A Better World

iii

A wet nose. A wet tongue. 

"Auggh! Fleetfoot!"

Aelin jumped off the bed and ran to let her dog out into the garden. She wiped the dog slobber off her face, then grabbed a robe. She shivered as the cold air caressed her insufficiently clad body. A grimace crept over her jaw as she realized she'd fallen asleep in her clothes. Again. But....these weren't the clothes she'd fallen asleep in. She frowned when the realization came that she'd been undressed while she was unconscious. Rowan came into the room, fully dressed and ready to go. 

"You changed into nightwear after waking up?" A confused laugh.

"No.....I assumed you'd changed me after I fell asleep?"

His smile disappeared. "Aelin, did you sleepwalk again?"

She frowned. She didn't remember changing, but she had been fairly anxious lately. Maybe it was just that. "Maybe," She replied as she let Fleetfoot in. "Alright, I'll be ready in about half an hour."

↬

A short meal and a bath later, Aelin and Rowan walked through the town. They didn't wear anything particularly distinguishable from anyone else, but the way they held themselves was undoubtedly regal. They stopped at a few sites to inspect and to help the construction, but didn't linger too long in one place or another. After their meeting with Elan, Aelin bought pastries for herself, Rowan, and Mira as she and her consort walked toward the girl's house. Rowan was momentarily stopped to lift a heavy pile of stone over a crowded walkway with his wind, and Aelin let her flames dance between her fingers before averting her gaze. Rowan, it seemed, didn't miss it. 

"Are you all right?" he asked concernedly.

"Fine," she replied, with a convincing smile on her face. 

"We'll talk about this later, you know," Rowan poked her shoulder lightly with a taloned finger, but her heightened healing abilities knitted the scratch together almost instantly. She looked up at him. "I really am fine, but sure."

↬

"What time is it?" the sweet little face looked up at Aelin, right before it stomped on her instep. 

"Ahhh, you're a smart one. Do exactly that, only you have to actually try to escape." Aelin released her, but not before looking at a nearby clock. "As a matter of fact, I really should leave, but you should teach this to any other girl who wants to learn. It might come in handy later in life." Mira thanked her, then ran off. 

"Want to tell me why you were sulking earlier?" Rowan cut straight to the point. 

"You know I wasn't sulking, I was just frustrated because I couldn't help our people the way you can. I wouldn't trade our victory over Erawan and Maeve for anything, but if I had just--" He cut her off. "If nothing. What's done is done, and you saved this whole world.  Possibly many more. If that's not something to be content with, then I don't know what is." Her frown eased, but a new one took its place. "But there's still so much to do and so little time to do it....I'm out of surprises. I don't have any more risky grand reveals that will miraculously save us at the last minute. I just need to get my work done, and I can't waste a single moment in making our world whole again." 

"I understand," was his reply, and that was all that she needed.