Rowaelin+Feysand

Chapter 4

Aelin lay her hands on Rhys' chest, which was still unmoving.

"Rowan is..." she started. "All those things to me too, aside from High Lord. He is my carranam, which is basically soulmate, and we are blood- sworn."

I kept my eyes on Rhys, and suddenly his chest started moving- subtly, but that was enough. Aelin smirked at my expression but concentrated on Rhys. A sob once again built up in my throat, this time of a different kind. He had a chance. I had a chance.

"Thank you." I breathed.

Aelin just grinned. "What are completely random strangers from different worlds for?"

I knew I liked her. A lot. She seemed unnervingly like Mor. Or...me.

"So what do you do?" I asked. Why would I ask that? "Other than healing random people, of course."

I caught the twinkle in her eye as she told me that she was Queen Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, heir to the throne of the lost Court of Terrasen. She was a mix of the 2 strongest bloodlines in history, and she told me about the fall of Terassen. Her breathing hitched, and somehow I felt like I... Understood. She told me about Aedion, her cousin, Lysandra, her childhood enemy and now close friend, Manon Blackbeak, the witch that was in her makings of a court, Dorian, King of Adarlan, Chaol, Evangeline, Fleetfoot (her puppy), and of course Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius. She told me so, so much more after that, and I realised how much this woman had gone through.

"So apart from saving your world, and when you're not with Rowan..." I teased, and she laughed. "What do you do?"

"Read..." she looked at my face, and I broke into a grin. How absurd. We were bonding over our love of books. Time flew by, but I kept looking at Rhys to make sure he was breathing. EVery time I checked he was breathing steadily, but his violet eyes never flew open.  Soon enough, however, Aelin took her hands off him and told me he would wake up. Not knowing what I was doing, I stood up and threw my arms around her. I had dried by then, and so Aelin hugged me back.

The hope that I had fought and won against for so long resurfaced, and I gave in to it. Aelin smiled softly and said she knew exactly how it felt. Somehow, I believed her. 

"You need rest," Aelin told me like I didn't know that already. I snorted and said as much. She smiled and offered a place at where she was staying; she would find a place. I shook my head and said I would find a place. I looked at Rhys and corrected myself. I'd winnow us to a different place. One look at Aelin's place told me that I would not get my way. A few minutes later I was standing in front of a huge place.

"The King of the Island lives here," she said. "Captain Rolfe."

I nodded and she continued. "But I can convince him to give you a room."

I nodded again and she smiled. Lifting Rhys between us, she showed me into an office where a man with tattooed hands (a map, I gathered), presumably Captain Rolfe, sat.

"They need a room for tonight." Aelin jerked her chin at us. "Now."

No politeness, just command. It reminded me of the mask of the HIgh Lord that Rhys wore. This was a kind of a mask too, I realized, knowing that I realized it because I had seen the other side of her that I guessed only her friends saw. To my awe, Captain Rolfe nodded his head and tolf her "2 to the right."