#beast form! Tamlin x reader

[tadpolesonalgae]

Beast form!Tamlin x reader: The Great Rite[***]

A/N: so, this is a prequel to The Aftermath of Spring because most of you should know by now that I love anything to do with monsterfucking :)

Warnings: smut, monsterfucking, bondage (vines)

He’d requested you stay in your rooms that night, and you’d been too timid at the time to inquire about his seemingly out-of-the-blue request. So you’d gone home, and shut and bolted your door.

But the drums are pounding, and even as High Fae you find it strenuous work to resist that heavy beat that thunders through your being.

You’re enough of a female to admit you’re harbouring concerns about the night. It’s well-known what will happen, what activities your High Lord will engage in. You can admit you’re worried your efforts will be in vain. You’ve grown alarmingly fond of him, with his affections for poetry, and affinity for the fiddle. It’s not a lie to say you’re jealous of whichever female he chooses to bed tonight.

It’s the final straw, the final fracture that catalyses your violation of his request. You want him to be yours, and you want him to call you his. There’s nothing else to be considered really once the conclusion reaches you. You’ve made your decision. And with a heart that’s pounding in time to the alluring drums, you unlock your door, silently slinking out into the hallways of your estate, heading for the bonfires.

————

Bonfire smoke tints the air, smelling so alluring and delicious as you follow it through the cluster of trees. Fire gleams in the distance, sparks and embers dancing between shadows as the centre of the revelry comes into sight. The drums thrum through the ground, reverberating up your feet into your ankles.

It’s the one night deemed acceptable for a Lady like yourself to dress with these unfavourable intentions in mind, and you indulge in the level of freedom you’re afforded, forgoing any slippers, or even a night robe to conceal your thin slip. You blend right into the crowd with your revealing dress, ankles and wrists on show for any male to peek at. It’s exhilarating.

But it’s missing something.

The eyes feel wondrous on your skin, licking and nipping at you with male intent, but they’re not his eyes. They aren’t emerald flecked with gold: a spring glade with threads of sunlight spooling between the leaves, creating dappled shade upon the lush undergrowth. You want his eyes dancing over your bared body, you want him to be the one silently considering ways to get you into bed.

The drums are reaching their climax—you don’t have long left before he’s forced to make his decision. He’ll make his choice without knowing the full extent of his crop. How will he pluck you out from the crowd is he isn’t even aware of your presence? The thought dampens your mood, leading you to wonder away from the fires, seeking the cool reprieve of the forest for comfort. You wish to mope in peace, bemoan the missed opportunity.

Leaves rustle at your back, but you leave the noise be. It’s most likely a pair of tangled bodies, coupling in the eves of the long night, getting a head start on the inevitable activities. A twig snaps, close enough by that you get to your feet, drying your dampened eyes as you plan to relocate yourself. You aren’t too keen on inadvertently getting an eyeful of misplaced lust when you’re in such low spirits.

Yet when you turn, you come to face a creature the size of a horse, its features distinctly lupine in their structure, large antlers protruding from its skull. Your attention is drawn to the green eyes piercing from golden fur, trained upon your form with razor-sharp intent. Tamlin.

You feel your muscles stiffen, still in the motions of drying your eyes. Slowly, you lower you arms in favour of crossing them over your chest, keeping yourself as concealed as possible. All too suddenly, your clothes feel insubstantial, like you should be dressed more modestly before him.

“Why are you crying?” He asks, words dragging from his animal throat with pleasing roughness. You shake your head slightly, averting your gaze elsewhere, fingers twining together at your front, “I was not crying, my Lord. The night must have tricked you.”

“I have not known you to keep things from me?” He inquires gently, moving forward with feline grace on his large paws, and you can hear the distinct frown in his voice. “Tell me: what has caused your sadness? I would like to right it.” Your teeth find placement within your lip, tugging gently as you make the effort to straighten; appear unruffled and dignified. “I assure you, my Lord, it is nothing for you to concern yourself with. I was merely out enjoying the festivities, you see, as I’m sure you will soon be, too.” A veiled question—to pry whether he’s taken a female yet, or whether you still have a chance. Slim as it may be.

This time his golden brow does furrow, “I have not known you to lie to me, either,” he remarks, a little sternly. It’s surprisingly difficult to remain calm beneath his scrutinising gaze, not to shift or fumble. But he huffs out a low breath, eyes gleaming as he again looks to you, “walk with me.” You don’t have in you to reject the order, so you take a few steps forward, careful to keep the distance respectful. His eyes mark your bare feet, zipping up your ankles to where the hem of your night dress starts.

The two of you move in companionable silence for quite a way, moving through the soft grass and moss, small fireflies and will-o-wisps dancing about between trees. “Have you been delighting in the revelry?” He asks, breaking the peaceful quiet that you’d settled into. You nod your head demurely, keeping up your act, “I have, indeed. There were a few dances that had me particularly breathless,” you tell him, making your words sound slightly embarrassed.

Silvery moonlight catches on his claws before they’re retracting back into his large paws. You peer up at him then, only to find his attention already on you, eyes gleaming. Hurriedly, you turn your gaze elsewhere, attempting to track the shift of the winds to remove your focus from him. “Strange,” he remarks, and you could swear you hear a smile in his word, “I didn’t see you amongst the revellers.”

It’s an effort to keep yourself from stiffening beneath his intense gaze, piercing into you as if he knows the reason you crept from your room after he specifically requested you remain inside. For what reason, though?

“You must have been preoccupied with your fiddling,” you retort primly, perfectly aware of the insinuation you’ve just made. A pleasant laugh drags form his throat, having something warm and liquid lighting in your lower belly. “I could show you, if you’d like,” he drawls, lips curving into a feline smile.

You stop in your tracks, head spinning as you turn to face him. He’s also come to a halt, watching you with the intense green of his, nostrils flaring delicately. A soft snarl rumbles in his chest as the wind blows past you, carrying your scent for him to get drunk on. “I beg your pardon?” You manage, slightly hoarsely.

The High Lord laughs lowly; quietly at your stammer. “I said: I could show you. My fiddle still remains beside a bonfire. I would happily play for you,” he supplies, turning to face forward. “It wouldn’t be for long, as there are still duties I have yet to fulfil, but for the moment…” his eyes flick to yours in question. Your heart drums against your chest, beating and pounding at his attention, the apparent vulnerability in those emerald and gilt eyes.

You turn away, averting your gaze so he cannot see the nerves that are sizzling beneath your skin, frying and scrambling your mind. “I would not want to withhold you from your duties, High Lord. I think I’ve stolen enough of your time as it is. You should not keep the night waiting.” He makes a low sound in his throat in reply, pausing before resuming conversation, as if he had hoped you might change your mind. “Then, allow me to assure you safe passage back to the festivities, at least. To be sure your lovely dancing-feet don’t give out from your revelry,” he says softly, his charm almost a tangible thing in the night air.

Delving through your mind, no words come to hand that would be a polite dissuasion, so all you can do is gracefully accept his offer. You turn to make the walk back, but something like a laugh resounds in his chest, making you pause. “What do you find so amusing?” You ask, resisting the urge to return his good nature as you peer at him.

He prowls closer, coming to a stop beside you, near enough you can feel his warmth grazing your arms, hairs rising with awareness. “It’s a night of extravagance, of indulging in decadence,” he says smoothly, but you still don’t understand. When he settles to the ground, great paws tucking beneath him, you begin to get the idea. “It would not be right for me to allow you to wonder back on those feet of yours. A Lady should not walk when she has no need to.”

Heat flushes your cheeks, lips parting in barely concealed astonishment. “You—… You are asking me to ride you?” You ask, disbelievingly. His smile broadens to a grin, the same one he’d shown you multiple times past, seemingly just for you, “you have quite the tongue for implications, don’t you?” You flush further, replaying your words. “But yes, that is what I am asking,” he says, watching you carefully. You manage what you hope is a vaguely confident nod, before approaching him.

“Is it…acceptable to put my hands upon you, my Lord?” You ask, unsure how you would manage to mount him otherwise. “More than acceptable, Lady. I would argue it is expected,” he laugh softly. You swallow your embarrassment, stepping into him as your hands find purchase in the soft locks of fur, swinging your leg over him. He goes slightly rigid beneath you, and you pray to the Mother he can’t feel the nakedness of your heat though your dress—thin as it is. But then he raises onto his paws, muscle shifting beneath you, and your thoughts are banished.

And as he begins the slow wonder back the way you’d come, you feel your muscles lose their tension, melting into the solid heat beneath you.

————

“Thank you for the…company, my Lord,” you say, curtsying slightly before his large frame. You have a feeling ride wouldn’t have been the right word choice.

Heat is warming your bones, but he seems to be lending you the courtesy of not mentioning what is probably an obvious shift in scent by now. Most likely because you are doing the same for him. No sooner than you had mounted him, you’d been wrapped in the scent of his arousal, light enough to blend seamlessly into his usual fragrance.

You stand opposite one another, silence stretching between you as you anxiously wring your finger behind your back. The thought alone of that distinct scent has you aching in response. You consider it a perfectly normal reaction to be having to your High Lord upon this particular night, affording yourself yet another excuse. “It was my pleasure,” he says, green eyes gleaming beneath the moonlight, and you can pick out the sparks from the bonfires reflecting in the depths of his gaze. Piercing in their intensity. “I would invite you to enjoy the night to its fullest, Lady,” he rumbles, talons protruding from his paws as if to keep him in place. “And I for you, Lord.”

The wind blows toward you, and you’re once again wrapped within his scent, powerful and comfortingly masculine with a soft undertone that has your toes curling in the grass. “I hope you do well by your Court, on this eve,” you add, wishing to spend a little more of yourself on his time—selfish as it may be.

Again, those green eyes flick over you, glinting with something too fleeting to place. But then he’s taking a step forward; your heart spikes, foolish illusions forming themselves in your mind’s eye. “You came out of your room tonight,” he says, softly enough it’s a struggle for your ears to pick out the words. When you figure them out, however, you stiffen. This is the conversation you had been hoping to avoid. “It’s Calanmai,” you reason with surprising ease, “I would like to enjoy the perks of the celebration like every other female.”

He regards you, taking another set of steps forward. His scent becomes more overpowering with each inch gained, heart picking up at his closeness. “Why lie to me?” He asks, catching you off guard. You blink, and it’s the confirmation he needs. “You weren’t dancing with the revellers,” he says, softly.

“And I suppose you would know because you fiddled at every bonfire?” You ask in the same soft tone. The smile he gives you is a little feral, “I would know, because the magic of this night took me to your estate, just as I had anticipated.” You go preternaturally still as his words fall on your pointed ears. “And yet here you are, out in the forests when I had specifically requested your absence this night.”

You flush as you put together his pieces. His scent, the unusual forwardness, the…ride. “Forgive me,” you murmur, quietly, “I had no intention of—”

The wind changes.

Steadily, your scent catches on the cool breeze, winding and wrapping around him as his own had with you. His pupils contracts, talons sliding deeper into the soil with restraint, nostrils flaring as his body goes rigid. Muscle tightens, lip curling slightly as his attention centres on the dip between your thighs. “I suggest you leave, now,” he manages, voice strained with tension.

But the magic had called him to you, and you to him. Surely there was reason for the drums holding more allure than they had in past years. Maybe it’s not a weak will that has led you to this circumstance.

You take a small step forward, his pupils contracting further, muscle trembling as your scent envelopes him. “Tamlin…” you begin, taking another small step toward the towering beast. Then his pupils are dilating, filling the marvellously rich green of his iris’, almost swallowing them whole. “I don’t want—” he manages. “I want you, but…”

“But what?” You ask. “This is the purpose of the Rite. Nothing to be concerned about.” But the shake in your voice betrays your emotions.

“I want you to want it, too,” he rasps, strain evident in his jaw; the harsh line of muscle up his paws.

You nod, taking that last step forward. If he lowers his neck, he’ll be able to press his vulpine nose against you. “I do,” you murmur, “I do want you, Tamlin.”

A low snarl sounds in his throat, his name seeming to be his undoing as he takes a sudden step forward, pushing into your stomach with enough force to knock you to the mossy ground. Your eyes widen, attempting to gather yourself but vines and roots are crawling about your body, winding hastily up your calves and thighs, pulling up your night dress until you’re bare in the night.

His eyes seem to glow in the dark, magic thrumming beneath his skin as your heart follows the drum of his power. “You’re sure?” He asks gutturally, somehow keeping himself at bay a little longer. “I’m not— I don’t want to hurt you.” Your eyes lock, and you’re aware that you’re panting, heat swelling in your chest the longer you look at him.

Slowly, tentatively, you latch your fingers at the hem of your night dress. His gaze narrows on your hands as you raise the material over your head, leaving you naked for him, “I trust you, Tamlin.” His eyes hold enough anguish for you to grasp the depth of his concerns—he doesn’t want to ruin whatever it is that’s flourishing between you. “Have you ever hurt anyone before? During the Rite?” You ask. He manages a shake of his head, and you nod in response. “I believe you,” you say, relaxing beneath the roots and vines constraining your lower body. “And I trust you, Tamlin,” you repeat, letting him feel your sincerity.

“I’m here: take me.”

Vines wrap around your waist, hugging your skin as they circle over your breasts, coiling around your nipples before snaking down your arms. They don’t pull, or guide, simply hold you—make no mistake he could move you as he pleased if he wished. Hooked talons gleam in the moonlight, eyes glowing with inner power as he stalks forward. “Is that why you stumbled out of your lovely estate?” He drawls, voice roughening with carnal hunger as he towers over you. “You wanted to find me, too?”

Unimaginable lust melts the arousal in the pit of your belly, turning it to something liquid and molten as he settles on his paws before you. You try not to be embarrassed at the position, how he can see everything between your legs. How turned on you are: gleaming beneath the stars. “Yes,” you swallow. “I was hoping to find you.”

His lip curls in a soft snarl, prowling forward while keeping low to the ground, “if I had known I could be so forward with you, I wouldn’t have waited all these months to have you in my bed.” His admission has your pulse spiking, has your legs widening a little more. His eyes glitter with dark hunger, noting the gesture; the invitation. His snout roughly nudges your thighs further apart, vines constricting as they follow his will. Heat prickles your skin, awareness lighting your body as a cool spring breeze licks over your nakedness.

A quiet breath escapes your lips as he presses between your legs, your panting becoming deeper. “Oh, gods,” you stammer shakily, his eyes flicking up to you in pleasure. Then his jaw is opening, his slightly rough tongue dragging flatly over your heat, passing through your centre. “Tamlin…!” You breathe, muscles tensing at the abrupt stimulation. A sound of deep, male satisfaction purrs through his chest, repeating the action with firmer intent.

Your lips part, spine arching as the vines slither and slide over your skin, giving attention to every nerve ending. “I…what?” You stammer, mind fumbling from the pleasure. Your teeth find your lower lip as his tongue starts moving eagerly over you, the textured scrape over your clit making your eyes roll to the back of your skull. When he purrs with pleasure, the wet muscle vibrates, sending those quick-fire pulses straight to your nerves, and you shudder.

When a startled moan slips from your lips, he growls, eyes flickering as if he’s warring for control within himself. Hunger glitters in his darkened gaze, and one large paw lands possessively over your abdomen, spanning your entire stomach. A humiliating whimper drags from your throat at the delicious pressure, one leg hooking over his other paw, toes curling in the grass.

“Tamlin…” you pant, loving the way his talons hook around your waist, keeping you pinned beneath him. But it’s comforting, you feel secure instead of trapped. He growls in pleasure, and more moans spill from your parted lips, arching into him, almost trembling with the effort to keep all this euphoria within you. It simply builds, and builds, pressure intensifying beneath your skin until you know you’re going to snap.

Your mouth opens in a silent moan, head tipping back as his paw presses a little harder over you. The tapered end of the wet muscle presses against your entrance, the base part of his tongue pushing into your clit, purring roughly as he feels you tighten once, the sign you’re about to tip over the edge. He growls with male pleasure as your body relaxes into his vines, melting into his power as pleasure floods your blood, singing beneath your skin.

His name is a mantra in your mouth, repeating over and over again like it’s the only word you know, the only word you can remember as your vision flashes light and dark. “Tamlin…” you beg quietly, pleading for him not to stop, to let you continue on this high as your legs spasm and your body goes limp.

Your vision is somewhat blurred when you softly float down from your high, and you have to blink away the dampness. Your skin is gleaming with sweat, heart pounding in your chest as heat ravages your body and you have this need, this incessant need to push your legs wider. You need to have him, want and need and need and want him so badly you feel like the world is whirling inside of you.

His vines release you enough for you to attempt shifting, but you’re so sensitive that you tremble. “Tamlin, I…” you murmur, looking up at him desperately, but then your attention catches between his hind legs, and you could sigh with relief.

The vines tighten and constrict around your form, finally taking advantage of you as you’re moved to his pleasure, flipping you onto your arms and legs—feet flat against the ground as you’re bent until your palms are planted in the grass. You flush wildly at the position, leaning heavily into the vines to keep you balanced at such a sharp angle. You’re completely open to him, and you watch from between your own legs as he prowls forward.

Your hair slides up over your shoulders from the slant of your spine, brushing the ground as you feel him put himself over you—the soft fur of his stomach brushing silkily against your back, his front paws landing further beyond your own arms, hind legs just behind your feet.

You could cry when you feel his tip nestling against your entrance, the bare, soft skin surrounding that area hot and gentle against your ass. “Tamlin…” you beg, whimpering with need, “please…” He growls in response, talons slipping out from his knuckles, digging into the soil as he rubs himself over your wet heat. “Hold still,” he growls, the syllables of his order rasping against your pointed ears. You keep as still as possible for him, needing to have him pounding you into the mossy bed as soon as possible. With muscles like his, lining his body with feline grace, you doubt he’ll have any struggle doing so.

“Breathe in,” he commands. You do so, right as he pushes in. The air whooshes from your lungs as you take the first few inches, limbs trembling; going weak with pleasure. “Breathe in,” he repeats, a low snarl. The inherent dominance he has over you as High Lord forcing you to take in a gulp of air. Your vision clears, and he pushes in deeper. You curse softly, making him chuckle. “I had no idea you possessed such a foul mouth,” he growls, shifting his paws to rest over the roots of a nearby tree, levelling himself. “What other sounds will you make for me tonight, sparrow?”

You bite back a moan as he sinks those last few inches into you, creating such intense pressure within your abdomen it’s a wonder you don’r reach your high right then and there. “I’ll sing for you until my lungs blow out,” you breathe, pressing back against him, so it’s skin against skin, the delicious weight of him at your back. He groans, the husky sounds reverberating through your back, going from the tips of your toes to the peaks of your nipples, vines flicking over them playfully.

“Please, Tamlin…” you breathe, rolling your hips back against him, “please move.” He laughs lowly, as he pulls back, then slowly glides in, shoving the air from your chest. “You like being full up, don’t you?” He asks roughly, hips dragging back once again, further this time, before pressing back inside, tipping you forward ever so slightly. “Yes,” you murmur in reply, “love it.”

Tamlin snarls softly, finally dragging back all the way, reassured you can take him without being in pain, as he finally slams in. A loud, high-pitched moan spills from your lips, toes and fingers curling in the grass as he repeats the action. He raises his front paws, burying his talons into the tree so he can put his weight behind each thrust, cock dragging over those spots that have white dots dancing across your sight.

Words leave your mind as he sets the pace, one that keeps the pleasure flowing without turning too rough, or sloppy. You’re not sure you could handle him if he really decided to be rough, but then again…

He hits deep inside of you and you’re so relieved those vines are holding you firmly in place. Securing you beneath him so he’s free to pound into you, use you exactly how he wants. A scream spills from your lips as he doesn’t let up, continues giving you that pleasure, heat building and coiling as the pressure intensifies. All over again you can feel yourself tightening around him, ready to unravel, to spring free, then release everything.

He can sense it and it spurs him on, hips bucking upward as he slightly changes the angle, twitching inside of you once as you tighten. “Tamlin, I…” you can’t form the words, don’t even know what you’re trying to say but he purrs in response, as if he can understand. The reverberations strum through you, and you fall. You topple over that edge, fluttering around him and he roars in response.

Your eyes roll back as he spills into you, hot spurts of liquid pumping you full, so much that he spills down your thighs, so much you feel every part of your inner heat swell with his come. The world goes black, and then you’re thrown into a storm of pleasure, rough waves cresting over you, taking you under as you fight for breath; as it overwhelms you entirely.

You’re shaking and trembling when he at last finishes, the final drops of his release pumping you to the brim, stuffing you full as he pulls away. The vines slowly release you, gently enough that you don’t immediately hit the floor, instead settling into the spongy moss. Your breaths come out in deep, hurried pants, hauling air into your body as you begin to recover from the intensity of the night.

Magic crackles at your back, and then warm, sturdy arms are wrapping beneath your middle, pulling you back into a firm chest. You melt against him as he presses kiss after kiss to your temple. He keeps you against him, set between his powerful thighs as he strokes your skin lightly.

The moon still gleams over head, the drums a far off beat, over the hills and through the trees. From another world entirely. In this world—in your world—it’s just him. Him with his arms around you, keeping you warm and comforted as your sight darkens into sleep.

You pass into night with the soft press of his mouth to your hair, fingers grazing your skin with infinite care, as if worried he’ll break you with too much force.

His scent is the last thing you remember before you’re swallowed entirely into oblivion.

Taglist: @myheartfollower @tcris2020 @mali22 @amygdtjhddzvb

[readychilledwine]

Headcanons on taking each High Lord in their beast form?

I'm sweating.

✨️High Lord Monsterfucking Headcanons✨️

Warnings- monsterfucking, beast forms, primal instincts, breeding references, mentions of knotting, implied size kink just on subject matter alone, primal play, biting scratching, marking, mating marks, picture references from Bad Dragon, unrealistic smut, dr. jekyll and mr. hyde type situations

A/n - This one might get me in trouble. A lot of thought went into this. We're going with a partial shift situation. Ignore the colors of things. Think of them as whatever color you want then to be.

Please remember, not all kinks are for everyone. If this one isn't yours, there is plenty of smut on my masterlist 💕

Rhysand

I firmly believe Rhysand would have a primal play kink regardless of if he's in his beastform, but mentally prepare yourself for bruises, scratching, and biting

Rhysand is typically a gentle but passionate lover, his beast is not. His beast has one goal: breed.

You aren't going to walk for a while. That's the reality. Sorry.

When picking for Rhysand, I was kind of drawn to the idea that he wouldn't have an overly scary monster cock, but it's very thick and heavy

It's going to touch places science doesn't have a name for yet. Once you relax, it's nothing but pleasure

I decided with all the animals Tamlin's shifted form looks like, he gets to have a horse like cock

Tamlin

I feel like sex in his beastform is something Tamlin is fan of.

Or at least, he'll shift part of himself to his beast form.

The interesting thing with Tamlin is he can shift his cock to whatever you'd desire. Fire drake, tentacle, normal but enhanced girth. Whatever you need to feel good, Tamlin will provide

He'd be down to shift his cock to every fantasy or based on your mood as well

What I'm getting at is sex with Tamlin is rarely not in some form of a beast form.

I am a firm believer in the form we've been told about not being Tam's true beastform, though.

I imagine sex with him in that form is delightfully dangerous for those of you who want to live on the edge.

Neck held between his teeth, plants holding you exactly where his beast wants you. I don't see Tamlin's beast being gentle in any way, shape, or form.

I firmly believe Tamlin isn't really all that into the idea of kids at the moment, and I think due to how often Tamlin shifts, he has control over that side of him and it's aware. So. No breeding kink here.

I almost went with Tarquin's beast form being a kraken. I landed on a leviathan instead. This was a missed tentacle opportunity. Sorry.

Tarquin

I couldn't help but to think "coral" with the texture of this, and that made me go "Tarquin"

I imagine Tarquin as a gentle and giving lover, regardless of form.

You'll still get primal play, but imagine deep growls of satisfaction versus dominance.

Tarquin is going to leave you covered in love marks and reminders when he is in this form.

Tarquin is all about breeding. His beast is going to pump you full and keep you full until it decides otherwise

Yea, I gave him a slightly scary one.

Helion

It's because I feel like Helion would find the idea of knotting delicious, but more easing into it instead hurting you.

Helion in his fae form is adventurous, but I think his beast is more straight to it. Hard, rough, and demanding.

The male knocked up Lady Autumn on accident. You'll be on purpose. He's knotting you and forcing you to lay there, exhausted, overstimulated, and whimpering until his knot deflates.

He will shift back after that and give you the best aftercare.

Helion has bit your neck and forever marked you as his. When his beast sees that mark, it's almost as if he purrs while he's affectionately licking what is his

I feel like Beron in his fae and beast form is a flip of a coin. If you're obedient and submissive, he's a generous lover. If you're not, well, expect to just be his playtoy.

Beron

Which, don't get me wrong, if you're into used and abused, let me introduce you to the High Lord of Autumn

Beron's beast form is straight up feral. Snarling, growling, biting, scratching. I'd recommend visiting a healer for a good healing Potion.

Beron clearly has a breeding kink. His beast form is no exception.

You need to be prepared to spend hours cockwarming his beast because he's not going to let you move for a while. That seed is too precious to waste.

His beast form cock is intimidating. Mainly due to the head.

Lots of prep going into him taking you like this. He may be cruel, but he has no interest in damaging his favorite part of you.

I'll be honest, I don't see Thesan as the type to enjoy monsterfucking.

Thesan

I see Thesan as a sweet bottom starfish who just wants to relax and have someone else do the work.

You can ride, maybe? How ambitious are you? Very? That's good. This dick tapers

You think it will be easy the first time since the tip and top of his shaft are slimmer. Hit the middle and get back to me

I loved the idea of his cock having bumps along the sides. Extra stimulation for you, and in my mind, extra sensitive for him.

I don't even really see Thesan as a power bottom. People normally like the opposite roles they present to the public during sex. I feel Thesan, even in his beast form, feels that way as well.

He's more than happy to lie back, watching you please yourself using him, watching you take things your pace.

Don't sleep on this male. I keep tell you all.

Kallias

Knotting. Knotting. Knitting.

All the time. Expect it when you are enjoying his beast.

He got Viv pregnant fast for a reason, so I hope you like Littles.

I wanted something smooth for Kal with the logic that their beast forms are supposed to be the physical representations of their powers. Smooth and cool like ice is what I was picturing, and this fit the bill

Still slightly ridged for your pleasure, but mostly a smooth ride to absolute bliss.

I imagine Kal can play with his body temperature. Making this colder at will for some interesting temperature play

I do see him as valuing intimacy and romance more than pleasure. With who he is at his core, I imagine his beast is about foreplay and aftercare.

There's a misconception that gentle sex is boring (thanks porn) and Kal is proof that is wrong. Very very wrong.

Yes, he will growl, bite you if asked, and run his claws down your back, but those harsher touches are followed by his snoot buried in your neck and hair, his tongue flicking a sensitive area of your choice, and purring. Comforting purring.

Kal's slow when he has you take his knot. He works it in inch by tantalizing inch until you are drooling below him.

That's his favorite sight in the world. You in a state of total Euphoria.

Tag List not attached to respect that this isn't everyone's cup of tea 💕

[utterlyotterlyx]

What The Water Gave Me

Lucien x Tamlin!Sister!Reader

Part Two to Way Down We Go

Summary - Tamlin finds out that his little sister isn't so little anymore.

Warnings - angst, threats of death, light humour, fluff, suggestive themes

That afternoon in the dining room had stuck to your memory for weeks.

Every time you closed your eyes flashes of Lucien's head between your thighs blossomed to the forefront of your consciousness, so it was no surprise really that you found yourself drifting away into the memory whenever you could.

Tamlin had returned that evening none the wiser to the antics floating between his little sister and best friend, and you had to supress the grin from forming on your lips when he sat at the seat where only hours before you were begging Lucien to put a child in you.

The same mischief was laced in Lucien's orbs when they flickered to you, silently promising to continue on his quest the moment he had you alone. His lips parted deliciously, and his teeth grasped at the tip of his fork as he slid the honeyed meat into his mouth, chewing slowly with his gaze unmoving from you across the table. It was lucky that Tamlin didn't see his friend ripping your clothes off with his eyes, and it was even more fortunate that you had managed to keep your sex crazed scent hidden from the beast beside you.

Lucien had no issue keeping that hushed promise, scaling the manor walls and slipping through your bedroom window that night, slowly unbuttoning his shirt as he approached you, licking his lips at the sight of your nipples that were piqued against the satin of your ivory nightgown.

That was sent to the floor in tatters within a matter of minutes.

Something about a child had made Lucien turn positively feral, the state it drove him into was far more exhilarating than the craze caused by the mating bond. Lucien couldn't take his eyes off of you, not even for a second. If you were walking in the gardens then Lucien would be watching you from the patio, if you were floating along the streams then Lucien would be walking along the bank with his eyes scouring over your body. No matter where you were, even if you couldn't see him, Lucien was always keeping a keen eye on you.

Maybe the thought of you carrying his babe had spurred on the possessiveness, but you didn't mind it. Not one bit. The perfect moments of your days had been consumed by the thought of having Lucien buried inside of you, fangs scraping against the shell of your ear whilst he muttered of how perfect you were to him, and how even more beautiful you'd be with you stomach swelling with his child.

You should have put two and two together sooner really.

The morning you had first scented the minor change in your body had made you gasp and bolt upright in your bed. Your fingers drifted to your abdomen, and you could almost feel the adoration flowing from the small seed sprouting in your stomach. The moment of wonder was soon replaced by fear, you knew you wouldn't be able to hide the scent from Tamlin for long, let along your soon-to-be changing figure.

Unfortunately, every time you had gone to find Lucien to tell him, to figure out a plan, he had been too busy. Some days he had been gone patrolling the boarders or vanquishing the naga, other days Tamlin had dragged him into hours long meetings, and then Tamlin had sent him away to act as emissary during a visit to the Dawn Court, on what business you weren't sure but it was paining you to keep the news from him.

One afternoon, two weeks after you had discovered you were to have his child, you had found yourself submerged in one of the ponds in the gardens with the sun beating down on you and caressing the barely there swell of your stomach. It had been lonely keeping the news to yourself, but you had been lucky to be able to share it with your animal friends that littered the grounds, from the mother birds to the school of fox cubs that were growing more and more each day. Now, instead of peppering your face with their love, their snouts and beaks would gently stroke against your stomach, and the run of the fox cubs would often curl himself atop of it and sigh with happiness.

The water was soothing, it seemed to know exactly which ache to kiss and when, from the knots in your shoulders to the pestering throbbing in your breasts. Every time you went into the water, you emerged refreshed and revitalised, with unbound damp hair drinking in the sunlight and warmth provided from the air.

Though, nothing about what was about to occur was either refreshing or revitalising.

The patio doors burst open, and Lucien spied you in the pond from where he stood, urgency was laced in his eyes and he looked back only momentarily before he sped across the garden, through the hedges and over the mounds, to reach you.

Lucien's presence startled you, and not only because you weren't expecting him to return home so soon. You rose from the water as he approached, not even bothering to take off his boots as he trudged through the water to stand by your side, or rather, behind you.

"I may have forgotten to put the shield up," Lucien nearly squeaked, eyes darting about the garden before landing on the patio where Tamlin stood, knuckles turned white and a fire burning in his eyes that you had never seen before, "He may have scented the bond on me."

"What?"

"I was tired," Lucien offered as an excuse, wrapping his arms around your waist and tugging you backward.

"This is exactly what I was trying to avoid," you snapped at him with your gaze unmoving from your brother who slowly prowled down the stone steps that led into the gardens, his own eyes fixated on you.

"I may now understand why you wanted that," you elbowed him in the ribs and he emitted a soft ooft at the action.

You turned your head to the side to capture his eyes, "Really? Only now?"

Tamlin continued to prowl through the gardens, weaving between the hedges and flowerbeds, dressed in his usual green tunic with his hands drifting at his sides. A strange calm was on his face, and he stopped just where the water met the grass, the tips of his boots kissing the waters edge. "Care to tell me something?"

The tone in his voice was dangerous, and it made a shudder flow down your spine. Lucien's fingers gripped the seams of your dress, "I-" Lucien cleared his throat, lopping a finger under his collar to alleviate some pressure, "We. Didn't want you to find out this way."

Cocking his head to the side, eyes lethally serene, your brother asked, "Find out what, exactly?"

A wave of love flowed down the bond between you and your mate, a silent promise that no matter what reaction was about to be seen, that you would always have one another.

"Lucien and I are mates."

Tamlin growled at the words, his top lip curling into a snarl, and his green gaze shot to Lucien who was still stood behind you, knee deep in pondwater with his heart threating to pound right out of his chest. "No. No you're not."

"The last time I checked I'd definitely say that we are."

"Don't be a brat right now, y/n," you couldn't quite decipher the emotion in his eyes, the pain and sense of betrayal, the disbelief, the rage that was creeping in. Tamlin pointed to Lucien, his finger quaking with anger, "You. Out of that damned pond. Right. Now."

"I don't think that that's the best idea."

"Y/N," Tamlin warned, his eyes shooting between you and Lucien before dragging downward to the hands secured around your waist, notably to the thumb stroking against your stomach. "You're meant to be my best friend. My best friend and my sister, I cannot believe this."

"Do you think I wanted this to happen-"

"You didn't?"

Lucien pinched his nose and inhaled deeply, "Now is not the time y/n-"

"Lucien. Out of the water now, before I come in there myself and kill you."

Lucien went to move from you, to obey his High Lord and friend, but you stopped him, "You won't hurt him," you told Tamlin, moving from Lucien's embrace and approaching the waters edge, stepping up onto the grass and craning your gaze upward, "You wouldn't leave your niece fatherless, would you?"

"What?"

"What?"

Ignoring Lucien's repetition from his place in the pond, you took a further step toward Tamlin, taking his calmed hands in yours and guiding them to your abdomen, willing your shield to disappear so that he could witness the change in your scent. Not only was it a myriad of you and Lucien, but it was kissed with a something new, something loving and innocent and fresh.

"I love him, Tam. I really love him. And I didn't want to tell you, I didn't want to hurt your feelings or make you think that we wouldn't stay with you, to aid you in ruling over our home. I'm sorry if you feel betrayed, but you will not hurt my mate, not unless you wish to hurt me and our child too."

"You're pregnant," he whispered, the emotion in his eyes morphing into pure unfiltered wonderment as his fingers grazed over your growing stomach, feeling the rapid heartbeat of the small babe blossoming inside of you, "You love him?"

"More than anything."

Then, Tamlin smiled, "You're carrying a girl?"

You matched his grin, "I think so. I have a feeling," you cocked your head to the side slightly, "And she's going to love you, but only if you leave her father unharmed."

Tamlin hummed and looked past you, beckoning Lucien from the water who appeared at your side within a matter of moments, looking down on you with a newfound love, "If you hurt her-"

"I'd sooner harm myself than ever think of it," Lucien muttered, not sparing Tamlin a glance, hoping that he would take it as a sign to leave, which thankfully, he did. "You didn't say anything."

Inhaling, you peered up at your mate, his hands caressed your stomach and you could see the tears pooling in his eyes, "There was never a good time. You were patrolling the boarders and getting pulled into all of those meetings, and then you were sent away. I didn't want to rush telling you, I wanted it to be perfect," you grinned, and then prodded his chest with your finger, "And then someone just had to let their glamour down."

Huffing a laugh, Lucien scratched the side of his face sheepishly, "It wasn't one of my finer moments I'll admit," his hands came to rest on your hips and his dipped his head low to connect your lips with his, breathing in the scent of your bond alongside the new addition of your child. "I'm going to be a father."

"And we don't have to hide anymore."

"Am I dreaming?"

Chuckling, you rested your head against his chest and felt every ounce of tension leave your body as your bond glowed so golden that it threatened to drown the sun, "I hope not."

Lucien pressed his lips into the crown of your head and ran his fingers down your spine, "It seems that we have a ceremony to plan."

And as if on cue, you heard Tamlin from inside the manor barking orders to the aids, ones that beckoned as many flowers that the grass could carry and a High Priest, for if anyone was going to have the perfect mating ceremony, then he'd be damn sure that it was going to be his little sister.

Author's Note

brb crying.

[shadowdarlings]

Rain & Redemption II

Tamlin x Reader

Synopsis : The Lord of Spring has returned, with his nightingale in tow. While readapting to civilized life you and Tamlin face reality together.

part one

Pairings : TamlinxReader

a/n : so i am really digging the first part of this story and decided that i want to continue writing at 12:07am so i hope you enjoy this as much as i did <3

Warnings : slight angst (with comfort), mentions of trauma, suggestiveness, as always possessive tamlin (in a good way)

... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ..

Dinner with Tamlin was a drawn out affair. The deer he hunted down, no doubt in his beast form, had to be prepped and cooked. While he began dressing the fallen creature you took it upon yourself to begin sifting through the discarded and destroyed artifacts that littered the dining area. Although the manor had been shredded and abandoned, you couldn’t help but marvel at its refreshing beauty. Here there was light. Massive glass windows looked out to a rose garden that was surely once well manicured. The sun had already started its descent past the horizon but light still streamed in from every corner. The manor was everything that your home under that gods forsaken mountain wasn’t. The Hewn City was all darkness and stale air. You began sorting things into two piles. Items that were fairly unharmed were deemed “to keep”, others that had been completely torn apart were tossed into a discard pile. The two of you worked diligently in silence until he looked up from the deer and said, “You never told me your name.” You tore your gaze from the chipped vase in your hands and met his stare. “You never asked,” you began with a playful smugness, “but it’s Y/N.” Something unreadable flickered in his green eyes before a slight smirk cracked on his face. “Well, Y/N,” he said with a dramatic pause, “our dinner is ready to be cooked. How do you like your venison?”

You both agreed that without a working kitchen that a fire would be the best way to roast the deer. While he built a fire you toyed with an idea. “What if we preserved some of this beautiful bounty into something that will last beyond a night?” you asked him. Tamlin threw another piece of wood onto the makeshift fire and answered your question with his own. “As in a jerky? How do you mean?” That was exactly what you had meant. The future of your time in this manor and when you would next have a full meal was entirely uncertain. The topic had hardly been broached. “Unless you intend to spend the rest of your days hunting and building fires, it might be a prudent idea.” He looked you over before replying, “Smart, little bird. We’ll make two steaks for tonight and dry out the rest. It should preserve overnight and we can feast on jerky for weeks.” Satisfied with your quick thinking you helped him prepare the meat for roasting.

“What did you mean when you said you are not fit to be a ruler?” you asked after another bout of silence. Tamlin stilled his spinning of your dinner over the fire and his gaze shot to the flames between you. “I’m sorry,” you quickly said, “If I’m prying too much.” He did not look up from the inferno but said quietly, “I have abandoned my people and my post. Those who reside in the Spring Court put their faith in me. I have failed them again and again, in so many ways.” You blinked once at his brutal honesty before prodding further. “Will they not look to you once more? Surely there is a way to regain their trust.” His eyes moved from the fire to your own. They were filled with such sadness, such regret. “I would not know where to start, little nightingale.” You scoffed lightly as his response. “Well,” you began, “I think leaving those woods and coming home is already a start, wouldn’t you say? If you’re willing to return just to ensure the safety of a lone Night Court citizen, I can’t imagine what you might be willing to do for your people.” The sadness in his eyes faded ever so slightly as he said, “Since you’re so full of wisdom tonight, pray tell how might I continue this path of redemption?” You smiled at that.

... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ..

Tamlin was restless. Every time he started to fade away, sleep evaded him and he was jolted awake by poisoned memories. He had declared that he wanted to sleep outside the manor to stay alert for any looters or more dangerous creatures. He’d shifted into his beast form and taken post directly in front of the entrance just as night had overtaken the Spring Court. Truly, he was not sure if he was ready to sleep under this roof again. The two of you had talked for hours, discussing your histories and what the future of the Spring Court might look like. He’d escorted you to your room and bid you a gentlemanly goodnight, but your conversation replayed in his mind endlessly. A loose plan had been set in place to begin repairing his relations with those that depended on him. You had been so eager and determined while you both brainstormed ideas for making amends. He admired your tenacity yet was not fully convinced that this plan would work effectively. The thought made him queasy. His heart began a pace that tightened his chest and he was sure that if he’d been in his fae form that his palms would be sweaty. Tamlin shoved his anxieties down and recalled what you had told him about Rhysand, about how he’d condemned the entire Hewn City to a life of cruelty and rot. Although the idea of tomorrow sent him into an unending panic, he did not wish for you or any of his people to endure the same neglect for another moment.

... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ..

The morning light creeped in through the open window in your bedroom. It took a moment to recall everything that had happened, where you now were. The bedding had been dusty but a few shakes had it cleaner than before. You didn’t mind dirt, you’d spent a year lying on the forest floor. Waking up in a soft bed had become unfamiliar, but you relished the softness of the pillows and blankets before sitting to stretch your limbs. Moving to the armoire, you sifted through the clothing to find a pale green dress and a set of cream slippers. The outfit was plain but you didn’t particularly mind. Your mission for today did not require glittering attire. You fixed your hair into a loose braid and pulled two strands from the front to frame your face. After giving yourself a once over in the looking glass you deemed your appearance fit for the task at hand.

Tamlin was already dressed in a tunic and pants that were similar in style to the night before. You only gave yourself a moment to admire his wide shoulders before clearing your throat. He turned from his work on the piles you had created the night before and said “Good morning,” before he faltered. His eyes widened slightly and dragged up and down your figure. Meeting your gaze once more he choked out, “Well don’t we look the picture of Spring today?” You rolled your eyes at him and moved to take the picture frame from his hands. “We have a job to do, remember?” Tamlin huffed out a weak laugh before replying, “How could I ever forget?” He looked tired. You wondered if he slept as marvelously as you did. Considering that he spent the night on a set of marble stones you didn’t know how he possibly could.

The two of you moved outside to where the deer had been smoking overnight. Indeed it had preserved itself into a jerky that would remain edible for weeks. He started packing the strips into the wooden bin you had found in the kitchens when you said, “I have another idea.” He did not pause his movement or even look at you as he said, “Of course you do.” You pulled a basket from behind your back and waved it in front of his face to draw his attention. “I was thinking,” you began, “we should gather some flowers to take as well. These gardens are completely overrun. There are flowers and berries that need culling anyhow.” He straightened and assessed the gardens before the manor. “As you wish,” was all he said. Tamlin had been quieter than he was last night. You thought it best not to pry further and with his permission granted made your way into the thick of the garden and began collecting the fruits of spring.

When your basket was full and Tamlin had stored all of the dried meat you both began your trek to the nearest village. On horseback, he had told you, it would only take a half hour to reach your destination. After the fall of Spring his array of horses had all been stolen or set free by anonymous citizens. After two hours of walking the two of you were tired and parched. A nearby stream trickled with fresh water and you both drank deeply from its supply. “It’s just over that hill,” he said. The hike had been mostly silent. You were learning to enjoy quiet moments with the High Lord. It was almost as if you had a mutual understanding that the silence was not rude, but instead a peaceful reprieve. “No turning back now,” you said, standing from the stream and straightening your lightweight gown. He grunted in acknowledgment as you both continued your parade to the village.

The sight of the meager town was heartbreaking. Several houses and shops had fallen into rubble and the village center had looked as equally abandoned as the manor. Tamlin halted immediately, his breath quickening. Sensing his discomfort you moved to lace your fingers between his, squeezing tightly. The High Lord did not balk from your touch but instead gave a light squeeze back and continued his approach. The two of you reached a small home that had a plume of smoke rising from a stone chimney. A sign of life. Unlocking your hands you raised a fist and gave two sharp knocks to the wooden door. A few moments of shuffling and then the door swung open to reveal a gruff looking fae male. His eyes first landed on you, then travelled upwards to the towering Lord behind you. The male’s eyes widened with shock and reproach. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” he spat at you both. You calmed the annoyance that flowed through you and made your voice gentle as you said, “I- We come to offer a favor to you and your home.” The male looked down at your basket and the dried jerky Tamlin held in his hand. “We don’t need your charity,” the male responded, “we’ve been fairing well enough on our own, girl.” A sweet voice sounded from further into the house, “Mikah? Who is it?” A pretty looking female stepped into the light of the entrance and put her hand on Mikah’s arm. When she turned her gaze to the two of you her expression almost mirrored the males’. “Our High Lord and his… this girl have brought favors.” She looked down to the goods you had presented and back to Mikah. “I told them we were just fine,” he said with a hint of finality in his tone. The female scoffed at him and observed the two of you once more. “We are most certainly not,” she started. “Invite him and the girl inside.” With that she turned and strode back into the house. Mikah gave Tamlin an incredulous look but opened the door further for you to enter.

The female’s name was Cera, you had learned. She fussed over dishes and refreshments as she lamented about their struggles. The village had been ripe for naga attacks and most residents had decided to evacuate the area for fear of their families. “Mikah did not want to leave, of course. He spends most of his days hunting, although they are not always fruitful.” You and Tamlin listened carefully to her story. There were only a few families that had stayed after his disappearance. They all struggled. You glanced over at Tamlin and were met with a stern face. His jaw was set and his eyes were dark with despair. Underneath the modest wooden table you grasped his hand once more, turning your attention back to Cera. The four of you spoke for several hours. You and Tamlin expressed your willingness to help in any way you could with the naga and the rebuilding of the village. After exchanging the dried meats and gifts from your basket, the two of you made your way back to the front of their house. “Thank you for having us,” you said “It’s been a pleasure making your acquaintance.” Cera reached out to pick up your hands. She looked at you then at Tamlin, her eyes pricked with tears. “Thank you for coming back. We need you,” she said. He nodded his head towards her and straightened as he said, “I could not have done it alone. It will take all of us to rebuild. I am thankful for your time.”

... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ..

Tamlin let out a heavy sigh when the two of you began your walk back to the manor. The day had been filled with conversations like the first he’d had with Mikah and Cera. The two of you had made your way to most of the families remaining in the village and presented your gifts as well as your pledges to restore their homes and lives. He was exhausted. Once the two of you had crested the hill overlooking the town he paused. You looked at him in curiosity. He was overwhelmed with emotions… gratitude, despair, grief, hopefulness, apprehension. Without thinking he grabbed your waist and pulled you close against his chest. He could hear your smooth, calming heartbeat. He breathed in your scent and closed his eyes. Only two days ago he had been more beast than man. Now he was walking on two legs and meeting with the people who had once trusted him. He felt your hands wrap around his middle as you nuzzled into him further. He could have stayed like this forever, but you pulled back looking up at him with those bright gorgeous eyes. “You did well today,” you said to him still in his grasp, “I’m proud of you.” Tamlin hadn’t heard such perfect words in a very long time.

... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ .. ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ..

Taglist : @lilah-asteria @booksnwriting @stained-glass-eyes0708 @anxious-cactus @thrumbolt @jesskidding3 @acotarxreader @nocasdatsgay @scorpioriesling

[riddlesb1tch]

Scarred Stars

Cassian x reader

summary: reader asks Cassian about how he got the scar on his brow.

warnings: mentions of war and fighting.

a/n: creds to @throneofsmut for the title!!!!!

You sat on Cassian’s lap, doing the nighttime skincare routine you had forced on him. You shuddered thinking about how he lived before he'd met you. This male did not know the difference between hand wash and face wash and would use literally whatever to wash his face. 

“As long as it's soap, it’s fine,” he’d say. 

One day you asked him, “Cassie you know laundry detergent is soap, right? Would you use that?” 

Thank the mother he shook his head because you had fully expected him to say it got the job done. Weirdly enough, even after washing his face with hand soap for the longest time, his skin remained a beautiful bronze with barely any blemishes. However, you knew he would not appreciate it if he ever did break out. 

When he got a pimple once, he refused to show you his face properly, saying he didn’t want you to see him like that. After that incident, you’d devised a skincare routine for Cassian that took care of his skin enough to prevent breakouts but wasn’t so long that he would be too tired or lazy to do it. One time, however, he was simply exhausted after a long day and was ready to go to bed without even washing his face. So you had offered to do his skincare for him. It was one of the most domestic and intimate moments of your relationship and since then, it has become both of your favourite part of your nighttime routine. 

Currently, you were sitting on Cassian’s lap having just done his skincare when you’d asked if you could pluck his eyebrows a little because a couple of stray hairs were bothering you. He’d said no initially but as soon as you settled comfortably on his lap with the tweezers, he seemed on board immediately. 

“Stop moving, Cassie,” you mumbled, resting one hand on his cheek while tweezing out stray brow hairs with the other. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled back. You could feel his gaze on your face and your cheeks heated up. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” you asked, making eye contact with the most adoring look you’d ever seen on his face. 

His hands moved up and down your sides as he blurted, “I love you.” 

You blushed, a big smile taking over your features. “I love you more,” you replied, gently holding his face between your hands and kissing his lips softly. You smiled and rested your forehead on his after pulling away and Cassian breathed deeply, holding you even closer. After a few seconds of silence, you placed a lingering kiss on his forehead before resuming plucking his brows. 

When you got to the left eyebrow, you delicately stroked the scar running down from his eyebrow to his cheekbone. Cassian closed his eyes in the comfort of having you touch him. 

“You’ve never told me how you got this,” you mumbled.  

He opened his eyes, looking up at you with saddened eyes. 

“It's not really a happy story,” he replied. 

Your brows furrowed in curiosity. “What happened?” you asked, arms looping around his neck. 

“Well, you know about the conflict that happened between Rhysand’s and Tamlin’s families, right?” he said. You nodded. “It happened when Rhysand and his father snuck into Spring so they could have an advantage. Obviously, I accompanied them.” 

You nodded along to his story. 

“The fight was…ugly, to say the least,” he looked away as if the memories still haunted him. 

You lovingly stroked his hair in empathy, letting him know you were there and he didn’t need to talk about it if he didn’t want to. 

“But basically when we were fighting, Tamlin tried to kill me,” he said. Immediately your body stiffened and rage filled your bones. 

Cassian held you just a bit tighter, rubbing soothing circles into your waist to calm you down. He understood the protective instincts the mating bond entailed and reassured you that it was all in the past now. 

“He was in his beast form so his claws were out. He was clawing at my face but I ducked away. The claws did scrape my face pretty good, though, and so I was left with this scar,” he gestured to it. 

You hummed in acknowledgement, taking in his expression. 

“I’ve tried to get rid of it,” he shrugged. Your brows furrowed in confusion. “But even Madja said there’s nothing that can be done. The marks came from a powerful and magical creature, so they’re gonna stay there forever,” he sighed. 

“But why try to get rid of it?” you asked. 

“Because I hate it,” he stated. “It's a constant reminder of the loss this court endured that day, of the loss my brother endured that day,” he shook his head sadly, dismissing it. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter now.” 

You shook your head adamantly. “Cassie,” you said gently and he turned his face back to you. “It's a reminder of how you stood up for your family,” you said with a small smile. “Of the day you went into another court to avenge those you loved. That is something to be proud of, my love.” 

Cassian looked at you with the same adoration again, this time with a small smile. “You think so?” 

You nodded. 

“It's just a bonus that the scar makes you look crazy hot,” you said to lighten the mood. 

Cassian laughed. “Yeah?” 

“I love that scar so much. Even more so now that I know how you got it.” You leaned in and kissed the scar running down his face, starting at his forehead, going down to his brow, to his eyelid, and lastly, his cheekbone. 

“I love you so much,” he said when you pulled away. 

“I love you more,” you replied. 

a/n: I'm not anti tam tam but I just thought of this story and needed to write it.

tags: @milswrites @sarawritestories @berryzxx @thelov3lybookworm

Masterlist

[invisible-lint]

Fixing Spring: Chapter 1

Tamlin x Reader

Summary: You had left Spring when it fell. Now you're back to kick a certain High Lord's butt into doing something about it

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1k

You walk through the Spring orchard, looking for Tamlin. You had left when Spring fell, managing to find your brother Lucien in Velaris and taking refuge there. But Velaris was never going to be your home. Perhaps because after so many years spent in eternal spring, winter was miserable. Or perhaps you had grown tired of listening to the way they spoke about your friend, despite having the same flaws they criticized.  So you left to head home, or the closest thing you have to one at the very least.

You see him up ahead, in beast form and roll your eyes. You had noticed him before he noticed you, either he’s given up, or he’s gotten sloppy. You pick up a fallen apple, chucking it at Tamlin, ignoring his growl. "Do you intend to roam as a beast feeling sorry for yourself forever, or do you intend to do something about it? So Feyre left you, all but set Spring on fire. Wallowing isn't going to do anything to fix it." 

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" 

You chuck another apple at him, this time he dodges it and you grin. "No, I'm telling you you need to get your shit together and stop being a baby. You're High Lord. Fucking act like it." 

"But Feyre-"

"Oh cut the shit. Feyre may have done some damage, but you gave up and that's why things are the way they are now." He just stares at you, not used to anyone talking to him that way, not even you. But you had bitten your tongue for years and you were done holding back. 

"So are you going to do something about it?"

"I'm not sure where to start..."

"Well I think shifting back to a form with two legs would be a good start. And a bath. You smell like a wild animal." He shifts, still giving you an incredulous look.

"Good. What condition is the manor in?" You start walking in that direction. He grimaces, but follows. "That bad? Well then, I suppose that's the next step, after a bath. We'll need a room for each of us, the study, kitchen and dining room. The rest of it can wait until later."

"We'll?" 

You roll your eyes at him. "Clearly you can't be left to your own devices. So yes, I'm staying and helping."

"Why?" 

"No clue. It's completely against my better judgment, believe me. Maybe it's because the Night Court is pissing me off and I know this is the one place they wouldn't look for me. Maybe it's because Spring is the only thing standing between the humans and the rest of Prythian and you refuse to get your shit together. Or because I feel drawn back here for some reason." You shrug. 

"The Night Court is pissing you off?" 

"I don't want to talk about it. If I did, I would have stayed in Night and dealt with it." He raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t press. 

Not long after, the manor comes into sight. "Cauldron boil me, Tamlin. You sure did a number on this place. We have our work cut out for us." 

You get to work, and between the magic you both posses, you manage to get two bedrooms and the kitchen clean enough by the evening time. 

"Luckily, I had the foresight to bring food with me when I left. It'll be enough for a few days, but we shouldn't rely on it for that long."

"I can go hunting tomorrow." 

"Good. I can forage. Until this place is able to house a staff, we take turns cooking." He nods, uncertain why he keeps letting you tell him what to do. For some reason, he doesn't mind it, almost enjoys it, actually. You hand him a plate of bread, cheese and dried meat for dinner. "We'll have to chop wood too. There isn't any to build a fire with." 

"You'll want extra blankets tonight then." 

"I think I'll be fine. Can't be worse than the Illyrian Mountains." You wrinkle your nose at the memory of how cold that had been.

"No, I suppose it can't." 

The two of you eat in silence for a few minutes until you notice him staring at you.

"What?"

"You have cobwebs in your hair." 

"Seems like I'll need a bath too then. Please tell me the hot water comes from magic and not fire." He laughs, and you're surprised at how much you had missed the sound. 

"You're in luck, it comes from magic."

"Thank the Mother. Cold baths might have been the thing that made me leave." Tamlin laughs again, but something in his gut twists at the thought of you leaving. He brushes it off as not wanting to be alone again. 

"We should get some rest. We have some long days ahead of us."

“That we do. I’m going to teach you how to properly apologize.”

“I know how to apologize.”

“Really? Do you think there’s anything you might need to say to me then?”

“I’m sorry?”

You close your eyes for a moment, begging the Mother to grant you the patience you need. “Are you asking or telling me?”

He clenches his fists, clearly annoyed. “Telling. I’m sorry.”

“Mhm. And what are you sorry for?”

“Being a prick?”

 You snort out a laugh. “This is why I’m teaching you how to apologize properly.”

He grumbles, but doesn’t argue, too busy trying not to smile at your laughter. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed that sound, missed you. Something stirs in his chest at the realization, but he ignores it. You had already left him once. Eventually he’d do something or say something and you’d leave him again. He was destined to be alone, hells, after all he’d done, he probably deserved it.

You watch him think, wonder where his mind is going. If you were going to fix Spring, you would have to fix Tamlin. You certainly have your work cut out for you.

A/N: Requests are open so feel free to send them in!

divider by @tsunami-of-tears

[viktoriaashleyyx]

🌸Breakfast in Spring🌸

Tamlins healing in his own way, and getting support from Reader and Lucien.

Tamlin x Reader, Tamlin x You

This ones a little odd, but I hope you enjoy it.💚

You sat in your normal spot at the large dining table in the Spring Court Manor and began fixing your plate and Tamlins for breakfast. Steaming trays of eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns, accompanied with a beautifully arranged fruit platter, sat before you. Lucien entered the dining hall, dressed impeccably and ready to start the day. He took his seat in front of you while Tamlins seat remained empty. "Good morning, is Tam on his way?" Lucien asked, as he began fixing his own plate.

"He's sitting behind me." You answer without looking up, piling more meat than usual onto Tamlins plate. Lucien gives you a confused look as he stretches to look behind you. Sure enough, there is Tamlin, in his beast form, laying at your feet, waiting patiently for his plate.

"What?" Lucien asks, one eyebrow raised, a small laugh escaped as he processes the absurdity of the situation.

"He doesn't want to be a Fae today, so I am taking over for him." You answer as if this is as normal as anything, while reaching down to set Tamlins plate in front of him. Tamlin lets out a small growl. "No. Fae Tamlin eats at the table, Beast Tamlin eats on the floor. You can't have it both ways." You scold him gently and pat his head. Tamlin let's out a grumble but then proceeds to eat politely.

"I have no idea what's going on." Lucien admits, hoping you will explain further. You take a bite of your own food before answering.

"He's been through a lot, you all have. If this is what he needs to heal, so be it," you shrug, one hand resting on Tamlin's head, scratching him softly.

((Divider by @moosgraphics))

[autumnshighlady]

I've Always Liked to Play With Fire (part 31) - final chapter

NESTA ARCHERON X ERIS VANSERRA X FEMALE!READER

summary: the opportunity to help the females in the Night Court is now here, and the last chapter of the reader's plan concludes

warnings: none

word count: 7.1k

DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE

a/n: this is the final chapter of IALTPWF (there will be an epilogue for SURE, maybe a bonus chapter or two in the future) and i'm so emotional. i've poured my heart and soul into this story for two years and it's finally over. thank you to everyone who has shown this story support, I hope that in this chapter and the epilogue to come, you are satisfied with the ending. long mushy post to come later

part 1 // part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / part 7 / part 8 / part 9 / part 10 / part 11 / part 12 / part 13 / part 14 / part 15 / part 16 / part 17 / part 18 / part 19 / part 20 / part 21 / part 22 / part 23 / part 24 / part 25 / part 26 / part 27 / part 28 / part 29 / part 30

read on ao3

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

Nesta ran her fingers through your hair, plaiting it up in a coronet identical to her own. Her hands were steady, despite the raging sea of nerves that wracked both of you. It was a day’s ride to the Night Court on dragonback, and you could practically feel Zôrzimril itching to take flight. Without moving your head, you glanced at the window, seeing your dragon's golden scales shining in the moonlight. Athariel was behind her, the two mighty beasts laying down and resting before their long journey. 

Both of you donned your new riding leathers, with featherlight but sturdy pieces of armour attached. The shoulder pieces were scaled like dragon skin – yours, gold, and Nesta’s silver. The designs of the leather blended with the metal armour were beautifully crafted, fitting perfectly to your forms. You didn’t know if you wanted Eris to tell you how much he spent commissioning the pieces, but you were grateful for the protection nonetheless. 

As Nesta carefully pinned your hair in place, your stomach churned. The plan to help the females of the Night Court escape would finally conclude by tomorrow morning. Despite the detailed planning and the fact you had all the other High Lords helping the cause, nerves still wracked you. As much as you could guide the females down the right path, there would undoubtedly be many who were too afraid to leave.

It is their choice, you had to remind yourself constantly. Being from a different court, there is only so much you could do.

“Where are you right now?” Nesta murmured, resting her hands on her shoulders and looking at you in the mirror that sat on your dresser in front of you.

You blinked, pushing away your negative thoughts. “What do you mean?”

She scoffed. “You have that distant look in your eyes. And I can hear that brain of yours ticking away like an old watch. What exactly are you fretting about?”

“What am I not fretting about is the easier question,” you grumbled. “There are so many things that could go wrong with this plan.”

The scraping of chair legs filled the room as Nesta pulled up a second chair, placing it next to yours and taking a seat. “Like that? Let us rationalise it, ok?”

You took a deep breath. “This is the truly final piece to my plan. The last piece on the board to fall. One way or another, we’ve gotten what we wanted so far. What if this is where it all goes wrong?”

“I think you forget the countless times things already have gone wrong,” Nesta gently reminded you. “Rhys capturing you, your engagement to Malgorm, much of what you planned has gone awry in some way. Yet it has all worked out – this will, too. Remember, you’re not doing it alone this time. We have Tarquin, Thesan, Helion, Tamlin, and Kallias all helping with the full support of their courts. We will be fine.”

“But the females might not be.” You pointed out, trying to keep your brain from worrying about how the groups could be followed and hunted down on their journey to escape.

“The ones from the Hewn City have Gwyn and Azriel to protect them, and the Illyrian females know the mountain passes better than any of the males. They can handle themselves,” Nesta insisted. 

Gwyn had gone back into the Night Court a few hours after the meeting in Solaris to begin her whisper network. You had watched with a mix of pride and worry as she grabbed the shadowsinger’s hand, winnowing back into the very place she would be in the most danger. Somehow, deep down, you knew she would be okay. This was not the shy, frightened Gwyn you had first met in the Library. No, she had grown a new strength that rivalled the toughest steel in the armoury. With Azriel at her side, they would protect the females from the Court of Nightmares.

“Is Emerie still going with you to the Illyrian meetup point?” Nesta asked you, adjusting the armbands on her leathers.

You nodded.

“Good. Illyria will be the hardest path to navigate. Helion, Lucien and I will easily be able to get the Hewn City females to the cove and across the border. But you’ll have to extend your magic quite far into the Steppes, have you rested enough for that?”

“I think so,” you stood up, walking over to your table of breakfast and forcing a few orange slices into your mouth to calm your stomach. It tasted bitter on your tongue, and it took everything in you to swallow it.

Your mate snorted, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. “A fat lie. You were tossing and turning so much I was tempted to smother you to sleep,”

Smirking, you turned back to Nesta. “Well, there are ways in which you could smother me that I wouldn’t mind…”

Nesta’s cheeks went red, but she swatted you with her hand towel. “Insatiable thing. Did we not satisfy you enough yesterday before Eris left?” 

Now it was your turn to blush and look away. Eris had taken his and Tamlin’s armies on ships up to the Western coast of the Night Court. His goal was to feign an offensive launch to draw out the armies, undoubtedly drawing out Rhysand as well. False negotiations would take place, centring around questioning if Rhysand had dealt with Koschei yet – and if not, all six courts were prepared to attack and eliminate him entirely to break the bargain. But before he had left in his shining High Lord armour, your husband spent hours showing both you and Nesta how much he would miss his wives.

You shook your shoulders, brushing off the heated memories before you pounced on Nesta. The mating bonds in your chest urged you to engage in the frenzy that was common for new mates, but you resisted for now, choosing to change the subject. “So Helion will shelter everyone at the Day Court until me and my ships arrive with the Illyrian females since we don’t have the magic to winnow everyone,” you said, revisiting your plan you had gone over a million times.

Despite your constant repetition, Nesta remained patient. “Yes, my love,” she said. “Tarquin, Cresseida, Kallias, and Vivianne will be with you. I will have Helion and Thesan with me, and we will be waiting for you and the Illyrians to arrive before dividing everyone up.”

At the High Lord’s meeting a few days ago, every ruler had agreed to provide a home to a certain number of refugees. Autumn and Summer were taking the most, followed by Day, Spring, Dawn, and then Winter. “I can accommodate however many you need,” Kallias had said when discussing the logistics. “However, I do not think many will want to come. It is a harsher environment than many are used to, except maybe the Illyrians.”

With every court helping, there was room for thousands of females spread across Prythian. Nesta had played a large role in coordinating with builders and stonemasons from the other courts, sharing her plans and models from Solaris as reference for the construction of more shelters. It was an effort shared by fae all across the lands, a thought which warmed your heart.

“Everything is as in place as it can be, I guess,” you said, glancing outside at the rise of the moon from behind the mountains, a signal that it was time to go. “We are prepared. I just want all of this to be over. Aside from dealing with Koschei, this is the last obstacle to climb before I can finally relax, I think.”

Nesta placed a kiss on your cheek. “Me too. Now let’s go get Emerie, so we can get those females out of there and be done with all this.”

**********************

A surprisingly alert Emerie was already waiting for you in the clearing where Athariel and Zôrzimril waited. The beasts lifted their heads and called out happily, making Emerie flinch.

You laughed, causing the winged female to snap playfully, “Don’t even. Not all of us are used to dragons. Give me a hundred years before you expect me to not jump at those noises.” She donned black leathers with black armour, and that familiar white ribbon across her forehead. Her wings were a blueish black in the moonlight, 

“Well you’re about to spend a full day on the back of one so best get used to it quickly.” You grabbed your supply sac from Saeros, nodding your thanks before hauling it over your back. Despite having food, water, and extra clothes, it was not heavy thanks to a special spell from Helion. 

Emerie slung her identical sac over her arm. “We ready?”

“This is the most awake I’ve ever seen you at this hour,” Nesta joked from a few feet away where she was greeting Athariel, stroking the silver beast’s nose.

“I’m on a mission, okay?” Emerie shrugged. “Finally being able to help with something really awakens you.”

Colourful leaves crunched underneath your boots as you lead Emerie over to where Zôrzimril was waiting. “You say that like you haven't been up from sunrise to sunset working on Solaris for over two months,” you pointed out.

Emerie’s response was cut off as Zôrzimril lowered her head upon your approach, emitting a low rumbling noise as she eyes up the winged female. Emerie’s eyes were wide, and she stopped in her tracks. 

“It’s ok,” you reassured her as you ran your hand down the dragon’s jaw. “She’s just checking you out and saying hi. She won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“If you say so.”

“Come test it yourself. Say hello back.”

After a few protests, you managed to drag Emerie forward until she was face to face with your dragon. Zôrzimril’s nostrils flared, her eyes squinting as she seized up the creature in front of her. Gently, you grabbed Emerie’s hand, placing it on the dragon’s snout. She let out a gasp as her hand made contact with the hard but smooth scales of the beast, jaw slack with wonder. 

“Holy shit,” she muttered. “She feels so…”

“Powerful?” You finished your friend’s sentence for her, and she nodded.

“I never thought I’d know what it was to fly,” her voice was faraway, as if her mind and body were disconnected in a drift between memories and dreams. “I guess I will now.”

Nesta had come up to the two of you, pulling you both in for a big hug. You held your mate and your friend, sighing into their comforting touch. “I’ll see you both soon, okay?” Nesta said.

“Stay safe,” Emerie said as she nodded, giving Nesta a squeeze on the shoulder before pulling back and heading towards Zôrzimril cautiously, securing the straps of her backpack across her chest.

Nesta turned to you, a well of emotions swimming in her blue grey eyes. “What we’re doing here is bigger than both of us,” she said. “It will be the final nail in the Night Court’s coffin. I find myself wondering if we have doomed them to a tragic fate in our pursuit for revenge.”

You frowned. “Are you having regrets?”

“No,” Nesta shook her head. “I’m not. But it makes me sad. For as much as I hated the Night Court, it was a beautiful place. Not all of them were bad.”

You took Nesta’s gloved hands in your own. “Velaris will be safe. And we are aiding as many of the females from Illyria and the Hewn City as we can. Rhys may be an arrogant prick, but he is not a complete fool. He will protect his remaining citizens from Koschei – he put himself in this position, not us. He was the one ready to sacrifice them, let him deal with the consequences of those actions. Besides, many may choose to flee regardless of if they come with us or not.”

Your mate sighed, nodding. “You’re right. I just… I keep thinking about Feyre and Elain and the baby. I don’t want anything to do with them, at least not for a long time, but I don’t want anything bad to happen to them.”

“What if we wrote a letter to them?” You offered. “Let them know that should they need it, there will be a place for them at one of the sanctuaries. It doesn’t have to be in Autumn – I am sure Tarquin or Helion would gladly take them in.”

A sad smile came over Nesta’s face. “I’d like that, thank you.”

You knew Nesta’s relationship with her sisters would never be the same after everything that had happened in the last two years. It was a loss she would grieve and carry with her for a while. As much as you didn’t care for the other two Archeron siblings, they, too, had been dragged into the faerie world against their will. Truly, you hoped that one day they’d find happiness and a good home in Prythian, just not with Nesta in the Autumn Court.

Giving Nesta’s hand one last squeeze, you turned towards Zôrzimril and walked over to where Emerie was stroking the beast’s neck. When the dragon saw you approaching, she eagerly dropped her shoulder, extending her wing towards the ground for you to grab onto. So you gently stepped up onto the dragon’s scaling spikes, holding her wing for support and climbing up onto her back. In just a few movements, you settled yourself into the gaps between the horns at the base of Zôrzimril’s neck.

You peered down at Emerie, who went white. “Come on!” You called out in encouragement.

“That’s how you get up?” The Illyrian female baulked, causing you to scoff.

“Did you think we had a ladder or a staircase to get up?”

“Yes, actually!”

“Well time to put those Valkyrie muscles to use and get your ass up here.”

Emerie sighed, muttering to herself but grabbed onto Zôrzimril’s wing shakily. Awkwardly, she managed to scale up the dragon’s shoulder, panting and plopping herself down behind you. “That’s not as easy as you made it look.” She huffed.

You shrugged. “Take’s practice, now clip in.”

Emerie did so, taking the rope that was attached to her belt and clipping it onto the holster that was fitted around Zôrzimril’s nearest horn. You did the same, watching as Athariel spread her mighty silver wings beside you. The beast ran forward and shot into the air with the agility of a cat, and you heard Nesta whoop with delight. She seemed like a speck of dust on the large creature, but you managed to catch a glimpse of her turning her head around to look at you one more time.

Zôrzimril screeched in defiance of being left behind, and you patted her scales. “Volare,” you said to her using the command Eris had taught you. Happy to oblige, the dragon lifted her head, causing Emerie to grasp onto the scales in front of her and curse as she spread her wings and catapulted into the air.

The female behind you let out a yelp, and you lifted your chin to the stars above and sighed deeply, relishing the feeling of climbing higher and higher into the sky. Zôrzimril’s powerful body soared through the clouds, her wings cutting through them like razor sharp blades. 

It was only another minute before your ascent finished and you finally broke free of the clouds, and Zôrzimril angled herself straight once more. She let out a happy screech, dipping her claw down to slice through the clouds below as she flew North. Your breath caught in your throat as you took in the view. The moon was bright, illuminating everything in a blue-silver tone. The stars shone brightly even with the light of the moon, twinking as if they were greeting you.

Behind you, Emerie’s breathing had steadied. “Holy shit…” She said with awe.

You turned to face your friend. “A bit different than being carried through the skies by an Illyrian male”

“You have no idea…” Her brown eyes were wide with wonder as they drank in the view of the midnight sky. She stretched her wings as far as they could go, sighing. “I never thought I’d feel the wind on my wings like this.”

Despite the cold night air, your heart warmed at seeing your friend so happy. Carefully, she let go of her ironclad grip on Zôrzimril’s horns, letting her arms stretch out to the side. Straightening her shoulders, she tipped her head back and let out a whoop to the stars. Her voice rang out amongst the clear sky, and her smile did not fade all the way to the Night Court.

**********************

Your legs were numb from flying for so long, even a few hours later as you gathered around a small campfire with Emerie, Tarquin, Viviane, and Kallias. A small unit of guards were stationed nearby, ready to jump into action should things go south. Luckily, Kallias had put up a glamour around the beach, shielding both everyone on land and on the ships just offshore from lingering eyes. The Lord and Lady of Winter each donned their white fur coats that, combined with their pale skin and hair, made them glow under moon high. Tarquin wore a simple blue tunic with a deep V, his white hair braided back out of his chiselled face. While unmistakably powerful beings, they were dressed like they were going to a simple meeting rather than a rescue mission – perhaps as to not frighten the females. No doubt there was armour glamoured somewhere, ready to replace their casual attire at the snap of fingers. 

“They should be here soon,” Emerie muttered, pacing nervously and glancing at the rocky hills in the distance that led to the Illyrian Mountains where the females would be coming from. The steppes began half a mile away from the rocky beach where you stood, the beige and brown shrubbery rustling in the wind eerily. 

At least the mountains had shelter, places to hide from anyone who may try and follow the large groups. But the steppes were out in the open, which made you nervous.

“Give it time,” Tarquin said gently. “This is not a swift moving group of warriors. They are likely burdened with their provisions, as well as children and the sick or elderly.”

“Why can’t we just meet them at the end of the mountain pass and escort them to the beach?” Emerie asked nervously, cracking her knuckles.

“Because we are already in the Night Court’s territory,” Viviane tried to reassure the female, her white hair glowing in the moonlight. “To go farther than this would be considered an invasion.”

“Eris is launching an invasion, why can’t we?” Emerie spoke as if she had not heard half of the Lady of the Winter court’s sentence.

“A false one,” Viviane did not lose her patience as she spoke. “One that is taking place on ship, therefore not encroaching on Rhysand’s borders. Stepping on the beach is easy to overlook, but heading into the Steppes would be an act of war. We have to be cautious.”

Emerie nodded, eyes clouded as she stopped pacing and sat down on a nearby log. You knew your friend’s greatest fear – that only a small group would have made it out of Illyria, leaving hundreds left behind for dead. You prayed that her fears would not come true.

The steady pounding in your head that had started an hour ago began to increase, and you groaned, swaying slightly. The light in your palms that guided the doe you had manifested with your magic and sent deep into the Illyrian Mountains dimmed slightly, but you quickly willed it to strengthen once again. Deep down, you felt thin and stretched from having to extend your magic so far for several hours.

“Are you okay?” Kallias asked, his white brows narrowing with concern. 

You nodded. “Magic is tiring… I haven’t kept it going for this long… ever…” Your voice grew strained and weak, all of your energy focused on keeping that white trail of light going. You hated that you couldn’t even tell if there was anyone following it. All you could do was hope that everyone had made it to the designated escape starting point on time.

“She will not last much longer,” Tarquin muttered to his fellow High Lord. “It may yet be another few hours until the group arrives. I expect we will see them around sunrise at this rate.”

You barely heard Kallias’s response, closing your eyes and taking another deep breath. You could feel Nesta trying to reach you through the mating bond, but didn’t have the energy to respond. You could tell she was already in the Day Court, having succeeded in aiding the escape from the Court of Nightmares. And you wanted to reassure her that you were fine, that all was going well. But you couldn’t. You were swimming in a sea of your own powerful magic, but your body was not equipped to handle the strain.

“Hey, stay with us.” Your eyes snapped open at Viviane’s voice. She had come to stand at your side along with Emerie, an arm around your waist steadily supporting your unstable figure. Her blue eyes were laced with concern and she took in your exhausted form and turned to her husband. “She won’t be able to hold out until sunrise.”

“I can do it…” You muttered, mustering as much determination into your voice as you could. 

“No, you cannot,” Kallias said sternly. “You are not used to wielding magic for this long of a period. It requires extreme focus, especially for something as complicated as this. And you’ve been at it for several hours already, it is taking its toll and sooner or later you will pass out from exhaustion.”

Guilt wracked you, and you fought off tears. You felt like a failure as you whispered, “I’m sorry…” 

“Do not be,” Viviane assured you gently. “This is not a simple matter of setting up a ward or a glamour and leaving it be. You’re guiding a strange new type of magic none of us have seen before through miles of terrain that is unknown to you. Give yourself a break.”

“I can’t… stop…” You protested, vision going in and out. 

“So don’t,” came Tarquin’s voice. “I’ll give you a boost.”

Beside you, Emerie frowned. “A boost?”

You heard stones shift as Tarquin stepped around the fire, coming to stand in front of you. “Yes,” he said. “I can channel some of my magic into her to keep her body strong enough.”

“That’s a thing?” Your Illyrian friend asked.

“It is rarely done, as it is difficult to do, but yes.” Came Tarquin’s reply. 

“Do it…” You spoke up weakly, every syllable dragging out like a heavy stone. All you wanted to do was collapse into a soft bed and sleep for a year. Kallias was right, you couldn’t do this on your own.

“I must warn you, it will feel strange,” Tarquin’s voice sounded, and you felt Viviane and Emerie step away as the High Lord of the Summer Court took your hand that was not glowing with a trail of magic. “My magic is very different from yours, and your first instinct may be to expel it. Refrain from resisting.”

You nodded, opening your eyes and looking up at Tarquin. He nodded, and his hand moved up to your wrist, clamping down. You rotated your arm slightly to do the same, taking a deep breath. The male began to emit a soft glow, the whites of his eyes seeming to brighten and give him an otherworldly quality.

Seconds later, you felt it.

Tarquin’s magic pushed into your body, and you gasped sharply. It was like a tidal wave was being slammed into you, a raging sea coursing through your veins. It felt the complete opposite of Nesta and Eris’s comforting fire, or your own light-filled power. 

Your entire body felt like a riptide, and you could practically taste the salty air of summer on your tongue as your bones vibrated with new magic. You willed yourself to relax, to accept the foreign power being pumped into you. As you did so, your limbs felt stronger. Exhaustion was chased away, and you were finally able to open your eyes. A thin, golden band of magic circled in figure eights between your attached hands, dancing and twisting around each other.

“Thank you,” you whispered to Tarquin.

He nodded. “We must remain linked for the magic to prevail. An hour should give your body enough time to recover and reset.”

With renewed energy, you felt the white light in your free palm glow brighter, urging the Illyrian females out of the mountains.

**********************

The sun was beginning to creep up five hours later, and Tarquin’s boost of magic had vanished a while ago. Viviane was now holding you up once again, your head droopy as you fought to keep that light strong. You felt it was close, which made it easier to hang on.

“They’re approaching,” You said through gasped breaths.

Emerie shot up from where she was sitting, the jerky she was chewing on falling to the ground. “You can feel them?” She asked eagerly.

“No,” you responded as Kallias, Tarquin, and the soldiers perked up. “But my magic feels close, and we have to assume that means they are close as well.”

Tarquin turned to one of his guards. “Winnow to the ships and tell Cresseida we are almost ready to receive the refugees.” He ordered, and the guard disappeared within seconds. 

The hope in Emerie’s eyes as she gazed into the Steppes rekindled some strength within you. You gently pushed yourself off of Viviane, taking a shaky step towards where Emerie was looking.

“What’s that?” Viviane asked, pointing to one of the rocky hills in the distance near the mountains. Both the High Lords joined her where she stood a few feet away from you and Emerie.

A faint, glowing white doe stood upon the hill. Stardust seemed to swirl around its feet as it leapt over the rocks bounding through the plains towards the beach. Everyone held their breath, silence filling the air.

“Come on…” Emerie muttered nervously.

Moments later, a set of wings appeared where the doe was – a female carrying a lit torch. She was so far away, even with your fae eyesight it was hard to tell for sure who it was. But then another one appeared beside her, slightly taller, carrying a large sac.

“Lift the glamour!” Viviane barked at Kallias, who snapped his fingers. The air shimmered for a second before clearing. The doe continued to bound toward you, getting fainter and fainter as you felt the last bit of energy you had controlling your magic slipping.

More and more sets of wings appeared over the rocky hill, the torches going from one to a hundred in minutes. Like an army ready for battle, hundreds and hundreds of winged females stepped down onto the plains. Emerie let out a choked sob from beside you.

“By the Mother…” Tarquin gasped softly. “They made it!”

“There’s so many of them…” Viviane said with awe as more and more torches and winged bodies funnelled out of the mountain pass. Sure enough, through your blurry and exhausted vision, you managed to make out the sight of a swarm of bodies stepping onto the flat stretch, shuffling towards the now glamour-free beach.

As they grew closer and guards scurried about with preparations, you breathed a sigh of relief. And then the world grew dark as you collapsed into Tarquin’s arms with exhaustion. 

**********************

An otherworldly headache pounded against your skull as you blinked open your eyes, the golden sunlight shining into your face too bright to handle. Your entire body felt heavy, like a stone at the bottom of the ocean.  When you groaned, a familiar hand brushed some hair out of your face.

“Why hello there,” came the familiar silky voice of Eris. 

With as much effort as you could, you pried your eyes open and blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness. Eris was seated beside you, leaning against the frame of the bed you were laying in with a book in one hand. He donned a white shirt with a deep v-neck and loose sleeves, paired with light green trousers. His long red hair was braided back, a few strands framing his sharp face. He smiled gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted,” you mumbled, relaxing into his touch as he continued to stroke your face. “Where am I?”

“One of Helion’s quarters,” Eris said, bringing a cup of water to your lips and coaxing the liquid into your mouth. “You passed out right as the Illyrians arrived, and Tarquin brought you straight here.”

The Illyrians.

You sat up abruptly, ignoring the protest of your tired body. “They made it? The ships got them here safely?”

Eris smiled, nodding. “Yes, my dear. All eight thousand of them.”

Your eyes widened in shock. “Eight thousand? How many came from the Hewn City?”

“Five thousand, as to be expected. Many families had already made it to Velaris safely, so there were not as many females as in Illyria left behind.”

The room spun around you with shock. The white marble bookcases across from your bed seemed to sway, and you shook your head. “Wow,” was all you could murmur.

Eris gently pulled you against his chest, kissing your head. “Wow, indeed. I am so proud of you, my dear. You’ve saved the lives of thirteen thousand females today. They know what you did for them, and Nesta has had to practically barricade your door to keep them from barging in here to thank you.”

“Where is Nesta?” You asked.

“She will be here in a few minutes,” Eris replied. “You began to stir half an hour ago, so I sent word to her. She was with the other High Lords helping crunch numbers for which courts are taking which females.”

You sighed with content, the warmth of Eris’s body relaxing you. You turned on your side, wrapping an arm around him and snuggling closer to your mate. “I can’t believe we pulled that off,” you murmured.

Eris cocked his head, setting his book aside on the table. “Why? It was a good plan, and we thought through every possible scenario to ensure its success.”

“How did negotiations with Rhys go?”

Your husband let out a sharp laugh. “Seeing Rhysie is always such a treat,” he chuckled. “He fell for the bait quite easily. We waited for half a day in our ships before the Illyrians descended from the skies and the Darkbringers appeared on the shoreline, all ready for a battle that would not happen. I demanded an audience, and Rhys complied. I talked his ear off for a few hours, and let him whine about the supposed unfairness of all this. It got painfully dull after a while, but I found out something very interesting…”

You perked up, peering up at the male who had a smug look on his face. “What?”

“Rhysand broke his bargain with Koschei. After the baby was born, he travelled to the depths of the lake in which the Death God dwells and declared his intentions to not hold up his end. There was a price to be paid, of course, one I find very symbolic.

“Rhys has relinquished almost all of his power to Koschei. His magic was ripped out of him and fed to the beasts beneath the lake floors like a bone to a dog. He was left with the bare minimum to keep Velaris safe enough, but that’s it. Furthermore, he is required to visit Koschei once a month for a week – a mirror of that very same bargain he made with dear Feyre over a year ago. By doing so, he guaranteed Koschei will not go after Nesta, not with a new plaything at his disposal.”

Your jaw went slack. “Rhys… lost his powers?” You repeated in shock.

Eris didn’t even bother trying to refrain his smile from widening. “Yes. I think it’s justice, personally. I cannot say I feel bad for him in the slightest. It also seems Feyre told him that in the process of breaking the bargain, he had to find a way to keep Nesta alive as well. For all his faults, he will do whatever Feyre asks of him at this point. That is a blessing for us.”

You exhaled shakily. Rhys was one of the most powerful High Lords, now diminished to a regular High Fae male in a small city. There would be no gaining control of Illyria and the Hewn City now with this loss of power, you realised. “I can’t believe this…” You said, still rattled with shock.

Eris rubbed your shoulder. “Anywho, once he told me that story we made some reassurances to each other. Me and Tamlin’s ships departed slowly, giving the armies more time to linger and make sure we had left before returning home to find almost half of their population gone. The distraction worked perfectly, I am sure they are in a tizzy about it as we speak.”

Before you could answer, the door to your guest chambers swung open to reveal Nesta. Her hair was in a singular braid, hanging across her shoulder. She wore a shining gold dress that was carefully draped over one shoulder, the fabric hanging loosely across her chest. Your eyes popped open, and Eris laughed beside you.

“I have never seen you wear something like this before,” he chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, Nesta closed the door behind her and came over to sit on your other side. “Oh, please,” she snapped. “Helion picked it out personally. I couldn’t not wear it, it’s his court after all.”

“I’m not complaining,” you insisted as Nesta gave you a kiss on the forehead.

“He is a relentless flirt,” Eris said, amused. “But one with good taste.”

You sighed as Nesta rubbed your back, despite her death glare she sent at Eris. The three of you sat in silence for a few minutes, happy to be back in each other’s company. With your mates by your side, the weariness you had felt began to diminish. 

“I want to see the females,” you said. “I want to make sure they’re okay.”

“Emerie is taking good care of them and the dragons are guarding the borders,” Nesta said gently. “You need to rest.”

You shook your head, sitting up and peeling the soft duvet off. You crawled over Eris’s legs, unsteadily placing your feet on the white marble ground. 

“Take it easy,” Eris chided, holding your elbow. “Your body is exhausted. You can see them tomorrow.”

“No,” you said sharply, standing up like a newborn deer and heading over to the closet in the corner. “After everything we’ve done to see this through, I need to see them with my own eyes.”

Nesta and Eris exchanged a glance, but didn’t protest. You ignored them and grabbed the white dress Helion had hung up in there for you, peeling off your nightgown. You pulled the soft fabric on, tying the gold belt around your waist. “Where are they staying right now?” You asked.

“Many are in the main hall,” Eris replied, standing up. “Others are in temporary camps set up across the fields. I believe those residing in the main hall are currently at dinner.”

“Great,” you said, holding out your hand. “Take me there, please.”

“As you wish,” Nesta said, taking your other arm while Eris grasped your extended hand. 

After ten minutes of meandering through Helion’s royal hallways, you came to the dinner room, passing through the white columns at the entrance. 

Your jaw nearly dropped. Hundreds of females sat at tables or on comfortable floor mats, hearty soups in hand as they chatted quietly amongst themselves. A group of musicians played in the corner, the gentle tune echoing in the grand chamber. Dozens of eyes turned towards you as Eris and Nesta led you through the crowd towards the table at the front, where Emerie, Tamlin, Lucien, Helion, Thesan, Tarquin, Cresseida, Kallias, and Viviane were seated. Gwyn and Azriel sat at the end, partially hidden in the shadows. When your friend saw you, she smiled brightly and waved. You breathed a sigh of relief, seeing her safe after everything she had done.

Lucien stood up, coming around the front of the table to greet you. His eye gleamed with pride as he opened his arms. “Come here, you,” he said cheerfully.

Peeling away from your mates, you lept into Lucien’s arms, hugging him tightly. Your friend chuckled, squeezing you reassuringly. “Glad you made it out okay,” he said.

“You too,” you replied, pulling away and smiling at him. “We did it. We really did it.”

“I told you, you’d make a good High Lady,” came a familiar gruff voice. Tamlin had risen as well, approaching behind Lucien and offering you a small smile. “We are all very proud.”

“Thank you, Tam.” You said gratefully. His large hand patted you on the back before returning to his place at the table. 

Nesta gently grabbed your hand. “Come, you must eat.” She guided you towards one of the three empty chairs at the centre of the long table. It was covered in various fruits, roasted vegetables with sauces, and about ten different kinds of meat. Your mouth watered as you realised how hungry you were.

On the way, you stopped beside Gwyn and Azriel, leaning down to hug your friend. “Thank goodness you’re okay,” you murmured into Gwyn’s shoulder.

“Ye of little faith,” she said sarcastically “I was fine. All I did was chat up some priestesses, they were the ones who mostly spread the word. I was safe and sound.”

You pulled away. “Come join us at our end of the table!”

The priestess shook her head. “I’m okay here, it’s too crowded over there.”

“You mean you want to just sit here and ogle Azriel,” Nesta singsonged with a gleam in her eyes.

Gwyn’s face went red, and to your surprise, Azriel flushed slightly as well. “Shut the fuck up,” she snapped at Nesta playfully, shifting in her seat.

“It’s okay, Gwyn,” Eris piped up, winking at the shadowsinger, who seemed like he wanted to bury himself alive. “He is quite pretty to look at. But should you change your mind and like to join us, let us know.”

You laughed, Gwyn’s muttering and cussing you out as you, Nesta, and Eris took your seats at the table. As you dove into the plate of food in front of you, you tuned into the lively sounds of the room while Nesta and Eris began chatting with Helion. 

Many of the females kept glancing at you, some offering smiles or nods before returning to their company. Some were huddled in the corner, eyes wary as they consistently scanned their surroundings. You wondered how many females had similar stories to Emerie, or to Morrigan. How many had suffered for years and accepted it because they believed that is how things would always be? How many had been spared future suffering because of their escape?

As you downed your goblet of wine, you reminisced on that day in the House of Wind last year when you had first started your plan to flee the Night Court and seek revenge on its leaders. Never did you think that it would go this far, that you would accomplish this much. All you had wanted was to be free and be able to make your own choices. And now it led to seeking that same outcome for thousands of others.

Rhys could never hurt you again. Those painful images of that cruel, dark mist lashing your bare skin over and over again would fade into distant memory eventually, with no fear of it ever happening again. He couldn’t lock you or Nesta up, or threaten you. No, you both had more power than him now by a long measure. You were finally free from his grasp.

A year ago you had been angry at Feyre, too. Part of you still was, and delighted in the karmic justice of destroying part of her court in retribution. But you hoped for her sake, that she would accept the help offered in the letter Nesta had planned to send. For a moment, you wondered if Feyre would still be who she was now if she hadn’t met Rhys.

“What are you thinking about?” Eris asked you, leaving Nesta to argue with Helion herself.

His amber eyes were soft and kind, the cruel mask that he had plastered on for so many centuries cracked and slipped away. The world could see Eris for who he truly was not, not just as Beron’s firstborn son. 

You smiled. “How I can’t wait for everything here to be sorted so we can go home.”

“Me too, my dear, me too.” He squeezed your hand and surveyed the room again. “You have accomplished what many in the likes of my father deemed impossible. Now even the most stubborn fae realise that things can change fast if they will it so. That is a very good thing.”

“Yes, it is.”

The road ahead would not be without challenge. Settling thirteen thousand females into six courts would be a process, and there would surely be setbacks along the way. But after a year of being tortured, beaten, sneaking around and scheming, you were ready for some normal problems.

“Eris?” You said.

He turned to face you once again. “Yes?”

“I love you. And thank you, for everything you’ve done. None of this would have been possible if you hadn’t agreed to help me last year.”

The High Lord of the Autumn Court laughed, kissing your cheek gently. “It is I who should be thanking you. Both of you. You freed me from the prison of my old life. And not just me, but thousands of others. I intend on spending eternity thanking you for it.”

So you laced one hand in Eris’s, and the other in Nesta’s as they both looked at you with so much love in their eyes you were sure you would explode. As much as you liked the Day Court, you yearned to be back in Autumn where you belonged, under the bright trees and wandering the forest paths. As if echoing your thoughts, Zôrzimril’s call echoed on the wind like an ancient song.

And so the yellow rays of sunshine morphed into orange and red, and the sun began to set. You felt a faint brush of a hand on your shoulder, and a familiar, ethereal voice sounded in your ear barely above a whisper.

Well done, my child.

As the sun finally disappeared behind the mountains, the echoing voice faded with it. 

taglist (comment if you want to be added): @queercontrarian @kitkat-writes-stuff @moonfawnx @sevikas-whore @weird-and-wise @jemandderkeinenusernamenfindet @kingshitonly @ladyofcherries @eerievixen @readingwritingwatching @peacecoffeeandflowers @a-frog-with-a-laptop @shadowqueen25 @lana08 @highladyofillyria @rachelnicolee @ladespedidas @little-darlingo @manonblackbeakquidditchteam13 @demirunner @terorovaerangi @hauntedandhopeful  @younxii @microwaveallthedemons @fanfictioniseverything @lovra974 @maddietheshoe @peaceandcrackers @emy1-99 @lostinfantasyworldsbi @issybee0611 @thoughtfulshepherdmongerkid @belledawnidk @whhyyynottt @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @littlebbb @piceous21 @sevendeadlyshins-blog @searchingford  @marigold-morelli @thesapphiclibrarian @nikovasbitch @chasing-autumns-chill @the-sweet-psycho @honeysuckle-daydreams13 @red-bees @daughterofthemoons-stuff @bloodicka @blackgirlmagicforever @writeroutoftime @paleidiot @

[cheynovak]

Healing Waters

Characters: Azriel x F/Reader Y/N     

Summary:  Azriel is sent by Rhysand to the Spring Court to investigate Tamlin's erratic behavior. While spying in the woods, he comes across Y/N, an Illyrian female bathing under a waterfall. Intrigued by her beauty and shocked to see the scars where her wings should have been, he is immediately captivated.

Warnings: Hurt, pain, anger, nudity, spying, aggression, ...

English is not my first language 

*This story is my own fanfiction, please do not copy my work, reblog/comments/likes are appreciated* 

Part 1/?

The water was cool against my skin, a welcome relief from the sweltering heat that blanketed the Spring Court. The waterfall cascaded into the small lake, the sound of it soothing, almost hypnotic.

I let the water run over my shoulders, washing away the grime of the day. Living in the Spring Court had its perks, but it also came with its burdens, especially for someone like me—an Illyrian female. I ran my fingers through my thick, dark hair, slightly curly and heavy from the water, letting it cascade down my back.

The familiar weight of it made me feel grounded, a connection to a past I couldn't quite shake off, no matter how many years had passed.

My hands brushed over the scars where my wings should have been, a constant reminder of the life that was taken from me, the life that was stolen by those who deemed me unworthy. Here, in the Spring Court, I had found a semblance of peace, but it was a peace tinged with loneliness.

Tamlin had been distracted lately, consumed by something I couldn't quite understand. He spent more time in his beast form, prowling through the woods, and the rest of the court seemed to be walking on eggshells around him.

I had learned to avoid him, that had been the deal we made when I once knocked on his doorstep, begging for shelter from my own court.

It was safer. But even as I stood under the waterfall, trying to relax, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. My senses, honed by years of survival, prickled with awareness. I scanned the trees, my eyes sharp, but there was nothing. Just the dense forest and the silence of the wilderness.

Yet, the feeling persisted. A presence, almost like a shadow, lingering just out of sight. I turned slowly, the water dripping from my skin, and tried to shake the unease that gnawed at me. But nothing appeared, and I forced myself to take a deep breath, to calm my racing heart.

** Azriel's POV **

Rhysand's orders had been clear: investigate Tamlin's erratic behavior. The Spring Court had always been a place of beauty and secrets, but lately, those secrets seemed to be festering into something darker.

And so, I found myself here, cloaked in shadows, moving silently through the dense forest, my senses heightened. I had spent years honing my abilities, perfecting the art of stealth, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight that greeted me as I approached the small lake nestled deep within the woods.

There, beneath the waterfall, she stood—an Illyrian female, though she was unlike any I had ever seen. Her dark hair fell in wet down her back, clinging to her bare skin as the water cascaded over her. But it wasn’t just her beauty that captured me.

It was the scars. Where her wings should have been, there were only two jagged lines of scarred flesh. The sight of them tugged at something deep within me, a raw ache that I hadn’t felt in years. She had been through something horrific, something that had taken her wings, her pride, her birthright.

And yet, here she was, standing strong and unbroken.

I couldn't take my eyes off her. There was a grace to her movements, a quiet strength that drew me in, making it impossible to look away. My heart pounded in my chest, a foreign sensation I hadn't experienced in centuries. I knew I should leave, report back to Rhysand, but I couldn’t move.

Not yet. She suddenly tensed, her senses sharper than I expected. She knew someone was watching. But I had spent too many years perfecting the art of blending into the shadows; she wouldn’t see me unless I wanted her to. Still, I admired her caution, her wariness. She was no stranger to danger, that much was clear.

As I continued to watch her, I felt a deep, inexplicable urge to know her story. Those scars told a tale of pain and survival, of a past that still haunted her. And for some reason, I wanted to be the one to uncover it, to be the one she trusted enough to share her secrets with. The thought surprised me, shook me to my core. I, who had been hardened by centuries of war and death, felt something shift inside me as I looked at her.

I didn’t know what it meant, or what it would lead to, but I knew one thing for certain: I couldn’t stay away.

** Y/N's POV **

I didn’t see it, but I felt it. Years of living, of surviving, had sharpened my instincts, honed my awareness of my surroundings to a razor’s edge. Something—or someone—was out there, watching me, lingering just beyond the edge of the trees.

I moved with deliberate slowness as I stepped out of the pond, the water dripping from my skin. My heart pounded in my chest, but my face remained calm, unreadable. I stood still, letting the wind brush against my damp skin. That’s when I caught the scent—faint, but unmistakable.

Illyrian.

A chill ran down my spine, a mixture of fear and anger, memories of my past stirring like a beast awakened. I moved swiftly then, disappearing into the woods, my bare feet silent against the forest floor. I grabbed my blade from where it lay hidden beneath a tree root, the cold metal comforting in my hand.

The fool was following me.

I could sense him now, moving through the woods with the practiced silence of someone who had done this a thousand times before. But I was no novice either. Naked as I was, I had the advantage of knowing these woods like the back of my hand. I slipped through the shadows, doubling back around him, until I could see him.

He was tall, cloaked in darkness, with massive wings folded against his back. The sight of them sent a pang of something sharp and bitter through me, but I swallowed it down, focusing on the task at hand.

He was scanning the trees, his attention focused ahead. That was his mistake. In one swift motion, I surged forward, blade in hand, and pressed it to his throat as I pinned him against a tree. The sharp edge of the blade nicked his neck, just enough to draw blood, and I could feel his pulse quicken beneath the tip.

“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice low, dangerous. “Why are you spying on me?”

He didn’t flinch. Didn’t even move. His golden-brown eyes, filled with a calm intensity, locked onto mine, and the silence stretched between us like a taut string. He just watched me, his gaze unreadable, as if he were trying to see straight into my soul.

I hated the way it made me feel—exposed, vulnerable, despite the blade I held to his throat. But I refused to let it show, refused to let him see the fear or the memories that his presence stirred up inside me.

“Speak,” I hissed, pressing the blade just a little harder, enough to show him I wasn’t playing games.

But still, he remained silent, his gaze steady and unnervingly calm. As if he had all the time in the world, as if my blade and my threats meant nothing to him. The only indication that he was even aware of the situation was the single drop of blood that trickled down his neck.

My anger flared, frustration mingling with the fear I was trying so hard to keep at bay. I had spent years carving out a life here, a life away from the pain and the memories of what had been taken from me. And now, this Illyrian male had the audacity to intrude, to watch me like some predator stalking its prey.

“Who sent you?” I demanded again, my voice harsher now, more desperate. But even as I spoke the words, something about his presence—his steady, unwavering gaze—began to chip away at my anger. There was something different about him, something I couldn’t quite place.

He wasn’t like the others.

The realization shook me, and I hesitated, just for a fraction of a second. But it was enough for him to see it, to sense the crack in my armor.

And still, he just watched me.

** Azriel's POV **

I hadn't anticipated this. My back pressed against the rough bark of the tree, the cold edge of a blade against my throat, and I found myself at the mercy of the most captivating creature I had ever seen. She had surprised me, and in the centuries I had spent perfecting my craft, few had managed that.

Her dark eyes were fierce, narrowed with suspicion and a determination that made her all the more striking. But it was her hair that caught the sunlight in a way that made me pause. It wasn’t black, as I had initially thought. No, the sun revealed warm red tones woven through the dark strands, like embers hidden in the night, glinting and glowing with an unexpected fire.

My heart started to race, just slightly, a foreign feeling that made me take in a breath, slow and controlled. I opened my mouth, and before I could stop myself, the question slipped out. "Why are you here and not in the Night Court?"

The moment the words left my lips, I saw the shift in her eyes. A flash of something—anger, bitterness, pain?—before she laughed, a humorless, almost mocking sound that echoed in the silence of the woods. It was a laugh that spoke of hard truths and buried wounds, and it left me more confused than before.

She was like a riddle I couldn’t quite unravel, and that only intrigued me more.

My thoughts raced as I studied her, trying to piece together the fragments of the puzzle she presented. Then, before I could stop myself, I asked the question that had burned at the back of my mind since I first saw her. "What happened to your wings?"

The change was instant. The blade dropped from my neck as she stepped back, her grip on it loosening. For a split second, I saw the shock in her eyes, a raw vulnerability that she quickly tried to mask. She moved with a sudden urgency, grabbing a simple dress from the ground to cover herself, shielding her body from my gaze.

But even as she turned away, kneading the last of the water out of her hair with her hands, I couldn’t look away.

There was something about the way she moved, the way the sunlight played on her skin, making the water droplets glisten like diamonds. It was like looking at a dream, something ethereal and untouchable, yet right there in front of me. I knew I should look away, that it was inappropriate, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from her.

She was a mystery, a story untold, and I found myself wanting to know every chapter, every word. What had brought her here, to this place far from where she belonged? What had taken her wings, and why did she laugh with such bitterness when I mentioned the Night Court?

As she turned back to me, her expression guarded once more, I realized that whatever the answers were, they were hers to give—if she chose to share them. And for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, I hoped she would.

** Y/N's POV **

I took in the young Illyrian male standing before me, his golden-brown eyes wide with a mixture of shock and something else I couldn’t quite place. He was skilled, that much was clear, but to me, he was just a boy. He must have been at least two centuries younger than I was, yet there was an intensity about him that made him seem older, as if he had seen too much for his years.

But what struck me the most was the way he reacted when he saw the scars where my wings should have been. His eyes widened in genuine shock, almost disbelief. It was as if he couldn’t comprehend that someone like me existed, that a female could be stripped of her wings and still stand before him. He was clearly young enough not to know about the horror trades between Illyrians and the Hewn City.

I felt a familiar bitterness rise in my chest, a protective wall I had built over the years, and all I could bring myself to say in response to his question was, “Ask your High Lord.”

His gaze didn’t waver, but before he could respond, a deep, resonating roar echoed through the forest.

Tamlin.

Even in his beast form, I recognized the sound of his fury. And so did the Illyrian male.

I saw his attention shift, his focus breaking for just a moment as he listened to the sound. It was all the distraction I needed. Without a second thought, I turned and fled, my feet barely touching the ground as I moved through the familiar woods with the speed and grace of a predator in its own territory.

I knew he’d find me if he wanted to. He was skilled, and the shadows seemed to cling to him as if he were one of them. But for now, I needed distance, needed space to clear my head and regain my composure. Because that look in his eyes, the shock, and the way he had watched me—it unsettled me in ways I hadn’t been unsettled in years.

** Azriel's POV **

She was gone before I could react, slipping through the trees like a wraith, silent and swift. But her words echoed in my mind, heavy with implications I couldn’t ignore.

Ask your High Lord.

The roar of the Spring Court’s High Lord reverberated through the forest, pulling me back to the present, but my mind was still fixated on the female who had just vanished into the woods. The scars on her back, the bitterness in her voice, and the way she had looked at me—it all added up to a mystery I was now desperate to solve.

I was stunned by her speed, her grace, and the way she had so easily outmaneuvered me without wings. But it was more than just her skill that had me off balance.

The sight of those scars, of what had been done to her, was like a punch to the gut, she wasn't just clipped, no they removed them completely. It wasn’t just the cruelty of it—it was the fact that someone had tried to take away her freedom, her power. And yet, she had survived. She was still here, defiant and unbroken.

But that left me with more questions than answers. Why wasn’t she in the Night Court? What had driven her to seek refuge in the Spring Court, of all places? And what did Rhysand know that I didn’t? Her words had been sharp, almost taunting.

Ask your High Lord.

Tamlin’s roar sounded again, and I forced myself to focus.

The mission came first, as it always did. But even as I spread my wings and took to the sky, blending into the shadows as I moved toward the source of the disturbance, I couldn’t shake the image of her—of the way she had looked at me with those fierce, dark eyes, and the way she had fled without looking back.

If I wanted to find her again, I would. And when I did, I would get the answers I needed. Because now, more than ever, I was certain that she was a piece of the puzzle I had been sent here to solve.

--

Please like, share or comment when you liked the story. If you liked this, please check out my masterlist for other stories.

Taglist: @lilah-asteria

[b0xerdancer-writes]

Paper Faces on Parade

Tamlin x Reader

Summary: Tamlin was once mates with Rhysand's younger sister, but in his eageness to properly court her he did not see his father's deception and almost got her killed. Rhysand let him live upon realizing it was a honest clouded judgment error but that Tamlin would have to spend the rest of his life making it up to her, though when she believes Tamlin to have given up on her she begins moving on with Azriel yet Tamlin threatens to envoke a blood duel over her.

Prompt: Masquerade

Warnings: Heavy descriptions of violence, Blood duel, Wing cuting, murder, assassination attempts, depression and self deprecation. Mor x Elain because no one can stop me. Im sorry i hurt Azriel in this (not really). implied smut.

Word Count: 14,265 Yep this is a beast.

Notes: Phantom of the Opera was my inspiration from this prompt so uhhhh I nerded out a bit combining two of my favorite hyperfixations. its about 14,000 words/39 Pages of me being a phantom nerd. Msquerade from royal albert hall and Devil take the Hindmost from Love Never Dies are quoted here highly recommend those songs btw. Not proofread at all, I think i caught most of the plot holes/contradictions though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hybern had finally been defeated and all of Prythian was celebrating, the high lords especially. Even with the tragic losses they were planning a ball or some kind or an event to celebrate what they had overcome. It had only been six months of peace when Rhysand suggested a masquerade ball in the court of nightmares.  Tamlin was less than pleased with the idea but he knew Rhysand’s little sister, his mate would be there so he agreed to attend. As far as anyone knew he had always had a thing for her, no one was quite sure what it was, save for Rhysand; it had started as children when he had taken her under his metaphorical wing. He had taught her everything he had known about music after the female had taken an interest in it. Her presence left a throb in chest and sorrow in his heart.

In truth they had been incredibly close before her family was murdered by his father. He had been bitter at how they had left it, she had been screaming, crying, and punching his chest; he couldn’t blame her it was partially his fault, he misunderstood his father’s intentions. He had asked his father for permission to court the female and his father had requested he speak to the girl's father for permission, he had said that they were staying at an illyrian camp for several weeks.

So he replied to Rhysand that he would attend, his heart yearning for the princess of night; little did he know the princess of night had recently gotten engaged to the spymaster without telling anyone, everyone knew they were flirtatious and close but knew not of the truth behind their relationship, two that as far as anyone knew had never and would never find their mates.

+

The day of the masquerade approached faster than Tamlin thought possible, he had a mask of his beast form crafted and set off for the night court, he decided he would travel with Lucien who was adorned in a new fox mask that showed his mixed court lineage: gold like his own with a crown of sun rays; both males wore regal clothing. Lucien, who had adopted some of the Day Court traditions, was draped in white robes while Tamlin was in a deep emerald green suit adorned with a long one shoulder cape that dragged the ground behind him, a gift for the Night Court tucked under his arm that was tied with a velvet bow and would be reminder of the history the two courts had before the first ultimate betrayal between the two current high lords. 

+

Rhysand and Cassian had spent the entire evening of the party setting up, Rhysand was dressed up as the suriel and Cassian as an attor.

“Rhys this is going to be a fucking splendid party.” Cassian cheered.

“The prologue to a bright new year.” Rhysand agreed.

“It’ll be a night, they’ll be impressed.” Cassian offered.

“Well one does one's best.” Rhysand mused and offered Cassian a drink from his desk. 

“Here's to us and to the Night Court.” They cheered clinking the glasses together.

“A toast to victory, what a pity that Tamlin will be here.” Cassian and Rhys joked between each other.

The boys  set off from the office to gather their dates, Nesta was dressed in a Black Gown, adorned with a silvery shawl and mask while Feyre was in a shimmery sheer black dressed made to look like bat wings with tiny ones on the back of her dress, a silver, crown and mask like Nesta’s.  While the group was still gathering in the living room of the estate house the ballroom in The Court of Nightmares was beginning to flood with partygoers and performers, dressed in an array of costumes and colors, in all sorts of fabrics from scratchy tulles to  shimmering satins and silks. By the time the inner circle, minus Azriel and his date that is, flooded into the ballroom. The party was in full swing with everyone excited that the wars were over for the time being and there was no looming threat in the distance for once, every face within the palace of the Court of Nightmares was a different shade and anywhere one could look another mask answered back. 

Colors painted the normally dark court brilliant whether it be a flash of mauve in its pale purples or a splash of puce that echoed like a blush across its wearer, greens and blacks washed the room with the reminder of life and shadows or like that or precious onyx and emeralds, traces of rouge mixed between painted lips and intricate brilliant silks and satins, beautiful blues like sapphires or the skies offered cool tones to the room offered a refreshing sight, yellow fabrics imported from day court that could only make one beam, reds from autumn that were so rich and vibrant it could make ones head spin. The entirety of Prythian had dressed to the nines with intricate costumes and masks themselves, masks of jesters, comedically painted versions of The King of Hybern, ghouls, geese, dramatic caricatures of the human queens that one could almost find offensive, faces of beats from all across Prythian were a common sight in the ballrooms. The sheer assortment of colors and facades could leave one guessing as to who was who, to some it was a challenge or a race per say to outdo each other with the complexity and grandiose of one's own costume. Everyone seemed to be drinking up the attention and the lights, a mix of champagne glasses and civil chatter or music and a full dance floor; it could only be described as a spectacle but as much as it was a sea of smiles it was a pool for gossip, those lingering in the shadows seething with peering eyes as a male danced with a female someone else favored or those in their circles of chatter breathed lies into existence. 

The inner circle had been spread out across the grand event but had finally pushed their ways through the crowds towards the throne dias, the only place that was really empty in the crowded underground palace. Rhysand who leaned comfortably against the throne in which Feyre sat finally eyed the Shadowsinger, dressed to mimic his own high lord, and his sister ,who he had a gown custom made for to look like the night sky above Velaris even her small tiara mimicked the three stars that sparkled above the city of dreamers, push through the crowd; he offered them a curt nod as the two joined the dancefloor. With the event as grand as it was in attendance it was no surprise that one would feel themselves being watched but even if you would try to run and hide from the lingering stares there was always some other pair of eyes that would find you in the new location. 

Mor had offered Elain her arm as a way to escape the sheer amount of eyes that lingered on them when they stood on top of the dias. Mor had dressed herself in a spectacular red, black, and gold dress that reminded herself of the faire hosts on the continent and she had helped Elain into a more modest pink priestess like costume dress. Elain’s laugh was melodious as Mor spun her around in her arms at the base of the dias. 

“What a night!” Mor had exclaimed as she had pulled Elain into her from a spin.

“What a crowd!” Elain had countered bouncing on the toes of her flats with a happy smile on her face as she looked up to Mor. 

Cassian and Rhys had overheard the two fewmale’s exclamations and retorted back with their own remarks. “Makes you glad we hosted it!” Cassian exclaimed as he took a drink from the champagne flute he held in his hand. 

“Makes you proud,” Rhys offered as he clinked his glass against Cassian’s own flute before taking a sip. “With all this creme de la creme.” 

Nesta had snorted, offering her own two cents “They’re watching us watching them.”  

“All our fears are in the past!” Elain and Mor had cheered and giggled as Mor swept Elain into a dip.

“Six months,” Rhys had started before being interrupted by the rest of the circle. 

“Of relief,” Feyre had offered as a fill in.

“Of delight,” Nesta raised her glass towards Amren in silent cheers.

“Of mother sent peace.” Amren had raised her own glass back towards Nesta proud of how far the female had come.

“And we can breathe at last.” Elain and Mor had sighed happily, as Mor pulled the shorter female in for a chaste kiss. 

“Here's a health” Cassian had announced before downing his glass and motioning one of the staff to bring him another glass.

“Here’s a toast to a prosperous year.” Feyre smiled, content in watching her family’s cheerful demeanor as they celebrated. 

“And may its splendor never fade.” Amren had finally turned to fully engage the conversation.” 

With a final round of cheers the dias emptied as the inner circle all moved to do their own things, Azriel and his darling shooting star moved towards one of the drink tables and away from the center of the dancefloor.

“Think of it!” She mused. “A secret engagement! Look, your future bride! Just think of it!”  She giddily offered a champagne flute to Azriel who offered a small smile back to her.

“But why is it secret? What do we have to hide?” Azriel had countered taking a sip from his glass, pulling her close to him with a flirty smile.

“You promised me,” She whined.

“You promised me.” Azriel pouted as he leaned in to kiss her. 

“No, Az, please don’t they’ll see!”  She squirmed trying to pull from his grasp.

“Then let them see,” he groaned. “It’s an engagement not a crime. Starlight, what are you afraid of?” 

“Let’s not argue,” She countered, trying to dismiss his questions.

“Let’s not argue.” Azriel agreed, taking a sip from his glass and releasing her waist. 

“Please pretend.” She begged.

“I can only hope I’ll understand in time.” Azriel sighed.

“You will understand, in time that is.” She held one of his hands in hers with a thankful smile.

Rhysand had found the two by the table, Feyre having moved to dance with her sister, Rhysand interrupted the two with a small nod towards Azriel and pulled his sister onto the dancefloor. The pacing of the dance had changed and both Rhys and Az were separated from their starlight as she was surrounded by a gaggle of females. Azriel had begun moving through the crowd till she could see him, he offered her his hands but just as their hands touched she was spun into the arms of another dancer; Azriel groaned, pushing himself through the crowds till he reached the beverage table where Rhysand now stood pouting and began to antagonize the high lord to go fetch his own sister as everytime he attempted to they were split up again. 

The music swelled and swirled as she was forced towards the front of the room, closer and closer to the dias, the music began to quicken and darken its pace, Azriel had noticed where she was heading and pushed through the crowds to catch her again after Rhys had shrugged him off.  He managed to just catch her and she pulled him into the final few spins of the number, the two smiling happily between each other as Azriel lifted her by the hips into a spin as the number began to swell for a final time, the rest of the inner circle somehow having found their way to the front beside them, as the music spun into its ending and the next song was beginning no one seemed to mind or recognize the music as a darker intro played.

She had froze in place, the familiar tune echoing in her ears as the rest of the inner circle turned to chatter amongst themselves.  Clicking of heeled boots made her heart race and fear began to slowly fill her chest; she was sure she was the only one who could hear the male’s gait and have it memorized so thoroughly, Rhys was the one to notice the change in his sister’s behavior and moved to question her. Though as he followed her gaze up to the dias he no longer needed an answer as to what was wrong. 

Tamlin had decided to make a dramatic entrance, as he was known for now, and while it was admittedly hard for him and Luicen to set up, it was worth it now to see the faces on the Inner circle and the rest of the Prythian’s high lords. He had handed Lucien a stack of music sheets and a heavy pouch of gold to bribe the musicians into playing for his introduction, a song he knew that would only matter to her: the song they had been writing together when the mating bond had snapped in place between them, their song. It admittedly was a bold move on his part, but he was planning on sweeping her back into his arms and declaring his intentions to her in front of the entirety of Prythian. Or at least that's how he had imagined it while talking to Lucien, he planned to beg for her forgiveness for everything that had happened to her family when she was younger, make a grand reveal begging for the girl to come back to him and pleading with her to accept their bond.  He had not expected for her to be on Azriel’s arm but then after all he wasn’t quite sure what he expected after all this time had passed, it was go big or go home with the gestures he figured.

Everyone had frozen as he leaned on the black stone and metal throne, a snarky smile on his face as he saw Azriel pale, saw his star’s eyes widen, saw Rhys move towards him before stalling just a few steps in front of the rest of the inner circle. They had been expecting him, just not like this, this was borderline disrespectful towards Rhysand and Feyre but he wasn’t here for them he was here for his darling mate. Feeling the tension of  their high lord and his inner circle  the entire gala ran quiet.

“Why so silent good messieurs?” he took a step away from the throne, straightening his stance and watched as Rhys ushered the entire room back a step.

‘Ahhh that explained it’, Tamlin considered their reactions before deciding on one reason as to why they would be reacting the way they were. ‘They don’t trust the reason I’m  here, they are so used to there always being a threat around the corner that they must think I'm here to ruin their celebration of peace.’

“Did you think I wouldn’t show up Rhys? You act like I’m not one of the Lords that helped usher in this peace.” Tamlin joked, though his tone suggested otherwise.

He took a single step down the dias and while addressing the entirety of the room he opened his arms with a smile. “Have you missed me, good messieurs? I have brought you an announcement.” 

It was true, he was so busy trying to figure out Hybern’s plans he had turned down countless invites to balls and galas and then after it was found out he was playing host to Hybern the invitations had stopped coming in completely. After he had helped Feyre and everyone escape Hybern’s war camp and it was made common knowledge he was playing double agent people were still hesitant to trust him and while invitations did start coming back in he often put them off to work on restoring his court instead. 

“I figured it would be best to announce myself here, at such a grand celebration, where everyone could see what it means to me.” He smiled brightly, his emerald eyes glinting in the faelight gleaming from the grand chandelier.

“I advise you to hear me out, my meaning should be clear. I intend no malice here.” Tamlin raised his hands as if to calm the crowds.

Rhys seemed to relax as Tamlin made his intentions aware, Tamlin gestured for his darling star to step forward Azriel’s brows furrowed and he tried to pull her behind him but all he could do was reach out for her as she shook his hands off and stepped past Rhys to lock eyes with Tamlin. Tamlin took another step down the dias and extended one hand out for his star to take, when she complied he pulled her tight against him. 

He dropped his forehead to touch hers, and he sighed as if it was the first breath of fresh air he had taken in in a very long time. “Our souls still sing as one, you never rejected me?” 

She took a sharp breath in. “How could I? I only ever heard bad or negative things about you but through it all you never once closed off the bond, but you never reached out for me either.”

Tamlin tensed as he smelt the underlying cool musk scent that he was familiar with as the Shadowsinger, mix with her own soft night wind scent. “You smell like the Shadowsinger…”

Azriel reading the situation with a negative connotation rushed forward to pull her away from the High Lord of Spring. Rhysand’s eyes widened as he processed the news of his little sister and old best friend having a mating bond the two had never consummated or had never been closed off or rejected like he had assumed it had been after everything that had happened; his attention had flitted from the sweet and sincere scene on the dias to Azriel ,who’s movement was rage filled and volatile in stark contrast to his normal behavior, before the male could pass Rhys took hold of his arm. The shadowsinger turned to look back at Rhys with a pained snarl on his face that softened when he saw the look in Rhys’s eyes, a plea to not make this any worse as they both knew Tamlin was not an honorable male and she was in so much danger being that close alone that if he were to walk up there Tamlin might very well sweep her away and start the next war to keep her as his. Or that was how Azriel perceived it, Rhys however wasn’t sure the exact clarification for how he meant it but he knew it was probably a good thing he didn’t let Azriel march up there; Rhys knew Azriel fancied his little sister and just wasn’t good at proclaiming it, he knew that the chance of Az saying ‘Fuck it’ and  storming up there with his rage scrambling any clear thinking would end up in one of them declaring a blood duel.

Azriel had been asking Rhys for weeks now for permission and advice on properly courting her, it was a ploy Azriel had ran by her as a way to keep the rest of the circle out of the details of their relationship, instead hiding the true nature within bedroom walls. It had been sudden for Azriel, his Starlight had been down in the dungeons on order of Rhys while he was out; he had just been coming back in from a mission and was about to start writing a report for Rhys when she was on her way out. She had stopped at the basins to wash some blood off her hands and Azriel didn’t know what quite compelled him to stop but he was glad he did so now, she had looked up at him with eyes sparkling like the stars and a happy smile on her face as she welcomed him back; his eyes widened as he took her in and his heart ached, he wasn’t sure what had changed between now and the last time he had seen her weeks ago, maybe it was the fact she was one of the only ones who genuinely responded to his letters more than the basic check ins he did with his brothers. Whatever it was though, Azriel knew he needed her close to him then and there, he had thanked her for keeping the dungeons in check for him and offered to take her out for dinner on the Sidra. That was how it had started over a year ago now, after the war with Hybern Azriel had proposed to her but confided in Rhys that he wished to simply court his sister, other than that to the inner circle they were simply flirting but did not necessarily belong to one another.

When Azriel had stormed into his office the first time begging Rhys for permission to court his younger sister and if he was allowed how should he go about doing so Azriel hadn't let Rhys get a word in before he had worked himself up and left the room apologizing profusely, it was probably for the best in the worst possible way because if Azriel had let him speak Rhys would have quizzed him on where this sudden romantic interest in his sister was coming from and probably denied the male outright. Rhys was over protective of his little sister, more so than he probably needed to be but no one was complaining so who was he to judge, Rhys had assumed Azriel was too worried and anxious to actually act on asking her out.  He knew Azriel cared about her more so than was probably good for the spy master and he had every intention of telling the spymaster it wasn’t a good idea if Az ever made his way back into his office, which just hadn’t happened yet so Rhy bid his time separating them if Az ever got too close to her for his liking.

It wasn’t that Rhys had anything against Az and her being together and honestly they would have made a cute couple but Rhys knew more than he probably should have, she was his sister after all and he was the one who had carried her half alive body from the cabin where she had been left on death’s doorstep ripped apart and bloody; it was one of the only things he could never forgive Tamlin for in all honesty, she had trusted him, he had trusted him. He hadn’t thought much of it about a week before the attack on her, his mom, and their other sister, when the she had winnowed in from the spring court drunk on Spring wine way after their father had already turned in to bed for the night; she had been rambling, hardly able to fly in a straight line when she had landed on the balcony and Rhys inwardly groaned as he pulled her up the stairs towards her room.

It was only after the door had clicked shut and he had sat her on the neat padded couch and asked the house for water did he think to ask her what had led to the late night drinking spree.

“Alright fess up, what got you in the drinking spirit?” He had asked placing the glass of water in her hand before standing up and moving towards the girls dresser and sifting through it looking for a pair of the girls silk pajamas.

“Tam-” She had started but was interrupted by a hiccup as tears started bubbling in her eyes.

Pulling out the pair of black silk pjs Rhys’s brows furrowed, a growl threatening to spill from his throat. “What the fuck did he do to you?”

“No, no, no Rhys… its not like that!” she pulled her knees into the couch and turned herself around to look over the back of the couch at Rhys as he walked back over pajamas in hand.

“Then how is it?” Rhys’s voice softened. “I thought you had music lessons with him today?”

“I did,” She confirmed. “We were working on this piece together, he was teaching me how to write music and well, we just kept moving closer and closer as we worked on the song.”

“And?” Rhys prodded sitting the pajamas on the coffee table.

She shifted back to face forwards with a pout. “It was going really well, he was super proud of the progress we had made on it. Like I said we kept getting closer, well when we wrapped the song up he just. Well he just leaned forward and kissed me!” Her voice was raised in a ‘can you believe the audacity of that man’ tone.

Rhys laughed. “You decided to drink because you were upset he kissed you?” 

She shot him a look that read ‘Why the fuck would I do that dumbass’ “Mother no! Let me finish Rhys!”

He had to refrain from laughing again at her attitude. “Go right ahead.”

“Thank you!” she huffed. “Well, when he kissed me I felt this like spark in my chest and I knew what it meant, he felt it too I think ‘cause his eyes widened and then he deepened the kiss and mumbled something about thanking the mother it was me as his mate. He was so excited he offered to take me out drinking as a celebration. We ended up calling it a night so I just winnowed back, took me a couple times believe me but when I finally made it back into the court I flew the rest of the way back up here. Cold Night air is not as sobering as you would think.”

Rhys smiled and patted her shoulder. “Well then congrats on finding your mate dear sister, with Tamlin of all males as well  there couldn’t be a better match. Get some rest, don't forget we have to fly out to Windhaven tomorrow afternoon.” 

“Yeah, yeah get out so I can go to bed.” she waved him off, grabbing the folded silk pajamas from the coffee table and making her way into the attached bathing room.

Rhys left to his own room and found himself at a writing desk he had tucked into the corner, writing to Tamlin his own form of congratulations; after all he had already considered the male a brother and now even more so if he was actually to be mated to his sister.

When the morning came she barely remembered the interaction with him, and had practically begged him to keep it a secret until her and Tam had a chance to talk. He had agreed as they flew out then winnowed into the camp grounds, Rhys wished he could have frozen those moments in time; when everything was happy and alright, when he didn’t get hung up on what could have been like those powdered icing sugar cookies he got from the bakery a block over from the river estate that had opened recently: his youngest sister would have loved those, she had one of the biggest sweet tooths around.

Five days had passed and he was needed back in Velaris, leaving the rest of his family in Windhaven but something just didn’t sit right with him like an anxious pit in his stomach. He should have told Azriel and Cassian to be on guard or something to have patrols out in the area around the cabin but for some reason he didn’t and now he blamed himself for so much. 

Rhys had woken up that night as his father stormed in the air buzzing and electrified with palpable energy. “Up boy, hurry get dressed. Something’s happened. I have already sent word to Windhaven to check we will meet them there.”

Rhys paled and his stomach dropped as he threw his leathers on half haphazardly. In all honesty he had barely slept maybe ten minutes here or there, he had just drifted off for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes finally when that door had swung open; in all honesty Rhy should have been exhausted but the adrenaline pumping through his system was convincing him otherwise. 

The night was a blur painted in red for him, when he had gotten there Cassian amd Az were sitting on a rock with their hands in their hands, they had been sleeping in the barracks recently in some way to show the others they belonged here just as much as they did, both males perked up when they heard the sound of Rhys winnowing back into camp.  They offered him a pitiful look that worried Rhys, his eyes darted between them and the door and just as they were beginning to stand Rhys took off in a full sprint towards the slightly ajar splintered door; he heard his father’s voice call out for him but he was through the door and standing in a pool of blood before any words processed in his head.

It was a mess, the table had been flipped and chipped on the counter the chairs were thrown across the room and had splinters or pieces missing, broken ceramics and wood chunks from dining sets were scattered across the floor; the living room was a mess in its own the couch had been flipped, wood pokers strewn across the floor in front of the fireplace with one tipped in blood and tossed to the other side of the room. By the cauldron Rhys was going to be sick if it wasn’t for the adrenaline pulsing through his body right now, blood was absolutely everywhere: splatters pools, streaks, handprints, you name it; What Rhys found the worst was the two bodies slumped over in the kitchen, absolutely brutalized in gouged scratches and gaping wounds. Rhys stilled, two there was only two in here his mom and the youngest sister both of whom where half dressed and had bones sticking out and gaping gashes in their back where their wings had been, he realized how bad the attack and assault had been due to the tear tracks and the disorder in their undressed states. 

An alarm was going off in his head. Where was his other sister? His eyes scanned the room as a sob bobbed in the back of his throat, they were born only a year apart and had grown up incredibly close together they acted as if they were twins despite the fact they weren’t. She had been here when the attack had been sprung he deduced, there were three plates made at the table and two others off to the side just in case Cas and Az decided to show up to eat with them instead of in the main house. She had been the person in the living room he reasoned based on the fact the bodies were in the kitchen, she would have been relaxing on the couch when they barged in and put the couch between her and the attacker she had taken the fire poker as a weapon, she wouldn’t have been able to get up to her room where her actual weapons were.   Yet her body wasn’t down here and there wasn’t a significant amount of blood in the snow, only the pool right outside the doorway, then his eyes landed on the footprints leading up the stairs and the small drops of blood trailing up the stairs.

He had never booked it up a staircase faster, his eyes following the trail on the floor; had the attackers still been there he would have been a goner, he stopped as he came face to face with the slightly ajar door to his sisters room. The boys bunked together which left her to bunk with their youngest sister and their mother had her own room; A small bathing room was at the opposite end of the hallway, he had to swallow an anxious breath as he pushed the door open slowly.

He had wanted to sob, the room was barely touched except for her, laying on her stomach on her bed, like care had been taken with her; the same scene as her mother and sister in the severity of the wounds on her back, Rhys would thank the mother everyday that while he was observing her she wasn’t in the same state of undress and that he was able to catch her weak breath. Her face was looking at him and yet her eyes were weak and open a small weak smile graced her face as she let out a small bloody cough, she had tried to call his name but all that had come out was a wheeze and more coughing that swept her into unconsciousness. Rhys’s brain went from being on a stall to being in overdrive as a sob wracked his body, he hauled her up into his arms as gently as he could and took off back through the halls of the cabin and down the stairs out into that frigid cold air.

When his feet sank into the snow outside  everything happened so quickly he could barely remember screaming that she was still alive, that they could still save her if they got her to Madja in time.  He knew their father had taken her from his arms and was gone within the minute, his knees had given out and it had been Cassian and Azriel that had caught him.   When he had finally made it back into Velaris the next night he refused to leave her bedside even when Madja advised that he should just let the girl rest, it took his father waltzing in with that dark look in his eyes that made Rhys finally step away.

The firm hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts, his fathers hardened steel eyes met with his own. “I found out who it was.”

“Who was it?” Rhys’s voice was hoarse; he had barely said a word in the last 24 hours and any use of his voice was from screaming or crying.

“Spring court.” His father had told him and he had to take a moment to make sure he had heard his father correctly.

“Spring court?” Rhys had double checked.

“Yes, you seem surprised, has something happened?” His father had asked quizzically.

“I just don’t understand why Tamlin would have helped do something like that.” Rhys looked down with his brows furrowed.

“Look son, I understand you both have been friends for an incredibly long time but-” His father had started before Rhys had interrupted him.

“No, it's not for that reason!” Rhys had barked out with more venom than he had intended.

“Then for what reason do you mean boy?” His fathers gaze hardened.

“Just,” He sighed. “I don’t see why Tamlin would attack his own mate at all, especially when they both came across as happy about it.” 

“She's his mate?” His fathers eyes drifted to her sleeping body.

“She had just found out before we left, Tamlin was planning to ask his father for permission to court her properly.” Rhys mumbled.

“You know this how?” His father had asked.

“She was drunk the night before we left, spilled her guts about it to me. Her and Tamlin had gone out for celebratory drinks, after I had put her to bed I wrote a congratulatory letter to Tam and he had wrote back thanking me and asked me to keep it quiet, he said he was going to ask his father to properly court her and if he got permission there he was going to come to you to ask. I told him we would be up in Windhaven if he needed to find us to get your permission or if he needed to run away.” His voice was shaky as he stumbled to recall what the letter he had received from Tamlin had said.”He said he loved her and he was bound and determined to court her either way, even if he had to run away. Something had to have happened.”

“Possibly, I’m sure something happened or there was a lie somewhere along the way.” His father offered him a sympathetic nod in comfort. “Either way we head out tonight, you can deal with Tamlin and I’ll deal with his father and brothers.”

“Okay.” Rhys nodded.

“Be on the balcony just past midnight.” His father had turned to step back out of the room, his hand falling from his shoulder. 

The air hung heavy as he returned to his seat beside her bed, if he stayed standing he would begin to pace while thinking about what he would say to Tamlin tonight although he knew no matter what it would end in blood and violence.

+

When night finally fell, Rhys was leaning in the archway of the balcony before even his father had made it downstairs; he had spent too much time being able to brood on the situation and now his entire being was pure rage, he fully believed Tamlin had been lying to him about the entire situation now, that was why he had decided to go out to drink and that he just had to pull her along with him to not arouse suspicion. 

His eyes almost seemed darker than his father’s did when the older male finally had joined him down stairs, one set of darkened steeled violet eyes met another in an unspoken vow on how the rest of the night would go.  His father, the only one able to winnow in and out of the mountain palace’s wards, took the male by the shoulder and winnowed them as close to Rosehall as they could without setting off the wards and silent alarms, due to the estate having frequent visitors you could walk through the wards but not winnow and it was considered a ‘safe guard’ though it was one of the weakest safe guards Rhys had seen.

Getting into the estate was rather simple, it was late enough even the servants would be asleep and they had a tendency to not lock the door, Tamlin had told Rhys that once and in turn he had made a note of that to his father; as they snuck around the side of the estate ducking under window sills in case any late night wanderers or the heir and his father decided to get up for a late night wander, with a silent nod they tested the handle on the servants quarters door and stepped inside to a silent house. The servants quarters were easy to sneak through without a care for exactly how silent they were, it wasn’t until they reached the main hall that they tested every step with a soft foot before putting any pressure on a floor board, any noise could give their position away. He felt the familiar knock of his father’s clawed hands on his mental shields and accepted him in with a questioning look.

‘You take care of Tamlin and I will deal with Verdanon and the others. We split up at the top of the stairs.’ His father’s voice was stern in his head.

Rhys simply nodded following the older male’s steps, turning down the left hall as his father went down the right hall; Rhys looked over his shoulder watching as his father passed the empty room’s of Tamlin’s long dead brothers without a second thought, he turned back towards Tamlin’s door at the end of the hallway. His steps weighed heavier and heavier as he approached the familiar oak carved door, his thoughts drifted as his hand fell to the iron door handle a scratching sound on the other side of the doors followed by a frustrated growl and the soft sound of something with scarce weight hitting the floor caused the hair on Rhys’s neck to stand on end. 

He straightened his stance, he could hear the creak of his father opening the door at the other end of the hall ever so softly, turning the iron handle and inching the door open till he could see Tamlin stationed at his writing desk with his back to him and his head in his hands. 

Before Rhys could take another step into the room he was startled by Tamlin calling out to him. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to show up here.”

Rhys stepped into the room, forgoing any thought of being quiet as he heard the beginning of a struggle down his father’s way. “And here I am.”

His voice was venomous towards Tamlin and in all honesty he hadn’t meant it to be so dark, he couldn’t claim to know the whole story; it hurt him more when he saw Tam flinch in his seat.The flinch had his gaze sharpening on the blonde male and he strode forward quickly, unsheathing his dagger with full intent of sinking it into the blonde. 

Hearing the familiar sound of metal being wielded against himself Tamlin rose quickly from his chair, the light wooden thing clattering against the glossy hardwood floors as he turned to block Rhys’s attack with only a letter opener. It bought him just enough time to try and grab ahold of Rhys’s wrist with his free hand, even though the attempt failed miserably and the dagger had sunk against the bones in his arm. His eyes widened, and breath trembled as he took in the emotions etched into Rhys’ very being. 

“Rhys!” He called out with his voice wavering. “Please talk to me about this, I swear to you I had no idea what my father was planning to do!” 

“Don’t lie to me Tam.” Rhys had growled, pressing the blade hader against the bone of the blonde’s arm. 

“I’m not Rhys,” Tamlin swallowed a shallow breath, the edges of his vision beginning to turn white with pain. “I promise if you ask me for all the details of what happened I won't lie to you.”

The weight of the words hung in the air as Rhys’s gaze narrowed, without removing the blade from the male under him he extended his non dominant hand in an offering. “If you do lie I won’t hesitate to kill you I can promise that.” 

Tamlin nodded, dropping the letter opener and shaking the ravenette’s hand as magic sizzled in the air around them  settling into a small shooting star pattern; instead of the regular black ink bargains and promises normally settled into the one that seared itself into their skin was nearly white in color looking instead like a scar on their arms, a metaphor maybe Rhys thought now for the scar the damage of that night had done on their families. Rhys ground his jaw as he pulled the sword from its spot embedded in Tamlin’s arm, the latter flinching at the grinding noise as it was pulled from the bone.

Tamlin moved to pick up the chair as Rhys sheathed his dagger and noted the fact his arm was taking a moment to seal up, probably due to the damage to the bone, as his blood dripped against the floor he offered the chair to Rhysand. Tamlin sighed and leaned against the ornately carved wooden poster of his bed letting the raven haired male adjust and fixate his violet gaze onto his own green ones.

“You know the details of how we found out so I will spare you the details of that for times sake and instead will start us with dinner the next day if that is alright with you.” Tamlin had offered Rhys a chance to rebuttal even though it was more of a statement.

“That's fine with me, get on with it.” Was the responding growl.

“Like I told you I was ready to completely flee this court if it was necessary, Rhys, please don’t give me that look.” Tamlin had looked up at the other male with a miserable pleading look in his eyes. “I love her mind you, I’d still walk out of here if I didn’t have a clue how tonight is going to end.”

“If you love her, why would you hurt her like that Tam? Can you answer that question? She still hasn’t woken up, I hope you know that.” Rhys’s gaze was hardened into a glare that had the blonde sinking against the post to drop his head defeatedly into his knees.

“I tried to protect her the best I could at that moment in time, I wish I could have done more but all I could do was carry her upstairs so she couldn't see the carnage or her mother and sister.” Tamlin had sighed, the disappointment in himself obvious as he sank to the floor.

“You were the reason she made it upstairs?” Rhys questioned and Tamlin nodded.

“Yeah, but I should start at that dinner, not in the middle of it all. Please give me this one thing, Rhys.” Tamlin asked and Rhys could see the swirl of sorrow deep in those emerald orbs.

“Get to it then.” Rhys barked and Tamlin nodded.

“I was nervous, I stayed in my room the entire day trying to think of how to ask for her to my father whilst being surrounded by my brothers.” Tamlin had rested his arms over his knees fiddling with one of the several rings on his fingers with a sad smile on his face. “When I was called down for dinner I was so nervous I could hardly sit still, we always go by birth order for events of the day or subjects we wished to discuss so I of course was the last one to get asked. Normally I turn down the invitation to scramble back to my poetry books but they all turned to look at me when I had said actually I did have something I wanted to ask about.”

Tamlin let his head fall back against the wooden post. “They were surprised but were more than happy to let me have my piece, I started it with an upfront statement,  That I had settled on a female I wished to court, my father asked me who of course and I said her name that she was actually my mate and we both were aware of it but I wanted the chance to properly court her.” He broke up his sentences with a scoff. “I should have known better than to believe he would have been okay with it from the get go, should have figured there was something off when he said he'd ask your father and that should have been the end of the conversation but no I had to push it because I knew you all were not available in Night Court. I told him you all were going to be in the Illyrian mountains at the camp instead that your mother had a cabin on the far outskirts of the camp and that you all would be staying there and we needed to send the letter there instead. A couple days later he told me he had gotten a letter inviting us out there to meet with you all and that afternoon we set out to head towards your court.”

“You didn’t think anything of simply being informed of the letter and not seeing it with your own eyes?” Rhys had frowned at the blonde’s lack of consideration.

“I was too excited with the prospect of being able to properly court her and wedding bells on the horizon at the time to see the cloud of deception hanging above me.” Tamlin bit his tongue to prevent himself from getting snappy.

“Figured you smarter than that Tam.” Rhys taunted.

“We will see about that on the day you find your mate Rhys.” Tamlin countered with an eye roll, continuing with his story before Rhys could interject with another comment on his actions. “We made it out to the camp, I figured you were going to be there. Honestly I didn’t know you and your father had headed back to your estate yet so I thought nothing of it when my father simply knocked on the door. Your mother was the one to answer and my father was pushing inside with a blade drawn quicker than I realized, I stood in the doorway frozen as I realized he had lied to me. He attacked your mother and youngest sister first took their wings, and then he attacked her she had put up the most fight, had been yelling at me the entire time to step in but I could feel her fear and it doubled my own I couldn't move until my father dragged her over to me and dropped her at my feet saying I needed to finish her. He moved into the kitchen where you mother and baby sister were, when I realize what he was doing I pulled her into my arms and under the disguise I wanted her privately to myself so I could really cherish her I carried her up to her bed and sat with her, I cried and begged for her apologies told her I didn't know he was going to do what he did and that it was all my fault for not seeing through his lie. She reached out to touch my cheek, told me it was okay she wasn’t mad at me, and in turn I told her I would spend my whole life trying to find a way to make it up to her.” Tamlin’s voice quivered as he hurried to sum up the story, wiping a tear from his cheek that he hadn’t even realized he had shed. 

“I mean that Rhys, even if making it up to her is staying as far away as possible.” Tamlin mumbled looking up to Rhys who actually had pity in his eyes for the male.

“You truly didn’t mean for what happened to happen?” Rhys scowled. 

“It truly was not my intention, I figured by bringing her upstairs she would have the best chance to make it through, that by doing so she would have some chance to survive so that at least that way she didn’t have to watch her mother and sister be slaughtered; I knew if she stayed downstairs he would make sure her life was ripped from her, he had already taken her wings and there was enough blood on me for him to believe she was dead.” Tamlin sighed.

When no stinging came from the tattoo Rhys decided he was satisfied with the answer. “My father has slaughtered your brothers and no doubt is working on your father now. If my father survives the fight you will have to make yourself nonexistent and flee into hiding, you will never be able to see her again as long as he lives and I swear to you I will do my best to keep her from you even if the opposite is true. You have hurt her in a way I as her brother can not forgive, even if she does the second she wakes up I still will not; You will have to earn her trust all over again and until I am convinced you have redeemed yourself I won't allow you near her.”

“Those are terms I can agree to.” Tamlin looked up at Rhys hopeful.

“I will not make it into a bargain for your sake, it will simply be of my own determination if you have redeemed yourself in my eyes and I will not lay out the terms for what that entails.” Rhys stood from his chair and extended a hand to Tamlin who took it in kind to stand from his position on the floor.

Rhys pulled Tamlin into a half hearted hug, catching the blonde off guard. “For everyone's sake in this, I hope you do manage to redeem yourself. For what it’s worth Tamlin, you had always made her happy.”

Tamlin felt his heart shatter as Rhys’s words sank into his chest, that one word destroyed his world: had. Tamlin decided that one word would haunt him until he felt himself a good enough male to finally attempt to redeem himself for her. Though no words were spoken further as screaming and clattering spilled into the room from the hallway on the other side of the door, there was an unspoken acknowledgement between the two of what was to come. 

It was the last time Tamlin and Rhys had really seen eye to eye on anything, Tamlin never felt like he was worthy of trying to redeem himself and then everything with Amarantha had Tamlin feeling disgusted in himself, he let his self hatred for what he had allowed of his court, of his people, of his friends, and of himself outweigh the thoughts of redemption for all of the above. He drowned himself in paperwork, in Lucien’s understanding on nights they would get drunk and miserable about loves lost to them, in Feyre so he could forget what he should have had. His distaste in himself turned him uncaring and cold, he found himself unable to care for the once human girl because she would never really have his heart. He threw himself into trying to be enthusiastic with court relations and wedding planning where he had almost snapped Ianthes head off for how pushy and annoying she got to him, he didn't honestly care about the wedding it wasn’t her, the one he really wanted to be going through this with. 

When Rhys came to collect Feyre from the wedding Tamlin hated how thankful he was to the ravenette and wanted to turn in on himself for how hopeful he had gotten that Rhys might have dragged his sister along for show. When Feyre ran off to join Rhys’s side after nights of Tamlin being haunted with memories of his inability to protect dear little starlight caused him to lash out at her and seal her in the estate, Tamlin hated that he had taken his inner grievances out on her. He hated that when she had finally returned but fled with Lucien that he understood why both left him, even after everything he had been through with the day court's heir. It wasn’t until he had caught a glimpse of her after the high lord’s meeting where he had been so cruel did he remember why all of this was happening in the first place, all he had seen was a passing glimpse of her and those terrible scars on her back that his cold, calculated, purposefully arrogant, and admittedly self detrimental walls shattered again yet even more painfully this time; he wanted to call out to her to drop to his knees and beg for her to forgive him for every callous action he had taken but he couldn’t, no, he wasn’t worthy in his own eyes to have her own eyes land on him, it was the one sided interaction that had catapulted him into trying to claw his way back out of the pit he had dug for himself. It wasn’t until rhys walked through the archway she had just disappeared across that Tamlin realized he had been staring at the spot she once stood, all Rhys had offered him was a raised brow as he approached and a touch to the shoulder; Rhys knew he had seen her that her very presence had been enough to shake him at his core.

“I think I’m ready to start to redeem myself for her.” Tamlin’s voice was hoarse and it even shocked himself to feel how close to tears he was.

“Then do your best to earn it, for her at least.” Rhys nodded and patted the spot his hand rested at tamlin’s shoulder.

Tamlin moved to turn to walk back down the steps and back towards the other camp he hated so violently but could not do a thing about it, not yet, at least he had offered the plans to the other lords.

“Oh, and Tamlin,” Tamlin was caught by surprise when Rhys called out to him and he looked over his shoulder turning slightly to look back at the male who had a small smile on his face, his arms crossed, and the slightest teasing head tilt as he watched the blonde male walk away. “You were right.”

Tamlin’s brows furrowed. “What?”

“What you said all those years ago, about the idea of marrying your mate clouding your brain. I get it.” Rhys offered the oher a nod as Tamlin let out one sad, dry, laugh to himself.

“I told you so.” Tamlin had muttered as he turned away from the other male and slipped out the castle’s walls. 

The two had been against each other for so long that they both had forgotten what it had been like to banter with the other. Rhys’s soft smile turned into one of sadness as the doors closed behind his old friend, he looked down at the floor before turning to join his family in the courtyard that conjoined their rooms all together. He watched his sister play Azriel in chess from a spot leaning against a column, Tamlin realizing he had to change for her was the first positive mark in his book and he knew more were to come if such a fleeting glimpse was enough to move the male the way it did. 

Rhys knew she still cared about the blonde it was evident in the way she wore the emerald Tamlin had sent Rhys him home with the night they both became highlords to give to her, around her neck; Rhys didn’t think she had taken the thing off except for the one or two times the clasp had broken in the hundreds of years since. 

His belief of where her affections still truly lie was only solidified the night Elain had been kidnapped and Feyre had gone undercover to return her with the aid of Tamlin. When they jumped the cliff one of Hybern’s archers had shot an ashwood arrow right into his ribcage while he was still in beast form; it had rendered him unconscious and trapped in his form. She had rushed out of her tent at the commotion and her face had paled when she had seen the great beast with laboring breaths, Rhys had frozen on his spot as she pushed through the crowds to drop to her knees and began immediately assessing his wounds; processing there was no bane in his blood she had screamed at Rhys to give her his dagger and when Rhys didn’t move she was rushing over to take it from off his waist. When medics finally caught up to the scene she was ordering them around as she rolled up her sleeves and muttering apologies to the male as he was slipping the dagger into the skin either side of the arrow to cleanly remove the barbed edges without the ash wood splintering inside of him. When she had tossed the arrow off to the side and his body finally caught up with the removal of the arrow the medics were hauling him off to the tents and she rushed off to her tent to clean the blood from her shaky hands. He had gone to check on her that night, finding her absent from her tents and instead in the private medical tents crying over the blonde male; Rhys simply sighed before turning to leave without saying a word or even alerting her to his presence.

Everything since then had been leading up to now and somewhere deep in his chest he knew it was coming and expected it but could see how violent the situation could turn at any second with two males vying for the same female's attention. Rhys would never admit outloud if he had to choose between the two males on who he would have her married off to that it would be Tamlin, Azriel was a good male and less temperamental but he had females throwing themselves at him and he liked to toy with that fact and he had no doubt that she would get hurt if he decided to take that toying a bit too far; Tamlin though had only ever held any interest in two females, her and Feyre, but Rhys, Tamlin, and Feyre all knew it was simply forced and situational with her after the truth was revealed and while he was temperamental Rhys had seen her calm him plenty of times when they were younger. Plus Rhys had seen how Tamlin had worked his ass off after that night even restoring the entire Spring Court and Rosehall by himself, he had worked for this, he had worked to keep the unspoken promise between the two.

So as the reality of the situation currently on display for anyone in Prythian to see Rhys’s mind was going a thousand miles a minute as Azriel struggled against his hand and Tamlin’s eyes sparkled sadly as his green orbs took her in that close to him yet she smelled like another male.

Rhys’s nostrils flared and his head snapped towards him as he had to bite his tongue and grind his teeth when Azriel’s voice rang out against the murmur of the crowd. “She is to be my bride, take your filthy hands off her.”

The entirety of the inner circle’s attention stilled on the aggravated male whose wings were flared in a posturing behavior to make himself seem larger than the blonde male. Rhys’s eyes flicked over to the blonde male and his sister whose eyes had dropped to the floor and carried a self disappointed sadness in them from where he stood. 

Tamlin’s eyes steeled on the angry illyrian and turned to the female in his grasp, his thumb and forefinger coming to rest under her chin as his voice was soft and sympathetic. “Look at me.” When her eyes rose only to his lips he sighed. “In the eyes, darling.” 

Rhys watched as her entire posture changed, Tamlin offering her a small smile as he mumbled a small bit of praise her way, “There she is.” 

Azriel fought and yelled against him, even turning threats towards Rhys himself when he refused to let him pass, the two on the dias having an unspoken conversation; their eyes weren’t glazed over so Rhys knew the conversation wasn’t in their heads simply reading the others emotions in each other's eyes and over the bond, the two seeming to come to some understanding as she was the first to move.

Cupping one of Tamlin’s cheeks, the blonde nuzzling against her soft touch her voice was weak and she was clearly on the verge of crying from whatever Tamlin had shown her. “Oh, Tam…”

Tamlin simply pressed a kiss to the palm of the hand she held his face with but the action had Azriel pushing through Rhys’s hold, Cassian realizing at exactly the same time as Rhys both males struggling to get any kind of grasp on him as he surged forward. The sudden violent movements had her startling and her eyes glazed over for a split second as her pupils shrunk, Tamlin felt whatever emotion she had sent down the bond as he growled and pushed her behind him getting between her and Azriel. The Illyrian had no intention of hurting her but she was always one to easily panic at sudden violence that was directed in her general vicinity, well at least after a similar sudden wave of violence had cost her her mate and nearly killed her. The growl was a warning for the spymaster, as Rhys and Cassian managed to barely keep a hold of him, indiscernible threats and promises of violent actions fell from the winged males tongue.

Tamlin simply tucked the small female closer into his side and raised a brow above those hardened emerald orbs. “Is it to be a blood duel then spymaster?”

The hair on the back of Rhys’s neck stood up at the sincere threat that hung in the air, knowing as much as he loved Azriel Tamlin was a high lord, who was fighting for his mate and that was a monster one would not truly wish to push into a blood duel. “Azriel.” His voice was a sharp chastising warning to the struggling shadowsinger.

Something in the way Rhys had hissed his name had Azriel coming back to his senses, watching the way she desperately clung to the blondes emerald vest with shaky fingers.

He looked to the ground for a second before meeting the green eyes of the High Lord, his wings tensing closed behind him. “She looks for sympathy, I give her sorrow. She asks for honesty, I’ve none to borrow. She needs a tender kiss, begs it of me, in turn I give her ugliness so why does she love me? She yearns for higher things, things I can’t give her. The rush her song brings, the one you wrote with her, I can’t deliver that. Even when she plays and soars above me, I try to clip her wings and shut down whatever it is she's playing; can you answer me then why does she love me? I've tried to get her to leave the hurt behind even when I knew not the reason behind it.” 

Tamlin sized him up with a simple rake of the emerald orbs over the muscular figure of the shadowsinger, fully ready to pounce if the other male agreed to the duel, making sure he had one hand to steady her and calm the panic that slowly rose in her chest that he could feel echo in his own like a whisper. Rhys and Cassian exchanged looks past Azriel, questioning looks between eachother as a silent question of ‘Did you know about this?’ was exchanged, only for the looks to turn worried as Azriel slowly pushed their hands away and rolled his shoulders to stand at the base of the dais.

“She wants the man I was, supportive and caring, at least she thinks she does, She needn’t bother when I was acting like she was overly fragile and would shatter at the slightest touch. In reality beneath the facade I wear for her, that's nothing like me, just cruel, protective, and obsessive in all honesty. She knows little of what I’ve done to others but knows how I allow females to flirt with me at her expense. So what about you Tamlin, what makes you so deserving of her?” Azriel hissed, with a roll of his shoulders, Rhys and Cassian ready to pull Azriel back away from the dais if he seemed like he was going to storm up the dais at the blonde. 

The two offered another hiss of his name in warning and he looked back over his shoulder at them. “What it's not like he’s any wortheir of her than I am, he may be a high lord but I am not afraid of him.”

Tamlin straightened his posture, but angled his head lower like a predator would do when assessing if he should pounce on his prey now, it was clear where this conversation was going and what Azriel would decide on. He pulled her hands off him so she could take a few steps back from the possible fight that was to break out, and took a step down the stairs causing Azriel’s head to snap back in his direction.

“Not afraid of me you say, yet no one asked if you were in the first place.” Tamlin growled. “You think yourself more worthy of her, that you own more of her heart than I do?” 

“She is my finance,” Azriel hissed right back at him.

“She is my mate.” Tamlin countered, that rumble deepening in his chest.

“Your bond may speak to her, but her heart will always be mine.” Azriel snapped venom on his tongue, “I was the one to help her with rehabilitation while Rhys threw himself into new high lord duties.” 

“You think so?” Tamlin chuckled a dark teasing tone to it as he sneered down at the shadowmaster. “You really think that? That she would belong to you with all your… flaws. Dare I call them that instead of other things.” 

Azriel straightened as Tamlin took a few steps around him down the dais like an animal circling its prey; when Tamlin had become high lord the significance of the fact that habits of a predatorial beast carried over into his regular fae form from his beast form and stuck with him more and more as the years went by and he let the savagery take hold of him, as much as he had tried to lessen the evidence of that fact some habits stuck and he couldn’t unlearn them permanently having just become instinctual. 

Tamlin hissed as he circled behind Azriel and back up the stairs of the dais. “Look at you, indebted to your high lord for pitying you,  a cruel torturer who makes up for the abuse he suffered in his childhood by taking it out on those his highlord orders him to torture for information, it’s almost pitiful. Answer me boy, Shall we settle this with a blood duel? Let fate and the mother guide us here and let the cauldron take the hindmost?”

Azriel tensed at the turn of phrase, he recognized it from the human/fae war as something that was said to keep armies moving together at the same pace. ‘Cauldron take the hindmost’ it sickened him to hear it again a wish for the cauldron to enact its will on any who fell behind and could not support the cause, yet it enlightened Azriel to the fact Tamlin viewed this as a declaration of war.

Azriel scoffed, Hazel eyes sharpening on the beast like emerald ones in front of him. “Look at me? No. Look at you, a foul beast, traitorous, unlovable, who hurts anyone who gets close to him because he is an unworthy feral beast of a high lord who was never supposed to even inherit the title he was given. Call the stakes then, I’ll partake. May the Cauldron take the hindmost.”

Azriel and Tamlincould hear the audible gasps and disappointed sighs around them but were too focused on one another as Azriel climbed a couple steps to stand toe to toe with Tamlin.

Tamlin, brushed the mask from his face tossing it to the dark high lord who fumbled trying to catch it all of a sudden. “Then we shall duel tonight, for the hand of the Princess of the Night Court.” 

Azriel and Tamlin were getting snippy back and forth, yet Azriel nodded. “Tonight is fine. Draw the line.”

Tamlin tilted his head in a cocky manner, taunting the raven haired illyrian. “Is she yours or mine? You’ll lose tonight.”

Azriel hissed back. “I won’t lose.”

Tamlin puffed his chest out a mimic to the illyrian’s earlier wing posturing. “If you lose, you leave her be, you will never speak to her again and we will leave from here she may speak to anyone else from the night court but not you.”

Azriel agreed yet again, “Fine! And if I don’t? If I win?”

Tamlin scoffed. “The opposite will apply to me, i’ll never speak to her again and will close off the bond. I will never step foot in this court again unless strictly on business with Rhysand.”

Azriel nodded, stalking to the far side of the platform and stripping any excess accessories from his figure so they wouldn't get in the way during the fight, at least it wasn’t to the death like blood duel’s had a tendency to be. “Then let’s begin.” 

Tamlin moved to shake Azriel’s hand after discarding the eccentric cape and accent pieces, signifying the rules being set in place. Both men nodded with the agreed upon statement of “May the Cauldron take the hindmost.”

Tamlin went to step away, to move to his side of the platform, looking to Rhys to signify he was to be the mediator here, but as Rhys began climbing the stairs Azriel snapped, pulling Tamlin to him with a low warning hiss. “You think fate is in your favor? You think you are in control just because of a damned mating bond? You can't cheat on this one even if you tried.”  

Tamlin countered with a growl, more calm and collected than the other male. “This duel,” He scoffed. “All the rules have been rearranged, every move is riskier.”

Azriel pushed him away and rolled his shoulders, shaking out the aggravated nerves in his body with a quick stretch of his wings before they settled back against his back in a tense manner. “I will gladly bet against the bond, fuck it I’d even double down. Fate has redesigned itself before.” He had raised his voice, gesturing to Feyre. 

Tamlin simply took a deep breath, letting Rhys come to stand in between them in the center of the platform as he moved to take the waistcoat off as well and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. “Fate is on my side, it led me to her long ago and has always continued to do so. It will do so again today.”

Azriel was getting frazzled at the blonde's simple and collected exterior. “ I’ll wager that when this duel is done, I’ll have won her from you then.” 

Tamlin snapped dismissively over his shoulder as he turned back to face the male across the room from him and nodded towards Rhys. “Either way.”

Rhys looked to Azriel who gave him a frantic nod, Rhys sighed as he rolled his shoulders back and spoke loud enough for the crowd to here him. “May the Cauldron take the hindmost.” 

Both males lurched forward as Rhys stepped back to let fists fly at each other, eventually Azriel had Tamlin pinned to the ground with his knees either side of the blonde’s ribcage and trying to barrel down on the blonde’s face though many attempts failed and collided with the stone and tile floor leaving his fists a bloody mess.

“Her heart belongs to me. The engagement has secured that.” Azriel had yelled only to be stunned by Tamlin’s cocky smug smile.

“Are you sure?” Tamlin had flicked his tongue over his busted lip with a cocky laugh and a knowing smile plastered on his face.

“What?” Azriel had faltered.

“Are you so sure?” Tamlin reiterated, slowing down his speech mockingly as he  held Azriel’s wrists who struggled to reel back to throw another punch at the blonde.

“What do you mean?” Azriel's question was quick and clipped as if thrown off by Tamlin’s prideful ego in his questioning of Azriel and the lord’s mates bond.

Tamlin was quick to flip them, pinning Azriel under him the same way they had just been only with Azriel’s hands pinned under Tamlin’s knees. The blonde leaned back a smirk on his face as he pointed towards the girl curled into Rhys’s side, she could tell Tamlin was pulling punches, he knew he had won even before offering the duel, he could see it in her eyes and feel it in the bond.

Tamlin leaned down to grab Azriel by the collar. “The necklace that she wears, such a design is strange to see, wouldn't you agree? The color isn’t a standard one used in this court, it's representative of something else, of someone else that isn't you. Isn’t the color of your siphons and that you choose to represent yourself with a dark blue? That's a far stretch from green isn’t it?” 

“No-” Azriel had started a snarl on his lips. “Rhys gave her that.”

Tamlin snarled back with a smirk. “He gave her that for me, the night we both became High Lords an unspoken promise between us solidified in the emerald she wears around her neck. Doubt yourself now boy, If I wasn’t worried about her being upset I’d have had this duel be for your life.”

Both males snarled at one another in the face of truth, yet it was Azriel who continued to taunt Tamlin even though he couldn’t get out from under the Spring lord. “I call your bluff and we will see who wins out once and for all.” 

Both of them growling in eachothers faces. “He who wins, wins it all.”

Yet it was Tamlin who slammed Azriel’s head back against the tile floor by ravenette’s throat and hissed lowly “May the Cauldron take the hindmost.”

It was then as Azriel struggled to breath under the blonde’s grasp that the female the entire fight was over rushed forward. “Stop! Stop it both of you!”

Tamlin sighed, smiling and released the Illyrian’s throat as his wings thrashed beneath them both. Tamlin moved off of the illyrian, staying on his knees with his hair a mess and back straight as he looked up at her, an adoring look on his face as he caught his breath. Azriel rolled  onto his stomach and into a push up as he coughed and tried to regulate his breathing head weakly lifting to watch her take Tamlin’s  face into her hands.

Tamlin’s eyes sparkled as she cupped his face. “The duel in your honor has pleased you then?”

She smiled and laughed, “You always were a show off who was eager to please.” Before leaning down to pull him into a kiss.

“I’ve missed you, you asshole, making me wait so long I feared you had given up and moved on.”She chastised him.

“I could never truly do that, you are my only, you should know that my dear.” Tamlin crooned back trying to lull her to lean forward and give him another kiss, when she relented he hissed as the adrenaline wore off and the busted part of his lip stung. 

She sighed running her finger over the clotting blood, watching as his brows furrowed for a split second before his magic started kicking in to heal the cut. She hummed softly, “Stand and we will leave to get you cleaned up.” 

She offered a nod to Rhys who was checking on the defeated Illyrian on the ground, Rhys nodded back at her as he patted the coughing male's shoulder and back. Tamlin had rose wobbly to his feet, chest still heaving as she placed her palm to his chest an unspoken sentence asking for just a moment; Tamlin nodded and she stepped away and pulled a second necklace from its hiding spot below the neckline of her dress, slipping it off the small silver ring inlaid with the blue cobalt stone dangled on the chain and she hung it around the illyrians neck with an apologetic smile. The illyrian let a sob wrack his body and Rhys offered her a sad smile, knowing what he was about to say would probably hurt his brother more but Rhys knew the seriousness of this situation, he would be discussing matters of a wedding and a mating bond with the blond soon enough. 

His eyes flicked over to Tamlin, who now had a worried Lucien rushing to his side. “You may both stay here for the night, come the morning we will discuss matters of your mateship and wedding, the town house is yours for the night and the rest of us will be at the river estate if you need us.” 

The high lord had since tucked the female into his side, Lucien standing on edge with the waistcoat, cape, and mask in his arms, offering them to Tamlin Lucien dismissed himself. “I’ll be at my apartment then.” before he was trailing off down the hall to a winnow safe room.

Rhys made a gesture for the two to leave and she nodded, pulling Tamlin down the hall Lucien had disappeared into just a few seconds ago, pulling him into a small circular room the inner circle used to flit in and out of the court of nightmares. The chilly night air nipped at her collarbone and shoulders as she rushed him into the townhouse that her family rarely used anymore. Neither spoke a word, both nervous and on the edge as she ushered him through the door once the wards had unlocked to let them pass. 

Dim faelights lit the house in a soft yellow light fitting for the time of night, Tamlin stayed close behind her as she stepped into the memory filled living room and ran her fingers nervously over the carved wooden backing of the couch but stilled in the doorway to observe the silent house littered with some of Feyre’s paintings; taking a sharp breath she turned to look at Tamlin with a pleading look. Tamlin smiled back at her taking a few steps to close the distance, cupping her face in his hands for a change he pressed his forehead against hers and let his eyes flutter closed simply appreciating her presence.  

“I can’t cook for you since we should wait till we make it to Spring to-” She had started rambling nerves getting the best of her, yet Tamlin simply hushed her with a kiss.

“I’m not worried about that right now love, It's been hundreds of years since I have simply got to appreciate you, your presence, your very being. Let me simply hold you like this for a minute.” He sighed letting his shoulders sag as any and all tension left his body. “Plus I had plenty to eat at the ball, so I'm not really hungry, rather exhausted actually.”

She nodded quickly pulling him close to her to rest his head in the crook of her neck and let him pin her against the back of the couch, the sentiment was there but it caused Tamlin’s nostrils to flare, his pupils to find themselves in a slit like state, and a growl at the back of his throat. “You still smell like him, as much as I’d love to continue this I need to scrub his scent from your body before I lose my composure, well any I still have at least.” 

She straightened her back, a mix of aroused and startled at his possessiveness over her. “There's a bathing room attached to my room if you wish to follow me up the stairs then.”

He nodded, taking a slow step backwards to let her move freely towards the stairs, instead she entwined her fingers with his own and pulled him up the stairs behind her. Towards the end of the hall of doors was a door decorated in decorative ivy and faelights, she stopped to push the decorated door open and smiled as the faelights flickered to life within her room. The room Tamlin realized was decorated like how Rosehall used to look, oak walls a contrast to the normal darker wood if not stone walls that were normal in the Night Court, dark emerald green curtains covered the door to the balcony with more of the false ivy and dangling soft lights. Emerald Green seemed to be the frequent accent color in the room, the silk sheets topped with golden furs, the curtains, a throw blanket over a loveseat in the corner, even a rug on the floor was reminiscent of his court and Rosehall. 

Tamlin’s brows furrowed as she moved to toss the silk shrug style stole onto the small loveseat. “You made it look… It looks like the old Rosehall?”

His eyes that had been scouring the room fell to her figure that was pushing through a door into the attached bathing chambers, they stilled at the sight of the deep scars visible due to the open back of her dress. 

“Yes, I did, it just felt right. Some memory of that place before the darkness touched it needed to be preserved.” She smiled at him in the mirror as she wiped away the kohl lining her eyes.

Tamlin’s steps felt heavy as he took a few steps forward as his calloused hands fell to the small of her back and his head dipped to press his forehead between her shoulders sighing as his voice came out a weak whisper. “You are too good for me, you know that right?” 

The tender touch to her back had caught her off guard, her breath hitching as his head came to rest against her. “Tam-”

He sighed, his breath brushing against the sunken scars on her back and finding her eyes on him he offered a mischievous glance from behind her shoulder.  “I mean it Starlight and,” He leaned back down to pepper kisses across the indentions. “I will spend every day of the rest of our lives making it up to you.”

She turned around in his hold, pulling him down for an actual kiss; he smiled through it before sighing as he pulled away to rest his forehead against hers. “Don’t try and distract me here! I mean it and I intend to start with that promise tonight.”

Her brows furrowed in a teasing and playful manner she scolded him. “Tamlin!”

He chuckled as he scowled at her. “Not like that silly girl,” He stopped for a split second to consider his words. “Okay, perhaps like that but I should first ask if you've any body lotions. I intend to offer a massage first and then mayhaps I’ll make my downfalls up to you by devouring you for a few hours.”

[jagawriterr]

Pairing: Tamlin x fem! reader Word Count: 2685 Warnings: 18+ only, rough, brutal, blood, unprotected. Masterlist AN: This is the first fanfiction I've written in a long time, and I'm proud of it. I hope you like it. And thank you, G, for your support. I love you 🖤

Through the rows of hedges and trees, all you could see was his thick blond fur and vivid green eyes. Tamlin's long horns stuck out from the leaves of the bushes, he wheezed and made sounds so guttural and unpleasant, just to make you go away.

You didn't want to do this. You couldn't bear to watch him suffer for so many months. You couldn't help but feel something the entire time you were with him. You took care of him and tried to somehow counter his hatred towards you. To everyone else.

You felt this was how it should be. You knew perfectly well that this was where he hid, that his ancestral estate was now just an empty shell, with no life pulsating within it. Without his love and presence, his home was nothing. Part of his soul remained there. He missed this. He missed masked balls, missed dinners with friends, missed Lucien. Since he also abandoned him and left for the Night Court, he became even more aggressive. In the form of a beast, he destroyed everything in his path.

Today he encountered you. And he didn't want to give up for anything.

He glared at you, growling intensely. He hid in the bushes for a long time, but after you got a little closer, he roared violently, ran out of the bushes and growled at you so loudly that the whole ground shook.

The great and powerful Prince of the Spring Court. Trapped to his doom in the body of a beast that devoured him with each passing day.

You didn't move for a moment as he roared at you with fury and shouted at you to go away.

"What are you looking for here again, manling?!" he growled at you, spitting venom and saliva. A terrible stench of carrion and rotten meat emanated from its mouth. "Go away! I don't want you here!" He said again, staring at you with his beautiful, lush green eyes.

You reached out your hand gently. Tamlin flinched at the gesture, but he didn't run away. He was obviously terrified of human contact, but he craved soothing touch above all else. He longed for understanding and kindness that he hadn't felt in a long time.

You placed your hand on his fur, it felt soft and velvety to the touch, just like his golden skin. He transformed with the peace that came over him when you touched him. He felt a relief he had never felt before. In no other world would he have become so submissive to a man, a woman, and certainly not this one. He only loved one, or at least he thought so. Until he met you. You were a truly beautiful woman, the most beautiful he had ever met. More beautiful than Feyre herself.

He came up behind you in the form of a High Blood Fae, tilted his head slightly forward, and when you felt his hot breath on your neck, you felt such an intense shiver of pleasure that your legs went weak under you. You crossed your knees and your breathing stopped for a moment. You were all alone. You, his human, the dream woman, and he, the beast, the Fae, the monster.

Tamlin took a breath, smelling your fear and anxiety. It's so fun. When Tamlin lowered his head towards your neck again, he gently placed his kiss on it. You shuddered. A shiver ran through you. You felt heat boiling around your core. He grabbed your arms and turned you around to face him. You looked into his eyes, but you couldn't take your eyes off his body either. He was completely naked, which didn't go unnoticed by you. His skin gleamed gold, and the shadows of the green bushes wrapped around his chest and hips. He didn't miss the fact that you were blushing deeply. You played brave and boastful, but when you saw him in all his glory, you softened to the point that you couldn't even utter a word.

You stood like that for a long moment, but it was slowly getting on Tamlin's nerves.

“So... are you going to finally tell me what you want, or are you going to stare at my bare ass? Huh?” Tamlin asked with impatience and amusement in his voice. You felt your face blush even more and you became even wetter between your legs.

"I... I want to help you,” you said, stuttering a little. You kept your eyes on the grass, right in front of his feet. You felt him stare at you, at your body, at your flustered face, and then laugh out loud as if you had told him a good joke.

"You?! Do you want to help me?!" He laughed again, looking at you, laughing even more at your empathy for him. This was a blatant mockery on his part. “And how would you like to help me, human woman?!” he spoke again, his voice so vibrating in your bones that you felt a shiver under your skin again. "Or maybe... you would like to help me in another way?" he asked, looking at your knees pressed together. He felt your arousal, the heat in his core growing hotter and hotter, creating an uncontrollable fire.

He suddenly grabbed your hand and guided it to his cock. You felt the velvety skin of his penis under your fingers and the hair surrounding his balls. It was very surprising and you couldn't believe that he made this move himself. You wanted him from the very beginning, ever since you met him in the forest beyond the wall, when he hunted in the form of a beast. You wanted him so badly that now that you were holding his cock, you wanted even more, you wanted all of him. You wanted to feel him inside and on you. Feel the weight of his body against you as he entered you.

All these thoughts made you even more aroused and your face turned even purple. Tamlin laughed again. Your skin was covered with sweat, your breathing quickened, and all the chills that had gone through your body slowly drained to one point in your body. You knew exactly how this would end, and Tamlin knew it too. And he pursued it with full premeditation.

He took off your tunic first, then your pants and shoes. He stood calmly above you as you laid on the ground, tree bark and moss burrowing into every crevice of your body. You felt the forest floor everywhere on your skin, where it itched or stung the most. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but knowing Tamlin was close made it all more bearable and less humiliating. You felt loved, to some extent. He leaned over you and kissed first one of your cheeks, then the other. He looked up at you as he positioned his hips between your legs and kissed you on the lips. It was a long and passionate kiss. The longest in your life. The one who made you melt on this earth. You wrapped your arms around him and your legs on his hips. You wanted him to enter you now and move fast and hard so that you could see stars, but he liked to pleasure himself. He liked to see the woman squirm and moan under his caresses.

Tamlin smiled, looking down at you as he licked your cleavage and breasts. He stood up, still staring at your naked body.

“Kneel,” he said roughly, and then he yanked you to your feet, greedily pinning you to his body. “I said, kneel!” he said it again and you had to do it. He was the ruler, the protector of the forest, your prince, and you had to submit to him.

You knelt as he told you. You didn't really know what to do, it was your first time. You were giving yourself over to Tamlin for the first time in your life, and he was taking full advantage of it, laughing to himself as he looked at your confused expression.

Tamlin slowly moved closer to you, the tip of his penis nuzzling your cheek. You touched the smooth skin with your lips and tongue. His cock became even harder at your touch, and you felt a fire between your legs and a lump in your throat. You already knew what he wanted to do. Just as you were about to grab it in your hands, Tamlin roughly grabbed your face and guided it towards his cock. You took him into your mouth and he began moving his hips vigorously, fucking your throat hard. He marveled at it, watching you swallow his manhood, enjoying the sight while you choked on his cock, unable to breathe. Saliva was dripping from the corner of your mouth and tears were leaking from your eyes. You wanted him to stop, but he didn't stop. He enjoyed it. Only when you seemed to be completely tired of him fucking your mouth did he stop doing it. He pulled his penis out of your mouth, a long trail of saliva and semen trailing behind it. He came in your mouth. Did you see that. Not only could you see the pleasure on his face, but you could feel his cock swelling in your mouth and erupting like a geyser full of hot steam.

Tamlin wiped the corner of your mouth, picked you up in one move, turned you around to face him, and pushed you onto the forest floor. You fell, cutting the skin on your knees and stomach, tears appeared in your eyes again. You didn't think he would be so cruel that he would treat you like that. Not only was he cruel, he was rough, haughty and arrogant. As always. The eternally angry Tamlin, raising his hand against everyone he loves, adores and respects. It was ridiculous, but it was true. Tamlin will never give up his nature, it is part of him. Invariably.

He suddenly lay on top of you, you felt his closeness, the weight of his body. There was blood, sweat and tears in the air, flowing from the eyes and nose, down the cheeks and chin, finally hitting the hard ground of stones, moss and foliage. You felt the smell of spring. The same spring that sits deep within Tamlin, that hides his best side. You hoped that you would somehow get out of this, that he wouldn't do it under duress, that you wouldn't become his victim but would be a co-owner of his pleasure, that you would enjoy his caresses, laugh when he tickled you, when he kissed you, that you would she could feel the warmth of his body, not the cold of his hatred and indifference.

You felt his hand between your legs as he tried to spread them. You defended yourself, but eventually gave up when you realized how much you were falling into his trap. The more you defend yourself, the more it will hurt. This will make it more brutal. You gave up. You didn't want anyone to see traces of what happened here, especially her. Not her. She will be furious with Tamlin, and despite every humiliation from her, he will still love her. He will still follow her, even though she stopped loving him a long time ago.

It was sad. The awareness that one is actually abandoned and dependent on one's own strength. That's why you wanted to help him so much. That's why you loved him so much, despite what he just wanted to do, what he was about to do.

He positioned himself above you so that he slid in just as perfectly as he wanted. You felt his masculinity breaking into you without any preparation. Tears ran down your cheeks again, it hurt like hell, but you gritted your teeth to get through the pain. First time.

He didn't know you were a virgin. In his arrogance, he believed that you had already done this, that you were more familiar with this topic than his previous partners, who fled in panic, even though Tamlin was a great lover and a candidate for a good husband and father. He always listened, always helped, always was there where he was needed. He wanted to be part of your life. He wanted it, but something always got in the way. There was always something blocking his access to you. To the forbidden fruit that you were to him until now.

He pushed himself deep enough that you felt him at the very end, where all the pleasure disappears and pain and blood appear. You still felt his penis in your mouth, you still felt it swelling and flooding you from the inside, and the sour-tasting sperm of the blond-haired prince flowed down your throat. Tamlin leaned towards you and positioned himself so that he was as close to you as possible. He nuzzled your body as he pressed his hips against your ass, moving slower than before. You felt hands pushing under your body, wanting to touch your breasts, your sweaty skin, to taste it and smell it. He got up again, helped you roll onto your back, and then he positioned himself on top of you again and entered you this time more gently, calmly, without the aggression he had a few minutes ago. You were confused by how emotionally destabilized he was. How desperate he is to be accepted by anyone. To love and be loved.

You snuggled into him as he placed himself on your chest. He listened to your heartbeat as he started moving again as hard as before. His cock was huge and was rubbing so hard against the walls of your pussy that you couldn't stop moaning in pleasure as he moved harder and harder each time. You wrapped your legs tightly around his hips and made marks on his back with your nails. You inhaled and moaned as he stared at your ecstatic face and he couldn't forget it because the sight would haunt him for the rest of his life. He will remember this day and this moment when you gave yourself to him willingly, and not under duress, as he wanted to do at the beginning. He gave you a choice and you made your decision.

You rose to hug him, wrapping your arms around his chest and resting your head on his shoulder. You looked at the forest where you were sitting, at the branches of the trees, at the leaves falling to the ground. There was moisture in the air, the sky was covered with clouds and it was about to rain. You looked up as the first drop of rain fell on your hot cheek. It was the first rain in a long time. Even though the raindrops were hitting your faces and bodies more and more, you remained in each other's embrace. You were together, here. You were lost in dreams of Tamlin, of him, of life with him. You wanted this moment to never pass again. You closed your eyes as he placed you on the ground again, positioned himself on top of you and began kissing your body again. He tasted you under the rain and the trees like he had never tasted before, and you were the happiest woman in Prytian.

You felt a growing need to be with him forever. The desire grew within you, even though it seemed to push you away again. Afterwards, he sat down right next to you, placed his hands on his bent knees and lowered his head in surrender. He sighed loudly, looked at you, and in his eyes you saw resentment, anger and disappointment, not with you, but with himself. He was disappointed in himself for reacting the way he did to you. He was devastated by how much he craved closeness, how much he absorbed the positive vibes you gave him. He felt overwhelmed by it, overwhelmed by the love he felt from you in every pore of his body.

[littlest-w01f]

TAMLIN MASTERLIST

MAIN MASTERLIST

All my Tamlin works and WIP (not in order of posting)

Calanmai (Tamlin x Gardener Reader) {smut}

Summary: Tamlin invites a gardener he has started to fancy to calanmai, Reader has her firsts

Trapped (Tamlin x Fawn Reader) {fluff}

Summary: While in his beast form, Tamiln came across a fawn in a bear trap

Monster (Tamlin x Reader) {smut}

Summary: Reader sees her mate Tamlin lose himself to magic for the first time during her first Calanmai

[readychilledwine]

Monster Fucking

✨️Kink Education with Elizabeth✨️

First things first, we do not yuck someone else's yum on this blog. If you are not interested in this, please scroll or check out "A Hint of Corruption" if you are in need of some Tamlin smut.

Monster fucking, or Teratophilia, is the sexual attraction to monsters, aliens, ect. In a lot of cases, the monsters are sentient beings, but not always. Monster fucking is a little controversial in the kink community with some arguing that it is a paraphilia instead of a kink and vice versa.

It has become popular in the past few years for a few reasons, but the biggest is linked to escapism and fantasy role play. Our dearest Tumblr is actually attributed to the increased interest in monster erotica as well. Most monster fucking fics tend to center around a female main with a male presenting monster, or non gender confirming monsters using tentacles. Monsters sometimes are human looking (looking at the fae with a side eye,) or there's some people who are straight up into dragons.

Teratophilia has actually become so popular in kink/taboo sex culture that it isn't uncommon to find websites selling sex toys based on monsters, the most popular being Bad Dragon. You can also find authors and artists who only write monster fucking fics such as Charlotte Swan.

Again, we do not yuck someone else's yum here. Please scroll on if you are not interested in today Bingo spot. We have a whole month of smut, I promise there will be something else for you 💚

Also a general PSA... If you are "grossed out" by this and using the excuse of it being monsterfucking, but you enjoy wingplay fics involving the batboys, Omegeverse fics, tentacle fics, Ithan shifting or Therion shifting smut fics. Your issue may not be monster fucking. It might actually be who the monster in this fic is. I said what I said. 👉👈

💕 Peep the Valentines Day list here💕

And, as always, NSFW below the cut

Tamlin x Rhysand's sister Reader

Warnings - wing play, p in v, beast form Tamlin, oral (female receiving), borders on definement/corruption kink territory

A/N - we all know I enjoy the Tamlin x Rhysand's sister or Rhysand x Tamlin's Sister thing. So I wanted to give you all both for this.

You flinched as your back hit the ground, a massive paw almost crushing your chest as claws spanned both sides of your neck.

“Tam,” you hated how afraid you sounded. Years ago, there was an ounce of fear in your body for him. “Tamlin, please. I was just sent to check in.”

Green eyes met yours as he growled. He hardly seemed fae anymore.

A beast more than a make, Rhys had warned you.

You should have listened to your brother better.

“Tamlin,” you whispered again. Your hands went to his muzzle. “Tam, please. It's me.”

His growl was almost a mix of a purr. You watched as he shuttered, shifting before you, but still held you down in his fae form.

“Sending you is low,” Tamlin growled, hand tightening around your neck. “Even for your piece of shit brother.”

You knew better than to argue with him regarding his feelings on Rhysand. Just like you knew better than to argue with Rhys about Tamlin.

You stared up at him, eyes watering in fear as his grip didn't soften. You had known the day the bond snapped between you and Tamlin that he would be the death of you, and if it was at his hands you died, that was a peace you could live with.

Your hand moved from his to up his arm, down his chest, then rested on top of his heart. Feeling it beating there, no longer a mess of stone and curses. It matched your own. Echoing through your head day and night. “If I am to die at your hands right now, just know I still love you.”

Tamlin buried his head into your neck, wrapping you in his scent like a comforting blanket. “Question, my dearest Y/n.” You ran your hands to his shoulders, holding him tight against you. You nodded for him to ask. “Why is it that whenever I tackle you in my beast form, you become aroused?”

You froze instantly looking at the sky to think of a good lie. You couldn't find one. Choosing to instead look Tamlin in the eyes and utter a sentence you had only ever admitted to yourself. “I've just always wondered what it would be like to, you know..”

Tamlin smirked at you. “I am afraid I don't know, moon flower. Care to explain?” Flush began to cover your sunkissed cheeks as you looked away from him. “Y/n, do you want me to fuck you as my beast?”

Hearing the question out loud had heat pooling between your legs, a coil tightening already as you laid below him.

It was taboo.

It was dirty.

It was something you'd never even be able to speak of to anyone.

But, Mother, the idea of Tamlin locking you in place with his claws as he fucked you from behind had you melting. “Yes,” it was a breathless confession. He growled above you, quickly forcing you to kiss him.

There were no emotions on the kiss from his end besides raw need. It was a mess of teeth and spit mixing all together.

Tamlin didn't waste a second. He shifted his hands to claws, the sharp rip of fabric echoing through the air as the torn shreds of your dress were thrown aside.

He began to kiss down your body, an occasion poke of what you assumed was a fang scraping the tender flesh of your breasts and stomach.

It was then that the male was gone, replaced by fur and horns and lowering his now massive body to the ground as a cold wet nose ran along your core.

“Mother fuck!” Your back arched as the cold against your heat had you in a pleasurable state of shock.

Tamlin began lapping at your core, a large paw coming across your hips to hold you down as you began wiggling away from the intensity of it. You wanted this, he projected into your mind. Stay still or I'll stop.

You whined begging him to continue by settling down. One of your hands went to his ear, scratching softly at it and tugging the fur there every so often. You gasped pulling hard as he pushed his tongue into you, stretching your walls. His nose nuzzled your clit at the same time leaving to breathless. He slowly began fucking you like that, tasting you completely. You couldn't think of anything but Tamlin. Of the years wasted pretending to hate each other. Of years you two were forced to ignore each other for Rhysand's comfort.

He'd kill you if he ever found out you had literally sullied yourself with a beast.

Regardless of that beast being your mate in a shifted.

Your hand began to lazily scratch his ear again as he brought you wave after Wave of pleasure, mind going numb to anything but that as you focused. He began to purr, tongue vibrating inside of you from the noise. You cried out, back arching again. He chuckled into your mind, increasing his speed, pushing further in with that inhuman tongue. “Tam,” you panted out. “Gods, please don't stop. Please. So fucking close.” You were walking that edge, the coiling so tight inside of you that you feared It wouldn't be a gentle slip from the peak, but a shove face first into the wind.

You felt your magic dropping, wings appearing on your back and splayed below you just twitching in anticipation. You don't know how, but he managed to curl his tongue, hitting a spot so deep inside of you that you would have never found it after centuries of self exploration. The scream that tore through you had the trees shaking, a storm crackling with lightning in the distance. His name was all you could remember as you sang for him, prayed to him.

You hardly had a chance to process what had happened when he forced you on your stomach and for your back to arch for him. A paw landed on the top of your back, holding you down and forcing your wings wide for him. His tongue ran the hard ridge of your left one, causing a full body shudder to go through you and your eyes to roll back. He repeated the motion on the right side, growling as he did.

You could have came from that alone.

Had the sudden brush of a cock much too large for your body interrupted ever thought of pleasure you had. Relax, he cooed to you. Be a good girl and relax.

Vines came and trapped your wrists above you, then your calves to your thighs, pulling them wider apart.

You were completely helpless to him. Spread open and bare, cunt glistening in the light. Tamlin growled, rubbing himself against you again, rutting over and over to soak in himself in your juices.

The slow realization of what you got yourself into fell into your mind and you did the best you could to obey and relax as the head lined up with your entrance. Breathe, he commanded, pushing in as you did.

It knocked all the air from your body, a pained whimper becoming all you could do to communicate. He began licking your wings again, watching as the pain and pleasure mixed through your body. He switched to licking the soft membrane, male pride swelling as you pushed back against him moaning his name and fucking yourself on to him.

Each little movement of your body had him sinking deeper and deeper. He knew there was no way in hell you would be able to take all of him, but Mother watching you subconsciously try, watching you whimper and writhe below him had all instinct falling to his beast.

He began thrusting in time with your movements, tongue still dancing on your wings in a practiced motion. Licking them like it had not been years since he'd gotten to lay with you in his other form.

He knew your body like the back of his hand still, and the fae part of him kept reminding himself of that.

This wasn't some random female from the Rite below him.

This was his mate.

Regardless of how he wanted to push further in, to fuck you like a bitch in heat, he couldn't.

The pace he had set was magic for you as your body still stretched for him. The burn had subsided enough that pleasure was shooting from ever nerve, begging for more and more.

You were going to finish to fast, but the slick constantly building and increasing had him deeper and deeper, inching you closer and closer to the Base of him.

You felt like you could no longer breathe. All the room in your body had been replaced with Tamlin and Tamlin only.

A miss timing from both of you had you screaming again, whining as pain mixed with absolute bliss all while shock hit you from his side of the bond.

You had managed to fuck yourself down to his knot, and now there was no saving you from the monster every fae had lurking in their skin.

He began slamming into you at a brutal pace, watching as you became a mess panting his name. He couldn't help but to growl, mouth forgetting about your wings and going to the pulse point of your neck.

It smelled so distinctly you. Vanilla musk and orchids mixed with sex and lust.

He felt your walls twitching around him over and over, listened as your cries became more desperate Until you were begging, pleading for release.

He was right on the edge as well, the fae side of him stroking the bond to let you know.

That Single wave of his pleasure, of his pride, of his need set you over, walls squeezing him so tightly he thought you would break. You sent him everything back, letting him feel the electricity shooting through you, and he came soon after.

It felt like wave after wave of cum was emptied into you, filling you much too full until he pulled out and some was allowed to leak from your aching core.

The vines slipped away, allowing you to fall. A soft hand replaced that paw, warm lips caressing the shell of your ear as praise after praise spilled from them. “Did so good baby, so fucking good. You looked so beautiful like that.”

Tamlin fell beside you, snapping clothes onto Both of you, a scent shield going up as a sound shield fell. “Your brother is here to collect you.”

You didn't remember anything after that. Mind falling to darkness as a wave of Tamlin's magic put you to sleep.

General Taglist:

@hnyclover @glitterypirateduck @slytherinindisguise @mischiefmanager @bloodicka @starsinyourseyes @the-sweet-psycho

@mariahoedt @rinalouu @sarawritestories @starryhiraeth

Valentines Day Taglist:

@sfhsgrad-blog @amara-moonlight @eternallyelvish @novaksangel @teenageeggscissorslawyer @thisblogisaboutabook @amygdtjhddzvb

@justasillylittlegoofyguy

[achaotichuman]

Thank you for writing those headcanons! I appreciate them!

But could you pweeeeeeeese write some headcanons or like an imagine on what it would be like to be tamlin's lover? Like what would tam tam do for AND with his lover? Pretty pweeeeese. I'm gonna use the magic word

✨️ bbygirl ✨️

Pweese?

How dare you pull out the bbygirl once again.

But of course, I shall give you what you wish for, dear anon.

Here is a lovely list of reader x Tamlin headcanons. Once again, these are all gender ambiguous because Tam Tam is for the guys, gals, non-binary pals, and supernatural entities and anomalies.

Everyone keep in mind, I suck at doing reader x character headcanons, so cut me some slack here.

Tamlin will go out of his way to make sure you are happy. He'll pick up on little things you say, like your favorite foods, books and music and he'll do everything in his power to find them for you. Even if it's something like an ice-cream flavor that you liked as a kid and can't find anymore, he disappear for a few hours and then surprise you with it. He gets you flowers every single week, without fail, same day, same time, every week since you started courting. He grew them all himself, and all the flowers have different meanings that make a message, it's not all about love, sometimes it will reference if the week has been sad, confusing, or joyful. Even if it is pouring rain he will go out and pick them, then present them to you soaked at the door. Tamlin has a recipe book that used to be his mother's and was passed down from her family. He gave it to you because he knew his mother would have wanted to teach you all her favorite recipes, and this feels like giving her that precious moment in a way. You surprised him by making a feast from those recipes. With Alis' help of course. Rhysand came by to try and taunt Tamlin, wanting to send him spiraling. He walked into Tamlin's office already going off on his tangent. But when the chair turned around to face him, it was you sitting there with your arms crossed, eyes glaring. Rhysand was stood in shock, then Tamlin appeared behind him saying "Do we have a problem here?" Rhysand left very shortly after that. Tamlin has regular nightmares, and often times cannot be consoled after them, so he shifts to beast form and simply watches over you from the foot of the bed. You have taken to moving across the bed and laying down beside him whilst humming a song he wrote for you. Even though he is still afraid to come out of beast form, he has started sleeping again after the nightmares. Tamlin showed you a treehouse he built when he was a kid, it's out hidden in the forest. Near falling apart which he was a little upset over as it was his favorite place as a kid. So you got the sentries and set to work on rebuilding it. When you showed it to him, reconstructed and freshly painted, he cried as he kissed you. Once when you were strolling through the Spring Court, you came across a pit of mud, and Tamlin, wanting to have one those romantic carrying scenes, picked you up to carry you across. You were giggling and he was so proud of himself. Turns out, it was a lot deeper than originally thought and you both fell in. You laughed so hard you got a bloody nose and Tamlin did not try to do that again. You will both stay up late into the night, telling jokes and telling stories like kids at a sleepover, laughing until Alis is banging on the door telling you to go to sleep. It's some of the most fun Tamlin has had in years and you are so happy to make him happy. You like to wrap yourself in blankets like a burrito in the morning, because it's cold and you don't want to get up. So, Tamlin will scoop you up, blankets and all, and carry you downstairs for breakfast. At the next High Lord's meeting, when you attended, Rhysand made one too many degrading comments to Tamlin. So you retaliated with making friends with *everyone* and subtly talked shit about the Night Court until rumors were spreading galore. As the Inner Circle scrambled for damage control, you and Tamlin sat back and delighted at the entertainment.

I hope these suffice anon!

[acourtofinkandpapyrus]

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

Warnings: Blood, gore, murder, death, trauma, family trauma, fighting, arguments, all the fun stuff!

Part sixteen Part eighteen

Tag list: @esposadomd

Basically, this is the most heart wrenching episode yet, and I pity all of you for having to read this.

Eris was just standing next to me, unable to speak.

Tears started to stream down my face.

Tamlin wasn’t a great person, but…

But no one deserved what she had done to him.  To him, and to poor poor Lucian.

Just because there is life after death, doesn’t mean death is nothing.  It’s painful, and will stay with you forever.

And this hadn’t been a quick death.  Tamlin had been pinned to his throne with daggers, half in his beast form and half skinned.

Lucian had been taken apart, piece by piece.

His metal eye was placed in the middle of the room, covered in blood and glistening in the setting sun.

I take a deep breath, and start walking over to their mangled corpses.  

“Y/N-”  Eris croaked out, pain in his voice.

“They deserve a proper burial.  We can’t leave them like… this.”  the words come out far more strangled and pained than I would have liked.

I started trying to take the daggers out, but Eris’s hands landed on my shoulders, gently turning me away.

My hands were covered in their blood, shaking violently as I raised them to push away from him.

“You don’t have to do this.”  He said, pulling me into an embrace as tears fell again.

“We won’t let her get away with this.”  He said, his voice hardening as I let myself relax into his embrace, letting out a sob.

I should have stopped this.

I should have known ever since I first came back here, that those Hybren soldiers were just the beginning.

And I left them all alone.

I let this happen.

Eris held me closer to him, and I felt the air shift around us.

I knew he had winnowed us away, the scent of blood lessening, even if it still clogged my nose.

He stood there with me, content to hold me as long as I needed.  Both of us are silent.

Even though he had just lost his only kind brother, he was standing here, comforting me.

“I’m sorry.”  I croaked out, still shaking.  “Your brother just died and I’m-”

“Shhhh.”  He comforted me, petting my hair.  “You need me right now.  It’s going to be okay.”

My whole body shook.  “I don’t deserve this.  I don’t deserve you.  You should hate me, I this is all my faul-”  I said, my voice watery and ugly from crying.

“No.”  He said, his voice stern, pulling back just enough to look down at me.  “Do you know how ridiculous that is?  If anything, it’s the other way around.”

I shook my head, but he grasped my chin firmly, light enough not to hurt.  “This is not your fault.”

I blinked away tears, not speaking as I stared into his grief ridden red eyes, swirling with not just hate and pain, but love.

“Say it.  This is not my fault.”  He said, his tone stern.

I didn’t say it, and he sighed, letting go of my chin and pulling me into a hug again.  “This is not your fault.”

I had calmed down, locking the emotions in a dark corner of my mind where all my unresolved shit went.

“We need to tell all the highlords.  If there’s anything that will unite them, it’s this.  It’s Amarantha.”  I tell Eris, pacing in front of the table in Eris’s private cabin.

I have no idea when the fuck he got a private cabin, but I was greatful for it right now.

“They’ll never answer our call.  Your brother maybe, but the others don’t know you, and I’m guessing my father’s not too pleased with me right now.”

I stopped pacing, my mind racing with thoughts, good and bad, when I finally settle on an idea.

An idea that might fix everything.

“What if we didn’t call the meeting?”  I asked, turning to where he was stiffly sitting in a plush couch.

He studied me.  “Then who?”

I grimace.  “What if Tamlin called the meeting?”

His eyes went wide.  “That’s a risky move.”

I shrugged.  “Well, it’s better than running around shouting that the female that trapped everyone for fifty years that everyone saw die is back.”

We just stared at each other.

“Couldn’t we just bring him back?”  Eris asked hesitantly.

I shake my head.  “We can, but I think it’s better if we leave them with Sam and the others for now.  If Amarantha is working with the Asteri, there’s a good chance she has some trap set up to see how we get back and forth.”

He sighs.  “So no contact?”

I shake my head.  “No, not for a while.”

He sighed, standing up.  “I’ll go get the pad of paper.  You shouldn’t have to go back into that bloodbath.”

I shake my head.  “I’m not making you go back in there with your dead brother.  You stay here and I’ll go and get it.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but I held my hand up.  “No.  I’m going, that’s final.”

“Can I at least come with you?”  He asked, worry swirling in his eyes.

I shake my head.  “Just- I’ll be right back.  Stay here, and think about what we can say to the other highlords.”

He nods, standing up and walking over to me.

He could sense my sorrow, but he didn’t know the whole reason, and I couldn’t tell him as he tugged me into an embrace.

We stood there for a moment before I pulled away gently, kissing him before I took a few more steps away.  “Goodbye Eris.”

And I winnowed away.

I winnowed to Velaris with only one stop in between.

I was going to kill this red haired bitch before she could even touch my family.

But there was no way we could call together a meeting of the high lords, and it was highly unlikely they would gather together at Tamlin’s summons, if news that he was dead hadn’t already reached them.

So I had to do this, even if it was going to suck.

I was running out of time.

Making my way to the River house, I stood outside the door, wondering if maybe I should go back and bring Eris here with me, damn the consequences.

I didn’t even get a chance to knock on the door as it flew open, revealing Azriel, dark and angry as his shadows swirled around him.

He quickly froze, and I watched his eyes go wide.

I forgot I was still covered in Tamlins blood, the events of the past day making me weary.

Had it truly only been earlier this day that I was pretending to be Eris’s cousin?

I pushed past him.  “We need to talk, is Rhys in here?”

He whirled.  “We do need to talk.  What the hell happened to you?”  He snarled, following me into the living room.

Everyone was in there, along with a red haired half human, half human female.

I recognised her as Bryce, and under any other circumstances, I would have been excited to meet her, and be questioning her how the hell she got here, but that wasn’t the problem right now.

All of them stared as I entered the room, and I saw Rhys open his mouth to speak.

I held up a bloody hand.  “You had plenty of chances to speak, I have the floor.”

He looked as if he was going to talk anyway, so I just spit out, “Amarantha is the third dead soul.”

Fearful silence rippled through the room.

I looked at my brother and Feyre, not sure I could handle the other’s expressions right now.

“She killed Tamlin and Lucian.  She basically told me she was going to kill everyone we care about and make us watch.”  I say, my tone flat as I look at Rhysand.

“Now normally, I wouldn’t go ringing the alarm bells, I like to handle these types of things myself, but I know what she did to the two of you.”  I say, keeping my tone cool and even.

None of them say anything, but I can tell Feyre and my brother are communicating in their heads.

Morrgian’s eye catches mine, and I freeze.

We just stare at each other.

I can see the pain and hurt in her eyes as she goes to look away.

“Whatever Azriel told you I said, there’s more to it than that.”  I say to her, and she looks back at me, her eyes a bit wide with surprise.  “I would never just… leave you like that.”

“What’s going on?”  Bryce asks in an old tongue that few use nowadays, turning to my brother for answers.

“Hello, Bryce, right?”  I ask in her native tongue.

I don’t look away from Bryce to gauge the others' reactions, but Bryce looks surprised, if not a bit happy as she answers in her language, “Yes, and you are?”

I shoot Rhys a dirty look before coming over to her, holding out my hand in greeting.  “I’m Y/N, Rhysand’s sister.  I’m not sure what he’s told you, but I’ve been dead for quite a while.”

Her eyes went wide, annoyance tinting her features as she turned towards Rhys, yelling at him in the old tongue.

I grin, but I turn my head to see Azriel scowling at me, and it falters.

Now that I look around, everyone is looking at me with either rage, hurt, or mistrust.

I don’t blame them, but it also hurts deep in my heart.  I had spent my whole alive life trying to be liked, to be someone they could love.

I hate the way I want to slip back into that role, change back into exactly what they want me to be.

But I’m not.

I turn away.  “I said what I needed to say, do what you will with it.”

Azriel grabs my arm, holding me in place.

I stare at his hand, waiting for him to let me go.  I look up at him to see him looking at Rhysand to see what to do next.

“Let me go.”  I snarl, and his shadows swirl around him threateningly.

Rhysand stands, walking over to me.

Azriel lets me go once Rhysand’s close enough, and I snarl at him, “I’m warning you now brother, I’m leaving whether you want me to or not.”

His matching violet eyes studied me.  “Even though I do not approve of your choices, I think you already know what you’re putting us through.  So I’m not going to ask you to leave Eris, but you have to stay away from her.”

I knew what he was talking about, but anger prickled in my veins at the order.

“Do not speak down to me Rhysand.  I will do what I wish to do.”  I warn, turning to leave.

He winnowed in front of the door.  “I am your high lord, and I will not let you leave until you promise me.”

I knew where this was going.  He wanted a bargain.

“I am no one's subject.” I snarl, my power starting to boil over.

“Rhysand, I suggest you let the girl leave.”

I whip my head around to look at Amren, who is the first to realize I am more than appear, and I’m not surprised.

I see a look of realization come over Nesta’s face, and she leans into her younger sister, whispering.

Rhysand growled.  “Promise me.” He snarled.

“I would rather rot in Hel.”  I say, and I hear Bryce stifle a laugh, the only part of this she understood.

I walked toward the door, pushing past my brother.

As soon as he laid a hand on my arm to stop me, I exploded.

I grabbed his arm, shoving him against the wall with the other.  I could hear everyone else either unsheathe their knives or gasp.

Rhy’s seemed shocked, but he shoved me back, and I ducked just in time to dodge a fist.

Fine.  If he wanted to duke this out, I was fucking fine with that.

I grabbed the soft velvety cloth of his jacket, winnowing him to the fighting ring on top of the house of wind and backing up, getting into a fighting stance.

“You want to fight brother?  Than let’s fucking fight!”  I shout at him, and I realize it has started to rain.

Neither of us care, and he widens his stance, his chest heaving with rage as he raises his fists.

We start to circle, and he asks, “Why?”

Right as he throws a punch, thunder rings out, deafening as I dodge, spinning around and swinging a foot out to knock him down.

He falls, and I ask, “Why what, brother?”

He gets back to his feet, wiping away blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.  “Why have you abandoned us?  For fucking Eris?”

I snarl, and dodge again, but he fakes me out, landing a punch to my exposed side with enough force to bruise.

I hiss, stumbling back before quickly regaining the fighting stance.  “I didn’t abandon you.  If you had ever bothered to stick around, you would have seen exactly how bad our father was.”  I snarl, charging him.

We grapple for a moment, and I manage to get a hold on him and throw him to the ground, pinning him there.

He snarls as his face hits the floor.  “You could have told me.”

“I TRIED!”  I shouted as he threw me off, and I rolled away and into a crouched position.

“I tried and I was sent to a fucking Illyrain camp!  Left completely alone, far enough away so I couldn’t even contact you at Lord Devon's camp.  He knew what they might have done if they found me.  He expected to teach me a fucking lesson.”  I say, standing as he stood across from me, too far away and the sky too dark for me to see his face clearly.

“I learned how to use plants to change my scent, I cut my hair, I bound my chest and I learned how to fight with the best of them.  Do you really think you managed to take out every single one of the Illyrians that wanted you dead during the Blood Rite single handed?”  I screamed, my voice rivaling the roar of rain and thunder.

I started to shake, and he stood there, still unreadable.

“I killed them! I followed you, and I cut them down before they spotted me.  I continued after the three of you found each other!  I touched that stone moments after you did, and the three of you never knew!  And how could I tell you?”

The rain washed away the tears, the only sign of my crying was the uncontrollable shaking.  “And if I told you, you would have suffered.  Father was always looking for ways to make sure neither of us could take him down.  I protected you.  I protected mom.  We died, and I have spent the whole time trying to keep the Asteri from coming here and killing YOU!”

We both just stood there, breathing heavily.

“Why Eris?”  He asked, his voice broken and full of sorrow.

I shuddered.  “Because he understood.  He has spent his whole life protecting his mother and Lucian.  Because he’s my mate and I love him.”

I look up, staring at the murky sky, the stars blocked by the clouds.  I didn’t want to see his reaction.  I didn’t want to see the look of disgust-

Suddenly, there’s a strong pair of arms wrapped around me, hugging me tight to his chest and murmuring, “I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry.”

After years of hiding, and these past months, I can’t help but to break into tears, letting him hug me.

I wrap my arms around there, and I don’t know how long we stand there, hugging each other in the rain.

Eris Pov: 

What the hell?  Was what I was thinking as I paced back and forth across the floor of the cabin.

It had been too long.  Y/N should be back by now.

Why hadn’t I just gone with her?  I had wanted to respect the space she needed, but going back to a massacre scene where Amarantha had just threatened her alone was idiotic.

So, I winnowed to where I knew where she was.

But no matter how much I looked, there was no one living here.

I left, and started to frantically search the area around.  Has she been kidnapped? Was she hurt?  If I had let her do this alone and something had happened to her, I would never forgive myself.

I heard the sounds of people, and I paused, slowly sneaking between the trees and shielding my scent.

It got louder the closer I got, and a pit formed in my stomach as I saw a army of Hybren soldiers.

Turning, I ran away, knowing there was nothing I could do until I found Y/N.

I paused after some time, and heard footsteps.  I whirled, weapon in my hand.

It was Sam, Tamlin and Lucian standing next to him.

At the sight of my brother, who I had seen dead only an hour or so ago, my weapon fell from my hand.

I rushed to him, embracing him tightly.

He was stiff at first, but relaxed into the hug, wrapping his arms around me.

“I’m sorry brother.”  I said, holding him tightly.  “I should have been there, I should have stopped her.”

I had never spoken like that to him, let alone around Tamlin.

He pulled away.  “There’s a problem.”

I forced myself to smirk and wink at him.  “When isn’t there?”

The look on his face is serious, and he doesn’t laugh.

“Where’s Y/N?”  Sam asks, his voice worried.

The worry gnawing at me threatens to come out in my words.  “She told me she was coming here.  She was going to try and pose as you and call a meeting of the high lords.”

As I say it, I realize how stupid the plan is.

“Eris, where would she go that you wouldn’t want her to?”  Sam demanded, and I’m still reeling a little.

She tricked me.

I think for a moment.  “To her brother.” Sam groans.  “We are so fucked.”

[wallflowers-in-the-wind]

Tamlin x reader fanfic idea

I may write this but if I don’t someone please feel free to write it.

The reader is a high fae from the winter court. They were swapped with a human infant by their parents and was raised in the human realm. The magic of this swap made the reader a changeling. Due to the parents rejection of them it also gave the reader the power to change their form as a permanent mark of the rejection. At most the reader can turn into small animals, horses, and change their features to appear more human.

The reader grew up in the human realm until their parents passed away and then traveled to the fae realm to find their biological parents 400 years later after some adventures in the human realm. But that was when Amarantha struck and the reader remained in the spring court for their safety. They never met the high lord Tamlin but heard many great tales and was grateful for the safety he managed to create for them.

When the curse was lifted they traveled to the winter court in hopes of their family wanting them but was rejected by their parents once again. With nowhere else to go the reader traveled back to the spring court. They aided in the war against hyburn and when everything settled down went back to spring to help those who remain rebuild their homes, bury loved ones, and replant what they could.

Rumors of what had happened to Tamlin are near constant. Some saying he is trapped in his beast form caused by Feyre curse breaker, others believing he died in battle and the new lord of spring has yet to make themselves known. Yet the reader never believed any of it until one fateful day.

The story starts with the reader going to visit their human parents graves. It’s winter in the human realm but the reader has some nice flowers they forged for from the spring court. The reader gets attacked on their way home by humans who still hold resentment against the fae.

The reader would have been killed if it weren’t for the arrival of Tamlin (still in his beast form) who scared them off. The reader is grateful and when Tamlin goes to leave they chase after him. Question after question burned through them wanting to know where he has been and why he hasn’t returned.

The story goes on to have the reader and Tamlin agree to travel together although Tamlin is non verbal. Over time they grow close and Tamlin slowly regains the ability to speak. They talk about their pasts and the reader has no interest in returning to the winter court or revenge for what they did. Lucien visits on occasion and is glad to see his old friend had found someone to help him heal from what Feyre had done.

Yet not all are happy with this progress. Rhysand spots the reader and Tamlin during one of their repair projects on one of the villages in the spring court. He informs Feyre who believes the reader is being held there against their will and stages a ‘rescue’. The reader is dragged to Velaris and is held captive in one of the guest rooms. Feyre tries to insist the reader has been brainwashed by Tamlin but the reader is having none of it and tries to escape.

Rhysand gets frustrated after the third attempt and tells the reader that Tamlin isn’t coming for her and that he is a monster. But in that moment Tamlin breaks down the door in his high lord form. They fight and Tamlin manages to get a lucky hit knocking Rhysand unconscious.

The reader and Tamlin escape back to the Spring court and after ensuring each other is alright confess their feeling for each other.

In the epilogue the Spring court has been completely rebuilt. Tensions have died down between the night court and the spring court but Tamlin made it clear that any attempts to take the reader again would result in war. Tamlin and reader had a small private wedding and they both live happily ever after.