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emilia3546 · 2 years

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Shadowsinger Part 45 - Gwynriel

ACOSF Spoilers! Do Not read this unless you have finished ACOSF and the Azriel bonus chapter*

Masterlist with all previous chapters

*****

Gwyn lost track of their friends and family, forgot that anyone except Azriel had ever existed as he broke the kiss and cupped her face in both his hands, tears glimmering in his eyes. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his, they'd always been beautiful, but there was something about the shine from the tears, the sheer elation written across all of his face and crystal-clear in those eyes. It was, it was captivating, and Gwyn kissed him again as he swept her up into his arms, she kissed Azriel, her love, her life, her damn husband. She let out a nervous giggle as she tucked her head into his shoulder against the brightness of the starlights filling the garden outside the temple. Spelled to capture the light of the stars themselves, there was an ethereal sort of beauty in them as Gwyn looked around the space, it was perfect. There was no other word, perfect, that was what it was.

Slowly, their guests filed out of the doors behind them, but still Azriel refused to put her down, waiting until everyone had joined them gently placing her down, but kept holding her hands, lifting her left to his mouth, even as the ribbon bound her right to his left.

"Would you do me the honor, wife?" Gwyn smiled broadly at his bow, and dipped her head in response,

"I would be delighted, husband."

Azriel didn't stop smiling the whole of the dance, his gaze on Gwyn's the whole time, her heart pounding at the intensity and adoration practically radiating off him. There were many, many things she wanted, no, needed to do, but first, it was time to celebrate.

The first dance ended, and Azriel immediately swept her into another, other couples starting to join them one after another, Feyre and Rhysand, then Nesta and Cassian, looking rather like he was merely trying to keep up with her, her grace more than making up for his lack of it. Gwyn snorted a laugh at the sight of them, and Azriel's arm around her waist tightened,

"That must be the most beautiful sound in this world,"

"I thought that was my singing?" She teased,

"It's any sound you make, although," he added, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "I'm sure I could pick a few favorites if pressed," Gwyn's eyes widened at the drop in his voice, the sultry tone,

"Azzy!" She scolded, attempting to avoid falling for it, but laughed again when he winked and grinned at her, the portrait of relaxation, of joy. He hadn't had nearly enough chance to be like this, and Gwyn would never tire of it, not in five thousand years, she would wake each day and thank the Cauldron for that grin, that laugh.

The first drink together as a married couple was something special, even more so when Cassian leaned across the table, and fixed Azriel with a look.

"Okay, Mr-married-male, I want no funny business from you tonight, chaperone,"

"As I recall you needed it,"

"As I recall, you did a lousy job," Gwyn snorted at that,

"The dining room would certainly agree," Nesta squawked in outrage from behind her,

"I don't discuss your bedroom habits, Gwyn,"

"That's because they're bedroom habits,"

"Mostly," Azriel teased, and Gwyn smacked his arm,

"I think we need another dance," she announced, earning a cackle of laughter from Nesta,

"Bad way to start a marriage, Az," Cassian called,"You can't piss off your wife immediately,"

"I'll make it up tonight," he chuckled as Gwyn dragged him away, glaring for half a second before lapsing into giggles,

"You most certainly will."

The music changed from a waltz to a looser, less rigid dance, one for which there were no set rules, and Azriel immediately took the opportunity to spin her around him, catching her with a chuckle when she missed his hand. Others around them were giggling, and talking, and Gwyn caught sight of a familiar flash of red streaked hair. Maddy was resplendent in her gown, and the female clutching her arm grinned as she caught Gwyn's eye. Gods, gold was absolutely Josie's color, the shine making her deep brown skin practically glow as she moved, delicate pointed ears just visible through her gorgeous, tight curls, the flecks of gold dust throughout finishing the look.

"I wanna meet Josie," Gwyn tugged on Azriel's arm, and he let her pull him through the crowd to practically ambush Maddy, who squealed at the sight of her,

"You look so beautiful!" She announced, and then seemed to realize they hadn't met, and introduced Josie, who grinned,

"I've heard an awful lot of stories about you, Gwyn, you'll have to come by for tea some time, tell me what is true and what's a Maddy-story," Gwyn chuckled,

"A Maddy-story?"

"You know, something exaggerated, or just not quite true, a Maddy-story,"

"I'm insulted," Maddy complained, turning a baleful look to Azriel,

"I'm not helping you," he insisted, "Josie's right,"

"She is not!" Gwyn snorted at Maddy's complaints, the female complaining too much for her professed innocence to really be true, and patted Maddy's elbow,

"I'd be delighted to come for tea, Maddy-stories or no."

The time flew past, Gwyn spending most of the time in Azriel's arms on the dance floor, and the rest of it surrounded by her friends. She'd cheered the loudest when a dance had finished and instead of slipping away like normal, Mor had cupped Emerie's face and kissed her soundly, much to everyone's delight. Cassian owed her a new dagger. She'd still been grinning when Elain had proposed a toast 'to new beginnings,' but she'd almost spat out the mouthful of champagne when Nesta added 'and to amazing sex!' Gwyn's face flamed, but she did indeed drink, earning a howl of laughter from Emerie, and a knowing smirk from Nesta.

"Remind me to knock Nesta on her ass when we get back," Azriel chuckled, and asked innocently,

"Back from where?"

"From wherever you've been honeymoon plotting for the past month," she laughed, "You're not subtle, Azzy,"

"Spymaster indeed, perhaps I ought to replace you," Rhysand teased before being dragged back towards the dance floor by Feyre.

Gwyn leaned into Azriel's side as they observed the party, their dancing friends, a far sight from the worry that had continued until the last of the rebels had been hunted down. She melted into him when he tipped her chin up to kiss her again, swaying slightly to the music.

She was just about ready to call everyone together to bid them goodbye before they left for the new house, their new home, when Elain had appeared out of nowhere and kissed her cheek,

"Your vows were beautiful," she squeezed Gwyn's hand, "Both of you." She glanced back to at the party, starting to die down a little, "I won't keep you," she winked and waggled her eyebrows at Gwyn, "Have fun tonight." One last glance at the last few dancing couples revealed Elain smiling in a red-haired male's arms, looking like they knew each other's next move before it had happened.

Gwyn insisted that they wait for the song to finish before the speeches. Perhaps 'speeches' was a generous term, for Azriel had barely started, had made the mistake of stating that 'My wife and I are delighted to see you all this evening' before cheers sounded, with several of their guests finishing their glasses, Cassian predictably being the first. Nesta and Emerie had thankfully refrained from embarrassing Gwyn too much, although the same could not be said for Rhysand and Cassian, both of whom earned a promise of an ass-kicking soon.

*****

Gwyn was still smiling when Azriel landed outside the house and opened the door to their new home, a wedding present from Rhysand and Feyre. He didn't set her down until they had crossed the threshold, claiming some tale of bad luck if she tripped. The ribbon around their hands melted into nothingness the moment her feet hit the ground, signalling the beginning of their union.

Gwyn pivoted to face Azriel as he silently closed the door, reaching out to run her fingers across his cheek, along his jaw, tugging on the curl by his ear, the one that he'd never been able to tame. She been itching to touch him since first laying eyes on him in that temple, had hated anyone else's attention on him all evening. But now, now she had him all to herself, and she wasn't going to waste a second. She ran her hands across his shoulders, tugging his jacket off, leaving only his dress shirt,

"You should wear a suit more often," she breathed for the second time, "It's taken all my self-control not to drag you into a dark corner all night." Azriel's breath caught at the admission, and she moved on to unbutton his shirt, arching into him as his hands came to rest on her hips, and swept up her sides, loosening the ties at the back of her gown. A dark gleam was now shining in his eyes, as he caught her hands, stepping away and leading her towards the stairs, and into the master bedroom.

"Turn around," he breathed, his breath hot on her neck as she did so, tipping her head sideways as he pressed a kiss to her skin.

"Az," she murmured,

"Hmmmm?"

"I love you,"

"I love you, Gwyn. My beautiful wife," her punctuated each word with kisses trailing down her neck until her reached the back of the corset. She glanced back when he stopped, his hands still on her waist, only to find him on his knees behind her, the corset loosening with each tug on the ties. Not his hands, no, those were still holding her, Azriel was untying her corset with his mouth, and he winked up at her upon noticing her attention. He grinned triumphantly when the gown slipped down and she stepped out of it, carefully laying it over a chair before turning back to her husband, now completely, gloriously naked. He stepped towards her, and Gwyn dodged to the side, forcing him to follow her until the backs of her knees hit the bed. Azriel was there the next second, an arm around her waist, the other skating up her shoulder to where her hair was still twisted up atop her head, "May I?" He breathed, and tears pricked her eyes at the question, he damned-well knew the answer, but to ask, even now, Gwyn couldn't stop herself from kissing him again before meeting his eyes again,

"Please."

tags: @teagoddess99 @brenda5601 @azrielsdarling13 @1helena @shisingh @valkygwyn @soffiiione @toolazymyguy @awesomelena555 @trashforazriel @dealingdifferentdevils @ximena-inlovewithazwyn @almosttenaciousmoon @aightimmaheadoutsblog @alexoik @selfdestructionfetish @cozycomfyliving08 @sv0430 @jojooj3 @sayosdreams

#fanfiction #fanfic #acotar #acosf #a court of thorns and roses #a court of silver flames #Gwyn #gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #gwyn acotar #Gwyn acosf #gwyneth berdara #Azriel #azriel shadowsinger #Azwyn

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secretbondsandloveconfessions · 2 years

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26 Days ‘Til You: A Gwynriel Fanfic

Read it on ao3:

Summary:

“Gwyn let out a deep breath and brought a hand to her beating chest. She smiled at Emerie and Nesta and memorized their faces. She wanted to remember every single thing about this, about how she decided to do this so that later, after it was all over, and Azriel had her ring on his left hand, she could tell him the story. And he would listen, just as he always did, with his unbridled attention and the dimples popping out of his flushed cheeks.”

Or:

After a sudden realization that she and Azriel haven't completed an important milestone, Gwyn takes matters into her own hands.

Chapter One

Funnily enough, it wasn’t even meant to be a big question.

It was Ananke who had asked her. Ananke. Sweet, timid, and unassuming Ananke who’d casually posed the question while they rested near the water troughs. Gwyn had blinked at her, dumbfounded by the Priestess’ sudden interest, before she had stuttered and expressed her uncertainty on the matter. She’d abandoned Ananke after that, worrying that she’d ask another thing that Gwyn wouldn’t have the answer to.

Yet, she couldn't exactly say it was an unfair question. On the contrary, in fact, the more she considered it the more surprised she became that nobody had asked her already, that she hadn’t grilled herself on the matter either. After all, she and Azriel had been together for six years now, and even in the eyes of the fae, that was a long time.

Ever since that day, the question had been stuck in her mind, lingering lower every time she saw or thought about him, which was often, considering that she lived with him. And slept with him. And took all of her meals with him. All it did was leave her preoccupied and unfocused.

Azriel, of course, noticed this and had repeatedly asked her if she was alright, and she hadn’t had the heart to ask him. They’d both had long days, and she still hadn’t thought of an answer to Ananke’s behemoth of a question. So, she had lied and told her paramour that her research was simply weighing heavily on her mind. She wasn’t sure if he had believed her, but he hadn’t pushed. He only kissed her bare, freckled shoulder and ran her a warm bath in the hopes that he could take her mind off of it.

It was one of the things she loved about Azriel. Through everything, he had always been patient with her, and this week was no different. He likely knew that she’d come to him when she was ready and would wait until that moment happened.

And thank the Mother for that because she really needed to talk to her sisters first. “I’ll admit it,” Nesta answered. “Maybe it’s because I grew up human, but I’ve been starting to wonder about this too.”

Gwyn frowned at that. She wished that her sister had expressed her sentiments earlier. At least so that she wouldn’t feel so blindsided.

"You and Cassian were together for what, a few months before you had the mating bond blessed, right?” Emerie asked.

Nesta nodded. “A few months more if you count the sex.”

“Well, even with that, it’s still better than Gwyn, who’s six years going on sixty.”

Gwyn flushed at that. “It won’t take that long,” she chastised, then retracted. It had taken a lot of work to get them together, both on Azriel’s end and her own, and it seemed that every other milestone they’d had shared had followed that same pattern, only differing in the fact that they had grown together instead of apart. “Right?”

“I certainly hope it doesn’t take sixty years. But, you have to admit, Gwyn, neither of you seem to be rushing anything.”

“We’ve never had a need to,” she explained. “The Wars ravaged everything. We hardly had time in the first years to recognize anything, let alone an engagement or ceremony. And after? It was just nice to be with each other, to be able to breathe without the threat of losing the other.”

“And what about now?”

They’d forgotten the ecstasy of new love years ago and had fallen into a pattern of comfort. It wasn’t a bad thing–there was a certain kind of bliss in waking up to him every morning–but it had gone on for a long time now. Every day seemed to blend seamlessly into the next, with weeks becoming months, and months becoming years. And now they were practically married already despite the fact that they weren’t even engaged.

“I’m ready for it now,” she said. “And while I haven’t asked him, he feels the same. I know he does.”

Engagement or not, there was no way they’d part anytime soon. Or ever, she hoped.

“So, he hasn’t said anything at all? He hasn’t hinted about anything…?”

“Not really,” she answered. “Although, he’s never been much of a talker.”

“You don’t have to tell us that,” Nesta snorted.

Gwyn wanted to frown at Nesta, to tell her off for making fun of him, but she let it slide. She didn’t think anyone outside of them could truly understand. So he didn’t shower her with compliments like Rhysand did to Feyre, nor was he constantly giving his physical affection as Cassian did with Nesta, but it didn’t upset her. He showed his love in the tea he made her every morning, in the way that he listened to her talk for hours about nothing in particular, and in the thoughtful trinkets he brought her whenever he had a mission across the oceans. He was a quiet lover, but a lover nonetheless.

And that was something that Gwyn never wanted to change.

"I love Az, and may be his adoptive sister-in-law, but maybe he should get a move on,” Nesta continued, and this time Gwyn had nothing to say. How had she missed this? How had she let so much time fly before reaching this milestone? How had he?

Unless he had been thinking about it and decided differently. The sharp knife of uncertainty sliced through her. “Do you reckon that he doesn’t want to get married?”

Nesta gave her a pensieve look. “It's certainly possible. There are plenty of males who I’m sure find the notion to be unpleasant, stifling even. Just like you said earlier, perhaps he’s just satisfied with the life you two lead now.”

“Has Cassian ever mentioned Az talking to him about this?”

“Not that I know of, but I don’t know if Cass would tell me if he did, especially considering my proximity to you.”

“Again,” Emerie pointed out. “He’s not a talker, so whatever conversations he may or might not have had would have been few and far between. Not to mention easy to hide. So, I’d focus on what you think, Gwyn, instead of on potential hearsay.”

“I mean, I thought he would want to, but Mother Above, it’s been so long that it’s starting to make me wonder. Yet, he’s never said that he didn’t want to.”

No, he spoke about their future with when instead of if and fully answered questions from his mother whenever she said anything about their relationship. Moreover, he knew of her wanting to get married–she’d told him years ago that it was something she wanted eventually–and Azriel was not one to forget.

He wanted to get married, she concluded almost as quickly as she denied it originally. The facts simply weren’t there to say that he didn’t.

“Maybe, he’s too nervous to ask,” Gwyn decided.

She’d meant it to be lighthearted, but the way Nesta looked at her proved that it may be the correct answer.

"Imagine that: The infamous shadowsinger, spymaster, Carynthian, and royal torturer of the night court doesn’t have the balls to drop to one knee," Emerie commented.

Gwyn smiled, but it wasn't true to her emotion. She knew that he hated that last title, that dark, evil being he had to become whenever his court needed him, but that wasn't for her to tell. Regardless, she chirped back to her friend. "You, Emerie, have no room to talk. You and Mor have been dancing around each other for—"

"You shut your mouth!" She hissed, throwing a pillow at her. Gwyn laughed as Emerie crossed her arms. "You know it’s more complicated than that.”

“Is it?” She said back, tossing the pillow back and laughing at Emerie’s indignation. “Em, you become a chatterbox every time she enters the room. And let’s not forget the last Starfall when she practically undressed you with her eyes. Everyone noticed. And I mean everyone.”

“It’s different,” she still insisted. “There’s not a norm for who makes the first move.”

“That’s bullshit,” Nesta chimed in. “You’re a coward. You don’t need a male to make the first move. That’s just a cop-out.”

“Az didn’t make the first move in our relationship,” Gwyn added. It was Gwyn herself who had placed her hands on the sides of Azriel’s face and pulled him down for a kiss. Knowing his history with Mor and then Elain, she knew how unlikely it was for him to make a move and just how necessary it was for her.

"Wait, why don't you do it then?" Emerie asked.

"Pardon?"

"He clearly doesn't have the balls to do it, so why don't you drop to one knee?"

The room stilled as Emerie’s voice died in the echoes, as if there was a pure, undeniable truth to what she said. Emerie raised an arched eyebrow at her, and she wasn’t quite sure if her sister was being serious or if she had said it just to change the topic of conversation, but Nesta turned to look at her too.

Gwyn opened her mouth to respond but quickly found that she had nothing to say. At first, she dismissed the idea, thinking that such an action would be inappropriate. It was Azriel who should be asking for her hand in marriage instead of her, as he was the male of the relationship. That’s how it always had been, and that’s how it was supposed to be.

But when had she ever done things that she was supposed to do? She’d hardly ever listened to the High Priestess at Sangravah, she hadn’t listened to the soldiers that fateful day in Hybern even after they’d killed her sister, even after they repeatedly used her body. She definitely hadn’t listened to any of the Illyrians or Merrill when they’d insulted the reincarnation of the Valkyries. If she did what society expected her to do, she wouldn’t be where she was today. She wouldn’t be able to fight like she could or meet her beautiful adoptive sisters, nor would she have ever learned about the twenty-six worlds and the Trove that connected them together.

She wouldn’t have Azriel. And that was a fate she didn’t want to risk.

“...Do you mean that?” She asked Emerie carefully. Emerie shrugged. “I mean…didn’t you just say that you made the first move? Why not just do it again?”

How Emerie could be so casual about this, Gwyn didn’t know, but her own heartbeat was like war drums, and she felt like she was melting from the inside out, like they’d have to scrape her off of the floor the second they finished lunch. The answer was so simple–she didn’t have to wait for Azriel to muster up the courage if she could just ask him herself, but it seemed…wrong. Yet, somehow, so very right.

She turned to Nesta instead. “Can I really do that?”

“I don’t see a reason not to.”

Gwyn swallowed roughly then nodded. “Why didn’t I think of this before? Holy fucking Gods.”

It wasn’t often that she cursed outside of the bedroom, but she’d always believed there was a time and place. And this was certainly it.

“Should I do that?”

“It’s up to you, Berdara,” Nesta told her with a small, sincere smile. “I know that he’s crazy about you, and anyone would be foolish to think otherwise, so I think it’s worth considering. Perhaps the only factor is how you feel about him.”

“I think,” she started. No, she didn’t think, she knew. She felt the approval deep within her. “I want to do this. I want to propose to him.”

Gwyn let out a deep breath and brought a hand to her beating chest. She smiled at Emerie and Nesta and memorized their faces. She wanted to remember every single thing about this, about how she decided to do this so that later, after it was all over, and Azriel had her ring on his left hand, she could tell him the story. And he would listen, just as he always did, with his unbridled attention and the dimples popping out of his flushed cheeks.

I t was such a happy dream, Gwyn thought. So rich and sweet that she could almost taste it. But she knew all too well that with every dream came the burden of reality, and there was one, massive problem with the situation, one that made her grind her teeth and begin to rethink her decision, just on the sheer logistics of the proposal itself.

How could she ever pull this off without him knowing?

#Azriel #gwyneth berdara #gwyn berdara #azriel x gwyn #azriel x gwyneth berdara #gwynriel #azwyn #cassian #nesta archeron #emerie #fanfic #acosf #acotar

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