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“Shadowsinger, you need sleep.”
Azriel sighed. “ Gwyneth, I have to finish my reports. Rhys will be waiting for them by noon.” He looked at the clock in his room. “ Which means I only have about 2 hours to write it and - “
“Shadowsinger, you were gone to Illyria for a week which basically means no peaceful nights and more stressful days and you were awake almost the whole night, training with me and from what it looks like, you haven’t slept since the sun rose. I don’t care if it’s the high lord who you need to report to, as your friend, I take it upon myself to see you’ve slept and not overworked yourself.” Gwyn finished her ramble, her eyes filled with concern and affection, peering at him from beneath those lashes.
“Okay, fine. I’ll sleep.” He made a hollow promise, assuming Gwyneth would leave him alone to wallow in his misery and drown in those reports. He wanted to groan even at the thought of completing them.
Not many knew this, but writing for hours on end was a very mammoth task for him. Perhaps, more difficult than taking on both his brothers at once in a brawl. After a few pages, his scars ached from strain and his numb fingers found it hard to keep his writing steady.
His plan clearly failed cause when he looked back at the Valkyrie, she had a feral grin on her face. “ I’m staying till you sleep, shadowsingerrr.” She added in a sing- song, no nonsense voice.
Ah! Saw right through him, then.
With Gwyn looking at him with such puppy eyes, and with the incentive of sleep, he couldn’t, rather, didn’t want to say no. Mother above knows he already can’t sleep at night. Perhaps, with the red- headed valkyrie by his side, he might be lucky to get a wink of sleep.
“ Fine.” He let out a groan and relented. Though, he felt giddy at the thought of the priestess thinking so much of him, for him.
“ But, only for an hour. Then, I’ll wake up and I'll finish my reports and yeah..” he trailed off and turned around to go fetch a blanket from his cupboard.
Gwyn followed close behind, crossing the threshold and closing the door behind her. She had come to see if the shadowsinger had woken up when she had found him in a disheveled state, the top buttons of his shirt undone, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hair messy. (A sin. It should be a sin to look like that *sigh*) but his eyes betrayed his tiredness.
She had assumed he was asleep and had not found him asleep (clearly). Hence, the ramble. Or scolding. No matter.
Gwyneth caught sight of a bookshelf, a small one, stuffed at the corner of his room. She let out an impressed sound. “Never would I have thought, the famed spymaster liked crime novels.” She turned towards Azriel.
He simply looked back from where he was standing, rummaging through his drawers and shrugged. His lips curved up into a small, shy smile.
“ I read when I have the time to savor a book.” His tone had a sense of finality, as if embarrassed to talk more of it. A mystery for another time then.
Gwyn picked up a random book with a catchy title and flopped down on the sofa that lay at the foot of the bed.
“ I’ll just read for a while here. Will wake you up in an hour, shadowsinger.” She opened her book and began to flip through the pages.
Azriel stood there, blanket in hand, contemplating whether to take the bed or be a little impulsive and …
Gwyn stilled when she felt the shadow singer begin to lie down on the sofa. She instinctively lifted her arms, book in hand, to let him keep his head on her lap.
The shadowsinger moved some more, adjusting his wings, so that they could lie on the bed behind them, stretched in all their glory.
Right there, with the sunlight seeping through the windows, the shadows dancing around lazily in the room, a book in her hand and the shadowsinger trying to sleep with his head in her lap, Gwyneth felt blissful.
They had touched during those late night training sessions and had grown accustomed to little innocent touches here and there. But this , this somehow felt more intimate. Like something had clicked, like something had changed.
Gwyn locked these thoughts away for another time and started reading while running her fingers through the silky, raven hair with her free hand.
After a few moments, the shadowsinger’s breathing got even, his heartbeat slowing down to a soft, steady rhythm. His lips parted a little.
He looked so innocent right there. No worries, no weight on his back, no frowns on his forehead, no calculative caution in his eyes. Just a boy, sleeping.
He looked so cute, Gwyn wanted to giggle but didn’t. She did not want to do anything to disturb him so she simply went back to reading her book, her other hand not stopping, gently running her fingers through his hair.
After a while, perhaps minutes, perhaps eons, in that blissful world of their own, there was a crack.
The door clicked and Gwyn’s eyes shot up to see who it was.
And then came in tumbling through the door, the High Lord of the night court and his General. Rhys was saying something, and Cassian was howling, a noise so loud that it would have been enough to wake up the whole city of Velaris, let alone Azriel.
Gwyn let her book drop to the table, and gave them a death stare, her finger on her lips to shush them.
Once they saw her, they both stilled. Shock at seeing the Valkyrie in their brother’s room. And then she saw their eyes registering where Azriel lay in her lap, sleeping soundly.
The High lord’s eyes were filled with mirth and amusement while a small, content smile graced the general’s lips.
Gwyn’s face was now flushed, blushing furiously at having stared down her high lord.She didn’t even want to think about what they made of her and Shadwosinger’s dynamic. Their late night sessions were privy to none and even Cassian, who was now a close friend, knew nothing of them, of their budding friendship or whatever was blooming in between them. And so, she blushed. And then blushed some more.
They both looked at each other, a silent conversation, Gwyn surmised and then both of their smiles grew.
Rhys walked towards Gwyn and lowered his voice. “ I had just come to collect some reports. Perhaps, I’ll return later.” Though his tone was neutral, his eyes betrayed the sheer amusement he felt.
Gwyn released her breath and motioned with her hand to wait a minute and then she started to get up. Azriel groaned a little when she moved away from beneath his head, but then eased back into that lulling sleep when she kept a cushion under his head.
She tucked him in his blanket and stood up, running her hand over her gowns and looked at the shadowsinger, peacefully asleep one last time, and moved to get out of the rooms, gesturing to the illyrians to do the same.
Cassian was the first one to pry. “ Soooo, Gwynie, what’s up ?” His tone was so innocent, but the intention to tease was evident.
Gwyn ignored the attempt, still flustered and moved to face the high lord. “ He hasn’t slept properly in a week and was up all night training with me in the ring. And though he told me he had some work, I was sure he would pass out from exhaustion if he went another minute without sleep, so I kinda forced him to. ” She finished off with a wince.
And then for good measure added an innocent, “Please let him sleep for a while.”
“ A few useless reports can wait, Valkyrie. I assure you, we will not wake him up.” Rhys said and Cassian nodded his head in agreement.
Rhys passed a grateful smile to Gwyn, all mirth gone and in his eyes, Gwyn could only see happiness for his brother. She returned to him, a small smile of her own and turned to walk in the direction of the hallway.
She turned back on her way out, “ Cassian, if you even think of teasing me about it , I will make sure Nesta kicks your ass. Azriel is fair play, though.”
As she entered on to the yard, and sunlight graced her face, she could hear the High Lord and the General howling with laughter.