#Elain I have a list of gift ideas you can use

[bonecarversbestie]

Don’t mind me just having my weekly cry thinking about Lucien wrapping Solstice gifts for everyone when he knows he won’t get one in return.

Like just imagine him sitting on the floor with scissors and tape making sure the creases are perfect and tying little bows on top 😭

[alicole-sideblog]

Canon-compliant Green family vacation

Daeron is going to Oldtown to be fostered there. Alicent insists on escorting him there herself, and makes a family vacation out of it. Sickly Viserys isn’t up to such travel, so they get to leave him behind.

Here’s the list of events I’ve got so far. I’m looking for more, so if you have ideas, chime in! I want this to be a collaboration post! Please collaborate with me! In particular, the going-there journey is a bit sparse and I could use some help. I also need Daeron anecdotes.

1st leg of the trip: King’s Landing to Tumbleton

They travel by land to Tumbleton, the highest navigable point on the Mander. Horses, carriages, a whole royal procession. They’re traveling on the Roseroad at first, and then take a dirt road that cuts across to Tumbleton.

Aemond, having no dragon yet, is going through a horse girl phase. Until he can get a dragon, he’s going to be the best horse rider anyone’s ever seen.

Alicent isn’t the best rider, but she does have a real fondness for horses. She identifies with them — their big dark gentle eyes; when they sigh and go “brbrbr” and sound so exhausted and put upon.

Alicent rides in a carriage at the start of the trip. The kids are like, “Come out and ride with us!” Criston’s on their side too. Eventually she does.

2nd leg of the trip: Tumbleton to Oldtown:

They travel downriver by boat, and then through the Sunset Sea to Oldtown.

Aegon falls overboard into the river and has to get rescued. This provides an opportunity to make fun of him, and also an opportunity to fuss over him, cuddle him, say, “We’re so glad we didn’t loose you.”

Stopping at every castle along the Mander — Bitterbridge, Longtable, Cider Hall, Highgarden — to spend a night or two and do diplomacy.

When the river turns into the sea, Helaena gets seasick. Alicent and Criston trade off sitting with her at the prow of the ship, and keeping an eye on the other kids.

Alicent pulling Daeron into her lap for cuddles at every opportunity.

Oldtown!

They arrange for baby nerds Helaena and Aemond to get a tour of the Citadel. They love it. Helaena is gifted a bug in amber.

Some Hightower kin shows Aemond the fused stone base of the Hightower and tells him about the competing theories of its history. Aemond is enthralled.

Alicent takes Criston to the Starry Sept. Maybe they redo their vows there?

Otto and Criston meet formally for the first time. Lean into all the meet-the-in-laws tropes for this scene, Otto really grills him. But later in private, Otto tells Alicent that he likes and approves of Criston — he’s been a fan of his since the day he beat Daemon.

Otto meeting Helaena for the first time since infancy, and her becoming his favorite grandchild.

Trip to the Arbor

They make a trip from Oldtown to the Arbor to visit Alicent’s maternal Redwyne kin.

The red tint in Alicent’s hair comes from the Redwyne side. Maybe she hennas her hair before they go to really bring it out? Her Redwyne family like seeing her mother’s traits in her.

Grandma Redwyne is still living. She fusses over Alicent and does the whole, “Oh, you look so much like your mother!” thing and Otto’s like, “I know, doesn’t she?”

Helaena is indirectly named after Alicent’s mother, who was named Elaine (Helene?)

Otto and Grandma Redwyne are mostly on good terms, but Alicent does overhear, once, Grandma Redwyne crying and berating Otto, “Why did you have to take your family with you to the capital? Why couldn’t you have left Elaine and the kids here with me? I would’ve taken care of them, and Elaine wouldn’t have caught the summer fever from that fetid city and she’d still be alive!”

Grandma Redwyne: Where in Dorne is your family from? Criston: *getting really uncomfortable* My mother was born on the coast of the Sea of Dorne. Grandma Redwyne: Ah. I don't know much about the northern coast, only the southern coast. My grandfather was a sailor out of Planky Town. He ran Arbor Gold all over, from Bear Island to Volantis. He never went to the north coast of Dorne, though, never went through the Stepstones. The pirates and all. Grandpa used to say that braving pirates' waters was for men without families waiting for them back home. Criston: *relaxes, smiles*

Return journy: Oldtown to King’s Landing

They travel by ship along the Dornish coast, through the Stepstones, and back to King’s Landing.

If the previous first two segments were the "let's talk about Alicent's family" section, this is "let's talk about Criston's family."

Aemond is sad about loosing his favorite brother. Criston assures him that Daeron will always be his brother. As he’s saying it, Criston realizes that while Aemond’s not loosing Daeron, he is. Daeron will always be their son and brother because blood, but Criston doesn’t have that to fall back on. Being the man that raised them is the only claim he has to these kids. If he’s not that to Daeron, then that’s it — Daeron won’t be his in the future. Criston has just lost him. He calls Alicent over, pushes Aemond off onto her, and then goes and cries in private.

Aegon learns sea shanties from the sailors, and sings them as loudly as he can. Aemond is super annoyed. Helaena surprises the parents by singing to.

Criston spends a lot of time looking at the Dornish coast, off the port side of the ship. At night he has a dream that they’re caught in a storm and shipwrecked on the shore. When people arrive on the beach to help them, he presents himself as a Dornishman and Alicent as his wife.

Sentimentality about Criston’s family as they pass by the Sea of Dorne. “My mother was born somewhere along there. A little village on the northern coast of Dorne.” “Blackhaven is somewhere that way. That’s where my family are.” Getting emotional and praying for his family, who he can only hope are still living since they’re illiterate smallfolk so he can’t write letters to them. The kids saying, “Let’s go to Blackhaven!” and Criston sadly having to explain that it’s an arduous trek through the mountains to get there, it’s not a coastal place they can easily tack onto their trip, people are expecting them back in King’s Landing, etc. Aemond saying, “Ok, fine, we’ll do that trip when Aegon’s king then.”

[queengiuliettafirstlady]

Summer Birthdays Surprises of Love

Summer Birthdays Surprises of Love

Fandom: Ikemen Vampire Pairing: Napoleon Bonaparte x OC (Elaine) Tag: Established relationship Birthday Fluff Surprises Kisses Fluff

Word Count : 1.327 Author’s Note: Happy Birthday Honey @kissmetwicekissmedeadly

I am here to wish you a very happy birthday as very happy indeed you make me everytime we chat. 😍

You always shine like a star enriching the fandom and the entire workd alike with your dazzling presence. 😘

I am happy and proud to call you my friend for it I wish to see you smile everyday like today. 🥰

I thus hope in all honesty this humble gift would be enough to thank you for all the adventures we shared together. ❤

Tag list @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @aquagirl1978 

@violettduchess @lichtluv @rjthirsty 

You can find me on AO3 as QueenJuliet 😊 Thank you for everyone who will like, reblog, or comment please be gentle with me english is not my first language so please do not leave rude comments I apologise for eventual errors I hope you will like it 😊

It was a placid summer morning, on any other occasion they would have used it to their own advantage to go to the beach or stay home lazing around in their private pool in long sessions of love making … but not that day.

They were lazing cuddling on the swinging porch bench talking about everything and nothing, his fingers lazily caressing her hair as she purred softly nuzzling in his neck pawning at his chest heabutting it like a clingy swan.

“I hope you enjoyed my homemade breakfast.”

“Of course I did, thank you. It was all delicious.”

“Good cause I have so much in store for you today.”

“You didn't have to ?”

“Trust me there is nothing more rewarding than making you happy the day you are born.”

“I love you so much. Elaine.”

“I love you too, Leon.”

Gently he took her hand in his, enticing his ginger sin hers as they walked through the garden. 

She began to walk toward a bush when suddenly crouched down to it, something white caught her eyes and soon she noticed it was a piece of paper far from ordinary.

A swan origami, that judging by the expert way it was made it must have been a work of his lover, proved by the elegant signature of the written words on its wings.

The idea he learnt it only to make her happy, warmed her heart with affection.

“What did it say, my little ?”

“It seems we have to find all of them, to find a surprise.”

“We haven’t time to waste then.”

And so their whimsical treasure hunt began, bringing them on trees’ tops and in rabbit’s holes, patching every corner of the garden 

It was noon and the air was pretty hot but the freshness of the wind helped them regain their energy, to continue.

At each paper bird they dove deeper into the forest surrounding their cottage and before they knew it they reached a little lake.

It was a special place for them, she still remembers the first time he brought her to propose to her. 

It was so romantic she wasn't able to hold back and jump in his arms tumbling with him on the ground.

She smiled fondly at the memory following him as she sat quietly next to the pool diving her hand in it, splashing playfully his husband who smiled brightly at her all the while. 

“Ahhh Look Napoleone ducks.”  

She clapped her hands happily as the birds walked towards her, lining up to be petted, squealing excitedly as she distributed them some pieces of bread Napoleon offered her to take from the paper bag he had hidden in his trousers pockets.

Her laugh tingled like a wind chime in the summer breeze and as warm as the sun.

“They are so pretty. Leone, I found your duck-version.”

There was an innocent mirth in her smile as she took the black and white goose in her arm gazing back at him, enough to enrapture him in that lovely spectacle.

“Ehhehe I am sure it did, but it seems his companion is quite jealous.”

“Oh this laughing merrily she took another all white with little spots of brown here and there.”

“It looks like you nunuche.”

“Ehhehe You are right. I wonder if they are a couple.”

“I am sure they are.”

“I love petting them, they are soo soft, and they seem to love you too.”

“I see you have rivals ma reine.”

The pout on her lips was way too adorable but he desired to see her smile more and so he leaned over brushing his lips on hers.

“Don’t worry Rose, you are my only one.”

“As you are to me, Leone.”

“I know you would have liked it mia piccola that’s why I brought you there.”

“How long did you know they were there ?”

“I discovered it only recently, they must be newcomers.”

Before they knew it, the ducks vanished in the forest where they came from.

“Ahhh they went away.” she looked so down he had to took her hand squeezing it softly 

“Please don’t be sad, we can come here as many times as you like.”

“Really ?” The sun returned once more to her cheery blossom eyes as she gazed hopefully at him.

“Of course we can.It will be our little secret.”

She giggled happily squeezing his hand as he entwined his fingers with hers, before walking away hand in hand gazing up at the stars as the begin twinkle in the night sky. 

“Leone.”

“Yes dear ?”

“Our home isn’t in the opposite direction ?”

“It is … but my surprise isn’t.”

“What, there is more ?”

“Of course I want to make you the happiest you ever were today.”

“You are always so gentle to me.”

“Au contraire, ma reine. You are the sweetest one, I am only showing you my love.”

“But you do it everyday.”

“As you do but today is special, n’est pas ma petite ?”

“You have a way with words you know.”

“Only for you ma petite rose.”

Swiftly he went to hug her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist before tickling their way to her eyes.

“Now my good girl, close your eyes.”

She giggled softly, placing her hands above his. 

“Your surprises never fail to make me happy.”

“I hope this won’t be an exception.”

Gently he guided her toward a place where he made her sit on an armchair, she obeyed promptly leaning back against the cushions, turning to look in the directions where she heard him walking toward. 

“Now open your lipsand say Ahhh.”

“Like this ?”

“You are going great mon amour. Now close it and enjoy.”

The sweet savour of chocolate mixing with the light taste of the fig was a treat for her taste buds, cherishing the surprise as much as she was, chewing on it slowly, not wanting the taste to be washed away from anything … except that from Napoleone’s tongue, an image that makes her cheeks ablaze with a mix of ambarassent and anticipation. 

“Leone, it's delicious.” 

“I am so happy to hear that, then you are definitely ready for it.”

“For what ?”

“Open your eyes.””

“Oh my gosh.” 

“Do you like it ?”

“Leone I love it.”

She jumped in his arms smacking a kiss on his lips before reaching for the cake, at the center of the candid tablecloth stood a complex sculpture entirely of white chocolate of two swans whose curved necks created a heart.

“You baked it yourself.” 

She couldn't believe her eyes, it was an amazing gift like those she could only dream of, but with Napoleone around she knew that each dream turned into reality.

“I did, it took ages but it was tenfold worth it to see you smile.”

“Happy Birthday amore mio.”

“Thank you Napoleone.I don’t know how to thank you.”

“There is no need to, your smile is more than a royal reward for me. Your happiness brightens my day, you do. Your existence gave me purpose, never forget that.”

His touch was unbearably gentle as he brushed on her cheek,  gazing straight into her eyes conveying all the honesty and affection of his words in a tender kiss as he melted his lips on hers.

“I love you mia principessa more than you ever know.”

“I love you too, mio principe, so very much.”

The stars in the sky twinkled even brighter as he carried her princess style toward their room, ready to give her a much more intimate proof of his love, to the one and only that captured her heart, making him happier than he ever was, than he ever imagined being in all his dreams.

Together they found home to create, cherish and fill with the feelings bounding their heart, the same emotion that made the Universe go around since the beginning, the powerful spell of love.

[acourtofinkandpapyrus]

A Flower With Petals of Flame: Part eighteen (Eris x Reader)

Warnings: Betrayal, arguing, mentions of possible memory loss o-o

Part seventeen Part nineteen

Tag list: @esposadomd

Sorry for being gone for so long! I was sick and was barely keeping up with life. Y/N goes back to find Eris, and secrets are revealed. After gathering some people together, they have to go find someone Y/N isn't exactly happy to go see.

I sit with the inner circle, awkwardly sipping a cup of coffee.

It was going to be a long night.

“I kind of have to get back-  I may have told Eris I was going somewhere else and he’s probably getting worried.”  I say, shifting uncomfortably.

Rhys had offered me a shower after we got in, and even after the rain, I was covered in blood, so I accepted.

He must have talked to the others while I did, because they were all… softer?  They still seemed hurt, but not full of rage.

The problem was that it was easier to leave when people were angry with you.

“Well you can’t bring him here.”  Cassian murmured, causing me to huff a laugh.

“I wouldn’t do that unless everyone here was comfortable with it, and I know you’re not.” I say, trying to sound comforting.

He shifts uncomfortably, and I see Nesta nudge him discreetly.  “Thank you.”  She says, shooting me a smile.

I sigh, placing the cup down.  “I’ll be back after I find a place where Eris and I can stay that I’m absolutely sure is safe.”

Without another word, I stand.

“Wait.”  My brother says, standing with me.  “Let one of us come with you.  With Amarantha out there, I don’t like the idea of you out there alone.”

I sighed, holding back an eye roll.  “Fine, but I get to choose who comes with.”  I say, eyeing Azriel.

He’s watching me just as closely.

Rhysands nods.  “Of course.”

I blink, surprised at how easily he agreed.

I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth though.

And I already knew who I wanted.

“I would like you to come with me, if you are alright with that?”  I ask, turning to face Nesta.

Here I was thinking I couldn’t shock the room anymore than I already had.

She blinks.  “Me?”

I nod.  “I know you can fight, and I would like to get to know you better.”  I say, dipping my head slightly, the closest I would ever get to a bow.

Cassian opens his mouth, presumably to respond for her, but she nods, her face cool and unreadable as she says, “I’m perfectly fine with that.”

I grin.  “Good.  Please hurry, I’ll be waiting in the garden.”  I announce, heading out in that direction.

As soon as I leave the room, I can hear the cacophony of voices start up.

In my time here, I had seen Nesta was a good fighter, and even if it was suppressed, she had magic flowing in her veins.

I had heard her story, enough that I know that her powers were taken back by the cauldron.  But it had left her some, and I can’t help but feel she’s lowered everyone's expectations.

“Why do you want to take my sister with you?”

I whirl around, and I see Elain standing there, inspecting me with a quiet sort of suspicion.

“I think you know.”  I say, narrowing my eyes.

She crosses her arms, standing her ground.  “You’ve not exactly proved yourself to be trustworthy.”

I smile, my eyes darkening.  “Oh, and may I ask what you’ve done?”  I ask, letting my voice drop an octave.

“Excuse me?”  She asked, sounding outraged.

I let out a small laugh, sauntering over to her.  “I’m going to warn you now little girl.  You can pretend you’re innocent for awhile, but eventually it will catch up for you Elain.”

I smile a little bit at her, the little bit of terror and rage in her face.  “When it does, find me.  I know what it’s like.”

Turning, I finally make my way out to the garden, the rain having calmed to a light drizzle.

After coming back, I hadn’t taken the time to go outside at night, to go around and actually explore the city on my own.

Now, I look up at the stars, and I release a long sigh, letting my shoulders slump.  I needed to go see the Sidra at some point, see if it was as wonderful as I remembered.

“You ready to go?”  Nesta asks, and I smile a little.

I turn to study the female, who only seems relaxed when my brother isn’t in the room.  I honestly don’t blame her.

“I am if you are.”  I say, extending my arm for her to grab onto.

She raised her eyebrows, her lips twitching upwards.  “How gentlemanly of you.”

I give her a little wink as she takes my arm.  “I have to admit, I’m not usually one to flirt with mated females, but you’re quite fun.”

She whipped her head around, opening her mouth to snap at me, but before she could get a word out, I was winnowing us to Eris’s cottage with a chuckle.

We landed with a small thud, and we were both silent for a moment, waiting for the sound of welcoming footsteps or the sound of swords being unsheathed, but none came.

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as I took a cautious step away from Nesta, peering around to check for any threats.

“Stay here.  I’m going to make sure everything’s alright.”  I turn just enough to look at her, already holding her feet apart in a fighting stance.  “I trust you have weapons?”

She gave a curt nod, and I turned back around, taking my time checking the whole cabin.

I shake my head when I finally come back, the message clear.

Nothing.

“Well, do you have any idea where he went, or do you just want to head back?”  She asked, leaning against the fireplace.

I shake my head.  “I’m not leaving until I find him.  Worse case scenario, his father or Amarantha found him.  More likely though, he went looking where I told him I was going to be.”  I explain, biting my lip nervously.

I knew I had been awhile, but I wish he had just stayed here for once.

“Maybe-”  Nesta starts, but is cut off by the front door opening, the two of us unsheathing our weapons as the figure steps in.

Eris.

I put away my dagger rushing over to him.  “Are you okay?”  I asked, worried that he was hurt.

He paused as I rushed towards him, looking over me.  “Are you alright?”  He asked, walking over to me, and inspecting me hesitantly.

I nod, confused by the way he was staying a few steps back.

Sam, Tamlin, and Lucien walked in, and I watched the way Nesta stiffened up at their entrance.  Normally I would have questioned Eris and Nesta on why they both seemed to have sticks up their asses, but I didn’t have time.

I had no time.

“Why the hell did you bring these two back right now?  We literally can’t go back-”  I started, but Sam cut me off.

“We sure as hell can, and you’re coming with us.”  He said, leveling a stare at me.

I gritted my teeth, and Eris turned to look at me.  “They haven’t explained a lot, but what they have isn’t good.”  He said, and I realized he was wearing his usual mask of the cruel lord.

A little taken aback, I shake my head.  “It doesn’t matter right now.  What matters is that we find a safe-”

“Y/N.”  Lucien stopped me, crossing his arms.  “They told us why people don’t just go back to their lives willy nilly.  You need to come back with us.

Nesta comes closer, standing by my side.  “She doesn’t have to go anywhere she doesn’t want to.”

Suddenly, the room is split in two, and my stomach churns.  I knew why they wanted me to come back, but I couldn’t go back yet.

Not until I knew that Amarantha would be waiting in the afterlife, and I could make sure she never hurt anyone again.

I look to Eris, who’s looking back at me with a sort of distrust.

“Could we talk alone for a minute?”  I ask him.  I don’t want to explain this in front of everyone like this.

He crosses his arms, but nods.  “Yeah, okay.”

Everyone else starts to protest, but before any of them can finish I grab his arm and winnow us outside, a little distance away.

He shrugs me off, crossing his arms and looking up at the night sky, taking deep breaths.

“Are you okay?”  I ask him again, more forcefully this time.

“No! No, I’m not alright.  First, you lied to me to go talk to your family, second, from what they told me, if you stay here too long, something bad is going to happen to you.”  He snapped, turning to look at me with tired eyes.

I shake my head.  “It’s not like that.  I just didn’t want you to worry, I worked it out with my brother, and I’m going to be fine.”

He narrows his eyes at me, and I know he sees through my words.

“Tell me what happens.”

I let my shoulders slump, biting my lip anxiously.  “I- The reason you stay you is because souls have this essence which is you.  Your memories, your personality, you.”   I start to explain, shifting uncomfortably.

He relaxes slightly.  “What does that have to do with all of this?”  He asked, and I gritted my teeth.  I didn’t want to tell him this, because I know he will panic.

“Well, that essence is what the Asteri steal.  When people make it to the afterlife after it is stolen, they have no memories of who they were.  You can also lose that essence in a sort of gamble.”  I explain, crossing my arms.

He suddenly looks nervous, asking, “What sort of gamble?”

I take a deep breath before telling him, “If I stay here for too long without stopping by the afterlife, or even just another world, I will lose all my memories, but I have another chance at my life."

“And you were… what?  Going to let yourself lose your memories?”  Eris asks me, and I try not to cringe away.

“If Amarantha finds out how we travel, and tells the Asteri, then there’s nothing stopping them from basically taking over the universe.  So no, I wasn’t really willing to risk everyone’s lives so I could keep my memories.”  I snap, half turning away from him.

I hear him stand, and I close my eyes, wishing this was over.

“What else aren’t you telling me?”  He asks, and I can hear the pain in his voice.

I wrap my arms around myself, not saying anything.

We stand there for a few moments in silence before he asks, “What now?”

I shrug.  “Now?  Now we find a safe place for you and I try and help my brother prepare Velaris for Amarantha.”  I say, spinning on my heel and heading back toward the cabin.  I was too tired to talk any more about this.

“About that actually-”

I sit with Tamlin, Lucien, Sam, Eris, and Nesta at a large and fancy table.

“So in other words we are all screwed?”  I ask as they finish laying out the extend of Amarantha’s army.

“It could be worse.”  Tamlin tries.  “It could be the king of Hybren leading them.”

Nesta scowls at him.  “That’s not helping.”

I sigh.  “I guess I should get Rhys here.  This is not going to be fun.”  I bemoan.

Eris has stayed quiet, and I can understand why, but my heart still feels like it’s cracking.

Maybe I should have told him about the possibility of losing my memories, but the rest of what I wasn’t telling him…

It wasn’t something anyone needed to hear about.  It was stupid, and it didn’t matter.

I look at Nesta, meeting her stare.  “Want to stay here while I get them?”  She gives a single dip of her head in response, and I immediately winnow back to the house of Wind.

“Mother above-”  Cassian curses as I appear in the middle of the room.

“There’s a problem, and we need to go talk to Tamlin, Eris, Lucien, and my friend Sam.”  I list, not bothering to hide my irritation.

“I thought you said Tamlin was dead, and did you leave Nesta with them?”  Cassian questioned, standing up.

I cross my arms, meeting his stare.  “I trust them and her.  And if something happens, I’m sure she can handle herself.”  I snipe before turning to my brother, who’s giving me an evaluating look.

He nods.  “Alright.  Feyre?”  He asks, and it’s clear what he’s asking.  Does she want to face Tamlin?

She gives a subtle shake of her head and he nods, shooting Cassian and Azriel a look, both of them standing as he does.

“Let’s go.

Now all of us awkwardly sat at an even bigger table, and no one was happy.

“Is there anything we can do to send her back easily?”  Rhys asks impatiently, we had already been going around and around for an hour or more.

“Nope.”  I say, ignoring his glare.

Someone, *ahem* Lucien *ahem*  had brought up earlier the side effects of my lingering here, causing an explosive argument.

I bite my lip.  “We could try and add more defenses to Velaris’s shield.”  I say, thinking it through.

“That would help, but we would still need help defending the city.”  Rhys ponders, before nodding.  “Yes, we should at least do that.”

I nod.  “Well, I have an idea, but…”  I put my hand out, creating a small sphere of darkness and tiny pin prick stars, sighing.

“But I’m going to need help.”  I manage to say, seeing what I’m going to have to do if I want to protect the city I had grown up in.

Rhysand smiles a little bit, and I almost roll my eyes.  “Of course you’ll have help.”  He says, and I sigh.

“It can’t be anyone alive.  Which means I need to go find someone.”  I say, standing up.

Everyone else stands up with me, clambering for my attention.

I slam a fist on the table.

“You all try and sort this out, I’m going to go get them.”  I say, turning away from the table.

“I’m going-”  “Like hell you’re-”  Rhys and Eris talk over each other, starting a staring match.

I groan.  “I don’t have time for this shit.  Both of you come on now or I’m leaving you both here and you can throw your temper tantrums.”

I hear Nesta snort, and I hide the smile that threatens to spread across my face.

They follow me a little distance from the cabin, and I look around.  “Can you two provide me some cover so no one can see what I’m doing?”

I hear light grumbling, but I ignore it as I start to create the portal.  “Thanks.”

After a minute, the portal is open.

I take a deep breath, and make sure Eris and Rhys are both ready.  They both look pissed, but otherwise ready.

“Let’s go see dear old dad.”  I mutter before stepping through the portal, not giving them a chance to comment.

[booklover721]

Good day,

My name is Candice Canne from Santa's Gift Design Office®.

I sincerely apologise for the belated follow-up message. It is due to unforeseen circumstances that caused an overflow of unfortunate events at the Gift Factory®.

As Santa's Helpers® we are truly grateful for your trust and the outstanding opportunity you have provided us with granting us a free approach towards your Personalised Gift Creation® process. Unfortunately, as per our policy this process requires additional information to be successful. We aim to provide the best experience with Secret Santa Service™ possible!

Taking the above into consideration I have attached a list of questions to assure the smoothest possible delivery of the present.

I look forward to hearing from you soon! Hope you have a great week!

Best regards,

Candice Canne

Santa's Gift Design Office® Main branch manager

Older Toy Tester and Cookie Conesseur

Younger Wrapping Machine Controller

Head of Trumping Trumpets Elf Christmas Song Band

World Gingerbread Housebuilding Champion

Attachments:

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📃List of questions📃

1. Play dress up with our man. Give me the most appealing attire you can conjure in your brain. Don't hold back ✨

2. What's the absolutely canon food for them on your opinion?

3. Name 5 songs that you think of when you read about them?

4. Your favourite most emotional songs?

5. When you watch a romantic movie/read a romantic book what catches you in your feels Every Time? (Even if you don't want to admit it, because it's cheesyyyyyy) (It's fine. Cheese is good 😋)

6. Why do you think the cauldron said "Nah. You guys better get together, or I swear- "?

7. How do you feel about bond breaking? Who would be hurt more? Why?

8. Describe your feelings towards our man.✨

9. Describe your feelings towards our girlie pop. ✨

10. Sexiest thing he's ever done?

11. What colour is their relationship? Why?

12. Who in ACOTAR would you say is your kinnie and why?

13. Which court do you think you'd belong to? Whyyyy? 👀

Ahhhh Candice Cane! I'm so excited to tall about my favorite male, Lucien.

Okay he is at his hottest in just pants and no shirt. Like maybe he's going to bed or maybe we caught him in the middle of getting dressed.

Hmmm something sweet I think. It may be cliche just because Elain is a baker. Maybe they sexily split an autumn court apple as she's making a pie.

--Stick Season by Noah Kahan. "I'll dream each night of some version of you that I might not have but I did not lose.

--New Light by John Mayer. "What do I do with all this love that's running through my veins for you?"

--Tether Me by Galleaux. "In this space, do I belong? It's dark out here in my own thoughts."

- Pretty Boy by Lennon Stella (but it's Lucien's POV) "Do you think I can't handle what's going on inside?"

--Allthetime by Police Car Collective. "I've been dreaming about you lately despite mt insomnia."

4. July by Noah Cyrus. Idk it effs me up. Bad Days by David Ramirez.

5. I love when the guy is down bad and has been forever and she doesn't know it. (See: every Ali Hazelwood novel). I guess it would be unrequited love that finally becomes requited?

6. I think Lucien and Elain are the same. Outgoing, social butterflies. Schmoozers. Party-throwers. Yes she's very demure but I think if she ever feels comfortable enough to let loose, then loose she will let. He has a sharp wit and tongue that gets him into trouble and I think she can dish it just as well. They're both crazy beautiful.

7. The idea of the bond breaking makes me so angry!!! Lucien would be the most upset. He actually has centuries of knowledge about how special a bond is. And he's been drifting in limbo forever since losing Jesminda, losing courts, losing friends, and I think him finally having a person who is Home and who is His means everything to him. Like okay I don't really have a place in this world but none of that matters anymore because I have Elain and she's all I need.

8. Lucien is so unproblematic and I know he's got a big dick and we deserve to see what it can do. He's intelligent, clever, isn't run by emotions. Honest, a Good Male, funny. Sensitive. A good friend. A tragic soul. Powerful as fuck.

9. So my head canon is that Elain is just as sharp as Lucien--she has to match him as his mate. She's not cruel like Nesta, but she's calculating in a way that's hidden from everyone right now. She observes and picks up on everything. She's bored in the night court though.

10. It's the catching a fish with his bare hands, for me.

11. It's white, like when the sun is shining so bright is washes the color out of everything. It's glaring. They both need/are Daylight. Their love is sunshine. Their bond is light

12. It's Nesta. The walls, the self-harm, the pushing people away. The keep reaching out your hand.

13. Either Summer or Day just because I need to be outside by the water 24/7 in the sun.

[talkfantasytome]

Halloween Themed Prompt List for Elucien: 58 - “Can’t you like wiggle your nose or something and everything works out?” + 70 - “We have to ask ourselves: what are magic’s limitations? Like, can it unburn my chicken nuggets?”

So, to be honest, I struggled a bit with this, and was very close to doing a different piece for Elucien, and then taking this and doing it with Nesta and Cassian. But, when the idea for Nessian came, I realized it could fit for Elucien too, so I just went with it. Admittedly, the magic isn't very important in the story, just more about the world they live in. I think it worked. XD

After their first class, Professor Vanserra needs to have a word with his new TA, Elain.

Warnings: Mild Smut; Teacher/TA | Word Count: 1,540 | Read on AO3

a/n: I don't LOVE writing these types of secret relationships, admittedly. I'll read them, of course, because I'm a sucker and if it's the right ship I'll read basically anything. And I tend to enjoy them. But, still, it's not my favorite, so I don't see me doing more in this AU, tbh. Plus, I have no information on it beyond what's in this one shot. lol

Also, this counts as a Halloween thingy cause Elain is a witch and Lucien a warlock (yes, in this world they use that term). Even if it barely seems it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

"Remember, magic is complicated, and it isn't to be used lightly."

Elain watched the teacher closely as he leaned against his desk, speaking out to the small lecture hall. He was, by far, her coolest teacher she'd ever had, and most attractive. It wasn't a difficult decision when he'd asked her last year to be his Teaching Assistant for this new semester.

Gods, was he gorgeous. With his long, crimson hair and bright russet eyes, not to mention the broad shoulders and the way his muscles were so clear in his forearms. She was quite grateful for the warmer autumn day that had him rolling up his sleeves to his elbows.

"But, professor, isn't it supposed to be easy?" a blonde girl a few seats away from Elain asked. She'd spent the entire class leaning on her hand, watching the professor with great interest, and Elain was certain the girl would be staying back after class to 'ask him a question', which would mostly entail giggling at everything he said. "I mean, can't you, like, wiggle your nose or something and everything will just work out?"

Their teacher, Professor Vanserra, chuckled slightly at the question, crossing his arms over his chest in a way that only made his muscles more defined and had Elain's mouth drying. She really wasn't much better than this girl, other than the fact she wasn't technically a student in this class.

"Not exactly, no. There's a lot more to magic than just wanting something," he explained. "There are rules, disciplines, and many of us only have the ability to access certain types of magic - some elemental, some more emotional or mental, and then some of us are gifted in raw magic. But, even in the areas common to most magic wielders, we have to remember to ask ourselves: what are magic's limitations? For example, can it unburn my chicken nuggets?" The entire class laughed at his joke, Professor Vanserra smiling at them, his eyes meeting Elain's for a second in a way that had her heart pounding out of her chest. "For the record, it can."

Another round of chuckles and then he looked at his watch. "Well, that's it for today. I look forward to seeing you all at our next class, please be sure to do the reading on the syllabus." The room erupted in a din of conversations as the students began to pack up, and sure enough that blonde was out of her seat in an instant, walking up to their teacher confidently. Elain didn't pay attention to whatever she was saying, she just quietly packed up her bag, pausing to text her sisters back about brunch plans that Saturday.

By the time she stood, the girl was back at her seat, huffing slightly as she packed up. Apparently Professor Vanserra wasn't as interested in laughing at her jokes as she was his.

Elain was smiling to herself, starting to walk toward the door when a voice paused her.

"Ms. Archeron," the low, too-sexy-for-its-own-good voice called out. She pivoted, looking back toward the professor, who was sliding his computer into his bag quickly. He then raced up the steps toward her so he wouldn't be speaking too loudly. "Can I see you in my office? I wanted to address that question you sent me last week about some of your responsibilities."

"Sure," Elain agreed softly, following him as he led the way out of the hall and then up to the third floor of the building where the Magic Execution Department's professors' offices were. They were silent as they walked, Elain tapping fingers against the straps of her backpack, trying to pretend there wasn't a tangible tension there.

He stopped at the office in the corner and opened the door for her, letting her walk in first before he joined her, shutting the door behind him. She didn't miss the click of the lock as she slid her backpack off and dropped it in a chair.

Elain then let her eyes focus on the desk, moving closer to it and picking up the picture of him and his brother winning a three-legged race at some random picnic when they were kids. She could feel his eyes on her as she did, certain they were trailing over her backside. "So, how was your summer?" she asked, her voice cracking as large, strong hands found her waist and tugged her flush against his chest. A sigh escaped her lips at the feeling of being pressed against him after so many months.

"Lonely," he grumbled, and Elain could feel his breath on her neck before he leaned in and kissed her there. Her eyes fluttered shut as an electric spark shot through her entire body at the sensation. She lifted one arm, tangling her fingers in his hair, holding his head close to hers as she turned her own to look at him.

"You could have called," she breathed, allowing herself to get lost in his copper stare, his musky, autumn forest and cinnamon scent.

He smiled slightly, nudging her nose with his. "You told me not to."

That was true, she had suggested it might be better, unsure how exactly she'd explain this to her sisters. "And you listened?" she taunted, her mouth quivering upwards.

"Always," he whispered, leaning in and pressing another kiss to her neck, and then another and another, making his way up to her jawline, and then down toward her lips.

He was just about to reach them when Elain pulled back, a wicked smile on her face. "You are very obedient, Lucien," she agreed, turning in his arms and pushing him slightly backwards toward the couch. He plopped down when she pushed again after his legs hit the cushions, and Elain beamed down at him before climbing into his lap and straddling him. "I'll have to find a way to reward you. Any ideas?"

"I can think of a few," he rasped, his hand stroking up her bare thighs, slowly finding their way beneath her skirt.

"Only a few?" she taunted, brushing her fingers through his hair and tugging gently until she elicited a groan from him. Only then did she start to rock her hips slightly, just enough for him to feel the motion. "That won't take us very long."

He quirked an eyebrow at that. "I'm sure I can make them last," he replied, his tone guttural, his hands tightening.

"Well that's good," she sighed, pressing her center slightly harder on his hips as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Because I plan on taking all night with you." She tugged on his earlobe with her teeth, pulling another moan from Lucien, this one sounding an awful lot like her name.

"What about right now?" he asked, his hips beginning to move with hers.

Elain smiled mischievously, checking her watch. "Now? Well, now I have class in about five minutes."

Lucien paused, growling slightly as his fingers grasped her even tighter. "No," he muttered, his face falling.

"I'm afraid so," she sighed, caressing his cheek softly.

"You're a little tease," he mused, nipping at her jawline.

"Just getting you excited for our night," she explained in a light, airy voice that had Lucien laughing softly. She then reached down and cupped him through his pants, his eyes widening as she did.

Elain smirked before leaning in and finally bringing her lips to his. Within seconds their lips had parted and her tongue slid into his mouth, caressing his softly as she willed her own magic to her hand, cooling her skin drastically. A moan trembled through them both as they kissed, as their tongues danced a gentle waltz, all while Elain helped cool Lucien down.

After a couple minutes, he pulled away, chuckling softly. "I don't think that's working, love," he sighed. "The fact that it's your hand seems to be cancelling out the coolness."

She huffed a small laugh. "It was worth a shot. Can't have you sporting a tent for your next class."

"I'm sure I can sort it out by then," he mused, bringing one hand up and cupping her cheek. "But you need to get to your next class."

Elain sighed, nodding in agreement as she slid off him and stood up, moving to grab her back pack. She'd only just turned around when the backpack disappeared, only to reappear in Lucien's hands, him holding out the straps to help her into it like a coat.

Once it was on she faced him again and smiled. "So, tonight? Your apartment?"

"Gods yes," he breathed, leaning in and kissing her softly. "Six-thirty? I'll make us dinner."

"With what I plan to do to you, I think that's only fair." She pushed herself up onto his toes and kissed him deeply, savoring the feeling of his arms around her. She'd missed it, not realizing just how much he had become her home.

Slowing down the kiss, Elain then pulled away and offered him a smile and a final kiss on the cheek before pivoting as she transported herself to her next class, appearing outside the classroom, walking in, and her taking her seat just as the professor for this class walked in.

@moodymelanist @bridgertononmymind @live-the-fangirl-life @boredserpent

[theladyofdeath]

Life As We Know It {Chapter Four}

Summary: After the sudden deaths of Nesta’s sister and Cassian’s best friend, they gain guardianship of their nephew, Nyx.

Based on Life As We Know It (2010) and a prompt sent in by anonymous for our Nessian fanfic contest. This is a modern au.

Instead of doing a tag list for this story, we have decided to have a set posting schedule. Chapters will be posted weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. Chapters will be posted on both my and Tara’s blogs! >> @tacmc.

Life As We Know It Masterlist

Shelby’s Masterlist

Tara’s Masterlist

Getting out of the lease on her townhouse proved to be easier than Nesta had expected. Her landlord was extremely understanding, especially under the conditions. She’d lived in the same place since she was in college, had never given him any trouble. She took care of her own problems, called her own plumbers and electricians, and had always taken it upon herself to fix anything that was wrong, rather than on his dime.

He’d even gotten her a parting gift on the day she moved everything out. A beautiful bouquet of flowers, and his condolences on her family’s loss.

As it was, mostly everything was moved into a storage unit, thanks to the furniture Rhys and Feyre already had in their home. But her clothes and some select important things came with her. 

It felt strange, at first, the moment Nesta carried Nyx through the door. She had just slept there, of course, but it was different this time. 

This time, Nesta was moving in to stay. 

This was no longer Feyre and Rhysand’s house, but Nesta and Cassian’s…and it felt strange, surreal. 

A thump came from upstairs that nearly had Nesta yelping. Nyx looked up at her and her startled expression and blew a raspberry. “What was that, hmm?” Nesta asked, quietly, setting her bag down as she closed the front door with her foot. She carried Nyx up the stairs and rounded the corner to the master bedroom to find Cassian staring at the mostly empty closet with his hands on his hips. “Find something interesting in there?”

“Shit!” he cursed, spinning around to find the pair in the doorway. “You can’t just sneak up on people like that.”

“I can do whatever I want,” Nesta said, plainly. “Especially when it’s in my room.”

Cassian’s brows shot into his hairline. “I’m sorry…your room?”

“Yes,” she said, swapping Nyx from one hip to the other. “I’ve been staying here for nearly three weeks at this point. I’ve been the one here taking care of him.”

“So that entitles you to the master bedroom?” He asked.

“It does,” she replied and Nyx began squirming. She put him down and he began crawling towards Cassian, tugging on the strings of his boots.

Cassian stooped down to pick the baby up, who instantly began patting Cassian’s face, a habit he’d picked up just before Rhys and Feyre’s accident. Cassian grinned down at him, but then he looked back to Nesta. The smile fell as he beheld Nesta watching him with her arms crossed.

Cassian sighed. “Look-.”

“No, no,” Nesta interrupted. “I’m taking this room. I need the space, and I’m a woman, so I would prefer the private bathroom.”

Cassian watched her for a long moment. “Fine.” Nesta was about to turn on her heels to get the rest of her belongings, but then Cassian continued, “But, you have to say please.”

Nesta tensed in the doorway. “What?”

“Say please and it’s yours,” he said, shrugging.

Nyx looked back and forth between Cassian and Nesta.

She blinked, staring at him.

“You heard me,” he said, leaning down to grab his backpack from where he’d dropped it on the floor. He hefted it onto his other shoulder, Nyx still staring between them. “Say please and the room is yours. And make it genuine, I want to believe you.”

“And if I don’t?” She asked, bracing herself for a fight.

He shrugged and tossed his backpack onto the bed. “Then it looks like we’re sharing. Just so you know, I’m a blanket hog.”

She narrowed her eyes, watching as he sat down on the edge of the bed, plopping Nyx down on the mattress next to him. He crawled up to the top of the bed, plopping down atop one of the pillows.

Cassian could have sworn her teeth were grinding as she said, “May I please have the bedroom?”

He smirked, asking, “Was that so hard?” and stood, grabbing his bag again, before brushing past her as he headed down the hall, taking the room across from Nyx’s nursery.

Nesta groaned, closing her eyes and sighing, before she heard the door opening downstairs.

“Hello, hello!”

She scooped Nyx up off the bed, and made her way downstairs, finding Elain, Azriel, Gwyn, Mor and Emerie in the entryway. Mor was wiggling her fingers at Nyx, and Nesta handed him over to her. He giggled as she lifted him in the air and Nesta hugged her friends. “Thank you for coming.” 

“Of course,” Emerie said, taking a look around. “You shouldn’t do this alone.”

Nesta nodded and another thump came from upstairs. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Cassian’s here already, then?” Azriel asked.

“He’s here and he’s driving me mad,” Nesta muttered. 

Azriel chuckled as he hurried up the stairs, leaving the women alone.

“Okay,” Gwyn said, propping her hands on her hips and looking around. “What do you need us to do?”

Nesta hesitated. There was so much already in this house that felt like it belonged there, so much of Rhys and Feyre that Nesta didn’t feel like she should touch.

As if she was reading her thoughts, Elain stepped forward, slipping her arm through hers. “This is your home now, too. Part of them will always be here, but you have to make it yours now.” Nesta nodded, wiping away the damn tears that kept making an appearance, but jumped slightly when a loud bang came from upstairs and Azriel and Cassian both laughed. Elain added, with a laugh of her own, “Yours and Cassian’s, I guess.”

“I wish I would stop being reminded of that fact,” Nesta said, attempting a joke as she continued to wipe at her damp cheeks. 

“Ignore Cassian?” Emerie chuckled. “That’s impossible. He likes to make himself known too much for that.”

After a chorus of laughter, Nesta was giving everyone a role. It was all just so surreal, too surreal. It was a position that Nesta would have never imagined herself to be in, especially as she opened Feyre’s closet and stared. 

Nesta had always admired Feyre’s style, even though most of her jeans had paint splatters on them. She reached up to go through the series of band tees hanging on the top rod. She chuckled at one from the Jonas Brothers concert that they’d gotten back in 2011. Nesta had taken Elain and Feyre one weekend when their dad was out of town on business. She’d bought them both t-shirts and cds and overpriced sodas from the arena’s concession stand. 

It had been a good night.

And Feyre had kept the t-shirt for ten years, even though there was a coffee stain on Nick Jonas’ face and a rip in the hem. Nesta took the shirt off the hanger and held it up. It was too small for her. It would never fit.

Nonetheless, Nesta folded the shirt neatly and put it on top of the dresser before taking down the rest of Feyre’s clothes and folding them into a bin.

She hadn’t realized the tears had returned until Emerie and Gwyn came in, the former holding a sleeping, drooling Nyx. 

Feyre’s closet had been nearly emptied. Neither of Nesta’s closest friends said a word as they entered and sat next to Nesta on the bed, one of them on each side.

Silently, they pulled Nesta into their arms.

*

Cassian looked at the broken bed frame in the guest room. 

He and Azriel started roughhousing the moment he’d come up the stairs, and it resulted in the old, rickety bed unable to hold two untamed Illyrians.

Does this mean I won?

You’ve never won in a wrestling match with me, Cass.

Looking at it now, however, Cassian was wondering how he’d take the rest apart without waking Nyx up from his afternoon nap.

“How many times have we slept in this room after a night of drinking too much?” Azriel asked.

Cassian chuckled from where he was putting his clothes in the small, empty dresser. “Too many. Feyre wouldn’t let us drive after even one drink at dinner.”

Azriel chuckled, quietly. “She always was a mother hen, long before Nyx.” 

“She had to be,” Cassian said, “look at Rhys’s choice of friends.”

Azriel grinned. “Speak for yourself.” 

He snorted. “Need I remind you of Spring Break, senior year?”

The grin fell slightly into a cringe. “Okay, maybe there are times that I fall into that category as well.”

Cassian rolled his eyes. He looked back at the bed, even the bedding somewhat in shambles. “Haven’t even lived in the house for an hour and we already broke something.”

Azriel chuckled, following his gaze. “Rhys would be proud.”

Grinning, Cassian nodded. “Feyre would have our asses.”

They worked in silence, for a while, listening to the women’s voices throughout the house.

At one point, Cassian could hear Nesta sobbing quietly from the room down the hall.

His shoulders tensed.

Azriel must have seen it, because he cleared his throat. “You know, Elain says Nesta’s not so bad.”

“And what do you think?” Cassian asked, tossing his empty duffle bag in the corner. 

Azriel was quiet for a moment then shrugged. “I’ve never had an issue with her.” Cassian huffed a laugh. “Yeah, well, you never have issues with anyone.” He shook his head as he leaned back against the wall. “I feel like I’m living a dream right now. I have no idea what’s happening, and it’s all happening way too fast.”

It was happening far too quickly. Everything. All of it.

Cassian felt like he was in the middle of a hurricane, lost and alone and confused with no end in sight.

*

Everyone had left, and only the three of them remained.

Nesta, Cassian, and Nyx.

Nesta realized this is how it would be from now on, and that realization made her chuckle out of pure absurdity. 

Cassian had asked to put Nyx to bed, and Nesta didn’t argue as he took him from her, from where Nyx had fallen asleep in Nesta’s arms on the couch.

She watched them disappear up the stairs, and she wasn’t really sure what to do after that, where to go. Should she just have gone back to her room, shut herself inside, and pretend that nothing else existed?

Cassian came back down the stairs just as Nesta stood up. As he reached the bottom, they acknowledged each other, uncomfortably.

“Well,” Nesta began, nodding slowly. “I guess I’ll be going to bed.”

Cassian didn’t say anything until she had brushed past him and gone halfway up the stairs. “Don’t you think that we should, you know, set some ground rules?”

She paused. “Like what?”

“Like who takes care of what?” He asked. “Who gets what nights off and-?”

“Nights off?” Nesta asked, blinking. “We have to take care of a child, Cassian. We don’t get nights off.”

“You know Az and Elain still go out once in a while. As long as one of us is here to watch him, he’s taken care of,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I would like to be able to go out on a Saturday night, with Az and Luce, so-.”

“Why would you get Saturday night?” She asked, her eyes widening. “I spend all day at the restaurant, all week long. If anyone gets Saturdays, it’s me. Besides, you’re a bartender, shouldn’t you be working those nights?”

“Friday nights are my money nights, so no, I’ll be off,” he said, crossing his arms. His legs widened slightly, and Nesta knew a fighting stance when she saw one.

“So I’m supposed to take Friday nights? How’s that going to work, if you’re at the bar, Cassian?” Cassian hesitated, and Nesta scoffed. “See? That won’t work.”

“You can take Sunday nights,” Cassian said, at last.

“The night before I have to wake up at five to be at the restaurant by six?” Nesta asked. “Oh, thank you so much for that kindness.”

Cassian’s eyes narrowed. “Your sarcasm isn’t necessary. And two minutes ago you thought the idea of a night off was ridiculous, anyway!”

“Well, if you get a night off, so do I!” Nesta yelled.

Cassian raked a frustrated hand through his hair. “Fine. How about we switch saturdays? You get two Saturday’s a month, and I get two Saturday’s a month.”

She clamped her mouth shut, fighting the urge to grind her teeth together. “Fine.”

He nodded. “Fine.”

They both stayed where they were, not moving or giving up an inch of ground.

“I’m going to go to bed then,” she said, the bite still in her voice.

“Goodnight then,” he said, and though the words were civil, they were still sharp. It was almost humorous.

“Goodnight.” With that, she turned and was stomping up the stairs.

She could feel Cassian’s eyes on her and she disappeared.

The audacity. 

She was fully aware that Cassian was full of himself, but wanting every Saturday night off?

She knew it.

He wasn’t ready for this, wasn’t ready for the responsibility of raising a child. She couldn’t expect him to be, though. Shit, she wasn’t ready, either. The only difference was that she was starting to learn all that being a guardian entailed and he surely was not.

She shut the bedroom door behind her, and considered locking it, but decided not to and looked at the clock.

it was barely eight-thirty, but she was exhausted. That had been the past few weeks though, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been awake at ten o’clock. She leaned against the shut door, letting her head fall back.

If she listened hard enough, she could hear him moving downstairs. Heard the fridge open and knew he was pulling one of Rhysand’s beers out. Nesta sighed, wishing she had thought to get at least a glass of wine before she’d shut herself in here.

If she went back out now, she’d look stupid. And she’d have to talk to Cassian again.

Not over her dead body.

So she did the next best thing, filling the massive garden tub in the corner of the bathroom, and settled into it. She sighed, letting the hot water seep into her bones.

And then there was a knock on the bedroom door.

She sunk deeper in the tub. “What?” She called, eyeing the open bathroom door.

There was a pause. “Is it time for Nyx’s bedtime bottle?”

Nyx was cut down to two bottles a day: one in the morning and one at night. Although he had been getting breast milk before the accident, Nesta had already worked through the remaining breast milk that had been in the freezer.

That morning had been his first formula bottle.

He’d been confused at first. Surely there was a difference in taste. However, Nyx eventually realized he wasn’t getting anything else and drank it down, anyway. 

“Was he fussing?” Nesta asked.

There was a thump against the door and Nesta assumed Cassian had fallen into it. “Yeah. Wasn’t crying, but he was about to.”

“Yeah. Formula is on the counter in the kitchen. Check his diaper first,” Nesta said.

She didn’t hear a response, so she assumed he’d gone to handle it, when a few minutes later another knock sounded. This time it was accompanied by a frantic crying.

She was out of the tub, grabbing a towel and digging through a box she’d packed the night before for her robe. Just as Cassian started talking, she got to the door, pulling it open.

He paused, taking in her attire, or lack thereof. Nyx was still crying, which knocked him back into motion. He raised his hand, holding up an empty bottle. “I don’t… I don’t know what to do. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt-.”

She took the bottle, shaking her head, and brushing past him to head down the stairs. She didn’t snap at him, not when she knew he’d never had to prepare a bottle before. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t irritated.

“You couldn’t read the directions on the back of the box?” she asked, then muttered. “Just like a man.”

When she looked back over her shoulder, Cassian was close behind, Nyx tugging on the end of his shaggy hair as he wailed. If he heard Nesta, he didn’t deign to reply. 

Nesta sighed, carrying the bottle over and filling it with water from a newly opened jug on the counter. “You don’t have to warm it up anymore. He can drink it with room temperature water. It’s pretty easy. Fill it up to the eight ounce mark on the bottle, measure four scoops of formula and dump them in.” She did just that, measuring out each scoop carefully but quickly. “Then shake.” She handed the bottle to Cassian, who started shaking the bottle.

“How long do I shake?” he asked.

Nesta almost wanted to laugh at how frantic, how wild-eyed he looked. Here was Cassian Nazari, shaking a bottle with a screaming baby on his hip. “That’s good. Just give it to the poor kid.” 

Nyx snatched it from Cassian as he lowered it towards his face, holding it on his own. Cassian’s hand hovered close by and he looked up at her. “Can he do that? I mean, should I let him? Or should I hold it?”

Her face softened as she watched her nephew, his tears stopping almost immediately. “He’s fine. Maybe use a hand to support it just in case, but he can handle it.”

He nodded, looking down at the baby as well. His blue eyes were wide as he watched them, glancing from Nesta to Cassian, and back.

He said, softly, “I wonder if he realizes they aren’t coming back yet.”

The words nearly broke Nesta’s heart. Her words were as quiet as his. “ I don’t know… That’s not exactly something you can explain to a one-year-old.”

His nod was slow. “It doesn’t seem fair. They didn’t deserve this.”

Nesta’s throat was tight as she started back toward the stairs. “Life isn’t always fair, Cass. The Cauldron isn’t always fair.”

[exquisitley-obsessed]

Finaces, Firebirds, Foxes and Fawns: 9

Author: @exquisitley-obsessed

Summary: A few weeks after Briallyn’s attempt at uniting with Koschei, Lucien opens the door of Lockhart Manor to find Elain, cold from the rain and holding a note from the High Lady of the Night Court demanding her to assist Lucien in building alliances with the human councils. Forced to work together by their exhausted High Lord and Lady, Elain is able to convince anyone to do anything, while Lucien has the acquaintances to go anywhere he likes. Together, they attempt to unite the fae and mortal lands and unravel the deal made between Koschei and Vassa, while Lucien remains haunted by his own promise to Elain’s father. ELUCIEN, POST-ACOSF

Pairings: Elain x Lucien, Elucien

Warnings: Mentions of sexual assault/abuse/rape + abusive families

A/N: I’ve added a tag list for those who wish to stay updated with this story! Just message me if you wish to be added <3

MY MASTERLIST

THIS FIC’S MASTERLIST

AO3

Chapter Nine: A Sight To See

Elain frowned down at the dress.

“I’m not sure if-”

“It’s perfect,” Nuala said firmly, glaring at her through the mirror. The surprisingly stubborn lesser fae was currently attempting to pin a handful of gemstones into Elain’s hair.

Elain just gave the fae a curt nod before looking back at herself.

Today was the day of the weekly meeting at Huckleberry Hall, i.e. Elain’s debut in the mortal realm as an emissary for not just the Night Court, but all the fae lands. How she’d gotten to this point in her life, she had no idea.

Yesterday she’d spent her time in the gardens chatting with Bartholomew, the Manor’s chief gardener. He was a sweet man that reminded her of her father, especially given all his travelling to the Continent and his collection of rare plant species in his greenhouse. He’d even promised her a few books on the matter and explained in great detail how plants can be useful for a number of things: healing, food, poisons.

He’d even pointed out the aphrodisiacs with a dopey grin, to which Elain had blushed furiously and moved quickly onto the exotic specimens.

She hadn’t seen Lucien that day.

Elain didn’t know why she was so aware of his absence given that she’d done just fine ignoring Lucien’s existence for two years. But yesterday, not seeing Lucien had thrown her balance off. When she was in the garden she kept looking up at the windows of the East Wing where his room supposedly resided. If only to catch a glimpse of red hair and a scarred face, just so she’d know he was okay.

Eventually, she’d turned in to the library to give one final assessment of her notes, and had spent the entire time trying to ask Nuala if Lucien was in the house without technically saying the words.

“Yes, that sounds good,” Nuala said without looking up.

“Yes, that sounds good,” Nuala said without looking up.

“Yes, that sounds good,” Nuala said without looking up.

“I…I don’t know what he does with his days.”

“Me neither,” Nuala shrugged.

“I haven’t seen him yet today…”

“Oh…shame…” From the glint in Nuala’s eye, Elain knew she had caught on to her not-so-subtle questioning.

“Yes…I wonder if he’ll be back later today.”

“Probably, considering he lives here.” Nuala was grinning now. And as Elain’s cheeks turned pink, she bit her tongue and stopped her questioning.

***

“Where did you even get this dress?”

“The Lady Morrigan gifted it to you before you left for the mortal lands, she was too late to say goodbye in person so she gave me the package.”

“Oh,” Elain nodded absent-mindedly. “How does Mor know my measurements?”

Nuala just grinned.

“Mor isn’t…talented in gift-giving, but she understands textiles like no other.”

Elain just nodded once more and shifted slightly upon dressing stand.

The dress was unlike anything Elain had ever worn before. The middle Archeron sister typically favoured dresses with full skirts and corseted bodices, all bedecked with lace, ribbon and silk, and paired with fresh flowers in her hair.

The dress she was wearing today just…wasn’t.

“Why am I wearing this again?”

“Because the mortals must understand that whilst High Fae and humans may look similar, you’re not. If you were to go in one of your standard dresses, the humans would see it as an attempt for you to ‘humanise’ yourself. Whilst common ground is important with the mortals, they must still understand that we are different. Do you see this fabric?”

Nuala took a finger and ran it along Elain’s covered shoulder, who nodded in response.

“This fabric is called Didache. It’s only found in the fae-lands, particularly the Autumn Court. It comes from the Dida-bugs of the Burning Caves who produce a fine silk-like fabric that is woven into sheets. It will remind the humans that we are different and yet-” Nuala grinned at her, “-beautiful.”

Elain blushed and nodded. The fabric was a deep forest green and yet, it moved like water. It seemed to always be shifting with the smallest of movements and sometimes, in the light, she could see not one but hundreds of shades of green flowing together, interspersed with threads of gold.

Mor’s ingenuity was shown in the choosing of this dress, as it both demonstrated a stylistic change between fae and mortal wear, and yet Elain was still able to maintain a comfortable modesty that would not outright alarm the humans.

The dress, unlike the flouncy human design, was a tight fit. It began high on her neck and covered her entire body, connecting to her hands via a tie on her middle finger. It cascaded down her body like a second skin, accentuating every dip and curve. Most strange of all was how it clung to her thighs (a sensation Elain was not yet used to) before the fabric flared ever so slightly at the knees and left a small trail of watery, emerald fabric to follow her as she walked.

It was simple, yet a statement.

Elain would’ve hated to wear such a tight dress if, well, she didn’t look so good. She’d been taught her whole life that covering up was natural for women and whilst she certainly wasn’t prepared to wear the kinds of dresses Feyre sported to the Court of Nightmares, this dress seemed to call for her.

“I think Mor had this prepared for you for some time,” Nuala said, pushing the final pin in. The hairstyle hailed from the Day Court Nuala explained as she had coiled Elain’s mass of hair on top of her head whilst leaving large strands to dangle down her shoulders. Brown bands were wrapped around her head and interwoven into her curls were dark green gems that glittered in the light and made it look as though her hair was made of starlight.

It was…beautiful.

“Thank you, Nuala,” Elain said quietly when her friend stepped back to survey her work.

“No problem,” Nuala smiled, “I know it’s not your usual dress, but you truly look like a Fae princess, perhaps even a High Lady.”

Elain reddened and surveyed herself once more in the mirror.

“The others are waiting for you at the stables,” Nuala said suddenly as shadows began to coil from her hair and she extended her hand to Elain.

After peering one more time at her notes on the table, Elain turned and glared at the female she saw in her reflection. With her hair pinned back, her pointed ears were on display, slightly pink at the tips from all her flushing. The dress, the hair, her dark eyes, the flawless skin – Elain was undeniably beautiful. And undeniably fae.

With a sigh, Elain turned and grasped Nuala’s hand before she could think too much about how she looked and all that had changed.

Even if she didn’t know how to play the part of fae, she might as well look it.

***

There was a small bustling crowd around the stables of Lockhart Manor. The stables were placed near the entrance to the woods and the small trail they would follow all the way to Huckleberry Hall.

Letting go of Nuala’s hand, Elain turned to survey the small crowd. There were stable boys and a few guards, and she could even peek Bartholomew speaking rapidly to a woman in a fine dress who was nodding along with interest, Jurian a few paces behind them, looking bored as ever.

No Lucien.

The thought shouldn’t have made Elain’s heart sink as it did. She’d been awake since sunrise, having breakfast in her chambers as Nuala began the prep work for getting her into the dress. And maybe as she watched herself slowly being transformed into a fae princess; she could only think of her mate’s reaction to seeing her in such an outfit.

Turning back around, Elain’s eyes once more fell on the gardener and the woman, now pointing down at the strawberry plants that lined the pathway. It took a few more moments of staring for Elain to realise that she was, in fact, looking at Queen Vassa.

Looking over her shoulder, Elain threw a stare at Nuala who only shrugged in response. Elain turned back. How was Vassa out? The sun was at a midpoint between East and Mid-day, she should be well past her transfiguration by now.

Sighing, Elain practised walking as she made her way over to the Queen. The dress was surprisingly practical, easier to move in than any of her corsets. Instead of restricting her movements, the fabric simply glided over her skin and moved with her, no doubt catching the light as it did and reflecting a thousand shades of green.

“Queen Vassa,” Elain greeted with a small curtsey.

The Queen turned from the gardener to nod at Elain, and Elain saw how Vassa’s eyes caught on her appearance, her eyes flicking up and down her body for a brief moment, her figure seeming to still.

“You look magnificent, Vassa,” Elain smiled, hoping that her compliment was seen as nothing other than a peace offering.

Vassa was sporting a traditional human queen’s gown. The colour was a deep gold with a panel of green and crimson embroidery running up the centre of the dress. There was a low tie hanging on the queen’s slender hips and a heavy crown upon her forehead. She was the image of strength and power, and next to her, Elain felt as though she looked like the evil-fae seductress.

“Forgive me if it’s a crude question but, how are you…”

”Here?” Vassa said drily, raising a brow. Elain forced herself not to flush with embarrassment and just nodded.

Vassa sighed as though she were bored and raised her hand. Elain was unsure what she was supposed to be looking at, there were two rings on her hand and a nice set of manicured nails but-

Then she realised. The ring on her fourth finger was made of black metal and was far too heavy and brutal to be worn by a Queen.

Looking at the ring, Elain felt something coil in her gut. Turning fae had attuned her senses to magic, and thrumming from that ring was a magic that smelt like sickness.

Suddenly, Elain felt herself drifting out of her body, able to look down on herself and Vassa. As she did, she had the distinct feeling of something falling into place.

”It’s a new addition.”

Jurian's voice snapped Elain back into her body with a small gasp. He was slowly stalking up to them, cutting into a fig with his knife as he moved with a predator-like grace. “It seems that Vassa’s keeper sent us a house-warming gift. He’s only two years late.”

“Jurian…” Vassa sighed tiredly, as though she’d had this conversation several times before.

”It seems like our death-Lord, from his lakeside manor, has decided to give our dear Queen the ability to see daylight.”

Elain could only glance between the two, barely able to keep up with their bantering. She was still feeling overwhelmingly nauseous and was trying to avoid looking at the ring directly.

”Don’t worry,” Vassa turned to Elain with a sneer, “I’m not fixed just yet. The ring comes with a cost. Each hour I put off my transformation adds 24 for later.”

”Why not leave it on?” Elain said in a quiet voice, still feeling the earth move underneath her.

”Oh yes, of course, I’m sure Koschei just skipped over that in his master plan,” Vassa snarked. Elain, to her own surprise, rolled her eyes.

“Well, hello princess,” Jurian spoke before Vassa could. He talked as though he hadn’t seen Elain before.

Elain’s skin couldn’t help but prickle as she watched his eyes lapping up her figure with a complete disregard for anything else.

“Jurian,” Elain nodded, trying to drag his eyes up to her own.

“What did we do to deserve this?” His eyes met hers with a wink and then, again, ever so slowly, Jurian’s eyes ran up Elain’s body, lingering slightly on the fabric that was straining over her bountiful chest before meeting her eye. Elain didn’t deem the comment with a retort.

“Leave her be Jurian,” Vassa rolled her eyes before turning to Elain with something that looked like a coy smile. “It’s fun to see them drool, isn’t it?”

Elain, to her surprise, found herself grinning widely and nodding. If she wasn’t mistaken, she and Vassa had just shared a pleasant interaction.

Today was full of surprises.

“And they say we’re the weaker sex.”

Vassa tipped her head back and laughed, and when Elain turned back to Jurian she found him watching the queen intently, something enigmatic in his stare.

“When you’re done with girl-talk, we really must get going,” Jurian rolled his shoulders. Even he appeared dressed in his finest, and Elain wondered just who it was that must’ve pinned him down to drag a comb through his scruffy hair, now flopping back from his, rather handsome, face.

“Last time I checked Jurian, I’m the Queen, I say when we leave.” Vassa pointed a look at the man who only seemed to smile wider at her retort.

“Of course, your majesty…” Jurian rolled the word around in his tongue, “When you’re ready, my queen, I’ll be waiting for you by the gate…possibly awake, possibly napping.”

And with that Jurian turned and strode away, the woman and the female watching his retreating figure strut across the pathway.

“Idiot,” Vassa cursed under her breath before turning back to Elain. “Lucien told me this morning he’ll be arranging your transport. Apparently, we’re not arriving together, Jurian and I will be one unit, you and Lucien another. Just so you know.”

As the Queen spoke her voice steadily grew colder and colder until she was back to how she usually was with Elain, her voice monotone and her eyes bored. Elain just gave a nod and that was enough for the Queen to deem the conversation over as she turned and followed Jurian down the path. As she moved, Elain couldn’t help but notice how she tipped her head back seemed to drink in the sunlight.

Elain was left standing in the middle of a small bustling crowd, many of the guards moving to follow their Queen and keep her safe. And so, Elain went back to her search for her mate.

After searching the crowd, she allowed her eyes to close and for her focus to turn within. It didn’t take long for her to find the bond, as soon as her eyes were shut it was there, glowing bright and gold, a single thread leading from her out ahead.

Angling herself, Elain followed the bond until she heard his heart, strong and steady, filling her ears like the most beautiful drum. Opening her eyes, she saw him.

Lucien was talking to a rather nervous stable boy and Elain was rather thankful for the small chance to ogle him without his awareness.

For one thing, Elain understood the stable boy’s nerves. Lucien looked…powerful.

He was wearing the finest of his fae attire, with fine brown boots and pants, a crisp shirt, a waistcoat and then a riding jacket. Across his chest was a bandolier with an assortment of eccentric knives, all sharpened to deadly perfection. On his hip were two swords, his autumn blade and another blade but made of gold. His hair was unleashed and cascaded down his shoulders and back, and his scar made his fierce expression even more lethal.

Two years ago, Elain would’ve been petrified at such a sight. It was a reminder that Lucien wasn’t her fae prince, that even though he had the makings of a perfect husband there was something darker and more alluring that hung around him.

He was a courtier, a disowned son, a silver-tongued fox. And Elain saw that everyone underestimated him, and that’s what made him most dangerous of all.

But while any fae prince might make Elain’s heart flutter, the sight of Lucien in his most professional, intimidating glory, roused some feeling deep within her gut. It was like her entire body turned electric, and the air between them seemed to crackle as the bond tightened.

Elain watched as Lucien’s brow furrowed and his hand reached surreptitiously to his ribs. Lucien’s eyes were no longer on the stable boy and his rambling, he was looking around – he was looking for her.

Elain saw the moment Lucien laid eyes on her. He stilled, the hand rubbing his ribs going stagnant.

The world seemed to fade away as Elain watched Lucien’s eyes take in her dress. He started by looking at the neck and then, at a tortuously slow pace, his eyes wandered down and down like Jurian.

But where Jurian’s gaze had made her tired and comfortable, Lucien’s seemed to set every nerve in her body alight.

She watched him as he watched her, and she could see him pause on certain parts. Taking in the first full display of her chest, the way the fabric ran seamlessly down her waist before flaring with her hips, and then again at her thighs.

Some part of Elain dared her to turn around, to show him how the dress barely fit over her behind, how the fabric seemed to stretch as it tried to contain the slopes and swells of her body.

She didn’t know where it had come from – but she didn’t want the voice to stop.

Then, Lucien’s eyes were reluctantly dragged upwards and just before they met eyes, Elain saw Lucien’s tongue dart between his lips to wet them. For some reason, Elain had the strongest urge to clench together her thighs.

Lucien moved forward like a predator stalking prey, with a lithe grace that was reminiscent of a snake.

Elain didn’t care for the rest of the world; she just saw him. Maybe it was not seeing him yesterday, but all Elain knew was that now he was nearby, she wasn’t taking her eyes off him for the foreseeable future.

Every step was torture. Every inch closer made the bond thrum and sing with delight.

Lucien came to a stop barely a foot away from her. There was a pause of silence.

“Elain,” His voice was low, gravelly, restrained.

“Lucien,” Elain’s own voice was breathy.

And then Lucien was bending down, leaning in close almost as though he were going to kiss her and Elain – Elain didn’t recoil. When Lucien’s face was inches from her own, his eyes searing into hers, she felt his palm slip into hers. His hand was warm and much, much larger than her own, and Elain felt raw electricity jolt through her at the contact.

With a deliberate, torturous slowness, Lucien raised Elain’s hand to his mouth and placed a single kiss on her knuckles.

Many men had kissed Elain’s hand before, from old to young, bachelors to fiancés. But it had never been like this.

Lucien’s lips on her knuckles was like a promise. It was just lips on the back of her hand – it was entirely inadequate, it was nothing – and that is what made Elain’s body sing.

Lucien’s eyes never left hers, and as he straightened, he didn’t let go of her hand.

“We’re planning on riding to Huckleberry,” Lucien’s voice sounded a bit clearer, but his eyes were still dark and glittering.

“Okay,” was all Elain could manage. But her body was in overdrive, her entire existence being concentrated into the feel of Lucien’s hand in hers. One small touch and she was consumed.

“Oh look! Lucien-” Jurian’s voice swam from somewhere off to the side.

“Vassa, Jurian, you best be headed off now, you don’t want to be late to miss the guards at the northern checkpoint,” Lucien spoke without looking away from Elain, and his voice was full of such a natural command that another pulse of heat ran through her.

Elain distantly heard as Vassa, Jurian and a few guards saddled up and trot out through the gardens into the forest. The world seemed to thin around them, stable boys returning to the Manor, even Nuala evaporated into the air, until all that was left was a grey-haired horse and Lucien, with his hand in Elain’s.

“I thought we might ride together, to present a united front. But if your uncomfortable there’s another horse in the stables saddled and ready to go.” Elain could’ve sworn that as Lucien spoke, his thumb ran across the back of her hand. “It’s also just a way of me making sure your safe.”

“Are you expecting there to be danger at the meeting?”

“No, very few even know of your arrival and the mortals are in too weak a position to attack a visiting fae. I just…for my own peace of mind.”

Remarkably, Lucien seemed bashful as he spoke, his eyes breaking from hers for a moment as he shifted on his feet.

“Oh…alright.” Elain smiled up at him, and it was a peace-offering. The world seemed to still for a moment as Lucien noticed, and his gaze lingered on her lips.

Then he was clearing his throat and turning to lead her to the saddled horse, but he didn’t release his hand, instead, he used it to tug her along, as though he were entirely reluctant to let go.

“The journey is significantly shorter on horseback; we should be there in around 15 minutes.”

Lucien eventually reluctantly let go of Elain’s hand as he hoisted himself up and onto the horse.

Elain could only watch. Watch as he set himself astride the saddle, watch how his thighs – how had Elain never notices his thighs before – clenched as he seated himself upright. Watch as he flicked his hair back over his shoulder, his muscles somehow flexing through the layers of his shirt and jacket. Watch as he extended his hand to her.

Elain frowned down at her dress as a thought struck her.

“Oh…I don’t think I’ll be able to ride anything in this dress.”

Elain felt rather than saw Lucien go still.

Looking up from the green fabric, she allowed herself to assess him. Lucien’s muscles seemed to be standing on end, his delicious thighs clenched so that the tendons stood to attention. His hands were fisted into the reigns and his knuckles had turned white with his grip.

Most intoxicating of all, was Lucien’s eyes. They were glazed over and distant, as though Lucien were thinking of something intently. Or rather, picturing.

And then Elain saw it.

It was from a distant perspective and the first thing she saw was Lucien, with his browning skin on display as he laid on his back across pale sheets. His beautifully muscled legs were exposed and tensed, his torso nothing but streamline muscles, his arms bare and glorious as they tightened as he gripped onto the figure astride him. He looked so…undone, with his red hair spilling across the sheets, his face furrowed, and his mouth parted with pleasure.

The female astride Elain’s mate had her head thrown back, her golden-brown curls bouncing along with her breasts as she bobbed wildly on top of him. Elain couldn’t hear them – couldn’t hear the moans that she saw rippling from her own mouth.

Then, the pace changed, instead of desperate jerky movements, Lucien and the female’s body slowed into an easy rhythm, each of their bodies rolling together with a trained precision. She could see Lucien’s mouth moving as he spoke breathily to the female, pulling her down so their foreheads touched. She watched as his eyes grew hungrier, how the rolling gave way to thrusting, how he took two fingers and pushed them into the female’s mouth and how she sucked enthusiastically before releasing them with a ‘pop’, how Lucien then dragged those two fingers down her body, slowly, before pushing them down to where they were joined and beginning to rub against her in slow, languid circles-

The horse grunted, and Elain jumped.

All of a sudden she came back into her body, it was as though someone had been holding her windpipe and abruptly let go. Her knees felt weak, her mouth dry, and for a moment, she could barely remember her own name, never mind where she was.

“We’ll winnow.”

Lucien was in front of her now, having gotten down off the mare whilst her mind was elsewhere. He was now fiddling with the buckles on the straddle before a stable boy took the reins.

Elain looked up at him dry-mouthed. Did he know what she’d just seen? Was she even…had there been a shift in her scent? Fear tinged with excitement plunged through her.

“You okay?” Lucien murmured; his eyes concerned as they roved over her face. It looked like he almost reached for her hand again.

Elain didn’t trust her voice and could only nod in response. Lucien seemed to assess her for another moment before he held out his arm, ever the courtier. The female looked out at the stables as she wrapped her hand around his bicep, trying to ignore how the muscles shifted and tensed under her fingertips.

“Right, well…let’s go.”

As Elain closed her eyes and held her breath to prepare for the twisting sensation of winnowing, she could on think of one thing.

Elain had just had a vision; she still had her powers.

[snelbz]

The Ranch {19}

An A Court of Thorns and Roses, Nesta x Cassian, Modern AU, fanfiction.

Collaboration: @snelbz​ x @tacmc​

Summary: Nesta had spent years in Paris, living her dream and drowning in riches as a gourmet chef, capturing the hearts of the city and its people. But, after her father passes away unexpectedly and leaves his cozy, countryside B&B to his oldest daughter, Nesta is moving back home to the tiny town of Velaris, where the ranch, her sisters, and her father’s unfulfilled dream, awaits.

Sidenote: Being posted between two blogs, it is too chaotic to keep up with a tags list, so all chapters will be tagged with “#TheRanchNessian” & “#SharaCollab”.

Nesta stood in the paint department and looked at the wall of samples in front of her. She wanted something light, but something that stood out, too. She didn’t want anything like her father had chosen back in the nineties and-.

She shook her head, trying to free her head of the deja vu that washed over her and chuckling quietly. She had been here before, had done this before. Things were just...a little different this time.

As if she wanted to remind her mother of this fact, Nesta felt a sharp pain against her ribs and she inhaled sharply through her teeth. Beau looked up at her, brown eyes wide. He hadn’t left her side since the beginning of her third trimester and Nesta had learned to love the constant, comforting presence.

“Your sister is using my ribs as a punching bag,” she told him, regardless of the fact that he couldn’t understand her. He opened his mouth in what Nesta swore was a smile and his tongue hung to the side.

He always smiled when they talked about the baby.

Nesta was floored as she realized how different her life had become in twelve months. A year ago, she’d been deciding whether or not she should give up everything she’d ever wanted, to move home and run her father’s crumbling dream of a bed and breakfast. Now she was about to have a baby, her perfect, little girl, and she was going to marry the man of her dreams, the man who gave her the gift she never thought possible.

“Nesta?”

She froze, recalling how someone had called her name the last time she’d been here, who it had been when she turned. But it wasn’t Tomas, just Azriel standing in his old, torn jeans and black hoodie. Out of all of them, it was Azriel who looked the least the part of a rancher, but he sure as hell knew what he was doing.

“Cass said you were running into town, but this was the last place I thought I’d see you,” Azriel said, when Nesta said nothing. 

Nesta, collecting her thoughts, gestured to the wall of paint samples. “Nursery color.”

“Ah,” Azriel said, huffing a laugh as he stopped next to her and looked at the wall. Beau brushed up against his leg, and he gave the pup a loving scratch behind the ears. “What about purple?”

Nesta frowned, looking at the endless samples of purple. She had gone over the lavender hues ten times already. “Too predictable. Pink, too. I’ve ruled them both out.”

Azriel chuckled. “Fair enough. Cass wants to paint it green.”

Nesta rolled her eyes. She had to admit that she had her eye on a neutral olive color, but it didn’t seem right, it wasn't special enough.  “So I’ve been told. I told him no, though.”

It was true. In fact, the night before they’d had a heated debate over what color the nursery would be. It ended in them making love on the nursery’s carpet, but that was irrelevant. 

“How about blue?” Azriel suggested, picking up a few different swatches. “There are a ton of different shades of blue, surely there’s one you two can agree on.”

It was her favorite color, but it limited her decorating choices. Both the camouflage and rodeo nursery ideas were nixed last night as well, and Cassian was still pouting about it.

“I’ve been leaning towards a softer yellow or orange.” She lifted a buttery yellow card from its slot. It was too bright, too rich. She added it to the stack, knowing it may look different away from the fluorescent lights. “Like the sunrise. First light.”

Azriel was nodding. “Why don’t you ask Feyre to paint the sunrise?”

Nesta was going to blame her stupidity on pregnancy brain as her eyes went wide and she said, “I hadn’t even thought of that. She’d love that.”

Azriel just smiled, softly. “Feyre would be honored, if you asked her.”

Nesta nodded, slowly, then picked out a couple different shades of yellows and oranges. “Since you’re here, please take me to get some tacos. I’ll buy. Might even bring some home to Cass, if he’s been good this morning.” Azriel’s grin widened as they began walking toward the exit. “A little cranky, I must say, but I think that’s just because he’s hungover.”

Nesta snorted. After their fight over paints, he’d indulged himself - one beer too many, perhaps. “It doesn’t take much to be hungover when you wake up at five a.m.”

“True,” Azriel agreed. “I could do tacos, though.”

“Good,” Nesta said, putting the paint swatches into her purse as she and Azriel walked out onto the sidewalk, Beau close behind. 

It wasn’t until they were down the street at a taco vendor’s food truck that Nesta asked, “So, when the hell are you going to ask my sister to marry you?”

The bite he’d been in the process of taking nearly came back out. Nesta didn’t even flinch. She’d spent so much time throwing up in the past eight months that partially chewed food didn’t even phase her. She blinked and waited for him to collect himself before he took a drink of the Corona in his hand.

“You just go straight for the balls, don’t you?” He laughed.

She raised her eyebrows. “Have you met my fiancé?”

“Fair enough,” he laughed, but he sighed. “You want the honest truth?”

Nesta suddenly realized she wasn’t sure. She was meddling and the only person who hated meddling more than she did was Elain. But she nodded.

Az took a deep breath and said, “I’ve had the ring for almost six months.”

“What?” Nesta’s eyes must have nearly bulged out of her head, because Az backed up a step. “And why exactly haven’t you proposed?”

His smile was soft but proud, as he said, “I don’t want to take this time from you, or from Cassian. You’re having a baby. Like, Nesta, you’re growing a literal human inside of yourself.” He chuckled and smiled fondly. “Did you know that even when we were in high school all Cass wanted from life was to rope and have a family. You’re giving him one of those things and I can’t ever thank you for making my brother so happy. And I don’t want to take that spotlight from y’all. I want you to have your moment, so that when the time comes, Elain can have hers.”

Nesta hated Azriel for making her cry over her taco, and yet, tears were sliding down her cheeks as she set her taco back down onto her plate and observed him. Eventually, she cleared her throat and said, “Elain is a lucky woman.”

Azriel just shook his head as he took another bite. “That woman deserves the world. If anyone’s lucky, it’s me.”

Nesta found herself completely overwhelmed. A year ago, she hadn’t believed love existed, but now? Her and Cassian, Elain and Azriel, Feyre and Rhysand...this type of love was rare, Nesta was sure of it, but somehow they all ended up in a fairytale romance. Her sisters were happy, she was happy...it was perfect. 

“Don’t tell your sister that I made you cry,” Azriel went on, shoving the last of his taco into his mouth. “She’ll kick my ass. She’s scary when she wants to be.”

She shook her head, dabbing at her eyes with a scratchy napkin. “She’ll understand when you knock her up. I cried yesterday during a Christmas commercial.” Azriel waited, knowing that was somewhat common. “A commercial for cattle feed.”

He nodded. “I believe you. Doesn’t change the fact that your sister will punch me in the dick if she finds out I was the cause of your tears.”

They both laughed and Nesta smiled. “Thank you for making her so happy.”

Az gave her that full smile that so many rarely saw. “It’s my pleasure.”

Nesta finished her tacos and ordered some for Cassian for the road. “Word of advice,” she said, getting into her car. Beau already patiently sat in the passenger seat. “Don’t ask her on a holiday. Girls don’t want to share their special day.”

Azriel’s eyebrows raised. “I...hadn’t thought of that.”

Nesta chuckled. “You were going to propose on New Years, weren’t you?”

He nodded once. “Yes, I was.”

She laughed, full and bright, and said, “How about this? You tell me when it’s time, I’ll plan a family dinner and voila, you’ve got yourself a fiancée.”

“Really?” Azriel asked, stopping in front of the driver’s side of the truck’s door.

“Of course,” Nesta said, crossing her arms, the bag of Cassian’s food hanging on her arm. 

“Thank you,” he said, and she knew by the look in his eyes that he meant it.

Although they were going to the same place, they said their goodbyes and Nesta drove home, slowly. By the time she made it back home to the ranch with her paint swatches, Cassian was mowing the lawn. He was shirtless, of course, and was chugging a bottle of water as he rode the lawn mower across the grass. As Nesta pulled into the driveway, he was waving and putting it in park. 

He was covered in sweat, but Nesta still didn’t stop him as he pressed his lips to the side of her head. “The grass was long.”

Nesta nodded. She had wanted to ask him to mow, considering she was too pregnant to do so, but hadn’t wanted to interrupt his daily plans. “I brought you tacos.” 

“Mmm, that’s exactly why I’m marrying you,” he said, pulling her onto his sweaty lap and opening the box in her hands.

She squirmed out of his arms, as best as she could at eight and a half months pregnant and said, “I’m going to go hang the swatches on the wall, come see when you’re done?”

He nodded, shoving an entire taco in his mouth.

She chuckled, but shivered as a brisk wind blew by. “Cass, I know the sun is straight on you, but it’s forty-five degrees out. Don’t you think you should put a shirt on?”

He finished chewing and said, “How else will I keep my tan year round?”

She shook her head and said, “I’ll be inside, call me if you need me. I love you.”

He smiled at her, those hazel eyes sparkling from the joy he felt inside. “I love you too, darlin’.”

She turned and started up the porch steps and heard, “Hey.”

Nesta looked back at him and he asked, the sparkle replaced by his usual mischievous glint, “You got any green swatches in there?”

Nesta rolled her eyes as Azriel pulled the truck in next to her little car. “No.”

She continued up into the house, laughing when she heard Az ask why the hell he wasn’t wearing a shirt. She pulled the swatches out of her purse, including the couple of greens she’d snagged on their way out, along with her phone and she and Beau made their way up to her old room.

The room that she grew up in was the same room her daughter would too.

As she was taping swatches to the room, in various lighting, she called Feyre, putting her phone on speaker.

“Hello?” her sister answered a second later.

“Hey,” Nesta said, looking around the room. “I have a favor to ask.” “Ask away,” Feyre said.

Nesta admired the swatches she had chosen before clearing her throat. “Would you mind...helping me paint the baby’s nursery?”

There was a slight pause, then Feyre’s quiet voice came through, “Of course.”

“I was thinking the sunrise,” Nesta continued, trying not to cry for the tenth time that day. “Bright, cheery, calming.”

“I can do that,” Feyre breathed. “I can come by this weekend?”

“Perfect,” Nesta agreed. There was a few seconds of silence before Nesta said, “Thank you.”

“Anything for my niece,” Feyre said, then added, “And anything for you. And that idiot fiancé of yours.”

Nesta peeked out the window where Cassian was still mowing without his shirt on. He always acted like it was spring, even in the winter. Although their town stayed pretty mild, winter-wise, there was still a little chill in the air. “Idiot he is, but he’s my idiot.”

Feyre chuckled. “Still on for dinner tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Nesta promised. “I’ll see you then.”

They said their goodbyes before Nesta was left alone, in the silence, observing the room around her. Five minutes of planning in her head passed before heavy boots padded up the stairs and Cassian appeared, now wearing a hoodie, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. “Can I help with anything?”

She was admiring the colors in the direct sunlight. “You can tell me which of these you like best.”

“Hmm.” He came up behind her, pressing his big hands against her belly. Even as round as she was, even at over eight months pregnant, his hands still covered most of it. But then they slid upwards until he was cupping a breast in each hand. He made a show of weighing them and squeezing them gently, and said, “I don’t know, I think I’m pretty partial to the left one.”

She rolled her eyes, laughing, and pushed away from him, walking towards the wall. “I meant color, baby.”

“Oh, well that’s easy,” he snorted, coming in closer as well.

It turned out that it was, in fact, not easy.

After forty-five minutes of arguing and an almost silent quickie with the door open to make up, they had narrowed it down to New Spring Chick and Frosted Tropical Apricot.

They would let Feyre make the final decision in the morning.

“Don’t you have to get back out there?” Nesta asked.

Cassian shook his head. “For now, Az has it covered, it’s been an easy day. I was thinking you and I could go out to dinner, though.”

Nesta lifted a brow. “Dinner?”

Cassian nodded, then gestured to her belly. “We only have so much more time before baby comes. We should have a date night while we can.”

Nesta watched him for a moment before saying, “Okay, fine. But does this mean I have to get dressed up?”

Cassian grinned. “You could wear fucking sweatpants for all I care, but I’m taking you out.”

She wouldn’t wear sweatpants, but she also didn’t plan on wearing another real pair of pants until after this baby was out of her.

Cassian pressed a soft kiss to her stomach, which he did every chance he took, and left to go take a much needed shower. Nesta got ready, slipping on a pair of comfy black leggings and a baggy sweatshirt. Cass ended up dressing nearly identically, except he did wear sweatpants.

They hopped in the “play truck” and right before they left, Cassian said, “Shit, I’ll be right back.”

Nesta sat straight up, hands forming a protective cage around her stomach. “What? Is everything okay?”

He jogged into the house and came back out a minute later, backpack tossed over his shoulder. Climbing back into the truck, he tossed it in the backseat and put it in reverse.

“What is that?” she asked. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“This,” Cass replied, putting his free hand in Nesta’s and rubbing soothing circles into the back of her hand, “is our emergency bag. It’s got everything we’ll need in it in case you go into labor. Clothes, insurance paperwork, phone chargers, snacks.” He began a smooth back and forth motion. “Diapers, binkies, onesies, little socks and blankets, and everything else our precious girl is going to need.”

She blinked, and hated that tears were, once again, rolling down her cheeks. “You have truly thought of everything, haven’t you?”

Cassian shrugged. “You’re literally growing my child inside of you. As your baby daddy, it’s my job to take as much stress off of you as possible.”

Nesta leaned over the center console and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Thank you.”

He grinned, fully satisfied with himself, as he pulled onto the road and headed into town. They drove to a little Italian restaurant because Nesta had mentioned she could use a plate full of breadsticks. Cassian ordered it to go, though, and hopped back into the truck before driving a mile down the road to the old high school. He parked in the parking lot before hopping out and putting down the truck bed.

“Come on, babe,” he called, already taking the boxes of pasta out of the bag. When Nesta came around, he helped her onto the back of the truck before joining her there, his thigh brushing hers.

She ate her alfredo happily, indeed chowing down on an insane number of breadsticks that Cassian swore he didn’t count.

He was rubbing her feet when she asked, voice quiet, “Are you scared?”

He looked at her, at how she was staring off toward the football field, pretending not to notice him staring at her. “Am I scared of doing something stupid? Yes. Am I scared it’s going to be a lot more than we’re expecting? Yes. Am I scared we’re going to get in over our heads? Yes. Am I scared that there’s about to be a miniature version of you running around? Hell yes.” He turned her face toward his, forcing her to look at him. “But am I scared to be a father? No. Am I scared to meet our daughter? No. Am I scared to do this with you? Absolutely not.”

She whispered, “Quit making me cry.”

But he shook his head, softly. “I love you, Nesta. And yeah, I am scared, but I can’t wait. This little girl already has me wrapped around her finger and she’s not even here yet.”

A tear slid down her cheek that he quickly reached up and brushed away. “Are you scared?”

Nesta took a moment to think about it, but then she sighed. “Yes, and no. It’s complicated.”

Cassian chuckled, in full understanding.

“I’m scared because I don’t know what to expect,” she said, after a minute. “I’m not sure how to handle the not knowing.”

“That’s why we have each other, sweetheart,” he kissed the top of her head. “Come on, let’s get home. I have a shitload of furniture to build tonight.”

The egregiously overpriced infant's bedroom suit that Nesta had seen online had been delivered that afternoon. Cassian couldn’t understand how Nesta could justify spending as much as some people spent on a vehicle on furniture that was just going to get covered in shit and baby barf.

Not to mention that it had been shipped from overseas.

They packed up their trash and got back in the truck, heading for home.

“While I carry all of the boxes upstairs, why don’t you take a nice bath, baby?” He asked. “And then when you’re done, you can read me instructions that I won’t listen to while I figure out how to put it all together.”

Nesta shook her head, unable to stop herself from chuckling. “At least you’re honest.” 

He took her hand and pressed his lips against her knuckles. “I am that.”

Nesta had to admit that the thought of a bath sounded incredible, though, so she didn’t argue. Once they got home, Nesta was making her way, slowly, up the porch, inside, and up the stairs while Cassian got to work on gathering the boxed nursery furniture. They had a changing table, a bookshelf, a dresser, and a crib, all of which Nesta had bought from a small French boutique that had always caught her eye in Paris. When Cassian asked why they couldn’t just go into town and buy something that was already assembled, Nesta’s answer was simple: she was getting what she wanted, and she wanted the modern, white, sleek furniture she’d on her walk to work every day.

Cassian didn’t argue. 

While she was soaking in the tub, she could hear Cass moving around in the other room. She’d hear a thump as a box was dropped or something would start dragging across the floor. At one point, she heard a loud bang followed by Son of a bitch!

Nesta laughed quietly to herself and smoothed a hand over her belly, which stuck out of the water by a considerable amount. “Daddy’s getting your room put together, sweet girl, and then we’re ready for you to get here whenever you are.”

She leaned her head back against the cool, porcelain tub, sighing happy. Life had become so crazy lately, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be stressed about it.

Her phone vibrated on the small table by her head and when she leaned up to glance at it, her hand slipped on the slick surface. The table knocked against the tub and Nesta gasped as her phone fell into the water.

“Shit,” she breathed, grabbing it out and tossing it onto a nearby towel. She decided that was the end of her bath and got out drying herself off and getting dressed.

She tried to power her phone back on, knowing she shouldn’t but hoping it hadn’t been in the water long enough to do any damage. The logo popped up in the middle of the screen then it went black and began to make a whirring noise.

“Damn it.” She sighed and made her way downstairs, throwing it in a bag of rice to see if it could be salvaged. Otherwise, it looked like she’d be going into town the next day for a new phone.

Cassian was padding down the stairs a moment later, his brows furrowed. He took one look at Nesta and froze, then looked down at her phone in the bag of rice. “Your phone take a bath, too?”

Nesta’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe.” With a deep sigh, she leaned back against the counter. “I’m pissed.”

“Me too,” Cassian mumbled, throwing open the fridge and grabbing two beers. “I’ve decided that I hate France. Or at least French furniture. Fuck France and their fancy furniture.”

Nesta snorted and came up behind him, attempting to wrap her arms around his waist, but over her giant bump, she hardly managed to reach around his sides.

Cassian's body shook with silent laughter as he turned to face her. “Bump in the way?” He asked, before setting one of his beer cans on the top of it, which only made Nesta roll her eyes.

“It’s not a table,” she laughed. 

“Seems pretty convenient to me,” he shrugged, popping open a can and chugging it down. He brushed his hand over her bump, and just when he touched, baby girl kicked wildly from inside, which only made Nesta groan. 

“That either means that she loves me, or that she’s telling me to fuck off,” Cassian said, which made Nesta laugh. After he kissed her forehead, then the bump with the wild, little Nazari inside, he said, “Alright, baby mama, come upstairs and watch me struggle.”

She smirked and headed for the stairs as he tossed the empty can in the trash, opened the second and grabbed a third to take upstairs. “I already do that on the daily. What’s so different about building furniture?”

She heard him mimic her words in a mocking tone and she laughed as she topped the stairs and made her way into the nursery.

It looked like a styrofoam factory exploded. There were pieces everywhere and screws littering the little catch-all tray he pulled from his tool box. She sighed, realizing it was going to be a long night.

But when she looked out the window, into the starry, cloudless night, and screamed Cassian’s name, she forgot all about furniture and messy packing materials. She forgot all about her phone lying useless on the kitchen counter. She even, for a moment, forgot her own name.

Because the stables were catching on fire.

Cassian was instantly behind her, his eyes wide as he swore violently. “Stay here,” he ordered, and then he was gone, pulling out his phone on the way out the nursery door. 

Nesta could only stare in horror as Cassian's dark figure, only outlined by the light of the moon, sprinted down the path that led to the stables.

It was quickly going up in flames, all consuming, raging flames. Nesta didn’t understand how it could have happened.

Only moments ago, she had been down in the kitchen and the stables were fine.

Then, the thought that had her heart stopping entered her mind. It hadn’t been an accident, couldn’t have been an accident, but that didn’t make any sense. 

A slow panic crept into the pit of her stomach, she was breathing heavier, her heart beating wildly as she sobbed, holding onto her bump, the only thing that allowed her to keep her sanity.

Nesta remembered that Az had told her he’d put the horses in the pasture this morning, since it wasn’t supposed to rain, and she was thankful to whatever god whispered in his ear and told him to do so.

She needed to call someone, needed to get the fire department here. Needed to call her sisters, to call Az. Without thinking, she turned and ran from the room, carefully making her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Her phone wasn’t on the counter where she’d left it and she frantically looked around the kitchen. 

She plunged into near darkness as the lights went out and a frightened scream burst from Nesta, followed by a sob.

She needed Cassian.

She screamed his name, her voice full of shaking terror as she reached around, trying to find something to hold onto. Eventually, her hands found the edge of the counter and she told herself to breath, in and out. Stress wasn’t good for the baby, panic wasn’t good for the baby.

But she couldn’t help it, and as if the infant in her womb knew that something horrible was happening, she kicked wildly.

Nesta felt the need to puke but she couldn’t move, not in the darkness, not as far from the city as they were. Even as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she couldn’t see through the endless tears.

She tried one more time to scream Cassian’s name, but her voice came out broken, terrified, and it was no use, he was too far away.

She thought she heard a door open and close across the house and she froze. Her voice cracked as she called, “Cass?”

There was no answer.

Something was wrong, something was very, very wrong. She held onto the counter as she quickly ran for the back door - only to find that it was jammed shut, a two-by-four under the doorknob preventing it from opening.

She began to hyperventilate as she realized that this, all of this, was deliberate. The fire still blazed outside, and Nesta heard a creak from the old, wood flooring in the other room. Her blood chilled as she realized that she wasn’t alone in the house.

She ran for the front door, finding it stuck shut as well. “Please, please, please!” She sobbed, pulling on the door as hard as she could. There were unmistakably footsteps from the dining room and she cried, “Please, I’m pregnant, please.”

She hurried back to the kitchen as quietly as she could and silently opened a drawer, pulling out a large knife. She held it out, blindly as she took shuddering breaths.

Then he appeared, in the doorway, wearing a dark hoodie, the hood pulled up. He was tall, his shoulders broad, but slim.

She knew who it was.

She would be foolish to convince herself it wasn’t him. He hadn’t gotten what he wanted from her, had stalked her for months without saying a word. He didn’t come any closer.

Nesta did not lower her knife.

She tried to convince herself to look unafraid, to sound calm, but she couldn’t help the tears that continued to stream down her face.

Inside of her womb, the infant became utterly still.

Nesta swallowed and lifted her chin. “Leave,” she ordered, the demand echoing in the silence. “Or I will kill you, and I will not hesitate.”

Even as she said the words, she wasn’t convinced they were true.

Cassian couldn’t breathe. There was smoke in his eyes, it was unbearably hot, and he couldn’t stop coughing, but then he was out in the fresh night air, his back hitting the soft grass.

He knew that Az had led the horses out before he left today, had watched him take them out one by one, but he had to make sure. He had to verify that there wasn’t one down somewhere.

He found nothing, not a horse or person inside.

Except the overwhelming smell of gasoline.

This fire wasn’t natural, it was intentional. This fire was set.

He’d called Azriel before his feet had hit the landing of the stairs telling him what was happening and asking him to call the fire department. He didn’t know what else to do. It’s not like he could turn on the garden hose and put it out. With as much accelerant was used, it would burn all night.

He knew exactly who it was, he didn’t try to delude himself into anything else.

A truck door slammed and Feyre and Rhys were running toward him.

“What happened?” He asked, helping him stand. Cassian saw that his arm was covered in soot. “I have no idea. We were building baby furniture and the barn was fine, came down to the kitchen so I could grab a beer, and when Nes got back upstairs it was in a blaze.” He coughed, but continued, “Smells like a damn Mapco in there, there was so much gasoline dumped.”

“Gasoline?” Feyre asked, covering her mouth in horror.

Cassian nodded. “Tomas did this.”

Rhysand stilled as Feyre’s face paled.

“I have to go to Nesta,” she breathed, backing away from the fire, even though she wasn’t close to it. She glanced back at the dark. “Is she down at the cabin?”

Cassian’s face fell as he glanced up at the big house, then, he was sprinting.

If Tomas had done this, which Cassian was sure he did, he would still be close. He ran without stopping, without a breath, until he was up the back porch. The door was wide open, a piece of wood sitting off to the side.

Cassian was inside of the kitchen before he screamed, “Nesta?!”

There was no reply in the dark house, no movement or creak or whisper. He frantically flicked the light switch, nothing happening.

“What’s going on?” Feyre called, catching up and coming up the stairs.

Cassian opened his mouth to reply, but there was a banging from the front of the house. “Nesta?!”

He was running through the dark house immediately, finding Azriel and Elain on the other side of the front door. It was jammed closed as well. “Move!”

They did as he said and he put all of his weight into the motion as he tried to shove the door open. On the second try, it gave way.

Elain was already crying when she and Az ran in. He said, “Fire department is on the way.”

Cassian was about to say something when Rhysand’s shaking voice called out from the kitchen. “Cass… come here.”

The sound of his voice chilled Cassian’s blood. He hurried back, could see from the glow that either Feyre or Rhys was using their phone’s flashlight function.

He stumbled into the kitchen, nearly tripping over himself and ran to the other side of the island.

He froze.

One of the kitchen knives was missing from its spot in the open drawer, but it laid on the floor, just a few feet away.

There was so much blood.

She was gone. He took her. By taking her, he took them both.

Cassian heaved over the kitchen sink, everything within his stomach emptying out. He knew he was crying, but he didn’t care. He knew he was sobbing, but no one tried to comfort him. Knew no one was sure how.

Nesta was gone. His baby girl was gone. Tomas had taken them. They were gone, the only hunch of where they had gone written on the kitchen floor: a long kitchen knife and a puddle of blood. 

Cassian was ready to set the world on fire.

“I have to find her,” he breathed, he cried, as his face fell into his hands next to the kitchen sink. “I will find her.”

“Cass-.”

“No,” Cassian interrupted Rhysand before he could even say a word. “He’s out there, and he has my fucking fiancée and child!” 

But Rhysand only shook his head. “I know. I’m coming, too.”

“Me too,” Azriel agreed, then looked to Elain, who nodded.

“We'll take care of things around here,” Elain promised. “Go to the police. Now.” 

Cassian was already near the front door, just as a fire truck pulled onto the grounds. 

“I’ll go talk to them,” Feyre said, and kissed Rhysand quickly on the cheek before hurrying out the back door, Elain close behind. 

Cassian was looking around the house as he walked, even though he’d already searched the entirety of it. Rhysand and Azriel were on his heels as they exited through the front door.

Rhysand’s truck had the most room, and they knew letting Cassian drive wasn’t the smartest. The first logical place to go was the Carlson ranch, only to find it deserted. Cassian looked at the window, where he’d hurled the brick back at him.

“Where would they go?” Azriel asked, kicking something aside as they searched through his workshop.

Rhysand’s phone rang and he answered it. A quick conversation took place, and Feyre said the police needed to talk to Cassian.

They loaded back up into the truck and went back to the ranch. The police were there, along with the fire department and an ambulance, and the second Cassian’s feet hit the ground, questions were being asked.

“What happened?”

Cassian replayed the situation, from the second Nesta had noticed the fire blazing up until the point he realized they were missing. 

“You have to find her,” he told the police, after he told his story. “She’s thirty-eight weeks pregnant, nearly ready to go into labor, you have to fucking find her.”

“We will do everything we ca-.”

“Find her!” he yelled, grabbing the cop he’d been talking to by the shoulders. No one reacted, everyone stayed calm, even the cop that was being grabbed.

The young cop simply took a deep breath before saying, “We will look for her, adamantly, starting now.”

Cassian released his shoulders and nodded, and said in a quiet voice. “Thank you, just… I have to get them back.”

He looked over to where the stables once stood. Now it was a smoldering pile of wood and cinders, all that time put in, all those memories. Gone up in a blaze.

They told Cassian he couldn’t stay in their house that night, that they’d be combing through it for any evidence.

He asked a passing officer, “Will you please, please tell me if that’s her blood?”

The dark red hair, the amber eyes. He was a Vanserra, no doubt.

He nodded. “As soon as we know something, we’ll let you know.”

They let Cassian go in, accompanied by Elain, to get what he would need for the next few days. 

Elain did most of the packing, although she cried the whole time. Cassian couldn’t stay focused though, couldn’t concentrate on anything other than her.

All he could think about was Nesta and their baby, where they were, what he was doing to them.

But per the cops request, Cassian went home with Azriel and Elain to wait for further word.

But he didn’t sleep, didn’t rest.

And he wouldn’t until he found them.

Nesta, and his baby girl. 

[fktonofwhatnow]

who wants a list of my a court of frost and starlight thoughts without context cuz youre gonna get it anyways

It's been 3 paragraphs and Feyre's talked about how much money she has at least 4 times 

"What kind of things do you paint?" “The things that need telling." what do u mean wait come back explain this to me what needs telling which story is this

Also apparently Rhys has tried to fix the slum situation but he can't because 

 It's tricky to move people out of their houses to fix them 

Aren't you like, so rich, can't you just build more houses like, in a different area and move all the poor people over there and then turn the used-to-be slums into another housing development to house more people  

"Mor shrugged, her heavy brown coat bringing out the rich soil of her eyes." Her what 

Mor: I don't know what to get Az

Feyre: Get him more knives! Guys love weapons! 

morrigan, handing azriel a knife:

azriel: all the better to stab myself with

everyone else: AZRIEL NO

Why would you give this man more sharp things he's not okay don't give him sharp things 

Apparently this whole city smells like salt and lemon verbena -squints- i dont believe u

Acofas: In which Vivane forces her husband to make her high lady too because Feminism. Honestly, Viviane is already equal in rank to Kallias in all but title why she mad

“I can let go of the taunts and the fact that he still harbors some hope of one day reuniting with Tamlin. But I cannot let go of how he treated you after Under the Mountain"

You know what I can't let go of Rhys 

The way you treated her under the mountain 

seam of my backside 

Why is ERIS HERE 

N O HES PLAYIN YALL FOR DAMN FOOLS

I love how pointless all these visits to the hewn city are 

"Why are we here? WE DON'T KNOW ! :D"

"How's your court, Eris?" MOR WAS SO DISTRACTED BY HIM BEING HERE THAT SHE DIDN'T HEAR THE ANSWER. Thanks Maas I hate it please tell me how the autumn court is doing i wanna know

Feyre: yeah theres no border expansion for any one of the courts and that's final 

Eris: you'd better tell that to Tamlin, his territory borders the human lands 

Maas: yeT ANOTHER NAME MOR HAD TO ADD TO HER HIT LIST

Isn't tamlin waiting for someone to put him out of his fucking misery anyways lmao Mor get in line to kill tamlin Right Behind Tamlin

I love that I'm just Still so confused about all this human queen business. Why do the human lands need 7 queens 

(gifts love language rant time) Excuse me why us all this gift stuff seen as a bore? Does the IC not realize how special unanticipated gifts are? "Elain isn't expecting anything from us, so just don't get her anything" ???? WHY NOT ??? THATS THE PERFECT TIME TO GET HER SOMETHING

"Azriel has always understood me. It's definitely his powers." Maybe he just gets you, bro 

Tamlin didn't have any shields around the house, none to prevent anyone from winnowing in or to guard against enemies appearing in his bedroom and slitting his throat. It was almost as if he was waiting for someone to do it." 

Feyre: bro why you so angry 

Rhys: I went just so I could get mad at Tamlin 

Feyre: Oh, that's okay, the things you said to him weren't wrong 

Rhys: I should have been the bigger male 

Feyre: oh honey you're always the bigger male, you're entitled to be be petty every once in a while ahahah 

Rhysand I just... How do you go to Tamlin's place, look into his dead eyes and consider that maybe he doesn't keep wards because he wants someone to break in and kill him and not feel a single shred of sympathy, and then decide to tell him how much you wish he would just die is that really a good idea

Cassian just said the words "little" and "Rhysie" in the same breath and I would prefer death 

Wait why is Elain mad at Nesta now too 

"Rhysand drinked deeply from his wineglass." who edited this

Gentlemales. feyre corrected Elain from saying gentlemen. to gentlemales.

Wow Feyre’s mad that Elain and Lucien don’t actually care that much about each other. “I don’t like to see either of you unhappy” it’s gonna be okay Feyre don’t force them to see each other

Please don’t make fun of the boys doin their thing okay I wanna snowball fight why are you guys judging them

I would like to personally thank Feyre for giving Rhys a boner while he’s naked with his bros

Who’s the illyrain baby now

why is feyre complaining about money when theres literally mountains of presents here

Could y'all at least pretend that you're excited to see nesta

Feyre just gave Rhys a whole ass selfie and he’s pretending he’s happy about it

Lets keep pounding the “stories that need to be told” in art in the most anti-climactic way possible

Yes we know art’s important can we also talk about how like the Illyrians are trying to rebel and i JUST KNOW that eris is playing yall

Hi Cassian if you understand nesta then why are you mad at nesta 

CASSIAN STOP BEING CREEPY WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

“You’ll want this one” mY ASS i swear if yOU GOT HER LINGERIE

Rhys’ mom made all these dresses, just for feyre ???? I don’t believe you

[vidalinav]

Queen of Monsters: Chapter 4

I still don’t really have an official summary for this, since every one I write makes me cringe, but alas... Azriel is in the chapter for a brief moment and more of Cassian’s POV!

Bet you didn’t think I was going to meet my Tuesday/Wednesday update deadline! I for sure didn’t think so. 

Chapter List, General Masterlist

~

“Rhys wants a detailed report in two weeks.” Azriel noted, setting the box of this week’s supplies on the counter. Cassian eyed it with impatience, his stomach rumbling at the prospect of food. He’d hoped Nuala and Cerridwen had missed him enough to put a dessert or two in the contents. Maybe a few extra steaks for dinner this week. Mother knows he’d missed Velaris’s food.

Azriel rolled his eyes as he stepped back from the table, giving a wide girth for Cassian to trample past. It was such a Mor-like thing to do, Cassian wanted to ask if he’d been spending more time with her now that he was gone but thought better of it. No sense in touching on subjects that might make Azriel run back quickly when Cassian wished he’d stay longer.

He was not ashamed to say he’d missed his brother.

“He says that we’ve given the clans enough time making a ruckus, and it’s about time they remember who their high lord is.”

Cassian huffed a laugh at the words. Leave it to Rhys to be dramatic even in messages.

“What does little Rhysie want me to do about it then?”

Azriel shrugged, his wings rising slightly as if they too didn’t know what to make of Rhysand’s command.

“I’d like to imagine that’s up to you, but who knows what he’s planned.” Azriel spoke, his words strait-laced and dismissive. “Rhys says he wants Kallon dealt with before the Rite this year.”

“No shit, but why does it have to be so soon? It’s not like I’ve been sitting on my ass.”

Cassian understood the urgency, of course. The longer this went on, the worse the situation would be and right now it was on attainable levels. Rhys called for civility. Cassian would abide of course and so would Azriel whether he liked it or not, but Cassian knew exactly what Azriel would have done in his place. So Cassian was not surprised at his nonchalant tone.

“With the games coming up, Rhys thinks that this will be the perfect time to stop any more speak of rebellion. He’s giving you twelve days—”

“You just said two weeks!”

“He thinks the momentum will give you an edge.”

Cassian rolled his eyes and was about to tell Azriel exactly what he planned to give Rhys, but Azriel straightened. His shadows twisting around his arms. Not being one to take any of Az’s suspicions lightly, Cassian braced himself for the unknown threat.

Well, until he heard the door slam shut.

Nesta walked past them, those braids of hers tucked into a wool hat. Her nose was red, and her cheeks were blushing.  But her eyes were as callous as the moon.

Cassian stepped towards her without a thought, “I left a cup of tea on the table.”

Cassian watched as Azriel lifted a hand in greeting and Nesta nodded slightly, but to him, she did not acknowledge. The gesture made his temper flare and one of his wings rose to cover Azriel in her line of sight.

Nesta jeered, her head cocking slightly before she dismissed him with a cold turn of a shoulder.  

Azriel tilted his head towards the female who headed for her room, the door shutting with a soft click.  “I take it it’s not going well.”

Cassian grunted out a reply. No, it had not been going well, he wanted to say. It had been far from well. A fucking disaster.

Azriel sensing the mood change, started opening the box. “Elain made sweets for her and packed a few books.”

“And Feyre?”

Azriel shrugged. “I didn’t open the box. Elain just caught me before I left and told me to bring them to her.”

Liar, he wanted to say. Like those shadows of his hadn’t told him exactly what was inside and who exactly had packed each item. But, Cassian decided against arguing about it.

“And how are the sisters doing?” He asked.

Az shrugged. “As well as they can, I suppose. As well as all of us.”

“That’s not very specific.”

Azriel pulled out a box of sweets and Cassian grinned, swearing he’d find gifts to repay Cerridwen and Nuala’s kindness.

“What do you want me to say? I’ve barely been at the house since you've left. Mor’s been in between her estate and the human lands. Rhys is always with Feyre doing something or other..”

Something or other, indeed.

“Glad to know you’re all empty without me.” He said, only half joking.

Azriel gave him a mocking smile.

Together they pulled the rest of the contents out of the box. Steaks, luckily, had been included. Along with breads, spices, notes, and candles. There were things for Nesta, too. Books that Nesta probably wouldn’t read and clothes that she definitely wouldn’t wear. Because she hadn’t the last few weeks her sisters had sent them over.

It seemed that Nesta was set on making all of them pay for bringing her here.

Azriel took a deep breath.

“Advice?” He asked softly.

“For me or for you?” Cassian grumbled. Az only gave him a look.

He knew what that meant.

“Ask her to go with you.” Cassian groaned at the idea, but Azriel silenced him, “or the next time I come, I’m going to make sure this box is filled with everything you hate.”

Cassian slapped a hand over his eyes but conceded. He thought of all the ways Nesta could learn how to castrate him in the next 24 hours. She already knew where he slept.

A terrible fucking disaster, he thought.

~

It always seemed to snow in Illyria. Sleeping mountains under blankets of sterile white. Nesta wanted to grab the pots from the kitchen and bang them as she stomped around. Wake up, wake up, she wanted to yell.

Giants, Nesta imagined shouting. Sleeping, slumbering giants made of stone. Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

But Nesta did not yell the words from the living room hallway and they did not blink their tired, beady eyes. In fact, the snow seemed to come in harder as she watched from the window. A reminder, she thought, that only the dead and the dormant remained in Windhaven’s eternal winter.

Nesta swiped the glass, her hands scrunching at the cold. The puffs of her breath clearing patches of frost. She could just envision her feet sinking to the ground. One step and then another. Her body shuddering at phantom shivers.

“I can take you to town if you want.”

Nesta stood taller at the rough tone.

“I thought you left already,” She heard herself say.

Cassian’s footsteps pressed into the spines of the floorboard and it creaked as he stepped. Nesta could only close her eyes. The vision of legs… and arms… and severed heads and white—white like bone and snow and bloodless faces and the outline of his eyes as he lied beneath her.

Nesta curled her hand on the window, the urge to push through the glass almost too much.

“I was waiting for you.” He replied, a thousand pieces of glass scratching at his throat. She could hear the tapping of his foot and Nesta wondered if that was what he always sounded like in the morning. Rough from heavy sleep.

She didn’t want to look at him and try as she might Nesta wanted to resist, but her eyes moved and her shoulders moved, and just like all of the other times, her body looked without permission. Her hands itching to touch him as he stood plain in Illyrian leathers. Nesta dug her nails into her palm.

She hated him, Nesta reminded herself. She hoped he suffered.

But half of her brain wanted to chastise her for such a thought.

No, you don’t, it argued.

His hair was tied in bun at the base of his neck and a belt sat at his waist. His leathers fit well, Nesta noted, because she could see the outline of his muscles indented in the fabric and… he was tall. He had always been tall but he stood looming and heavy in front of the hall that led to the front door.

Hulking size was right.

She finally met his gaze and Nesta was annoyed to find that bright, unwelcome gleam and that small tilt of his brow. As if he knew exactly what she was looking at and was satisfied that she’d indeed liked what she saw.  

Nesta wanted to grab one of the brown accent pillows and throw it at his head.

“You should have just left,” she fumed, his figure stepping back only slightly as she brushed past him heading toward the dining room.

Nesta took her coat and her gloves from where she had placed them on the table.

The gloves reached her elbows and every time she put them on, she thought of those days where her problems were reduced to something as small and meaningless as becoming a proper young lady. All of that pompous, poshness wrapping around her fingers like silk.

“Nesta…”

She paused at her name from his lips. Such a soft word in that tired sigh.

“I don’t want to fight with you.”

Nesta laughed at that, something terribly cruel settling in the pit of her stomach. Something she felt in her chest, that burned her lungs and made her whole-body tense up.  

If only he knew how much she had yearned for their arguments when she was locked in that so-called House of Wind. It had seemed like a tower then, but Nesta had been no princess and Cassian was no prince.

That anger his words caused made her do strange things and she prowled towards him, noting the way he sized her up. His wings growing taller and taller. She raised a brow, as she set a hand on his chest. Her head lowering as she stared at him through her lashes.

He stared at her lips, and Nesta could smell that firewood scent. It brought back memories she did not want to remember.

Nesta could feel the heat of his hands as he settled them at her waist.

“You don’t want to fight?” She teased. “Well, I do.”

Nesta laughed, the sound stark and wicked to her ears.

“You want me to play nice? I won’t.”

“You want me to behave like those sycophantic fools in Velaris. I would never. I am not your lover, I am not your Night Court companions, I am not those idiots that fall at your feet.”

Nesta pulled away, noting the way his eyes hardened where hazel pooled into white. His nostrils flaring as he breathed harshly.

“You are nothing, Cassian.” She hissed. “You have never been worth my time.”

She watched as he swallowed, his eyes cold and unfeeling.

Then he was gone, brushing past her and stalking towards the door with loud steps. A giant in a small house. But he looked back, towards her. Her own breath coming out in silent pants.

“At least, I have a family to go home to.” He spoke, and Nesta clenched her fists. “What do you have?”

Blood rushed to her face, her ears and Nesta stalked towards him, as he pulled the door open and let the freezing air in.

You did this, she wanted to screech, the phrase tasting like blood in her mouth. Nesta wondered when she had begun to hunger for the taste. But she let the words fill her. Her body wanted all of its nourishment.  

This is your fault, Nesta wanted to sing, the sentence tasting sweet on her tongue. You failed us, she heard whispered in her ears. Feyre. Elain. You failed me.

But Nesta didn’t say those words out loud and couldn’t even if she tried. Cassian twisted back, taking a breath as he said, “I’m leaving for Ironcrest in a few days.”

“Don’t come back,” she spit, even if the words sounded foolish to her. This was his house.

“I hope you rot there,” Nesta corrected.

Cassian didn’t look at her, but she could see how his shoulders dipped even if the rest of him staid positively still. But he pulled the knob at last, stepping through the door that lit like a beacon in sterile, placid white.

He looked back only once, and Nesta couldn’t name exactly what she saw in that gaze, but she knew what he saw in hers.

“Don’t forget your scarf.” He said, and Nesta raged at every syllable.

The door shut with a click and just like that Nesta was alone. The whirring wind louder than all of her thoughts. Nesta pulled her coat tighter around her, the fabric suffocating her in fur. But she left the scarf on the chair. She didn’t want to touch it at all.

She watched his figure from the window, felt the boom of his wings as he left and only then did Nesta step outside to feel the chill soak into her skin.

Wake up, Nesta whispered.

~

Ira reminded Nesta of Amren most days. She tried to pinpoint exactly what it was, between the harsh, often critical words to the pragmatic way they both talked.

Ira, though, for all her knowledge, did not invite her to learn more than what she taught, and she seldom answered any of Nesta’s questions like Amren had indulged. Nesta was reduced to cutting up bandages, to clean up duty, to dusting old books handwritten in that language she could not pronounce. It was dull work, tedious work, but Nesta didn’t complain… most days.

Today was no different as Nesta entered the tent to pick up the mop and bucket she’d left there yesterday. But Ira, anticipating her routine, held a hand out in her tracks.

“I need you to go collect these.” She said, handing her a piece of paper with names scribbled in neat cursive. Nesta grazed over the list. “You know what they look like don’t you?”

She nodded her head, the images appearing in her mind between pages and ink. Rose hips and chickweed. Black walnuts, pine, and chicory. She could see the list so clearly; her eyes having studied the pages for weeks.

“Good. Take this before you go,” she took a chain tacked to the wall. One lone bead hanging from the metal. “Our stock is running low and that seems to be the perfect time for Illyrians to start hurting themselves and getting into all sorts of accidents.”

She placed the chain in Nesta’s hand and it laid flat in her palm, the black clay cool against her skin.

A symbol was carved into the center and Nesta yearned to know what it meant. She wanted to ask the female, but she shooed her off.

“Get going. We don’t have all day, do we?”

Ira gave her a look of impatience, shuffling around the expansive tent without so much as a glance, busying herself with collecting herbs and material.

“Where would I go?” Nesta asked lightly, her lips pursing at the lack of knowledge.  

“Where would you expect to find plants?” She asked derisively. “You think the kitchens will have them? Maybe the blacksmiths?” The female sighed, shaking her head as if the idea of Nesta exhausted her. “Go to the forest, past the training fields. Show them the medallion and the guards will let you in.”

“You want me to go into the woods. I thought no one was allowed there.”

“You ask too many questions” Ira snapped.

Without further explanation, Ira grabbed the gloves and the scarf from her own chair, shoving them in her hands. “Off you go.”

Nesta refrained from sneering as she picked up the basket, the forest already taking up space in her mind.  

~

Against the entrance of the forest, stakes of wood crossed in a line of X’s. Nesta couldn’t see where the barrier ended or began, but the trees stayed tucked behind common lines.

Windhaven was surrounded by forests, one bleeding into the next, and she found it odd that the Illyrians had tried to contain them. Fences and guards… She half wondered if all the security was made to keep Illyrians out or… something else in. For what was stopping anyone from sneaking all the way through? She, herself, had walked past those damning woods every day.

She looked towards the skies, the color pale and ashy grey. Nesta wished to reach up, wipe a finger along the surface until baby blue shown beneath, but she traced figures instead. The Illyrians flying high above as their shadows played with the sunlight.

Two males stood tall and lean beside the entrance, and Nesta stared as they shuffled at her perusal. Walking towards them, she took the emblem and squeezed it tightly in her fist.

The taller of the two, looked past her and she studied his features. His eyes were a deep shade of brown and his golden skin was lightly dusted with freckles. He was large too, not quite as large as Cassian, but he was strong and muscular and Nesta might have had her eyes on him if she’d been someone else. Someone she hadn’t been in a long time, though she yearned for somehow.

“No one is permitted past these lines. Get back!” The male called out. The other raised a sword in front of the entrance as if he thought she might run through. Nesta wanted to scoff at the gesture.

She noticed the way they eyed her. Not with the subtly of soft sheets or the images of playthings and allure, but with a dark look. A cautious look. As if they didn’t know exactly what would pounce at them if they squirmed.

Interesting.

She smirked softly as they stilled, stalked slowly as they rose in height for every inch lost in distance. Each of her steps a question as to what she was going to do to them. Oh, to have so much power over those who feared her.

Nesta laid out her palm, the emblem pressing against her skin.

“Your healer is requesting I go get supplies and you are standing in my way.” She said coyly.

The male to the left only glanced at his comrade, the bridge of his nose dipping in a silent language that Nesta could imagine meant you deal with this. She pulled the chain back, the emblem falling from her hand as she let it dangle between her fingers. She tilted her head as the male on the right shirked back, sinking into himself in answer. Nesta wanted to laugh.

“You seem to think I have all day,” She taunted, rolling her eyes, but the males did not part. They kept looking at each other, going back and forth and Nesta’s patience wore thin as she tapped her foot.

“For Mother’s sake, one of you follow me in if it makes you feel better!”

But the male to the right, at last lifted the sword from the entrance, unblocking her way. She scrambled past before he changed his mind.

The two closed off the entrance as she became enclosed around trees, and Nesta distantly heard the pretty one grumble something about her lacking manners. Nesta scoffed. Manners of Brutes, she decided.

Nesta surveyed the area.

It was uncommonly dark in these woods where light escaped between fingertips. The forest tops splitting into veins, the trees pulsing. Nesta looked at the note again, though she already memorized it.

Good thing, too, since she had to squint at the paper to see. Even with fae sight, she could barely make out the words.

She set the list back in the basket and sighed.

Nesta looked towards the clearing of rock and roots, spotting the chickory stalks as she walked closer. Nesta knelt to her knees, her hands brushing off snow. She plucked the roots from the ground, digging until it was easy to pull and setting it in the basket.

She’d found the pine on the evergreens, of course. An easy conquest, and sooner than later she had most of the items checked off.

The only thing left was the rosehips… She hadn’t found the rosehips.

Nesta didn’t know how far she’d gone searching for them. Before she knew it, she was circling the area and everything had looked the same to the last 30 minutes. She could barely see the sun.

Nesta shivered as the air seemed to grow colder in the dark, and she pulled her scarf closer to her. Her teeth chattering louder than anything she’d heard thus far.

It was quiet in these woods. Nesta heard her feet crunching beneath her with every step. But in her last attempt, she spotted the vibrant color tucked into wood. Stark against snow, it gleamed red and Nesta reached for it. Twisting her arm between branches where the rosehips had barely brushed her fingers. She tried again and still could not pull off more than a few.

She crouched low, aiming to some at the roots of the evergreen. The front of her dress was already soaked with snow.

Her palm brushed against the branches and it was only then that Nesta realized she was alone in the forest. She was alone in the forest and it had been quiet, and it had been dark. But it had not been this dark, and it had not been this quiet.

Nesta could feel the hair on her arms rise, shivers dancing along her spine like fingertips trailing up her neck. She scrambled to move, but she felt her body lock up and Nesta inhaled slowly as she heard a branch snap.

Nesta closed her eyes, squeezing her lids together as if the sound might disappear again, but she heard another snap a little farther away and she blinked awake. Her hands pushed off the ground without a second thought and suddenly her body was moving.

The sky grew darker still, the trees creaking as they twisted.

Nesta ran into that darkness, ran until she saw the gleam of swords and the wings of two men who would not be happy to see her.

~

“Did you grab everything?” Ira questioned as a way of greeting. She held a mortar in her hand, crushing contents that made a thick purple paste. Nesta sniffed at the smell.

She set the basket of herbs on the table as she rattled off the list. “I could only find a few rosehips, so I’ll try again tomorrow.”

Ira didn’t so much as look up from pounding away at the concoction.

“I can come back in the evenings after my shift in the kitchens is over,” Nesta continued, pulling out the plants and plucking away at the dirt.

Ira lifted her head. “You never work late.”

“I can,” she admitted, biting her lips. “For the next couple of weeks anyways.”

Ira lifted the pestle until the purple mucilage fell like paint from a brush. Pursing her lips, she eyed her squarely, and Nesta straightened at the look.

“I don’t need you in the evenings.” She drawled.

“Oh,” Nesta remarked, her fingers tracing the needles of a pine branch. “Well, if you need me though, I am free.”

“So, you’ve mentioned.”

Nesta twisted the branch in her hand, the sap sticking to skin. The scent was strong and she wiggled her nose at the smell. “I could start taking inventory… or making list of people we’ve seen.”

Ira slammed the mortar on the table and it rattled so loud, Nesta jumped.

“Illyrians.” Ira corrected firmly.

“What?”

“Not people. Illyrians.” The female clarified, rolling her eyes, groaning as she continued. “I’ve heard you use that word so often. We are not human. And what is this free business? You’ve been firm about that schedule of yours since you’ve gotten here. A fact I find odd since you were the one who begged for a job.”

“I did not beg!” Nesta insisted, dropping the rosehips, the red scattering on the tabletop.

Ira waited for her to explain, and Nesta felt unnerved to be watched by the female who began tapping her fingers nails on the counter. One sharp flick after another.

Nesta tried hard not to twiddle her thumbs… or bite her lips like she wanted to when she got nervous. She’d knocked that habit when she was young. It was strange, she thought, for it to come out now.  

“Cassian—you know I live with him.” Nesta began to explain.

The females mouth soured. “The general—yes.”

Nesta nodded her head in agreement, “He’s going away for a while and… I don’t have anywhere to be and I have all of this time. I can work a bit longer.”

“Where is he going?” She asked abruptly.

The question caught Nesta by surprise, but she repeated the name he’d told her that morning.

“He’s going to Ironcrest.” The Illyrian echoed, reaching out a hand to grab a bottle. Nesta watched as she began to spoon the purple contents into the vial. “Marvelous. When you go, you can pick up something for me.”

Nesta’s body tensed. “But I--”

“It’ll save me a trip in the spring.” She admitted. “I’ll get you a list before you go. It shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

At Nesta’s look, Ira quipped a brow. “You asked for extra work, didn’t you?”

~

The walk back was prettier than she’d expected it’d be. The stars seemingly brighter when they were not hindered by city lights and people’s dreams. Nesta had always wondered what made up the night skies.

She distantly remembered discussing the idea under blankets and sweet giggles. Elain jumping on the bed to declare that stars were hopes manifested, all the accumulation of people’s wants and wishes. Feyre with a laugh shook her head. No, stars were the friends of the moon, she said in that innocent way of hers. So many to shine, so that the moon would never be lonely.

Nesta had not said anything. She was far too logical for that. She needed to research more—find every word hidden in anthologies, alphabetized by S for star or perhaps A for astral planes, or C for constellations… celestial… cosmic… She couldn’t find an answer that satisfied her without proof so she laid back, her head hitting the pillow as her father smiled waxing crescents.

The stars are made of fire, he’d said, tucking the girls in one by one. Feyre at her right and Elain at her left because they still never wanted to sleep alone. It is why they shine so bright and it is why they will keep on shining—like the flickering flame of a candle. To light our way in the dark.

Nesta had held onto those words.

Her father had wanted them to fall asleep to pretty answers, but the questions had danced in her mind, rattling like jumping beans in all corners. How would the stars burn? She wanted to ask. If they were indeed made of fire like her father had said, what caused the fire for they were not made of wood? And if they did burn what would happen when the fire ran out as every fire had before?

But her father, seeing her look, had merely kissed her forehead. A good night to stop those sleepless, ceaseless thoughts of hers and all that would beat across her mind until she was satisfied with an answer.

Nesta couldn’t imagine the stars being made of fire now when they glittered like moving silver in kaleidoscope colors. She didn’t understand how Velaris could be named the City of Starlight, when the residents didn't see this view. Nesta was sure they’d agree had they stood on these mountaintops and snowy plains.

She’d gotten use to the trek, as long as it was. Learned to be excited for it. A moment where she could be by herself, thinking nothing at all.

But Nesta was not alone tonight, where the stars blinked their beady eyes above her. They watched her… and something else did too.

Nesta looked to the unmarked path, the halfway point between Windhaven and the cabin. Too long to run in either directions, she thought.

Standing in the middle of the snow, a cat sat lazily in her way, blinking at her with bright blue eyes. Its fur was orange. Long, and thick. With puffs of white at the chest, and Nesta didn’t know what to make of the creature, whose tail swished back and forth. A curling finger, she imagined, coaxing her forward.

Nesta looked beyond it and then looked behind herself. Too far indeed.

She tried to shoosh it away, flapping her hands forward and hissing at it. But the cat blinked softly, tilting its head at her as if she were the one that didn’t belong, not itself who appeared out of thin air.

Nesta decided then to walk around it. It was just a cat, she thought.

Just a cat, just a cat, just a cat. She repeated.

Only when she’d past it, it’s body twisting to look at her, only when she was sure she was far away, did Nesta turn to survey it again. She jumped as the cat stood beside her.

Nesta stepped once more, and she watched as it did the same. She stopped and it stopped. She walked and it walked. Nesta made motion run, but the cat picked up speed, running alongside her.

Nesta gave up trying to shoosh it away, but that didn’t stop her from watching every swoosh of its tail and counting every time it tried to rub against her. The cat simply trotted in step.

When she reached the cabin, Nesta noticing the lights, rolled her eyes, slumping forward as she kicked up the snow. The cat meowed as the snow hit its face, but Nesta paid no mind.

Cassian was standing in the door frame, his stance wide and open, and she remembered that time across the wall. Her knee hitting the most sensitive parts of him. Nesta doubted she could get away with it now, but he was asking for it she thought, with that stance alone.

Hulking, indeed.

Nesta looked back to the cat, wondering exactly what it thought about this male who stood in their way, but when her gaze finally landed on the snow beside her, the cat was gone. She twisted around, combing the field and the forest surrounding, and nothing. Just as the cat appeared, it had vanished. Into thin air.

Cassian squinted his eyes at her, wanting to see what she saw. Nesta had to restrain herself from grumbling, thinking of orange fur and blue eyes.

Coward, she thought.

~

Nesta looked back to the pathway and Cassian squinted his eyes to see what had caught her attention. He watched her as she shook her head and looked back at him. Her once serene face swiftly changing to that You are dead look.

“What were you—”

“Is there a reason you're standing in the doorway like a psycho?” She hissed. Cassian stepped away from the door, Nesta brushing past him. He had to try to maintain some figment of composure as he caught a whiff of her scent. Fresh air and lavender.

She caught Azriel’s gaze and Cassian could feel the uneasiness rise. Her eyes squinting at the sight of the two of them conversing in the kitchen, entering her space, pushing the limits she had set in their time here. Azriel hadn’t left like she probably hoped, a reminder that she could not run from any life she’d left behind.

Cassian drifted in front of her, meeting that murderous look.  

“I’m leaving for Ironcrest in a few days,” He repeated as he had that morning. Nesta tilted a fine-groomed brow. “And since you don’t want to come with me, Azriel is going to stay with you until I get back.”

“Who said I didn’t want to go?” She voiced flatly. Cassian met her stare, the blue of her eyes a sterile, pale color.

He looked back at Azriel slowly, unsure and a bit confused. His brother merely lifting a shoulder.  

“You said this morning that—”

“And now I’m saying I’m going with you.” Nesta said quickly, her words ringing and loud. “Is that not clear? Or are you going to say I can’t?”

Cassian gulped his impatience down, his eyes closing for a moment and the opening again. Who was this female? He wanted to ask aloud as Nesta crossed her arms.

Her cheeks were still red from the cold, her neck still flushed from the heat of the house and perhaps all of that anger that seemed to simmer in her veins, coat her skin, keep her alive, he thought, because he’d not seen her live without it.

In another time, it might have been fun to see all the parts of her that bloomed that pretty red, but now... it was starting to eat away at him in ways he couldn’t satisfy.

“We leave the day after tomorrow,” He managed to grit out, his teeth rattling with restraint.

Pleased with the answer, Nesta took one last look at him, gave one last look to Azriel behind. As if she dismissed them from her presence. As if this was her castle to do so.

She stepped lightly away and when Cassian heard the click of her door slamming shut, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Cassian sighed, his wings falling in exasperation.

Azriel simply laid a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

~

Tagged:  @my-fan-side  @ekaterinakostrova  @anastasia-orlov @lord-douglas-the-third @autumnsletters @soitsgorgeous @sjm-things @courtofjurdan @rogertaylorsfalsettogivesmehives

Cassian and Nesta’s relationship is very slow in this fic as with any fic that I have ever written. I just don’t think they can really get together without a whole bunch of scenes in between, maybe whole books even. Authenticity is the game I play always. Also, I wanted their narratives to sound different, so that’s why Nesta’s is sometimes a lot more introspective and descriptive than Cassian’s may be, which may change a little bit as the story progresses. 

I’ll edit this later too, my priority was just posting it...

Comment, like, reblog, ask to be tagged etc if you enjoy this fic and you are anxious to get another chapter! We’ll be in Ironcrest in the next one and maybe we’ll see some Illyrian celebrations... and perhaps Cassian and Nesta start the process of becoming not enemies!

[starbornvalkyrie]

acotar one sentence summary

T-minus four months until the A Court of Silver Flame release! In preparation for this long-awaited book, I will be posting one-sentence-per-chapter summaries of ACOTAR, ACOMAF, ACOWAR, and ACOFAS on the 16th of each month.

Also, if you haven’t seen SJM’s sneak peek, you can find it on insta or on this meme by @illyrianwitchling. it’s a mood. and i am deceased.

**Spoiler Warning** This is NOT a blurb or a review. I literally summarized each chapter in one sentence. Yes, they are some of the longest run-on sentences I have ever written and would definitely be flagged by every English teacher ever. And yes, I definitely over-used the semicolon, conjunctions, lists, and pretty much most syntax in the English language. But no, I did not care if the sentences were better split into two or more. It was more fun this way, and easier to keep track of.

Absolutely everything about this belongs to the queen, Sarah J. Maas.

Without further ado, if you lack the time to read everything again, have no fear! Just keep reading below the cut, and enjoy! [The numbers at the beginning of the paragraphs indicate the chapter numbers if you want to skip to certain parts!]

Final Word Count: 2863

[ 1 ] It’s winter and snowing; Feyre is hunting for food when a wolf--that may or may not be a faerie--kills a deer, but she kills the wolf with an ash arrow, skins it, and takes the pelt and the deer home. When Feyre gets home, her father and older sisters--Nesta and Elain--eat the deer, then Feyre and Nesta argue over pretty much everything, especially Nesta’s imminent engagement to Tomas Mandray. The next day, Feyre sold the wolf pelt and deer hide to a mercenary who warned her about faeries crossing the wall while Nesta and Elain were harassed by the Children of the Blessed--people who worship faeries like gods; their dinner that night was interrupted by a roar.

[ 4 ] A faerie in beast-form demands retribution for his wolf friend who was murdered--a life for a life--so Feyre opts to go with the faerie to live out the rest of her days in Prythian, the faerie realm. Feyre and the beast-faerie travel north on horseback, but Feyre doesn’t remember most of it because the male used magic to render her unconscious until they reached Prythian.

[ 6 ] When they reach the beast’s estate, he shifts back into his Fae form, Feyre meets Lucien--an emissary--and she notices that everyone is wearing a mask; Alis--a servant--takes Feyre to a lavish room where she bathed, groomed, clothed, and warned her to talk less, smile more, and listen. She finally dines with Lucien and the beast-fae--whose name is Tamlin--and decides both of them are assholes; the next day she wanders the estate and admires beautiful paintings until Tamlin finds her and tells are about the blight that has plagued Prythian, which also explains why everyone is stuck in a mask. When Feyre was wandering through the gardens, she heard giggling and felt someone watching her but only noticed a silver shimmer; at dinner it seemed like Lucien and Tamlin were trying to get to know her better, and she told them her mother died of Typhus when she was eight.

[ 9 ] In an attempt to get Lucien to talk to Tamlin about freeing her, Feyre went with him on his patrol of the border, but her attempts were futile, and, instead, he let slip that there was a her related to the magic that forced them to keep their masks on; they kept up their banter until Lucien warned her to do nothing but look straight ahead when Feyre felt it. A cold presence overtook them as the Bogge appeared, and after it left, Lucien explained that once one acknowledges the Bogge, it can kill you; Lucien told Tamlin about it when they got back which urged Tamlin went to go hunt for it, and when Feyre was looking out the window waiting for him to return, she saw her father in the garden.

[ 11 ] Before she could get far, Tamlin finds her and makes her realize that it wasn’t her father, but a puca, and warned her that the wards between territories have weakened and everything has changed; Tamlin hunts the Bogge day and night without help after he tells Feyre that her family is fed and comfortable, while Feyre has nightmares about killing Andras. 

[ 12 ] Though she is illiterate, Feyre walked the halls of the estate trying to make a map until Tamlin returned, injured, from killing the Bogge, so she went to the infirmary to help his wound; Feyre overheard a conversation about Tamlin “running out of time” and Lucien forced Tamlin to spend time with Feyre, leading Feyre to admit she does not like hunting, so Tamlin brought her to the study. 

[ 13 ] In the study, Feyre tried to teach herself to read so that she may send a letter to her family, but on a break, she discovered a mural depicting the story of Prythian--along with the seven courts; after fighting with Tamlin about denying his help in writing the letter, Feyre went to Lucien to ask how to catch a Suriel. In her success with trapping the Suriel, Feyre discovers that Tamlin is the High Lord of the Spring Court, learns about the King of Hybern, is warned to Stay with the High Lord, and is about to learn about one of a disobedient commander from Hybern called The Deceiver, when four naga--terrifying faeries made of shadow and rot--found them in the clearing. Feyre freed the Suriel, killed one naga, ran away, killed a second naga with her knife when it grabbed her, was saved by Tamlin who killed the last two, and was healed by him as well--they shared a moment. 

[ 16 ] After Feyre cleaned up from the attack, she met Lucien and Tamlin for dinner where they told her that faeries can indeed lie and are unharmed by iron and that Feyre’s family know she’s okay and know to run at the first sign of something amiss due to a threat in Prythian; Feyre is so grateful, she opens up to Tamlin a little more and asks for paint which he responds to by offering to show her the gallery--sparks are beginning to fly.

[ 17 ] Feyre woke from a nightmare only to hear shouting from Tamlin as he carried a faerie with his wings cut off, and when Tamlin realized there was no way to save him, Feyre held the faerie’s hand until he died and a little while after that; when Tamlin walked Feyre back upstairs, she expressed her regret and sorrow for killing his friend.

[ 18 ] The next day, Tamlin and Lucien took Feyre to a beautiful landscape where Tamlin showed Feyre a pool of starlight and revealed a bit of Lucien’s background--he is the youngest son of the High Lord of the Autumn Court--and as the swam in starlight, Feyre told Tamlin about her father’s demise and her years in the woods; on the ride back to the manor, Lucien told Feyre he was sorry that he hesitated when he heard her scream from the naga attack and gifted her his jeweled hunting knife.

[ 19 ] When Feyre’s painting supplies arrived, Tamlin showed her the gallery, and she began to paint and paint for weeks and weeks until one day, they shared a moment in the gardens; Tamlin told Feyre about his parents, how he became High Lord when his entire family was killed, and was in the middle of explaining Calanmai--Fire Night--when the Attor, invisible to Feyre, came to confront Tamlin about how much time he has left and to not break his terms with her.

[ 20 ] The day of Calanmai arrived, and Tamlin ordered Feyre to lock herself in her room until morning, so she did--until she didn’t; Feyre followed the drums to find some sort of firelit party filled with High Fae, and when three of them tried to lure her away, the “most beautiful man she’d ever seen” saved her from them. Feyre thanked the stranger then walked away and found Lucien who angrily brought her back to the manor as he explained that magic is going to take over Tamlin and force him to mate with a random female for the good of the land; when the Great Rite is over, Tamlin finds Feyre and expresses how badly he wanted it to be her instead--shows it by biting her neck.

[ 21 ] Feyre and Tamlin tease each other about the night before and apologize for their behaviors at lunch the next day, and for dinner, Feyre asks Alis to dress her up in a gown rather than the tunic she usually wears; Feyre brought Tamlin to the room she’s been painting in, showing him a painting she did of the pool of starlight, as well as various images of her life in the mortal lands, and Tamlin chooses to keep the painting of the woods she used to hunt in. The next day, Feyre and Tamlin were in the enchanted forest where he granted her fae senses that allow her to truly experience Prythian--they have another moment.

[ 23 ] When Feyre wakes up, she finds Alis in her natural form and is able to see all of the fae who were hidden from her initially; she went to go paint in the garden but is startled by a head spiked to the top of the fountain, and Tamlin and Lucien claimed it was the High Lord of the Night Court’s idea of a cruel joke.

[ 24 ] The Summer Solstice came, and although the blight seems to be getting more intense, the denizens of the Spring Court partied; they danced, drank wine, Tamlin played the fiddle, then he took her to a meadow and kissed her and watched the sunrise. Despite the great night they had, Lucien informed them the next day that the blight took out two dozen Winter Court younglings, then a silence came over them, and Tamlin ordered Lucien to glamour Feyre to hide her from the High Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand; Feyre listened as he taunted Tamlin and Lucien, learning about a woman named Amarantha until Rhysand discovers she’s there and seizes control of her mind until she told him her name is Clare Beddor.

[ 26 ] The encounter with Rhysand scared Tamlin so badly, he told Feyre that he was sending her back to the mortal realm; as a send-off, they made love until the morning, and before she drifted to sleep, Tamlin expressed that he loved her, thorns and all. Alis dressed Feyre in wealthy human clothing, Lucien pleaded with Tamlin to let her stay, but Tamlin sent her off with an “I love you” and a promise that he will see her again; when she arrives at her family’s new estate, Elain tells her how they got their fortune back excitedly, while Nesta was a more wary of her return.

[ 28 ] Elain shows Feyre her garden, prattling on about the social season and how Nesta tried to visit Feyre only to have her carriage break down and have to return; Feyre’s father finished counting the gold and jewels that Tamlin sent with Feyre, so she went to the cottage her family used to live in and found the path she took into the forest, longing for Tamlin to call her back to Prythian. Feyre handed out gold and silver coins to villagers, sneered at Tomas Mandray who was talking about a house that burned down with the whole family in it, and wished the best to Isaac and his new wife; back at the estate, Nesta told Feyre that Tamlin’s glamour didn’t work on her and how she tried to cross the wall but couldn’t find a way through, so Feyre told her the story of her time in Prythian, then Nesta asked her to teach her how to paint.

[ 30 ] After the ball Feyre’s father threw in her honor, she finds out that Clare Beddor’s family’s home was burned down and no one survived, so she tells Nesta and Elain to prepare for anything amiss coming from Prythian--she had to go back; it took her days, but Feyre finally found her way through the wall and to the Spring Court, only to find the manor wrecked, Tamlin nowhere to be found. Feyre finds Alis packing to flee the Spring Court, and she tells her the story of Amarantha, Jurian, and Clythia, and about the curse she put on Tamlin and his court for forty-nine years; Feyre finds out all she needed to do was tell Tamlin that she loves him, but it’s too late for that, so she asks Alis how to get Under the Mountain.

[ 32 ] Alis took Feyre all the way to a cave entrance that will take her Under the Mountain, and as Feyre snuck through the cave and tried to figure out where to go, the Attor found her. The Attor took Feyre to Amarantha’s throne room where she saw Tamlin seated next to her and found out they tortured Clare Beddor until she died; Amarantha made a deal with Feyre where she is to complete three trials on the full moon or solve a riddle to break Tamlin’s curse--or die--and then the Attor beat her. 

[ 34 ] Feyre woke in a dungeon with a broken nose and various injuries and waited until Lucien came and healed her a bit while also confirming that Amarantha keeps a hold of Jurian’s’ eye and finger bone; at some point, she is brought before Amarantha again, and the High Queen used Rhysand to trap Lucien’s mind until Feyre gave up her name, then Amarantha gave her the riddle that would free everyone immediately if she answers correctly.

[ 35 ] The first full moon and Feyre’s first trial came: she had to hunt the Middengard Wyrm in a labyrinth of mud, so Feyre set a trap made of bones in its lair and covered herself with the mud to make herself invisible to the blind worm; her plan worked, though she impaled her arm on bone, and when she was faced with Amarantha, she threw a bone in her direction before Amarantha told her only one person bet she would win--it was Rhysand.

[ 36 ] Feyre waited in pain for days until her fever spiked and Rhysand came to her cell to heal her, but at a cost; in return for healing her, Feyre is to spend one week a month in the Night Court with Rhysand after they were freed from Under the Mountain, and since it is apparently custom in his court for bargains to be permanently marked upon flesh, Feyre received a tattoo of dark blue designs on her left hand to her elbow.

[ 37 ] Between trials, the guards instructed Feyre to clean the floor of the hallway or else they will turn her over a fire, but they gave her dirty water that only made the floor dirtier, so she was about to give up when Lucien’s mother came and made the water clean in exchange for Feyre saving Lucien’s life; their next chore was to dig lentils from the ashes in Rhysand’s room, but he used magic again to help her, then used his powers to convince the guards to keep their hands off her and to stop giving her household chores.

[ 38 ] Every night until her next task, Feyre was bathed, painted, and dressed to become Rhysand’s plaything for evening festivities, but he always forced her to drink the wine so that she would not remember--though the paint on her body revealed that Rhysand never touched her anywhere but modest places; Amarantha caught a summer lordling trying to escape, so she used Rhysand to discover why, and, for whatever reason, he lied and said he was alone and gave the faerie a swift death, rather than shattering his mind like Amarantha asked.

[ 39 ] Feyre’s second task came: she had to solve a riddle to pull a lever or else she and Lucien would be crushed by a heated platform of spikes--but Feyre can’t read, so when she went for the wrong lever, pain from Rhysand flared in her hand until she hovered over the correct one; Rhysand--in her mind--instructed her back to her cell with dignity, where she wept until he came to visit her and licked her tears away--effectively keeping her from shattering completely.

[ 40 ] Again, Feyre spent every night after that as Rhysand’s plaything, until there was one night that they overheard the Attor and some other creature talking about the King of Hybern’s disappointment in Amarantha; Feyre almost broke after that until beautiful music entered her cell and took her away, if even for a moment.

[ 41 ] During the last party before her final trial, Feyre and Tamlin finally got a moment to sneak off together, but Rhysand found them and kissed Feyre until Amarantha saw to disguise the paint Tamlin ruined; later, Rhys went to Feyre’s cell and confided in her how unhappy and tired of Amarantha’s games he is, and she finds out he is targeted because it was Rhysand’s father who killed Tamlin’s family.

[ 42 ] Feyre’s final task is to stab three innocent faeries in the heart with an ash dagger, and though the first two kills were easy, something broke inside of her, and then shattered when she beheld Tamlin as the third faerie; Alis had told Feyre to listen, and from that, Feyre remembered that Tamlin’s heart is made of stone, therefore she could not kill him, so she said “I love you” and then stabbed him.

[ 43 ] Amarantha did not free everyone right away, but began to beat Feyre--and also Rhysand when he made moves to help her--trying to force her to say she doesn’t really love Tamlin, but Feyre figured out the answer to her riddle--love--and then Amarantha snapped her neck. Feyre watched from Rhysand’s mind as Lucien and the Spring Court removed their masks before Tamlin’s beast killed Amarantha; each of the Seven High Lords of Prythian came forward to sprinkle a kernel of their powers onto Feyre’s body in exchange for what she did for them--for freeing them.

[ 45 ] The High Lords made Feyre into a High Fae to bring her back to life, and then held meetings to discuss how to move on; before they left, Feyre was pulled to Rhysand so that he could say good-bye, but something startled him into leaving abruptly, so Feyre went back to Tamlin, and Amarantha’s Court was destroyed.

They went home.

To the Spring Court.

---

I wasn’t sure if I should add my tag list to this... but i did anyways. let me know if you don’t want to be tagged in these summaries lol. or send me an ask if you do lol

@maddymelv || @lucy617 || @tillyrubes10 || @faerie-queen-fireheart || @tottenhamboys20 || @the-third-me || @superspiritfestival || @rolltide7 || @courtofjurdan || @sleeping-and-books || @aelinchocolatelover || @julemmaes || @sorrehnotsorryy || @courtofjurdan || @acourtofaelinbryceandfeyre || @darlinminds || @lucieisabooknerd || @queen-of-glass || @jlinez || @abookishfreak || @stardelia || @ladywitchling || @rockgirl321 || @sjmships || @thewayshedreamed || @mamakramer || @meowsekai || @illyrianwitchling || @sanakapoor || @ireallyshouldsleeprn

[queengiuliettafirstlady]

Summer Birthdays Lovely Surprises

Summer Birthdays Lovely Surprises 

Fandom: Ikemen Vampire

Pairing: Napoleon Bonaparte x OC (Elaine)

Tag: Birthday Fluff Kisses Sugestive hints

Word Count  3.211

Author’s Note: Happy Birthday Honey @kissmetwicekissmedeadly 😍😍😘😘

This is my gift for you this year, to thank you once more of being my friend hoping you could like it, it is filled with all my affection and love I hold for you, for all the chats and talks we shared and every laugh it is dear to me. 🥰🥰💕💕💓💓

So in your special day I wish for you to do whatever you want and to enjoy it to the fullest, words are but a little tool to truly thank you for all the talent and effort you put behind each and every one of your creation, to thank you of being such amazing wonderful frinedly warm kind gentle talented girl I will always be proud and happy to call friend, that said I really hope my fic could show at least a portion of my affection to you. 💝💝💗💗💟💟

With this in mind I wish you once more a truly wonderful Happy Birthday. 💟💟🥰🥰😘😘

I LOVE YOU SO MO 💖💖 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! 🎉🎉🎉🎊🎊🎊✨✨✨🎇🎇🎇🎂🎂🎂🥳🥳🥳

Tag list

@kissmetwicekissmedeadly

@aquagirl1978 @violettduchess  @candied-boys

You can find me on AO3 as QueenJuliet 😊

Thank you for everyone who will like, reblog, or comment please be gentle with me english is not my first language so please do not leave rude comments I apologise for eventual errors I hope you will like it 😊

It was a warm summer day, the light breeze make the curtains billow in the winds, letting the sweet scent of pastries invade the nostrils of the two lovebirds woke up from their slumber still cocooned in the light blankets, he stifled a yawn in his hand, smiling at the sound of her giggles warming his heart a song he never got tired to wake up to, swiftly he moved to take her in his arms, his fingers travelling to tuck a rebel golden lock behind her ear before brushing his thumb on her rosy cheek

"Good morning mia Principessa." her tender smile radiating warmth more smolder than the summer sun and ten fold brighter, he left a reverent kiss full of devotion on her forehead as she nuzzled better in his chest hiding her rosy blushed cheeks

"Good morning mio Principe." hearing her talking in his tongue had him weak on his knees, the idea she learnt that language only for him enough to melt his heart completely, playfully he brushed his nose on hers hearing her giggle softly murmuring few inches from her lips

"Happy birthday." that few words were enough to fill her heart with happiness she did her best to convey melting her lips on his, feeling his hands curl on her hips a reminder of the previous night activity making heat rush to her cheeks once more, reluctantly he pulled away leaning his forehead to hers, sharing his love in an heartfelt confession she did not hesitated to reciprocate

“Je t’aime tellement Elaine plus que tout au monde.”

“Je t’aime aussi Napoleon avec tout mon coeur.”

Everything was so peaceful and quiet that morning, they almost could get used to it … almost, in fact a moment later the door opened and a colorful tornado swept on their bed, filling the air with her tingling giggles as she trundled and tumbled in the blankets, stopped in her frenzied movements only by the gentle yet firm grip of Elaine, laughing softly at the soft sloppy smoochies planted on her face by their little daughter, soon joined by the chuckle of her husband as he leaned over to tickle her softly on the side of her tummy,

"You have no kisses for me ?" wriggling free from his tickles she shook her head looking at him with her big bright eyes shooking her soft curls 

"Not today."

"I am wounded." he bring his hands over his heart faking incredulity, before join in the hearty laugh of the two girls whose attention was taken by the piping hot plate of delicious chocolate crepes as soon as he pulled it out from a carefully hidden next to his nightstand,

“I hope you don't think I forgot your favourite dish, mon amour.

“Oh Leone, you are absolutely the best.”

“I only want to match up with my lovely wife.” she threw herself in his arms, promptly wapinga round her, a satisfied smile curled his lips as she planted a soft kiss on his cheeks,

“Grazie mille.”

“Don't mention it. Buon appetito.” she did not let him told her twice as she happily feasted in her breakfast, followed by Lucianna and Napoleon, who had at least managed to stole their little daughter a kiss as he handed a chocolate filled crepe, eliciting Elaine giggles, she carefully hide sipping a fresh cup of tea, before diving back into breakfast.

Finally they managed to get ready for the day, getting dressed too longer than expected but there was no rush anyway, taking all the time they wanted arriving at the mansion at noon, they were just about to advise their daughter to be careful on her way that she had already wandered off in the garden eager to meet the other resident, she was about to enter in the house but before she could take a step a pair of familiar hands covered her eyes

"Now now ma Reine let ton Roi guide you or else your reward will shy away from your gaze."

"Aww noo I don't want that." she pouted hearing his soft giggle warming her heart as his gentle yet husky voice guided her into the garden, her whole body quivering with curiosity as she followed obediently his instructions, grateful for the fresh air hitting her face as he slid his fingers away, enveloping her hands in his making her turn around, her amethysts irises glimmering under the morning sun as she stared wide eyed at the spectacle in front of her, a warm happy smile curling her rosy as she took in the gorgeous view of the garden decorated with a summery theme of vivid flowers falling gracefully from cake stands filled with colorful fruits, curiosity had her tiptoed near the table to admire the decorations, paying attention to the refined lacy embroider of the candid tablecloth, before reaching out to take a rose between her fingers, it's rosy smooth surface glimmering under the sunshine releasing a peculiar perfume, weirdly akin to chocolate, she was about to test her theory when a single petal fell from the rose, pormptly picked up by her fingers, she studied it intensely noticing a deep brown color under the rosy shell, tentatively she bit on it letting its sweet flavour fest on her tongue invading her palate, her heart melt alike the milk chocolate on her tongue at his sweet surprise 

"Do you like it mia Principessa ?"

munching happily on her chocolate treat she nodded, her cheeks full and rosy like a peach, she was so adorable he could not help but lean over, brushing his lips on her temple revelling in the way her blush deepened on her soft features.

In the center of that pastry party stood an huge cake decorated with little rosy hearts and seashells, she could not wait to dive in sharing it with their friends and family, that thought elicited a surge of heat in her heart she sighed dreamily happiness spreading over he body, sublimated by the tender gesture of her husband, who had carelessly dipped a finger in the soft cream holding it close to her lips, without thinking twice she licked his digit earning a tender smile from that lip she oh so much loved to feel on every inch of her body, thought that make heat rush to her face warming her even more than the sun. 

Her voice unusually soft she leaned in to whisper few inches from his ear

"I am already loving my reward." his warm breath fanning on her lips, a desire to convey their mutual feelings had him melt his lips on her, smiling in satisfaction at the feeling of her tongued dancing and swirling with his, in a battle for dominance he knew she let him won, when at least they had to pull away it was for a need of air, they greedily take in, panting while looking in each other eyes before bursting out laughing like children,  

“You will adore it even more when you see the full thing then.”

his murmurs secrets softly whispered in her ear making her tingle with excitement, she was taken aback by his sudden revelation so much she was hanging from his lips hoping to discover more but for the time being she had to settle with what he told her and just when she resigned to wait for her surprise he took her hands in his once more, pulling her for a brief dance she enjoyed to the fullest, a fresh breeze brushing over the garden as they waltz and spinned around in the soft grass, a peculiar show for the graceful butterflies and busy bees flying around the bushes while petals of flowers scattered in the wind enveloping them in a magical atmosphere. 

His voice soft in her ear, making her heart swell with affection as he murmured

"It is time for your gift." he wrapped his arm around her waist 

“Look up.” as in a daze she promptly obeyed, her eyes glued to the spectacle while her smile shone brighter than the sun itself as a crowd of colorful hot air balloons begin to appear in the light blue sky, each with a letter embroidered on the ballon, once she had read the full phrase she throw her arms around him pulling him in for a sweet slow kiss, conveying all the love they felt for one another

"Je t 'aime ma reine." he pronounced the words billowing in the sky, a lovestruck gaze in his jade irises mirrored by her amethyst eyes looking up at him, smiling at the soft kiss he brushed on her forehead 

"Je t'aime aussi mon roi." his smile made her heart swell with all the affection she felt for him, conveyed by a soft on his cheeks, revelling in the soft rosy blush crepting over his cheeks.

"Thank you so much Leon it was gorgeous." Her smile alone was a reward he would have do anything to gain, enough to capture both his heart and mind mesmerizing him like no one ever did, not enough though for him to forget the other surprises he had in store to make her happy like she made him

"I am glad my gift gave me such a precious reward but it did not finish there."

"It isn’t ?" confusion flickered in her irises

"Of course not mia principessa I want to spoil you rotten today." he murmured in her ear, her eyes widened as her smile bright and pure light up her features at the feeling of a pair of soft hands covering her eyes, her giggles unmistakable doubts not lingering for a second in her mind as she exclaimed mirthfully

"Julia."

"Got in one." her friend bright smile and peculiar colored eyes meet her own as she slide in front of her, taking her hand in hers 

“Come on Rose you could not really think I have forgotten your special day.” she was practically bursting with excitement as she looked at her

"Not at all."

“Did you like your gift ?” curiosity sparkling on her features as she waited impatiently for an answer she was not shy to give

“Of course I did. I am still in awe.” 

“Ahahah I am so glad you liked it.” 

“Napoleon is always so full of ideas, I wonder how he got them.” 

“ It must be the power of Love.” something mischievous flickered in her green irises, a playful smirk dancing on her lips a moment before she slide away, letting her place to Napoleon who appeared in front of her with a big, colourful package she did not see the time to unwrap, lead by his enthusiasm she spent what seemed hours unpacking all the gift from the residents, by the time she finished unpacking them all she felt her cheeks aching from how long she had smiled, thanking everyone for the wonderful presents, some so curious to make her wonder where they got them and some other handmade warming her heart by the tight behind it all, grateful for their affection they so generously showered upon her.

Still in a daze from all that colourful packages she was utterly taken aback by the appearance of her girl, almost dragging out of his shell a dark haired boy she had no difficulty recognizing as her best friend’s son, her hand still wrapped around his as he spoke 

"We have made this as a gift for you Madame Bonaparte." that name made her heart swell with warmth, the reality of that dream she had so many times since realizing her love for him moved her to the core, so much her fingers trembled slightly when collecting the drawings from their daughter hands

"We wish you a Happy Birthday Madame Elaine."

Lucianna hand squeezed his own to reassure him he could be less formal but with little success, she chuckled at the sight so much her voice quivered with giggles as she thanked them both

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart, you and Lucianna really are wonderful artists."

he blushed looking shyly at the girl to his side and then to her once more

"Thank you madame ahem Elaine." she smiled at his attempt, her eyes softened with affection moved by the drawings, a childish calligraphy naming each and every one of the mansion resident filling her heart with inexplicable happiness completed by the soft yet strong grip of his arm around her hips as he left a gently kiss on her temple, making her blush.

A lavish banquet was held for her, full of all her favourite dishes along some french and corsican addition her friends had added, listening carefully to her talks and jolting down idea after ideas, all coming together to fest their palates with their taste thank to the wonderful ability of the greatly acclaimed chef even known as the butler of the mansion, only one whose glass was filled with simple water in stark contrast to the white liquid filling all the other goblets up to the brim its sweet perfume invading the air as the liquid reflected the light of the lanterns, toasts and laughs followed easy chit chats and the soft noise of dishes and glasses clinking against the other, up until the scrumptious dessert making its appearance on the table, giving way to more than one kiss acclaimed by the whole crew of the residents. 

The soft melody of the violin and the accordion filled the frizzy air of the early evening, composed for the occasion by Mozart himself, the delicate note of the violin united with the more folk notes of the handmade accordion moved by no one else than its creator Leonardo himself, everyone flowed to the improvised dance floor coaxing even the more reserved among the residents, letting the music guide their movements.

"May I have this dance mademoiselle Lucienne ?"

Feeling bold enough he moved to invite her over, his phrase generated such amusement to his parents, recognizing a bit too well who he take his overly polite habit from making her chuckle looking at him smiling back at her before brushing a tender kiss on her forehead revelling in her bright smile, ogling at her nodding enthusiastically taking his hand letting him guide the dance not resisting the urge to leave a kiss on his cheek to thank him making him blush.

The night dragged on, music swaying from slow waltzer to more fast paced dances keeping everyone entertained, some retired to stare at the scenes comfortably sitting around in the grass some other dozed off around on the settee, like the children who were long fallen asleep on the sofa, the girl head placed on his chest he did not dared to move, adjusting his arm around her to keep her warm, smiling when she nuzzled closer to him, only the lovebirds remained on the dancefloor slowly spinning around, exchanging sweet slow kisses, heating up from time to time as they continued to waltz around in the grass, filling the air with soft satisfied sigh or half murmured moans revealing a smoldering passion able to dissipate all the freshness of the air, Julia smiled softly leaning her head on her husband shoulder feeling his arms tightened around her, murmuring sweet nothings in her ear making her giggle as she hide her blush in his neck while she let a soft kiss on his neck revelling in the way he playfully peppered kisses on her hair and temple.

Elaine chuckled as his own lover smiled adoringly at her, a lovestruck expression glimmering in his smoldering gaze as he looked at her before melting his lips on hers, their body were so close she could feel his sturdy chest press lightly against her breast desire flood in her veins, revelling in the way he seemed to push softly against her, swept in a waving motion bringing them closer then apart in such a way to arouse and frustrate them both equally, impatience glimmering in her eyes flashing red for a mere second, revelation of her vampiric nature things she did out of love making him happy behind imagination, so much mesmerized by her beauty to be taken aback by the sensation of her lips on his, pulled in a fierce kiss he did not shied away from requiting fully adding of his own as their tongues begin a waltz of their own in a battle for dominance who saw them both, in turn leading and following the other, a kiss they both desired to last longer taking from where they left off after every small break to breath, until they were but a panting mess, curls falling untidy over their shoulder, cheeks heated with passion and lips swollen with kisses and two smile that easily could have outshoned the sun as he leaned his forehead to hers murmuring a tender heartfelt confession few inches from her rosy lips. 

“I love you ma Reine only you.”

“I love you mon Roi so very much.”

His arms wrapped around her, keeping her warm from the fresh breeze of the night brushing over their skin, making shiver of excitement run all over her body still giddy from their passionate kisses, her mind in a daze leaned over his shoulder, strangely a bit tired out from their exercise but far from refusing a second round, taken aback from her reveries only from his deep velvety voice murmuring 

“I still have one gift for you. Do you mind if we retire for the night ?

his tone sultry speaking of desire and bliss, of a long night spent in each other arms, a dreamy sigh from her lips escaped her lips at the prospect of such a gift, shivering in pleasure at the soft brush of his lips on her earlobe,  

“Oh Napoleon, not at all. I can’t wait.” her voice tender as she nuzzled in his neck, letting her fingers wander on his still clothed chest, looking up at him meeting his smoldering jade green eyes making her feel weak in the knees, the same eyes irises she could not deny anything to knowing far too well she had the same effect on him, her heart swell with pride and satisfaction at the knowledge as she softly kept caressing his buttons undoing one in her travels, revelling in the way his breath hitched in his throat at the soft touch of her fingers on the naked portion of his pecs.

Man of action he did not wasted any more time with a smirk gracing his lips he took  her in his arms, their hearty laughs melted together resonating in the air as they made their way toad the mansion through the now empty garden, meeting her friend’s eye blinking at her to assure they would have taken care of everything, mindfully thanking her for that she relaxed on his shoulder, excited to enjoy all the surprises he had in store for her with only the aster as spectators, running through the empty halls laughing like children as they slipped back in his old room, ready to show off their love to one another sealing their union over and over again all through the night until dawn.

[essays-for-breakfast]

Do You Remember?

Kiane Week Day Five: Affection

Note: So, I had no idea what to do with the prompt for today. That’s when randomness entered my creatively-bankrupt brain. I hope you enjoy my first dive into first person referral POV.

You. Let me hold you close, now that we have nothing to fear. Our war is won, our past conquered, our future brighter than I could have hoped. Let me kiss you, now that you wear my ring and I yours. Let me create a shrine for our love, a forest that will last a thousand years, where the daisy blooms all seasons and the birds carol the song of a Giant and a Fairy.

My people say that the Sacred Tree produces a seed only once every five thousand years. A single bloom with a single kernel from which the strongest and most beautiful tree will sprout. The odds of witnessing such a wonder are slim, few Fairies ever do, and those who hope and search all their life might still return emptyhanded. A pearl in an ocean of sand.

And yet, I found the pearl without looking for her. She pulled me from a river, healed my wounds, and nursed me to health. In every sense of the word, she saved my life.

You.

You are my pearl, my one in five thousand chance, my strong and beautiful rock in an ocean of worries.

Let me reminisce the years we spent side by side, as friends, as comrades, now as husband and wife. Do you remember?

A cave in the sun. Water ran down the stone, cool and fresh, but the walls of your home never felt cold against my back. Because your warmth melted all ice. How often did we play tag in the meadows while the grass whispered with the wind? Do you remember half of it? One day blended into the next, one year mingled with the following, but you were always there, with a smile to brighten my mood and a hand to lift me up. Free of my own memories to chain me, I saw the world through your eyes. So vivid and cheerful. Every face a new friend without a shred of hostility.

Sometimes I want to go back to these days with you. But we have more now than we ever did back then, don’t we? More memories to wallow in, more experience to rely on, more friends to ask for support, advice, or a mindless night indulged in liquor. And a child to share our stories with.

In truth, I don’t want to go back to the cave in the sun. Tears stain the end of this chapter. I now acknowledge why Helbram needed to die, and the sound of the rose tearing through his skin and flesh no longer wakes me in the darkest hour before dawn. But what I did to you will forever haunt me. Please don’t worry, you can’t kiss away the guilt, your words can’t lift the burden. I realize my mistake now. Perhaps one day I will find the strength to remind you how truly sorry I am.

A man can endure torture, he can stomach tremendous loss, he can throw himself into the steel-infested fires of the battlefield time and time again, as long as his mind has a happier place to return to. Nothing lets us hold on and continue to strive forward more than a blissful memory to keep us company.

I robbed you of that.

But I underestimated your strength. You thrived without the warmth of memories, you blossomed, and never once did you betrayal your ideals. Although everyone in your clan told you to find your meaning in battle, you proved that fighting for the sake of fighting is sad and meaningless. Your kindness touched others, allowed them to grow beyond the cage they trapped themselves in. It was this kindness that cradled me during the endless nights in prison, and it is this kindness upon which the merger of our clans and, in a sense, the Seven Deadly Sins are build.

Do you remember how we met again, as comrades?

I had given up hope to see you after all these years, but there you stood, alive and more beautiful than I could have imagined in my most luxurious dreams. You hid your face behind your hair, and you blushed when the Captain introduced you. How many careful, affectionate glances did you throw his way? And I hovered right there beside you, drunk with delight and on the brink of tears.

Yes, I was jealous. How I pulled my hair every single time you snatched the Captain into an embrace. No one deserved you in my mind, least of all an ill-mannered, inconsiderate man of Meliodas’ caliber. My respect for him probably made it worse. I watched him like a hawk, desperate to find a flaw that would prove he wasn’t worthy of your praises. I made a fool out of myself.

Hey, don’t laugh, if he or anyone else came along and played with your feelings like that, I would stare him to the ground and then chase Chastifol after him. What more can I say to convince you of my devotion for you? I’ve never learned the humility to share what I love. We should put this on a list of things you still have to teach me.

But there were good moments with the Sins too, even back then. Our missions brought us closer together and so did the plethora of parties we celebrated afterwards. The alcohol might have clouded my senses then and again, but I still recall the best parts. Your face illuminated by ten thousand candles on ten hundred chandeliers during our mission in Lothien. Your story about the first time you went fishing and pulled a twenty-feet Dragon Trout from the lake. Your laugh when Ban dove headfirst into the barrel with Aberdeen Ale.

Each day I watched you, and each day your beauty grew, until I was convinced a shower of daisies and primroses rained down on me whenever you passed me by.

But this chapter had to come to an end also.

Without you, where was I supposed to go? To an empty cave in the rain? To a forest I hadn’t seen in half a millennium, a ruin of ash and smoke and burnt seeds? Loneliness was my companion and misery my only driving force. Without you, I allowed anger and prejudice to cloud my judgement, I allied with knights I didn’t trust to hunt down a knight I should have learned to trust years ago. Shadows arose unseen to me, and I allowed them to seep into my heart. I became one with the evil my bitterness gardened. And then you returned to my life, side by side with Ban and the Captain, a smile on your face and a greeting for me on your lips.

Yes, without you, I wouldn’t have rejoined the Sins. Not for the princess’ pleas, not for the Captain’s orders, not even for Elaine’s sake. You, Diane, you made me stay. Blessed by your kindness, gifted with your cheer, awarded with the sight of your sleeping form under a firmament of thousands of stars, I followed you into battle.

A battle in Liones, where you gave me hope that perhaps you did remember the cave in the sun.

A battle amidst the labyrinth of Vaizel, where we fought our predecessors and lost our Captain but gained one another.

A battle high up in the marble remains of a Goddess temple, where I remembered all the promises I made to you and learned to fly.

And a battle against the Demon King, the fate of the world on our shoulders, life as we knew it on the brink of collapse, where I at last found the courage to ask you the ultimate question.

Do you remember?

Now, your hand rests in mine, and I will never let go. I know the contours of your palm better than I know my own, all the hills and fissures and your heartbeat pulsating underneath, but I will never get tired of stroking the skin to hear your giggles. The light seeps through a canopy of birch leaves and paints beautiful patterns onto your face. Let me hold you close and listen to your steady breath. Let me hum a soft lullaby to you. Let me be at peace while your head leans against my shoulders and your hair tickles my cheek.

You are my pearl, my one in five thousand chance, my strong and beautiful rock in an ocean of worries.

You are you.

And I love you.

[featherymalignancy]

Like a Lonely House: RECAP

Since it’s been *guilty cough* a while since I’ve posted, I decided to do a recap as a refresher for people. This covers Parts I-VI. If you don’t need the refresher, skip to Part VII

Like a Lonely House: A Nessian Story Of Betrayal and Redemption

Warning: NSFW for language, mild violence, mentions of sexual assault, and smut. This story is not ACOFAS complaint, but it will borrow elements from the story. oh, also tons of angst.

                        "so I wait for you like a lonely house

                      till you will see me again and live in me.

                               Till then my windows ache.”

                                      -Pablo Neruda

Synopsis: Fifty years after the Hybernian War, Prythian is finally at peace. For Cassian and Nesta, anamosity has turned to something more amorous, and they stand on a precipice of something that scares and excites them both. However, it only takes one night of weakness on Cassian’s part to change everything, and with a young Illyrian prince gaining power in the North, Nesta agrees to an marriage alliance, both to protect her family and get her as far away from Cassian as possible. As things unravel between them, Cassian begins to suspect there is something more deliberate seeking to keep them apart, and he struggles to uncover the truth and win Nesta back before it’s too late.

If you are new to the story, please click HERE see the masterlist. 

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT.

RECAP: The Story Thus Far...

After fifty years a long looks and mutual pining, Cassian and Nesta’s connection comes to a head on Starfall, where they consummate their relationship by finally sleeping together. The mating bond snaps into place sometime during their coupling, though neither verbally acknowledges it. Nesta leaves for Neva on a diplomatic mission the next day, with Cassian begging her to come see him the moment she returns, likely so they can finally discuss the bond they now both know is real.

The morning Nesta is due to return home, Cassian wakes in an unfamiliar part of Velaris with a female he doesn’t know. Though he remembers nothing from the night before, they are both naked, and it’s clear they’ve slept together. Cassian, dismayed that he’s unwittingly betrayed Nesta in a drunken romp, leaves the female and flies back to his own apartment.

Nesta has been there waiting for him, and when scents what he’s done she’s furious. The two argue as Cassian insists he doesn’t know how this happened and Nesta taunts him, asking whether he really believed someone like her would actually want a low-born bastard such as himself.

Sick with grief, Nesta runs off, and when Cassian can’t find her, he goes to Elain and Azriel to ask his friend for help. Azriel is already awake when Cassian arrives, the shadows continually warning him something in Velaris is amiss. When Cassian arrives, Azriel tries to get his friend to tell him what’s wrong. When Cassian sees Elain, the shield he’s been holding around him collapses, and Azriel and Elain both scent the other female on Cassian and know what he’s done.

Furious at him for betraying her sister, Elain slaps Cassian before going to find Nesta, insisting she knows where to find her. She arrives as a seedy tavern to discover Nesta is indeed there and is stinking drunk. She’s sitting in the lap of a high fae male who she clearly seems intent on sleeping with, despite her state. Elain kicks the males out and tries to comfort Nesta, who sobs in her drunken state about her broken relationship with Cassian.

Several days later, Rhys announces that Azriel has been invited to a meeting in the Northern Illyrian province of Macar, whose prince Adan Demir has previously refused to open his borders or meet with Rhysand. Cassian begs to go instead, desperate to get away from the situation with Nesta, but Rhys informs him that Adan specifically invited Azriel, likely because Az’s father was a high-ranking Macaran Lord.

When Azriel arrives in Macar, he meets the young Şehzade Adan, who is already so powerful that he requires nine syphons, two more than Cassian and Azriel. Azriel is surprised to find Adan warm and open-minded, noting that the prince and his liberal polices are a marked departure from the Macar he remembers. Adan reveals that he wishes to make a more formal alliance with Rhysand, and proposes a political marriage between himself and Nesta. Worried how it will hurt Cassian, Azriel nevertheless agrees to pass the message along to Nesta.

Back in Velaris, the inner circle expresses concern over Nesta’s reaction to the match. However, she surprises them by agreeing to meet with Adan, likely to punish Cassian. However, Nesta always privately contemplates the lingering guilt she feels for allowing Feyre to go into the forest alone when she was still a human child, and vows to do what she can to make sure there is peace in the Night Court for her sisters’ sake.

The day Nesta is due to leave for Macar, Cassian comes to the house to give Nesta a gift for her journey. Though she initially refuses it, she eventually relents and accept the small knife, called a јатаган, which Illyrian women often wear for special occasions. It is later revealed that the јатаган was Cassian’s mother’s, and that he’d kept in the hopes Nesta would someday where it at their wedding.

Once in Illyria, Nesta meets Adan finds herself briefly attracted to him, especially as he makes her sensual promises and touches her. However, when they kiss Nesta notes how wrong it feels to be intimate with anyone but Cassian. Scenting her discomfort, Adan relents and promises her they will get to know each other first. However, Nesta despairs at the idea of letting Adan bed her when they are married.

While Nesta is away, Cassian broods, castigating himself for what he’d done to Nesta while Mor tries to comfort him. When she points out how hard it must be to see Adan courting her so soon after their affair has ended, Cassian begins to put the pieces together, wondering aloud if the Macarans didn’t have something to do with his betrayal. He vows, with Mor’s help, to prove he’s been framed and win Nesta back before it’s too late.

Back in Illyria, Rhys tells Nesta that he understands the position that she’d be putting herself in if she marries Adan and she needn’t do it if she doesn’t want, but she tells him she failed her sisters once when they were starving and she didn’t try and feed them, she won’t make the mistake of failing to act again.

The next morning, Nesta and Adan formalize the betrothal agreement. Nesta refused to speak to anyone about how she’s feeling when they return the Velaris, shutting herself in the library instead to brood.

Cassian, who’d spent the intervening time trying to corroborate his suspicion he’d been used, senses Rhys and the others have returned and rushes to the House of Wind. Feyre warns him not to bother Nesta but he ignores her, going to the library instead. At first Nesta sends him away, but then she asks if he will stay. They remain in silence as Nesta cries over her engagement. Only when she falls asleep does Cassian carry her to bed.

Cassian then begs Azriel to enlist Elain’s help, and after she grudgingly agrees to share Cassian’s suspicions with Nesta, Cassian flies to Illyria to continue hunting for proof.

The night before the Macarans are due to arrive at the Hewn City to formalize the betrothal, Cassian still isn’t back, and Nesta and the others welcome the  High Lords for a dinner party before the Illyrians come. Both Tamlin and Eris antagonize Nesta about her relationship with Cassian, and she storms off. When Cassian arrives about at the palace and hears what she’s endured, he goes to her door to confess what he suspects and to tell her he loves her. Though she doesn’t respond, he is sure she heard him.

The morning the Macarans arrival Nesta is still contemplating what Cassian told her the night before, though she acknowledges it doesn’t have any bearing on her decision. When Adan arrives in a great show of pomp and circumstance, Nesta uses her power to show him she is not intimidated by him.

Cassian does his best to remain calm as the Macarans arrive, though his composure is nearly shattered when he spots a familiar face in the crowd: the mysterious female in whose bed the entire nightmare began.

Not only is she in the Hewn City after all these weeks, but she’s traveling in the Macaran retinue...

Now that you’re caught up, head to Part VII !!

TAG LIST: @katexrenee @verifiefangirl @urbisie @mariamuses @lady-therion @rhysanoodle @julesherondalex @kingdomofbrokenhearts @faequeenaelin @is-this-a-febreze-commercial @missing-merlin @maastrash @tswaney17 @keshavomit @rhysandsdarlingfeyre @fourshizzle149 @randomtogacotar22 @azrielismycinnamonrollprimary @dreamerforever-5 @theogvodkaaunt @girlreadingaboverherlevel @twilightscourt @wraithsmercy @rogertaylorsfalsettogivesmehives @sezkins79 @mightymorphingayagenda @iwishistayedd @kamustyles @donnarosemary @tinylittlebluebird @cutie-bug @fucking-winchester-trash @tea-drinker25 @wolffrising @dreamsofg0ld @sunsummoner @goths-eat-electricity @snoobolit271 @highlordrhysie @aelinfeyreisa @hellas-himself @abillionlittlepieces @moonbeammadness @goldbooksblack @easkyrah @nessian-girl @togreblog @shadowsofthenightcourt @flxwer-petals @marnz @sunsummoner @chocolateserialkiller @queen-of-wings-and-fire @overgrown-bat @illyrianbeauty @armixers-unite @actuallyacotartrash @jemma-nessian-and-elriel @brittpetersen @elaiassian @xxrattlethestarsxx @mis-lil-red @kamustyles @cinemaaddict​ @nesta-cassian-love​ @izou1204​ @donnarosemary​ @a-august-t​ @umbrellabrass​ @thatsubtleblush @moids​ @tothbalintkoka​ @astreia-oniria​ @lordof-bloodshed​ @theogvodkaaunt​ @theminorfallandthemajorlift​

[theladyofdeath]

The Ranch {18}

An A Court of Thorns and Roses, Nesta x Cassian, Modern AU, fanfiction.

Collaboration: @snelbz​ x @tacmc​

Summary: Nesta had spent years in Paris, living her dream and drowning in riches as a gourmet chef, capturing the hearts of the city and its people. But, after her father passes away unexpectedly and leaves his cozy, countryside B&B to his oldest daughter, Nesta is moving back home to the tiny town of Velaris, where the ranch, her sisters, and her father’s unfulfilled dream, awaits.

Sidenote: Being posted between two blogs, it is too chaotic to keep up with a tags list, so all chapters will be tagged with “#TheRanchNessian” & “#SharaCollab”.

The Ranch Masterlist

Nesta was overwhelmed by all the love, and the shower hadn’t even started yet. Elain had put her planning skills to use, once again. The B&B’s living room was covered in streamers and banners and delicate pink and gold decor. A table was set up, full of snacks and desserts, and Cassian and the other men had been ordered to stay away.

Which meant that they were out back, drinking.

Every time Nesta asked if she could do something to help or even tried to get out of her seat, she was ordered to sit back down, put her feet up and relax.

She was doing just that when Viviane and Mor flopped down on the couch to her left.

“So,” Mor asked, sipping her mimosa through a pink-and-white striped straw. “Do we have any names picked out yet?”

Nesta looked at the mimosa longingly, but she blinked, coming back to the conversation and smiled. “We have a few, but we haven’t decided yet.” She rubbed her hand over her belly, gazing fondly at it, at the perfect, little girl growing inside her.

“And?” Viv asked, just as sweet as she was the day Nesta had met her. “What are they?”

She blushed, thinking of what Cassian had told her while they’d laid in bed last night.

Everyone is going to want to see and know every little thing about her as soon as she’s here, he’d said, his finger drawing long lines up and down her spine. Let’s keep them to ourselves for now.

“It’s a secret,” Nesta said, and when Mor groaned at the given answer, Nesta only smiled.

“She won’t even tell us, so don’t feel too bed,” Feyre said, sitting on Nesta’s other side. “Your fiancé is drunk by the way.”

“Already?” Nesta asked, gazing out the back window with narrowed eyes. He was laying in the green, lush grass in the back yard with a bottle to his lips while Rhysand and Azriel threw a football over him, back and forth. 

Feyre chuckled and held up a mini cupcake. “Here, snuck one when Elain wasn’t looking.”

“I’ve never loved you so much,” Nesta muttered, popping the cupcake into her mouth in one bite. They were ordered to keep hands off the food until all guests arrived.

Nesta glanced up at the grand clock as she chewed.

They still had twenty more minutes before it truly began.

Elain had invited anyone Nesta had ever been close to and she was surprised when she’d told her there had been over thirty confirmed yes RSVP’s. And as the pile of gifts in the corner, Nesta’s heart became more and more full.

The back door opened and they heard, “Uh, Nes… can you come here for a second?”

Nesta and Elain’s eyes locked as her boyfriend’s tense voice floated to them. All three sisters made their way out into the backyard. Azriel was the only one there, although the football had been left behind, as well as Rhys and Cassian’s shirts.

Feyre began, “Where are-.”

“On the way down do the roping pen,” Azriel interrupted. “Because the two of them started talking about the old days and they’re drunk and now they're going to try and rope the herd.”

“We left you out here to stop them from making stupid decisions,” Feyre groaned.

He threw his hands in the air. “There’s two of them, one of me, and they’re both drinking. And then they took their shirts off and at that point, it was out of my hands.”

“One of them is going to get hurt.” Nesta began to rub small circles into her belly. She’d begun to do so when she was stressed out, trying to make sure her sweet girl knew everything was okay. She knew when she was freaking out, she flooded her with the hormones as well.

Elain smiled sweetly, kissed Azriel’s cheek and said, “I’ll handle it, you two go back inside.” She hurried her sisters back inside and they watched from the window as she began walking in the direction of the round pen.

Nesta said, “What is she-?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to,” Azriel mumbled, grabbing a handful of trail mix, overloaded with pink and white m&m’s. “She’s persuasive when she wants to be and terrifying when she needs to be.”

Feyre blinked. “You may want to keep that in mind while you eat the food she ordered no one to touch.” 

Azriel hesitated before popping the handful into his mouth. “If you say anything,” he began, mouth full, “I will destroy you.”

Nesta snorted as Azriel walked to the front porch and sat in a rocking chair while guests continued to arrive. WIth a shake of her head, Nesta was looking back out of the back window, where Elain had disappeared to. A moment later, she returned with her chin held high, Cassian and Rhysand trailing behind, looking like two children that were being dragged to timeout.

Nesta was pulled into conversation after conversation after that. They pretty much were all the same.

Yes, they were so excited for her to be here.

No, they weren’t announcing her name yet.

Yes, she'd be having an epidural.

“Some people have no boundaries,” Viviane muttered, saving Nesta from a conversation where she’d been asked if she and Cassian still had an “aggressive sex life”.

Nesta was still laughing from the look on the woman’s face when she informed her she’d have to wait to find out if he’d gotten her throat pregnant the night before.

“You know she goes to the local church, right?” Feyre asked, nibbling on the brownies Nesta had baked when she couldn’t sleep this morning.

Nesta shrugged. “Then she shouldn’t have been asking such intrusive questions.”

An hour passed and guests were beginning to leave. Nesta found herself exhausted as she fell back into the couch with a plate of mini cupcakes. The back door swung open and Cassian stumbled inside, still shirtless, grinning at an older woman with a wink - the same woman that Nesta appalled with her sex life details. She looked him over, once, shook her head and walked away. 

“Hi, baby mama,” Cassian said, a slight slur to his words as he leaned over the back of the couch and put his sweaty arms around her.

“Hi,” she said, taking a bite of her cupcake. “You stink.” 

He muttered a reply as he pressed his lips to the side of her neck. “Did we get a lot of cute shit?”

Nesta pointed to the long table on the other side of the room, where the opened gifts sat - diapers, clothes, headbands, shoes, socks, bibs, blankets, and the list went on and on and on. She had received both things that were necessary and things that were not, and although she was incredibly grateful, she had no idea where the hell it would all go.

Cassian whistled as he observed the gifts. “That’s a lot of cute shit.”

“Yeah,” Nesta said, quietly, picking up another cupcake.

Cassian blinked, then frowned as he looked at Nesta and caught her expression. “What’s wrong?”

Her lip began to wobble.

“What? No, no no,” he began, coming around the couch and kneeling before her, He took the plate off her lap and took her hands in his. “Don’t cry. Why are you crying? It’s a happy day.”

“Where are we going to put all of this stuff, Cass?” she asked, quietly. “We have enough shit to fill two nurseries, and we don’t even have one.”

The look on his face told her that she wasn’t the only one who’d been thinking about that. They had discussed building a new home, like Cassian had wanted, but knew that ultimately, they’d always end up back in the ranch house, so it would be a colossal waste of both time and money. They’d discussed adding onto the cabin or her little house by the river, but again, they knew where they’d end up.

Cassian had found her standing in the doorway of her old bedroom when it was unoccupied by guests, on more than one occasion. He knew what the best resolution was for both of them, but knew neither of them wanted to admit it.

He cupped her face in his hands, using his thumbs to brush away the few tears that had slipped over. “I think we need to sit down and have a talk with your sisters soon.”

She nodded, the tears starting a new, knowing exactly what conversation he meant.

He sat next to her on the couch and wrapped an arm around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “It’s okay, sweetheart.”

She sniffled again and said, “Seriously, you stink.” He chuckled, but didn’t have a chance to reply before Elain’s frantic voice filled the nearly empty house.

“Why is she crying?” She asked, coming into the living room, eyes narrowing on Cassian. “What did you do?”

He shrugged. “Knocked her up?”

Rhys shoved a mini cupcake in his mouth and said, “Well, you’re not wrong.”

Feyre nudged him in the side with her elbow and Nesta chuckled, wiping at her eyes. “I’m fine.”

Elain’s eyes narrowed further. “You’re lying.”

Yes, she was, but she wasn’t about to have this conversation while there were still guests in the house. To save her from lying, once more, Cassian sighed, loudly and dramatically. “Well, if you’re all staying around for a while, I guess I should run into town and get more shit for dinner. I’m drunk, so one of you has to drive me.”

“Might wanna put a shirt on first,” Elain muttered, still uneasy.

“I’ll drive you,” Azriel said, but Cass shook his head.

“I think Feyre needs to come with me.”

Rhys had popped another cupcake into his mouth, so he mumbled, “What? Why?”

“Hush, and stop talking with your mouth open.” Feyre leaned down and kissed his cheek. “That’s fine, Cass. But you’re changing first, you really do stink. Let’s stop at the cabin.”

He so badly wanted to protest, but didn’t. Instead, he followed Feyre down to his cabin, who was eyeing him suspiciously for the entire walk.

“At what point during this outing are you going to tell me why it had to be me to accompany you?” Feyre asked, when they reached the cabin’s porch.

“Can I not simply enjoy your company?” Cassian asked, one brow arched.

“You can, but I also know you better than that,” Feyre said, amused.

He chuckled. “That’s fair. I’ll tell you when we leave. I just...need a second perspective on some things.”

Her expression didn’t ease as she looked at him though, it got more worried.

Cassian hustled up the stairs and went in to quickly wash down and change, while Feyre stayed out on the porch. It was brisk outside, the middle of October and the crisp fall day was beautiful.

Feyre leaned against the porch rail, looking out into the woods behind the cabin. She’d grown up, running through these woods, and she loved everything about it. She had painted every scene you could see on this land. When she was-.

Something caught her eye, and Feyre stared into the wooded area, trying to discern exactly what she was seeing. Or who.

The door of the cabin opened and Cass said, “Alright, much better. Want to smell?”

He lifted up his arm and Feyre rolled her eyes, pushing him away. “Shut up, let’s go.”

She decided that what she’d seen in the woods was just a shadow of a tree, as the sun was beginning to go down, and not a figure in the distance.

Cassian and Feyre walked to the truck where he, like the gentleman he was, opened the passenger door for Feyre before helping himself behind the wheel.

“So?” She said, as he pulled onto the road.

Cassian hesitated, then went with, “I want to give your sister the world.”

Feyre blinked. “I know. You are, surprisingly, very sweet to her. Go on.”

Cassian rolled his eyes but continued, “We don’t have enough room, Feyre, for a baby. Even then, it’s too much, you know? A ranch, a B&B, a newborn? Fuck, one of those is enough, but juggling all three?”

Feyre watched him, then turned her eyes toward the road as she said, “I know you, Cass, so stop dancing around the subject and spit it out.”

“Nesta doesn’t want to reopen the bed and breakfast when she’s done with maternity leave.”

The words hung between them. Feyre didn’t say anything, which almost terrified Cass more.

They pulled into the parking lot of the diner and he put it in park, turning to look at her. “Say something, anything, please.”

She gnawed on her lip. “I’m trying to decide what to say.”

“Are you mad or are you surprised?” He asked.

“I’m...in shock,” she said.

He nodded, slowly. “Why?”

Feyre laughed, breathlessly. “At first, I was surprised that she wanted to open the B&B to begin with. Then, she put so much work into it, put her whole heart into it...it hasn’t even been a year, and y’all want to close it?”

Cassian sighed. “It’s not that we want to, but it’s more of a necessity. Nesta has been scared to close it down...but, I think it’s for the best. We need the main house, and we make enough money on the ranch without it. We have no room for the baby, Feyre, no time. And...I don’t know. Raising the baby in the main house? She’ll have her own room, Nesta will have her own kitchen….It makes more sense. Right?” He added the question at the end, hoping for Feyre’s approval, but unsure of what she’d say.

She didn’t say anything, she just sat there, tapping her foot.

“I’m gonna go get the food, I’ll be right back, just…” Cassian sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I just want to do what’s best for my family.”

He got out of the truck and headed inside and Feyre was…floored.

After Nesta had sacrificed so much, after she’d given up everything she’d ever known, she was already willing to quit. She had sold her restaurants, her life’s work, all to come back to Velaris and reopen the B&B. And just like that, she was done?

The more Feyre thought it over, the more angry she was getting and by the time Cassian was carrying the food to the truck, Feyre wasn’t even sure what she wanted to speak to him.

The drive back home was silent, she stared out the window, and Feyre was trying to calm her breathing before they returned home. She’d slapped Nesta on her first day here. She was pregnant, but if she was going to destroy their father’s dream-.

Feyre closed her eyes and sighed.

Their father’s dream.

Not Nesta’s.

Nesta’s dreams were back in Paris, London, Rome. And she’d left them.

To come back home.

She leaned her head back, letting it fall against the headrest, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Cassian noticed it, too.They were close to pulling into the driveway, but not quite. Cassian finally broke the silence by saying, “You know it breaks my heart, don’t you? I know how much work Nesta has put into this, Feyre, and your dad was a good friend.” He had been, Feyre knew. Cassian was one of her father’s favorite people in the end. “I wanted him to succeed. I wanted them both to succeed, and this decision isn’t easy, but we’re having a baby, Feyre. A fucking kid. It’s not just about me, and it’s not just about Nes...it’s not about either of us, it’s all about this baby, and I…”

His words trailed off, and he was still staring at the road as he ran his hand down his face in frustration. Feyre pretended not to notice how his eyes welled up with tears.

“I’m so fucking scared, Feyre. That I’ll fuck up somehow.” His voice broke. “I didn’t have a father, I don’t know how to be a father. I’ll mess this kid up or I’ll do something and she’ll get sick of me.”

There was Tomas again, always in the back of his mind. Even if they hadn’t seen him in weeks, he still haunted nearly every thought.

“If Nesta wants to give up the B&B, I’m going to support her in that.” His jaw was set and Feyre knew it wasn’t for a fight. “I just… I have to do what’s best for my family.”

She noticed the change from his earlier statement, saw the determination and devotion in his eyes. Feyre never been so thankful that her big sister had found someone so absolutely devoted to her than she was in that moment.

After a deep breath, Feyre reached across the center console and took her friend’s hand in hers. “We will support you, too, in whatever you decide to do, whatever you feel you need to do. And you’re going to be a good husband, and a good father. I know it.”

Cassian didn’t look in her direction and he took his hand off the wheel for a split second to wipe at his face as he nodded, shortly. 

“Nesta’s stressed,” he said, at last. “I don’t know how to help her. Nesta was a pain in the ass to begin with, but pregnant Nesta? I feel helpless.”

Feyre chuckled and patted his hand before wiping away her tears. “You’re doing better than you think you are, Cass. That woman loves you. I have never seen her love anyone, anything, the way she loves you.”

Cassian did though. He knew one thing that Nesta loved as much as him, as much as her sisters, as much as their unborn baby.

And he knew what they could do.

When they pulled up to the house, all cars except those belonging to their family were gone. As they made their way up the stairs, they could hear the laughter of their families inside.

“This,” he breathed, stopping.. “This is what I want to come home to after a long day. My family, laughing, living, just being together. Not- not strangers in my living room.”

Feyre’s eyes softened. “I know, Cass. I get it.”

He nodded, and took a deep breath before pushing open the front door and holding up the bags of food. “Let’s eat!”

He was met with a round of hollers, all but from Nesta, who was watching him, wistfully. She knew him too well. Knew that something had happened, something had been talked about in their absence. 

He gave her a gentle smile before making his way to the kitchen and unloading the to-go boxes for everyone to choose from. 

He set out plates and napkins, and everyone came through and loaded up their plates, Nesta being last.

She met Cassian’s stare and said, “You talked to her about it, didn’t you?”

“I-.” He looked to the living room where Feyre was laughing at something Azriel had said. “How did you know?”

Nesta rolled her eyes. “What did she say?”

He was quiet for a minute and while he made plates for them, and as he opened his mouth to say something, Rhys hollered, “You guys know you can’t make another baby until Nesta pops that one out, right?”

Cass chuckled and kissed Nesta’s forehead. “Come on. We’ll talk later. Let’s go spend time with our family.”

A few hours later, the six of them ended up around a bonfire, and Cassian cleared his throat. “There’s something Nes and I want to talk to you guys about.”

Feyre didn’t look surprised. She simply folded her hands in her lap and waited, along with the others. Nesta was staring at her hands.

Cassian took a long, slow drink from his bottle before meeting Nesta’s gaze. She nodded, slowly, and after a breath, Cassian said, “Nesta and I are going to discontinue the B&B.”

Elain, Azriel, and Rhysand stared at him, open-mouthed, but Feyre just nodded, slowly.

“And before anyone says anything, yes, we have thought about it,” Cassian continued. “We need room for the baby, and we need privacy… We realize the B&B was Isaac’s dream, and we’re glad we were able to make it successful, but as we’re starting a family...we just need to do this. So, we’re going to shut down the B&B and continue the ranch...and, Nesta’s going to open her own restaurant.”

The circle went silent.

Nesta, included. 

In fact, she was the first to say, “What?”

He nodded. “It’s your passion, sweetheart. I get to do what I love every single day. I get to live my passion.” He took her face in his hands. “You left your passion behind in your restaurants, in your food. You can keep doing that though. You can do what you love.”

“Where?” She asked, tears already spilling over. “The house?”

“If you want, some nights,” he said. “Or we can find you a place. Or I’ll build you one, on the property, I don’t care.”

Nesta was floored. “I- Are you- Really?”

He almost looked taken about. “Of course, really.” He didn’t care that the others were around, that they were watching, listening. “You’re giving me a baby, Nes. A family. And I just want you to be happy, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you’re happy.”

He wiped at the tears falling down her cheeks, knowing full well they were happy tears, not tears of sadness. 

“Cass,” she breathed, shaking her head slowly.

“If we close the B&B, tell me what you want and I’ll make it happen,” he whispered. “Tell me what you want, and it’s yours.”

She nodded, unable to form the words needed to express to him her love, her gratitude, her thanks.

But he didn’t need any of those. He could see the truth in her eyes, the amazement and the devotion there. So he kissed her, knowing that they were on the right path to their future. 

___

It was getting late. They had all piled into the little house outback once the bonfire began to fade away. Then, Rhysand and Feyre took off, leaving Elain and Azriel snuggling together on the couch. A movie had been playing, and the couple were soon sleeping soundly.

Nesta and Cassian crept into the bedroom,  Beau just behind.

Nesta crashed into the bed, her eyes dropping. It had been a long day and she was so over it.

“You look like you need a massage,” Cassian said, kicking off his boots and slipping his shirt over his head.

“A massage, a drink,” she muttered. “The list is long.”

“I can’t exactly condone the latter,” he said, laying down behind her, one hand covering her stomach, as it did every night, and pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. “But I can help with the former for sure.”

He let his other hand knit into her hair and scratched at her scalp. Nesta’s head lulled back, giving him better access to her neck and he kissed the delicate column of her throat before he whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she breathed.

“I’m drunk,” he muttered.

Nesta snorted. “You’ve been drunk since three.”

“Not true,” he said, trailing his kisses across her shoulder. 

“So true,” she protested, but didn’t push him away, only closed her eyes as he slipped the strap of her tank top down her arm. 

“You know, in a few months, I won’t be able to fuck you whenever I want.”

Nesta rolled her eyes and snorted. “How romantic. The father of my child, ladies and gentleman.” 

But Cassian was grinning, his mouth against her skin. “I’m not wrong.”

“Hmmm.” She pretended to be unaffected by his advances, but Cassian turned her face towards him and kissed her. Nesta giggled and turned over, wrapping her arms around him.

“So what did I hear about our aggressive sex life today?” Cass asked, kissing her jaw.

Nesta laughed and said, “Remember the woman that you scandalized earlier?” Cassian blinked, clearly not recalling. “You were drunk, remember?”

“No, but I’ll take your word for it,” he mumbled, his attention redirected to more important things as his face planted between her breasts.

“Well, I basically told an elderly woman that I suck you dry, so..” Nesta trailed off.

Cassian snorted, propping himself up on his elbows. “You scandalized an old woman?”

“It makes me mad when people ask stupid things,” she said, shrugging.

Cassian blinked. “Is it weird that I’'m completely turned on right now?”

Nesta took his face into her hands. “When are you not turned on?”

Cassian grinned. “Fair point.”

He kissed her hard, his tongue sweeping along her bottom lip. She opened up, giving him access and moaned quietly as his tongue brushed against her own.

“Make love to me,” she breathed. “Make love to me in our home.”

Cass pulled back, gazing down at her. 

Our home.

She watched as his eyes filled up with tears, but before one could fall, she pulled his lips back down to hers and kissed him, pouring everything she wanted to say into it.

He pulled himself over her but was careful for her belly. She kept telling him that a little bit of weight was okay, but he was overly protective of what that bump held. 

A few more months, and they would go from being a couple to being a family of three. They would close the B&B and make the big house their home. They would raise their daughter within those walls. 

And Cassian couldn’t wait.