DISCLAIMER: everything belongs to the wonderful Sarah J. Maas. I mean, I wish I owned Dorian Havilliard. But alas…

Aelin wasn't sure what Aedion and Chaol were discussing that needed a private chamber and how long it would take. All she knew was that she was hungry, a lot. One glance at the man sitting in front of her and she knew he was as clueless as she was about what was going on next room. He caught her eye and grinned. "I don't know what that is about," Dorian said proving that they were indeed wondering the same thing. "But I do know what my councilmen are going to propose at our next joint council, if your Majesty wishes to know."

"And what would that be?" Aelin asked, curious now. "And quit calling me Majesty. You know I hate it when people do it, let alone friends."

"As you wish, Aelin dear." He was interrupted by Aedion and Chaol finally walking into the dining room. "Later," Dorian mouthed at her.

"Sorry we took so long," Chaol said as soon as he was seated next to his King. "We had to make a vital decision and we had to make it now."

"And what would that vital decision be?" Dorian asked, amused. "Most importantly, why do I have a feeling it involved us and we weren't even invited in the discussion?"

"It did involve your safety," Aedion said and Aelin wondered what Rowan would think of the decision, whatever it was.

"We needed to discuss the new location of Dorian's chambers and where to set Queen Aelin's royal apartments."

"I thought we would both be staying in the Glass Castle?" Aelin asked.

Dorian had offered her to stay in Adarlan for the winter after their victory and she had accepted gladly. There were a million things she had to do before permanently establishing herself in Terrasen. And her castle in Orynth was in ruins anyway, and the antler throne her uncle and ancestors had sat upon destroyed. Her palace was being built from the ashes, Ren Allsbrook - her new Captain of the Guard - and his old grandfather lord Murtaugh were seeing to it. What better place than the Glass Castle, Adarlan's former seat of evil, for her to live in, in order to prove to her people that the war with the neighbor country was really over? What better way to show her people that King Dorian Havilliard was truly a dear friend of hers and nothing like the monster his father had been? So she had decided to hold half of her court in Dorian's palace until her return to Terrasen.

"Yes, you are, Majesty," Chaol said quickly and it hurt her to see the way his eyes flinched away from hers. It hurt even more when he was the one to call her Majesty, because Dorian did it first in a polite way and then to tease her, whereas his Captain did it to draw a line, as he'd done with her before, when she was a slave and he a Captain; now it was to highlight the difference between them, because now she was Queen and he was but a lord who had walked away from his title; she was Fae, and he was a human who still was a little afraid of magic. It hurt. They were not together now, could never be again, because Celaena was gone for good and he could not even bear to properly look her in the eyes now that she was Aelin. But they had loved each other and that was what hurt the most.

"You are, Majesty, but we needed to set the safest arrangements for the two of you before the rest of the court starts to settle back in the castle."

Rowan would snort at that, Aelin thought absentmindedly, and she wondered when he would be back. It wasn't the first time he had gone back to Wendlyn, but she missed him all the same.

"Meaning?" Dorian asked.

"Captain Westfall thought it was better to place you and Aelin the same wing of the old stone castle, because it would spare a lot of guards, but I think it would be too dangerous in case of siege: the attackers could have you both with one strike and that's the one thing we can't afford happening-"

"Aedion, wait," she stopped him. "The war is over, there are no enemies we need to defend ourselves from."

"There are always threats. The witches, even Maeve..."

"If Maeve ever decided to attack Erilea, placing us in two different wings of this castle surely wouldn't prevent her from killing us both. Only our magic could. Besides, it's only a temporary situation. We're perfectly able to defend ourselves from pretty much any threat. So spare your guards anyway. I'm not going to be here for ever. I want to enjoy my friend's company as much as I can while I'm here, without having to climb a hundred steps to see him. and I don't want guards to be following me at all times like dogs or standing outside my door like I'm a prisoner." She turned towards Dorian. "Is this okay with you?" He nodded. "Definitely. Eastern wing then."

"But-" Chaol and Aedion started at the same time.

"No buts. Now let's eat. I'm starving."

"So what were you about to tell me, before Chaol and Aedion finished their oh so important secret meeting and came bothering us?"

"Don't be too hard on them," Dorian said. "They only wish to keep us safe."

"I have way too many men claiming I need protection and, trust me, I don't."

"I know, but still. We're royals; we're too precious to risk. And you're a woman, men will always fuss."

"You have no idea how Rowan gets when I get close to a burnout. He won't even let me leave the bed."

"You're lucky to have him and Aedion," Dorian said and she nodded. "They care about you more than anything. And I have a feeling they won't be happy about what I overheard two lords talking about. It seems like they're going to suggest that you and I should get married. At once."

Aelin was not surprised in the least. It was the most logical course of action. She was a Queen and he a King. Of neighboring countries who'd been at war for the past ten years. What better way to secure peace?

"I had seen it coming," she confessed. "But Aedion is going to kill them on the spot for suggesting it."

"And Rowan isn't?"

"No. He's not that impetuous, he's got centuries of mastering his anger. He's going to wait for the meeting to be over and then proceed to scare the hell out of them."

"It's almost funny," he said and she nodded. "Two years ago, I was ready to tear the word apart to have a chance to be with you."

"How flattering," she laughed. "Would you have married me, given the chance?"

Dorian nodded. "I didn't know what love was, but I thought it was what I felt for you. When you won the tournament and you broke things between us, I thought my heart would shatter. You were so amazing and just plain different from all the girls I'd ever known... You didn't want to bed me, you just wanted to talk about books and play music and flirt for the sheer the pleasure of it."

Aelin winked. "Believe me, I wanted to bed you. But without further motives. I just wanted to." He laughed too.

"This conversation is unreal."

She was walking to her old chambers, those from a lifetime ago, when she was a different person, an assassin in a tournament, a slave fighting for her freedom. She turned a corner and found herself almost colliding with another person - a councillor, most likely.

She waited for him to apologize, as custom required, and he did. Profusely.

"It was nothing, really. I was in such a hurry to get to my chambers that I was not watching where I was going."

"Still..."

"Enough," she cut him off with a bright smile and curtsied, wanting to take her leave.

"Majesty, if I could have a word," he said in a low voice.

"Of course," she said, trying not to make a face.

Being an assassin was so much more fun than this. I didn't have to be nice to everybody all the time.

"I do not mean to sound so forward, but many of us were wondering what her Majesty intended to do as in regard of the... uhm, matter of the heir."

She had not heard talk of this matter before, save what Dorian had just told her. This must have been one of the councillors the King had overheard, and he was testing the ground to see what her reaction would be like. Aelin decided she would not give him what he wanted to know, so she pretended not to see where his suggestion was leading.

"What matter? I have a successor. Aedion Ashryver. He's already my second. He will be my deputy as soon as we move to Orynth and he is my designed successor. I don't see why there's a matter at all."

"Majesty, if I may, this is not a decision to take lightly. You are choosing the person who will rule your kingdom in case something happens to you."

"In case I die heirless, you mean. But my decision stands. Aedion is an Ashryver and he is my blood relative; he was raised in the Galathynius household, despite being a Prince in Varese. This is what King Orlon and my parents would have wanted."

"I see you are very fond of your cousin. But wouldn't a direct heir be better suited for the throne? Do you not wish to pass the crown down to your own son?"

There it was. But she would not give him her answer. Not right there.

"My lord," she said and marveled at how perfectly sorrowful she sounded. "What I wish is of so little importance in these matters."

He was about to retort but she cut him off. "Now I really need to retire to my chambers, if you don't mind. I trust I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow?"

"Of course, Majesty. Have a goodnight." He bowed and she walked past him.

"Oh," he stopped her once more and she turned. "You have a visitor, by the way."

Rowan was sprawled on her bed. The sight of him made her forget all about the encounter and what she would have to do at the council the next day; all the things that were troubling her in this court simply didn't seem to matter that much anymore. Her Prince looked so tired. He must have covered the distance between Erilea and Wendlyn in such a rush, manipulating the wind to help him fly, spending all his energy in doing so. She silently tiptoed to the bed and lay next to him. He woke at once and sheepishly smiled at her.

"You're back," she simply said, unable to contain her smile.

"Mmhm." It seemed he hadn't regained the ability to speak, but she asked anyway:

"How was your trip?"

"Too long," she caught in his low murmuring, "hurt... away from you."

A smile sprang on her face. "I missed you too. They are plotting things in this castle. It's good to have you back."

Aelin changed to her night attire and they fell asleep soon after, in each other's arms.

Dorian had been right. As he had predicted, two councilors suggested the idea of their marriage, because apparently, she would need a king to rule over her own kingdom.

The gold in Aedion's eyes burned with anger. He got up and was about to snap at the nobleman, but Aelin spoke first.

"I most certainly do not need a King, councilor." She could feel heat rising, her magic bubbling in her fingers, begging to be out.

"I have named my successor for the time being. And if it is highborn heirs and their conceiving that make you so hasty for my marriage, know that I already have a Prince, and I love him dearly."

She could practically feel Rowan's gaze fixing on her back.

"Don't ask me to marry," she said to the room. "No, the political marriage is not a problem. I adore King Dorian." She smiled up at him and noticed Aedion snorting. "But I won't wed. I will not rule with a King by my side. And of bloody course, I want peace between Terrasen and Adarlan but for the Wyrd, they will not be unified. It would be too great a kingdom. It could swallow the smaller countries of Erilea. and imagine what it would be like for

the rest of the world in case another tyrant ascends the throne."

"But -"

"Let's put it this way... let's say King Dorian and I do get married. Let's say we do rule as joint monarchs as you suggested. You know what happens then? I get to rule Adarlan forever. Eternity is a long time, councillor. Doesn't that scare you? An immortal Fae Queen, a Galathynius, an Ashryver wiping away the name of Havilliard from Adarlan's throne forever?"

The room was silent and she knew she had scared them all so much that they would not dare reply. Good. Surprisingly enough, it was Dorian who cleared his throat after a full minute of silence and clapped his hands. "You don't want to make Queen Aelin angry." Some of his lords laughed, and she was surprised to see Aedion join in, the tension finally gone from his body. She heard Rowan chuckle low too, and she turned. His green eyes were burning too. Not the way they burned when he was in battle, but loving and fierce, the way they did every time she did something that made him especially proud.

Someone cleared their throat. "We should move on to other matters," Chaol said seriously.

We'll figure this out later, Rowan told her through their mental link.

After that she was too distracted to pay attention to what Chaol and the other lords were saying. The subject of the marriage was dismissed, so she let Aedion speak for her in smaller matters. Rowan was silent too, like he usually was - unless she explicitly asked him to intervene.

Together, he told her.

A/N: hope you liked this! Let me know what you think: review/follow/favorite, whatever :)

QUEEN OF SHADOWS IS SO CLOSE! I can't wait!

Lots of love,

Ginny_theQueen