Aelin was tired. She had to be. Even if Rowan had given her his magic as they were carranum. He had suspected it for a while.
And the suspicions were true.
He didn't know whether to laugh or roar when she would be leaving for Adarlan soon and them being carranum wouldn't mean anything. Nothing as he probably wouldn't be seeing her again. Not until he was bound to Maeve.
He shoved away the thought. For now he focused on getting Aelin to his room- their room- safely. She was so tired- so was he but he had been more tired on countless occasions that he could manage- that she didn't know where she was walking. She was directionless.
When they landed on the correct floor, Aelin turned left. Wrong turn. He quickly grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards the opposite direction- the correct direction. She was half asleep. He didn't give her time and grabbed her in his arms and carried her to their room the bridal way. She didn't object. She wouldn't have the energy to do so.
When they reached their room, he noticed her taking a look at the mirror and frown at her reflection. At her shoulder length hair. It didn't matter how long her hair was. She was beautiful.
Rowan gently placed her on the bed and she was already unconscious.
"Aelin." He shook her shoulder.
"Fuck off." She spoke in her pillow. He chuckled under his breath. He didn't chuckle or snort for centuries but after he met Aelin, it had become somewhat a common thing. He made him want to laugh and smile.
"You need to remove your weapon belt and eat something."
She didn't respond. She just turned to her side so that the weapon belt's buckle was facing him. A silent request. On any other day he wouldn't think much, but now, after his new feeling for this beautiful princess before him, he hesitated.
Don't think about it, Rowan. It doesn't mean anything. He chanted this while opening the buckle and removing it.
Done!
"Now eat." An order.
"You don't order me, Prince." Her voice was guttural.
"No I don't but it's for your own good, Fireheart." Luca had handed him the food while they were climbing upstairs. The food they had prepared the last night. As long as it was edible, Rowan didn't object.
Aelin sighed deeply through her nose. She still didn't open her eyes. "Feed me."
It was Rowan's turn to sigh but he picked up the platter from his work table and sat on the edge of her bed. He had never done this kind of thing- feeding- for anyone. But then again lines had always been blurred for them.
He picked up the whole slice of bread and said, "Sit." Her arms buckled but she managed to sit halfway, leaning on the headboard. Her eyes were still close. "Open your mouth."
She did. Opened her eyes and spat the bread away.
"What?" Rowan asked.
"You bastard, do you know how to feed a person?"
"No." he admitted.
"You don't just put a whole slice of bread in someone's mouth." And swore colorfully. He huffed another laugh. She just glared at him with blear eyes.
"What do you want me to do?" Rowan asked.
"Break the bread into pieces before stuffing them into my mouth, you centuries-old idiot."
So he did as she said. He carefully broke them into adequate sized pieces before putting them into her mouth. After about two or three pieces, when she was sure that he wouldn't commit the same mistake again, Aelin let her eyes droop, not to sleep, just rest.
Sometimes, when he put food into her mouth she would close her mouth around his fingers.
Gods damn him.
Because he liked that.
No. it wasn't correct to go down that path. She would go to Doranelle, get her answers from Maeve and then go back to Adarlan. Few more days and she would have to leave him. Tears stung at the back of Rowan's throat at that thought. When was the last time he had cried? Centuries ago. And this girl, who he just knew for months, made his eyes sting.
No. Rowan would not think about it. He would concentrate on feeding her and not think about how he felt when her mouth closed around his hands. How his heartbeat thundered. How his breathing hitched. How he liked that.