A/N: I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! Between having to find a place to move, packing and actually moving, and work, there was precious little time to write.

Thank for you all those that reviewed! You are lovely LOVELY people!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

A smile broke upon my face at his afterthought. 'This is a warrior who hates to accept defeat, one who could challenge me unlike any mother. I think I might be happy here.'

"What are you all smiles for, Stellar?"

My grin got toothier. "Just how similar we are and how we both have that warrior's spirit.: The look of confusion that crossed his face made me chuckle. "How you forgotten that I was trained by the greats Illyrians?" I refused to acknowledge the feelings of homesickness that threatened to overwhelm me. 'Good. Let him forget where I came from. Let me underestimate me.'

A peculiar glint gleamed in Tamlin's eye that had me taking a step back. "How could I ever forget that, my dear, when I was taught a few particular moves myself?" He advanced on me until I found myself in my room. "Shall I show you them now and maybe you can learn something?" I scoffed at the idea of him teaching me anything.

"As if there is anything you could teach me that I don't already know, High Lord." I smirked at his glare when I mocked his title. "I trained at the knees of the two greatest Illyrians in history. I won the respect of those sexist bastards who wanted to have me clipped. I destroyed their pathetic warriors and when I was done, I walked away without a glance." I looked down at Tamlin. "Do you think you could still have something to teach me?" I gave him my cockiest grin.

"You may have more years of training than I, Stellar, but did the High Lord of the Night Court train you himself?" The High Lord of the Spring crowded me to the huge bed and I knew there was no escape unless I timed this perfectly.

I knew Tamlin was trying to bait me to see where my loyalties laid. I knew it but still couldn't help the tinge of jealousy that pulsed through me. "Lord Rhysand had much more important things to do than train someone like me, but that does not change the fact that I have over a century of training behind me."

A wicked grin crossed my mate's face. "A century eh? And here I thought you were much younger than that." A gentle hand lifted to caress my face. "How did I not see you Under the Mountain?" The fingers traced my lips. "I want to taste these again, Stellar, and I want to devour you whole."

I leveled Tamlin a flat stare. "You did not see me because I was not there. Amarantha knew better than to attack the Illyrians. She may have won, but her forces would have been devastated and she would have been wide open for a counterattack." I placed a hand on his chest to attempt to hinder him. "Besides, everyone knows that attacking the Illyrians on their territory is tantamount to suicide."

"Is that right, beautiful? Do you think you could stop me? Do you think you could overpower my instincts because everything in me is telling to take you and make you mine. Right. Now." Those green, green eyes were inches from mine.

Those emerald eyes held me mesmerized. "It's not about overpowering, but about outthinking them." I crashed our lips together and tried to hold control for as long as possible.

"Don't think, Stella, feel. Feel me and let me feel my mate beneath me." How could even I say no to my instincts?

Tamlin's POV

Morning came too fast, like it always did and for once, I wanted to stay in bed all day. Despite the early morning chill against my naked body, I was warm, but that had more to do with the sleeping woman tucked tightly to my side.

My mate.

A thrill went thought as I studied her beautiful sleeping face and recalled last night. We had taken our first steps to completing the mating bond and I wanted it all and I wanted it now.

I never could have guessed that there was this much passion and love in the world. I had thought that I had loved Feyre with my whole being, but that was impossible. Feyre was a fleeting flash of emotion compared to the all-consuming love I felt for Stellar. I never loved Feyre like she was the air I needed to breathe. Stellar was the very core of my being.

She was my air I breathed and everything I needed without knowing I needed it. She was why I fought to break Amarantha's spell, not Feyre.

How could I have been so blind?

With a gentle hand, I brushed a lock of hair out of Stellar's face only to feel her stir under my fingertips. When her eyes slowly slid open, my world burst with brilliant colors.

"Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?"

A groan escaped her as she buried her face in my chest, but not before I caught a hint of red brushing her cheeks. "Good," came the muffled response. "You?"

I wrapped my arms around my mate and held her close. "Better than I deserve." A frown tugged at my lips as I recalled previous nights of wakefulness. Stunning, warm blue eyes met mine in alarm.

"What are you talking about Tamlin?" My mate sat up and stared intently into my eyes, my soul. "You deserve peace just as much as anyone else does and I will kill anyone that tells you otherwise."

Her burning passion caught me completely off-guard and I was left breathless for a second. A grin broke across my face and I quickly sat up. "Then you have many people on your list already, my dear, including the High Lord of your home court. Or, did you forget we are sworn enemies?" It thoroughly amused me how quickly people forgot about my shared past with Rhysand, but I couldn't help the twinge of unease that tried to rip through me.

"Of…Of… Course I didn't, my Lord. I, I, I merely was thinking of someone closer to home." Was that another blush I detected?

A chuckle escaped me and I didn't acknowledge out loud that my mate was still devoted to her former High Lord. In time, I knew, she would be mine completely. "Well, then you'll have to look outside of the Spring Court, my Lady for, I must confess, I do not tolerate disloyalty and disobedience within my court."

Two midnight blue eyes met mine. There was fire and defiance in there and, for a small moment, a desperate longing. It confused me that this strong, amazing female could long for anything. "What are you thinking about, beautiful one? Why is there such sadness hidden behind that raging fire?"

Stellar POV

'Oh no! He saw through me! How is that possible?!' I instantly looked away, terrified that someone could see through my carefully erected walls. No one had ever been able to see through them. Not even Cassian. To know that someone could see past them had me reeling. "Why you've lived the life I have, there isn't much happiness to be found," I found myself saying without realizing.

Firm, yet gentle fingers forced me to face this head on. As I glanced into the greenest eyes I've ever seen, I was reminded of another pair of dull green eyes.

"Lookie here boys. What do we have here? A female trying to play with a sword." The group of five boys laughed as they sneered at me. "Didn't anyone tell you, girl, that there's only one thing you're good for? Why don't you get back to your hut, find yourself a husband, and start breeding more warriors?"

Rage filled me and I let it consume me as I flew forward and tackled the leader. I may have been practicing in secret and didn't have the formal training they received, but I had come from a long line of legendary Illyrians and I would not let them down. I channeled all my rage at the unfairness into my blows. I unleashed the strength I was told to contain. I gave into the instincts that told me to fight them and oh how I fought.

After a moment or two, the other four boys jumped in to defend their leader and I reacted instantly. Nothing was going to stop me from pummeling this loathsome male into the dirt. No one could touch me, not when I knew exactly how to respond and anticipated their moves before they made them.

Unfortunately for me, the camp lord pulled me away from the other males before I could finish my task.

"No! Let me go!" I struggled mightily to prove to the pig that I was good enough to train with the males. I was a warrior! I had every right to train just as they did and I didn't care. No one was going to clip my wings. No one. "Put me down!" I swung my right fist at the male holding me before I saw who it was. The fist that stopped mine made it clear that I was in for some serious punishment.

"Stellar. Why did you think it was ok to pick a fight with some of my most promising warriors?" The voice was cold and emotionless.

"Because they said the only thing I was going for was keeping my legs spread." I glared at the camp lord as a smile cracked on his ugly face.

He let go of me but kept an arm around my shoulders. "And why would you not agree with them, Stellar? Males are meant to fight and wage war. Females are meant to creating stronger and better warriors. It is the way of our people and always has been. It's just lucky for you that the High Lord has banned wing clipping or else I would have you clipped right here and now for your disobedience."

His words made me shudder and stroke the fire hotter in me. "You could never clip my wings. I would sooner die than allow you, or any male, to use me just for breeding." I glared at him, not caring for what the consequences of my actions could be and pointed to one of his 'most promising warriors.' "Is this someone you want fighting for you? He was beaten by a girl who has had no training."

The male beside me shook his head. "Yes, well, he has been punished and will feel the wrath of the rest of his class for this… embarrassing incident. As for you," he turned fully to me, "You will go home and you will stay there until we figure out a fitting punishment for you. If I hear that you left for anything but your chores, you will regret it dearly. Now. Get home, Stellar."

"What did this female do wrong, my lord?" We all whirled on the new voice to find an Illyrian male decked out in seven siphons. I gasped in shock and tried to take a step back from the sheer raw power I could feel emanating from this male.

"The better question is what are you doing here, bastard? You were told last time that you were not welcome back, even if the High Lord were to come himself." I couldn't understand why the camp lord would be asking for a fight with someone who wore so many siphons. He could kill us all without even trying.

A chuckle escaped the newcomer as he shrugged. "What can I say? Lord Rhys sent me to send his regards and to make sure that everything was running smoothly." His eyes slid lazily to me and he looked me over closely. "Who's this?"

The camp lord stiffened and took a step away from me. "Just some irritant female would didn't know her place before her chores were done."

"That's not what it seemed like. Care to explain to me what happened, my dear?" The strange male offered his hand to me and I hesitantly took it, not knowing what was going on but sensing I was about to meet my destiny.

Before I could take his hand, a growl was emitted from close by me. "You may be the commander of the Night Court's armies, but that doesn't give you free reign to lord over my camp, bastard. You are not welcome here and I demand you leave now."

A feral grin spread across whom I now knew as Cassian, general of High Lord Rhysand's armies and one of the greatest Illyrians in history. Well, at least one of the most powerful. This was my chance to get out of this hellhole.

"If you promise to get me out of here, I will tell you every thing that went down," I said as I placed myself in front of the two pissing males. "My lord, I promise you will not regret this." I bowed my head and waited with baited breath.

"Rise, young lady. There is no need to bow to me. Like he said, I'm just a bastard nobody who's trying to make things right, but I will make you a deal. I will get you out of here if you promise me that you will train with me even if it might kill you."

Train?! He wanted to train me?! It was like he knew exactly what I wanted and offered it up on a silver platter. "I will gladly make that deal with you, my lord." I bowed again.

I heard a sigh before I raised my head. "Gather the things you need. We leave in ten."

"I am ready now. I have nothing for me here and, even if I did, I will gladly leave it for a life where I am not treated like I'm nothing."

"Alright. Come with me…? What is your name by the way? I can't keep calling you 'my dear' all the time or else people will get the wrong idea." A smirk ghosted across his face.

"My name is Stellar, my lord and I am at your service." I bowed again even as the camp lord growled even more loudly.

"Leave and never return Stellar. The next time you come here, you will be put to death." The final chain had been cut and I was free.

"Gladly shall I leave and never shall I return except to overthrow you and your sexist regime. The next time I return, you will find that you will not be able to best me as you have done today. I will not be the weak little girl I am now." I turned to the boy that I pummeled earlier. "And you. You will either die at my hands or you will die for what has happened. I do not feel sorry for you." His green eyes glimmered in rage and I turned and walked away without looking back once.