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

Bad News

Lounging on the meadow surrounding the palace of Orynth, Abraxos sniffed the many Kingsflame blooms that spotted the fields with his massive snout.  Manon snorted as Abraxos accidentally got a flower in his nostrils, blowing desperately to get it out, wafts of hot breath blowing out.

Dorian chuckled from where he sat cross-legged, next to her sprawled form, a book in his lap, its page fluttering as his chest moved. She glanced at him, his handsome face relaxed, a small smile on his lips as he continued on his book. 

"I didn't know you like reading," she started.

Dorian raised an eyebrow ", You don't know a lot about me, witchling."

She flared her nostrils at the nickname but replied with narrowed eyes ", And you, me."

He smirked, sapphire eyes meeting hers and he said ", I want to though."

Heat tinged her cheeks and Manon whipped her head the other way. She heard the firm shut of the book as Dorian put it down, scooted closer, and began twisting a lock of her moon-white hair around his finger. His finger moving deftly as he looked to something in the distance. 

Abraxos huffed in victory as the flower fell out, his wings flapped once, disturbing his current position; on his back and his silver-lined wings splayed wide.  Manon smiled at her mount before she replied quietly to the king ", I would want to know more about you too."

"Hmmm."

She narrowed her eyes and made to look at him, but was stopped suddenly as he took one of her hand, flipped it face up and began tracing feathery quick lines on the pad of her palms. She closed her eyes, shuddering, her entire concentration focusing on the moments of his finger, the slight warmth every time it moved, how that warmth immediately faded after he moved on to another spot.

He suddenly halted and she was up immediately, Abraxos still rolling in the grass behind her. He was looking to something in the distance, his eyes squinted. She looked after him and saw a speck of orange and a blur of white as it raced towards them. It was growing bigger and bigger, Manon fell into battle position, Dorian beside her, both of them tense.

Their posture immediately dropped as they saw the immortal white stag of Terrasen racing towards them. The orange of the flame it held between its antlers becoming hues and shades of yellows, reds, and palish whites. The stag stopped exactly in front of them, its black eyes twinkled with some ancient understanding as it angled his head sideways.

"Abraxos," Manon snapped, her mount straightening behind her ", Fetch Aelin."

Her mount huffed, his eyes almost rolling as he flew towards the palace not far back from them. The stag stood, waiting, as moments later Abraxos carried two figures back towards them. Aelin and Rowan jumped down from the wyvern's back, their feet thudding against the ground. 

"What is it," Rowan demanded, rather than asked.

Aelin, wide-eyed, dropped to her knees before the stag, Rowan immediately rushing towards her.

-

Aelin stared at the conveyed meaning within the stag of Terrasen's dark eyes. It blinked, slow but steady. The three figures shifted on their feet. Murmured whispers and hissing as they tried to give her some sort of privacy. She nearly rolled her eyes were it not for the panic within the stag's eyes.

A warning. 

"What's it saying," Manon asked bluntly from where she stood.

"I don't know," Aelin replied drily ", do I look like I speak stag?"

Manon crossed her arms but stayed quiet afterward, Dorian the picture of collected calm beside her,  his hands in his pockets and Rowan staring dead at her. Abraxos had flown to them moments below, landing straight on their bedroom balcony, and making his presence even more clear as he flapped a gust of air with his wings, sending Aelin and Rowan stumbling back.

Aelin looked towards the stag once more, but it seemed like though it was done talking as the Little Folk flitted from the forest close to them. Just several, but enough to convey the warning. Their little beady eyes blinking as they spoke in a hushed whisper.

Danger is coming,

Not from this world, another

Beware, Queens and Kings

Once they recited what they needed to, they scuttled back into the woods, the stag trotting after them. Aelin rose stiffly, Rowan suddenly at her side, she groaned as a jolt spiked through her abdomen. Pressing a hand to her stomach, Aelin waved Rowan off, glaring at him, earning a glare right back.

She faced the other two royals in the clearing, Manon staring dead at her, Dorian standing with a faked casualty that no one would have looked through other than someone who used the same technique, one his head rested on Manon's shoulder, she noticed with some shock, as Manon didn't brush it off, rather her body looked as if it was completely at ease.

Aelin shook off another jab of pain as she declared to them ", it would seem that there shall be a council meeting before my baby show-" She winced as he received another spike of lashing hurt. Rowan was-once again-there, and this time she allowed herself to lean on him as she was not sure if she was going to survive another kick. 

Manon watched the action and a strange emotion flashed across her face before it quickly disappeared and she asked ", when?"

"Tonight," Aelin said and smirked ", I'm sure there's enough time for you to polish Abraxos's scales before then."

Abraxos huffed from where he laid down not far back, and Manon smirked right back at her and crooned ", I'm sure there's enough time for you to find a new sparkly and poofy gown."

Aelin grinned at Manon and Manon gave her a slash of pearly whites in return.

Aelin once again glanced at Dorian, his face glowing with the small smile on his lips,  as he looked down at the witch-queen. 

What a couple they would be. A witch queen and a powerful mortal king.