A Court of Scars and Shadows

Territorial

GWYN'S POV

She was never drinking again. Never. Her head wouldn't stop pounding ever since she woke up.

Nesta and Feyre were up before her but Mor and Emerie still slept soundly. Nesta had given her a tonic for her headache but it seemed useless. Nesta told her that it would take more than half an hour for it to start working.

Gwyn stumbled slightly when she went one of the empty mattresses in the middle of the kitchen floor. Rest, that was what she needed. If she went to sleep again, the headache would surely stop. She all but flopped onto a mattress and threw a blanket over her head. She heard Feyre chuckle softly.

She closed her eyes trying to fall asleep again but the thrumming in her head wouldn't let her. She tried to focus on anything else but her skull kept pounding. She groaned against her pillow. Fuck, her headache was getting close to unbearable.

She closed her eyes and this time it seemed like the pain helped her drift into sleep.

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She woke up to people speaking in quiet tones. So quiet she could barely make out what they were saying. Barely.

Her headache has lucky faded.

She knew Nesta's voice the second she heard it and she knew that the other voice belonged to her mate as she felt one of his shadows weave its way through her hair.

Although she knew it was bad to eavesdrop, she pretended she was still asleep and used her own shadows to hear what they were saying.

"She complained about having a terrible headache, I warned her not to drink too much," Nesta's tone was playful.

"And she didn't listen..." her mate's voice made her blood swirl. Nesta chuckled.

"She's always been stubborn... just like her mate," Nesta said, making Gwyn roll her eyes even though Nesta couldn't see it. There was an awkward pause before Nesta asked him, "How have you been?"

"Fine," Azriel responded roughly.

"Fine? Really?" Nesta mused. "Because if I had just came back from being supposedly dead, I don't think I would be just fine."

"What are you getting at Nesta?"

"All I'm trying to say is that it's ok not be fine Az," Nesta assured him.

"Nesta, as much as I appreciate whatever this is, I am fine. Truly."

"Alright," she drawled. "How's Gwyn treating you?" The hint in Nesta's voice made Gwyn internally groan.

"Amazing. Better than I will ever deserve," the reverence in his voice made Gwyn's hands shake slightly. She restrained herself from getting up from the mattress, cupping his face and telling him that he deserved everything she gave him and so much more.

"You love her," Nesta simply stated.

"Yes," Azriel sighed. Nesta must've been smirking crazily because Azriel said, "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Because I called it since she cut the ribbon. I told Cassian that you guys were going to be a couple one day. Guess Elain isn't the only one with seer abilities."

"Hilarious" Azriel exasperated. Gwyn shifted her feet slightly and the shadow in her hair tightened. Shit. Azriel quickly shifted the conversation.

"How long has she been asleep for?"

"A little over two hours, the pain tonic knocked her out. Should we wake her," Nesta suggested.

"No" his voice lower than before. "Let her sleep." Gwyn didn't need her shadows to tell her that both Nesta and her mate were looking at her "sleeping" form.