Yulemas special: A present from Arobynn

I'm not a very festive person. This is not going to be a very festive story. Dark, evil and twisted. No, I'm not describing the companies during the holiday, well that too. But I meant this fanfic.
Still. Merry X-Mas, Happy Hanukkah and CONGRATULATION if you don't have any of this.

This note is especially to tog, this is crying material.

Aelin woke up in Rowan's arms, just as she did every morning. She watched him sleep, the grumpy face that he showed the world most of the time was gone when he slept. Just as it was gone when they was together, most of the time. He only used that face when she did something he didn't approve of. Like the time she had breaded his hair.

She couldn't resist the urge to kiss him. He woke up with a grin on his face. He tightened his arms around her, pressed her against him and started to kiss her all over her face.

"Happy Yulemas Fireheart." He breathed into her hair. "Why haven't you opened all your presents yet?"

Yulemas? She had forgotten it was Yulemas today. Rowan laughed when he saw the chock in her face.

You forgot?

I hate to break it to you, even perfect beings forget. What can I say?

What about: Happy Yulemas?

"Happy Yulemas Buzzard."

Is it like this you want it? He raised one brow.

"Bastard" She said and stuck out her tongue at him.

Aelin saw the glimt in his eyes.

"No!" She was too late. Rowan started tickling her. Aelin screamed high-pitched. The bedroom door was thrown open and Aedion ran in.

"Aelin, what's wrong?" Panic filled his voice and he had a sword ready in his hand. When he saw Rowan who sat on his cousin, pressing her to the bed as he tickled her, he started to blush.

"I'm sorry."

Rowan had stopped tickling Aelin and gave Aedion a lazy smile.

"Happy Yulemas."

Aedion started to back out of the room. This was the second time this week he had ran into her bedroom to protect her and found Rowan there. This time they had clothes at least.

"I'll see you in a few hours, we'll start opening the presents then."

When he closed the door he could hear them bursting out in laughter. He was still red as a tomato.

Suddenly, Aelin stopped laughing and let out a sigh. Sadness was written all over her face.

What now? Rowan felt a sting of worriedness.

"Yulemas mean that I have to go to the ceremony." Aelin said dramatically.

Rowan chuckled at her. Sometimes she was too much.

"Wait a second. If I have to go, you'll have to come with me." This time, she sounded happier. Rowan stopped laughing at that.

No.

Yes.

No, I'm not coming with you.

Yes, you are. And he did.

Aelin had told him that she always fell asleep. Now he understood why. The priestess just went on and on and as the Queen's closest he had to sit with Aelin in the front row. Apparently, Aelin had a blast. She had a hard time keeping it together.

What is it?

You. Rowan saw how her last self-control disappeared and she started to chuckle.

A few of her consul men looked at her. Rowan blocked their vision and stared back at them. They quickly turned back and looked straight forward again. Everyone knew not to argue with the Queen's man.

Suddenly children started to walk through the temple, their eyes was bound. They was dressed in the most ridiculous costumes Rowan had seen, they were supposed to symbolize the different gods. He just knew that they carried gifts from the god they symbolized. One of them, a young boy, dressed in glistening wings stopped before him and Aelin. It was Lumas, the God of love. A few seconds later another boy came, Farnon, the God of War. They took of their blindfolds and gave Rowan the gift of Love and Aelin the gift of War.

Aelin couldn't stop laughing when they came out from the temple a few minutes later. She still laugh, when they came to officially her bedroom and unofficially the bedroom she shared with Rowan. Rowan wasn't laughing. After a few minutes she could conceal her smile.

Are you done soon?

No. And his serious face made her burst out in laughter yet again. He looked so grumpy and he still held the gift. Aelin pressed her lips against his. Rowan answered the kiss and soon he also started to laugh.

"When will we meet the others?" Rowan asked her after both of them had calmed down.

"Fifteen minutes ago. We are late."

Now you probably think. "This is just some cute Rowaelin. Where is the dark, twisted, whatever you said part?" It's about to begin. Just some Lyssaedion first.

Lyssandra was furious. Aelin was late! It was Yulemas and she was late.Of course she was late. Lyssandra had a good idea of what was going on and it was not something a Queen should be doing. Aedion was also late, she had been standing under this mistletoe for over half an hour. She turned around and was on her way to go when she felt arms around her waist. And some one whispered in her ear;

"Where are you going?" He was here.

She turned around and when she looked into his stunning face she couldn't stop smiling. They had kissed before, once. Right after the final battle against the former King of Adarlan. But so much had happened since and they had no more opportunities. Aedion was always protecting Aelin and with her close it felt weird. But now. They kissed, she had kissed many men before. With her former profession it was unavoidable.But this was something different. Butterflies filled her stomach and she was over the moon.

"Lyssandra." Aedion whispered in her ear.

Okay. Are you ready?

They sat in the library. Not the public but Aelin's own. Aelin sat in Rowans lap in an armchair, Chaol sat in the other one and Aedion and Lysandra sat as close they could get in the loveseat.

Aelin had known about them for quite some time. She had seen the looks they gave each other and Lyssandra had stopped with her normal jokes. Those about her formal clients. She didn't need anyone else than Aedion and she didn't want to think about the past.

Aelin felt bad for Chaol. It was Yulemas and he had no one. Dorian had died during the battle, just after Chaol had told Dorian about his feelings and Dorian had told Chaol that he felt the same. As they kissed an arrow had passed through Dorians body, he had died in an instant. Chaol still blamed himself.

Aelin had a box of chocolate and filled her mouth with them. Hazelnut truffles, Rowan knew her all too well.

"Aren't you going to share?" He whispered. And she put one in his mouth.

"One."

"Two." He said gaping.

Aelin grabbed his thunge and laughed at his surprised face, he looked like a fish.

"I think it's time for presents." She couldn't wait any longer.

For an hour they opened the different presents, some good and some not so well. Aelin gave Rowan a new blade, but she had the feeling that he appreciated the kiss she gave him later more. From Lyssandra Rowan got a golden nightgown and he blushed when he open the present. When Aelin saw the content she blushed as well. Lyssandra was the only one that wasn't blushing. And she said and winked to them.

"He's the one who's going to unwrap you in it, so I thought he could unwrap the present as well." After a few seconds of awkward silence, Aelin and Lyssandra started to laugh while the men looked rather uncomfortable.

At last there was only one present left. It was stuffed under Aelin's and Rowan's chair. Aelin didn't notice it until Rowan started to tickle her again and she threw herself on the ground.

Aelin picked up the present. Rowan smelled in the air.

"Lavender."

Something was off. She had a strong feeling she had seen a present like this before. She looked over to Lyssandra who had stiffened.

"I've seen… I just can't place it."

"Me too."

Aelin examined the present closer and found a card.

From: Arobynn To: Celaena

No.

"Don't!" Lyssandra screamed, but it was too late.

Aelin opened the present and she froze. First there was a layer of ice and lavender flowers and on top a pair of brown eyes stared at her. A pair of eyes she had spent hours looking into, both angrily and lovingly. Sam's eyes.

Her eyes was widened, heart beating too quickly and Rowan had a feeling she was about to faint or puke. Puke. He lifted her from the floor and moved her out of the way, just in time. He gathered her hair and held it while she spread the content of her stomach all over the floor.

Rowan saw how Aedion picked up the present and became pale.

"What?" Rowan asked.

Aedion started to say something but Aelin was quicker.

"Sam's" Then she started to cry.

Rowan took her in his arms and held her. And he turned her away from the box, Aedion showed him that it contained a pair of eyes. A pair of eyes! And they had belonged to Sam, Aelin's former lover.

Rowan saw red, he wanted to slaughter the man who had hurt her so bad, he wanted to rip him to pieces and then he wanted… His thoughts was interrupted when Aelin started to puke again.

"How are we going to get him back?"

They never got the chance.

Last Yulemas I gave you my heart, but the very next year it was impaled with an arrow and you died on the spot. This year I never had to save me from tears, I went straight to hell with you. (Just as all of my other friends also did.)

Merry Christmas!