To Whatever End (Modern ToG and ACoTaR)

Part I

Rowan Whitethorn has been around for millennia, along with his wife and mate Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, he has seen a lot over that time. The new technology started to pop up not long after Erawan was defeated, Terrasen and Adarlan were some of the first to go into the industrial revolution, what with all of the damages done by that ancient war. They lost Dorian when they banished Erawan for good. Everyone thought that it was going to be Aelin, and then Dorian was gone instead. That left Adarlan without a fit ruler; so, Aelin stepped in and ruled both of her homes. The one where she grew up and lost everything, to the home where she was remade to hate her heritage and brought back down to nothing, but all the same she loved them both deeply.

Of course she could not be in two places at once, though history believes that she could, what with Lysandra filling in from time to time. When Aelin was in Rifthold she would leave Aedion and Lysandra to watch over Orynth, while she and Rowan would travel to the glass castle to rule. This would go on for weeks at a time, only a few historians got it right and some of them are still alive, after all this time, seeing as some were fae, that's part of how they knew. After time went by Aelin stopped aging and Lysandra began to grow old they could no longer keep up the façade of two Aelins. She handed over her rule of Adarlan and gave it to Aedion who we found also had stopped aging.

Only a few of their companions remain from that time long ago. Manon is still ruling the witch clans in the wastes, they stay in touch to keep alliances upheld; also, they remain friends who still remember the hardships of the past 3 thousand years give or take. Aedion remains King of Adarlan. There are a few of the cadre left, only Lorcan and Gavriel, the others died in combat, and with Maeve gone forever they were free. For a time Lorcan ruled Doranelle with Elide by his side, once they realized that they were mates. Gavriel resides in Rifthold not far from the castle, so that he can still have a relationship with Aedion and his two grandchildren, which Aedion had with Lysandra before she pasted.

Rowan sat at one of the many cafés in Orynth, looking down at his cell phone texting and asking where Aelin was at. He had been waiting for her for half an hour. They agreed to meet at Marc's, a little café that was just a few blocks from the castle. Rowan had just come back from a business meeting in Melisande working through some lesser fae problems originally, but found that there was a bigger problem happening. He thought of just flying home to the castle, but Aelin claimed that she had a surprise waiting and he wasn't to come home till Aelin brought him.

A human waitress stopped by the table to ask his order, "Hello, I'm Nelaine, and I'll be your server, would you like to-" she stopped in the middle of her line, when she realized who exactly she was speaking to, "Oh, uh. Your majesty. I'm so sorry," she stopped to curtsy.

"Don't worry, what was it, Nelaine? I'm not that worried about formalities I'm just waiting for... someone," he almost mentioned Aelin, but from the way the girl reacted to him, he could only imagine that she would faint at the thought of the queen being here.

"I'm so sorry. Uh, where was I? Oh, yeah, the specials. Would you like to hear them King Rowan?" she stammered her way through the sentence. Then looked to Rowan and waited for his answer.

"No, thank you. I'll just have a pumpkin spice latte and black." he went ahead and ordered for Aelin in hopes that she would be arriving soon.

"Okay. Right away majesty."

Just as fast as she came she was gone. Rowan's phone beeped signaling a text from Aelin. Be there soon. Got held up. ox

He replied with a quick okay and went back into deep thought. Nelaine came by with with the two coffees and didn't say a word. Then he could smell the familiar lemon verbena scent that is Aelin, just before the door to the café swung open, and a bell jingled to alert the staff of another customer. When the door opened everyone glanced. Then, most did a double take upon realizing that the Queen of Terrasen had just walked into the room. Aelin was wearing a black and gold flowing dress, that reminded me suddenly of years ago when she had worn a similar black gown to a dinner with the King of Assassins. Her golden blonde hair swung behind her shoulders in loose curls. She was in her fae form, like she has been for the past five hundred years with few exceptions.