Wings and Heartbeats (Manorian Fanfiction and crossover between ACOTAR and TOG)

Terrasen

Aelin POV*

She felt like shit, looked like shit, and do not want to deal with any shit right now.  Actually, she definitely shouldn't think of anything related to shit right now, especially as it only helped to her hurling her guts. 

Rowan chuckled behind her and she shot him a glare over her shoulder, she regretted it immediately, as her head swarmed at the sudden movement and her stomach lurched.  Once she was sure that there wasn't another wave on the way, she stood up on unsteady legs and started to wash her mouth.

"Done?" Rowan smirked, earning another glare from Aelin as she was wiping her face with a towel.

"What a pain it is," she said drily ", to carry a three-month-old fetus."

"That fetus," Rowan replied ", is quite restless, just like her mother."

Aelin narrowed her eyes at Rowan ", How are you so confident that it's a girl?"

Rowan winked at her ", I may have sneaked a Crochan to check on you without your knowledge."

"Liar," she accused, smacking his arm. His laughter rose around her as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Of course not," he said softly ", We figure this out together-like we always do."

As they always, to whatever end.

-

Aedion was standing on Orynth's palace's gates when his Fae senses picked the boom of wyvern wings as it neared the walls. He looked up to find shimmering leathery wangs banking, then landing, the impact reverberating through the soles of his feet. His eyes stalked the movement of the people the wyvern bore.

Manon Crochan Blackbeak dropped off Abraxos, landing perfectly on the ground, the impact absorbed by the heels of her feet. The other rider, Dorian Havilliard slid smoothly, using Abraxos's body as a support wall.

Aedion saw rather heard the King said something to the witch Queen that made her burnt gold eyes glowed visible all the way to where Aedion was standing stoic. As they neared, Aedion gave them a knowing smirk and drawled "Welcome to Orynth once more, majesties."

Dorian gave him an incredulous look and Manon simply gave him an acknowledging nod, before she strode through the open doors, Dorian on her heels. Affection, Aedion thought, affection lighted the King of Adarlan's sapphire eyes, affection in which Aedion thought the witch also shared if you observed closely.

What changed between them, Aedion wondered, striding after them, before he was knocked on his ass as Abraxos strode right through the gates after them, probably going to find a place to rest after the long journey.

-

Dorian felt proud, he didn't know why exactly, but he was almost sure it was because he felt as though he was receiving special treatment from the cold queen before him. The thought had him following her steps, would have continued to move forward if Manon hadn't stopped him. He always didn't notice he was staring at her until she furrowed her brows.

"What are you looking at?"

You, he thought.

Well, he thought he said it in his head because Manon gave him a smirk, a slash of white that showed off her pearly whites before walking into one of the receiving chambers, where she must have clearly scented the Queen of Terrasen and her company, her silver-white hair (still braided) swished this way and that as she moved and paused in front of Aelin. Manon's nostrils flared as scented whatever Aelin was carrying.

The Queen of Terrasen looked exactly as she did the last time Dorian saw her, her blonder hair way past her navel, her turquoise and gold eyes alight with a joy that Dorian couldn't place. The only difference was the dress she was wearing, silk flowing gown, modest and bold and full of comfort. Dorian embraced her and then her silver-haired consort at her side.  "Well," Dorian drawled ", You really are pregnant, are you not?" 

Aelin snorted ", Of course, wouldn't want to disappoint." A glance, to Rowan, whose pine-green eyes were filled with such joy, was confirmation enough.

Her eyes glanced at Dorian's and said ", Though maybe not, after all, how am I going to get my friends to visit once in a while?"

"You could just send for us, you know."

"Perhaps, "Aelin said, pursing her lips ", Though I'm not sure if a certain king would be too distracted by a certain queen to visit this Queen, all the way in the North."

Dorian felt his cheek heated but a glance to his side only showed a smirking witch queen, cool and collected. Dorian collected himself and replied coolly "I wouldn't know what you mean."

"Sure," was all Aelin said.

-

It never gets easier. Manon, standing below the tower that was built in honor of the Thirteen, stared at the stones, pale and opalescent, the roof, pointed and laden with cool turquoise and greens, the structure, lean but strong, a piece of the art-this tower. But somehow, no matter how beautiful it was, no matter that it was a sacrifice, it did not ease the aching in her chest. A place where twelve souls used to burn bright. 

The twelve whom she knew she belonged with no matter how far she traveled, by foot, by horse, or by the sky, on broom or wyvern. 

She will always remember their names, their sacrifices. Asterin, that uncontrollable will. Sorrel, a force of nature in her own might. Thea and Kaya, together as they always were. Imogen, who never smiled. Faline and Fallon, the bloodthirsty demon twins. Edda and Briar, her Shadows. Vesta and her bright grin. Ghislaine and her love of learning. Lin, who'd kill you if you called her by her full name.

She had not visited this site since the war, felt as though she wasn't ready.

Footsteps crunched on grass as the King of Adarlan reached her side. 

"I can go if-" he started softly by she halted him by a sweep of her hand against his.

There was a moment of silence.

"How do you do it?" She said quietly ", How do you deal with this?" 

A pause. Then he turned her towards him, their eyes aligning, and he said "I don't deal with it. I haven't learned myself." 

She stiffened as he brushed a hand down her cheek, but did not resist. "It'll be hard," he admitted ", but we can figure it out. . ."

She heard the unspoken word. Together.

A slight smile tugged at her lips, she covered her own hand over his, still lingering on her skin. "I'll think about it," she said quietly, though not weakly.

She allowed him to hold her, her own arms wrapped around his shoulders, and listened to his fluttering heartbeats.