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

Peaceful

So the night went, the High Lord of the night and his High Lady told them of how they had discovered world travelling and how they came. Their land was experiencing missing cases, many Fae went missing, only to be found days later, corpse grey and looking as if it'd been months old.

Many glances were exchanged across the table at that, but Feyre made a point to ignore them. Better to act as though you know what is going on than not, it would be very stupid to do so, especially when discussing for an alliance with a kingdom they are very unfamiliar with.

Rhysand went to explained how they came across a witch, which in Prythian, is something similar to a shaman, only infinitely more unpredictable and powerful. The witch had told them had she had used the magic to send small messages to her sisters across other realms. The white-haired witch queen narrowed her eyes at that. The painting flashed in Feyre's mind, a queen whose reign spreads through worlds.

They explained how the witch had said the world in which their remaining sisters live had just encountered something very similar to what they are starting to discover.  The witch had the said the only way to travel through worlds is to offer up a piece of one's soul, or a sacrifice. The witch only said the gods only accept those who are immortal.

"Fret not, now," Rhys said to witch queen and the tense king beside her ", We only offered an artifact that was rumored to contain evil souls."

"But souls nonetheless," said the woman who was a wild cat only moments before.

"Indeed," I confirmed, nodding. Rhys shot me a quick relieving glance as I realized I haven't spoken since the opening.

"So she speaks," crowed the queen of Terrasen, Aelin.

"She has quite a wicked mouth," Rhys said, winking.

Aelin quirked an eyebrow, and Feyre felt her cheeks heat up. This court was powerful, Feyre could glean that much. Not just because of the many warriors and powers but simply because they seem to be united by one goal, and that goal brought them together in unbreakable bonds, that can never be snapped.

"Are you going to tell us about what the witch meant?" I asked sharply, though my tone didn't come out as harsh as I intended. 

The queen made a show of pretending, cocking her head, scratching her head and finally drawled ", Let's just see after three days if you are trustworthy or not, then we'll see."

At that, they finished their dinner and arose to follow the servants to their chambers.

-

Dorian was exhausted, two days on a wyvern and a sudden rip in the world will do that to a person. Worse, he had to play cold and collected king right before bed. Sure, he had to do that at the castle back in Rifthold but he had secretly hoped that this gathering would come with more relaxation.

"You look like shit," Manon said, stark and honest, as she opened the door to their chambers, which was located on one of the adjoining spirals in the palace, it was also quite close to where Abraxos was being kept, chain free of course. 

"Tell me something I don't know," Dorian muttered and walked in ahead of her, slumping on to the large, four-poster, canopied bed. He felt something slump beside him and realized that it was his crown. He felt Manon pick it up and he looked up at her.

He found her smirking as she studied his crown. "Rubies," she drawled ", I think I prefer sapphire."

His cheeks heated slighted at what she hinted. But he drawled, his voice momentarily muffled as he turned his head the other way ",Would you like me to change it?" At that Manon cocked her head and said ", It's an heirloom is it not?"

"Screw tradition." 

Manon laughed, a ringing rich sound that left Dorian speechless. She sat down beside him and said softly ", I didn't expect us to be sharing chambers."

"Is there an issue, witchling?"

Her nostrils flared and she said, glaring at him, ", I sleep naked." At that, Dorian blinked, another simple thing he did not know about her.  He simply drawled ", I've seen your lovely body before, witchling."

Manon simply replied ", Just a warning when you sleep, I am not a lucid dreamer."

"I wouldn't mind what you would do to me."

He heard Manon padded off to the adjoining bathroom and curled into a loose ball position as he struggled to stay awake, but consciousness was as easy to hold on to like water as his heavy lids fell and his breathing slowed and fell asleep.

-

Manon walked back into their bedroom and paused as she spotted the dark-haired king on the bed.  She studied his face, the handsome lines smoothed into a calm and peaceful expression as his mouth parted slightly. He was curled loosely as if too tired to continue, she padded towards him, feet silent, and plopped down. 

He cracked open a sleepy sapphire eye as he saw watching him, Manon didn't know why but she lifted a hand and brushed it against his golden sun-kissed cheek. He smiled lazily at her and placed his hand on hers and instead of tensing as she usually did she laid next to him, mirroring his movements. 

Surprise flared in his eyes, as a shock at what she did flare in herself. But she gave room for doubt as she scooted over to him until she was curled around him, she shut her eyes and didn't realize she was holding in a breath as he laid his arm over and hugged her close.

Every time they held each other, she was always scared.

But she wouldn't any longer.

So she allowed them this, this trusted bond and intimacy. She nuzzled into the nook between his shoulder and neck, and they laid there until their lids turned heavy once more, their exhaustion giving in as sleep finally tugging them in.