Life after the War - A Throne of Glass Fanfic

Piano

This story has hit 1k so woohoo!!!

Thank you all.  You guys are awesome.

Today had been excellent so far. No court meetings scheduled and plus there was a letter from Adarlan, written by Yrene herself, telling that she had given birth to a cute, little girl last week. She has decided to name her Hafiza after the Healer on High at the Torre Cesme who had looked after Yrene like a mother. There were photos of her and her daughter with Chaol, of course and then some with Dorian who was Hafiza's godfather. Dorian looked very happy in the photograph, smiling brightly as his goddaughter fell asleep on his laps. Aelin sat at the table, writing a reply to her and telling her that they will be coming to Rithfold next month for Yulemas.

She gave it to a messenger instructing him to go there at the earliest and also handed him a red velvet bag containing gold ornaments and other gifts for the newborn. He bowed low before mounting his horse for the ride.

Rowan was sitting beside her on the blue couch.

"You once told me you wanted to learn playing piano. Would you like to do it now?" Aelin asked as she finished the chocolates Dorian had gifted her. Rowan had the nerve to hide them in his cupboard which was quite a good idea keeping in mind that it took two days for Aelin to find them.

"Yes, yes. I would love to." Rowan answered, "But do we have one here?"

That was a legit question. Of all the places he had been through the castle, he hadn't seen a piano. Let alone the grand piano Aelin usually plays.

"Leave that to me." Aelin said mischievously, gesturing him to come behind her which he immediately obeyed out of curiosity. They walked towards the back wall of the sitting room they were in. There was a quite big tapestry hanging there. It was a beautiful painting of a sun-stag, Mala's sacred animal, in a forest. The only light there except of the moon was the fire between its antlers.

Then Aelin exaggeratedly pulled the tapestry, revealing a hidden staircase. Rowan stood still for a moment, his mouth in a shape that likely said 'whoa'.

Good, the others had some business to attend to. Aelin wasn't keen on showing this to them anytime soon.

"Now, I pray you, what in hell were you thinking?" Rowan felt the need to gag.

"Come on, it is wonderful." Aelin nudged him in the chest, forcing him down the dimly lit stone stairs which required him to bend a bit. There were not more than a dozen stairs, leading to a much nicer room.

The room was painted bright yellow and was well lit and to answer Rowan's question, there indeed was a grand piano sitting at the corner of the room and there was also a bookcase filled with thick books. The Queen's personal collection.

"No kidding but seriously what were you thinking?" Rowan asked, surveying the room they were now in.

"Why don't you like it?" Aelin pushed him farther into the room, "It is perfect. I had it furnished only last month. It has some magic that prevents scent and sound to leave it. I have my very own set of favorite books and also a piano. What can be wrong with it?"

Rowan was still surveying the room, wondering how Aelin managed to furnish a whole room without any of them knowing, as he went towards the bookcase. He ran his fingers though each level of books and then as if sensing something different, he removed them from the second shelf one by one. There was a special type of box in there, not of wood or metal but something different. Not at all dangerous though.

"I see one thing wrong with this. Care to explain?" Rowan said as he removed four bottles of strong liquor from the box.

"They were ..." Aelin was trying hard to find a good enough excuse but finally accepted, "Fine. What if I don't keep them here?"

"I guess ..." Rowan took a long, long pause to see that begging look on Aelin's face for a few more seconds, "It will be fine."

"You want to learn piano now that you done rating my perfect room." Aelin scoffed.

"From when are you so dumb?" Aelin asked, slightly frustrated that her mate couldn't manage one song even after nearly three hours of practice.

"I guess it isn't my thing." Rowan agreed dejectedly. He hadn't thought it would be that difficult given how effortlessly Aelin plays that thing.

"You ought to have one refined skill other than ending lives." Aelin asked, sharper than she had intended.

"Well, I may not be good at piano or like reading books but my cousins say I have a fairly nice voice." Rowan said with every show of modesty.

"That would be great. You sing, I play. Let's see what you got there, Buzzard." Aelin added, "And just to be clear I would like some of the old language."

Rowan grinned and started a song about the night on snow covered mountains .

Aelin suddenly remembered why her death wish was to listen him speaking the old language. It felt so pure and she was so engrossed into it that she forgot she had to play the piano with him. Only when Rowan pointed towards the grand piano in front of her that she realized what she was supposed to do.

"That was awesome." She said as patted her mate on the back while they left the secret room.

Love,

Memeismeme : )