Throne of Glass Short Stories

Alone - Part One

*Three weeks after Elide accepts the mating bond with Lorcan*

"I can't just up and leave her, Rowan!"

"Right now we don't really have a choice, Lorcan. I know it's hard, but, at the end of the day, what could possibly go wrong. Elide will be at the palace with Aelin and Lysandra; whilst you'll be with Aedion and I for a few months at the most."

The voices outside Elide's door lower to whisper shouts, and she flops, face first, onto Lorcan and her's bed. Her mate been outside half arguing with Rowan, his King, for what feels like hours, and she is sick of it. Just as Elide is about to get up and work out what is going on, a tentative knock sounds on the door and it slowly opens, with a creek.

Lorcan peers around the door, and Elide cocks her head, wondering what is happening. He heavily strides in, his face downcast. Sitting on the bed next to Elide, he puts an arm around her shoulders, and begins to speak. "Elide, I," he stops, and takes a deep breath, before continuing, "I have to go away for a while. I do not want to leave you behind, but right now Rowan and I have no other choice, we have to do this. It will only be for five weeks, at the most."

"Lorcan," Elide says, before he can fit in anything else, "I respect the decisions you and Rowan have made, and I do not mind that you have to leave, it's your job to do all of this. Anyway, how hard can it be to live without my mate, I managed before I found you, so, I can manage again, can't I. And Aelin and Lysandra will be here to look after me, too, won't they."

"In that case, there's one more thing you need to know, Elide. We leave tomorrow."

Silence engulfs the room, and Elide leans into Lorcan, grateful to steal his warmth. The sound of them breathing is the only noise left in the space they shared.

"Do you want to do something together for the rest of the day, seeing as this is our last day with each other for a little time." Elide quietly asks, not sure if Lorcan will agree.

"Of course I do." He replies.

"Then I'll meet you here in half an hour, I'm going to get it all ready."

"See you in thirty minutes then."

Rushing down to Aelin and Rowan's area of the sprawling castle, Elide could barely contain her joy. For once she could spend an evening relaxing and having fun with the best person in all of Erilea, as far as she was concerned, Lorcan. All she needed was a perfect dress, she was sure Aelin would no some place to find one on such short notice, and some of Lorcan's favourite dishes.

"So, let me get this straight, Elide, you need a dress for," Aelin quickly glanced at the decorated clock hanging on the wall, "25 minutes time, plus food for you and Lorcan?"

"Yes..."

"Sounds like some last minute plan that we are completely unprepared for that I'd make up, I love it!" Replies Aelin.

Elide follows her into her more than large closet as she starts to hurriedly look through her mountains of dresses, tunics and Wyrd knows what else that she kept in there.

"So... What colour do you want?"

"Black. Or maybe a dark blue."

"Full length or down to the knee?"

"Full length." Elide decided.

"Aha! I think I have something that should do you just fine. How about.... This!"

Aelin proudly held out a breathtakingly beautiful dress, as if she was presenting a prize winning horse to her. It was dark blue, verging on black, but not quite there yet; it didn't pouf out like a ball gown, but it didn't hug her every curve like other dresses she had seen; it sparkled a little when it caught the light, but not so much that it was like a literal glitter ball. It was perfect.

"Are you sure I can have this?" Elide asked, amazed by the pure perfection of the pieces of material in her hands.

"Blue isn't really my colour, besides, it's barely big enough and I've never worn it."

"Thank you." Elide said, and hugged her tightly before stepping away, a smile plastered onto her face. "No one ever did things like this for me, before, y'know, everything happened."

"It's fine, now you go take Lorcan up to the roof, Lysandra had it all sorted out for you both."

"Thank you so, so much Aelin!"

"Anytime. You both deserve it."

As Elide sprinted down the hall, Rowan appeared by Aelin's side, tucking an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Lorcan is lucky to have someone like her."

"We all are."

Word count: 803 words