Chapter Text
Lorcan and Chaol weren’t back until late.
Yrene and Elide, getting home earlier, took it upon themselves to prepare dinner. So they did. A hearty meal of roast chicken, potatoes, and green beans was prepared and the table set by the two of them. Sure, they didn’t have to prepare dinner, or get the table ready, but they’d insisted. Wanted to.
So with the table set and the food piping hot, they waited for the boys to return.
And they made it just in time. The food was starting to grow cold and Elide and Yrene were getting impatient. And hungry. Extraordinarily hungry. It took all of Elide’s willpower not to touch the food—the green beans, especially. They were her favorite.
Just as they were about to dig in without them, Lorcan and Chaol strode through the door, the two of them…laughing? Elide hadn’t heard Lorcan laugh with anyone besides her in—well—ever, she thought. How strange.
“It smells delicious,” Chaol said, striding to his wife and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“I had help,” Yrene replied, smiling.
Chaol returned her smile and turned to Elide. “Thank you for helping her.”
Elide shrugged. “Happy to help. But now that everyone’s here, can we dig in? I’m starving.”
Lorcan chuckled and took a seat at the table, Elide next to him. Yrene and Chaol sat across from them. Food piled upon plate after plate as everyone had a first, second, and in Lorcan’s case, third plate of food. Quiet mmms of approval at the flavor could be heard from just about everyone as they dug in, the chatter ceasing until everyone was thoroughly full.
“I…I can’t eat anymore,” Elide said, frowning after finishing her second plate. “But I want more.”
“We’ll get the recipe from Yrene,” Lorcan said.
Elide smirked. “I already did.”
“Then we can make it together, back in Perranth.”
“I’d like that,” Elide said.
“Okay, everyone, I’ve got dessert coming soon, but it’ll be a few minutes.”
Elide’s eyes lit up. Dessert? She must’ve unknowingly said it out loud, because Yrene chuckled. “Yes, dessert. But you’ll have to wait for it, just a little while longer.”
“That’s okay. But in the meantime, I have a question.”
“Mhmm?”
“How did Chaol propose to you? You said that it’s his story to tell, and he’s here, and so I figured…” Elide trailed off.
Yrene looked to her husband. “Chaol?”
Chaol smiled gently and folded his hands on the table. “Well, it wasn’t exactly what I’d call a…conventional proposal.”
“How so?”
“Well,” Chaol started, “for starters, we’d just fought the Valg possessing Duva, and were both recovering. Yrene was busy healing, and I…well, I had to recover myself, after everything. The day before we were supposed to leave to come back home, I spoke to Hasar. I told her my intention to marry her and asked for her blessing. Hasar told me that it was about time I proposed to Yrene, and wished us a lifetime of happiness. And then she asked how I was going to do it. That’s when I enlisted her help. See, she was to see Yrene later that afternoon, and so I asked her if she would bring Yrene out to the gardens, right near her favorite flowers. Act natural, I’d told her. She was so giddy I was worried she’d give it away—”
“She almost did,” Yrene interjected, “she almost told me right as we were walking to the gardens. Oh, Yrene, did you know that Chaol she’d said, and then stopped herself, as if she was about to give away your biggest secret.”
Chaol squeezed Yrene’s hand. “It was. So Hasar brought Yrene to the gardens, stopped in front of the flowers, and kept her talking for a bit.”
“She was horrible at the small talk. It was all so forced. I was certain she was playing a joke on me.”
“As they were talking, and Hasar had her attention, I came up to the gardens, stopping just behind where Yrene stood. I got down on one knee, Yrene none the wiser, until I said a quiet, Yrene. Hasar told her to turn around, and then…well, and then I asked her to marry me. Hasar must’ve kept her mouth shut, as Yrene’s face, the light in her eyes…I’ll never forget that moment.”
“I won’t either,” she said, and kissed Chaol’s cheek.
Right then, Elide knew she wanted a love like theirs. She had love like that, though. With Lorcan. Despite his cold exterior, his gruffness, he loved her.
And she could imagine telling their story, Lorcan telling the story of how he proposed to her, Elide interjecting as he spoke, sharing the moment with their friends, their family.
But she wasn’t sure they’d ever have the chance to share their own moment.
She looked to Lorcan, who was smiling at Yrene and Chaol, lost in each other. He looked…happy. Content. As if he could see them living the very same life, sharing their love in the same way. She leaned closer to him, grabbing his hand. He gave it a squeeze, and looked to her.
What’s wrong? His eyes seemed to say.
She shook her head. Nothing. But her expression must’ve gave it away, her mouth turned down, her body hunched over, ever so slightly. Lorcan leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.
Dessert eventually arrived, a delectable chocolate cake that everyone devoured almost instantly. Afterwards, the couples made it back to their rooms, ready for sleep.
“How long until we head back to Perranth?” Elide wondered aloud in bed.
“We head back tomorrow,” Lorcan replied, “though not without a hearty breakfast.”
***
Again, the trip took three days.
This time, though Yrene and Chaol came along, much to Elide’s protesting.
“You shouldn’t be traveling!” Elide had said, but Yrene brushed her off, telling her that it was safe, that the baby would be fine, and a few days of travel would be good. Plus, she’d added, she wanted to see Perranth.
Elide eventually relented. Yrene was healer. If it was too much, she’d know.
So for the next three days, they rode through the days and found inns for the night. With Chaol and Yrene with them, though, they were able to find inns much faster than either she or Lorcan could. Somehow, they knew exactly where to go. When Elide finally asked how they were able to find everything, Yrene simply said that Chaol was familiar with the land and when they were leaving Terrasen and heading back to Rifthold, they’d stayed at the very same places.
In response, Elide had grumbled something about Lorcan needing to find better taste in inns.
Eventually, though, they came upon Perranth, the territory glowing under the light of the coming sunset.
“Elide!” Yrene called from her horse a few feet away. “Do you see this view! The hills! Over there!”
Yrene pointed for emphasis.
Elide chuckled. “I do.”
“Can we go see the view?”
“Of course! I’ll go tell Lorcan and Chaol.” The two males were about thirty feet ahead, scouting out and talking softly to one another.
“Oh, no, don’t bother. Tell them to go ahead and we’ll meet them there.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to make them go on alone…”
Yrene ignored her hesitations. “Chaol! Lorcan!” she yelled, “go on ahead. We’re going to check out the view!”
They turned, giving Yrene and Elide a thumbs up, and went on their way.
Elide followed Yrene to the hill, where she could see the sun beginning to set on Perranth.
“It’s beautiful,” Yrene breathed.
Elide nodded. Perranth was stunning during the day, but at sunset…it was unforgettable. The pink and purple and red hues enveloped the sky, making the city below look like a dream.
She wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, staring at the sky and city below. Eventually, though, Yrene turned her horse around. Elide did the same, and then they were, again, heading towards her home.
***
Chaol and Lorcan must’ve already gone inside, Elide realized, as they dismounted their horses and started towards the steps of Elide’s home.
“Wait!” Yrene said, “can we take a look around?”
“Now?” Elide asked, puzzled. “What about Chaol and Lorcan?”
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Yrene said, grabbing Elide’s hand and leading her the opposite direction.
Unsure of where Yrene expected them to go, Elide simply followed, letting her friend guide the way. If she wanted to see Perranth—or, at least, the lands surrounding her home—wandering would certainly do the trick. But there was something about the way Yrene walked, the intentionality of her steps, that had Elide wondering if Yrene knew something she didn’t.
Eventually, Elide realized why.
They were walking towards the tower—or, rather, where the tower once stood.
She could barely make it out in the distance, though she could’ve sworn she could see candlelight.
“Yrene,” Elide said, stopping her friend for a moment, “must we walk this way?”
“I want to see the grounds,” Yrene replied.
“I just…”
“Please, Elide. Pretty please?”
Elide couldn’t deny her friend. “Okay.”
The candlelight Elide saw wasn’t her imagination after all.
As they approached, the light became brighter, illuminating the shadows as they kept moving forward, to her former prison.
Only, when they arrived, there was no prison. No rubble. Not even a memory of stone.
In its place stood a garden, bright and blooming. And the candles…holding them were Aelin and Rowan, Fenrys, Dorian and Manon, Aedion and Lysandra. Yrene moved to join them, standing next to Chaol.
And in front of her, Lorcan was on one knee, smiling up at her.
She started crying before the words escaped Lorcan’s lips.
“Will you marry me, Elide?”