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Chapter 6: Healing

(Lysandra's POV)

Lysandra walked down the halls of the stone castle of Adarlan, she had been stuck inside this suffocating place for a month now. A few nights a week, Aelin and Dorian would grace her with their presence, then they were off leaving her to entertain herself. Aelin had taken to staying the night in Dorian's tower, and during the day they trained for hours. This left her with nothing better to do than make small talk with the guards. She had become great friends with a few, though she was careful not to get too close. Dorian was learning how to control his magic. Aelin told Lysandra that she wanted the court of Adarlan to see the power their King possessed, but more importantly that he could control it. They also practiced with swords. Dorian was a bit rusty, but surprisingly very skilled. Lysandra had a bet going with a few guards that in a couple of weeks he would be able to beat Aelin in a sparring match.

She sighed. Lysandra had just left the training area, hoping to find a shirtless Dorian. His muscles glistening from sweat, but she had no such luck today. The training grounds had been empty. Aelin would be furious with her if she knew that she enjoyed watching Dorian, especially shirtless Dorian. But then again she enjoyed watching all of the muscular guards train too, and occasionally they would join Dorian in the shirtless club. Those were he favorite days, she smiled.

She walked past the kitchen the clammer of pots and pans hitting her ears and contemplated how amusing it would be to switch into a mouse just to hear the screams of the cooks. She chuckled to herself as she continued walking, stopping as she reached her favorite spot in the castle. She stared out a great window that overlooked the gardens below. Movement caught her eye and she turned her attention to the far side of the gardens. Below Dorian and Aelin were strolling towards the castle, Aelins arm casually draped through Dorian's. Lysandra studied the face of her friend. She was laughing, her turquoise eyes sparkling as she reached up and playfully punched Dorian in the chest. She looked happy Lysandra mused, like she didn't have a care in the world. Lysandra found herself smiling too. Though her smile faded as she remembered her reason for her walk. She had gone looking for Aelin after Ress had delivered news that Rowan and Aedion were expected to arrive within the week escorting the Queen of Briarcliff and her army.

Lysandra turned her attention to the King, a smile played at his lips, but didn't quite reach his eyes. Aelin had informed her about the restless nights, how he would wake up screaming the name of his dead lover. But he had come such a long way in the past month. After the incidence in the council meeting it had taken a lot of coaxing from Aelin just to get him to leave the tower. Lysandra knew that he was still coping, however she noticed that his hands didn't reach for his neck as much as they used to. He was doing better, still a shadow of the person he used to be she supposed but better.

(Rowan's POV)

At first being away from Aelin had been difficult. He found himself thinking about her often and reaching for her in his sleep, only to find empty space. Yet, with each passing day he thought about her less. He still missed her, but something had shifted he could sense it.

Their quest had been successful. Rowan looked down at Ansel the Queen of Briarcliff who was walking beside him as they entered the city of Rifthold. They had to keep a close eye on her. Aelin had told him all about Ansel and how she had betrayed the silent assassins. She was lethally dangerous, arrogant, demanding, and..... attractive. Rowan studied her long red hair blowing in the wind. Ansel reminded him a lot of Leah and he couldn't help stealing glances in her direction. He knew that she noticed his attention and used it to her advantage. Devil woman. Aedion walked on the other side of her. The armies remaining outside of the city. As they walked through the streets of Rifthold towards the castle, he enjoyed watching as Ansel's eyes lit up at the beauty of the city. How she marveled at it's size and the sheer number of shops. She had stopped for a long time in front of a window studying a forest green dress, until Aedion grabbed her arm and hauled her away. Rowan smiled, as he stepped up and placed his hand firmly on her shoulder as he escorted her through the glass gate of the castle of Adarlan.

(Dorian POV)

Aelin and Lysandra were in the middle of one of their laughing fits. Dorian was only half listening as he lounged in an arm chair in front of the fire, the light sending shadows dancing across the pages of his book. His eyes no longer focusing on the words were watching the shadows. There was something strangely familiar about them, he couldn't look away. His mind supplied the memory.

He stared out of his eyes into a dark room his eyes making out fingernail marks on an iron door, a dungeon. His hand reached out holding a dagger carving marks into the chest of a man. He didn't want to watch, he turned away into the shadows, a prison of shadows.

"Dorian?"

Instinctively he went to reach for his neck, but something stopped him. Panic shot through him, but then he felt hands touching the skin of his neck, small warm hands. Aelin. He shook his head the memory leaving him as he looked up to meet her questioning eyes. It was then he noticed the coldness in the room, and he regained control of his magic the fire sending warmth into the room once more.

"I'm fine." Aelin raised her eyebrows at him and gave him a look that said they would talk about it later.

"Why don't you come sit with us?"

Dorian looked past her at the table where Lysandra still sat, dinner had been brought in along with dessert. He wasn't particularly hungry and was about to protest and go back to reading, when he caught Aelin glaring at him. It was an argument he knew he would lose. Sighing he stood and followed Aelin to the table and sat down taking a piece of chocolate cake. Aelin smiled and did the same. He listened to the girls talk with excitement. He was glad that Aelin had found a woman friend. She needed one. Lysandra was particularly excited that Evangaline would be coming with Rowan and Aedion, and Aelin was picking on her for missing the child. They should be here any day now, Dorian calculated.

He had finished his piece of cake and was absentmindedly staring at his empty plate. It was then he became aware of the silence he glanced up to find Lysandra glaring at him. "Well?" Dorian rubbed the back of his neck, he glanced at Aelin who was grinning like a fool. She knew he had no idea what Lysandra had said and she wasn't going to help him. He sighed through his nose. 

"Let me guess, you weren't listing, because it's too difficult for his Highness to eat and listen at the same time?" Beside him Aelin choked on her food, and started coughing covering her mouth with her hand. Her eyes beamed with amusement. Dorian felt a smile forming on his lips.

"I only deign to listen to conversations that are interesting enough to deserve my attention" he added with a wink in Lysandra's direction.

Aelin's mouth gaped open as she looked at Lysandra whose smile had hardened into a straight line. Before Dorian could blink Lysandra shifted into a black panther and launched across the table at him. Dorian stopped her advancement with a wall of ice. He found himself laughing at Aelin who was trying to melt his wall of ice with her fire. "Not fair!" Aelin stuck her tongue out at him. Dorian tried to distract Aelin by sending his magic in her direction. His magic wrapped around her creating an invisible force field. She cursed at him, It worked. But Lysandra was making ground through his wall. Dorian was laughing so hard it was becoming hard to concentrate. He willed more of his magic into maintaing his wall of ice, letting the force field around Aelin fall. Aelin stepped in front of him trying to break his concentration, as she sent flames towards his wall.

A sound from the doorway, caused all of them to lose focus as they glanced in the direction of the noise. Aelin's fire engulfed the wall of ice and Lysandra went lunging forward knocking both Aelin and Dorian to the ground. Dorian could feel the heat from Aelins breath against his mouth, her face just inches away. He found himself staring at her lips, trying to remember what they tasted like. He blinked, erasing the thought. Aelin was staring into his eyes, and he watched as her cheeks turned a beautiful color of crimson. Breaking her gaze Dorian turned his head to see Rowan and Aedion standing in the doorway with mixed looks of amusement, terror, and disapproval.