn't been the cheeriest trip." She smiled again, but it was strained.
Rowan huffed and she turned back to face him, raising her eyebrows. "Well, that just isn't a good enough excuse." Then, catching her off guard, Rowan swept up his mate in his arms and strode briskly over to the edge of the ship. She squealed her protestations, but this didn't stop him, it just made him chuckle. "We're just going to have to join them then, aren't we?"
"What?" Aelin spluttered desperately as she clung to her mate desperately trying to avoid being chucked into the water below.
Rowan's expression of joy didn't change as he paused momentarily from his attempt to throw his wife overboard. "It's not just them who need a bit of fun Aelin. You could use some cheering up too. Besides, I want to see Fenrys dunk you!" Aelin struggled to get out of his grip, but was laughing now too.
His grip remained steadfast, however, and just as he was about to drop her over the side, when she ordered, "Rowan Galathnius Whitehorn, put me down right now!" His efforts stopped entirely and he put her down carefully on the deck of the ship, staring at her with awe and adoration. She furrowed her brow at his expression, and queried, "What?"
Rowan smiled at her tentatively. "No-one's ever called me that before."
Aelin beamed up at him. "Well, I guess we were too busy to discuss the wedding after everything that happened." Then her eyes clouded with an expression that he couldn't quite place. "Unless, you don't want…I mean, we don't have to…"
Rowan cut off her stammered statement with a loud laugh, that she could have sworn echoed. She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes and he grinned down at her. "Aelin Ashryver Whitehorn Galathnius, I love you to whatever end, and am so proud that you're my wife." She smiled at him, a full beam this time, foregoing the worry. For once, she looked like just a young woman, free of responsibilities and burdens and wars. Rowan leaned forward, and whispered gently, "My mate." That word on his lips was like magic to Aelin and as he leaned in, it took all of her restraint not to kiss him, but she couldn't miss an opportunity like this. With all of her might, she shoved Rowan over board the ship, laughing as she heard his bellows and curses from his fall into the water. Fenrys' and Aedion's laughter joined her own, and her own mirth continued as she dove below into the sea, joining her court. Swimming over to her mate, she wriggled into his arms, and the familiarity with which he circled her with his arms, warmed her heart. Ignoring the audience, she drew Rowan into a long kiss, her skin tingling. Then, drawing back, but still close enough that their noses were touching.
Then she murmured, smiling "I love that we're married, but don't think that when we get back to Teressan, after the war, we're not having a big wedding. Lock or no Lock, it'll happen."
Rowan grinned down at her and pecked her on the cheek despite Fenrys complaining about the scents they were sending out. "Of course it will. Do you think I didn't know you at all?" Aelin smiled and pushed away from her mate, sneaking up on Fenrys and dunking him from behind. Rowan chuckled, thanking the Gods that he had been blessed with such an incredible wife. He would follow her, he knew in his heart, to whatever end.