A court of water and worlds

Chapter #14

Once again Gwyn could not sleep.
Training was canceled today so she spent extra time
With Merrill.
God, that woman was demanding.
Gwyn really needed to get away from the library for a few hours.
Not that Gwyn wasn't interested in what they were researching.
It was just, Merrill was not the most pleasant person to be around.
She had Gwyn looking through books all day.
To be honest Gwyn didn't mind the distraction.
She had found some very interesting things today about the multiverse, as Merrill called it.
This multiverse fascinated Gwyn to say the least.
For Gwyn, it was just something for her to do with her time, but for Merrill, doing research always seemed more serious.
Merrill is a very hard worker and is very set in her ways.
No one knows how long she has been at the library or how old she is or even where she is from.
She is quite the mystery.
Merrill was also beautiful. She had long flowing snow white hair, tan skin, and a beautiful pair of Twilight colored eyes.
Gwyn thought she looked like a princess with no crown.
She had so many questions for Merrill.
She often wondered what brought Merrill to the library, but Gwyn of course did not ask out of respect.
The library is a sanctuary not an interrogation room.
Right now Gwyn sat up in her bed, her legs all tangled in her sheets.
She rubbed her eyes and decided that one hour of trying to fall asleep was enough for her.
She needed to get up and do something.
Whenever she sat still she was left with her own thoughts.
She tried to read but thoughts of Catrin stopped her from getting through a page.
Gwyn needed to move because if she didn't she would start to feel everything that she tries so hard to keep buried.
She was about to go to the training room when she heard a knock at her door.
Gwyn went over to open it, knowing exactly who's tear stained cheeks she would find.
Flora had her hands wrapped tightly around herself and her breathing was quicker than normal.
No words were exchanged between the two.
Flora went into Gwyn's room and collapsed into Gwyn's arms and started to sob.
"It was so bad Gwyn, I-it was," Flora tried to say between sobs.
"I know," Gwyn said, holding her close, "you're safe now, it's ok. I'm here."
Gwyn stroked Flora's dark curls and started to hum a soothing lullaby her mother used to sing to her.
The song had no words, merely sounds, Gwyn's voice getting deeper or lighter with every note.
"Music is water that fills the empty ocean" Gwyn's mother used to tell her.
She missed her mother's voice.
Sometimes when not even training helps her sleep, she closes her eyes and pictures her mother singing to her and her sister.
But Gwyn tries not to do it as much, because though it makes her happy in the moment, it makes waking up knowing her family is gone, so much harder.
The rise isn't worth the fall.
So Gwyn sings for Flora, her new family.
Gwyn doesn't want to erase her mother and sister by any means, but there was a hole in Gwyn's heart where they once were, and her new found family helped to fill it.
Gwyn and Flora eventually fell asleep in Gwyn's bed, and instead of thinking of her mother singing tonight she listened to Flora's heart beats.
Gwyn found that it is often easier to be strong when you have to protect someone who is not weak but in need.
She finds it far easier to put someone else back together rather than herself.
—-
Azriel was waiting in the training room with Cassian, who looked tense.
Azriel couldn't really blame him.
Today they were going to Devlons camp.
All last night Cassian was talking to Nesta about today.
He wasn't trying to stop her from going, Cassian would never stand in the way of a female who wants to pick up a sword and fight.
Azriel remembers how Cassian vowed that, the day his mother died.
But Azriel could tell he was worried.
Last night he was going over escape routes and safe words and anything he could think of in case everything goes to shit.
Azriel was worried as well, for Emrie, Gwyn, but especially Nesta.
His shadows scented something new on Nesta the other day, and he knew exactly what that meant.
Azriel was overjoyed for his brother and Nesta.
He was also so excited to have another baby around.
He would never tell anyone, but Azriel loved holding Nyx because the way Nyx always nuzzled into his arms made him feel worthy. He loved how babies don't judge, like how Azriel is worried people think his hands are disgusting. But Nyx won't hesitate to bite Azriel fingers, or try to, Nyx doesn't have all his teeth yet.
So, every time Azriel sees Nesta or Cassian, he has to stifle a smile.
They obviously don't want to tell anyone yet, so Azriel hasn't said anything.
But he noticed that Nesta had been eating half of the pantry, and he told her as much, which earned him a vulgar gesture from Nesta. He expected nothing less from her.
"Where is Emrie?" Gwyn's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
He turned to see the fiery redhead standing Next to Nesta.
"She's coming with Mor. Don't worry, she will be here soon," Nesta said, patting Gwyn on the head, and Gwyn scrunched her nose.
Azriel couldn't help the twitch in his lips.
He looked to Cassian who was staring at him with a knowing smile.
Azriel rolled his eyes at Cassian and walked towards Gwyn.
"Morning priestess," he said with a slight smile.
"Morning shadowsinger," Gwyn said, crossing her arms.
She looked tense.
"You ok?" Azriel asked, looking into her dazzling blue eyes.
She thought for a moment, then shook her head.
Azriel was worried about Gwyn. Of course he was worried about her. He didn't think Gwyn would go to be honest, but he should have known how strong she is.
He remembers the day she found her like it was yesterday.
Her gown ripped blood all over her, between her legs. Her under eyes puffy from tears and the light in her blue eyes was gone.
For some reason he had always remembered her. Even before Cassian asked to help him train the priestesses, and he saw her again.
Sometimes he has nightmares about what happened to her.
He got there too late.
If only he had gotten there earlier he could have saved her from what happened, but he was too late.
"You want to talk about it," Azriel asked, knowing what her answer would be.
She nodded, surprising the shit out of him.
She wanted to talk about her troubles, with him. Azriel couldn't help but feel special.
Was this like a new step in their friendship or something?
"No," he told himself, ''you're not friends, you don't need anymore friends, cassian already counts as seven."
He walked over to the balcony with her.
She cleared her throat.
"I, umm," she stuttered.
Azriel's eyes softened as he looked at her and suddenly his shadows surrounded her.
He tried to pull them back, but like usual, with Gwyn, they wouldn't listen.
She laughed softly, the stiffness in her shoulders relaxing a little.
She took a breath and said, "I haven't been anywhere since the library or the training room in a while, and I'm a little nervous," she said, biting her lip, and Azriel registered the movement.
"So we are going to a war camp with a bunch of blood thirsty Illyrian warriors in the middle of a civil war and all you're worried about is going to a new place," he chuckled, surprising himself that he could do it so freely.
She smiled and said "well, I did win the blood rite, and I have seen war before, I can handle that."
Her smile leaves her at the mention of the war.
"If you're so nervous about going somewhere new, you just have to remember that we are all going to be with you. You will find that it is easy to leave what is familiar as long as the people you care about are with you."
Gwyn nodded "is being wise one of your other cool shadowsinger abilities?" She asked jokingly.
"Wouldn't you like to know," he teased.
"Wait, that's not one of your abilities right?!" Gwyn asked, and Azriel laughed.
No, that was not one of his abilities.
"I'm not telling you until you tell me about your other abilities," he said and she rolled her eyes.
"This is going to be a long couple of days," Gwyn muttered walking over to Nesta.
Azriel smiled thinking maybe, that with Gwyn, the days would never be long enough.