Nesta and Cassian's room was filled with dresses. In fact, it looked like there had been an explosion at the clothier's shop. Tulle, chiffon, velvet, sequins, crystals… it was everywhere. Scattered on the bed, on the floor, hung on the mirrors and hung on a railing in the centre of the room.

"Redecorating?" I asked as Emerie and I stepped into the bedroom. We'd been invited over for dinner at the House of Wind and I'd decided it would be a nice break from the training ring and reading.

"It's very subtle," Cassian said as he emerged from the layers of fabric. He shook his head, "This isn't the kind of warfare I'm used to." He turned to me before he left, "Please make sure she's made a decision before I get home so I have my room back."

I laughed, walking into the room, trying not to step on any trains. "What is all of this?"

"Dresses for Starfall," Nesta replied.

"Are you planning on changing every five minutes?" Emerie smirked. "You must have at least three hundred dresses here.

"I was talking about going shopping for Starfall dresses with Feyre and then all of these arrived," She waved her arms in the air. "I'm sure Rhys is intending to shower me in gifts for eternity."

"Not such a bad thing," I murmured, running my hands over a piece of silk. "These are all beautiful, how are you going to even choose?"

"That's why you were both summoned," She grinned.

"There was me thinking it was something important," Emerie teased.

"This is important," Nesta threw her arms in the air. "I need Cassian to like it."

"So he can tear it off you later?"

Nesta launched a pillow at Emerie, who managed to catch it and throw it back to the bed.

I glanced around at the dresses- blues, greys, silvers, blacks. "Well at least he knows your colour scheme."

"He daren't send me anything pink or pastel as he knows that's in Elain's colour palette," She wrinkled her nose and I gave a nod. Nesta held up a dress to herself, "Although too many ruffles is a no too. Find any with ruffles and frills and put them back in the boxes. They're going straight back to the shops."

Fifteen minutes later and you could see the floor and furniture once again, but there were still a large number of dresses left in the room. The only thing we could do was eliminate them, one by one.

"So what are you each wearing to the party?" She asked Emerie and I.

"I wasn't sure we were invited," Emerie replied. She picked up a black gown and shook her head, putting it back in a nearby box.

"Of course you both are!" Nesta scoffed. "You're my guests and seeing as this is my house now… I want you both there."

"I can't come," I told her. "There's so much to do in the library." I picked up another dress, examined it and placed it in a box. I picked up another dress and Nesta took it from me.

"You're lying," She said. "What is it? Azriel? Elain?"

"I'm just a priestess," I told her. "We don't attend these parties. We have our service, a meal and then we go our separate ways for the evening. That's how it's always been."

Emerie frowned, "I suppose that I should just stay in Windhaven then."

I sighed, "That's not what I meant."

"Well if you're just a priestess then I'm just an Illyrian shopkeeper." She placed her hands on her hips. "I suppose I should just wallow in my shop too."

"I'm not wallowing."

"Then what's this really about?" Emerie asked. "Coming out of the library? Living, Gwyn?"

I blinked, "I'm not afraid."

"No one said you were."

"Merrill did." I sat down on the edge of the bed, holding a nearby dress. "Maybe she's right."

Emerie and Nesta sat down either side of me.

"You were courageous in the Blood Rite," Nesta said. "Despite being injured, you were determined to survive, determined for us all to complete it and get out of there." She held my hand and squeezed it.

"But what good is that when I'm nervous every time I leave the library? When I worry about seeing the world?"

"Do you want to see the world?" Emerie asked.

I looked at the lit fireplace in front of us and sighed, "Yes… I guess.. Maybe I'm just afraid to live because how is it fair that I do this when Cat didn't even get a chance."

Understanding was in Nesta's eyes as she turned to look at me and I held in the sob that was desperately threatening to come out. "But, Gwyn, I think she'd want you to live… she'd want you to see Starfall and celebrate the Solstice and smell the sea air and see the flowers that are starting to grow on the mountainside. She'd want you to go on adventures, to fight, to see everything." She glanced back at the fire. "I know that's what my Father would have wanted for me and for my sisters and I'm sure Cat felt the same."

A single tear rolled down my cheek and I sucked in a breath.

"She's right," Emerie whispered from the other side of me. "And I don't want to hide away anymore either. We're Valkyries after all, we're making history… hell, we've already made history by completing the Blood Rite. It's time we show everyone else what we're made of."

"Good," Nesta said, standing, "Because Cassian wants us in Windhaven in a week. I was going to tell you at training tomorrow, but now is as good a time as any. The male captains aren't training the females as promised, so we're going to. Twice a week for now, but it's a start. We're going to make some new Valkyries." She held her hand forward, the charm bracelet on her wrist. "I can't do it without you two, though." We both put our hands on hers.

"I am the rock against which the surf crashes," I whispered and Nesta and Emerie looked at me and smiled.

Two hours later and Nesta's dress was chosen and hanging in the armoire, ready for Starfall. And then she'd chosen one for myself and one for Emerie too. All black with gold accents. Nesta's was black with golden scales over one shoulder and then trailing down the velvet bodice. Emerie's was black chiffon with a golden cage detailing over the bust that resembled armour. And mine was a black velvet with a golden belt and then golden scale-mail on each shoulder. Valkyries indeed.

Dinner was served in the dining room and I tried to ignore whatever silent conversations were happening in Nesta and Cassian's heads as both their cheeks flushed when we sat at the table. Emerie poured herself a glass of wine in response, before pouring me one. The Shadowsinger was the last to arrive, sliding into his seat just as the food arrived on the table. Some kind of roasted chicken with spices, herb-covered potatoes, vegetables and a sauce I didn't recognise but smelt divine. I inhaled deeply, savouring the smell and then spotted Azriel watching me from across the table so I blushed.

"Chicken?" He offered as he carved it.

"Please," I said first and he placed it onto my plate before serving everyone else. Cassian and Nesta watched the exchange and I wondered if they knew we'd spoken since the Mating Ceremony and that he'd told me everything. Perhaps they were waiting for an argument instead.

"I've told Emerie and Gwyn about training the females," Nesta blurted out as if she was afraid of the silence. I smiled at her delivering the news and Emerie nodded from beside me.

"And?" Cassian asked.

"We've agreed," I announced. "But with conditions."

Nesta glanced over at me in surprise, her eyebrow raised.

"One, we'd like our own armour," I said. "Not Illyrian leathers, but our own Valkyrie leathers."

"I can design those," Emerie said from my side, "The shape would be similar, I suppose, but I'd change the detailing. I can draw up some designs pretty quickly."

I gave a nod and then continued. "Two, we'd like our own swords. Not those boring ones you make us use at practice, but swords that belong to us."

Azriel choked on his wine, "Boring?"

"I'd like a pretty sword," I told him, "Is that okay with you, Shadowsinger?"

"What do you class as pretty?"

"A pegasus carved into it?" Cassian offered up from his end of the table and I narrowed my eyes.

"Some nice detailing on the hilt," I replied. "And, I'd like them to be a little lighter. You've given us Illyrian swords to train with and we're not all muscular bat boys."

A snort from Azriel at that remark and a low laugh from Cassian.

"Those are our demands," I said to them both, "Take them or leave them."

Cassian and Azriel both glanced at each other and then turned to face me, Cassian with his hand held out, "Deal."

The tingle of a bargain being struck moved along my spine.