The Symphony of Shadow

8: 'It Was the Valkyrie'

Possible triggers in bold font: S/A

G W Y N

It had been a beautiful night. It still was.

The night sky of Velaris was a tragically alluring sight - the myriad of stars dusted throughout the sky so densely it was near impossible to spot constellations within them; and the moon shone so vividly you could see the shadows upon its surface with incomparable depth.

Gwyn felt entirely safe and comfortable in the hold of Azriel: who's arm was draped around her, drawing her into the warmth of his bare chest, which she delighted in snuggling against as she kept hold of his hand.

They'd been like this - laying down on the floor along the edge of the training ring - for a while now. Gwyn didn't know the exact time they'd remained here: talking, laughing, looking at the stars. A lifetime may have passed, and she'd never have known.

Friends. Good friends.

Even though they were currently snuggled together - that's what they were, and Gwyn thrived in it. She could be open with him; be stupid with him; be competitive with him; be flirtatious with him... He was near perfect, and every time she talked to him, she had to remind herself she wasn't ready yet - or was she?

Gwyn was like the moon, part of her was always hidden away. And the part she kept hidden also happened to be a part of him: a mating bond - their bond - that only she knew of. Sometimes Gwyn let herself wonder what mated life with a man like Azriel could be like, and that's what made it difficult...

It was difficult because she didn't know if she would ever be in a position when she could wholly give herself to him.

It was difficult because every time he touched her it felt as if the stars were dancing along her skin.

It was difficult because Azriel would never want her. And if giving him knowledge of the bond, just to get rejected, meant giving up their friendship - did she really want him as a mate?

She pushed those thoughts away. She didn't need the pity from others, let alone herself. I am mine, she reminded herself. Mine before I am anyone else's. She wouldn't let anything hide her light; she would burn with the stars.

Azriel pointed to the sky then, distracting her from her thoughts. They'd been searching the skies for constellations for a while now - a task proving difficult due to the immense number of stars the Night Court's skies offered. So far they'd been successful in finding Orion, Andromeda, Perseus, Pegasus and Aries - and of course the three stars overlooking Ramiel.

"There's Pegasus." Azriel said, pointing, and Gwyn rolled her eyes at the mention of the constellation she knew to consist of fourteen individual stars.

"I thought I told you I'd already found that one a half hour ago." She said.

"I thought I told you that was Cepheus." He fired back.

"I thought I told you that you were wrong about that."

"I thought I told you that you were wrong about me being wrong."

"Ugh, you're so stubborn." She grumbled.

Azriel chuckled softly - a beautiful, deep sound. "You say I'm stubborn like you aren't either, priestess."

"Say what you want, shadowsinger. I'm right, and there's no changing my mind."

"You've literally just proved my point by saying that."

Gwyn lifted her head from the comfort of his chest so she could glare at him. Azriel just smirked at her, huffing a small laugh.

"What?" She pressed.