Her weight in his arms was a comfort he had not expected. But was she... shaking?
"How did you get here? How did you find me?" She asks, and Rowan knew that there would be no avoiding this conversation, but for now, he didn't want to have to face the shame of obeying an order.
"You made it clear my kind would not be welcome on your continent. So I stowed away on a ship. You'd mentioned a home in the slums so when I arrived this evening I wandered until I picked your sent" Easier said then done, the putrid scent of this city was one that might forever be ingrained in brain. The shit he can smell, the noxious odor of the illicit substances that are all to common in this city, and worst of all the rancid blood of the valg. But for now he focuses on Aelin. Pulling her back so he can see more of her, noting the new scars. "You have a lot to tell me," He said and she simply nodded. "But you're not hurt" Relief filled him at the implications of those words. "You're safe?" He asks, needing confirmation. She nodded once again. Pulling her face closer to him, almost burying it into his chest.
"I thought I gave you an order to stay in Wendlyn." He could feel the words in his chest. It made him subconsciously bring himself closer, wanting to smell that delectable scent of hers once again.
"I had my reasons, best spoken somewhere secure. Your friends at the fortress say hello by the way. I think they miss having an extra scullery maid. Especially Luca- especially in the morning." He tries to change the subject, and judging by the laugh that escapes her, it works. She squeezes Rowan once more, and he realizes something. "Why are you crying?" He wants to search her face again, but her grip doesn't relent.
"I'm crying" She sniffs "Because you smell so rutting bad my eyes are watering"
Rowan laughed, something he hadn't done since she left, and it felt good. "Bathing isn't an option for a stowaway" He said and flicked her nose as they break apart. "Are you just going to make them stand there all night?" He asks referring to her companions.
"Since when are you a stickler for manners?" She asks. But she surprises him by sliding an arm around his waist, he places his along her shoulders, savoring the muscle he can feel under the leather suit she wears. And they turn to face the others. His eyes immediately go to the male. His brain frantically trying to decide if he is a threat to his queen. But the male turns and meets his eyes. And Rowan instantly knows who he is. Aedion Ashryver, Aelin's cousin. And if his scent was any indication Gavriels son. Aedion's eyes blaze with a silent challenge, that Rowan does not backdown from. He doesn't break his stare as they step closer. That is until Aelin squeezes Rowan's side shocking him enough that Rowan hiss's and pinches her shoulder.
"Let's go inside" She says. The woman who had retreated slightly steps up.
"I'll see you guys later" The woman says before turning away and retreating into the slums. And Rowan can see that Aelin debates calling her back, but eventually decides against its as her cousin leads them to where Aelin must live. Rowan savors the feeling of Aelin under his arm the entire walk. They pull up at a warehouse that Rowan quickly surveys before stepping aside to let aelin through, he momentarily debates making a comment along the lines of 'ladies first' but knows he made the smart move to stay silent when Aelin grabs his hand and leads him up the stairs. Rowan can't help but feel a jolt in his heart when she touches him. They enter a lavish apartment and Rowan quickly marks the entrances and exits along with how he would react if someone gained entry. The male stood by the fireplace with his hood still on, standing as if he thought Rowan might attack. Aelin kept walking though, calling to him over her shoulder.
"Aedion, meet Rowan. Rowan, meet Aedion. His Highness needs a bath or I'll vomit if I have to sit next to him for more than a minute" And with that she dragged him into her bedroom, of all places, and closing the door behind her.
Once in the room Rowan strode to the center, but Aelin stayed against the door, hood still on watching him. She bites her lip as she scans him up and down, and Rowan finds himself wishing he could bite her lip instead, to discover what those beautiful full lips would taste like.
"Take off your hood" He said, unable to contain the growl that accompanies those words, his eyes focused solely on that mouth of hers.
"You show me yours and I'll show you mine, Prince" She responds and there are those smart mouth comments he found himself missing.
"From tears to sass in a few minutes. I'm glad the month apart hasn't dimmed your usual good spirits." and with no more ceremony he yanked back his hood. She was striding towards him in an instant.
"Your hair! You cut it all off" She exclaimed and pulled down her hood and started to cross the lingering distance between them. The Red hair was a shock, but not as much as her face, it was the same, the one he had dreamed about, against his will mind you, but seeing it again shook him. It took him a second to remember what she had said, before he could form a response.
"Since you seem to think we will be doing a good amount of fighting here, shorter hair is more useful. Though I can't say that your hair might be considered the same. You might as well have died it blue."
"Hush. Your hair was so pretty" He bristled slightly at the word pretty. "I was hoping you'd let me braid it one day. I suppose I'll have to buy a pony instead." She cocked her beautiful face to the side, mischief in her eyes "When you shift will your hawk form be plucked too?"
Irritation flooded his face, well at least she hadn't changed. He turned to take his first real look at her room. All the trinkets and nicknacks surrounding she owned. "You weren't lying about your taste for luxury"
"Not all of us enjoy living in warrior-squalor," She said, putting it mildly. She grabbed his hand once again, and he wrapped his fingers around hers. She looks up at him, watching his face carefully, and he is content to just watch hers forever. He opened his mouth to make a comment, he knew he might come to regret. But she pulled him into the bathroom. She bent to light a few candles, and he tried not to watch her body while she did it.
"I meant it about the bath" She turned on the taps, and set the drain. "You stink" His eyes follow her as she grabs a towel.
"Tell me everything" He demands. She doesn't acknowledge him yet just finishes setting up the bath, Rowans eyes track her the entire time.
"I will when you are soaking in the tub and don't smell like a vagrant."
"If memory serves, you smelled even worse when we first met. And I didn't shove you into the nearest trough in Varese." The familiar glare Aelin sends his way settles a bit of his soul.
"Funny"
"You made my eyes water the entire damn journey to Mistward."
"Just get in" He chuckles slightly but obeys. She shrugs off her cloak and leaves Rowan to strip alone in the bathing room. He tries not to think that Aelin is just across the wall, probably changing out of tat tight fitting suit of hers... He shakes that thought out of his head and gets into to murky bath water, allowing it to settle around him. He scrubs at his face and neck, trying to rid himself of the filth of weeks without a chance to bathe. He moves his scrubbing down his torso. He goes to rinse his face and Aelin mutely hands him a washcloth. He uses that to clean the back of his neck and his throat. Aelin hands him a soap. He sniffs it, lavender, of course she would have fine soap, he sighs and cleaned what he hadn't already scrubbed. Aelin moves again, to sit at the edge of the tub and begins to explain what he missed. He goes to wash his hair when she squeaks.
"You don't use that on your hair" She practically hisses. She stands and goes to a shelf containing many bottles. "Rose, lemon verbena, or..." She smells the third bottle "Jasmine"
He looks up at her, eyes conveying the words he knows he doesn't need to say /does it look like I care what you pick?/
A click of that silver tongue of hers, "Jasmine it is, you buzzard"Oh he remembers that term of endearment. She sits behind him and begins working the tonic into his hair. The feeling strangely relaxing. The night filled scent that reminds Rowan of her fills his senses.
"I could still probably braid this, very teensy- tiny braids so-" He cuts her off with a growl, but subconsciously leans against the tub, his eyes closing as he focused on the woman currently massaging his scalp. "You're no better than a house cat" She said, and he decided that he was ok with that as long as she doesn't stop. A low noise escapes his throat. She's quiet for a moment and Rowan looses track of time and space, his only thoughts are of this wildfire of aa woman behind him.
"You haven't said anything about your magic" she susurrate, hands not stopping their motion.
"What about it?" He asks. Her fingers stop moving.
"How does it feel to be powerless as a mortal?"
He opens his eyes to find her face in front of his. He glares at her. "It's not funny."
"Does it look like I'm laughing?"
"I spent the first few days sick to my stomach and barely able to move. It was like having a blanket thrown over my senses" He shudders at the memory.
"And now?" She inquires.
"and now I'm dealing with it"
Her finger jabs into his shoulder. "Grumpy, Grumpy" She chides. he snarls softly at her. He pushes down on his shoulders, he takes that as a sign to rinse his hair. The water covering his face, when he surfaces he's handed a towel and despite his protests, Aelin searches for clothes for him. He takes his time drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist. When he walks into her room he finds Aelin kneeling on the floor in front of a drawer with mens clothes in it. Sam he remembers.
"You don't have to give those to me" Rowan says, knowing how it feels to loose someone you love. She starts a bit, but stands anyway.
"Clean clothes are scarce in this house right now" She simply says holding up a shirt, to compare size. "I hope it fits" She garbs a pair of undershorts and pants from the drawer and hands them to him. "I'll get you proper clothes tomorrow. I'm pretty sure you'd cause a riot if the women of Rifthold see you walking down the streets in nothing but a towel." /does that include you?/ he wonders to himself. His eyes look up and they land on her closet. Tens of dresses and tunics line the closet.
"You wore all of this?" He asks, and she nods. He flicks through some of the dresses. Very different from the court dresses of where he is from, but somehow prettier. "These are... very beautiful" he comments.
"I would have pegged you for a proud member of the anti-finery crowd."
"Clothes are weapons too" He says, he was going to say something else, but he stops as he sees a tight black dress. The front is very simple, but when he turns to see the back he sees the beautiful golden embroidered back, a dragon. He imagines Aelin wearing this one, and he has too loose a tight breath. "I like this one best." She runs her fingers along the fabric.
"I saw it in the shop when I was 16 and bought it immediately. But when the dress was delivered it seemed too... old. It overpowered the girl I was so I never wore it, it's hung here for 3 years." She explains. He runs a finger along the dragon.
"You're not that girl anymore. Someday I want to see you wear this" Her elbow brushes home, and she whispers 3 words.
"I missed you"
"We weren't apart that long" Lies... it felt like they were apart forever.
"So? Am I not allowed to miss you?" yes... no...
"I once told you that people you care about were weapons to be used against you. Missing me was a foolish distraction" He's such a fucking hypocrite, the words taste sour even in his own mouth.
"You're a real charmer, you know that?" She swallows, and hands him the clothes. "You can get dressed in here." She strides out of the room.
He shrugs on the undershorts and pants, they are a tight fit, but when he tried the shirt he knew it would never work, so he removed it and carefully folded it. He brassed himself to face aelin. The news he was carrying would have to be told soon.