Three years have passed since the end of the war against Hybern. By this winter afternoon, Feyre was reading, pressed against the armrest of the sofa in front of the fireplace, feet on a sleepy Rhysand's leg. She was enjoying her new novel, courtesy of Vivianne, when the town house front door slammed open to shut as fast and loud. Rhysand jolted awake while his mate was already leading to the foyer.
Against the door was standing Nesta, red and breathless as if she had run all the city to come here, a vacant look on her face. Her sister ran to her to take her hand, fear already running in her veins that something bad was going to happen.
« Nesta, what's wrong ? »
« … propo … » muttered the older sister, her mind still somewhere else. Feyre instited.
« Are you hurt ? Is it something wrong ? Nesta answer me please » Behind, Rhysand was standing in the threshold of the sitting room, worried but letting his mate handle her sister. « I don't understand what your saying Nesta. » she said again.
Still the Highlord catched her words first. Eyes wide he said « Cassian proposed to you. » It wasn't a question but Nesta moved her head to confirm.
Feyre felt a sudden wave of joy going through her. Her elder sister and the commander were in a relationship for two years now. They wanted to keep it secret first but Cassian had difficulties to hide his love for Nesta long before she did have feelings for him. They were little demonstrative in public, more long and knowings looks than kisses and cuddling. Sometimes they would fight and try to keep that hidden too but their longing for each other was always obvious to everyone in the inner circle. They all knew it was a matter of time before Cassian did ask for her hand but no one was in a hurry. The youngest of Archeron's sisters knew how much they were in love and so was deeply happy for her sister. However, the flat voice of Ryshand and a better look at Nesta made her wondering if everything was that alright.
« That's nice. » She said anyway, glancing at her mate behind her. « Did you … What did you answered him ? »
Nesta was still breathing heavily, looking at her sister as if she was seeing her but not quietly. Rhysand came closer, asking « Did you answered him ? Or … » Then she seemed to realise where she was, and what had happened. Her hands started to shake as she was hiding her face behind them.
Feyre gave her husband an incomprehension look.
What does it mean ?
I think she ran away from Cassian after he proposed
What ? Why would she do that ?
He only glance at the woman against the door before raising an eyebrow. I never got to really understand her but it wouldn't surprise me if she did.
Nesta got them out of their mind talk. « I think I made a mistake » She said, looking expectently at her younger sister.
Rhysand took a deep breath. You two should talk. I'll go check on Cassian. Then he was gone, leaving Feyre with a still shocked Nesta and no idea of what to do.
It tooks several minutes for Rhysand to find his brother, not wanting to use his deamanti powers. He landed swiftly in front of the man, sit in a corner of the House of Wind's family library, forearms on his lap, head and wings down. The High Lord, knew more or less that it was the place were his friend and sister-in-law confessed months ago. He willingly made some noise has he sat down in a armchair next to Cassian, to be sure his friend has noticed his presence. Then he waited. Waited for him to speak the pain he could clearly see on the Illyrian's face, behind the curtain of his black hair falling around his head.
« How do you know ? » the commander said in a murmur.
« She came to the house, surely to see Feyre. »
« I fucked up. » Finally said Cassian after a pause. « I don't even know why I did this. »
« Wasn't it planned ? » The other man nodded negativly. « Then, what happened ? »
« I just … » He said in a sharp breath « We were on the sparring ring, trainning. I, I … » His hands were moving as if he was replaying the scene. « I was about to say something to taunt her but she laughed » He smiled sadly. « I love to hear that sound you know. When she stop hidding behind a wall just to be herself. »
« I know what you mean. »
« I don't know what happened. If it was the way the light was on her face, her laugh or something else … but in this exact moment I knew I never wanted her away from me. Mates or not, i suddendly felt so much love that I knew she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. »
« So, you proposed. »
Nesta was against the door, one hand on her mouth. Feyre had sit in front of her holding her other hand and waiting, concern on her face.
« He proposed to me » Nesta said once again, slowly coming back to reality.
« He asked you to be his wife. Feyre said, not a question but her sister nodded anyway before addinf « I ran away. Mother above, I ran away. » She took a sharp breath, realising what she had done. « He will never forgive me. I've ruined everything. » Once again she was hiding behind her hands.
« Nesta » Feyre called her, moving closer to her sister. « He will never blame you for it. If you don't want to marry him, or marry at all, it is your choice and he will respect it the way he always respected you. Never doubt that. » The high lady took yhe hands away from her sister face. « Everything will be alright » she tried to reassure her sister while taking her in her arms.
« But I want to marry him ! » cried Nesta, now sobbing freely.
« I don't understand. You want to marry Cassian but you ran away. » Nesta nodded, unabled to speak right. « Why ? » finally asked Feyre.
Nesta answered in a shaking whisper « Father is gone ».
An hour before
As an emissary to the human realm, Nesta had been really busy those last years. She had never worked before, always prefered to be served like when she was a child, even more after their time in the cabin. With the end of the war, and all that came with it, she had drown herself in work. First because she wanted to keep her mind busy from remembering it and then because she liked it. Sometimes she wandered how she was doing before, spending her day waiting for something to happen, with no real purpose.
As a perfectionnist she, sometimes, worked too much to the liking of Rhysand, so he declared she had to take some days off from time to time. Things were smooth lately, so Cassian had offered they took a week for themselves. A moment before, they were in the sparring ring, Cassian trying to make a point that he could avoid shots as good as usual on ice ground. Of course it was stupid but she loved hit, this childish part of him. She had stood in front of him to shoot some arrows at him. Of course, he fell on his ass rather fast, considering the rain they had yesterday just before the cold night.
She expected him to fall, he didn't. That's why his truly astonished face made her laugh, his eyes glaring at the ice as if it had betrayed some silent agreement between them. Sometimes she surprised herself, thinking how few times she had let herself laugh freely before knowing the inner circle, knowing Cassian. At the thought of it her mocking laugh change for a delighted one, speaking the sudden joy she felt and had no words for.
A second later he was standing in front of her, with that intense gaze he had sometimes, focused on her face, with a hint of awe in it. She fell silent as he opened his mouth and asked her to be his wife.
He was saying it as the thought ran into her mind. They were not mates, she couldn't tug at the bond between them, or hear him in her head. She didn't, they didn't need a mating bond because their love was so deep and true that only one glance was enough to know. Love flooded over her, honoured to be the one he choosed to be by his side for the rest of their life. She was used to it know, this was how she felt everytime they were together. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes as he was going on about why he wanted her, only her.
Unlike most of women she knew, Nesta had never imagined herself as a bride, never had thought about how her and her husband would look like. Few years before she had no room for love in her heart. Not when her only concern was about her sisters' safety and the mere mention of her father made her angry. She saw him die at Hybern's hands. Her smiled faded. Cassian stopped talking.
her father was dead, and for the first time since a long while she missed him. She wished he was still alive, because when she pictured her wedding he was there, walking her down the aisle and asking Cassian to take good care of her before stepping back to watch the ceremony with her sisters.
Nesta felt a urge to find them. Elain was at Day Court, too far, she couldn't winnow long distance yet. Her mind was running wild as she took in her surroundings, searching for an exit. Feyre was close, in Velaris, probably at her house. She found the door leading indoor, and a few corridors away, to the stairs leading to the city. She ran, hardly noticing Cassian and the hurt in his eyes as she flew away, away from him.
Cassian is rather down here, what happened to your sister, darling ?
Something unexpected. We're heading to the Day Court.
Wait, what ? Why ?
We need to see Elain. Do you think Helion will be mad we just winnow to his land without his permission ?
He knows better than to get between the Archeron sisters.
They came back late in the night, right in the House of Wind where Cassian was still mourning. Feyre led Rhysand out of the room while Nesta was going for her lover. When they reached the sitting room balcony, the high lord dared to ask « How was your trip to the Day Court ? ». Feyre looked up at him, eyes red as were Nesta's and probably Elain's too. Rhysand extended his arms to hug his mate. « What was it all about darling ? » he asked gently.
« Our father never get to meet you, nor Lucien, nor Cassian. »
He quickly made the connection. « Do you think he would have like us ? »
She kissed him lightly before answering « You all make us happy, of course he would. »
This is my first ACOTAR and english fanfic. I would love to have feedback about it, good or bad.
If there is any mistake (and there is certainly some), understand that english isn't my native language. Just send me a message and it will be fixed as soon as possible.