Elain emerged from her room holding a fawn stuffie.
"Oh that? The deer?" Nuala rambled, "It has a heating rune on it. Once activated you place it on your abdomen and it'll provide relief from cramps."
Lovely brown eyes squinted in confusion.
"You put it there?"
"Yes, earlier today. It's for your cycle, you were saying it was going to start soon."
"But you were with Feyre earlier today?"
Nuala stiffened right as Cerridwen came rushing in.
"Oh Nua, so silly! I put it there Elain, she mixed it up with the chocolates from yesterday. Those were her."
"Yeah El, sorry for the confusion."
The female looked at her friends and smiled.
"You guys are so kind to me! First it was hundreds of tea bags, now it's a fawn and some chocolates! I almost feel like I'm being courted!"
Cerridwen sidled up to Elain
"Is that something you want to happen? Because we can go out tonight and I'm sure we'll find you someoā."
Azriel appeared.
"Cerridwen. You told me you'd be finishing up reports tonight."
The shadow-wraith rolled her eyes and plopped down on the sofa.
Elain cleared her throat. Hazle eyes snapped to hers.
"I'm sure she was only joking Azriel. Would you like some tea? I have enough for the rest of my life!"
A slow smile
"I would love some tea, Elain."
Later that night
"I'm telling you, Azriel has to tell her already."
Looking up from her sister's reports, Nuala sighed.
"You know that's not happening Cer. Stop pacing and focus."
She did not stop pacing.
"He's just mad because the only thing he does for fun is sit in his room and scribble. And go to the market to buy more stuff."
"Maybe he just really likes shopping lists. Now for the love of god finish your damn reports."
If only the twins knew how right they were. Azriel was currently scribbling away at his desk, researching the female reproductive system and stressing about tarts.
To the lovely people that sent me requests about Azriel planning for Elain's cycle, I love you. To the lovely people that told me what brought them comfort on their period, I love you too! I have so much fun making these, please don't hesitate to send requests!
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After a gruelling week, the last thing Azriel expects is for Elain to catch him early in the morning in the townhouse, dead-tired and brooding. He's not sure she realises just how easily she can make him smile. [1.2k words].
warnings: very minor angst, fluff so sweet it makes your teeth ache, slightly horny azriel, short and sweetājust like elain
a/n: wrote this because i'm having trouble with az and keep wanting to write him as an unlikeable asshole with violent tendencies. which he is. but not in this. also, i have no interest in the ship war. i like it when people make the characters kiss. gwynriel rocks, elucien rocks, elriel rocks. there's so many talented people making cool shit for all of them and i love it!! go look!!
masterlist | Prefer Ao3? | vibe with elriel? i wrote a smutty/angsty multi-chapter fic for them here!
ĆĆĆ
āLong day?ā
Azriel stiffens.
Heād had his head down, almost between his knees, and his hands locked together so tightly his knuckles had gone white.
The sound of Elainās voice does not help.
When he looks up, he regrets it. Six in the morning and heās not yet lain in bed; six in the morning, and Elain is just waking up, still in her fucking dressing gown. This is the punishment he gets for trying to escape the House of Wind and for being too much the coward to go sleep in his new room in the river house: Elain, mercifully lucid,Ā in a fucking pink dressing gown.
He laughs out loud, mirthlessly, flatly, sounding, heās sure, half as mad as he feels right now.
If she minds, she doesnāt tell him. She sits opposite him on the sofa, the coffee table between them where she sets down a glass of water she must have taken to bed with her. She draws her knees up and under her, looking very soft. Blonde ringlets still slightly messy against her too pale skin. He wonders why she never catches the sunāwith all the time she spends outside, she should be as bronze as Feyre.Ā
She must be eating well though. A far cry from one of the last times heād seen her, so thin he could have broken her in half with a touch. Now, sheās filling out a little, closer to how he remembers her when they first met, with plush thighs and pretty curves and full cheeks andā
Blushing. SheāsĀ blushing.Ā
Gods, heās just been staring at her. Heat rises harshly up his neck and floods his face. He snaps his mouth shut, realising how his lips had parted at the sight of her.
And sheās waiting, it suddenly dawns on him, for him to respond with something other than blatant ogling.
Az brings himself to look away, to pull his hands apart, to sit back.
His jaw aches.Ā How many days has it been since he last spoke to someone?
āLong week,ā he manages to get out. His voice is low and full of gravel. Quiet. Gentle, even.
She offers him a soft quirk of the lips. Almost a smile. He swallows very thickly, and tries to concentrate on something else when she responds. āWhere were you this time?ā
Itās funny. Elain sounds like she cares.
āRask,ā he says, not really thinking through what would happen if she told anyone. His shadows take the risk of being seen by her to tut at him. One even ventures up his side to worry at his ear, calling him aĀ bad spymaster.
Elain, ever-observant and with no need to hide it here, catches the movement. Tracks the shadows as it ducks back under his wings and out of her view.
āThey donāt seem to like me,ā she says.
Azriel dares to let a frown come over his face. A rare thing. āItās not that,ā he says quickly.Ā Then what is it?Ā āTheyāre just⦠contrary, sometimes. And youāre new.ā
He can hear them angrily simmering around his back and through his belt loops, like heās told a lie. Or perhaps they feel insulted.Ā
Contrary indeed.
āDoes it take them a long time to warm up to someone?ā she asks, her voice small. Something in Azrielās chest clenches quite painfully at that.
āHalf the time,ā he says, āIām not sure they even likeĀ me.ā
Elain takes that for what it is and nods. Az wonders if it makes her feel any better, or if sheās just good at hiding things from him now. His shadows certainly arenāt making the effort to tell him either wayāfrustrating as it is.
For a moment, they fall into a silence thatās neither comfortable nor awkward. Not one which makes him want to squirm, like the kind Rhysā mother could produce, but one thatās charged with something.Ā
Things unsaid. Things that canātĀ everĀ be said, for both their sakes. At least, thatās what Az makes himself believe when he isnāt in bed, wide awake, thinking about her with his fists firmly pressed into the mattress.
They break that silence at the same time.
āI shouldāā
āMaybe we couldāā
Elain, those lovely brown eyes of hers twinkling, hides a laugh behind her hand. The sound of it sends a thrill up his spine. He can still remember when even getting her to look at him, instead of through him, was a struggle.
āPlease,ā he says, motioning for her to continue.
And sheās blushing again.
āIāā she hesitates, changes her mind. āIt wasnāt important,ā she says.
Az is sure Elain must be able to hear his heart thundering very loudly against his ribs, like itās trying to claw out of him.
āTell me anyway.ā
āYou first.ā
He bites back a wry smile. Sees the way she looks at the muscle ticking in his jaw.
āI was going to say that I should sleep,ā he says, and itās true, ābut I donāt feel very tired.ā
When does he, these days?
āYes, well,ā she starts, āmaybe you should try, at least?ā
āEager to get rid of me, Elain?ā
Her eyes widen. āNoā!Ā I justāyouāre very busy and rest is so important andāyouāre laughing at me.ā
āI would never,ā he says, laughing. His shadows, too, titter and deign to sink onto the sofa cushions, before they remember the company theyāre in, and hide again. āYouāre very red. Is it warm in here?ā
āAzriel!ā
Gods, how heād get on his knees just to hear her say his name again.
āIĀ wasĀ going to invite you to have breakfast with me,ā she says, all haughty like a true lady of the house, ābut youāve annoyed me, so now Iām going to make pancakes and eat them with Nuala and Cerridwen and you are most definitely not welcome.āĀ
With that, she sits up, grabs her glass so swiftly that the water sloshes dangerously close to the lip, and stands. āSleep well,ā she says and stalks off to the kitchen, leaving Azriel in wonderfully stunned silence.Ā
He watches her go and isnāt subtle about it.
When she clicks the door to the sitting room shut, not so strongly as to actually suggest she was pissed off with him, Az lets his head drop back against the sofa and rubs at his eyes. His shadows say nothing, but they do wander up and down his arms and around his shoulders like theyāre running a victory lap.
Suddenly, he is gripped by the urge to follow her. Actually, heās gripped by the urge to catch her wrist in the corridor, tug her towards him, and kiss her stupid. Pin her up against the wall. Find out if her hands feel as soft in his hair as they do when they dare to brush fingertips over dinner. Tease her so much that when he asks, she lets him taste just how sweet she must be.
On realising that, Azriel gets up, opens the door, and goes upstairs to his bedroom. Gets undressed. Lies under the covers with his eyes closed and his shadows scattered about the room in the dark.
He doesnāt sleep a wink, but he can hear Elain laughing with Nuala and Cerridwen downstairs.Ā
SURPRISE, BISHES! I had to rip the band-aid off. I was losing my mind. Here is the final chapter of the work I have been pouring my heart and soul into. I hope you love this HEA for our Seer and Shadowsinger as much as I do. You can read my blathering weeping thank yous in the notes on the chapter, but an extra thank you to everyone here on Tumblr who has shared, reposted, liked, commented, supported me with kind words, etc. etc. You all mean so much to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And I am not done writing- not even close! Preview below.
The moment Azriel winnowed into the Townhouse foyer, Rhysand stepped into his path.Ā
āGet out of my way,ā Azriel snarled at him.
āDo not do this, Azriel,ā Rhys said in his cool, collected voice.
Azriel felt something snapping within him again. Shadows whirled violently around his shoulders and head.
āWhy? Why should that prick sit beside her in her most vulnerable state? How many times does she have to say that she doesn'tĀ wantĀ him, Rhys? No one has ever listened to her.ā
His brotherās face was the immovable mask of the High Lord.
āThis Court needs it's allies in-ā
āFuck youĀ ā Azriel seethed.
Rhysand had the good sense to look taken aback.
āFuck you for saying that, Rhys. This Court needs allies?Ā ElainĀ needs allies. She needs her family toĀ hearĀ her, to support her.ā
Rhysand looked stricken at his words, but as Azriel made to step around him he blocked his path again.
Azriel bared his teeth at his High Lord.
āYou're such a fucking hypocrite, Rhysand.ā
āWhat,ā his brother responded with menacing calm, his voice now edged with violence. Tendrils of darkness were leaking from him now, challenging Azrielās roiling shadows.
āYou heard me. You spout your bullshit about dreamers and freedom andĀ choiceĀ to anyone who will listen. But when it comes to your political games, our right to choose doesn't really matter to you, does it?ā
Elain being a seer and sjm calling her a walking spoiler implies girlie pop knows all the tea of everyone and Azriel being a spy and having his shadows whisper to him everyone's secrets is the funniest thing ever....coz what do you mean the calmest and most elegant couple knows all the gossip of velaris .
Imagine if their convos go something like this after a long day
Azriel : I know Percy from the brewery is having an affair with the seamstress
Elain : oh yes , his wife will find out the next full moon at the velaris fair. Should be an interesting show
Ps. I know both their powers will be saving the world and all that jazz..but just thinking of that kinda power in a domestic homely every day life setting is hilarious. This post is just for fun... before the wet blankets decide to rain on a parade
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A/N: Merry Christmas @duskandcobalt! (not sure if it's still Christmas where you are due to time zones, if it's not... I'm sorry this is late!) Here's the second fic for you!! As I mentioned, this idea came to me while writing the first fic, so I guess it could also be read on its own. I'm usually not good with presents, but I had to write this one. It's also a bit longer than a drabble because apparently I'm unable to write less than 1k words. Hope you enjoy it! š«¶š»
Pairing: Azriel x Elain
Summary: Elain gives Azriel her present for Winter Solstice.
Warnings: once again, it's pure fluff
Word count: 1.5k
You can read the previous fic here
Azriel couldn't stop staring at the painting.
They had hung it above the fireplace as soon as they got home, and now he couldn't tear his eyes away from it while he waited for Elain to return.
When Feyre had given it to them, he'd been speechless, barely able to thank her for the wonderful gift. A perfect representation of him and Elain.
Elain was portrayed in a pale pink gown, the fabric swirling around her ankles as if moved by a soft breeze. Barefoot, surrounded by green trees and blossoming flowers, she stood before Azriel, his shadows lurking around him. But between them, light and dark met, blending and spreading from the single connection they shared ā Truth-Teller.
Azriel remembered the day he had given the dagger to Elain, parting with it for the first time since he'd owned it. It was one of his most prized possessions, yet he'd gladly offered it to her. If he couldn't keep her safe himself during the battle, then Truth-Teller would help her protect herself. But she had gone beyond, using it to stab the king of Hybern himself.
But he also remembered the uncertainty in her eyes, the hesitation before she'd taken the knife. There was none of that in the painting. No, Feyre had chosen to depict her sister with nothing but love and trust written on her delicate features. It was the same expression she wore whenever she looked at him. And Azrielās own expression⦠Despite the darkness clinging to him and his intimidating stance, his lips were curled in a small smile and his eyes were soft as he gazed down at her. The look he reserved just for her.
As if the painting werenāt enough, Feyre had then told them the title: Death and the Lovely Fawn. Azriel had to hold back his tears. It fit it perfectly. It fit them perfectly. He would never be able to thank his High Lady ā his friend ā enough for the gift. To him, it wasnāt just a painting. It was a symbol of her acceptance of their relationship. Nesta, too, had accepted it from the moment sheād known. She had hugged him and told him that he and Elain would make each other truly happy. Her familyās support meant more to him than he could ever express in words.
āYouāre going to wear it out if you keep staring at it like that.ā
Azriel smiled as he turned to watch Elain walk back into the living room. The last few tendrils of shadows still swirling around his wings disappeared completely now that she was back at his side, their whispers finally silent in his head.
āItās a painting,ā he replied, already reaching for her. He gently took her hand, guiding her to sit on his lap. But she kept the other one hidden in the folds of her dress. āYouāre supposed to look at it.ā
Elain chuckled, the quiet sound like a balm to his restless soul. She rested her head on his shoulder, and his wing curled around her by instinct. For a few moments, they just sat there together ā her eyes on the painting, his on her.
When her gaze met his, though, she looked nervous. A slight crease had appeared between her brows, and she was chewing on her lip. āCan I give you your present?ā she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Azrielās hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing over her bottom lip to replace her teeth. āOf course you can, angel.ā
Heād given her the rare flower seeds from the continent heād bought while they celebrated with their family, but she had said she wanted to wait until they were alone to give him his present. Azriel had no idea what to expect. The only thing he was absolutely certain of was that whatever she gave him would be perfect, just as itād been the previous two years. If only because it came from her.
Elain freed her hand from the folds of the dress, revealing a small square box. He took it almost reverently, glancing at her once to make sure he could open it before he removed the lid.
He beheld what was inside and, for the second time in just a few hours, didnāt know what to say. His eyes found Elainās again, searching for an answer, for an explanation, because surely it couldnāt be what he thought it was.
Elain swallowed. āI know weāre not mates,ā she said with an almost sad smile. āBut I want something to represent what we have. To let the world know that youāre mine, and that Iām yours.ā
She took his hands in hers, unbothered by his scars. Beautiful, sheād once called them. Over the last year, she had repeated it so many times he was starting to believe her.
Azriel never thought it would happen. Not like this, at least. He never thought Elain would be the one to ask the question. But here she was, sitting on his lap, holding his hands as if they were a delicate treasure, her eyes shining even while her voice quivered.
āWill you marry me, Azriel?ā
Despite his shock, he had never been more sure of anything in his life. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. āYes,ā he murmured. āYes, Iāll marry you.ā
He felt her relax in his arms instantly, and the most beautiful smile he had ever seen bloomed on her face. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she picked up the ring from its box. It was a simple silver band, but more than Azriel could have ever hoped for. Slowly, her eyes never leaving his, she slipped it onto his finger.
As the small weight settled on his finger, something else settled in his heart ā a sense of rightness, of belonging, much deeper than anything he had felt before. They might not be mates, but it didnāt matter. Elain had chosen him a year ago, and now, on the same night where sheād first offered herself to him, she was choosing him again. For eternity.
Suddenly, Azriel stood, Elain stills in his arms. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist to hold on, and he supported her with a hand on her backside. His other hand, the one where she had just put the ring on, slipped into her hair to tilt her head back and claim her mouth in a kiss. He didnāt realize heād started crying too until his lips met hers.
He could taste their mixed tears on her lips, but most of all, she tasted of happiness, of love, of a bright future. Of home.
When he pulled back, they were both breathing a little harder. He rested his forehead against hers, his eyes fluttering open to take in the watery sight of her gorgeous face. And it all seemed so surreal, so impossibly perfect, that he had to ask, at least once.
āEllieā¦ā he whispered, doing his best to keep his voice steady. āAre you sure?ā
Elainās smile lit up the whole world. āI told you eternity didnāt scare me because I could spend it with you. I meant it, Az.ā She cupped his face, her thumbs caressing his cheekbones. She pressed her lips on his again, just a tender touch, before she murmured, āI love you. Now and forever.ā
His heart was beating faster than ever before. She could probably hear it, since he was still holding her close. But he had no intention of setting her down on her feet, not when she fit perfectly against him, not when she was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and even less so when she had just asked him to marry her and was sure of her decision.
Azriel struggled to find the right words. Nothing seemed enough. Nothing would ever be enough to express the depth and intensity of his feelings for her. But he would spend his life showing it to her ā with his words, his actions, his body, his very soul.
āI love you, angel,ā he finally replied. He smiled through the tears, but before he could continue, Elain kissed his cheek. Right where the dimple she always wanted to kiss was. His heart did a little flip.
āYou just made me the happiest male in Prythian,ā he murmured when she pulled back and looked at him again, āThe luckiest, too. And Iāll spend from here to eternity thanking you for it.ā
He needed to buy her a ring too, and then theyād have a wedding to plan. Azriel had never cared much for ceremonies, and always thought heād be fine with something simple, just the two of them. But it was different with Elain. He wanted to show the world how much he loved and cherished her, that she had chosen him and claimed him as her own, that he belonged to her ā body, heart, and soul. He was hers, utterly and completely, and she was his.
But for now, he just kissed her again, trying to convey all he was feeling in the simple gesture, his feet already moving to carry them upstairs and into their bedroom.
If the previous year had been the worst Winter Solstice of his life, this year was the best. And he couldnāt wait for the next ones, knowing he would spend them all with her. Because despite not being mates, despite everything theyād faced, they had chosen each other, and they would keep choosing each other. For eternity.
if you're like me and have a massive soft spot for slow and gentle domestic elriel moments, please allow me to present some cozy, elriel fluff for your holiday weekend šāØ
ENJOY XX
1.1k words
Inspired by Sabrina Claudioās āFrozenā
Read on AO3
Elain eased herself from Azrielās arms, silently slipping from between the sheets and pulling his shirt over her head and down her body until it covered the gentle swell of her hips and the tops of her thighs. She tiptoed out of their room and into the small living area, carefully avoiding the floorboards she knew would squeak under her weight even if she knew the chances of accidentally waking him were low due to the exhaustion that resulted from the hours theyād spent coaxing pleasure from one another over the course of the night.
She made her way to the window that looked out to the woods. Snow fell heavily outside, blanketing the forest floor in a glistening, unblemished sheet of white.Ā Hazy beams of early morning light filtered through the shimmering, snow covered trees, illuminating the highpoints of her face as she tilted her chin upwards and chased the warm caress of the sun on her skin in an effort to preserve the heat sheād obtained from being tucked against the muscled chest of an Illyrian warrior for the past few hours.
It was a few days after Winter Solstice and Azriel had wasted no time upon Feyre and Rhysā departure to their cabin before he whisked Elain away to this secret place of theirs for a singular night together, just the two of them.
Standing here now, Elain couldnāt help but think about how far sheād come since that first Solstice spent in this now-familiar body. Her heart, once splintered by a broken engagement, had slowly started to heal by then with the help of some hobbies and a few new friends - Nuala and Cerridwen⦠and the brooding male they reported to. A male whose stern features only ever seemed to soften around her.Ā
Elain had known since that first Solstice, since that night when heād sat beside her and patiently listened to her explain her plans for the garden, that there was something between them. His unabashed laughter that evening, his sincere appreciation for her gift, had been the initial spark that lit the eternal flame of interest that would go on to burn steadily at the back of her mind, flickering higher and brighter each and every time his eyes met hers, until she could no longer stand to ignore it.Ā
Elain had come to think of Azriel like a book. She wanted to turn each of his pages, read him cover to cover. She wanted to memorise every word, lock away favourite passages for safe keeping. She was determined to know everything about him, wanted to devour him whole until there wasnāt a single part of him left unknown to her. She craved the time and space to allow herself to tend to what grew slowly and steadily between them.
It was made clear to her that Azriel felt the same - that heād also realised that the heated glances and restricted touches that passed between them had rapidly outgrown the shadowed alcoves and cramped rooms they often found themselves in - when heād winnowed her here for the first time six months ago, at the very beginning of summer.
Sheād been shocked and delighted when heād lifted his hands away from her eyes and she caught her first glimpse of the cozy cottage on the outskirts of Velaris, tucked away deep in a small patch of woods that she hadnāt even known existed.Ā Ā
It was a gift from Azriel to her. A place they could escape to, somewhere far away from the ever looming threat of their secret being exposed. Here, they could pretend that they didnāt have to hide. Here, all the complexities of her mating bond ceased to exist.Ā
In this quaint cottage, amongst this thicket of trees, it was just them. A male, a female, and the sweet domesticity of a shared life.
It was the passing of a clean dish to be put away after a meal made and enjoyed together. It was his hand on her waist as he spun her around the tiny kitchen, his voice sweet as honey in her ear. Her soft laughter muffled by the skin of his neck. It was nervous confessions of obvious feelings in the middle of the night. Overwhelming emotion written plainly on both their faces, tears of relief shimmering in the light of a candle.Ā
It was leisurely walks in the woods, their joined hands buried deep in his coat pocket - unwilling to separate but desperate to keep warm. It was a roaring fire and a heavy blanket draped over their bodies, her icy toes pressed against his warm calves. It was a book falling from Elainās fingertips, landing with a gentle thud on the worn wooden floor when the feeling of Azrielās lips gliding along her shoulders won the fight for her attention against the words sheād been attempting to read.
Half a year later, neither of them could set their eyes on a single corner of the cottage without memories resurfacing of all the things that these four walls had witnessed.Ā
This sacred space commemorated the subtle trembling of his fingers as he undid the laces of her corset before he carefully laid her down for the very first time, watching as she fell apart for him. These walls stored her soft sighs and his deep moans. The whispered conversations in bed all the times after that initial night - Elainās head on Azrielās chest, his fingers tracing patterns over her sensitive skin as he patiently answered each and every question she had ever dreamt of asking him.
āStill snowing?ā Sheās pulled out of her thoughts by the rustling of wings and the sound of his voice, gritty with sleep.
āPretty isnāt it?ā She doesnāt turn to look at him but she could just about see his reflection in the glass - his dark hair tousled from the way sheād grasped it, his chest broad and bare.
āBeautiful.ā Azrielās arms slipped around Elainās waist, pulling her back against his chest until he could rest his chin on the top of her head. She didnāt need to look at him to know that he wasnāt referring to the snow outside.
A soft smile found its way to her lips as she let her body melt into his, her delicate fingers mindlessly tracing over the scars on the large hands that now rested over her stomach as they both gazed out of the arched window and watched the snow fall.
Sheād never been so grateful. For this place. For him. For the life they shared together, oblivious to the world around them. Seasons changed and time passed. Flowers bloomed and leaves turned colour. Trees, their branches once bare, were now covered in glittering snow. But whenever they were here, in this little cottage that had come to feel like home, time seemed to freeze solely for them. As if some higher power had paused the turn of Earthās axis just to grant the Shadowsinger and his Seer the gift of an extra hour, an extra night spent together, lips grazing skin until the morning sun turned the sky the colour of the blush on her cheeks.
Emerging from the pantry, her arms laden with ingredients, Elain breezed around the Townhouse kitchen as she prepared a simple lunch.
Measuring out two cups of flour, she added a dash of salt and a teaspoon of sugar to her large mixing bowl.Ā
It was late on a Tuesday morning, just before midday, which meant that right at this very given moment, Azriel would be in the training ring atop the House of Wind. Heād be running the priestesses through the last of their drills, that stoic look on his face exuding nothing but pure professionalism.
Removing a stick of butter from the cooling box, Elain cut it up into small cubes and added it into her flour mixture, working it in quickly with her fingers.Ā
Internally, Azriel would be brimming with pride, of course. Proud that those females living within the shelter of the library Rhys had built for them centuries ago had come so far. Proud that not only had they been working consistently to develop their physical strength, but strengthening their minds as well.
Heād be prompting them toĀ give him one more, knees up, shoulders back!Ā Elain had watched them from the sidelines enough times to know how it goes, feigning one excuse or another to be up at the House some mornings so she could watch Nesta and her friendās train, and get a glimpse of Azriel in action.
She smiled at the thought, at how far Nesta had come. Eyeing her flour mixture, Elain added a splash of lemon juice to a quarter cup of water. A dash of lemon juice; it was her secret ingredient to a perfect, flaky pie crust. It worked every time.
Azriel would then wrap up his training session, keeping a respectful distance as the priestesses stretched out their weary muscles. He would remind them to eat something nourishing and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Heād silently pack up the equipment used, his beautiful face still giving nothing away that anything may be afoot.Ā
Adding the water slowly to the flour and butter mixture, Elain gradually formed a smooth dough. Turning the ball of pastry out on her bench, she sprinkled flour across its smooth surface.
Cassian would be asking him if he was up for a sparring session, the General attempting to rile him into submission by implying he had gotten out of shape. It would be complete rubbish of course, Azriel always ensured his body remained honed to perfection. But Cassian would shoot him a cocky grin, trying to get the Spymaster to concede. Azriel would tell him he had to be somewhere, tell him there was intelligence he had to gather, that one of his spies had new intel to hand over to him. Cassian would believe him; heād have no reason not to.
With a large knife, Elain sliced the ball of dough in two, placing one half aside and stretching out the other on the floured bench, her rolling pin running across its surface creating a thin even sheet.
Launching straight off the edge of the training ring, Azrielās mighty wings would unfurl, and heād shoot up into the sky, high above Velaris. Heād fly toward the city proper, aiming for the heart of the glittering metropolis. Heād circle around a few laps, shaking off any unwelcome eyes that may be following his path, and land several blocks away from the Townhouse, down an empty alleyway just past the Rainbow. Heād loiter, just a little while, pretending to await one the charges within his network, looking bored as he absent-mindedly twirled Truth Teller in his palm.Ā
Coiling the first rolled out sheet of pastry around her rolling pin loosely, Elain carefully unfurled it into an empty pie dish, pressing the dough lightly into the corners and up the edges. When she was satisfied, she started on rolling out the second half of pastry.
After a few moments, Azriel would once again sheath Truth Teller into its scabbard. When his shadows had assured him that his actions were indeed not being watched, Azriel would only then step into the darkness. His shadows would know exactly where his intended destination would be. Theyād know where he wanted to go. Heād swoop and twine through that void between realms until he materialised on the roof of the Townhouse.
Just as she was finishing rolling out her second disc of pastry, Elain heard a light thump, and then the crunching of boots from above. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she heard his heavy boots come down the spiral staircase and into the house.Ā Right on time.
Before Elain could dust her hands off on her apron, Azriel had appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. His hair was adorably windswept, his leathers already unclasped and loosened at his collar. Scarred fingers made nimble work of unbuckling the remainder of the stays and straps of his leathers, finally relieving himself of the few weapons he wore buckled to his thigh and waist.
Placing the daggers on a small side table, he entered, looking more relaxed, more approachable, than she knew he would have appeared moments ago.Ā
She smiled. She couldnāt help it, she always smiled when he walked into the room. How absurd that his title deemed him aĀ Shadowsinger, when he was sunshine of her life. Whilst others saw the icy demeanour, the chiselled brittleness of his cool exterior, Elain had been intimately acquainted with his gentle warmth. His mere presence was soothing to her. She often found herself longing to simply bask in his glow, wanting nothing more than to stretch out like a cat would be inclined to do in a patch of warm sun.
āWhat am I playing for today?ā she asked him as a way of greeting.
He smiled at her question, his hand diving into his pocket and pulling out a small, ornate metal box. It was gold, adorned with a smattering of teal, lavender and rose-coloured gems. It was so intricately designed, the colours of the small jewels set in a pattern to resemble small blooms, but the entire thing fit in the palm of his hand. It was beautiful.
āAn antique pill box, from the Dawn Court. I thought youād like the colours of this one.ā
Elain simply hummed in response, schooling her face into one of mild indifference, not wanting the Spymaster to know just how much she wished to win today. He was terribly competitive and if he knew just how much she coveted this latest acquisition, heād make it near impossible for her to have it.Ā
The little pill box would look lovely with her collection, as it wasnāt the first one heād found for her on his travels across Prythian. She often used them to keep her earrings and hair pins safe, she even had a couple that she used to store the seeds and bulbs of rare flowers and herbs inside.Ā
Elain tore her eyes from the pillbox in Azrielās palm, her gaze landing on his handsome face where a glimmer of a knowing smirk lifted the corner of his lips.
She nodded just once. āWeāll start after lunch. Help me finish this pie?ā
Tucking the pillbox back into his pocket with a cunning grin, Azriel rolled up his sleeves and pulled up a stool to the edge of the workbench.
āPrepare the filling again?ā Azriel asked, already dragging a punnet of fat strawberries toward him.
āThatās right,ā Elain supplied with a smile.Ā
It was always this way; it had become their little ritual. Elain would have spent the morning preparing a roast, a tray of lamb and rosemary potatoes already turning golden in the oven, when Azriel would come home just in time to help finish the pie theyād then eat throughout the afternoon.
They would work in companiable silence, Elain rolling out the pie crust and Azriel preparing the filling under her careful watch until their roast came out of the oven. Theyād have lunch right there at the kitchen bench as the pie baked, chattering about their weeks; about Elainās work in the various gardens across Velaris, Azriel about the places heād travelled to whilst on his missions.Ā
Once lunch was cleared and the pie was golden and crusty, Azriel would serve two fat slices and carry them out onto the garden patio where their chessboard waited, steam wafting over his shoulders like his shadows.
They played every week for as long as they could, stealing that precious time together until they were called back to their various responsibilities. Azriel would have some new trinket or knickknack he would have found whilst on his missions across Prythian as a wager. It was usually something that he knew Elain would enjoy; bulbs of rare flowers to plant in her gardens, fabric dyes in a vibrant azure or deep magenta, jewelled hair pins, exotic herbs and spices, peculiar books.Ā
Heād set the object on the little table beside the chessboard as a constant reminder, and theyād play, eating slice after slice of pie.
Often, their games would go over several weeks, the Seer and Spymaster both divulging their competitive sides and neither wanting to concede to their defeat. The chessboard would await their return in a state of quiet suspense, the Queen standing guard to defend her King until the following Tuesday when they would once again pick up where they left off, continuing their game.
The sun was warming the grey stones of the small courtyard as they sat across from each other, the ancient chessboard between them, ebony and ivory pieces scattered across the worn squares.
Azrielās brilliant eyes were darting across its chequered face, diligently calculating every possible move and those that may follow it.Ā
After making his move, he reclined in his chair again, stretching his wings behind him to catch the sun. A sure sign of confidence and ease from the Shadowsinger.Ā
āEn passant,ā Elain murmured, before sliding her piece across the chessboard and capturing one of Azrielās white pawns.Ā
Azriel glared at her, but she remained unruffled under his gaze, simply giving him a small shrug of her slender shoulder. Scooping a celebratory bite of the strawberry pie on her spoon, she gave him a smug look across the small wrought iron table, struggling to hide her wide smile behind the large mouthful of dessert.Ā
āHmm. Many players often forget that move.āĀ
There was a sparkle in his eyes that told her he liked the challenge, welcomed it even.Ā
Good. She wasnāt going to let him off easy.
āRules are rules,ā she teased, before indicating for him to make his countermove.Ā
Azriel leant forward, settling his forearms on his knees, a determined gleam in his hazel eyes winking in the afternoon sun. Oh, he meant business now. But she remained poised in her seat; unperturbed, calm.
She was playing to win today. And she really wanted that pillbox.