A Court Of Family and fire

Birthdays- rowan/aelin

Rowan pov.

Aelin has been gone for nine months and 29 days. It's the twins' birthday. Terasen has a huge ceremony planned. I know aelin is still alive. I can still feel the bond. She is still out there, somewhere.

"pro praeterito. pro praesenti nostra pro futuro. (one for the past. One for the present. And one for the bright future)" i whisper to the sky.

Aelin said that to terasen after the war. Again when the twins were born. And every year on beltane. She made it the words of our kingdom. And now she is gone. But she will come back. I am sure of it. She has to come back. She has to. I tug on the bond. Hoping for a response. I get it. A small tug on the bond in reply. it reassures me. She is alive and breathing. And she will come home.

Aelin pov.

I am walking in velaris buys presents for everyone for starfall. Which just happens to be the twins birthday. I walk though multiple shops. Rhys was kind enough to 'employ' me , which means i get a salary. Im not sure exactly what i am doing as my job but im sure i will get a assignment soon. I find a huge red ruby necklace and it instantly makes me think of amren. I laugh when i see it. It is so obnoxious but i know amren will wear it. I buy it for her. Next i find a beautiful dagger with a blue stone in the hilt. Its for azriel. It matches all of his death rocks. I find a fashion line of red dresses and matching shoes for mor. I feel like red would be her colour. Cassian told me that feyre liked to paint. I went to a art store and found the deepest most vibrant red colour, but i didnt buy it. It looked to much like blood. Instead i got violets and blue greys and all the colours of aelia. Every colour she would need to paint her baby. For rhysand i got a very very very old bottle of wine. Older than him. I think. Next for cassian i got a short sword, but i enchanted it with fire, like i did with goldryn. I also got him a tin of soup. I planned to give him that first. I get nesta a shit tone of books from a vintage book store. And i got elain some gardening matterials. I got celeste some red earrings to match mor's dresses. And isla a red bracelet. I find some glass blown animals. At first i walked past them but then i noticed they had flowers in them. Kingsflame. How is it here. I run into the shop.

"Where did you get those flowers?!" i ask the owner.

"Well its the weirdest thing. About two months ago these flowers bloomed just outside the city. I found them and thought they would look wonderful in glass animals" the nice lady explains.

I come here two months ago?. Could the kingsflame be blooming for me? Either way these were perfect for Ele and Vi.

"Can i get the whole collection?" i ask

"Of course!" she was so exited.

She packs them up nicely and i pay for them.

"Thank you so much" i say as i leave

"Thank you" she replies.

Now i just needed one for aelia. What do you get a heir. I decide to get her a simple necklace. A little star locket. But i put something priceless inside. I finnish my shopping and start heading back to the townhouse. My hands are full of bags so i have to walk in backwards to use my back to open the door. When I turn I see feyre and rhys. I slam the door. Rhys was half naked and they were making out on the sofa. I hear feyre screech.

"i e necessarium ad lavabit oculis meis (i need to wash out my eyes)" i whine.

I summon my wings and fly to the house of wind. When I land Cassian is there with nesta. It looks like they are on a date. Nesta sees me first.

"Aelin you look like you just saw a ghost" she muses.

"Worse" I say and Cassian turns in his chair.

"Someone is dead" he guesses.

"Worse" I repeat.

"You killed someone" calls nesta.

"I said worse '' I say and she doesn't look phased.

"Just tell us aelin," Cassian says. Obviously intrigued.

"I just saw rhys half naked on top of feyre" I shiver at the thought.

"Yep!" says nesta "that's worse"

Cassian looks like he is about to throw up.

"anyway , sorry for interrupting your date" I called and I walked out.

"WE ARE NOT ON A DATE" yells nesta.

"WHATEVER YOU SAY" I retort.

Later that evening we are at a starfall dinner and i cant make eyecontact with feyre and rhys.

"Why wont you look at us" asks feyre finally.

"Because..." i say slowly. Still not looking at them "this afternoon i walked in and saw rhys half naked ontop of you. And i needed to wash my eyes out with soap"

I can practically hear feyre go red.

"On that pleasant note" chirps cassian "lets do gifts"

"Oh let me go first!" I stand and winnow to get all the gifts. I am back seconds later. "Firstly for amren" i say and hand her the huge red necklace.

"Holly shit that thing is huge" laughs Azriel.

"Your just jealous" says amren and puts it on "thank you aelin"

"Next is azreil" i continue and hand him the dagger. "The blue rocks remind me of your death rocks"

Cassian chokes on his food "death rocks? Do you mean shiphons?"
"They stop you from killing everyone dont they?" i ask

"Well yea but" he tries to explain'

"There are death rocks" i say and continue.

I hand out everyones gifts except for the three babies and the soup for cassian.

"Oh cass i forgot" i throw him the can of soup. He looks at the label and throws it at rhys, disgusted. He reads the lable laughs. He shows everyone and they all laugh.

I walk over to Ele and Vi.

"pro regibus et flamma de futura nostro regnum Dei (the flame of kings for the future of our kingdom)" i wisper to them. And hand them the gifts.

I hand Aelias gift to feyre. "This is for aelia. She must only open it if she is in danger. It will protect her until one of you two or the innercircle get her. If she opens it she will be healed of all harm and be protected of harm until you find her" i explain.

"Thank you" she says softly.

I nodd to her.

The others hand out their gifts. rhys got me some illyrian leathers for fighting. Azriel got me a set of daggers that i put into my illyrian leathers. Apparently taking one minute to hide twenty daggers in a new suit is crazy. Mor got me a beautiful dress. Feyre got me a book of music. Cassian got me a pinafore.

"You promised you would play for us today" he tells me.

"You play pinafore?" asks rhys.

"Not very well" i say modestly.

"Bullshit" says cassian. He startles me with his bluntness "now get your ass up and play"

I walk over to the pinafore. I exhale once before i press the first key. I play a piece with pain and mourning and struggle at the beginning. It then grows to triumph and happiness. The piece is long and stong. I dont miss a beat. When i finnish with the final key i turn around nervously and see everyone trying to discretely wipe away tears. I laugh.

"Calm down guys it wasnt that good" i say and walk back to my seat.
"Bullshit" they all say with teary voices.\

I let out another laugh. Amren walks over to Ele and Vi. she hands them each a little box. She says something in the ancient language that i cant here. Ele and Vi open the boxes and i gasp. They are tiara versions of my crown the little folk gave me.

"For the fae prince and princess of the west" she tells me.

"Thank you" I breathe. "Thank you all for everything you all have done for us since we got here"

"Honnored" says rhys. I look up to him but instantly look away. Everyone laughs rhys just goes red.