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It wasn’t that Chaol was surprised Aelin got married. It was more of the fact that she’d deemed to even inform him at all.
It had been over seven years since they’d last spoken - well spoken was putting it nicely. More like screamed at each other until their voices gave out, reducing them to harsh whispers and angry stares.
Seven years since Chaol had accused his fiance of cheating on him. Seven years since Aelin threw his ring back in his face and walked out of his life forever.
Or apparently not forever, Chaol thought, staring at the wedding announcement in his hand.
“Aedion is my cousin!” He can still hear Aelin’s voice in his head, screaming at him for his jealousy and assumptions. The shock on her face, then the anger and the rage.
Aelin had always been full of rage. It was part of why Chaol had loved her. She was fierce and passionate, never one to let anyone stop her from getting what she wanted. Chaol had liked the idea of being someone that Aelin had wanted.
Until he didn’t. Until he was convinced she was straying, despite the Westfall family ring on her finger. He knows now of course, that he’d been insecure and they never really worked as a couple. Aelin liked the stability Chaol gave her for a time, but she was always a free-spirit. Not one to be contained, not one to be the pretty housewife his father had convinced Chaol he needed.
It took a long time for Chaol to realize that. It took Lysandra showing up days after their fight and packing all of Aelin’s things, all of her dresses and books, for Chaol to even truly understand it was over.
“Where is she,” he had demanded.
“She’s gone to Doranelle,” Lysandra had said. The “as far away from you as she could get” was left unsaid. But Chaol knew in that moment she’d never come back, and even if she did it wouldn’t be to him.
Doranelle, the land of her cousins, and apparently, her husband. Rowan, the announcement read. The photo showed silver hair and green eyes that stared at Aelin like they were the only thing that mattered in the universe. Chaol could see the same thing echoed in her turquoise eyes.
She’d never looked at him like that.
But there was no jealousy from Chaol now. Aelin was a wound that had healed over a long time ago. Despite being his first love, she wasn’t his current.
Chaol looked up from the announcement, his wife was watching him closely.
Yrene Towers, the woman who had shown him how to actually be a man. The smartest thing he’d ever done was ask her to marry him. Somedays he still can’t quite believe she said yes.
“Aelin got married,” he told his wife.
Yrene blinked and rested a hand on her round stomach.
“We should send her a baby announcement,” was all she said, watching Chaol’s face carefully for a reaction.
Chaol put the announcement back down on the counter and stepped closer to his wife.
“We should,” he said before leaning in to kiss her.
Aelin had gotten her happy ending and Chaol could be happy about that, because he’d gotten his as well.
But you'll find the real thing instead. She'll patch up your tapestry that I shred.