It took two weeks before Aurora could no longer focus on the words. Her eyes burned and her brain mixed the words all together on the page. She had been mainly alone, sensing that Azriel had been in the House at times, but Mor had to go to a different court, and Feyre was High Lady- she couldn't focus on Aurora everyday.
Aurora could now eat another meal, one in the morning and one in the evening. Every meal was taken alone, though food appeared on the table when she was ready for it. This morning, she was blinking rapidly as she tried to focus on the same page for an hour, legs crossed on the chair at the dining table. Footsteps sounded, telling her that Azriel wanted her to be aware of his presence.
"Good morning," he spoke, grabbing a glass of water. Aurora looked up at him, her mouth going dry. He was still in sleeping clothes, loose fabric pants and no shirt.
"Good morning," she whispered in response, tearing her eyes from him and back to the book.
"Did you eat dinner yesterday?" Aurora nodded, though didn't look up. "And the day before?" Now she looked up, forcing her eyes to stay on his face, which wasn't much easier than his body.
"I did. I have had two meals for three days now." He gave her a nod, walking up to her. He was testing her, though she didn't know. He was incredibly close to her, abdomen mere inches from her face. Her neck was craned, throat bobbing as she kept her eyes on his. Azriel knew that if they began training, he'd have to be close to her, touch her to adjust footing or position.
Azriel squatted, his face now level with hers. Aurora felt her chest rising and falling, heavy breaths of either fear or flustering, she wasn't sure. Azriel held his hand out, swallowing hard. He may have been testing himself, as well. Aurora glanced down at it, the palm face up at her. Her hand shook as she lifted it, slowly letting it rest in his.
Azriel gave her a small smile when her full weight of her hand was sat in his, his fingers closing over hers. She passed the test, and he now knew he'd be able to get close if necessary during training.
"Let's start today. Finish your breakfast and dress in pants and a shirt, it is warm outside but wear something flexible. I'm sure Mor left something in there." She gave him a slow nod and he dropped her hand after a squeeze, standing and walking towards the corridor. Aurora let out a slow breath, it was the first kind physical interaction she had had with a man.
She ate her breakfast quickly, careful not to make herself sick, and went to her room. Shuffling through the closet, there were trousers, leathers, leggings, sleeveless shirts, several items she could wear in training. She tugged on the small she could find, leggings that still hung on her waist, thick socks, and a sleeveless top that was meant to be tight and short on the waist, easy to move in, but it, too, drooped and was no where near skin tight as it should be. Her hair was still in the braid that Mor had placed it in a week ago, completely brushed through and no longer matted.
The first time Aurora had washed her hair without the matting, it had felt incredibly soft. Hair stuck out from around the braid now, but it still was neat and held it back. Tugging on leather boots with a cringe at the suffocating feeling, Aurora made her way to the sitting room. Azriel was sat on the couch, flipping through her most recent book. He was dressed in training clothes: Form fitting pants and a sleeveless tunic. His wings always made her breath hitch, tall and wide.
"Ready?" Azriel asked, closing the book and looking up at her. His shadowed gaze traveled down her new clothes and back up to her face. Aurora nodded, and he stood. Az showed her the way to the rooftop training ring, the sun making her gasp. It seemed brighter outside, so much warmer. It had been so long since the sun truly hit her skin, not just through a window.
Azriel watched silently as she closed her eyes, tilting her head back and soaking in the rays. The sun made her auburn hair seem to glow, her too-pale skin threatened to burn. He had decided they'd need to go to the city and purchase a skin protectant from the sun since it had been so long since it touched her.
Azriel cleared his throat, "Okay, we will not be doing combat for a long while, but I do have something to mention that is incredibly important." Aurora blinked as she opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. Her pulse raced as he stepped closer to her, his hand raising. "May I?" She nodded, and Azriel moved behind her.
"Your hair is much longer than any of the females I've trained. With it being in a braid like this, you risk it being grabbed easily in combat. If you do not cut it, I recommend this." His fingers undid the ribbon at the end, taking the anchor from her hair. He clenched his jaw as he ran his fingers through the braid, undoing it. Chills ripped down Aurora's spine. When the braid was free, her rear-length hair blowing in the small breeze, Azriel collected it in his hand. He began twisting it, spinning the hair around itself until it became a knot at the base of her neck. He wrapped the ribbon around it and tied it, stepping back.
Aurora brought her hand up, feeling the bun in her hair.
"It is not as fun of a style, but practical," Azriel teased, making her eyes widen. He hadn't been more than serious around her. Aurora turned to face him, blinking in the sunshine. Azriel gave a nod, more so to himself, and walked over to line drawn on the stone.
"Cassian did this with Nesta not long ago, so the marks he made are still here. You need to learn your balance, it's important when it comes to blows and punches. You do not want to be caught stumbling over yourself in a fight," Azriel spoke, standing on the line, one foot in front of the other and perfectly balanced. "Now try and push me," he instructed.
Aurora's eyes widened, her hands raising. He wanted her to touch him, his arm, his chest. Her hands trembling, she pressed them against his bicep and waist, shoving as hard as she could. He was completely stable, Aurora had shoved herself back from him. Nearly tripping over her feet, her eyes shot up to his. The hint of a smile crept to his face.
"I told you, balance is everything. Now you try."
For five hours, this is all it was. Azriel showing her the best way to stand to keep stable in combat, Aurora hitting the ground constantly. Her black pants were coated in red dust by the time he ended their training. Azriel excused himself to check in with the High Lord, and Aurora took a long bath. She was tempted to leave her hair down again tomorrow, but she knew Az wouldn't tie it up for her again. That gentle touch was absolute bliss to her. It wasn't him specifically, but just the touch from another person that was kind. Like when Mor had brushed her hair, Aurora had nearly fallen asleep from the comfort.
When she left the bath and dressed in Night Court attire, this set being a deep purple, Azriel was in the dining room speaking to someone. She crept down the corridor, trying to hear what they said in hushed tones.
"- falling. She was afraid to put her hands on me, I felt the tremors each time." The whispers of the shadows brought his voice to her.
"She's been through a lot, Az. It's going to take time for her to be willing to touch you, let alone any male. Go to Rita's if you're that frustra-."
"Shh. She's coming."
Aurora stepped into view of the two males, Cassian lounging on a chair at the dining table and Azriel standing across from him. She stiffened when she felt the two male gazes on her, alone with them. Her eyes fell on Azriel, his shadows stretching, reaching. He won't hurt you.
Aurora wasn't sure if it was just her mind playing tricks, but she swore the words reached her. With a sharp intake of breath, she made her way to the table and sat along the edge, perfectly in between Cassian and Azriel.
"I heard training was rough today. Nes didn't get the whole balancing thing for a while, either. It's tough at first," Cassian sent her a smile. Aurora just looked at him and his smile faltered. She felt bad for not returning the gesture, but something about his warrior build and look, it terrified her. Maybe it was because the males that hurt her looked similar to his size, his brutal strength. Azriel was just as lethal, but he didn't scare her anymore. Aurora figured it would take time to feel the same towards Cassian.
"She did well. She did not give up, that's the best start. We will do more tomorrow," Azriel spoke up, relieving her of the discomfort. Her eyes trailed to him, tense body relaxing slightly. Azriel seemed to notice, his eyes falling to her hands that were falling from the clenched fists she didn't know she had. Aurora stretched out her fingers, willing the House to bring her supper. It did, but her eyes widened. She was used to eating simple foods: Soups, porridge, stews. This was roasted chicken, an array of vegetables, bread. She'd be sick far too quickly with such hefty foods.
"The House knew you burned too much energy today, it is trying to give you more sustainable foods than just broth or porridge. Give it a try, if you get ill, I will get you something else," Azriel murmured. A tingle went down her back and Aurora sighed. She forked the steamed vegetables first, something less filling than meat.
"Anyway, do you want to come with Mor and I to Rita's tonight? It's song night," Cassian spoke to Azriel with a sing-song voice. She continued to stare at her plate as she ate, ignoring their talk, or at least looking like it.
"I don't think so, I have some-."
"No, you've been on babysitting duty for weeks. Come with us," Cassian interrupted him. Aurora stilled, eyes staying on her plate. She didn't look up, but Azriel was glaring at Cassian, who was looking at her with crimson cheeks. "I mean, you've been busy. Just come with us," Cass corrected himself, but Aurora had already soaked in his words.
Aurora kept her head down, slowly poking at the meal with her fork as two chairs scratched against the ground and footsteps receded. Azriel was babysitting her. The Spymaster, the Shadowsinger, he was ordered to watch over her like a child. So was Mor, and Feyre at times.
Aurora lifted her head, looking over her shoulder at the corridor, focusing her ears to hear them. She couldn't, they had either walked too far or were speaking too quietly. She continued to poke at her food, losing her appetite completely. With a sigh, Aurora shoved her plate away and stood, silently making her way to her room.
She didn't see or hear Azriel for the rest of the night, her eyes wide open and staring out at the magnificent night sky. It was clear and bright, everything she had wished for as a child. She watched the fae down on the streets, no bigger than specks of dust as they walked.
She prayed to the Mother that Azriel wouldn't speak to her at training in the morning, hopefully not be there at all. She didn't want to face him after learning that he was only meant to watch over her, not become a friend.