This is set AFTER the war and the happy ending to the series that we BETTER GET. Enjoy!
Dedicated to underthe-mountain because she loves Gavriel as much as me.
PART I
"Rowan you don't even know this female," Gavriel muttered in annoyance as he walked alongside Rowan through the castle. "You know nothing about her, Aelin didn't even give you a name. For all we know she could be an enemy."
"I'm well aware," Rowan murmured. "Believe me I have my reservations just as much as you do."
Rowan came to a stop just outside of the throne room doors, halting Gavriel as well.
"I trust Aelin, and I know you do as well," he said quietly, knowing his queen could most likely hear them through the door. "Trust her on this."
"We leave for two weeks and come back to a complete stranger being brought into our court," Gavriel retorted – respectfully, but firmly. "Does that not sound suspicious to you? This woman shows up when the King and all but one of the Queen's blood sworn are gone?"
"Of course I'm suspicious," Rowan snapped. "Which is why we're going to observe her now and give Aelin our opinion." He paused. "Our honest opinion."
Gavriel sighed through his nose, locking eyes with his king. That was still an odd thing for him, that Rowan was his king now. No matter that the war with Erawan and Maeve had ended years ago and the Kingdom was relatively stable and peaceful now. He looked at Rowan and saw his blood-sworn brother still. And in some ways, that fact hadn't changed – they were still blood sworn to the same queen and so technically still brothers. But Rowan was also his king and the dominance in his brother's stare said as much.
"Of course," Gavriel finally conceded, nodding his head.
Rowan returned the gesture and reached for the door only for it to open before he touched the handle.
"It's about time you returned, you buzzard."
Gavriel fought to hide his groan of annoyance when Aelin leapt into Rowan's arms and kissed him deeply. He took a step back and found his shoes suddenly interesting. When they finally – finally – broke apart, Aelin turned to Gavriel with her arms still locked around Rowan's neck.
"Hello again, Uncle Kitty-Cat. Was your trip to Adarlan successful?"
"Yes. Dorian sends his regards," he said with a small bow.
Aelin only snorted. "You know you don't have to bow to me, Gavriel. I think we're on friendly enough terms now."
Before he could respond, Aelin pulled away from Rowan and strutted back into the throne room without another word. The two males looked at each other, Rowan with a shit-eating grin and Gavriel with his semi-permanent expression of resignation.
"Well come on then!" Aelin shouted. "I have someone for you to meet!"
The two males trailed into the throne room after Aelin. They only took about five steps before Gavriel lunged to the left and pulled his sword out all in one smooth motion. He was up and ready to strike at the very same moment the dagger thrown at him buried in the door frame – as was Rowan.
A low whistle sounded through the throne room. Gavriel followed the sound with his eyes to the wooden rafters just above the massive throne Aelin was now draped across. Even with his fae sight, the shadows hid the stranger's face. Their body was distinctly female though, hanging similarly to how Aelin was sitting.
"Cat-like reflexes indeed," the stranger drawled.
"And now you see why Uncle Kitty-Cat is an even more fitting nickname," Aelin replied with a grin. "Oh put your swords away," she said in annoyance to the males.
Gavriel and Rowan hesitated, but complied.
"Aelin," Rowan said in a low tone that usually meant violence was on the way. "Who might this be and why is she throwing knives at her king?"
"To be fair," the female started, hopping down from the tall rafters smoothly. Her hood was still up so they couldn't see her face. "I was throwing my knife at that one." She pointed at Gavriel with yet another knife and he couldn't help but let loose a growl from deep within his chest. The female turned to him in surprise and he saw a flash of teeth.
"My apologies though," the female said quickly. "I meant no disrespect."
"Funny way of showing it," Gavriel growled. "An act like that could get you killed where you stand, but since I have a feeling Aelin put you up to it..."
The three turned toward Aelin.
"What – me?" She asked with mock innocence. "I would never–"
"Fireheart."
"Okay yeah I put her up to it." Aelin hopped off of the throne with a roll of her eyes, striding over to the female and looping their arms together. "Only because Maya here is the best damn knife thrower I have ever met – aside from myself of course – and I wanted her to show off a bit to impress you boys." She looked up at Maya and frowned. "Oh take your hood off and quit trying to be so mysterious, honestly."
Aelin tugged Maya's hood back and Gavriel could hardly contain the breath he felt get knocked from his chest. The female was stunning. She had a rich, russet-brown complexion coupled with bright hazel eyes. Her face was round and full, framed by the mass of tight black curls set loose from the confines of her hood.
Most stunning though was the smile. Her smile was free, unrestrained. Something Gavriel so rarely saw in the mirror and couldn't look away from now.
"Mysterious is my middle name," Maya spoke, pulling Gavriel's attention back.
"The irony right is that I actually don't know your middle name," Aelin mused.
"Aelin." Rowan was annoyed now, and Gavriel looked up at his king to see him borderline fuming. "We would like some answers about who this is and why exactly you would like her in our court."
Aelin huffed and rolled her eyes, but Maya had the good sense to look a bit frightened of her king in that moment. Or perhaps not frightened, but intimidated.
"Do you remember all of those delinquents we kept finding dead in the alleyways starting a few months ago?" Aelin asked.
Gavriel and Rowan both nodded. Gavriel remembered it well, he had been the one sent out several times to investigate the crimes. Demi-fae and humans alike had been slaughtered in the streets of Terrasen at night, only for it to be found later that those who were killed had been criminals themselves. And criminals of the worst kind.
"Well Lysandra and I were out and about the other night just meandering around and we may or may not have been waiting for our assassin vigilante to show themselves. We managed to catch them in action saving a barmaid from a group of men. I managed to catch up with the individual and ask to get to know them. Maya here may be a little better than me when it comes to knives, but I run faster than her."
Gavriel turned to Maya. "You?"
Maya gave a small smile, but said nothing.
"Turns out our Maya here was living on the streets as well. I brought her back here, got to know her, saw her fighting skills and deemed her worthy of our court." She turned to Rowan. "She has also been approved by Lysandra, Aedion, Elide, and even Lorcan. She's yet to meet Fenrys or Connall, but I'm sure they'll love her as well. Oh, and Evangeline adores her of course."
Maya looked down at the ground pursing her lips as Aelin talked. Gavriel watched her intently. She was confident, that much was clear from the way she swaggered about in a startlingly similar way to Aelin when he and Rowan had first come in, but she was also reserved in a way that Aelin wasn't. She didn't want to be recognized for her noble actions. Her confidence and humility coupled.
"She has a good heart and a good throwing arm and I want her in my court," Aelin said plainly. "But I won't make any decisions without you," she added in a softer tone to Rowan.
Rowan stared at his mate and wife for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and turning to Maya.
"I would like to take a week," he said politely, but surely. "A week to see how you fit in with everyone, including the rest of the blood sworn. You will train with us every day with both your magic and other fighting skills. Then Aelin and I will discuss again and we will decide."
Maya gave a small bow to which Aelin scoffed.
"Thank you," she said with genuine gratitude. "And sorry for the... you know, throwing the knife at you and all that."
She turned to Gavriel with those words and gave a small shrug as if to say, 'what can you do?' Gavriel couldn't help but chuckle.
Aelin and Rowan whipped their heads around to look at him. Gavriel never laughed – or very rarely laughed. Certainly not with someone he had just met.
Maya on the other hand just smiled back at him. A smile that he had a feeling he wasn't going to grow tired of anytime soon.