A Court of Gold and Shadows

for the first time, what's past is past

Summary:

Of all the ways, Azriel expected to meet his mate, this wasn't it.

Notes:

Mostly Canon Compliant Through A Court of Silver Flame. Set 2 years into the future, where it veers off wildly.

for the first time, what's past is past

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

His mate literally stumbled into him.

Of all the ways, Azriel could come across her, that was not the one that he thought it ever would be.

It was so...mundane.

It was a spring evening in Velaris. Less than a year after Elain's wedding. 2 years since that Solstice. Nyx would be 2 in just a few weeks.

To say that Azriel hadn't been...doing particularly well, was an understatement.

He hid it well.

He buried himself in his work, he did everything anybody expected from him...he existed.

It was fine.

Everybody was busy with their mates or their significant other and Azriel...well, he kept busy with other things. It was better that way.

The problem was only that even Rhys had suggested for him to take a break. Just that it wasn't a suggestion. It had been an order.

"Take the rest of the day off. I am sure there is something or somebody that could get your mind off your work."

He had wanted to bristle. He had wanted to make a sharp-cutting comment about how Rhys had been the one making sure that Azriel didn't have anything to do, nobody to go home to. He hadn't.

He had stopped doing that. Granted, his shadows hadn't and had been bristling around him about how the High Lord didn't know better than they did. Azriel had ignored that too.

He didn't protest anymore. Why should he even bother doing that? If Rhys wanted to send him on some bullshit mission, well, then Rhys was going to do that. Why should Azriel fight it?

He was so tired of fighting.

So there he was, in the Rainbow, looking for a birthday present for Nyx. Then he could cross that off the neverending list of things he needed to do. He hated gift-giving with a passion.

He had never liked it here overly much, even when it was his High Lady's domain. Feyre loved the Rainbow and the hustle and bustle of the artists' quarter. For Azriel, it bordered on too much. Azriel only liked the bars with their constantly changing lineup of musicians performing for an evening.

Never anywhere twice, just for a few hours...

He had done that a lot over the last few months. When sitting alone in his house didn't help him. Cloaked in shadows, so people would leave him alone...sitting in one corner of the bar, and just listening to the music...

He never really patronised the shops around there, because...well, he didn't really need anything. He never had. He bought the things he needed and that was that. And to be honest, he was completely content with a couple of daggers, Truthteller and his Illyrian fighting leathers.

She stumbled against his chest when somebody bumped into her. The str

Azriel didn't react fast enough...and then it already happened.