Disclaimer: All rights for characters and settings and story etc. of "Throne of Glass" series are Sarah J. Maas'.

CHAPTER 4:

Over two years later...

Aelin loves books— had loved them for as far back as she could remember. And she was beginning to think her son had inherited the interest.

"What this?" Rhoe chirped for the dozenth time pointing to a random word on the page.

Glancing briefly at the word his chubby little finger was resting on before finishing the sentence she was currently writing, Aelin answered, "That says "hawk"."

The delicate follow up "Oh" hangs in the air for a moment before it's quickly joined by another, "What this?"

"That's an "A". It's the first letter in the alphabet."

"Oh"

Almost everyday since Rhoe turned two, Aelin and Fenrys have been working on this storybook. Fenrys drew the characters and scenes while Aelin wrote the story. Now it was nearing seven months since they first began the project. The reasons for the wait were numerous: Some days Aelin was... preoccupied... and unable to spend time with Rhoe at all. Some days Rhoe needed her attention more than the book did. And other days, ink was spilled on pages, pages were torn or crinkled beyond recognition, and then like today...

"I heping!"

Aelin gasps then groans at the mess, "Not again."

Contentedly oblivious, Rhoe continued dipping his hands in the ink well and returns back to painting the whole page in scribbles and little finger prints.

"You gotta admit he's a natural in the art of finger paint," Fenrys said handing Aelin the cup of water and rag he'd learned to bring for such instances, "Really puts himself into it."

"With fervor," Aelin mutters, wiping the whining toddlers (and her own) hands until she can see the normal hue of skin again. She sets the smudged page aside and hands the ink to Fenrys, "Weren't you supposed to be teaching him the alphabet?"

Simultaneously, Fenrys said, "I am," as Rhoe denies enthusiastically, "No!"

Aelin's eyes glint with amusement while Fenrys pouts and he says, "Don't listen to this one, I've been reciting the ABCs to him so much I've started being haunted by them in my dreams."

Rolling her eyes, she retorts, "Well you could probably use the refresher."

"Please! I've known my alphabet about a whole year now." He says sniffing haughtily and brushing invisible dust off his dull tunic.

Rhoe leans back on Aelin, arching his back to look up at her, "Mama."

"I'd have thought knowing the alphabet would've been a basic qualification for becoming one of Maeve's henchmen?" Aelin drawled.

Rhoe let go of the book in his lap to pat Aelin's arm impatiently, big blue eyes still gazing up at her, "Mama."

"You know many think that actually, but Cairn got accepted so I guess it's more like a preference than a requirement," Fenrys cajoled.

Huffing out a shuddering breath at the lack of response, Rhoe quickly turned in her lap and stood up, facing her. He resumed his patting on the front of the cold mask this time, "Mama."

"I had wondered about that—Yes, hi, can I help you?" Aelin cut herself off with a laugh as her line of vision was fully obstructed by the little face pressed up against her mask. His innocent eyes peering closely through the slits into hers.

Rhoe giggles, pulling back slightly, and twirls a strand of her long hair in his hands as he asks, "Read'me?" He twists to point down at the uncompleted book.

Aelin lifts her bound hands up, holding the chain away from his head with one hand. Gently brushing the shiny soft hair out of his eyes and off his forehead with the fingers on her other, saying, "It's not finished yet, Rhoe. Don't you want to wait until it's all done?"

Rhoe shook his head, quickly sat back down, and picked the book back up, "No pease."

Fenrys smiles, saying, "'Wait' isn't a word in a two-year old's vocabulary."

Aelin helped her son turn the pages to the beginning, asking Fenrys, "And since when are you an expert on toddlers?"

"Since I've been a stay-at-home-male for over the past two years," He shot back.

Aelin tried to ignore the wave of sadness and inexplicable jealousy that came over her at his comment. There was nothing she could do about the arrangement. She should be glad that at least it was Fenrys that Maeve was having raise her son... the thought didn't help any.

Her mood softened though as Rhoe leaned back against Aelin again, so she didn't respond to Fenrys comment and instead began reading, "Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms; one of green and one of silver..."

The book went on to describe a princess stag of the first kingdom that had a happy home; one filled with joy, laughter, adventure, and loving family and friends. Thanks to Fenrys' artistic aid, a couple pages solely depicted brightly colored forest fauna—which Rhoe loved to run his fingers over—and all the animal friends. One in particular Aelin pointed out, "...and this one's name is Aedion. He's the princess' best friend and cousin. She loved him very much."

Rhoe listened attentively as the story continued onto it's sad turn of events. It spoke of how one day the princess' home was taken away from her and she ended up far away for a long time. She missed her home everyday and hoped to return. Then one day the princess stag met a prince hawk from the kingdom of silver. "...the princess was rather busy but the buzzard seemed determined to meet her so she introduced herself to the prince, "My name is Aelin, and yours?" The prince looked at her with his striking green eyes and said, "I know of you, princess. My name is Rowan,"."

Suddenly, Rhoe interjects excitedly, "Me!"

Aelin snorts, "No not "Rhoe", "Rowan". He's your papa."

The silence that follows voices Rhoe's confusion. Then he points to Fenrys, looking back at Aelin for confirmation. Fenrys smiles sadly, glancing for a split-second at Aelin before he answers for her, "No Rhoe-ly-poly, I'm not papa."

"You haven't met him yet, but you will. I've talked to you before though about your papa, remember?" Not remembering or understanding, Rhoe turns his attention back to the book and starts flipping ahead. Aelin continues on, "He's very tall, he has the greenest eyes, same hair color as yours, same nose..." Aelin ignores her aching heart and presses on, "He has art on the side of his face that tells a story. And he has magic too, like Fenrys, but his is wind and ice."

Noticing that he's now flipped all the way to the last of the finished pages, Aelin tells Rhoe playfully, "Hang on... that's not where we were..."

Rhoe only held the page down, chubby cheeks looking all the more kissable as he gazed at the book, replying, "Yes is... EEE!"

The room was filled with the joyous squeals and giggles of the two-year old as his mother mercilessly attacked his most ticklish spots. She said through involuntary giggles of her own, "Oh it is, you say? It is? Is that right? Are you sure it is?"

Fenrys smiled broadly and laughed along with the two, enjoying the light moment—right up until a stray little elbow flew back with precision into one of Aelin's recent injuries.

Aelin muffled her yelp of pain as quickly as she could. Ceasing the tickling instantly. In hindsight, she realized a tickle attack in such close quarters might not have been the best idea with fractured ribs. Live n learn.

Having realized something was wrong, Rhoe turned towards his mother, "Mama okay?" His little hand reaches out in comfort as Fenrys intercepts.

Lifting Rhoe out of Aelin's lap, he says, "Come on, Rhoe, gotta be more careful—"

"No! NO!" Rhoe cries, panic quickly scaling in his tone. He shoots his arm out to grab onto Aelin's shift, unwilling to leave. But he hadn't entirely left her lap before Aelin came to his rescue, grabbing him back from Fenrys sharply.

"Don't touch him!" Aelin snarls at Fenrys, tucking Rhoe close as he clings to her.

Fenrys jerks back a bit in surprise, eyes wide, before confusion settles in, "I was just trying to help, you're hurt so—"

"I'm fine. If I need help with my son, I'll let you know," She snaps.

Slowly comprehension fills the warrior at the possessive statement, shoulders falling, "I'm sorry, Aelin."

Aelin nods, relenting for the time being, understanding that his apology went deeper than just for the present moment.

Rocking as much as her ribs allow, Aelin strokes Rhoe's back gently. Once his muscles have untensed she asks, "Would you like to get back to the story now?"

Rhoe doesn't respond for a moment but then nods slowly. He turns his face from the crease of his mother's neck slightly in order to see the book— but only slightly. Arms and legs still locked tight around her.

Aelin shifted her position with a wince as she flipped to the correct page. She'd been sitting so long her legs had gone numb. The unforgiving manacles that ran from her ankles to a bolt in the floor rattled loudly but she spoke over them quickly, "Okay, I think we left off at meeting Rowan. Let's see... here it is: ...The hawk prince then lead the princess to a strange kingdom..."

The storybook was really an act of rebellion in more ways than just the making of it. For as it continued on it told of a nasty witch with a "nose as pretty as a pig's and the intelligence to match" that forced prince Rowan to do many unpleasant things before the princess set him free. It told of her fire and of his ice and wind. It also told of how the two were married and had a baby boy they loved with all their hearts, Rhoe Whitethorn Galathynius, a prince of the green and silver kingdoms.

Now sitting back in his usual position in her lap, Rhoe looks on, fascinated, as Aelin points out all the animals. She read on, "...the horses, birds, porcupines, foxes and all of the princess' other friends were very happy to meet the tiny prince. Some waved—"

"Aelin, someone's coming," Fenrys says abruptly cutting her off. He sprung to his feet, snatching up all the papers and materials he's brought in as quietly as he could. Aelin hears the hard voices a moment later and helps gather everything up, shoving it into his hands.

Shooting her a look of regretful request he says, "We have to go."

Having done this far too many times by now, Aelin steels herself. Ignoring the pain it causes her, she hugs Rhoe tightly and swiftly, promising like always, "I'll see you later, Rhoe."

Of course, at the familiar words and actions, Rhoe dissolves into hysterics again, "No!"

Fenrys is ready though, and right before the toddler goes into death-grip mode, he swoops him out of Aelin's arms.

The tear streaked face, outstretched arms, and gut-wrenching shrieks of, "NO! MAMA!" stays with Aelin long after they disappear within the flare of Fenrys' magic. Not even the dreaded opening of her cell door, nor the sight of the sadist who strides through it, is enough to make her forget.

A/N: Helloooooo readers! Thank you for your support and encouragement in the reviews and favorites/follows. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you didn't, no worries, the plot for the next chapter should make up for it. I'm already starting on that one and can't wait to upload it. So be on the look out for that one! But be warned that the next chapter will be much more serious as it will move the plot further along so don't expect too much fluff. Anyway, anyone enjoying the time jumps? Yes? No? Please let me know your thoughts and comments or questions in the reviews! Until the next chapter! ~V

A/N P.S: BTW! If anyone is interested, I'm considering doing a companion story to this one. It'll be called "Outtakes of a stay-at-home-male" and it'll be a collection of short one-shots of Fenrys' adventures in taking care of infant and toddler Rhoe. The tone will be mainly humorous. Anyone interested? Please let me know in the reviews! :)