Friday, 31st of June, three weeks exactly until the wedding, and three weeks until Azriel sees Eris again. He had been counting down, and it perhaps made the days longer.
Elain was in the garden, both mourning and enjoying the last day of spring. At the table, Rhysand sat with Cassian discussing everything that could go wrong in the Autumn Court, for they had insisted that they host the wedding. Nesta had left to look at dresses for Elain with Feyre, Mor, and the unnamed fourth bridesmaid. Lucien was in the Day Court, trying to work out how Helion could attend the wedding without attracting attention, leaving Azriel to stare out the front window of the townhouse, wondering if this was it felt to be completely hollow.
Of course, he was meant to be with Rhys and Cass, but he had gotten up to stretch his legs almost an hour ago, and neither of his companions had seemed to noticed when he had stopped and stayed at the window, reveling in one of his favorite activities, people-watching.
Twenty minutes ago, a family of two parents, five daughters, and what seemed to be the oldest child's boyfriend. Five minutes ago, the father had stormed back past, eldest and eldest's boyfriend in tow, giving a loud, and somewhat hilarious lecture. A dog was sleeping curled up under a lamppost on the other side of the road, and his name was being called from the table.
"What?" Azriel turned, to see his brothers giving him bemused looks.
"You've been over there for an hour. Feel like joining us any time?" Rhys asked.
Azriel slid back into his chair, looking down at the map of the castle on the table. "What did I miss?"
"We addressed... Fire, bombing, treason, mass murder, and singular murder, and we organized a private betting system." Cassian grinned, leaning back in his chair.
"You organized a betting system, I had not part in that." Rhys turned back to Azriel. "Anything you would like to add?"
"Yeah, I think it would be best if, especially after she's drunk, we kept someone watching Mor. And make sure she is sitting nowhere near Beron of his sons." He had been thinking about it, and had decided it would be best for everyone that there was no chance of a fight, vocal or otherwise, between his mate and his best friend.
"Good idea, good idea, hadn't even thought about that!" Cassian laughed, making a note on the paper.
"Yes, it could be very awkward." Rhys looked at Azriel, a slightly disapproving, slightly sympathetic look on his face.
A door slammed at the back of the house, and a moment later Elain walked into the lounge room.
"What do you think of this for the table arrangements? She asked, holding up an orange chrysanthemum in gloved hands.
"Pretty. Do you have a red one to go with it?" Rhys asked, snapping out of his stare. Elain nodded. "What are you working on?" She walked over.
They nodded. She pointed a slender, but dirty finger to the page. "What does that say?"
"Fire." Cassian answered.
"And that?"
"It says Morrigan, Elain, can't you read?
"Not your handwriting, its awful!" She exclaimed.
"That is so mean!" Cassian, of course, didn't mean it, but he certainly had an appetite for arguments.
The front door opened, and in walked the bridesmaids. Bags of white, pink, orange, and green tulle flowed out of bags, hanging of arms piled high with shoeboxes. The familiar faces, and one less so.
"Meredith!" Azriel stood, walking over to help unload the arms of his friends. "Are you the mysterious unnamed bridesmaid?"
She blushed, again. "I am." Azriel had to admit, her deep voice was rather attractive, as was she in general, and any other male would be lucky to have her, but why did she have to have picked him?
"Since the wedding will be in Autumn, we used that as our theme." Elain explained, ripping eagerly into the bags. "Did you girls pick out suits too?"
They nodded. "They can go and get them fitted whenever." Nesta was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "We also picked your dress! We can show you when these nasty boys aren't here."
"Lets got now!" Elain shrieked in delight. "Come, Azriel!" She grabbed his hand, and of her went, with the group of bouncing girls.
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A Court of Flame and Shadow (Azriel x eris)
FanfictionAzriel and Eris have been sneaking around for almost 500 years. Eris is tired of lying to his father, and Azriel is guilt-ridden from putting his mate in danger. When things go wrong on a visit to Autumn, Eris finds himself in a hard position. The...