A Court of Golden Shadow || Elain x Azriel

Chapter 32 - Pretty Petal Princess

Elain tilted her head up toward the sun.

Peace.

Complete peace had enveloped her senses.

Here in the gardens of Rosehall, Azriel's head on her lap... the morning sun reigning down from above, warming her skin and dragging the scent of roses across her fae nose... it was divine heavens. The feeling was everything she had secretly dreamed of– probably beyond anything she could have ever conjured in her imagination.

Dropping her face to view the male on her lap, she admired his dark, slightly curled hair. Azriel always kept it cropped short, but Elain imagined that if he allowed it to grow, his curls may rival even hers. The silly thought sent out a sparkling giggle from her lips, her hand trailing his hair, the sun beaming on his olive skin, hints of stubble beginning to peek out from his sharp jaw.

"What is making my flower laugh?" Azriel's dark voice carried up to her fae ears, his eyes still closed, the timber making her heart race even though he had been nestled on her lap for the past thirty minutes.

"I'm just imagining you with long hair." She stroked a curl back, her hand unconsciously tracing the edge of his stubbled jaw.

"You think I'd look ridiculous?" Azriel playfully jabbed at her, crossing his arms tighter and wiggling in closer to her stomach. "I guess only Cassian can pull off long hair..."

"No!" Elain's sharp rebuttal startled the male, and his eyes shot open to stare at her, questioningly. She chuckled, releasing a sigh and stroking his hair again, shaking her head. "I think you'd be a god among fae no matter what your hair length. I was just realizing that if you had long hair, its beauty may even rival my own." She cocked an eyebrow, a smile curling the corner of her lips as she giggled again.

"Hmmm." Azriel drew up, balancing his weight on one hand, now towering over Elain's small body, causing her to gasp quietly, his wings shadowed behind him, darkness swirling around her as he leaned close to her face. "So you are aware, my flower, that you have the most beautiful hair in Prythian?"

Elain blushed a deep red, her eyes dropping. "Well–"

"Don't deny it!" Azriel laughed, pulling her waist toward him. "You DO know how beautiful you are! I knew it!" Elain shrieked with laughter as she felt his hands travel up to her neck, tickling her with ferocity as she shook her head, adamantly denying his accusation.

"Nooooo!" She laughed, struggling to get away, laughing and wrenching her head from side to side, trying to trap his hands between her face and her shoulder, hunching protectively, but it was no use. The Shadowsinger was too quick and too strong, enveloping them both in the tickling menace until she begged for mercy.

Leaning back into the sun, now with Elain held snug to his chest, her face out toward the sun and the garden, Azriel's voice cascaded over her. "I've never seen such beauty in my five hundred and thirty years." He spoke the words with such force, Elain felt as though he was not lying.

"Is that why you pursued me?" She felt the question slip out before she had a chance to think, the heat still flush in her cheeks as the deep insecurity tumbled from her mind. "You had to have me because I was attractive in your eyes?"

She waited for his reply, and when it did not come, Elain felt herself grow cold despite the warm sun on her face. Did Azriel feel about her the way Graysen did? That once she was conquested, she was no longer worthy of love or pursuit? Would he tire of her now that he had her? Was she truly just something beautiful to look at, but not worthy of anything else? The thoughts and fears she had held deep within began raging and roiling, her heart taking on another life as the sun began to feel too hot, the ground beneath her too hard, and the male holding her... too quiet.