(A couple of days later)
Aelin:
The slight wind blew across her face as she sat on her balcony reading a book. She was in complete bliss.
She had been busy in these past couple of days since she had gotten back. Every day, she ran around the grounds and completed a round of workouts. She needed to stay fit if she was to defeat Erawen.
She also had meetings what felt like every hour. It was exhausting, but she was prepared to do anything for her court and her kingdom.
Today, everyone was busy preparing for the arrival of Chaol and the troops from the southern continent, so she finally got some time to herself. She wasn't technically hiding, it was more like she was sitting somewhere, and no one knew where she was.
Anyway, she was perfectly content to just sit there and read all day. Mabye have some chocolate cake brought up... her daydreams were interrupted when she heard Rowan open the door. He walked towards her on the balcony and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.
He sat down in the chair across from her. "Hiding?"
"This is not hiding, this is reading alone on a balcony, and no one knows where I am."
"So very different from hiding."
"Yes." She looked back down at her book. There was a huge love triangle, and she was getting to the good part.
"By the way, Chaol is arriving soon, and we need to meet everyone down in the enterance to welcome them."
"Could he have picked a worse time to come. I was at the good part." She muttered to herself as she walked into her room and out the door. Rowan's fae eats missing nothing heard her. He followed her with a chuckle.
She was perched up on the staircase in front of the main entrance. Why couldn't they come sooner. As the minutes dragged on, she slowly began to wonder if they were ever going to come.
Rowan, sensing her annoyance, reached for her hand trying to comfort her.
Their presence was announced by a sudden screech of the door hinges.
Nesryn walked in hand in hand with another man. Behind them walked another man and woman who looked like siblings along with the man walking with Nesryn.
Aelin walked up to greet them when two more figures appeared at the doorway. Chaol walked in with an arm around another woman's waist. This must be who Aedion has told her about. She looked oddly familiar. Then it struck her.
She spoke up her suspicions, "You're the healer from Innish, Yrene."
Yrene looked at her in recognization. "Celaena?"
She ran up to Aelin to hug her. Aelin returned the hug with equal fervor. She pulled back to smile at Yrene as Chaol walked up. She went up to embrace him too. Yrene stares at them. "How do you two know each other, and why are you here, Celaena? I thought we were meeting Aelin Galathynius."
He explained to her that she was both Celaena and Aelin.
Chaol eventually turned back around to talk to her, "I received word from Aedion about what happened. I'm sorry I couldn't be there."
"It's okay, I'm find now. Plus some good things have happened while you were away. We have a lot to catch-up on."
"Trust me we do," he replied.
Later that day, Aelin, Lysandra, Aedion, Rowan, Nesryn, Chaol, and Yrene met for lunch. They decided to eat outside on the palace grounds.
Aelin leaned her head on Rowan's shoulder as she moaned. She would never get over how good this food was.
Chaol looked at her before she could take another bite of her chicken. "You said you needed to catch us up on what's happened."
"Yes, where do I start," she tried to think of how she could explain what had happened while he was gone, "we met up with Captain Rolfe where we then went to Banjali to find a witch mirror. This mirror gave me information as to how to destroy Erawen."
He looked at her expecting more information. Rowan reached over and squeezed her hand. She took a deep breath and continued. "To banish Erawen and the Valg a heir of Brannon must use up all of their life force to form another lock just like Mala did."
Everyone was silent for a couple of moments. Chaol then spoke up, "Anything else?"
Aedion answered before her trying to make light of the moment, "Aelin and Rowan are married, and they're mates."
Rowan looked at her with such adoration in his eyes, it made her want to explode. Like she was oozing sunlight. She loved him.
Aedion snapped at them, "Are y'all done yet?" He turned to Chaol. "They do this staring thing where they like telepathically communicate by looking at each other. It creeps the heck out of everyone, but you get used to it."
"Well we just got married down in the southern continent." Chaol looked down at Yrene and smiled.
Aelin was beaming. She was here with her mate and her best friends eating food. Amazing food. She was happy for Chaol they had both found love, and Yrene is meant for him. She couldn't have thought of anyone she would've liked better for him.
Chaol raised up his glass. "To new beginnings and many years to come."
Everyone else followed and echoed him. "To new beginnings and many years to come."
If only she could be there to see those years to come.
*Hey y'all, it's 3:30 here. I don't understand why I always end up posting at 3:30 *sighs* oh well. Anyway, here is the Aelin/Yrene reunion we all have been waiting for (At least I have). I hope I lived up to expectations. I was so antsy about writing this chapter because I know everyone's been waiting for this, and I didn't want to mess it up for y'all. Please tell me how it was. I'm dying to know.
If you didn't already know, the other people walking in with Nesryn were Sartaq, Kashin, and Hasar. (From ToD) I'm hoping to bring Mannon, Dorian, and Elide in soon. We may have an Elide/Lorcan reunion to look forward to!
As I said in the last chapter: Thank you for continuing to read this crazy mess of a story. I would love to get to know more about the Throne of Glass lovers that keep motivating me to write.
—Anna
