#Cassian x nesta
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acotargiftexchange · 2 days ago
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AO3 Collection ・Fanfiction ・ Fanart ・Moodboards
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A Christmas We'll Never Forget by @emeriethevalkyriegirl for @moodymelanist
Take My Hand (Wreck My Plans) by @unhealthyfanobsession for @c-e-d-dreamer
'Tis the Damn Season by @c-e-d-dreamer for @xxvalkyriesxx
The Joker and the Queen by @xxvalkyriesxx for @emeriethevalkyriegirl
the choiceless hope in grief by @wishcamper for @unhealthyfanobsession
Take My Soul for Yours by @kale-theteaqueen for @dustjacketdraws
once bitten (and twice shy) by @moodymelanist for @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk
Who Could Ask to be Unbroken or be Brave Again? by @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk for @kale-theteaqueen
silver linings by @oristian for @thedeviltohisangel
Nessriel Fanart by @dustjacketdraws for @wishcamper
Love Me Like I'm Brand New by @thedeviltohisangel for @freakingata
Flames in the Night by @shadowsxgwynriel for @pit-and-the-pen
All I Want Is You by @sarawritestories for @shadowsxgwynriel
I Won his Heart in Battle by @freakingata for @oristian
Baby It's Cold Outside by @pit-and-the-pen for @sarawritestories
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Thank you so much for all your hard work! If we missed anything, kindly reach out to your moderator!
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prettypinkkat · 2 days ago
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Guys , guys should I make the fae more animalistic? And not animalistic as in growling and making biscuits and grooming and stuff I'm already doing that. But like animalistic as in "holy shit why the hell are you doing that?" As in when animals do things humans would never consider and it's just thought of as normal. Should I do that? Because I'm playing around with the idea of doing that.
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acomaflove · 2 months ago
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Cassian, on bedrest healing from an injury: You can’t expect me to just lay around all day.
Nesta: That is EXACTLY what will be happening, or I will tie you to the bedframe to keep you there.
Cassian: Don’t threaten me with a good time.
Nesta: Fine. I will have AZRIEL tie you instead.
Cassian: …………still a good time.
Nesta: YOU ARE IMPOSSIBLE. Is there ANYONE in this court you don’t have a flirtatious dynamic with?
Cassian:
Nesta:
Cassian:
Nesta: I will have Amren tie——
Cassian: NO PLEASE I’LL BE GOOD
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rainingriversofyou · 5 days ago
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Nesta x Cassian - Artist: @madschofield 🩶
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acourtofmishapandmistakes · 3 months ago
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Cassian: I will fight the next person who insults my mate.
Nesta: I hate myself.
Cassian: Alright my beautiful flower, square up.
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meriyart · 1 year ago
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messy bun couple ✧
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amandapearls · 8 months ago
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𝐍𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐍𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧
I’ve been saving this baby for Nesta Week, so I’m really excited to share this heartwarming art of Nesta and Cassian!
@lyyzis_art did such a wonderful job! I love the way she drew Nesta and Cassian relaxing in the House of Wind library. Thank you @lyyzis_art
Link to Instagram post
@nestaarcheronweek
Characters belong to Sarah J Maas
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jennastokesart · 5 months ago
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Sinbad ⚔️ A Court of Silver Flames
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Finally, she is here! The full illustration in all its piratey glory. The more I think about the parallels between Sinbad & Marina and Nesta & Cassian the more art I want to make of this crossover. Someone said they also resemble Livia and Erik from The Ever King series which I’m glad they brought up. I was seeing them as well when drawing this and almost just switched to it being them instead.
I have already finished piece 2 of this series and y’all have already guessed correctly which characters and what movie I combined in the sneak peek👀👀👀 I have also already sketched out Feysand’s piece and the film I chose for them is unexpected but fits them perfectly in my opinion. 😩👌🏻
I am trying to find more duos to draw …. I’m thinking Rowan & Aelin but the film I’d choose for them I already chose for Feysand….hmmmm. There is much to brainstorm. If y’all have classic childhood film suggestions send me my way 🫶🏻
Actually…. What classic films and their main characters would y’all think Livia/Erik, Jude/Cardan, and Aelin/Rowan would resemble well? I can only think of Treasure Planet, Quest for Camelot, Atlantis, Anastasia….what other iconic underrated animated films are there???
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mrs-elsie-barnes · 9 months ago
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Omega Ours - Part 1 | Alpha!Cassian x Alpha!Nesta x Omega!Reader| Short Series 2.7k
After fighting your way out of every potential mating offered to you, your village sends you off with the High Lord. Rhysand, tired of dealing with the Alphas living in the House of Wind, gifts you to Cassian and Nesta in the hopes that it'll settle all three of you down.
Warnings: 18+ sexual content, language & themes. Omegaverse dynamics including Alpha & Omega and the sexist assumptions/implications that go along with it, heat/heat cycles, forced proximity, d/s themes, only one bed (and only one chaise), lots of tropey tropes! No use of YN but liberal use of pet names.
Divider by @firefly-graphics & @reveriesources
Cassian & Nesta - from Pinterest
Created for @polyacotarweek - prompt 5 faveourite tropes (Omegaverse, only one bed, forced proximity, sort of insta-love)
Part 2 will be posted on the 13 (Free day!) follow @illyrianlibrary for updates ❤️
Part 2 | Masterlist | Poly Fics | Cassian
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The only way to describe the couple stood before you was - handsome. 
The High Lord and Lady who’d brought you here were beautiful, elegant. But this couple could only be described as handsome, strong, Alpha. 
You knew them, of course. General Cassian of the Nightcourt and his mate, Lady Nesta. Lord of Bloodshed and Lady Death, they’d called them in the camps that circled the Illyrian villages like pilot fish on a shark.  
“I’ve brought you a present,” Rhysand drawled, pointing at you. “Well, it’s a favour and a present. The last unmated omega of the season. She's  from the Western Isles, I thought it might help to tamp down your behaviour if you two had a project.” He grinned and you turned to look at Nesta and Cassian again. 
It was true, you’d rejected every mate offered to you, bitten some of them, in your desperation to get away, and that’s how you’d lost your freedom. Fighting the boys from the village was one thing, fighting an Illyrian was another. They’d hauled you into the camp in front of the High Lord on his last visit and demanded compensation. 
Rhysand, ever flush with jewels and gold, had paid them and then had a set of cuffs and leathers made for you. Nightcourt black velvet, red stitching and silver buckles. But restraints were still restraints, no matter how soft they felt against your wrists and ankles. He’d had new clothes made for you as well, traditional sheer panels of matching blood red that hung in gossamer curtains down your legs, pooling around you as you were forced to your knees in front of the Lady and General. 
“I don’t know what you mean,” Nesta studied her nails, her air bored but her eyes kept flickering towards you. 
“Come now, Nesta, we both know you and Cassian caused quite the stir the last time you were both in heat.” 
You were right then, you could smell it on them anyway, that raw power and strength that designated them as Alpha. 
“Still -  you want us to take care of your problems?” Nesta huffed. 
“Of course not, she’s a gift, for you and Cass, if you happen to tame her enough that she stops mauling my men then that’s a bonus.” 
You looked between them, it was undeniable how attractive they were. Better than the mud caked idiots from the village at least, but you still railed against the hand that dragged you back to your feet. 
Cassian kept his hand under your elbow, pinching your cheeks with his other hand. “Come on, Nes. She’s cute, isn’t she?” He angled your face up towards his mate. 
Nesta shrugged one shoulder and you snarled, snapping at Cassian’s fingers. 
“Feisty,” he gave a deep chuckle, “I like that, that’s how Nes and I got together.” He hauled you over his shoulder, your legs and arms dangling, the panels of your dress slipping dangerously. 
“Put me down!” You beat your fists on his back. 
“Should have thought of that before you tried to bite me,” he teased, jostling you. 
You scowled at Nesta, who followed, laughing, through the halls of the palace and then tried using the only knowledge you had about the Illyrians. You reached out and grabbed his wing, squeezing as tightly as you could. 
He growled back, the sound travelling up through his chest into yours, vibrating your very core. 
“You want to play rough? Good.” 
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Cassian shouldered a heavy door open and suddenly the sweeping corridor was gone and a dark, warm room wrapped itself around you. 
The walls were an oxblood red with thick velvet curtains that lay heavily in front of the eternally open windows. The soft jasmine breeze that circulated through the house was mixed with the cleaner scent of mountain air and the crackling of a fire, rich and inviting. 
The general set you down, his gaze travelling slowly down your figure. He clenched his jaw and then instantly turned to his mate, cupping her cheeks in his large hands and kissing her roughly. She growled in response, leaning into his embrace and allowing him to lift her against his body. You watched as he carried her across the room to an open archway, almost hidden behind a large tapestry, and then they vanished again. 
Tentatively, as much as you could with the thin chain connecting your ankles, you crept across the room to the curtain, now brushed back and curling heavily on the polished floor. 
Nesta and Cassian were tangled on the bed, the heady scent of their arousal lay thick in the air, the bedsheets already rumpled as if they’d been interrupted before, the room in disarray. 
On both bedside tables there were stacks of books of various genres, a pitcher of water on one and dagger on the other. 
“Either come in or go,” Nesta groused from the bed, hair messy, one of Cassian’s hands still tangled in the long golden-brown strands. 
“Play nice, Nes.” The general laughed, biting at Nesta’s earlobe. “You can join us or you can sleep,” he said over his shoulder. 
Sure enough there was a small chaise made up with blankets at the end of the bed. You shuffled over, and fell heavily onto the soft cushions listening to the sound of their love making. Each grunt and moan made you press your thighs together harder. Each stifled sigh had your hands twitching, itching for something more. You may have rejected every attempt at a mating, but you weren’t completely without feeling, without desire and needs and lust. 
You lifted your hands to cover your ears, the chain between them digging into the bridge of your nose, and fell into a confused sleep. 
 You awoke to the sound of moving bodies and cloth dragging on the floor. 
“She’s asleep, let her rest, Cas.” 
“What if she’s cold?” The footsteps came closer and you tensed on instinct. The steps stopped, but a gentle weight floated down on you, a large cotton blanket, awash with their scent, settled. 
“I’m going to wash,” Nesta’s voice faded as she walked away but there was no other movement. 
“I know you’re awake.” His voice was loud in your ear, closer than you’d expected and you jumped again, almost sliding from the chaise. Cassian’s arm caught you, tight around your waist and his bareskin was so warm against your own. You cracked one eye open and looked around the room as best you could with his wings blocking out the faint candlelight.
His arm was speckled with tiny scars that twinkled against his tan skin, the hair that decorated his forearm was as dark as the long tendrils that brushed over his shoulders and this close, his chin almost resting on your own arm, he smelt heavenly. That mixture of his own scent and Nesta’s even stronger in his proximity and, no doubt, enhanced by their earlier activities. 
“If you want, you can borrow some clothes.” His voice was a sleepy rumble and you resisted the urge to let your omega instincts take over and push yourself back into his chest, seek out that warmth, that comfort - but you didn’t respond. 
The sound of running water in the other room stopped, replaced with the gentle pad of Nesta’s footsteps and then she was in front of you. Surrounded by them again you had to fight back every urge to give in to her wicked mouth, her lips plump and kiss bitten. 
“We’ve left you some things on the chair, choose what you will. If you want to join us on the bed, you can.” Nesta moved away taking Cassian with her and you assumed from the gentle rustle of sheets they were back in bed. 
The chair that sat opposite their grand fireplace was strewn with clothes, silky looking negligees and billowing linen shirts, some cotton leggings and a pair of woollen socks. 
Waiting a moment, hoping they weren’t looking, you rose from the chaise and rushed for the chair. The translucent dress the High Lord had had you wear left your skin cold and bare, exposed and vulnerable. Cassian’s shirt was a welcome relief, covering your body from view, although the two slits in the back for his wings did feel slightly odd. The socks were warm and fluffy, long enough to reach almost to your knees. Redressed, you turned to return to your chaise and tugged the blanket up to your chin. 
You didn’t really want to spend the entire night there, but you also refused to give in to the ridiculousness of the situation. No one chose your mate, or mates, for you and you’d rather sleep on the tiny chaise that allow anyone to take that choice from you. 
Thankfully, Nesta and Cassian had turned away, the Illyrian’s large wings spread over the bed,. Shielding his mate from view? Or stopping her from following you around the room with her silver stare? You weren’t sure, but you were grateful as you closed your eyes. 
It was only as you were falling asleep that you realised you were snuggled into the shirt, inhaling Cassian’s scent, and by then it was too late, you were tumbling into your dreams. 
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The next morning Cassian and Nesta were gone, but someone had left a tray of food, a pot of tea and a stack of books on the table. The doors to the balcony were open and the jasmine wind blew the curtains back so invitingly you couldn’t resist. 
You were halfway through one of the books they’d left, something by Sellyn Drake that had far more smut in it than you were anticipating. A slice of buttered toast was stuck halfway to your mouth as you stared transfixed at the page, when the door opened. Cassian held the door for Nesta, taking a long sword from her hand and placing it on the table that was perpetually strewn with weapons. His own sword and daggers followed and the two of them began to strip out of their leathers. 
There had been a rumour that Nesta trained alongside the Lord of Bloodshed and the Shadowsinger, trained with other women as well, but you hadn’t thought to believe it until now. 
Her leathers were tight against skin, a sheen of sweat making her sparkle, her long hair was tied up in what was now a messy ponytail and, most surprising of all, she was smiling broadly at Cassian. He returned the smile, cupping her cheek and pulling her in for a kiss, his hands wandering down to the buckles and clasps that held her fighting leathers together. 
Cassian looked equally as powerful, his own armour dark against his tanned skin, his tattoos flowing under the leather before appearing again at his collar bone and trailing over his shoulders towards the vast wings at his back. You set the book down slowly, the lust filled scene already had you feeling hot under Cassian’s shirt even before they appeared. 
The movement caught his eye and he turned, taking Nesta with him and pinning her against his chest. They way they looked at you, like the most delicious prey, had you pressing your legs together. You wouldn’t give in to this, especially not when it was exactly what that smug prick of a High Lord wanted. 
“Good morning, sweetheart,” he cooed, “Would you like to join us?” 
It was Nesta who held her hand out, crooking her finger to coax you forward. “We’re going to bathe, the tub is large enough for three, come.” It was more a demand than a question and, though you longed to see how far down Cassian’s tattoos went and how Nesta would look covered in bubbles, you resisted again. 
With a shake of your head you went back to your book, trying to ignore the sound of them together through the wall. 
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You fell into a rhythm, the three of you. Nesta and Cassian continued as they were, training, working in the library and attending meetings, and inviting you to join them whenever they were together. 
Your nights on the chaise were becoming increasingly uncomfortable, but you refused to be worn down by their requests, preferring to stay silent and read alone either on the balcony or by the fire. No amount of reading could drown out the sound of their love making, though. If you could call it that, judging by the bruises both of them sported proudly and the way their headboard banged against the stone wall. 
Despite your protests their allure was difficult to ignore, their playful banter, the care and attention they showed each other, even the way they whispered in bed, dissecting the day's events and, on a few occasions, discussing you. 
This only happened when you were pretending to sleep heavily, breathing slow and steady as you wished for dreams to take you. 
“Nes, did you see the way my shirt fit her today, rolling up her thighs-” Cassian had made a deep, guttural noise, only to be shushed by Nesta. 
“Yes, Cas, stop, she’s right over there.” Nesta hissed in return. 
“I know, God, she’s so fucking close, don’t you think she smells good?” 
“You know I do.” The sheets rustled and you heard Nesta whimper as a wave of arousal flooded you. They could smell you, you knew it and you couldn’t stop it. 
Sleeping in their room, bathed in their scent every day, surrounded by their things, it was like a huge nest and the longer you lingered here the more you wanted to give in and climb into their bed, to be between them and allow them to care for you.
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You knew something had changed when you woke up drenched in sweat. As usual, Nesta and Cassian had already left the room, your breakfast arranged in its spot, clothes laid out for you. They’d started adding some new things, items that smelt like neither of them, clean linen and lavender, but you were still drawn to their items the most. Perhaps, it was the way they smiled when they saw you cuddling into one of Cassian’s shirts or standing on the balcony in one of Nesta’s dresses. But you refused to confront that feeling. 
Despite your long, cold, bath you still felt hot and uncomfortable. It was mid way through stripping off your linen trousers that Nesta reappeared. She moved with a preternatural grace that you were sure existed well before her sister’s ascent to High Lady. A smoothness to each turn of her hand, or extension of her arm, she made walking seem like a dance and you were transfixed.  
Nesta stopped as soon as she saw you, her nostrils flared, almost imperceptibly.
“Are you okay?” she asked in that cool, silvery voice. 
“Yes,” your voice felt hoarse. You barely spoke and had gone days without saying anything to either of them, merely existing in their presence. But now, locked by her gaze, there was no escaping. 
“You seem -” she weighed her words carefully, “unwell.” 
“I can assure you, I’m fine.” You took a half step towards the balcony doors, hoping the breeze would cool your skin. 
Nesta hummed, surveying you from head to toe. “I’d feel better if you got into bed.” 
You knew this was as persuasive as Nesta could be, a simple request made in the lowest of tones, an argument not worth having. 
“I-” 
“The bed.” She crossed the room swiftly and turned you towards the large, velvet draped bed that took up a large portion of the room. Since your first entrance into Nesta and Cassian’s suite, you’d done your best to avoid even looking at it. Now there was no escape.
Your hands were shaking, a tingling heat rising from your spine and coiling in your stomach. On this occasion, just once, you’d listen to her. “Fine.” With great difficulty, you pulled the shirt over your head and dropped it to the floor. You were so tired. When had you become so tired?
Nesta’s deft fingers grasped your chin, holding you still so she could look at your pupils, large and frightened. “Get in bed and go to sleep,” she insisted, and you obeyed. 
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Part 2
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nessiandefenseattorney · 2 months ago
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Go check out this incredible artist!!!
Such beautiful Nessian I love it so much
🎨🖌️- artoffrostandflame on IG
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shadowdaddies · 9 months ago
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Your Nesta fic was so hot but imagine this: being in a quad with Az, Cass, and Nesta and Nesta punishing you in front of them 😫
I- this is so hot I need to get some fresh air
The Dilemma
Nesta x Reader x Azriel x Cassian
warnings: pure smut, oral f!receiving, edging, pussy spanking, bondage, use of strap-on, cockwarming, p in v sex
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“You still don’t want to talk?” Nesta purred, her soft voice low and teasing, at odds with how tightly she bound the silk ties around your wrists.
Your entire body flushed with embarrassment and arousal at the position, completely bare as you knelt on the mattress facing where Cassian and Azriel were seated.
Nesta’s nails raked up your sides, pulling your back to her chest as she pinched your nipples harshly, twisting and pulling. “I know it was one of them who decided to use you to tease me. I smell both of them on you.”
A hand slid down your front, palm flat as she inched closer to your throbbing core. She paused, hand hovering over where you needed her most. Soft lips brushed the shell of your ear, tongue flicking out before whispering her taunt. 
“You know you deserve to be punished. Sending your pleasure down the bond like that, making it impossible for me to focus on training,” she growled the last words, unable to control her own frustrations. “But if you tell me whose idea it was, I’ll lessen your punishment.”
Cassian and Azriel sat straight in their chairs, both still naked from your earlier actions. Like you, they knew better than to push Nesta any further, lest they worsen their own punishments. 
A harsh slap to your pussy sent a jolt through you, a small yelp escaping your lips at the sting of Nesta’s hand. You were really in for it tonight, but you forced your gaze toward the ceiling to avoid giving away who had started all of this. Azriel.
He’d come home from mission, eager to touch you despite Nesta telling you and Cassian to wait for her to join you. As much as you tried to wait, you burned for Azriel’s touch, his hazel eyes glowing with desire impossible to resist. 
Both you and Cassian knew that whatever Nesta might do  to punish you, was nothing compared to what the shadowsinger would have in store if you ratted him out. 
And now, you lay bare and bound before all of them, arousal dripping onto the sheets as Nesta made a display of your humiliation. “I guess you will get all of my attention then... As you so desperately craved.”
A delicate hand wound around your hair, eliciting a whimper from you as the valkyrie yanked your head back, forcing your back to arch, neck exposed. 
“Please, Nes. I’m sorry. It was me,” you breathed, tears already welling behind your eyes from the pure need to have her hands on you. 
She laughed softly behind you, the sound devoid of humor as she ran a hand along your inner thighs, feather-light touch leaving you careening against her hold. 
“We both know it wasn’t you pet,” she murmured, teeth grazing your throat. Without warning, she plunged two fingers into your heat, curling and twisting while her thumb swiped at your clit.
Pathetic moans left you, the scent of arousal growing heady in the room as a groan escaped Cassian. Brow furrowed, your jaw hung open in ecstasy as the coil wound tighter. 
Pussy clenching around Nesta’s fingers, you mumbled a warning that you were close - only for her to pull her hand away. You’d hardly registered the shock when Nesta stuffed her hand into your mouth, long fingers wet with your own slick. 
“Suck,” she ordered, the hand holding your hair pushing you forward to take her further into your mouth. A whine escaped you, eyes squeezing shut as you fought the instinct to look at either of the males in front of you.
“Good pet,” Nesta cooed as you sucked her digits eagerly, her own silver eyes not focused on you at all, but Azriel’s shadows that oscillated with need and irritation.
Slipping her fingers from your mouth, Nesta’s hands moved to your hips, quickly flipping you onto your back, hands awkwardly bound beneath you. 
“Azriel, you may lend some shadows,” Nesta purred with a wicked smile, golden brown hair falling out of her braid as she lowered herself over your puffy clit. Tongue flicked out just as shadows began twining over your body, soft touches driving you mad with need.
“More, please,” you begged, tears falling down as Azriel’s shadows worked in tandem with Nesta’s tongue, all of them lapping lazily at your most sensitive parts as you were held on the edge of orgasm.
“You know what to do if you want this to stop,” she crooned, tongue prodding at your entrance to emphasize her power over you.
“I- I can’t,” you sobbed, eyes rolling back as cool shadows pinched your nipples. You felt Nesta’s presence pull away before another smack landed against your pussy.
“Fine, then.” Once again, you were flipped around like a doll, this time your ass in the air, face awkwardly pressed to the sheets as you were forced to look at where Cassian and Azriel sat. Their cocks were painfully hard and leaking, both males’ wings practically twitching as they struggled to stay put.
The sound of a drawer opening and closing sounded from behind you, pussy clenching around nothing in reaction when you realized what was coming.
Nesta’s strap snapped onto her hips, her cock sliding lazily up and down your abused pussy. Rocking against her, you silently pleaded for her to take you. Hard or soft, fast or slow - you didn’t care anymore.
With one swift thrust, Nesta’s cock was fully inside of you, stretching your walls with a painful pleasure. Hands gripped your waist firmly, her hips snapping against yours at a brutal pace like never before. 
A hand landed harshly on your ass, the sting eliciting a scream from your lips as your legs shook beneath you. “Come on, love. Tell me whose idea it was, and I’ll let you cum,” Nesta cooed, unrelenting in her pace.
You couldn’t stop yourself, eyes flicking to Azriel’s in a desperate attempt for mercy, a bargain, anything. Immediately, Nesta stilled behind you, and as Azriel’s gaze flicked to hers, you knew that you’d given him away.
“I knew it,” Nesta scoffed, pulling out of you before releasing your binds. Azriel thrummed with anger, eyes darting to yours in silent promise that confirmed what you already knew: you were now in for a much worse punishment.
“Get up,” Nesta commanded, voice breezy and calm as she smacked your ass. You fumbled to stand, holding onto the edge of the mattress for support as your legs failed to hold you up.
“I- I didn’t...” you fumbled for words, searching Nesta with pleading eyes. 
Cruel amusement shone in her silver gaze, which never left yours as she crooked a finger, beckoning Cassian to her. “Cassian, on the bed,” she ordered. “And you,” she growled, “on Azriel’s cock.”
“Do not move,” Nesta directed at Azriel and you, and you understood what she meant. You lowered yourself to Azriel’s cock, his hands holding you firmly on his hips as he filled you so deeply.
“Now you’ll watch Cassian fuck me, while I think about what to do about the both of you,” the valkyrie purred, lowering to her knees and elbows just how you’d been minutes prior while Cassian lined up behind her.
“I hope you know how much trouble you’re in,” Azriel breathed, his gravelly voice sending a chill down your spine. 
You watched Nesta’s face, pure bliss at the feeling of Cassian inside of her and you clenched around Azriel’s cock. No words came from the shadowsinger, but his grip tightened on your hips as shadows began to twine up your legs. 
Heart thundering in your chest, you whined as you made eye contact with Nesta on the bed, bracing yourself for the long night ahead of you.
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multi-fandom-imagines8 · 8 months ago
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A Song of Ice & Shadow
Part 1
A/N: Hello everyone! I’m planning to write an Azriel x Archeron!half-sister reader series, possibly featuring a slow-burn romance and angst. I don’t know how many parts it’s going to have. It begins in ACOMAF chapter 24.
A Song of Ice & Shadow masterlist
Summary: The eldest Archeron half-sister Y/n hates Fae kind, due to tragic past events. When she unexpectedly visits her sisters, she is met with the very race she hates.
Word count: 2.11K
Being the eldest sibling is not always easy. Y/n knew this firsthand, shouldering the weight of responsibility for her younger sisters from a young age. After their mother’s death, she made the difficult decision to leave her sisters behind and stay with her supposed biological father. It wasn’t because she didn’t share the same father as her sisters; in fact, he loved her like she was his own and never discriminated between them. For the first two years after their mothers death, she stayed with her family, but when her “father” lost his fortune, she knew leaving was the only option. It wasn’t just about lightening their burden by having one less mouth to feed; she also hoped by seeking out her biological father, she could find work and send money back to her family.
Surprisingly, her father welcomed her with open arms, a kindness that caught her off guard considering he had shown little interest in her when she was younger. Despite her initial skepticism, she didn’t question his motives, fearing he might kick her out. With cleverness and father’s help, she managed to pursue higher education, while working to make ends meet. Though her earnings were modest, she’d send whatever she could spare to her family, ensuring they had enough to survive. With Feyre’s help, there was always food on the table.
Y/n’s life was devoid of fun. Between studying, working, sleeping and occasional visits to her family, she had little time for socializing and friends. This isolation was entirely her choice; she distanced herself from others, earning a reputation as being cold, heartless, selfish, and arrogant to those who didn’t know her well. Yet, beneath this exterior, she harbored a deep love for her sisters and would sacrifice anything for their well-being, despite no longer showing them affection after their mother’s death. They understood her silent expressions of care, recognizing that actions spoke louder than words.
One thing everyone knew for certain is that y/n was stubborn. She held fast to her beliefs and opinions, regardless of external influences. Among her sisters, Netsa was the most like her and the one who admired her the most. The two shared the closest bond before she left, but make no mistake, if anyone Nesta feared and obeyed, it was Y/n, knowing she was not one to be crossed.
After Feyre left the mortal realm, her family’s fortune turned, and she finished her education. Consequently, her visits became less frequent, as she immersed herself into her work.
A smile appeared on y/n’s face at the thought of her sisters’ reactions to seeing her after a long time. She decided to surprise them with a spontaneous visit. Unbeknownst to her, another surprise awaited her inside the place she called home.
“Nesta, Elain, I’m home!” y/n announced as she opened the front door of their home.
“Are we expecting someone else?” Rhys whispered to Feyre.
“Nesta, why didn’t you tell me y/n was coming?” Feyre questioned, panic all over her face.
“I didn’t know. She usually sends word before she comes” Nesta claimed.
The conversation between the two sisters earned them a curious, yet worried look from the three males. Nesta stood from chair, hurrying to the door, but she was too late, y/n was now standing in the dining room, the smile dropping from her face and replaced by a shocked expression at the sight before her.
“What is going on?” y/n asked carefully and slowly.
“These are Feyre’s friends. We were not expecting you today” Elain replied.
“Y/n, it’s been a while. I’m so happy to see you” Feyre stood from her seat and hugged her sister, who was reluctant at first but returned the hug.
“You brought Fae-kind into our home?” it was more of a rhetorical question, but Feyre answered anyway.
“Y/n, this is Cassian” she inclined her head to the male with long hair “Azriel” she pointed to the male who y/n could’ve sworn was the most handsome man she’s even laid eyes on “and Rhysand, high lord of the Night Court” Feyre finished introducing.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you” Rhys said with a warm smile.
“I’m sure” y/n sneered, returning her gaze on her sisters “you still haven’t told me what’s going on and why the very same race we despise are now in our living room, dining with us” y/n tried making sense of the situation.
Feyre explained the situation, why they were here, what they needed from the sisters and the threat posed by Hybern.
“So the moment you became fae, you chose to forsake us?” this was all y/n could utter.
“I’d never do that. Me being fae doesn’t change that. It never will. You’ll always be my sister” Feyre assured her.
“If you did, you wouldn’t have brought THEM here. Hatred aside, do you have any idea of the danger you just put Nesta and Elain in?” Y/n turned her hand into a fist, her knuckles as white as they could be, trying to keep her temper in check.
“There was nowhere else to go” Feyre claimed.
“And you were alright with this?” Y/n turned to face her other sisters.
“I wasn’t, but Elain agreed” Nesta informed her.
“Feyre’s right, there-“ Cassian spoke.
“Who are you again?” Y/n glared at him “I’m too tired to deal with this now” she rubbed her temples and said to no one in specific “call me when they’re gone”.
“Uhm, they’re-“ before Nesta could finish the sentence, y/n was already gone “-going to stay for a while” she sighed.
“I take it, this is your eldest sister” Rhys asked.
“I told you she could be intense” Feyre replied.
“That’s one word for it” Cassian expressed and was met with a glare from Nesta.
—-
Thinking they had left, y/n descended the stairs, dressed in her nightgown and robe, seeking out a comforting cup of tea in the quiet atmosphere of midnight. Opening the backdoor leading to their garden, she leaned against the door frame, admiring the stars as she sipped her tea. She took a deep breath appreciating the tranquility and solitude the night provided. She could’ve sworn the shadows moved, but she dismissed it believing it was hallucinations caused by exhaustion from a long trip. Noticing a bright star in the sky, she lifted her cup up and uttered “cheers” a sad smile appearing on her face…
As she was locking the door, she glimpsed a figure in the shadows. This time, unable to dismiss what she saw, she called out “who’s there?”.
At first there was no response but she called out again “I know there’s someone here, so I suggest you come out” she demanded.
Azriel hesitated but complied “I apologize, I did not mean to disturb you”.
“What are you still doing here?” She covered herself with the robe, the gesture did not go unnoticed by Azriel.
“Your gracious sisters allowed us to stay here for a while” he informed her.
“Have they now?” she nodded, clearly displeased by the information she just received “how long are you planning on staying here?”.
“Not long. As soon as the letter is delivered, we’ll be out of your way, I give you my word” he politely said.
“Your word means nothing to me. And if you’re staying at someone’s house, do not sneak up on them” her words as cold as ice.
“I wasn-“ before Azriel could explain, she had left, making his jaw clench in frustration.
The following day, she went downstairs earlier to get some breakfast, but what was early for her, was late for others. Upon entering the kitchen, she found Rhys and Feyre engaged in a conversation with Elain, while Nesta and Cassian bickered over their tea. Azriel was standing in the corner and when he saw her enter, his whole body tensed, and Cassian and Nesta went still
“Good morning” Rhys greeted and was met with silence.
Y/n prepared her breakfast when Feyre approached her “how did you sleep?” Y/n just stared at her sister without saying a word. Once she was done preparing her food, she took it and left without acknowledging anyone’s existence. As Cassian and Nesta resumed their bickering, Azriel finally relaxed, prompting Rhys to speak again “not a good morning, I guess?” He joked.
“Oh believe me, this is a good morning. If you think this was something, then you really don’t want to see her angry” Feyre remarked.
“Is she always like this?” Cassian asked.
“Give her time. She doesn’t like strangers and she most definitely hates Fae-kind” Feyre reminded.
“Yeah, that was clear” Cassian said.
“You’re talking about her like she’s a bad person” Nesta defended.
“Nesta, you know that’s not what I meant” Feyre tried to explain.
“All I’ve seen you do since you got here is criticizing y/n. She’s done nothing wrong” Nesta reminded.
“I’m sorry, but you know how y/n can be”.
“How? All she did was ignore you all, instead of engaging in a pitty argument that would hit your weak spots, and last I’ve known, she does not owe any of you anything. If you’re going to stay in this house, then better respect their owners” Nesta expressed.
“Nesta!” Elain said, clearly displeased with her sister’s tone.
—-
“Can I come in?” Nesta asked permission to enter y/n’s room.
“What is it now?” Y/n opened the door.
“I wanted to spend some time with you”
“Don’t you have guests to entertain?” Y/n crossed her arms.
“Elain and Feyre can deal with them. I’d rather stay here with you”.
“Fiine” y/n rolled her eyes but allowed her sister into her room.
“They already have a bad impression of you” Nesta told her.
“When did I ever care about what people thought of me? Let alone, what male Fae thought of me” y/n chuckled “it bothered you, didn’t it?”.
“Of course it did. I wouldn’t allow anyone to speak badly of you”.
“They’re just words spoken by irrelevant people. When you acknowledge their words, you make them relevant. Remember Nesta, you decide who you give power over you”.
The next day, Feyre, Rhys and Azriel were absent from the kitchen when y/n arrived “oh, for fuck’s sake, how do you two find the energy to fight this early in the morning?” Y/n asked, clearly awoken by the sound of Cassian and Nesta arguing.
“It’s noon” Cassian corrected.
“Whatever. If you’re gonna argue, do it outside. Hearing your voice gives me headaches” y/n uttered.
“And here I thought my voice was soothing” he sarcastically said.
“Don’t. Just don’t!” Cassian’s attempt at humor was met with y/n’s annoyance.
“Rough night?” he asked.
“More like a rough couple of days. Some people clearly don’t know how to be good guests” Y/n started making herself a cup of coffee.
“Well, maybe that’s because some people don’t know how to be polite hosts” he snickered.
“You know what? You’re not worth my time, if you want to argue, you have Nesta. She apparently has the patience for it”.
“Y/n” Nesta called.
“What? You do love arguing” y/n reminded.
“Wow, the two of you in the same house as poor Elain and Feyre, how did they survive?”.
“By knowing when to speak and when to shut up” y/n glared at him, taking her coffee and leaving and he said something.
—-
“What now?” Y/n asked as Feyre called for her sisters “We can leave soon to mail our letter” informing them.
“And this concerns me how?” Y/n asked.
“I-I thought you’d like to go with us”.
“Why would I do that? No, thank you”… “wasn’t there one more of you?” Y/n asked, pretending to just have realized Azriel wasn’t present.
“He had to return early. We had an altercation this morning” Feyre explained.
“Altercation?” Y/n narrowed her eyes,
“It’s nothing”.
“If you’re trying to hide it, then it is something”.
“She was attacked” Rhys claimed.
“What? By whom? And you call THIS nothing?” Y/n started checking her sister for injuries and both males’ eyes widened in surprise.
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt”.
“Who attacked you?”.
“It’s rather a what. She was attacked by a creature called the Attor who was sent by the king of Hybern” Rhys informed her “don’t worry, Az is taking care of it”.
To his surprise, she only nodded.
“I changed my mind. I’m coming with you” y/n announced.
“Don’t tell me it’s because I was attacked” Feyre smirked.
“Oh, shut up!” Y/n nudged her with her shoulder.
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really-fanny-longbottom · 3 months ago
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tears in pages
summary: because no matter how much time passes, cassian will never forget his first love.
warnings: angst/mentions of arranged marriage, smut, heartbreak, death, grieving and injuries
pairings: cassian x reader
words: 8k (i think?)
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love. 
a word.
four letters. 
one feeling. 
infinite meanings. 
love is such a strange feeling that it can vary in so many ways. 
it can provoke so many emotions at the same time, both negative and positive. 
it can make us dream, smile, celebrate. 
it can make us suffer, cry, grieve. 
how can such a small word have such an impactful meaning? 
those who manage to have it once in their lives are considered lucky, those who find it more than once are considered blessed.
but that was not the case with cassian. 
having grown up as he did, in a place surrounded by mountains and by males who despised him, with the words 'bastard' and 'brute' used as greetings, he never imagined himself capable of witnessing such a feeling. 
how could he, when all his life he had to fight for everything, even for the bare minimum?
fortunately, cassian's life took a happy turn, when a few years later, the nose of a young heir with violet eyes and black hair met his fist. 
followed by a quiet and shy boy who had small shadows as companions. 
and a brown-eyed blonde with a great obsession for red clothes and an incredible sense of humor. 
ending with a silver-eyed creature with the age of a god and the feeding habits of a vampire. 
but that was never the kind of love that cassian felt unworthy of having. 
not the kind of love that is meant for family or that can be shared between friends. 
but the love that is reserved for that special person who appears in your life and makes you wonder how you could have lived until that moment without them. 
of the love that makes your stomach tingle with butterflies, of the blushing cheeks that make you look like a certain vegetable and of the smile that can light up the sky on the darkest night.
cassian, who thought he was nothing in life, had a big surprise when he discovered that he was actually blessed.
the question that many ask and few know the answer to: who was the lucky one to first occupy the heart of the general of the night court?
for those who don't know him, they say that nesta archeron is his first love — the mating bond that revealed itself between the two serving as proof of such a statement.
for those who know him a little better, their answers would be tanwyn — the fearless valkyrie who lost her life in the war.
both answers are incorrect.
cassian's journey in love did not begin with either of them.
with only his family as witnesses to the true answer, as they too were blessed to have cassian's first love as a friend — if not a family member.
the story begins with a human girl with a heart bigger than the world, a smile sweeter than honey and eyes so blue they could rival the sea. 
a human girl who was running away from a life she didn't want and whose escape led her to a certain general.
a human girl who stole everyone's heart, with her first victim being cassian's heart. 
her name was y/n. 
•••
he has a mate.
he had never imagined himself in this position.
cassian still didn't know how to process this new information.
he has another chance at love, but not with the person his heart still beats for.
the general found refuge in his room, where he could better organize his thoughts.
one thing he knew — he liked nesta. but loving her? that felt like a betrayal. 
cassian unrolled the paper he held in his hands. although the paper already showed signs of age, the drawing remained intact. 
cassian couldn't take his eyes off that beautiful face — the face he had been blessed to see, love, and caress. it felt like it was a lifetime ago.
"she's beautiful."
the voice startled him. he had been so focused that he hadn't even realized nesta had entered the bedroom.
"i'm sorry, i just wanted to see if you were okay," nesta moved a little closer to him, "you disappeared so quickly after the. . .the bond snapped, and i just want you to know that if you don't want me as your mate, i understand-" 
"sit down," cassian instructed, indicating the space next to him on the bed. "i have something to show you." 
nesta obeyed and watched as cassian fought a battle against himself. following his gaze, she saw what was bothering him so much. 
cassian's eyes were fixed on a small basket that was stored in the corner of the wall next to the bed.
cassian felt tears immediately invade him. 
that damn basket.
every time he looked at it, he was taken back to the past.
but he loved that basket. it was the only physical reminder of the best time of his life.
he painted it that way with his own hands after. . . it took him two weeks to finish.
that damn purple basket with white flowers. 
cassian cursed before getting up slightly from the bed and grabbing one of its handles, dragging it until it was at his feet. 
all the letters were still inside — all of them.
there were more than a hundred in all, some more intimate than others — that ones, cassian didn't dare to read again because he believed his heart couldn't handle going through it again. 
for that very reason, he grabbed his favorites and handed them to nesta.
"here," cassian's hand shook slightly, as did his voice, "read these and you'll understand everything."  
nesta leafed through all the letters in her hands, confusion showing in her furrowed brows. "what are these?"
cassian let out a deep sigh "read them. they'll explain everything." 
she nodded, and so she picked up the first letter and read it. 
•••
dear cassian, today is the third day since i've been back and i'm afraid i have to admit that i miss you already. everything remains the same around here, it feels like i never left. last night, i had an argument with my parents about what had happened. i was very vague about everything, but i did confess that there had been someone and i'm glad i did, because joffrey broke off the engagement this morning. apparently, he no longer has any interest in me now that i'm not 'pure' according to his words. he thinks he humiliated me but in fact he did me a big favor. i went for a walk in the forest this morning and it reminded me of the day we met. do you remember that day? little did we know the adventure that awaited us, and how wonderful it was, don't you agree? with love, y/n 
cassian hated patrol work. he always thought that, next to filling out reports, this was the worst.
normally, this task fell to the spymaster, but with azriel on a mission, the task fell to him.
cassian had already made several rounds and was doing the last border check at the spring court.
everything was fine, until something caught his attention. running through the trees, as if her life depended on it, was a young woman — human.
cassian was surprised. it was very rare for humans to come this far, what was she doing there?
the justification he was looking for appeared when a boy appeared through the trees.
at the speed she was running, it was impossible for this situation to be friendly.
cassian didn't know what to do — he knows he's not supposed to interact with humans, but he couldn't just leave knowing he would hurt her. 
so he did the unthinkable. 
with extreme precision, cassian landed on the ground and began searching for her, following the sound of her footsteps.
when the sound stopped, cassian did too. looking around, he couldn't find anything. his ears didn't prepare him for the body that collided with his chest, knocking the small human to the ground. 
cassian looked at her on the ground. he wonder how long it would take for her to scream and run away.
but that was forgotten when she raised her head.
your eyes, an immense blue, cast a spell over cassian, who found himself lost in them.
never had he seen such blue eyes, not even with the summer or winter fae.
cassian was lost for words and flustered. without even thinking, he reached out a hand and he had the surprise of his life when you placed your small hand in his too large one and allowed him to help you get up. 
"thank you."
cassian had to compose himself before saying, "are you okay?"
his question went unanswered as you were too busy admiring him to listen "wow, you look like a god."
"oh." cassian found himself caught off guard — again.
"so pretty."
cassian blushed. what was going on? he had never blushed before but then again no one had ever called him pretty.
before cassian could speak, several footsteps were heard before the man who was chasing you appeared before you.
you moved behind the general and grabbed his arm as a form of protection.
a human trusted him more — a fae she barely knew than the person in front of him?
cassian didn't like that. the guy paled in front of the general, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
"is there a problem?" cassian asked him.
the man began to stutter, unable to formulate a word.
"leave me alone, joffrey. i already told you i'm not going to marry you."
suddenly, joffrey looked at you and his face took on an angry look and when he took a step forward, cassian did too.
joffrey didn't have a chance to take another step, when at the general's movement, he fell to the ground before start running while shouting.
from behind him, laughter was heard. cassian turned to find you and saw you trying to hold back your laughter.
mimicking your smile, cassian pointed in the direction where the guy had been before asking, "your fiancé?"
"arranged marriage." you explained.
"um, aren't you happy?"
"joffrey is horrible. i'd be better off married to a horse than him."
a deep chuckle erupted from the male. you were undoubtedly an interesting human "you're not afraid of me."
"why would i be?" 
"because i'm a fae?" 
"i don't judge people based on their appearance."
that made him shut up and cassian realized it was true. everyone ran away when they saw a fae and here you were, sympathizing with one.
cassian watched you look around.
"i can't go back. if i do, i'll be forced to marry him."
when you reached up to brush your hair away from your face, you noticed the wound on your hand. "is. . .this. . .is this blo. . .blood?"
cassian didn't have time to respond before you passed out. he caught you and lifted you up in his arms, and that sight did something to him.
you did something to him.
and just like that, cassian did the unthinkable a second time that day and took you to velaris with him.
•••
dear cassian, i had an interesting week. i found an injured cat on my way back from the market. the poor thing had a hurt paw and was a little sick, so of course i took him home with me. i fed him, tended to his wound, kept him warm and clean, and made sure he got better. by the end of the week, he was as good as new. i don't know how, but i managed to convince my father to keep him, so now i have a new companion. i named him amren because he looks so much like her. you know what this reminded me of? when you got sick and i took care of you. it was a funny experience, wasn't it? with love, y/n
cassian felt terrible but not as terrible as he would make azriel feel after beating him in the ring for making him sick.
the shadowsinger had returned from his mission in windhaven where he had caught the illyrian flu and now all three brothers were sick.
he was going to make his brother pay, but before he had a chance to think how, his door was opened.
you walked in with a bowl of hot soup in one hand and a large box in the other.
"how is the sick boy?"
"horrible."
a chuckle ran through the room before cassian felt his mattress dip. you made him stand up a little before dipping the spoon into the soup and turning it to him.
"i can eat on my own, thank you." cassian knew how his brothers would tease him for the rest of his life if they saw him being fed by you.
"allow me," you insisted. "you took care of me when i first got here and the small lady said i couldn't get out of bed."
cassian laughed at your description of madja. when he brought you in, she had examined you and discovered that you were severely dehydrated and a little malnourished from the run in the forest and forced you to rest for a week.
cassian took care of you the entire time without ever complaining.
he pointed a finger at you before swallowing the soup. "this can never get out of here."
more giggles reached cassian's ears. how he loved that sound.
"yes, sir general."
cassian ate the soup and ended up repeating after praising your cooking skills one too many times.
board games and cards followed. when cassian's temperature rose, you placed a cold towel on his forehead and read him some poems to help him fall asleep.
a few hours later, rhys went to his brother's room to see how he was doing and was surprised when he saw the two of you.
cassian slept on your chest with his arm around your waist, and you slept with your head resting on his, one arm around his shoulders while the other still held the book.
rhys smiled, and left you two to dream.
•••
dear cassian, autumn is here. this morning, while i was in the garden reading, i had the opportunity to see the flocks of birds migrating. i spent a long time watching them and thinking how lucky they are. it reminded me of the day you took me flying for the first time and how incredible it was. what i would give to fly with you one more time. with love, y/n
"i won't let you fall."
your nervous look made cassian chuckle. the male stood in front of you as he watched you stare at the city below.
"don't you want to go see the city?" 
"of course i do!" you replied, "but humans don't fly."
a round of laughter invaded cassian, he loved the way you were so direct and straightforward. 
two weeks had passed since your arrival, and you kept talking about how you wanted to see the city.
even though it was night, cassian had told you how beautiful it is at night, leading the two of you to the balcony.
approaching you, cassian took your hand and when you looked away from him he placed a finger under your chin and forced you to look at him "you're safe with me, sweetheart."
your eyes acquired a shine that made cassian's heart skip a beat "promise?"
as he placed a light kiss on your hand, cassian promised you.
the general lifted you in his arms and took flight. your body was invaded by adrenaline, making you hide your head in the male's neck for the first few seconds. but with his encouragement, you opened your eyes.
the sparkle returned to your eyes and you felt like you were in a real fairy tale.
it seemed like a dream — the city lit up by stars, the rainbow bridge, the river under the moonlight, people dancing and singing in the streets.
you were so taken aback by everything that your eyes didn't even look away when cassian spoke. "i have an idea. do you trust me?"
"with my life."
cassian felt the weight of your words, but before he could think too much about them, he hugged you around your waist, making you fall into his embrace and stay underneath him.
cassian descended his flight and took you straight to the river where he lowered you until your hands could reach the water.
you stretched out your arms and felt the cold water tickle you making you laugh nonstop. you traveled the entire river, until cassian lifted you higher again, but you kept your arms open the whole time.
it seemed like you were really flying.
freedom and magic had never seemed more beautiful to you.
you smiled all night.
•••
dear cassian, today i was invaded by one of the best memories ever. my mother braided my hair for church and i couldn't help but blush and giggle almost the entire time. i was greeted by strange looks from her but it didn't bother me at all. how could it be when i was thinking about you? that night was special, wasn't it? i know it was for me. with love, y/n
today was one of those days.
the one that cassian just wanted to end. his mother's birthday was always a difficult day for him, and if he could, he would just skip it completely. 
in an attempt to feel better, cassian went in search of the only thing that offer him comfort these days. 
three knocks on the wooden door and a second later, cassian entered the room and upon seeing your smiling face, the tension that tormented him left his body.
you greeted him with a smile so big that it almost disarmed the general completely.
"hey, big boy." several giggles followed your greeting.
cassian couldn't help the giggles that also came out of him, as he closed the door and headed towards the bed where you were sitting.
"hey, little one." cassian was enjoying this new type of flirting — innocent and pure, true and funny, with no ulterior motives. 
you were already ready for bed. your nightgown was white and one of the straps was hanging down because you were finishing braiding your hair. 
his troat got a little dry.
"are you okay? you look a little sad." 
cassian's eyes shifted back to yours, and his heart warmed at your kindness. 
"i'm fine. it's just one of those days." 
understanding dawned on your face, "well, lucky for you, i have the best medicine for that." 
amusement filled cassian's face. raising an eyebrow, he asked "it's that so?" 
nodding your head, you grabbed his hand and led him to sit in front of you on the floor. 
cassian ignored the feeling of your bare legs on either side of his shoulders, your soft and smooth skin touching the skin of his arms. 
moments later, cassian felt his hair being combed on one side while the other was caressed by your fingers. 
the general immediately relaxed. closing his eyes, he let his back fall against the bed, filling all the space between you.
"my grandmother used to do this to me when i was little, especially when i was sad. it was impossible not to feel better after."
"were you close?" cassian found himself asking. 
"a lot, there were times when i considered her more my mother than my own mother." 
"you must have loved her very much."
several giggles came out of you. "i did, but we never used that expression." 
through the mirror, you watched cassian frown in confusion, causing you to laugh again "what do you mean?"
"my grandmother was a complicated woman. when she was younger, she didn't believe in love. she thought it was impossible to love someone more than anything." 
cassian listened attentively to every word you said.
"until she met my grandfather. she said that whenever she was with him, her heart beat faster, as if it was beating for him, and not for her. as if her heart belonged to him." 
cassian found your face in the mirror, and the smile you wore as you brushed his hair made him give a matching smile. 
you were talking with so much love, so much adoration.
"whenever she wanted to express her love for my grandfather, she would say 'my heart beats for you'. i've always loved that expression, i think it's much more sincere than the other one to be honest." 
your expression of adoration was replaced by one of surprise "i've never told anyone this before."  
cassian realized what you meant behind those words and before he could stop himself, he took a leap of confidence.
"today would be my mother's birthday." 
and so, the two of you talked all night long. 
cassian told you about his mother, about his  childhood, about the war, about everything.
you hugged him, wiped his tears, and kissed his cheeks — he blushed but you pretended you didn't notice.
you ended up braiding his hair while telling him how you wanted to be a teacher and open your own school for girls and boys because in your village only men could study.
how you wanted to help improve the future lives of those girls who were just as deserving of a good life as any boy. 
cassian found himself wondering how could you be this perfect and how lucky he felt that he was the one to find you.
in the future, when anyone asked him about the moment he fell in love with you, cassian would talk about this night. 
•••
dear cassian, i miss my days in prythian. i miss you. i don't want to be human anymore. i want you. y/n
the restaurants cassian took you to so you could sample the delicious food velaris offered, including the bakeries where cassian discovered you had a sweet tooth for chocolate cake. he found himself wiping chocolate off your chin several times.
the nights at rita's where you and rhysand did karaoke side by side, acting like superstars.
your chess battles with amren, and how she could never win a single game against you, always claiming that you were cheating.
the girls' nights with morrigan, and the shopping trips she took you on.
the reading time with azriel, where just the company of each other was enough for you.
the training sessions between azriel and cassian that brought your not-so-decent scenarios with the general to life in your mind.
the night flights in cassian's arms.
the nights when you always braided his hair so that it wouldn't get knotted while he slept.
your discovery of green herbal tea that helped cassian with his allergies.
the night you outlined cassian's tattoos as a way to help him relax after a hard day.
and your favorite. your birthday when the inner circle organized a surprise party for you and cassian gave you what become your favorite piece of clothing — a purple dress with white flowers.
•••
dear cassian, the first rain has come to my village and with it has brought back some memories. i spent most of the afternoon sitting by the window just to appreciate the view. when i was questioned from my mother about my doings, i gave her this same answer and she looked at me strangely, saying that there was nothing beautiful to appreciate. oh, cass, how wrong she is. i haven't been able to get you out of my head since the first drops touched the earth. what a special day that was for us. dare i say one of the best? i will cherish that day forever as long as my memory allows it, but i know that it will always remain in my heart. how could i forget, when that was the day i felt alive again in a long time? i just hope you felt the same way. with love, y/n
it was raining non-stop.
what had started out as a sunny day had quickly turned into a gray one.
you and cassian struggled not to slip on the wet dirt as you ran to the cabin.
the cabin by the lake that rhysand had lent you for a weekend together. you had gone to visit a fair that was taking place in a nearby village before the rain changed your plans.
cassian knew that your time together was coming to an end, and that this was rhys's way of letting you say goodbye to each other, and for that, he was grateful.
holding hands, only your laughter and the rain were audible.
looking at you, cassian saw your smile, the one he likes so much. a pang sounded in his heart and forced him to stop.
"what's wrong?" you asked when you noticed.
"i don't know what you're doing to me."
confusion fell over your face "what?"
"the things you're making me feel. i've never felt anything like this before."
the world stopped. suddenly, it was just you and him, him and you. the only audible sound was the beating of your hearts.
"my heart beats for you." he confessed, "he's been beating for you for some time now."
several tears ran down your face and your breath got caught in your throat.
this was really happening.
a big smile formed on your face "my heart beats for you, too."
a great sigh of relief left his mouth, with a smile that matched yours, the general didn't waste another moment to do what he had been dreaming of doing for weeks.
he kissed you with all his strength.
you who were stealing his heart since the day he saw you.
you returned the kiss immediately encouraging cassian to deepen the kiss, making you lean back a little.
taking advantage of this new change, cassian took the opportunity to wrap his hands around the back of your thighs, propelling you upwards, making you wrap your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck.
the male carried you to cabin, and then to the bedroom, whose door was opened with a kick without ever breaking the kiss.
cassian supported his knees on the mattress, lowering your bodies until your back rested gently on the surface of the bed.
his hands traveled your body, while your hands slid down the width of his back, feeling every muscle he had there under your palms.
your hands continued their path until they reached the hem of his shirt. when you showed your intention to lift it, your action was interrupted by cassian.
"wait." he asked, leaning on his knees and holding your small wrists in his too-large hands.
"is there a problem?"
your legs continued to rest on either side of cassian's legs, you showed no intention of moving.
"you're human."
your eyes dropped to the skirt of your dress, a pang of shame reaching your heart. you couldn't help but think that maybe he didn't want to do this because you would never be able to satisfy him like the females in his world.
after all, you are just a simple human while they look like goddesses compared to you.
"no, it's not that."
your eyes immediately flew to meet those brown ones. cassian approached and ran a hand over your face.
"trust me, it's not that. i've never wanted anyone like i want you, but. . . "
your hand rested on his, which was on your cheek, heating up with each movement of the male.
"i'm afraid i might hurt you. i'm much stronger than you and i don't want to hur-"
"you could never hurt me." you were quick to interrupt him and the feeling of relief that filled you was welcome.
he wants you, but he's just afraid of hurting you.
your heart skipped a beat at his kindness.
"i know you'd never hurt me, cass. it's okay, i want this." this time, you were the one caressing his face, "i trust you."
oh, if you only knew how much those three words had an effect on him.
never in his four hundred years had cassian ever felt this way about anyone.
someone who made him feel alive.
someone who gave him a purpose.
nodding, cassian was quick to kiss you again, and when you tried to take off his shirt again, he didn't stop you.
standing up, he undid his pants, button by button. you watched as his pants slid down his muscular thighs.
now in just his boxers, you took in the incredible sight of the warrior he was — his muscles, his tattoos, and those strands of hair tied in a bun while the rest remained loose.
an absolute god.
what an impossible mission it was to meet this male and not fall madly in love with him.
cassian broke the last step when his boxers joined the pile of his clothes on the floor.
you couldn't stop your gaze from lingering on his length for longer than it should have.
a chuckle from cassian broke your trance and you tried to hide your blushing cheeks as you stood up and stood in front of him with your back turned.
you felt the male's breathing get heavier as you gently slid your hair over one shoulder, giving him a view of the zipper of your dress.
cassian's hands were shaking slightly as the general began to slide the clasp all the way down, being greeted by your bare back.
a kiss was placed at the beginning of your spine, sending shivers down it, while two large hands slid the dress off your shoulders until it fell to the floor.
when you found cassian's face again, you watched as his eyes traveled over your body, memorizing every detail.
with your eyes still on his, you lay back down on the mattress. cassian followed you, resting his forearms on the sides of your head.
his fingers traveled through your hair while his lips were busy kissing you.
the kiss took another turn when the kisses strayed to your cheek, followed by your neck and down your chest until they reached your belly and stopped just below your belly button.
cassian lifted his head, his eyes meeting yours in a silent question.
"yes."
he placed one last kiss on your belly before his hands grabbed the fabric of your underwear and slid them down your legs.
several light kisses were placed on the inside of your thighs as the male made another round of kisses until he reached your lips.
when his hips aligned with yours, you felt a pressure at your entrance that caused a new sensation in your belly.
cassian grabbed one of your arms, lifting and bending it over your head before intertwining your fingers with his and holding it there.
his other hand slid down your thigh until he lifted it and held it higher on his hip.
"are you sure?"
a nod wasn't enough for the male who preferred words for what was about to happen.
"words, baby."
your heart skipped another beat. could this male be more perfect?
with a look of love written all over your face, you said "make me yours."
cassian fell apart at your words and as quick as a snap of his fingers, his heart surrendered to you completely.
lifting his hips slightly, cassian pushed inside and a strange sensation invaded you.
he made sure his movement was slow and gentle so as not to hurt you, until he was completely inside.
your heart was racing as was your breathing, as you tried to get used to this new sensation that could be described as strange, a little painful but at the same time pleasant.
cassian stood still for a few seconds, using his free hand to caress your hair "relax, baby."
following his advice, your muscles relaxed and the tension disappeared from your body, leaving only pleasure.
giving the male an indication to continue, cassian moved slowly and gently with each encounter of your hips.
as you got used to it, his thrusts became deeper and more precise.
your moans mixed with cassian's grunts, your bodies moving in harmony.
your body exploded and you found yourself sailing in a sea of pleasures where each sensation left you feeling incredible.
just when you thought it couldn't get any better, cassian wrapped your legs around his waist, bringing you closer, and held both of your hands above your head as he took a few minutes to explore your chest.
sucking and biting, you were left with love marks all over your skin.
this is where you wanted to be. in this bed, in the arms of this male.
you wanted to display all these marks of love so that everyone could know that the two of you belonged together.
you remained wrapped in each other until the next morning sun came to greet you.
•••
the day you and cassian had to say goodbye is not one he wants to remember.
it was months later, during one of the parties organized by the high lord in the hewn city.
after a night full of laughter, dancing and food, an attempt on rhys's life occurred. the inner circle was quick to act but not before one of the attackers hurt you.
madja was able to heal some of your injuries but due to your human nature, the others would take longer to heal.
guilt consumed cassian, reminding him how fragile you were compared to them.
cassian could not be selfish with you and make you stay in his world just so he could be with you.
he held you in his arms, kissing you and telling how much his heart beats for you.
the next morning, you woke up in your village with the a ghost feeling of strong arms around you as last memory.
•••
my love, i'm getting married. i understand that this may come as a big surprise but this time is different. i'm ready for a life beyond my parents' reach. his name is liam, we have known each other since we were children when he lived across the house from me. i met him again when i was returning from church, i learned that he recently lost his wife to a virus in a village in the north. he returned to his parents' house after his wife's funeral to start over. we have kept in touch ever since and life has led us to take the next step. we are not in love, not even close, but we are friends, we enjoy each other's company and we both want the same thing and guess what? liam loved my idea of being a teacher and opening a small school. he is a good man, he treats me very well and supports my dreams, i think everything will be fine. i bought my wedding dress the other day and i couldn't help but think about the beautiful dresses i would find in velaris and how pretty you would look in a suit at the altar. oh, cass, how i wish it was you. how i wish it was you to whom i would say those two little words. i still have some preparations to make until the wedding day, next friday. and i already know that if he ever goes off the rails, all i have to do is describe to him an illyrian general who would be happy to settle scores with him. i miss you, cass. my heart beats for you. forever yours, y/n
cassian was nervous.
he knew he shouldn't be here, but he couldn't stop himself from coming.
a part of him believed that you wanted him here, that the mention of your wedding day had been intentional so he could come.
at least, that's what he tried to convince his brothers when rhysand and azriel tried to stop him.
the sun had set long ago, but the party continued.
cassian watched the light emitted by the windows of the small church and the music that was playing inside.
several voices laughing and singing could be heard through the thin wood.
cassian paced back and forth, wondering what he should do.
the male walked a few steps towards the church only to walk back and find his brothers coming out of the trees.
a sigh of annoyance left the general's mouth, who received looks of understanding from his brothers.
"you can't be here, cass," rhysand told him for what seemed like the hundredth time since that letter had reached his brother's hands.
"what am i supposed to do, rhys?" pain showed in cassian's brown eyes, causing a pang of pain in his brothers hearts.
"my girl is in there getting married to a guy who isn't me."
azriel approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder and lightly squeezing him. "we know, but it's dangerous for you to be here, brother. what if someone sees you?"
"i'm not afraid of them, az." cassian gave him an incredulous look, as if the male didn't know what he was made of.
"i'm not talking about you," cassian's confusion was enough for him to continue. "y/n is in there. if someone sees you and tries to hurt you, she'll step in and stop it from happening. and then what? what do you think they'd do to her if they found out you were the person she was with while she was away?"
cassian's stomach turned at the mere thought of someone being capable of hurting you.
you who radiate kindness and gentleness.
"he's right, cass. not all humans are understanding, many of them would never accept the fact that y/n chose you over one of them." rhysand added.
cassian hung his head in defeat and with a simple nod, conveyed his understanding to his brothers.
just as they turned their backs on the church and prepared to leave, a honey-sweet voice stopped them.
"cass?"
a wave of electricity invaded the male's body and a sense of relief filled him.
he would recognize that voice anywhere. even if he was at the ends of the world, he would recognize you.
cassian's knees nearly gave out when he turned around and found the most beautiful bride he had ever seen.
you were on the church porch. your hair was tied up in a bun with a bridal pin on top holding a transparent, shiny veil.
you displayed a white shiny dress that started with a sweetheart neckline whose fabric hugged your form until your hips and then cascaded down to your feet.
you were mesmerizing with the starlight completing you.
cassian forgot how to breathe.
if his time came at that precise moment, he would die happy.
"cass!" your eyes lit up as your feet carried you to him.
cassian ran to you and when you threw yourself into his arms, he held you as if his life depended on it.
he inhaled your scent, memorized the softness of your skin and recorded the sound of your laughter.
cassian would stay in this position forever, with you in his arms, safe, happy and loved.
but that was interrupted when you ended the hug and pulled away just long enough to firmly grab his face and kiss him directly on his lips.
cassian kissed you back immediately. a kiss that told him so much even without words spoken in between.
how much you missed him, how much you loved him and how much to desire to be with him.
when the kiss ended, your foreheads remained together with your hands still on each other's cheeks, as you tried to calm your hearts and catch your breath.
a light laugh from you broke the silence "i missed you."
"i missed you too, baby."
"we missed you too, y/n" rhys's voice reached your ears, making you turn in the arms of your male and look in the direction of his brothers.
azriel and rhysand raised their hands together in greeting, goofy smiles on their faces.
"i missed you too, boys," your eyes redirected to those brown who invaded your dreams "but not as much as your pretty brother here."
cassian blushed, looking away from you and hiding his face in your neck, leaving his brothers giggling and mocking him.
the small moment of tenderness didn't last long when a pair of footsteps reached the ears of the illyrians, making them go into defense mode.
cassian quickly placed you behind him while rhysand and azriel joined his sides with weapons ready.
not far away, a sharp scream broke through the garden and a small 'pum' echoed beneath your feet.
before anything tragic could happen, you stepped in front of the males, trying to contain your laughter.
"it's okay! it's liam!"
liam — the human on the ground — was in a fetal position, with his head hidden in his knees and his arms wrapped around them.
"please, don't hurt me." he begged.
"liam," you tried to stifle your laughter but failed as you helped him up, "they're not going to hurt you, you idiot."
"oh," liam let out a small nervous laugh as he adjusted his coat and pants. "well, that's good. thank you."
the males put away their weapons as they observed what was your new husband.
the smile that adorned your face at the scene that had just taken place did not go unnoticed by them.
as you linked your arm with liam's, you approached the males and made the proper introductions.
"liam, this is rhysand and azriel." you paused briefly as the three shook hands.
a look of love took over your face "and this is cassian," a brief pause, enough for your eyes to regain that shine that was meant only for him "my cassian."
the male's heart skipped a beat and began beating so fast that he only realized it when his brothers' giggles started again.
clearing his throat and composing himself, cassian ignored the two idiots on the left and looked at liam.
he didn't know what to expect from the man's reaction but it was definitely not what displayed next.
"it's very nice to meet you, sir. i heard great things about you."
"you did?" cassian asked suprised.
you were the one to answer this time "i told liam about us. he's not like the others."
liam shook hands with cassian, before stepping back and exclaiming "i'll give you two a moment alone," looking at you he continued "i'll be inside when you're ready."
gratitude and joy filled your eyes bringing tears to the surface "thank you, liam."
"of course." liam replied as he took your hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
already heading towards the church, liam was stopped in his tracks, with a voice he knew belonged to a general without even looking back.
"yes?" he asked as he found cassian's face again.
cassian looked at you — at your eyes that shone every time you looked at him and as he ran a hand over your face, he placed his hand on the back of your neck bringing you into a hug.
as soon as your face touched his chest, you wrapped your arms around his waist, one of his hands remained on your neck while the other found your waist.
your body immediately relaxed against his and cassian had to look away from you as tears invaded his eyes.
he had to clear his throat before proceeding "take care of my girl."
liam gave him a genuine smile that showed cassian he could trust him. "i will. you have my word."
with a nod from the male, liam continued on his way until he entered the church.
a simple look at his brothers told them what cassian wanted.
a moment alone with you — the last one.
azriel and rhysand placed a kiss on the top of your head in turn before leaving.
there in the middle of a garden, in the moonlight, you and cassian danced.
"my heart beats for you." you said it one last time.
"my heart beats for you, baby."
you danced together for a long time.
the dance that was supposed to be witnessed by the whole world on your wedding day.
but instead, only the stars got to witnessed it.
•••
dear cassian, today marks two months since i started teaching. the renovations were finished a few weeks after the wedding and the school is finally up and running. the first few days were difficult, many girls didn't show up because some parents still believed that education is only for boys but i think the gods are on my side. by the fourth week there were so many girls and boys that there wasn't room for one more person. many of the children had to sit on the tables and windowsills, can you believe it? the children are contagious and have such a curiosity to learn that it fills my heart with joy. liam and i have been married for six months. we found a nice house near the lake and everything is going well. we are planning a trip to the mainland at the end of the year. it will be our honeymoon since we didn't have the chance after the wedding. i hope you are all well. with love, y/n
on top of a tree planted in a garden in front of a small school, a large illyrian general struggled with his weight to stay stable in the branches.
on the general's face was one of the biggest smiles he had ever shown.
his eyes were fixed on the scene that was unfolding a few feet away from him on the ground.
in the middle of the garden, in front of a small school, there was you. — his girl.
cassian watched as you stood in the middle of a circle, singing and clapping, while the children danced around you with smiles on their faces — faces full of a happiness caused by you.
the scene brought tears to his eyes.
you were happy.
your dream had come true.
and it was at that precise moment that he knew he had made the right decision in letting you go.
•••
dear cassian, i've been very busy with school and the children. it's been rewarding to be able to be a part of these little beings who grow more and more with each passing day. liam is doing well, we celebrated his birthday a few weeks ago. we're both very happy and our relationship gets better every day. this is a very special time for us, especially now that we've discovered that our family of two will soon become a family of three. who would have thought, me as a mom, can you imagine? my little bump is already noticeable and the baby kicked for the first time the other day. i already love this baby so much. i'm happy. with love, y/n
"where have you been?"
rhysand's voice attacked cassian's mind with a tone too loud.
cassian was sitting on the couch with several empty bottles of alcohol at his feet and tears streaming down his face.
rhys didn't need an answer from his brother to realize where he had gone.
"you went to see her."
more tears ran down cassian's face, and the male took another sip before speaking.
"they were building the crib."
rhysand let out a sigh and approached the male, taking the bottle from him and grabbing his shoulder. "you can't keep doing this to yourself, cassian. you have to let her go."
"i can't," cassian began to sob, "i don't want to."
without any way of predicting it, rhys rocked back as cassian hugged him.
the high lord's heart broke for his brother — his love for you was unquestionable.
"she looked so beautiful, rhys," the sobs grew louder, "she was wearing the purple dress with white flowers and . . . and her little bump was showing."
rhys hugged his brother tightly, showing him that he was there for him.
"i want her back. i want my girl back."
cassian fell asleep crying.
•••
dear cassian, my babygirl is here. on a summer night, cassie marie came into this world screaming and kicking. she is absolutely perfect. liam and i decided to name her after the loves we lost, i hope you like it. cassie has my hair and liam's nose but somehow she has your eyes and according to liam, marie's freckles. if this isn't a gift from the gods, then i don't know what is. cassie is now four months old, she's always smiling and communicating in her sweet way. you should see her, cassian, she's so beautiful. sometimes i let myself wonder what it would be like if she had little bat wings and black hair. even after all this, my heart still beats for you. with love, y/n
on the porch of a house by the lake, sitting in a rocking chair, a mother sang to her newborn daughter.
the beautiful girl listened attentively to her mother's voice, who looked at her with all the love in the world reflected in her blue eyes.
the baby smiled from time to time, babbling here and there, trying to join her mother.
cassian watched from the shadows.
the scene unfolding before his eyes brought him peace — a peace mixed with a certain kind of pain.
unable to help himself, he also imagined what it would be like if that little girl had small bat wings and black hair.
he imagined what it would be like to be able to hold those two precious things in his arms and be able to call them his own.
cassian couldn't hold back the tears.
that was the last time he ever saw you.
•••
dear cassian, it's been so long since my last letter. a lot has changed since then. liam and i have now been married for eight years, cassie is six, wren is three and lucy just turned one. liam and i moved to a bigger house about two years ago. our children are our greatest blessings, cassie loves to paint and read, wren has developed a new obsession with bugs and rocks, and lucy loves it when i sing to her. i wish i could slow down time so they wouldn't grow up so fast. my father passed away last year after catching a bad case of the flu, but don't worry, i'm better now. i'm glad father got to meet lucy before he left us. my birthday is coming up and I'll be thirty-two soon. it feels like a lifetime ago since i met you. every time i see cassie's eyes, i see you and my heart fills with love and good memories. my heart still beats for you, cass. with love, y/n
•••
dear cassian, how time flies. i can't remember the last letter i wrote you. cassie is twenty now and has a boyfriend who liam isn't very happy with. she wants to be a teacher like me and one day when she's ready, she'll take my place at school. wren is almost eighteen and has decided he wants to be a doctor like his dad. he's been helping liam at the clinic lately. the first few days were hard, he threw up a few times but he's getting the hang of it. lucy loves nature. flowers, animals, trees, anything that involves it. she doesn't know what she wants to be yet but she's still young and has a lot of time until then. everything is going well. with love, y/n
•••
dear cassian, i'm a grandmother. last week, my cassie gave birth to a beautiful boy. the boyfriend that liam didn't like ended up proving himself to us and three years later, he and my little girl tied the knot. my grandson is beautiful, just like his mother. cassie has already taken my place at school and can't stop talking about how excited she is to go back. in a few months, it will be my son's turn to marry with girl who used to be my student. they make a beautiful couple. lucy ended up opening a bookstore and she's so happy. liam and i retired about a year ago and with all our babies out of the house and their lives organized, our house has become emptier and quieter. i'm not a big fan of this, but it's been useful because we have been taking advantage of this time to travel more, like we always wanted to. life has been good to me. with love, y/n
•••
my love, i turned eighty-three today. my family threw me a big surprise party surrounded by family and friends, it was one of the best i've ever had. i already have five grandchildren, did you know? my lucy had her first a few months ago. lately, i've been thinking a lot about the life i've built, about everything i've experienced. time is starting to pass by me, cass, i can feel it in my bones. it hurts me to say that i don't remember you anymore. no matter how hard i try, i can't remember your face or your voice but do you know what i can still remember? that my heart beats for you just as it always has. live well, cass. be happy and when your time comes, look for me in the next life. my heart will forever belong to you. forever yours, your girl, y/n
•••
the letter arrived on a gray morning.
the sun was hidden behind the clouds as if it was too afraid to come say 'hi'.
it was a strange morning, cassian thought.
despite the fact that it was already the last days of summer, pryhtian was still a few weeks away from welcoming the next season.
the inner circle was in the living room having breakfast at the house of wind.
nuala entered the room with a letter sealed that was resting on a white porcelain platter.
a huge smile immediately spread across the general's face.
after all, it was the first thursday of the month and everyone knew what that meant — a letter from you.
cassian didn't wait for nuala to cross the room to him. standing up as quickly as possible, wiping his hands on the pants fabric, cassian walked over to her.
he thanked the half-wraith, still with his mouth full, as he hurried to take the letter out and open it.
a few steps away, sitting at the oak table, his family studied with amusement in their eyes and genuine smiles.
cassian wasn't the only one who looked forward to your letters and the words contained in them — the first thursday of the month was always a day of great excitement for everyone, even for your old chess partner.
but, unfortunately, this wasn't a normal thursday.
the members of the inner circle were quick to notice this when cassian's behavior changed.
how he remained with his back turned, instead of turning around ready to share the letter with them;
how his knees began to weaken, instead of running back to the table smiling;
how his breathing became rapid and strangled, instead of letting out several laughs;
how from one moment to the next, everything changed.
cassian fell to his knees.
a second — that was all it took for his heart to stop.
a strangled sound of pain woke azriel and rhysand from their trances and they ran to their brother's aid.
morrigan and amren followed them, staying just a few steps away from where the three brothers were now on the ground.
four strong arms wrapped around cassian's body, whose chest shook with pain as his tears fell onto the abandoned letter on the floor, blurring the various words written on it.
through their brother's tears, the two males could only make out one sentence that remained untouched.
their hearts were immediately struck, as if someone had ambushed them and stolen a part of them.
tears that matched cassian's gathered in his family's eyes.
grief invaded them in the worst possible way.
you had died in your sleep.
the sun did not shine that day.
•••
she was lost for words.
she would never have imagined the depth of your love story with cassian.
now it all made sense.
the fact that he was scared by the revelation of the bond — the fact that he was insecure and afraid to accept it.
"i need you to understand that a part of my heart will always belong to her."
cassian began by saying, his eyes never meeting nesta's.
"after y/n, i never went back to being with another woma-" clearing his throat, he adjusted his position on the bed "with another female."
"for decades i couldn't even look at another female with that intention. y/n completely disarmed me."
a hoarse laugh escaped his lips "she turned my world upside down. she changed me for the better and showed me a life i never thought i was worthy of. so i need you to understand this before you make a decision about the bond."
his eyes met nesta's face for the first time.
"no matter how many years, decades, centuries pass, i will never, ever stop loving her. she was the one who made my heart beat for the first time, and even after one hundred and seventy-two years since she left this world. . .my heart continues to beat for her and it always will."
for the second time that day, nesta was lost for words.
she couldn't comprehend that kind of love — a love so deep, so true, so powerful.
she hoped that one day she could be blessed and experience it.
even though she knew that cassian would never love her like he loved you — to her surprise, that didn't bother her.
"i understand," a soft smile appeared on her lips and nesta felt relieved when cassian mimicked her, "you really loved her, huh?"
the male nodded several times before confessing out loud "more than life itself."
a moment of silence followed before cassian got up from the bed and walked towards his dresser.
underneath a set of clothes, the male took out a parchment.
on his way to nesta, he held it against his chest as if he was assimilating everything that was happening before stopping in front of her.
"she left you a letter." cassian surprised her and handed her a parchment before retreating to the balcony.
nesta stared at the parchment in her hands for a while, trying to figure out the meaning behind those words.
clarity dawned on her — not for her, but for cassian's future wife.
your consideration warmed her heart. rhysand was right — you really did have a gift for stealing people's hearts.
nesta broke the seal and a sweet smell invaded her space.
honey — your scent, nesta realized. she unrolled the letter and read it.
hello, future lady general, my name is y/n and if you are reading this letter, then i assume that cass has already told you about me. i can see that we are both lucky to have such a male in our lives. i don't know how much about our story cass has already told you but by now you must be aware that i am human. or that i was, depending when you're reading this. even though my heart beats for him, we're not meant to be, so i'm writing this letter to tell you a little bit about this amazing male that rocked my world. he's kind, honest, loyal, loving, funny, and so pretty. even though he thinks 'pretty' is a cheesy word, believe me, he likes it when people call him that. he loves flying at night, especially on summer nights. he's a big fan of music. he loves to eat, but he hates eating alone. it reminds him of his childhood in windhaven, so even if you're not eating, sit with him. he had a rough childhood and sometimes he lets those memories get to him, so on those days don't talk to him, just hug him and show him that you're there for him. he has allergies, a lot of them, so in the spring, make him a green herbal tea, it always works. he loves having his hair brushed and braided (he'll never admit it), especially at night before going to bed, that way he won't wake up with knots in his hair. and he loves kisses. in his cheek, in his nose, in his forehead, in his lips, so whenever you get a chance kiss him. it may be a little difficult at first, he has some difficulty in opening up but don't give up on him, he's worth it. please take care of my cass, he can be a little grumpy sometimes, but he's an incredible male who deserves the stars and so much more. make him laugh, make him smile, make him cry, make him scream, make him feel, make him live. make him my cassian again, and not the cassian he will became when my time in this world comes to an end. love him, appreciate him, enjoy him, protect him, accept him. make him yours. i hope your heart beats for him, just like mine still does. thank you, y/n
tears filled nesta archeron's eyes.
the female needed to take a few deep breaths for her heart to recover from what she had just read.
this letter was the only thing she needed to realize how much you had loved cassian and how easy it had been for him to fall in love with you.
who wouldn't? you seemed perfect.
she found cassian on the balcony with his arms resting on the wall and his head down.
the older archeron sister didn't even want to imagine the pain that her mate had felt throughout these years for his late love.
in that moment, nesta knew that she could never replace you, and not even she wanted that, but she wanted to do exactly what you had left in the letter for her.
to do what, unfortunately, you were only able to do for a short period of time and somehow be able to bring comfort to your soul knowing that your cassian was in good hands.
her gray eyes drifted to the letters that remained on the bed.
her eyes traveled through them but the only thing she could focus on was those pages.
the pages that were proof of cassian's grieve.
the pages that were marked by tears.
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a/n: thank you for reading! i fell in love with this story even if it hurt to write some of it.
general taglist: @emryb @fantasyandshit @azrielover @shadowsingercassia @brieflyclassymortal @lilah-asteria @lure-of-writing @pruvii @olive-main @mybestfriendmademe @anuttellaa @mrsjna @lively-potter @meul-a @avajustreads @littlelou22 @talesofadragon @circe143 @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @dark-chaos-314 @tequilya @scoliobean @saltedcoffeescotch @charlotteintumbleland @dark-chaos-314 @agirlwithwifiandalaptop
*if you asked to be tagged and you weren't, it's because I couldn't find your blog.
the beautiful dividers belong to @cafekitsune
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acomaflove · 6 months ago
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Nesta: Can you come with me to come bail Cassian out of jail?
Rhysand: I think you can handle chastising him on your own.
Nesta: But who is going to handle reprimanding Feyre when she gets bailed out too?
Rhysand:
Rhysand:
Rhysand: Not again
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rainingriversofyou · 9 months ago
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“Someone’s quick off the mark.”
—A Court Of Silver Flames
Artist: l.moon_art for warlock.and.co
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acourtofmishapandmistakes · 5 months ago
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Cassian: Hold on, I'm having one of those things - a headache with picture.
Azriel: Huh?
Nesta: He's having an idea.
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