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Feyre had been acting strangely all day. She’d been expertly avoiding me, and had been keeping her shields sealed tight; something she hadn't done this well since the Battle for Velaris. And it was slowing pissing me off because I didn't know why.
Worse yet, Mor and Amren knew, and they weren't telling me. Not even a hint. Their shields were flawless too. I wondered if this was how Feyre felt when she found out they knew about our mate bond before she did.
Suddenly, I felt a tug on our bond. A rather insistent one. I followed it to our room, where Feyre looked at me rather nervous, wringing her hands.
“You called?” I said, a little more annoyed than I intended. Feyre bit her lip.
“Rhys…” I could hear the worry in her voice. I crossed the room in a few strides to stand in front of her, and brushed the back of my fingers against her cheek.
“What is it Feyre darling?” She opened her mouth, but closed it again. Suddenly, she let out a growl.
“Oh hell.” She grabbed my hands and shoved something small into them, cover my hands with her own so I couldn't see what it was. It felt soft.
Slowly, she removed her hands and backed away a few steps, looking expectantly at me. I raised an eyebrow, but opened my hands.
A small pair of shoes.
I stared at them for a long moment, before looking at Feyre with confusion.
“Please say something,” she said, her discomfort plain. I stared at the little shoes in my hand, dumbfounded.
“Feyre? Are you…?” I looked up at her, my voice cracking, unable to finish my sentence. She moved a hand to her stomach and nodded. I walked towards her slowly, and dropped to my knees in front of her, placing my hand on top of the one on her stomach.
“Um, I'm up here?” I grinned at Feyre, who was half scowling at me. The light in her eyes though… It was clear how happy she was.
“You’ve never complained about me being in this position before,” I said, causing her cheeks to turn bright red.
Slowly, it began to sink in. I was going to be a father… we were going to have a baby.
I kissed her stomach, which had only slightly begun to show. I stared at it in wonder.
“Hello, little one. I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm your daddy.” Saying the words felt so foreign, and yet, so right.
I couldn't take my eyes off the woman who had brought me so much joy.
“Feyre…” I could feel myself choking up, the words stuck in my throat. This… children were so rare among the High Fae. So rare and so precious. They were a gift treasured like no other. And the Night Court hadn't had a child since my sister.
She knelt down to my level and I pulled her into my lap and just held her. I kissed her forehead, lacing her tattooed fingers with mine and resting both of our hands on her barely showing stomach. Words weren't needed.
---
“Would you like to hold your daughter?” Feyre asked. She was sweaty, and looked like she’d been through a battle, but as she smiled at me sleepily, I couldn't help but feel a burst of love looking at her... my mate, and now the mother of our child. I could feel my heart swell just thinking about it. I nodded dumbly and gingerly took the small swaddled bundle from her arms.
Her little sleeping face was scrunched up, her little arms squirming under the blanket. I let out a little chuckle.
“Looks like Cassian is going to have a new sparring partner.” Feyre let out a light chuckle.
“Considering how much she moved, I wouldn't doubt it.”
I could feel myself tearing up. Suddenly, one dropped onto her cheek. Her eyes flew open and looked straight at me.
Violet.
Another droplet land on her cheek. I tried to wipe it away, and suddenly she let out a screeching cry that would have laid out even the strongest Illyrian warrior. I looked at Feyre in panic.
“What do I do?”
She chuckled, clearly amused by my pain. “Rock her. Bounce her a little, she seems to like that. Just be careful of her wings, they’re wrapped up in there. You can talk to her too.” She mimed rocking her.
I tried it, but nothing seemed to calm her. She screamed louder.
“It's okay, little one…,” I said, hoping I sounded soothing. “Daddy will take care of you…”
Her crying subsided, reducing to hiccups, looking at me with wide eyes.
“She recognizes your voice,” Feyre said. Our daughter’s eyes still watched me. Curiously, almost.
I brushed her tiny cheek with my finger, and she gurgled. “Welcome to the world, little one. So many people have been waiting for you to come…”
I held her close to my chest, her tiny body so small and fragile. Another drop landed on her face. This time she sneezed. I grinned at Feyre, unable to contain my joy.
I walked over to her bed and sat next to her. She laid her head on my shoulder, a sleepy smile on her face. I handed our daughter back to Feyre, who began to feed her. I wrapped my arms around Feyre as best I could, and kissed the top of her head.
“What are we going to name her?” I asked quietly after a while, watching our daughter's eyes close slowly as she fell asleep again. Feyre looked at her with such love.
“Seren. To add another star to the City of Starlight.”
---
I woke up with a start. It was the middle of the night. I ran my hand through my hair, and looked at Feyre's sleeping form. She was curled up, her hand reaching towards me, peaceful. I moved to grab her hand, to pull her to my chest and settle back into sleep.
But something wasn't right.
Easing myself out of bed, so as not to wake her, I padded towards the door to the hallway of the townhouse, towards our daughter’s bedroom.
I opened the door.
There she was, perched in the window, looking intently out at the sky of Velaris. Her curling golden-brown hair was tied back, showing off her Illyrian wings. I smiled. It had been five years since the day she’d been born, and I couldn't believe how fast time had gone. She reminded me so much of myself as a youngling, all those centuries ago. I crept up behind her.
“What do you think you're doing, little one?” She jumped, almost losing her balance in the window sill. I grabbed her arm to steady her, and she looked up at me with wide, violet eyes.
“Um… nothing?” Her guilt was obvious in her voice. I smirked at her.
“You're going to have to do better than that, Seren. You were going to sneak out to go flying again.” She deflated.
“How’d you know?” I raised an eyebrow at her.
“You know you are only supposed to fly when you are with me or your mother. What if something happened? You know you're still building up strength.” I did my best to appear stern, but I couldn't even blame her. It was perfect flying weather, and the lights of Velaris made the surrounding area glow.
She looked down at her bare toes, a habit picked up from ‘training’ with ‘Uncle’ Cassian, her favorite playmate. “Yes Daddy…” My heart melted at the word. I had never dared to hope that someday I would have this. I had thought that the day Feyre had agreed to be my mate has been the happiest day of my life… But finding out she was pregnant… and then Seren being born…
I was lucky I wasn't the High Lord of the Day Court; I would be glowing with happiness for the rest of my life.
I knelt down and lifted her chin with my finger.
“How about we go together?” I said. She raised her eyebrows, a very Feyre look.
“But Mama-”
“What Mama doesn't know won't hurt her,” I said conspiratorially, even though I had every intention of letting her know through our bond. Seren smiled joyfully and tugged at my hand.
“Let's go!” Before I could stop her, she had jumped out the window and taken off. I grinned and did the same.
We flew around the city, looping and spinning through rooftops. Seren had clearly been practicing, and had gotten much better at it since the last time we had flown together. We landed on one of the rooftops, sitting and looking at the sea.
Where are you? I heard Feyre's voice float through my mind.
Flying with Seren. She couldn't sleep. We’ll be home soon. I felt a wave of relief though the bond. I looked down at Seren. Her eyelids were drooping a little. I smiled.
“Are you ready to go home?”
“-’m not tired,” she mumbled. I stood up and gathered Seren into my arms.
“Come little one, let's get you home.”
As we flew back to the townhouse, I stole a look at her. She had fallen asleep, her face scrunched in the same way she had the day she was born.
Thank you. I whispered down the bond to Feyre.
For what? I thought about it for a moment before answering:
For everything.