A Court of Flame and Shadow (Azriel x eris)

Chapter 29: Azriel

Elain's spirit was not dampened by her foul stepfather-to-be. She woke with a cheery mood, dancing around on knocking on all the doors to wake everyone up.

Azriel was sharing a room with Mor, who awoke with a groan and a curse. Azriel, who had hardly slept, dragged himself out of bed with tooth and nail. A headache already pounded in his temples, not helped at all by the bride-to-be.

Elain flung open the door the moment they assured her they were decent, bursting at the top with excitement. 

"Are you ready?" She cried. 

"We just woke up, Elain." Mor groaned as she stumbled into the bathroom. Elain rolled her eyes and turned to her Man of Honor. 

"You ready?" She said hopefully. Azriel sighed. 

"No." He walked after Mor, face tight.

"You need to we ready in an hour."

"I need to eat, and why an hour? Weddings not for another three." He grumbled

Elain pressed her lips together. "You'll have the chance to eat, and so that you can help me get ready." 

"Right."

~

Azriel shoved Mor aside, who was picking at her nails in the mirror, to splash his face with the awfully cold water. 

Mor gave him a humored look. "You were back late." 

"Eris had a lot to say." The lie flowed easily.

Mor snickered. "He does like to hear himself talk!" 

Azriel straightened. "How's Meredith?" 

Mor let out a long breath. "Terrified that she might have to marry Eris, and apparently I wasn't helping, because they kicked me out."

Azriel laughed. "That's rough." 

"Yeah. Hey, I'll leave in a minute so you can get dressed and stuff. I'll shower somewhere else." 

Azriel nodded. "Right."

Mor raised her eyebrows, reaching a hand up to pick at his limp curls. "Are you going to wash this?"

Azriel scowled. "No."

Mor gave him a horrified look.

"I'm guessing that was the wrong answer?" 

~

After washing his hair, and wrestling into the cream suit that fit uncomfortably well, and carefully placed the orange pocket square that would show his place in the wedding party. The bridesmaids would wear matching orange dresses, and the groomsmen orange suits, while Vassa would wear a cream dress to match Azriel, who would be walking with her down the aisle. 

When he stepped out of his room, he was greeted by Amren, in a silky quicksilver dress, sitting perched on Varian's lap, who wore his light blue suit, with eyes for no one but Amren. 

Amren glanced up at Azriel for just a moment.

"You tie is wonky." She sighed, quickly turning back to her prince.

Azriel adjusted his floral necktie as he slipped through the door into Elain's room. The bridesmaids stood spread out around the room. Feyre, cooing over her son in Emeries arms, Gwyn, perched on the arm of a couch, muttering to herself as she flipped through the pages of a book. Mor and Meredith stood attentively watching the door to the bathroom, whispering to each other.

"Where's Elain?" Azriel asked the room, not sure who to direct it at. 

"She's getting changed. We're waiting for her." Emerie gestured towards the door Meredith and Mor watched unblinkingly. 

On the table between the couch Feyre and Emerie sat on and the armchair Gwyn rocked back and forth on was a vase of some white flower with a garish scent, and a bottle of wine, that immediately drew Azriels keen eye. But as he reached for it, Gwyn spoke.

"Elain said you aren't allowed to drink."

Azriel rolled his eyes. "So? She isn't the boss of me."

"Yes she is." Gwyn pinned a hard stare on him.

"Yeah." He relented, flopping down on the second armchair. 

~

It was almost half an hour until Elain emerged. She had assured them many times, she was fine, but still she stayed locked in the bathroom longer, refusing any visitors. When she finally came out, the only way to describe her was show-stopping. How such a gorgeous female stayed singe for long enough to meet her mate was beyond Azriel, but what mattered was that they found each other, in the end.

A stunning white dress that clung to Elain's upper-body burst out into a wide skirt at the waist. A surprisingly low-cut sweetheart neckline swept down her collarbone. Sleeves of tulle fell of her shoulders, draping down past her fingers. The cherry-on-top was the stunning hair that fell to her shoulders in tight curls, perfected with a veil that fell far down her back.

Blush spread over Elain's cheeks at the sight of her wedding parties gawking.

"What do you think?"