When do Rowan and Aelin first kiss

Romances

Rowan Whitethorn

Rowan and Aelin first meet in Wendlyn in Heir of Fire when he is given the orders from the immortal Queen Maeve to take Aelin to see her. Upon meeting in Mistward, Maeve gives him the order to oversee Aelin's training before she is allowed into Maeve's realm in Doranelle.

Rowan is a distant relation to Aelin through their shared blood from Mab and Mora.

The relationship between Rowan and Aelin, in the beginning, is strained, to the point of getting into fistfights and beating each other to a pulp. However, after going through a lot together, such as fighting to get rid of skinwalkers and hunting for dead bodies washed up on shores, a slow understanding starts to develop between them both. They soon start building a relationship as friends, and Aelin even remarks that she had loathed him because she felt that she was looking at a mirror image of herself. Rowan and Aelin's relationship grows even more; they became more than friends but less than lovers when they became carranam during the battle of Mistward. Rowan even proves his complete loyalty to Aelin when he swears the blood oath to her after Maeve frees him from his blood oath to her due to Aelin forcing her hand. Carranam means soulmate in another language.

They have some parallels in their lives, such as their respective lovers being killed in gruesome manners and that "collecting scars" was a result of self-inflicted "punishment for [their] sins" due to their inability to protect others from themselves. They both share similar tattoos, Rowan's stretching from the left side of his face to his torso; and Aelin's on her back, over her three main scars she received during her time as a slave in the Salt Mines of Endovier.

In Queen of Shadows, Rowan's relationship with Aelin grows very quickly. He is shown to develop feelings for her, but tries to keep them contained. When they see each other after being months apart, Aelin embraces him and starts to cry, stating how much she had missed him. She later bathes him and contemplates their relationship, how "the lines have always been blurred for them".

Their relationship becomes decidedly romantic in Queen of Shadows when they share a kiss in Aelin's apartment.

In Empire of Storms, Rowan and Aelin have sex in various places. It is revealed that Maeve led Rowan to believe that Lyria was his mate, and then had her and their unborn child killed to break him. His real mate is Aelin, and they were married discretely by Lysandra and the captain of the ship.

Sam Cortland

Sam and Aelin have known each other ever since Arobynn rescued her from the Florine River and took her to the Assassins' Keep to train her. Their rivalry begins after Aelin is chosen in place of Sam as the favourite and heir of Arobynn. Since then, they have remained bitter enemies and regard each other with mutual hostility. After the death of Ben, Aelin and Sam are sent to Skull's Bay on Arobynn's orders. After learning of the real plan of their mentor, they team up to ruin Arobynn's slave deal with the Pirate Lord, Rolfe. When they go back to the Keep and tell Arobynn, Aelin receives a beating, and Sam is forced to watch. During this scene, Sam screams at Arobynn to stop and threatens to kill him. After that experience, they seem to learn to care for another and their relationship turns into an awkward friendship.

After the events at Skull's Bay, Aelin is sent to the Red Desert as punishment for what happened, and she begins to miss her companion and wonders about what has happened to him. The turning point comes when she returns to Rifthold and finds out what Arobynn had done to Sam and he reveals that after the newest mission that the mentor has given him, he will go to Banjali and never return. Aelin convinces him to stay only after having confessed that she loves him and they kiss for the first time in the sewers beneath Rifthold. After paying off Sam's debts, he and Aelin move into their new apartment and live a peaceful life

After a month, they realize that to be free of their former mentor, they need to leave Rifthold and so they go to seek Arobynn's permission to do so. He allows it only after they are to pay their final debt to him, a debt which, if they pay the full amount, could leave Aelin and Sam broke. Sam manages to find a mission or two which allowed them to live in luxury even after they move out of the Keep. But when Sam goes on a mission to kill Rourke Farran; he is brutally tortured and murdered by the crime lord, leaving Aelin in immense pain. After his death, Aelin thinks a lot about Sam and tries to imagine what he would think if he saw her race for freedom, and longs that he come back to her. After winning the competition to be the King's Champion, Aelin looks for information on the movements of Archer Finn. When she discovers that Farran was a customer of Archer's at the time of his capture, in a desperate cry she tells Chaol about Sam and what his loss meant to her. When she learns of Archer's betrayal, he reveals to her the hidden details of the night Sam died and how Arobynn had betrayed Sam and herself.

During the attack on Mistward, the Valg princes play with her memories of Sam and he is shown to be cruel and cold in her visions. Later, the same Sam tries to encourage her to fight back against the Valg princes. After Aelin leaves Doranelle with Rowan, she asks him to draw a set of tattoos in her back that bear the names of her beloved dead, which include Sam.

Dorian Havilliard

Although Dorian intends her to be his Champion in his father's competition, Dorian can't help but be intrigued by Adarlan's Assassin. Aelin herself finds the Crown Prince attractive and although she is warned about the prince's habits with young, pretty girls, she can't stay away.

Dorian catches Aelin playing the pianoforte and although she is embarrassed, they begin to open up to each other. Dorian then sees Aelin trying to play cube, and realizing her trouble with the game, begins to teach her how to play. They are shown playing games of chess and eating lunch together afterwards. They bond over their mutual love of books and dogs, and Dorian later gifts Aelin with a puppy she names Fleetfoot, who would have otherwise been killed as the runt of the mutt litter. Dorian befriends Aelin and following the Yulemas ball, they even share a kiss.

Aelin recognizes that it is not smart to get involved with the prince, nonetheless she continues to let him call on her. Aelin and Dorian share chaste kisses for some time. After the final task of defeating Cain, Aelin decides that it would be inappropriate for the Crown Prince and the King's Champion to maintain a relationship. She ultimately ends things with him but they agree to remain friends.

In Crown of Midnight, Aelin's friendship with Dorian is not quite as it was. She tries to avoid him at all costs, particularly when she is with Chaol. However, when it can't be helped, she maintains a cordial front. Upon meeting Dorian's cousin, Roland Havilliard, Aelin does show some concern for Dorian's well being, particularly after hearing from Chaol why he despises the prince's cousin, and she attempts to warn him. Dorian responds bitterly and the conversation doesn't end well.

Dorian still pines over her, going so far as to ask if she wants him to fight for her, but eventually he wills himself to let her go. He respectfully bows out when he learns just how much his friend has grown to care for Adarlan's Assassin.

Dorian pretty much keeps to himself until he has a mysterious dream about Aelin being in danger. Dorian exposes his powers of raw magic and is surprised when Aelin does not recoil from him. Instead she offers to keep his secret and for that, Dorian is grateful. After Aelin receives the news that she is to be sent on a mission to Wendlyn, she asks Dorian to take care of Fleetfoot in her stead. Dorian agrees that he will treat the dog well. She tells him that she will come back for him.

In Heir of Fire, Aelin spends the entirety of the book away from Rifthold. However, that does not mean she has forgotten about her friend, as she worries for him and his raw magic.

At the end of Queen of Shadows, Aelin tries to save Dorian from the Valg prince taking possession of his body, and they join their magic together, resulting in the destruction of the castle and the death of Dorian's father. Following these events, Dorian is proclaimed King of Adarlan, and Aelin decided that she would work things out with Dorian, and in the end she tells him, "I will always be your friend."

Chaol Westfall

In Throne of Glass, Chaol and Aelin have a love-hate relationship—Chaol does not trust the assassin, even if he starts to feel sympathetic towards her and grows closer. There are scenes where he is portrayed jealous as Aelin and Dorian are together. Finally, in Crown of Midnight, they finally admit their true feelings toward each other and they become lovers.

When Nehemia is killed, she is infuriated with him because of his inaction despite knowing of the threat on Nehemia's life. In her rage, she tries to kill Chaol, and gouges four lines across his face with just her nails. However, by the end of the book, she acknowledges that even though she still loves him, she no longer trusts him and the relationship she had with him is irreparably damaged. Chaol still loves her and agrees to return to Anielle in order to get Aelin to safety.

In Heir of Fire, he is confused about his feelings after he discovers her true identityas Aelin Galathynius, Princess of Terrasen.

In Queen of Shadows, Chaol and Aelin officially declare to each other that "there is no we" anymore. Chaol thought of Aelin as a monster due to her killing drive. Over halfway throughout the novel, he didn't have a tug of jealousy when he noticed that Aelin had Rowan.

Arobynn Hamel

Arobynn Hamel found Aelin at the banks of the Florine River, and offered her a chance to train with him to be an assassin. Aelin agreed only because she knew that he was her only chance to gain a new life—and if she refused, he would return her to the people who wanted her dead. Under Arobynn's tutelage, Aelin is restyled as Celaena Sardothien. Aelin remembers Arobynn as someone very strict who never tried to act as a father figure to her. After he finished training her, he demanded her to return the costs of living he put into her. After paying him off, she also pays off Sam's debt, her current lover. Arobynn later goes to their apartment and tell her that he loves her and doesn't want her to flee the country with Sam. He later is shown as the one who planned the death of Sam Cortland with Rourke Farran out of spite for Aelin abandoning him for Sam, and to get her to return to him.

In Queen of Shadows, Aelin organizes and executes Arobynn's death. His original will only included the Amulet of Orynth for Aelin, but she changed it, giving her full control of all his assets.

Friendships

Ansel of Briarcliff

Ansel and Aelin had briefly been friends two years prior to the series, and met in the Red Desert, in the fortress of the Silent Assassins. The two girls had a great sympathy for each other since both had been victims of treachery and were forced to escape their homelands. However, Ansel was Berick's spy, and wanting to avoid Aelin getting killed in the slaughter, she had put her to sleep with a sleeping potion and abandoned her in the middle of the Red Desert with a fake letter from their master. Aelin, however, returned to the fortress and found out the truth about Ansel—Ansel had given her a chance to escape. Because of Ansel's treachery, Aelin promised that she would shoot an arrow after twenty minutes, giving Ansel a chance to escape. Aelin actually fired the arrow after twenty-one minutes, as otherwise, she would have killed Ansel. We also find out that while Caelena (Aelin) was in Endovier, Ansel tried to break her out. In Empire of Storms, Ansel has become the Queen of the Western Wastes and supports Aelin in her campaign to conquer the throne of Terrasen, offering troops and aid.

Lysandra

Lysandra and Aelin's bitter rivalry commenced when Lysandra wrested a fan from Aelin's hands; they were about ten. Aelin held Lysandra in disdain for the other girl's lack of manners. They were also competitors for Sam Cortland's affections, although Sam had always loved Aelin. Their resentment of each other deepened after Arobynn used Aelin's payment to win the bid for Lysandra's virginity and Aelin launched a dagger at her and threatened to kill her.

When Aelin returned to Rifthold, Lysandra visited Aelin's apartment and presented her with a letter from Wesley that detailed the foul play surrounding Sam's death and Wesley's quest for vengeance. Aelin was taken aback by Lysandra's revelations, but she did not trust her and ejected her from the apartment. Evangeline, however, testified in Lysandra's defense, changing Aelin's opinion of Lysandra and prompting her to halt her before she could leave. They formed a bond commiserating over their deceased lovers and plotting revenge on Arobynn. Realizing how heinously they treated one another before, they apologized to each other and became friends. At the end of Queen of Shadows, Aelin named Lysandra a lady of her court and allocated a piece of land to her.

Nehemia Ytger

Nehemia and Aelin met during the King's Champion Tournament when Nehemia became the ambassador from Eyllwe to Adarlan. Aelin was immediately impressed by Nehemia, and the two became fast friends. However, it was revealed that Nehemia knew the truth about Aelin - that she was the lost princess of Terrasen - and had been manipulating her the whole time of their friendship. Nehemia was found dead, and Aelin swore vengeance on her killers, but in truth, Nehemia had orchestrated her own death as an attempt to make Aelin return to her heritage. Aelin viewed Nehemia as her best friend at the time, but Nehemia had been pushing Aelin as a way to strike at Adarlan and to get Aelin to incite a revolution and accept her heritage.

Nox Owen

Nox was one of Aelin's friends that she met in the competition in the first book (Throne of Glass).

What chapter in Queen of Shadows Do Rowan and Aelin kiss?

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Do Aelin and Rowan sleep together?

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