The Past Lies Ahead (A Throne Of Glass Fanfic)

Chapter 67

Rowan left the general after giving him his orders. One day, just one more day and Erawan would be on the other side of the plain. He clenched his jaw, he had hoped that they would have more time... and he needed to talk to Aelin, needed her to listen to him. Well, he needed to talk to both, for different reasons, but he hadn't seen Young Aelin all day, and neither had anyone else he had asked.

He headed towards his Aelin's tent, hoping that maybe she had returned there for the evening. He turned the corner of a tent, and found her right away. She was sitting on a stool outside her tent, eyes closed and face turned towards the sun. A small, content smile was present on her lips, as she soaked in the warmth of the evening sun. She was simply breathtaking, her skin was radiant and her hair sparkled like gold.

«Aelin.» he said as he approached her.

«Any news? Or is this just a social visit?» she asked, still maintaining her position. He tried to relax his posture, but his entire being yearned to pull her close, to bury his nose in her hair.

«Both. Erawan's army will arrive tomorrow, if he intends to attack right away or not I don't know.» he said, carefully watching her face for any emotion, but her expression did not change at all. It unnerved him how much she had settled in to the idea of dying, when he himself couldn't see a world, a life, without her in it.«Aelin, we need to talk.» he said quietly.

She sighed and finally turned to look at him. «I know what you want to say, and you know what I'll say, Rowan. None of us will budge, so what is there to talk about.» she stood, then took a few steps closer to him, staring him unflinchingly in the eyes. «Within a day or two I'll be dead, Rowan. You need to accept that, and stop torturing yourself like this.»

He took a step closer, aiming to pull her into his arms, but she lay a hand on his chest to keep him at a distance. «I will not let you do it, I will not let you die.» he grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his chest, then snaked on arm around her. «Let Dorian do it, please, he is both willing and able. Stay with me.» he almost choked on those last words, and closed his eyes for a second.

«I'm doing it, no one else.» she said harshly, glared at him.

«Then I'll stop you.» he glared back.

«You would risk the end of the world for one person? I've seen what the world looks like once the Valg takes over, Rowan, and it's not pretty.» she said sternly, but then her face softened as she continued. «I will not let that happen to this world as well, and please Rowan, don't stop me. I need to do this, I want to do this, so don't make it any harder than it already is.»

«You're my heart, Aelin, I can't live in a world where you don't exist.» he said, his voice no more than a raspy whisper. His chest ached, and keeping his breath even was a trial on its own.

«Rowan...» she said, but he cut her off by placing a firm kiss on her lips. She stiffened, but he kept kissing her until her body relaxed, and her arms slowly crept around his neck then she began to kiss him back. «Rowan...» she tried again, but he just growled at her. He had done so much to save his wife, and he would not give up now, nor would he ever. He broke of the kiss, and looked deeply into her eyes. Her breathing was ragged from the kiss, and her cheeks flushed.

«If I can't stop you, then I'll go with you. I will not let you die alone, Fireheart. I didn't come this far just to watch you sacrifice yourself.» he said.

«You're a king, Rowan, you can't abandon your people like that.»

«You're my wife, that makes you Queen of Doranelle. By doing this sacrifice you'll be abandoning your people too.» he said, and tightened his arms around her.

«The choice was made for me.» she frowned.

«But you're choosing now. Let Dorian clean up the mess Elena made, please.» he didn't care if he sounded pleading, he wanted his wife back.

«Like I said before; None of us will budge, so it is useless to fight about it, Rowan.» she said and tried to pull away from him embrace, but he held on. He kept his eyes trained on her, unfazed by her rejection. He would not give up, not in a million lifetimes.

«Then we have one day.» he cupped her cheek, and stroked her with his thumb. «If you can't give me a lifetime at your side, at least give me this one day.» she still seemed hesitant, but she had stopped trying to get out of his hold. He rested his forehead against hers, still keeping his eyes locked on hers.  «Please, Aelin.»

She swallowed and slowly chewed on her lip. «It's not fair to the other Aelin...»

«She won't mind, she broke of the engagement before you two went to Morath.» he said, and Aelin arched her eyebrows.

«She broke up with you?» she said, he straightened up up looked in her astonished face.

«She told me to make a decision, and I have.» he said firmly. «Now, will you spend the day with me, as my wife?»

«And what exactly does that mean?» she asked. She hadn't outright refused this time, Rowan thought, that's some progress at least.

«Whatever you want to do, Fireheart.» he said, but tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her close against. «Anything particular you want to do on your last day?» Even though it wouldn't be, not if he could help it, and he already had a plan in mind to keep her from killing herself. All he needed was the perfect timing.

She seemed to contemplate the opportunities, and drummed her fingers on his chest. «Then I want to go on a picnic, far away from camp.»

«Then that's what we'll do, Fireheart.» he said, and he smiled at her. 

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When their stomachs began an orchestra in unison, Aelin and Sam decided to finally leave the confines of his bed sheets and went to find some food. She threw on her black pants and the loose shirt, then walked out of the tent hand in hand with Sam. She turned her head to look up at him, and found him already smiling at her. She leaned in, planting a quick kiss on his cheek, before they went towards the food area.

Once they arrived they waited for some meat soup to be warmed up, and Aelin took the time to survey the soldiers around them. They seemed to be in good enough spirits, laughing and joking around. She also spotted Old Aelin and Rowan, who carried a picnic basket in one hand and held her hand in the other. Looks like he finally made a move on her, she thought as her former fiancee walked away from the campsite with his wife. 

Perfect, she thought and a small smile spread across her face.