Summary: During training Gwyn and Azriel share banter. Azriel then heads over to the river estate for a meeting to find someone waiting for him.

Authors note:

Hello besties, I'm Meagan. This fic will be crossposted on Ao3, Wattpad and here.

This fic is a first for me. It is the first that I have nearly fully drafted and outlined before posting.

I am truly excited to share this with you all. This story is dedicated to my love, my muse and my best friend Victoria. Thank you my dear for talking all these hours on the phone with me and listening to this story. I couldn't have made this without you.

Get ready for a wild ride, besties.

Gwyn POV

"My foot keeps slipping." Gwyn exasperatedly sighed and looked down at her feet. The training ring was slick with morning dew that had not yet evaporated in the morning sun. "Can we move this over to the dirt ring, shadowsinger?"

"Sounds like you are making up excuses to me kicking your ass, priestess." Az commented smugly as he took a break for a drink of water. He handed her a glass as well.

"Besides, you need to learn to fight on all surfaces. What will you do in battle and can't get your footing? Battles take place in all climates and situations." he challenged.

"On the contrary, shadowsinger, what good will I be on a battlefield if I break my ass during training?" Gwyn challenged back. He smirked at her.

"I think you have enough padding back there to prevent any broken bones." He seemed to pause a second. Realizing the way his words sounded.

Oh she wasn't going to let him live that down. "Been staring at my ass long, Shadowsinger?"

"I didn't mean it like that Gwyn…" He started stuttering. The Spymaster of the Night Court was stuttering because of her. Gwyn grinned wickedly as he continued to shovel himself out of the hole he had dug.

"I have to watch your form during training and make sure you don't hurt yourself…" He stopped talking and pinched his nose. "You know what? I'm going to stop talking now."

"Probably for the best." She laughed at him.

It wasn't the first time she had made him blush like this. Over the past couple of months since the Rite the redheaded priestess and the shadowsinger had become closer. No more than friends and their pleasantries and teasing didn't extend beyond the training ring but Gwyn was proud of their progress.

Gwyn had made their relationship a bit of a pet project of hers. She was new to flirting, she had never had an opportunity to flirt with anyone before and while her taunts and side comments started out as just an experiment she couldn't deny that her feelings had turned into something more.

Now if only she could get him to feel the same.

She left him standing there by the water table to join Nesta and Emerie in their stretches. He hadn't told her she could cool down yet, but she figured he needed to cool down a bit more than she did at the moment.

Nesta and Emerie greeted her with matching knowing smiles. They openly looked toward where she had left Azriel and tried to contain their bubbling laughter.

"Looks like you've left Az speechless again." Nesta commented as she continued to stretch.

"You're going to give the poor male a heart attack one of these days Gwynnie." Emerie added.

"Hopefully he gets a clue before he falls over dead." She mumbled quietly. She didn't particularly want him to overhear their conversation.

"You'd think he was related to Cassian by blood by how clueless he is." Nesta snorted.

"I heard my name on your beautiful mouth, dear." Cassian strode over to the girls smirking. "Can't get me out of your head?"

"I was actually commenting on your arrogance, Cass." Nesta smoothly lied. "Thank you for coming over here and proving my point."

Gwyn and Emerie covered their mouths trying to conceal their laughter. One would think since the pair was now mated and happy that they wouldn't be at eachothers throats as often but that was hardly the case with them.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with my arrogance last night when you begged me to-" the last bit was cut off as he dodged Nesta's shoe being thrown at his head.

The two other Valkyries were rolling on the ground with laughter now. No longer trying to conceal their reactions. Nesta's face was red with embarrassment at what Cassian had almost revealed.

Azriel strode over then, he looked like he had composed himself after his and Gwyn's last conversation. Now his eyes were alight with amusement at his brother.

But Gwyn still noted how he wouldn't meet her eye.

"Time to cut your losses while you can, brother." He patted Cassian on the shoulder. "Don't forget Rhys wanted to meet with us as soon as we finished practice today."

Cassian didn't seem hurt at all by Nesta's attempt to harm him. He smirked at his mate. "I'll see you later. Don't fantasize about me too much while I'm gone." He gave her a wink and she glared coldly back.

Cassian gave a full belly laugh at her reaction. "Bye, ladies." he waved at them and took off into the sky. Leaving Azriel standing there awkwardly.

He finally looked at Gwyn. "Right.." he coughed. "Uh… don't forget to stretch." He told her. Gwyn almost laughed at him again but she held it back.

At least until his form was nothing but a small black dot over the horizon.

"Oh man, Gwyn." Emerie gasped between chuckles. "What did you do to the boy?"

Gwyn just smiled. Hopefully, she thought, I did enough for him to finally get my message.

Azriel POV

Don't forget to stretch? He thought as he flew toward the river estate. He groaned at himself inwardly. That's all I could come up with?

While he was embarrassed by his encounter with Gwyn this morning he was still happy for their constant banter.

He realized that they had gotten closer and Azriel was thankful for the friendship they had developed. His embarrassment was fading now, and Az felt like he could laugh at the situation.

Training with Gwyn was starting to become the highlight of each day. They had even met for private lessons once or twice when she wanted some specific instruction on something she was struggling with. Az was happy to make time for her. He had grown fond of the little priestess.

He held onto that shred of happiness as he touched down on the front lawn of the estate. Here he would need it.

Ever since the solstice before last, stepping foot into the estate was difficult for him, but due to his duties he couldn't avoid the place.

And despite the pain it made him feel, he didn't want to.

Since Rhys's warning to stay away from the middle Archeron sister, he felt like he had to constantly watch his back.

It wouldn't be that way if you simply left her alone, shadowsinger. His shadows told him, probably for the hundredth time. Az had lost count at this point.

As usual he ignored their warnings. He couldn't let Elain go, nor could he get her out of his head.

They had managed to meet a few times in secret since the incident and each time he left her he felt like he left a piece of his heart with her. But these stolen moments weren't enough to quell his need for her.

He hated betraying his brother's orders and his trust.

If Rhys wanted to understand he would. He's putting his need to control and protect his court over the needs of his own brother. Azriel thought bitterly.

Just because the mating bond hadn't blessed the union, didn't make his love for Elain any less pure and true.

He shook the feelings of dread and anticipation out of his mind when he made his way through the front door. Now was not the time to reapproach this subject with Rhysand.

He found Rhys and Cassian chatting in the parlor next to Rhy's office.

"It will be a minute before we start, brother." Rhys called out to him as he heard the front door close behind him. "We are still waiting on something."

Az nodded in acknowledgement and decided the delay is a good time to actually get a drink of water since he is pretty sure he didn't manage to drink much after Gwyn's comeback.

He weaved his way through the hall and into the kitchen, but he halted suddenly in the doorway.

Elain was there, up to her elbows in flour and dough. She looked up to notice his figure in the doorway. Cautiously she scanned the hall behind him to see if he was truly alone.

He nodded quickly as answer to her silent question.

Let me know if anyone gets close. He ordered his shadows. He watched a few of them leave and slither down the hallway.

Knowing they didn't have much time Azriel quickly made his way over. She was in his arms instantly, her messy hands covered his leathers in flour but he couldn't bring himself to care.

They rested their foreheads together delicately. Their breaths mingled and Az relished in the intimacy.

It was blissful, just to hold her like this, he felt at home. It was a feeling that he had chased for centuries, only to find it with someone he was forbidden from seeing.

"How is your morning?" He asked quietly. He let his eyes close as he tried to memorize the feel of her pressed up against him.

"I haven't seen you in a week and spend our short time together making small talk?" She let out a breathy laugh.

"You're right. Perhaps we should spend this time doing other things." He opened his eyes to stare at her lips, hoping she would get the hint.

"I like the sound of that, shadowsinger." He felt her rise on her toes, leaning her head slightly to grant him access.

The High Lady approaches, shadowsinger. His shadows warned and Azriel quickly backed away. Elain stumbled a bit, her eyes wide with shock.

He didn't have time to explain before Feyre gracefully waltzed through the open doorway.

"Azriel, just the male I was looking for…" Her sentence trailed off as she took in the scene in front of her. Her eyes bounced back and forth between the pair.

There is no way she could know what we were up to. He reassured himself. The moment he had come in here he had masked the scent of both of them so that no one could sense their attraction.

Your clothes shadowsinger, His shadows reminded. You forgot your clothes.

He glanced down at his torso. Small flour handprints encircled his waist where Elain had held him tightly.

Oh fuck. He thought. He was an idiot. He could have cleaned himself up with magic right there but thought better of it. Hiding the evidence now wouldn't help prove his innocence.

Not that he was innocent, but still.

The High Lady cleared her throat and continued. Yet her eyes still shone with shock.

"Sorry to interrupt." She started. "Az, Rhys wants to see you now. Him, Cassian and…" She looked to Elain briefly. "...Lucien are waiting for you in his office."

At the mention of Lucien, Elain hurriedly began kneading the dough again.

"I'll be right there." He assured Feyre quietly. She nodded and with one last glance at her sister she left.

Azriel quickly cleaned his leathers with magic and double checked his shielded scent.

He looked at Elain again before leaving, she gave him a small but troubled smile.

He quickly left before he did something stupid.

That ship has already sailed, shadowsinger. His shadows warned. Rhysand hadn't told Feyre of your burgeoning relationship with the seer. But now she suspects.

Azriel sent a silent prayer to the Mother that his High Lady didn't mention what she saw to her mate as he calmly made his way into Rhysand's office where he found just who Feyre had said, Cassian smiled at him and Lucien greeted him with a polite nod.

Because if she did, he was fucked.

End Author's note:

That's all folks. Well of chapter 1 that is. If you are worried by this story's Azriel/Elain tag I want to assure you that I ship Gwynriel all the way and that this will eventually be a Gwyn/Azriel pairing. But I will warn you that the burn is slow.

Hopefully you will come back for more, I should be posting regularly because as I said this story is fully planned out. So if you could leave a like, bookmark and reivew, I would appreciate it.

Until next time!

-Meagan (she/her)