A court of water and worlds

Chapter #18

You guys look like you are part of a cult," Azriel said walking into the living room.
Nesta Cassian and Gwyn were currently in a braid train.
Cassian was braiding Nesta's hair and Gwyn was braiding Cassian's hair.
"Wanna join our cult," Gwyn asked, looking over her shoulder.
Az grinned and said, "sure."
"You actually know how to braid, Az?" Nesta asked, still facing forward while Cas was doing her hair.
"Yeah, I had to. When we were younger Cassian insisted on keeping his hair long, and he didn't know how to braid yet."
"Wait," Gwyn said, and Azriel could hear the smile in her voice, "you used to braid Cassian's hair?"
"Yes Gwyneth, I did, do you have a problem with that," he asked, grabbing Gwyn's loose flowing hair in his hand.
It was so soft. Azriel would be lying if he said he didn't love Gwyn's hair.
"No," she said, then she snorted, Azriel pulled on her hair and she hit him in the shoulder.
He just noticed the chain around her neck.
He completely forgot about the necklace.
"Maybe she doesn't have a problem with that but I would prefer you not tell the whole world that you used to braid my hair," Cassian said.
"Who taught you guys to braid hair?" Nesta asked, and Azriel started braiding Gwyn's hair, trying to forget about the necklace.
"Rhysand's little sister, Luna," Cassian said and Azriel could hear Cassian's voice getting thicker.
Azriel felt tears start to prick at his eyes, but he blinked them away.
Azriel remembered the first day he met Luna.
Rhysand's mother brought her to the war camp when she was twelve.
She was quiet and shy at first, but after Cassian pulled on her braid she threatened to throw him to the moon.
Which she looked like she could do.
That was one of the main differences between her and Rhys, their eyes.
Rhysand's eyes often change color but are usually a spitting image of the night sky.
Luna's eyes, on the other hand, looked like they had been spun from moonlight.
After Luna threatened Cassian for a few minutes, she made him rebraid her hair.
Cassian, of course, didn't know how.
So Luna spent the entire day teaching Cassian and Azriel how to braid hair.
"You guys don't talk about her much," Nesta said Turning around towards Cassian who had just finished her braid.
"We just miss her I guess," Cassian said and Azriel nodded.
"What the hell did we just walk into?" Azriel heard Mor say from behind him.
"Well now I feel left out that my hair isn't braided," emrie said walking over to sit by them.
"Me too," added Mor.
Gwyn finished Cassian's hair and motioned for Emrie to turn around and she started braiding Emrie's hair.
"Careful Gwyneth I'm not finished," Azriel said finishing up her braid.
"Done," he said, examining his work.
Gwyn's hair looks gorgeous braided. The weaving of hair allows you to see all the different shades of red.
"Can you do me next?" Mor asked, and Azriel nodded smiling.
This was a very strange morning.
"How did you sleep," Mor asked as he started on the braid.
"Good, you?" He asked.
"Good, but I desperately need some coffee," she said and Azriel smiled.
It had been a while since he just talked to Mor about mundane things like coffee.
"I can make some coffee," Gwyn offered.
"And I can help her, because I don't think she knows how to do it," Emrie said standing up.
"I know how to make coffee," Gwyn said angrily following Emrie to the kitchen.
Azriel and Mor chuckled.
"Something is wrong with Nesta" his shadows said and Azriel looked over to her.
She was hunched over in Cassian's arms.
"Nes, are you ok?" Azriel asked in a hushed voice so Gwyn and Emrie couldn't hear.
He didn't want to bring too much attention, but he was worried about her.
He hated to say it, but Nesta was his friend.
Even though she can be a bitch sometimes, so can he.
He found throughout spending time with Nesta that they are more similar than he realized.
Like they somehow understand each other without speaking.
She nodded and said "I'm ok, I just need to go to the bathroom."
Azriel nodded and continued on Mor's hair.
He watched as Cassian helped Nesta walk To the bathroom.
It was probably morning sickness.
—-
"Hello Lola," Cassian said Walking into the training area.
"Is this the girl that beat you up?" Azriel whispered in Cassian's ear.
Cassian nodded and Azriel had to stifle a laugh.
"I see you have healed since I last saw you," Azriel heard who he assumed was Lola.
She had short black hair and burnt gold eyes that were fascinating.
She looked about five feet and six inches tall.
"And who are you?" She turned to Azriel.
"Azriel," he said, shaking her hand, "I assume Cassian already asked you about how training is going?"
She nodded and he saw a sudden saddens showing in her eyes.
"Yes, and he knows that the males here still don't respect females, but things are starting to change. I and two other males train the females here. Things were going fine and we were making progress until the revolt started," she paused.
Cassian turned to Azriel, "it seems Devlon lied to us. Well, not lie he just forgot to mention that a fourth of his camp has left to join the revolt."
Azriel was taken back but he did not let it show.
"I should go then," he said to Cassian, "you and the girls got this. I'll be back tonight."
Cassian nodded and Azriel took off.
—-
He has been at the Iron crest camp for three hours now waiting.
This was the plan all along and Azriel could not fail.
While Rhysand and Feyra distracted Rupin he would have Nuala and Cerridwen find out where they were keeping the females.
He has been waiting for three hours and Nuala and Cerridwen have not returned.
He was meant to get as many females and children to camp wind haven as possible.
That was what Cassian had to talk to Devlon about last night.
He still had no clue how Cassian ran into Lola, let alone get beat up by her.
While he waited in one of the unoccupied watch towers, he thought.
His brain was so full of thoughts.
He hoped Gwyn, Emrie and Nesta were ok.
He hoped the women respected them.
He hoped Cas got beat up again.
His thoughts went to Elaine.
He really wanted to see her, to talk to her.
He hadn't gotten to speak with her in a while.
But when they were together they never really spoke, but he didn't speak around most people anyway.
"Good morning," Elaine said, placing a kiss on his lips.
"Good morning," he whispered against her lips, then deepened the kiss.
She tasted like blueberries and smelt like sunshine.
Her lips against mine overpowered all of my other senses and all I could see was her golden locks and her tanned skin.
All I could taste was blueberries.
All I could smell was sunshine.
All I could hear were her soft moans that sounded like a song I had waited my whole life to hear.
All I could feel was her, her soft skin pressed up against mine, I felt fire in my veins.
This was passion, this was everything, this was
lov—-
"Azriel" he heard Nuala whisper, "it's time."
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I decided to give Azriel maladaptive daydreaming. I think it fits really well with his character because he is always in his head always thinking, and every girl he has ever "loved" he never acted on he has just thought about them. Throughout reading about Azriel and really diving into his Character, I found that I could relate to him on a lot of levels.
And I know you are probably like, how? He is immortal, has wings, is five hundred years old, is a spy, fights and stuff and has lots of trauma.
But I think he is a dreamer, I think that he is dissatisfied with his life and wants to believe that something good will happen. Like everyone I think he just wants to be happy, and loved.
I have struggled with maladaptive daydreaming all my life. It's not to the point where I am unable to separate fantasy from reality, but like Azriel I find myself unable to sleep, and I am always in my head.
This is another reason that I think he is better with Gwyn because he isn't thinking of what they could be, he is just living in the moment with her, not thinking. I often find it hard to live in the moment, so I hope that one day I will find someone to remind me that the present is worth living in, like Gwyn does for Az.