Summary: When your perfectly private life implodes, your alphas are there to help.
Warnings: omegaverse, mean girls, insecurity, hurt/comfort (mild)
Words: ~2.2k
Author's Note: I am cranky af this morning. But at least I already have something written for today. I hope you guys like it, let me know what you think 🫶
18+ only pls
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Your nightmare had come true.
On all the tabloids and magazines was your face, your name, the details of your relationship. And of course, you’d only found out once you’d finished your commute to work.
Call after call reached your desk all day, reporters asking for more details on your relationship with the Cassian and the Nesta. Each time, you shut them down. Halfway through the day, you stopped answering it altogether.
“Y/N, come in here please,” you boss, Ianthe, called out, causing every head in the office to turn towards your desk. You made your way to her office as quickly as you could, ready for any reprieve from your coworkers’ eyes. Once you were settled into the chair in front of her desk, a grin broke over her face. “So are you really dating Nesta and Cassian? Have they marked you yet? What are they like, in person?” The questions came out rapid fire, leaving you no time to process, let alone answer, each one.
“You called me in here to… talk about my love life?” you asked incredulously. “Isn’t that a bit unprofessional?”
“What is unprofessional, Y/N, is not answering your phone when it could be clients calling. I think you should just go home for the day, if you’re not going to dish,” Ianthe said, admiring her manicure instead of looking at you. “Scoot, scoot. I don’t have all day to deal with you and your drama.”
You rolled your eyes at her and stood, returning to your desk to grab your things. On the elevator ride down to the bottom floor, you checked your phone. Missed calls and several apologetic texts from your alphas, but nothing could have prepared you for the view from the lobby.
Outside were dozens of paparazzi, far too many for you to evade, especially since you had taken the train to work today. You slipped into the bathroom, hoping that no one had noticed you, then dialed Cassian’s number. He didn’t have practice today, and was more likely to be able to pick you up.
“Baby, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for our relationship to be out like this,” Cassian pled, voice desperate.
“I know, Cass, I just… I’m leaving work now and there’s a crowd outside, waiting for me…”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, baby, just hold on for me. I’ll call you when I’m pulling up.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon,” you sighed, then hung up. Your eyes went wide when you heard the bathroom door open, and you ducked into a stall and locked it. The less people who know where you are, the better.
“Can you believe that’s the omega they chose? They were a perfect couple, but with her?” one of the women sneered. “I don’t know how they stand it. I bet her scent isn’t even good, she looks like she smells of smoke and fertilizer.”
The other women laughed with her, your heart sinking as you realized they were talking about you.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover, I would guess that her scent is addictive to them, and that’s why they overlook how ugly she is.”
“Or she’s a freak in bed,” a third woman tittered, the other two joining in.
“No matter what, they could do better. I mean, Nesta Archeron alone could have anyone she wanted, but with Cassian Moore? Even a mated omega would leave their alpha for them.”
“Are you speaking for yourself?”
“Of course, I would leave James in a heartbeat if Cassian and Nesta asked me to date them. And I’d gladly beat that bitch to the ground to earn her place,” the first woman boasted.
“Sure you would, Ms. Manicure,” one of her friends teased, and their footsteps led towards the door. “She’d be easy to beat, I’m sure. The ugly ones always are.”
The door shut, leaving you alone in the silence of the bathroom once more.
Were you really that bad looking?
A few minutes later, your phone rang. Cassian. You didn’t bother answering, and merely made your way out of the bathroom and to the entrance, doing your best to keep your head down and face unrecognizable. Maybe they didn’t have your looks memorized yet.
A black sedan pulled up just as you opened the doors, and flashes overtook your vision.
How Cassian and Nesta endured this on a regular basis, you would never understand.
You pushed your way through the crowd of cameras, overwhelmed by the sound of your name being shouted from every direction. The car door swung open just as you reached it, your boyfriend’s face bringing a sense of calm as you dove into the car, slamming the door shut behind you. The noise instantly died down, giving you room to breathe.
“I am so sorry, sweetheart, neither Nesta or I were expecting this to happen,” Cassian apologized, easing the car back into the street.
‘I know, Cass,” you sighed, taking the hand that he offered and nuzzling your cheeks against it. His normally calm winter wind and ember scent was plagued with panic and worry, and not near as soothing as you needed. You pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, a soft smile on your face when his scent cleared slightly. “Is Nessie okay?”
Cass shook his head, a frustrated sigh leaving his lips. “I’m not sure how she’s feeling, she decided to finish up her work before coming home, and asked me to look after you until she’s back. I have a feeling she’s angrier than I am about this.”
You nodded in agreement. Nesta had the fiercest temper of the three of you, though Cassian’s still rivaled hers when provoked. And with the lengths Nesta had gone to, keeping your relationship secret from the world at your request, you knew that she would be furious with whoever had leaked the information. All you hoped was that she could let it go for the night - you had a feeling you’d need to nest and snuggle with your alphas for the entire night while some silly sitcom played in the background.
The car ride went by too slowly once you noticed two cars trailing you, likely desperate paparazzi hoping to get a picture of the two of you together.
Thankfully, Cassian and Nesta’s apartment had a private parking lot, and only residents with key cards could enter or exit the garage. Your nerves were still high when Cassian opened your door and helped you out of the car with his gentle hands.
“Do you want my jacket?” he asked, already shrugging the fabric off and settling it over your shoulders. His scent enveloped you and you took a deep breath, your exhale taking your fear with it. “Better?”
“Yes,” you sighed, omega content now that you’d been calmed by your alpha.
“Let’s get inside, then,” Cass said, leading you to the elevators with an arm around your waist. The trip up usually felt long, but when Cassian tugged you into his side and pressed a kiss to the crown of your head? It went by in a blink.
He corralled you into the apartment, hauling you into his arms the moment the door was shut and locked, and you were safe in the privacy of your home once more. Even if you didn’t technically live here, it still felt like home to you, considering that you nested here, your alphas were here, and you felt safest here.
“What do you think, should we eat something or take one of those fancy bubble baths that you love so much?” Cassian asked, bouncing you in his arms like a baby. You giggled a lightly slapped his arm, though you really had no problem with how he was manhandling you.
“I think a bubble bath,” you whispered, grinning when Cassian took off for the bedroom. He set you on the bed, and immediately set to pulling out a bath bomb, bath salts, and candles, everything that made for a perfect bath.
Once he was in the bathroom, your worries came rushing back. What those women had said, the fact that the picture on all of the front pages was of you naked in bed with Cassian and Nesta, taken when you’d stayed at a hotel a few cities away two nights ago, through the slightly open curtains.
Cassian returned and you forced a smile on your face. No need to burden him with your worries, not when he was being so thoughtful.
The water was delightfully hot when you slipped into it, Cassian following a moment behind. Lavender greeted your senses, the soothing smell making you sleepy in only a few minutes. You laid in Cassian’s hold until the water turned cool, and only then did you pull yourself from the water. Cassian dried you off and dressed you in your fluffy robe that had migrated from your apartment to theirs a few months back.
You padded into the bedroom without him, beelining for the closet that held your nesting fabrics. Inside was an overflowing cornucopia of all that you needed to make a perfect nest to hide from the world with your alphas.
You heard Cassian’s fond chuckle just before his arms wrapped around you from behind, stopping you mid-movement as you were laying out a plush blanket. “Did you want me to run out and get any special food or drinks? I’ll be quick,” he said softly.
“I suppose… you could get me my usual snacks and an energy drink?”
“Right away, sweetheart. I can’t wait to see your nest all finished.” Cassian’s words sent heat to your cheeks, his sweetness always made you feel so special. You gave him a kiss once he was dressed and walked him to the front door, and once it was shut you returned to your nest in an instant.
You took your time building your nest, disappointed when it was finished and Cassian had yet to return. Slipping out of your robe, you put on a soft nightgown and crawled into your nest, turning the tv on to find something to watch.
You were halfway through a romcom when you heard the front door open, two voices sounding in the main room. You almost jumped out of your nest to run and greet them, but you only had to wait ten seconds for Nesta to pass through the bedroom doorway, her eyes instantly on you.
“Oh, love, I’m so sorry,” Nesta said tearfully. “I swear we had no idea this would happen, and I am going to kill that hotel for not keeping their window-washers from swapping out with non-employees. But- how are you? Do you need anything else beyond what Cassian grabbed?”
The smile on your face was bright as you reached out for her. “Only my alphas in my nest.”
Nesta grinned back, then turned to the closet to find something more comfortable to wear. By the time Cassian entered the room with a tray laden with snacks and various drinks, Nesta was already curled against your right side.
“My girls are so pretty,” Cass cooed as he dove into your nest, claiming your left side and pulling Nesta tight against you with one arm. “Snacks, anyone?”
Two movies later and you were feeling calmer than you had since seeing the news, but insecurity still lingered in your chest.
“Do I… Are you guys embarrassed of me?” you asked in a small voice, hiding your head against Nesta’s chest.
“Why would you say that, sweetheart?”
“Well, I- there were these girls, talking in the bathroom at my work…”
“And?” Nesta asked, voice sharp even as a hand ran up and down your arm gently.
“They were talking about how…” you paused, trying to keep from bursting into tears immediately. “How I’m not pretty enough for both of you, and you only like me for my scent.”
“That’s bullshit, Y/N. We love you because you’re you, amazing and perfect and so beautiful,” Cassian gushed.
“And we do love your scent, but it’s because it’s your scent. We love you for you, sweetheart,” Nesta murmured into your ear. "We are your alphas, and you are our omega. Nothing will ever change that, and we are in no way embarrassed of you. In fact, Cassian and I have been looking forward to taking you everywhere with us, once you’re comfortable of course.”
You sniffled, wiping your eyes before raising your head, just in case a stray tear had fallen on your cheeks. “You- you are?”
“Of course, princess,” Cassian said softly. “We’ve wanted nothing more than to show the world who our perfect omega is, but we knew how uncomfortable you were with being in the spotlight.”
“I hadn’t realized…” you trailed off for a moment. “I didn’t know that you wanted to show our relationship that badly. I'm sorry..."
"You don’t need to apologize, Y/N,” Nesta said as she patted your arm reassuringly. “We know just how brutal public attention can be, and we never once felt like our relationship was lacking without being public. You are perfect, and I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Nessie. Gosh, I sound so silly,” you laughed wetly.
“No you don’t, sweetheart. Those women however…” Cassian shook his head, anger leaving with it. “I love you. Don’t you ever forget that.”
“And I love you, Cass. I love both of you so much.”
“Good, because you’re ours,” Nesta giggled, pressing her lips to your neck.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible, being in the limelight, so long as you had Nesta and Cassian by your side, reassuring you.
For me it's hard to like Nessian, I do not like Cassian's actions with her, he drives her away and then wants to approach roughly, I know he has his reasons for being like that, but I sincerely like to imagine her with some another person. Thoughts?
I totally get what you’re saying. It’s honestly annoying to read sometimes because he comes off like a jackass. I could see her with someone else if Cassian can’t break off from being Rhys’s creature (for lack of a better phrase). She deserves to be someone’s number 2, not their number 2. If Cassian can’t get his shit together and choose Nesta over Rhys/the Inner Circle, they won’t be together.
And I don’t mean that in a “choose your significant other over your friends” kind of way. I mean that in a… Cassian can’t bow to two High Lord’s kind of way. Right now Nesta doesn’t have a place among the Inner Circle, and truthfully, I don’t know that she ever will. Not as a subordinate anyway. She is not a follower, she is a leader. So she can’t flourish and find herself if she’s stuck living under Feyre and Rhys’ thumb. She needs to be powerful in her own right and come back to them with something to offer so that they will respect her and so that she’ll respect herself. Then Cassian can find a middle ground between her and his friends and between being someone’s mate and a servant of his High Lord. Right now he can’t do both and it’s making him come off like a jackass. He’s like a wolf trying to live between two different wolf packs. It’s not sustainable and eventually both pack alphas (Rhys and Nesta) are going to ask him to pick a side, and when he can’t do that or he picks Rhys, he’s going to suffer.
Ultimately, if Nesta and Cassian are endgame, I don’t see Cassian continuing to take orders from Rhys before he takes them from Nesta. ESPECIALLY not if they’re mates. It would put Cassian in a bad spot and I honestly think Rhys loves him too much to do that to him. I low key think Rhys is FULLY aware that he is part of the problem between Nesta and Cassian. Or at least aware the he is, in no way, helping their situation. But he’s too triggered by Nesta to see his role clearly. He will tho. Eventually. When he sees how his behavior is damaging Cassian. At least I hope. And if not, he will if/when Cassian chooses Nesta over him.
Summary: You're the Lady of Autumn's maid. Little do you know that she and the High Lord have taken an interest in you.
Warnings: Omegaverse, naked people, nipple play, dub-con cause of heat related hormones
Words: ~2.6k
Author's Note: sooo this has not been edited and may not make sense but I had fun writing it. I hope you guys like it 🫶 (also written for my lovely 🪐 anon)
18+ only pls
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The door opened without a noise, just as it had ever since you oiled the hinges for your Lady. She hated to be woken early, and much preferred the gentle touch of your hand to the squeak of a door.
You drew a bath quickly, dipping your fingers in to test the temperature. Once you'd deemed it perfect, you returned to the bedroom and grabbed her favorite dressing gown, made of silk in a fine, deep amber color. Gently, you laid a hand on your Lady's shoulder, bringing her to awareness within a few seconds. "Good morning, my Lady," you said with a curtsy once her blue-grey eyes were trained on you. "I've prepared a bath for you, when you are ready."
She threw back the covers and stood, her nakedness bringing a flush to your cheeks. You slid the dressing gown onto her arms and tied it in the front for her before backing away, hands held together behind your back. "I've told you, Y/N, call me Nesta."
You hesitated for a moment, your experience in the Forest House telling you not to listen, no matter how she insisted. Usually, giving in to demands meant punishment, their demands a trap to put you at their mercy. But this was the fourth time that your Lady had told you to call her by her name... "Very well, Nesta," you said, bowing your head in respect.
The last thing you wanted was for unsatisfactory behavior to make its way back to your High Lord.
Nesta smiled at you, her eyes warming as she did. "Will you wash and dry my hair today? I'm afraid I'm rather tired," she said, a yawn escaping her lips just as she finished speaking. You nodded and followed her into the bathing room, taking her dressing gown and helping her to step into the massive tub.
Helping her bathe was always a temptation in itself, your hands begging to linger over the sensitive, forbidden parts of her. But you'd held fast for six months, keeping your desires hidden as well as you could manage.
It didn't stop you from fantasizing about her and your High Lord during your heats, though.
Soon enough, Nesta's hair and body were washed and she stood from the tub. You dried her off at her behest, fighting to keep your touch proper. You dressed her in a chemise, tightened her corset, slipped stockings onto her elegant legs, and helped her into a petticoat before finally sliding her deep red gown onto her. She looked as lovely as ever, her golden brown hair shining in the braided crown that you had tied it into.
“Did you need me for anything else, my la- Nesta?” you asked, catching yourself just in time.
“That is all for now. Thank you, Y/N,” Nesta said, making her way to the door. “Do be present for dinner, dear.”
You nodded your head, marking the order in your mind for later.
For now, you needed to turn down your Lady’s room, then find her side once more, ready to do anything and everything to please her.
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Eris held his chin in his hand, thoroughly bored of his subjects’ constant fawning. Nothing was interesting, now that he had the mantle of Autumn.
Nothing except his wife, he should say.
And that pretty little handmaiden of hers, trailing after her nearly everywhere she went. Such a delicate little thing, and an omega to boot. He’d already considered asking Nesta if she wanted to bring an omega into their marital bed, but had refrained. Nesta’s jealousy knew no bounds, as did his own.
Speak of the devil, Eris thought to himself, eyes flicking between Nesta and you, unable to decide where to focus as you helped Nesta sit in the chair to his right.
The dinner dragged on, with his court prattling about this and that, most of which Eris couldn’t care less about. His amber eyes watched you against the wall, waiting eagerly for any order from Nesta.
So obedient.
The sight had him shifting slightly in his seat. His mind wandered to the possibilities; would you be the same in bed, or did you have a defiant streak with your alphas? Would you submit to them because you felt the same? How he longed to know what you looked like beneath your layers of clothing, to know every curve of your body, every change of your scent as you reached your climax.
He would need to bring up the idea to Nesta sooner rather than later. Preferably before your next heat, which he believed would be starting any day now.
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The days passed by, and with each that you weren’t in her arms, Nesta grew more impatient. There was only so long she could wait before having a taste of you, especially with your scent sweetened by your approaching heat.
Surely you must be feeling the need to nest by now, and yet you were tending to Nesta just as dutifully as always.
Nesta hoped that you would be in her bed - their bed - a perfect nest made on their mattress that you would gleefully invite her and Eris into. And yet…
You were as unreadable as ever, even when you dried Nesta off in the mornings. Occasionally, she thought that your hands lingered over her intimate areas, but your touch was brief enough that Nesta could have believed she was reading into things. But your scent never lied.
Each morning since you had been appointed as her lady’s maid, you smelled sweeter than any other time of day. Perhaps it was merely at bathing an alpha, but Nesta had a feeling that wasn’t the case. No, you were attracted to her.
All she needed to do was prove it. And have her husband approve of you.
Tonight, Nesta would approach you and find the truth in those pretty eyes of yours.
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Eris watched as Nesta’s eyes tracked your movements, taking in your form greedily. You were bustling about, readying the room for the night and drawing a bath for the both of them. Eris leaned in and whispered, “You want her too, don’t you?”
Nesta’s cheeks flushed at his words. “That means you want her as well.”
Eris nodded before saying, “We should capture her before her heat sets in.”
Nesta rolled her eyes at his phrasing. “We will seduce her. Tonight.”
“Together?”
“Together,” Nesta agreed, just as you came back into the bedroom.
“The bath is ready, my Lord,” you said with a curtsy, then began making your way to the door.
“Won’t you stay and wash me?” Nesta asked as innocently as she could. You turned around with scarlet cheeks, your hands wringing together. “I need my sweet omega’s help.”
You flushed further, opening and closing your mouth a few times before answering, “Usually you dismiss me-”
“And I’m not tonight,” Nesta said, enjoying the way your scent was sweetening. Nesta stood from her chair by the fire, approaching you cautiously. “Please? Your hands feel the best.”
Eris nearly scoffed, knowing just how much Nesta enjoyed his hands, heated with the fire in his blood and able to seek each sensitive spot that Nesta possessed. He held back, though, choosing to rise from his own chair and come to stand behind you. Your heart was racing, and at their proximity alone. He wondered just how far he could push you, how to get you to confess your attraction to them.
“I… I can help, my Lady,” you said nervously, your hands still playing with each other. “What do you need me to do?”
“Help me out of my dress first, dear,” she said gently. When you went to her back, Nesta nodded at Eris to go into the bathroom.
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Your heart was pounding as you untied the laces of Nesta’s dress, helping her step out of the fabric. Her petticoat came next, and then you were undoing the laces of her corset, the act feeling far more intimate than when you had put it on her this morning. Her stockings came off easily, and then she was only in a chemise, the swell of her breasts and rear catching your eyes more than ever.
You followed her into the bath like a duckling, helping her out of her chemise and into the tub without a word. Your eyes avoided your High Lord out of respect, definitely not seeing his length beneath the water or lingering on his toned chest.
Nesta was further into the tub than usual to be next to Eris, making it difficult for you to fulfill your task from outside of the tub. You bit back your sigh of mild frustration and willed your arms to stretch further, with no luck.
“Come here, Y/N,” Nesta said, motioning with a water slicked hand for you to get into the tub.
“I-” you started, losing your breath at the suggestion. “I cannot, my Lady,” you said with a shake of your head.
“Yes you can, just take off your dress and come inside,” Nesta said with a playful roll of her eyes.
“But- I-”
“Just come in the tub, love. You don’t want Nesta to be upset, do you?” Eris asked with a sly smile on his lips.
You bit your lip. That was the last thing that you wanted to do. But getting into the tub with your naked High Lord and Lady… that was a line that could not be uncrossed. Not for you, at least. “No…”
“Then do as she says.”
Your eyes met Nesta’s and she nodded, an encouraging smile sliding onto her face. Nervously you stood, untying the laces of your dress and slipping out of it, leaving you in your far less elegant undergarments. Your cheeks were flaming hot as you undid your loose corset and slid the petticoat off of you. You hesitated, wondering if you should remove your chemise as well, but thought better of it.
No need to embarrass yourself entirely in front of your rulers.
You slid into the tub, the heat of the water pleasant against your skin. Now you were able to reach Nesta, cloth and soap bar in hand. You set to washing her as you usually did, with the added torture of being in the tub with her. The heady scents of fire and steel and apples and leaves and alpha had your mind addled, barely able to focus on what you were doing. You hardly noticed when Nesta’s hands tugged your chemise off of you, throwing it to the ground with a wet thwop.
You did notice when she tugged you over her, your thighs straddling hers. “What are you doing?” you asked breathlessly, unable to help your arousal at the situation.
“Getting you more comfortable. You do want us, don’t you?” Nesta asked, two fingers under your chin keeping your eyes on hers.
“I-” your eyes flicked to Eris, more heat rising to your cheeks. You nodded slightly, and the two of them wore matching grins.
“Will you spend your heat with us, love?” Eris asked, a wet thumb running over your cheek gently. “You can make a pretty nest in our bed, and we’ll take care of you the way you deserve.”
You nodded without thinking, your approaching heat and Nesta between your thighs and Eris naked next to you making you lose all reason. Because if you were thinking properly, you wouldn’t agree to this, knowing that you could lose your entire way of life if either of them grew displeased or bored of you.
“Good. Now, finish washing Nesta,” Eris instructed, and your hands returned to their task.
For the first time, you let your hands linger on her breasts, her core, her rear, enjoying every moment of her to the fullest. Nesta had a pleased smile on her face as she rinsed the suds off. Her hands reached for the cloth and soap, then roamed over your body, doing the same as you had.
From her simple teasing of your nipples alone, you were nearly ready to combust, whining softly with each pinch and tug until she moved lower, cupping your sex in her hand. “Such a pretty little cunt,” Nesta praised, sending heat rushing through you. A finger parted your folds, finding the sensitive bud at the top and running over it experimentally. Your responding gasp had her giggling in delight.
“Alright, I think it’s time to get out,” Eris said, rising from the water and moving around the two of you to exit the tub. Your eyes caught on his member, going wide at the sight. You’d had one alpha before, and he had been nowhere near as well endowed as Eris was.
Nesta tugged you from the water with a grumble once you had rinsed the soap from your skin, toweling you down with care, and you returned the favor. She pulled you into the bedroom and onto the bed, lounging as she waited for Eris to be done with the servant at the door.
“He’ll return in a few minutes with all the nesting materials you could want, love,” Eris said, shedding the dressing gown he had slipped on to speak with the male.
“O- okay,” you said quietly, your head slightly clearer now that you weren’t straddling Nesta’s thighs. You’d never had much to build your nest, but you’d always made do. And now, someone else was being ordered about for your sake, making you feel uncomfortable. “Maybe I should go-”
“No,” Nesta whined, tugging you closer to her. “Stay with us. You’ll adjust in no time,” she insisted. You bit your lip and nodded, still uncertain of if you should truly be here, in their bed.
“You belong with us, sweet omega,” Eris said softly, pressing his lips to yours in reassurance. Nesta growled and followed suit, claiming your lips in a fierce kiss that left you breathless once more.
A knock sounded on the door and Eris stood, shrugging on his dressing gown once more to take the massive armful of fabric from the male at the door. He dumped them onto the bed, silks, wool, and cotton brushing your toes temptingly.
Your omega took the reins, and you began sorting through the pile eagerly. Almost every piece called to you, and soon your nest began to take shape - a large circle extending to the edges of the bed, large enough to fit three comfortably. After an hour, you settled into it, feeling bliss as an omega for the first time.
“Can we come in?” Nesta asked softly, standing at the foot of the bed as she had since you’d begun your nest’s construction.
You nodded eagerly. After all, they were the alphas who had made this possible.
They both climbed into your nest, careful to not ruin the edges that you had so carefully made. “It’s a beautiful nest, dear,” Nesta murmured in your ear as she pulled your back to her chest.
“The most beautiful nest I’ve ever seen,” Eris agreed, pressing a kiss over your exposed mating gland. You preened at the compliments, delighted that your alphas also approved of your nest.
You snuggled back into Nesta as your arms pulled Eris closer, delighting in the feeling of being squished between them. On each side a purr started up in their chests, sending you fully into your omega’s mindset.
Story Summary: You've been a baker for 75 years, and are finally moving on from the Winter Court to the City of Velaris to start your own bakery after your grandmother passes. After your grand opening, the High Lord and Lady of Night become daily visitors to your bakery for months, every day having your most popular pastry- one that increases fertility for a short time. All the while, the two alphas want nothing more than to call themselves yours.
Warnings: A/B/O Dynamics, nothing else I don't think
Words: ~7.4k
Author's Note: it's heeeereeeeeee aaaahhhhhhh RHYS AND FEYRE YESSS I hope you guys all like this chapter! And I can't wait for more cutesy lil interactions with them, all to start come the next update ☺️
18+ only pls
🤍🩵🤍💜🤍
The past month and a half had passed so swiftly, you could hardly believe it. Your days were filled with overseeing a few details of construction, and picking out every last piece of furniture that would be in your bakery, apartment, and garden. You and Mor went on lunch dates every Thursday, and most your other lunches were spent with Rella and sometimes Arana after shopping, or with Marcus between stints of supervising the construction.
Your dinners you spent alone most of the time, dedicating yourself to cooking every last recipe in your Night Court Favorites cookbook, enjoying your love for cooking as well.
The time you spent in your hotel room was either passed by reading the Healer of Time series that Gina had recommended to you, or creating your menu pamphlet for when you are finally prepped and ready to open your bakery.
It was completed already, and sent off to the printers for a custom metal press to be made. You had decorated it with a drawing of your bakery on the front, and the name Sparaiya Bakery. The rest of the pages were filled with drawings of your pastries, with the ingredients and, in some cases, added benefits next to them.
Construction had gone by quickly, and you could hardly believe it when finally, your large custom pink marble tub was flown onto the second floor of your bakery by three very strong Illyrians. It was a foot wider than your wingspan, and deep enough that you could float in it, and it also had pretty good veining done on it at your request. It was by far the most expensive piece of furniture on your second floor, coming in at 1,175 gold marks. But you didn’t care, you wanted your dream tub.
The most expensive thing in your bakery by far were your ovens, each one coming in at 2,000 gold marks with a lifetime warranty, and in a soft, pale blue. You have ten stoves in total, seven of them were against the wall separating the kitchen from the front room, taking up the expanse of it. Each are on an elevated platform so that you could see inside of them without needing to bend over. The other three were against the back wall of the building, slightly smaller oven sizes but with a stovetop on each of them, so that you were able to make the filling that some of your pastries require.
The kitchen was completely done at this point, as was the front room of the bakery. Your kitchen was decorated with the pale blue stoves as well as matching cabinetry with silver handles, and white marble countertops with silver veining. The wide window you had took up half of the wall in the center of it, allowing for more cabinets, as you would likely need them for all of your bakeware and ingredients.
The kitchen was exactly how you’d imagined it when you had envisioned it a month ago, as was the front room.
You had the cedar logs of bakery and it’s furniture stained slightly darker, wanting it to have the cozy feeling of a darkened cabin in winter. The log chairs and benches all had different shades of pastel cushions attached to the seats, and the backs of the chairs. The tables were beautiful as well, the carpenter, a kind beta named Oren, had done a fantastic job on all of the wooden furniture you had.
And the display cases Arana had made for you were lovely, two on each side of the wooden counter Oren had also made for you. Arana had made them of matching wood, with a glass dome on one side, and sliding glass doors on the back facing where you would be standing. The shelves were also made of glass, and you’d had Rella enchant them to be unbreakable, just in case.
There was also a counter running along the back wall of the front room, matching the counters in your kitchen, as well as having the same cabinets below.
Your fireplace- it was exactly what you had wanted, made of different shades of grey stone, and positioned on the left wall, even with the midpoint of the dining area.
Your front door had yet to arrive, but the artist working on it was bringing it by in the next week.
The upstairs was nearly finished as well, your bathroom, personal kitchen and bedroom were all fully decorated. Your bathroom and kitchen were both done in a soft, baby pink color, matching the marble of your tub perfectly. You had a small round dining table, perfect for four, made by Oren in the same stained wood as everything else. In front of your fireplace on the right hand wall, you had a matching couch placed parallel to it, and two chairs placed of to the sides and slightly in front of it, with end tables on either side of the couch.
And your bedroom was absolutely perfect, your nest filled with blues of nearly every shade, with white and silk thrown in every now and then. So many pillows, you have so many pillows. Back in Winter, you had been so focused on your grandmother that you hadn’t even truly settled back in, and your nest was one of the things you had consistently neglected.
But not anymore. From now on, you would honor your omega’s wishes, perhaps even find an alpha who would treat you right in the next few years.
You had a few bookshelves lining a wall of your room as well, and you were determined to fill them all in the next three years with books you’ve read while living in Velaris.
Everything about your apartment upstairs was perfect, you couldn’t have been happier with any other turn out.
And truly, the main thing left for you to do before you could declare your bakery’s construction complete is your garden. The enchantments are complete, including ones to keep the planters waterproof to avoid any possible leakage, as well as keeping the air crisp and humid for your soon-to-be plant babies. You have yet to fill the planters already in place with dirt, or pick up the plants from Winter though.
But that was your main goal for the next week.
You had finally moved in the night before, after Marcus had given you the all clear. Your bill with him came out to be 120,000 gold marks, and every single one of them was well spent, as you had your perfect bakery and perfect apartment.
You had woken up this morning and made tea for yourself in your kitchen, and stared out at the lovely view you had from your massive window. There were a few younger fae out already, skating along the Sidra. It had yet to unfreeze, the temperatures had stayed low ever since you had arrived in town.
You almost felt like winter was holding on a bit tighter, just for you.
You finished your tea and breakfast around nine, then got ready for the day, dressing in one of your new winter dresses, this one in a soft pink, with delicate silver flowers embroidered along the hems of your sleeves. You threw on a white scarf, hat, and mitten set, then made your way down the stairs, and out the of what will soon be your front doors.
You were planning to find a florist this morning, as well as find a garden supply store so that you would be able to visit Viviane later in the week.
Rella had told you of a nice florist who was on the south side of the Sidra, just west of the Palace of Thread and Jewels, so you were making your way there.
The streets were rather slick this morning, so you took your time in getting to the florist’s shop, as Mor had said, there was nothing quite like eating shit before a meeting or going somewhere- which you’d had more than your fair share of in the past month and a half, running around town so often.
Finally you reached the shop, painted a sage green on the outside, and there was a garden along the side of it that you could see wrapped around to the back as well.
You walked inside, making sure to stomp the snow from your boots before you entered. At the counter was a beautiful high fae, with lovely light golden brown hair in a messy bun atop her head, a few strands escaping it and framing her gorgeous face.
“Hello,” you said with a wave as you made your way to the counter. “My name is Y/N, Rella told me that you’re a florist?” You asked hesitantly.
“Rella sent you? That was so sweet of her, make sure to tell her thank you for me, Y/N! My name is Elain, it’s lovely to meet you.” She stuck out her hand, and you got a lovely breeze of her scent, jasmine and honey- another omega. You took her hand, surprised at the grip that the delicate looking fae had. “Did you need a florist for something?”
You nodded your head, answering “Yes, I’m opening a bakery in the next couple of weeks, and I was hoping you would be able to supply seasonal flowers every week.”
“Yes, I should be able to do that. Do you have a color scheme in mind at all, or just the seasonal aspect?”
“Jus the seasonal flowers, any color combination will be lovely, I’m sure.”
Elain smiles at you, her soft chocolate eyes crinkling at the edges slightly. “Very well, Y/N. Do you know how many bouquets you’d like weekly, and a price range?”
“I suppose I’d need…” you thought on how many tables you had inside of your bakery, as well at the mantle of the fireplace. “A dozen bouquets every week, I believe. And price wise… I’m not really sure, do you have a set type of plan?” You asked, feeling unsure.
“Yes, for a dozen bouquets my base price would be around 25 gold marks a week, and for slightly larger bouquets or more rare types of flowers, it could get up to double that.”
You thought about it for a moment. “I think that I’ll let you choose whichever flowers look best together, but I don’t need very large bouquets.”
Elain pulled a contract from beneath her counter, along with a quill and pot of ink. She wrote in the details of your request, then slid the paper over to you.
You read it over, then signed it and slid the page back to Elain. You handed your bank card to her, and she pressed it to her ledger before passing it back to you. “Alright, you’re all set up to start your deliveries, when you know the exact date just come back and let me know, okay?”
You nodded your head, then finally looked around the rest of her shop. There were large bags filled with dirt, gardening tools, large displays of seeds, and even a few types of planters on display. “Oh, you sell gardening supplies too? That’s perfect!” You said, happy to have likely found everything you needed to complete your garden.
“Yes, we even have carts that you can borrow or purchase to take everything home,” Elain said, already moving from behind the counter. “Are you starting a garden, as well?” She asked.
“Yes, just a small one for a few plants and herbs I need for my baked goods,” you replied, already moving to look at the types of dirt she had on offer.
Perfect. Elain already carried dirt from the Winter Court, exactly what you needed for your plants.
“I’ll take- oh, I think ten bags of the Winter dirt, please,” you said, hoping that it would be enough to fill up your planters. “And I’ll purchase a cart as well, that will probably be handy for just about all of my shopping for the bakery,” you said with a chuckle. Elain brought a cart over, and the two of you loaded ten large bags of dirt into it.
You also grabbed a few different sizes of hand shovels and a couple of watering cans, putting them into your cart.
“Is that everything you’re needing today?” Elain asked as you approached the counter once more.
“Yes, Elain.” You handed your bank card over, and tucked it back into the collar of your dress once she gave it back. “Thank you so much, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks,” you said, moving to push your cart through the front door.
“Did you need any help with your garden at all?” Elain asked before you left.
“Not at the moment, I just need to fill my planters with dirt today. But in the next week I’ll be transplanting some things from the Winter Court,” you replied, and her brown eyes lit up.
“Would you like some help?” Elain asked brightly. “I’ve been so bored during the winter, there’s not much to tend to, I’d love to help you out,” she said, with so much hope in her voice you couldn’t refuse.
“That would be lovely, Elain. I’ll come and get you once I have the plants back here, alright?”
Elain beamed at you. “Sounds like a plan, Y/N. I’m free all of this Wednesday, if that would end up working for you. If not, I’m sure I’ll be able to slip away for a little bit,” Elain suggested.
“I’ll try and get the plants here by Wednesday, Elain. Thank you again!” You said as you pushed your cart into the outdoors.
Luckily, the cart seemed to be enchanted to have the snow speared from its path, and you made it back to your home without much trouble.
Now the hard part: getting all of the dirt upstairs and into the planters.
🤍🩵🤍💜🤍
It took you a few hours to finish the planters off, and you were more than ready to wash the dirt from your skin by the time three in the afternoon rolled around, but you forced yourself to write a letter to Viviane, asking to come and grab the plants Wednesday morning before you did so.
You ran hot water in the tub, then let it fill up while you stripped your clothes from your skin and placed them in your laundry bin. You slipped into the tub, loving how your wings were able to sink beneath the water comfortably as well.
It was the first time they would have a proper wash in over a month, and you were looking forward to how soft and fluffy your feather would feel afterwards.
Taking your time, you spent over an hour in the bath carefully washing the first and debris from your wings, refilling the tub once so you could rinse clean. Afterwards, you wrapped yourself in a fluffy towel, one that was so soft that you had bought all of your towels from the same vendor, even for the bakery, in varying shades of blues, pinks, and purples.
A reply from Viviane had landed on your desk while you were bathing, confirming that she would pick you up in front of Mor’s townhome at eight on Wednesday morning.
You’d considered buying baking supplies and bakeware today, but after the hauling of dirt you were too tired, and nothing sounded better than getting a takeout from Sevenda’s and curling up on the couch in front of your fireplace with the third Healer of Time book.
But getting Sevenda’s would require going outside again, and going across the Sidra…
You had the ingredients for the chicken curry you had made on your second night in Velaris, and that, you supposed, would be less daunting of a task than leaving your home.
You got dressed in a soft sweater dress, another recent purchase of yours, and let yourself read for a half an hour on the couch, until your stomach was growling at you to loudly to continue ignoring. Fine. I will make the damn curry.
You stood up from your couch and went into the kitchen, chopping and stirring and waiting until finally you had your dinner. Your cooking skills had improved in the month and a half since you’d made this recipe, and you could tell in the taste of the curry.
Seated at the table, you read while you ate, so lost in the gripping story that you hadn’t realized you were done with your food until you ate a spoonful of nothing.
“Oh,” you said to yourself, then got up and rinsed your bowl out. You were so tired already, and it was barely six in the evening.
Today would be a good day to start getting back into a baking sleep schedule, if you were so tired already… And then you would be able to get up bright and early in the morning, make yourself some breakfast, then head to the Palace of Bone and Salt to buy enough baking supplies to make each of your recipes three times, to make sure you still have all of the techniques you need down pat before your grand opening.
Grand opening. You could hardly believe it, you’re so close to your dream becoming a reality, and it’s been almost nothing but fun the entire journey.
That was definitely in part to the wonderful fae you’d met in Velaris, each one that you worked with you helpful and friendly. You truly couldn’t have asked for a better start to your new life here.
You allowed yourself to read until seven thirty, then forced yourself to get into bed.
It took a little while for you to fall asleep, even with being tired, but soon enough you drifted off, thoughts filled with bags of flour and the pastries you would make tomorrow.
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Picking out your bakeware took you longer than expected.
Did you want glass or metal bowls? Pink or blue ceramic? Wooden utensils or metal utensils? You were so indecisive, trying to choose between whatever you liked most and trying to have a color scheme- but then you realized it doesn’t matter, all of them will be used for the same purpose.
And if you love all of your bakeware, then who cares if they don’t match?
So you’d gotten possibly double of everything that you needed, but that would just make it easier for you to do more batches or different things at once in the future. And you’re fine with that.
You’d carefully made your way home, trying your best not to break any of your new dishes.
Your only casualty was a cute mixing bowl you’d picked up for your personal kitchen, it was pink with little duckies all around it. You would get another at some point.
It took you two hours to have everything arranged the way you wanted, and immediately after getting your kitchen set up you went out again pushing your cart back to the Palace of Bone and Salt to get your baking ingredients. That shopping trip took you a bit over an hour, and by the time you got home you were tired once more, but more than ready to start baking again.
You had never gone much over a week without baking, ever since you were six years old. You felt like apart of you had been ripped away, until your hands finally sank into dough once more.
It was magical, how happy baking makes you. You baked for the rest of the night, probably eating far too many pastries for dinner, but you don’t care, because they’re pastries you baked, in your bakery.
🤍🩵🤍💜🤍
Two days later, it was Wednesday, and Viviane had picked you up as promised.
“So, how’s Velaris treating you so far?” She asked as the two of you were on your knees in the greenhouse, working to free the last of three hornberry bushes you needed.
“It’s been amazing so far, the change of pace as been absolutely wonderful, and getting closer to the grand opening of the bakery I’m getting more and more excited! And everyone has been so kind so far, I feel so welcome.”
Your four combined hands finally pulled the bush out of the ground, and you carefully placed it in the cart holding the rest of your plants.
“That’s so great to hear, Y/N. I’m glad you’re settling in well, you deserve it after all you’ve been through,” Viviane said, placing a kiss on the top of your head. “Did you need any other plants, dear?”
You looked over the cart thoroughly. “Nope, that’s all I need Viv. Thank you so much!”
“Of course, Y/N! You know this section of the garden practically belongs to you, right? You and your grandmother are the reason our birth rates and overall health as a court have gone up. If you need anything else from here, just write me again, okay?”
You nodded, smiling gratefully at her. “Oh, by the way, the money you gave me was far too much,” you said, and Viviane opened her mouth to speak. “But it is very much appreciated, Viv. It’s made getting the bakery perfect so easy.”
Viviane grinned at you. “I knew it was the right choice, telling you once you were already in Velaris,” she said with a laugh.
“That’s true, I would never have accepted it,” you agreed, chuckling along with her.
The two of you stood from where you were kneeling, dusting the dirt from your dresses. “Are you ready to see my bakery?” You asked, holding your arm out for Viviane to take.
“I have been since before it was built, Y/N,” Viviane replied, taking your arm and winnowing the both of you back to Mor’s townhouse. “Lead the way, dear.”
The two of you trekked back to your bakery, taking longer than usual with the cart’s wheels snagging on the snow.
“Oh, Y/N, it’s perfect!”
Your front doors had been delivered yesterday, perfectly depicting the change from dawn to day to night while snow falls over the Sidra, more beautiful than you had thought it could be.
“Isn’t it?” You asked dreamily, still slightly disbelieving that it was real, even when you’d been living here for the past five days. “Come on, let me show you the inside,” you said, unlocking the doors and dragging the cart inside after Viviane had entered.
“This is so cute! I wish you were open right now, I’ve been dying for one of your hornberry tarts. Leo does a good job, but I don’t think he’ll ever get them perfectly like yours, Y/N,” Viviane said, referencing the pasty chef you’d trained before moving.
“Well, if you come back for the opening or any time after, I’ll make sure you get a few to take home with you. I’m sure Kallias would like some as well,” you remarked with a smile, recalling how fond the High Lord was of your pastries.
“He’ll probably join me once you’re open, he won’t say it but I know he misses your baking. He does this cute little pouty face whenever something doesn’t taste perfect,” Viviane said, always ready to talk about her alpha. “Well, I’d better get going Y/N, I have a few meetings I need to get to, but let me know when your opening is and I’ll do my best to stop by.”
“I will, Viv. Winnow safe, okay?” You said as the two of you hugged, taking in one last breath of her calming snow and cranberry scent.
“I will, dear. Have fun planting!” Viviane said, winnowing away after giving a little wave goodbye.
You immediately set to taking the plants upstairs as quickly as you could, wanting to get Elain over at a reasonable hour.
It was eleven thirty when you finished, each and every last plant taken up the spiral staircase and placed next to the planter it would be replanted in.
You washed your hands, then put your winter wear on and headed into the city, going straight for Elain’s shop. When you arrived, the door was locked, so you knocked loudly on it. Elain came to the door a moment later, already dressed to leave the indoors.
“Lovely, Y/N, I’m so glad you could make it today!” Elain said excitedly, locking her shop up behind her. “And I get to see your bakery, I’m excited for that too!”
The two of you made your way to your bakery slowly, the two of you appreciating the people milling about as you walked.
“This is a gorgeous bakery you’ve got, Y/N,” Elain said once the two of you were standing in front of it, you unlocking the door.
“Thank you, Elain,” you said, swinging the door open and letting Elain inside.
“Oh, the inside is so adorable! Now I have such good ideas for your bouquets, after seeing the space. I’m thinking a blue flower in every weeks bunches, keep the winter theme going a bit.”
“I love that idea, Elain, that’s perfect!” You led her to the kitchen and up the stairs, and she rushed towards the garden.
“This is amazing! Who did your enchantments?” Elain asked once she was in the garden, the air even colder than it was outside.
“Gabrella, in the Palace of Flame and Steel,” you replied, joining her in the garden. “And this is my little garden,I’m excited to get everything planted. And please, don’t feel obligated to stay at any point, though I do truly appreciate your help.”
“I love to see new plants, and I’ve never seen any of these before. I’m guessing they’re native to the Winter Court, with the dirt you bought and the climate you’ve got here,” Elain said, hitting the nail on the head.
“You would be right, Elain. I use all of them in my pastries. All of them are pretty easy to plant, just make sure their roots are covered and then water them until the soil is completely soaked,” you informed Elain, already kneeling in front of one of the planters.
The two of you got to work, Elain watched you plant one of the bushes before moving to her own, planting it with expert hands.
As you worked, the two of you spoke of your lives, mainly your hopes for the near future. You spoke of your bakery, how excited you were to see it finally in action, and how the people of Velaris would react to your business. Elain talked about her mate and alpha, Lucien, and how they were hoping to have children soon.
“We’ve been trying rather vigorously,” Elain tittered, and you blushed along with her.
“Well, I cannot promise that it will work for sure, but I do make a fertility pastry with these berries,” you say, pointing to the spiky berries on the hornberry bush that you were currently planting. “We have seen a significant increase in births the Winter Court over the past five years, though that could be due to the end of everyone being imprisoned.”
“Anything at all that will help, we’ve been trying for the past five years with no luck so far. As long as it tastes decent, I am willing to try anything, I’ve wanted to be a mother for so long,” Elain said, sighing after she did.
“I believe they’re rather delicious, but you’ll just have to see for yourself,” you laughed.
Within two hours, you and Elain were sitting back on your hands, looking at your now completed garden. “Thank you for your help, Elain. Would you like to go to lunch with me?” You asked, wanting to thank her in some way other than words, and you had a feeling she would turn down any monetary payment you would offer.
“I would love to, Y/N. Did you have a specific place in mind?” She asked, already getting to her feet. You followed her up, then lead her over to the kitchen sink to wash the dirt from your hands.
“There’s this great noodle place on the west end of the Palace of Hoof and Leaf, if you’re interested? Or we can go someplace else, if you’d prefer,” you offered.
“Noodles sound great,” Elain said, smiling softly at you.
“Noodles it is, then.”
🤍🩵🤍💜🤍
Lunch with Elain was nice, and you walked her back over to her shop before heading home. The two of you had gotten to know each other better, and you were happy to know that you might already have three omega friends in your new city, very different compared to your sold one in Winter- Viviane.
When you got back to your home, slightly surprised to see Marcus outside of your doors.
“Ah, Y/N, there you are!” He said, walking over to meet you. “I was… I was hoping that I could ask you something.” For the first time since you had met him, Marcus sounded nervous.
“Go ahead.”
“Well, I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me- on a date?” He asked.
You hadn’t seen it coming. You’d enjoyed his company, yes, he was fun to talk to and nice to be around.
“I… uhm…” you started, unsure of what to say.
“Look, there’s no strings attached, if you hate it halfway through, or even right when I pick you up, we can act like it never happened, hmm?”
You considered it for a moment. Would it really be so bad to go on a date with a handsome, friendly alpha?
“Okay, yes, I’ll go out with you. What night were you thinking?” You asked, looking up at Marcus nervously.
“Would tomorrow night at six work for you?”
You nodded your head. “Yes, tomorrow would be fine,” you respond. “I’ll see you then.”
“Good, I’ll see you tomorrow night at six, Y/N,” Marcus said before departing from you with a wave, leaving you to slink inside of your bakery and contemplate what had just happened.
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“You’re going on a date with Marcus? Oo, tell me what you’re going to wear!” Mor said excitedly, clapping her hands together.
“Just a dress and some tights, Mor, nothing fancy,” you said after swallowing your bite of salad.
“Well, at least tell me you’re excited for the date?”
“I guess so.” Mor stared at you, disbelief in her eyes as she chewed the last bite of her sandwich. “What? Marcus is nice, really nice, I just don’t feel any kind of spark towards him, that’s all.”
“At least give the male an honest chance, alright?” Mor asked of you before paying for the tab. “I’ve got to run, but next week you will tell me all about the date, yes?” You nodded your head. “Good. I’ll see you next Thursday, have a good date today doll,” Mor said, pressing a kiss to your cheek before leaving the restaurant.
You finished your salad, then walked the short distance home from the restaurant in the Palace of Hoof and Leaf.
Perhaps you should be getting ready excitedly at this point already, but you knew in your heart that you wouldn’t find that spark with Marcus. After all, you’d known each other nearly two months at that point, and you’d never looked at him as anything other than a friend.
But you supposed that going on a date, even one that you know you won’t go out with again, could be fun.
So you baked for a few hours, then took a long bath to make sure their was no flour left on your body. Getting dressed was easy, you simply slipped on one of your old favorites, a cute pink wool sweater dress that goes to your knees and some warm tights. You put on a little bit of eyeliner and a tiny bit of lipstick, but it only took you ten minutes to get ready. It was only five thirty.
You picked up your book and read, already on the fourth book of the series. By five fifty five, you had on your winter wear and boots and were downstairs.
Marcus knocked on the door exactly at six, looking handsome as usual.
“Shall we go?” He asked, extending an arm to you.
You took it, then said “Yes, lead the way Marcus,” with a gentle smile.
🤍🩵🤍💜🤍
The date was fun, that was true. But you felt no kind of connection with Marcus besides that of a friend. He seemed to sense as much when he dropped you off at your door later that night.
“I had a wonderful time tonight, Y/N.”
“I did too, Marcus, but…” you trailed off, unsure of how to say it.
“But you don’t feel the connection?” Marcus asked, and you nodded in confirmation. “It’s alright, I had to take my chance, right? An omega as amazing and wonderful as you, well, you’re a catch to any alpha with eyes and ears, Y/N.”
“Thank you, Marcus. And I’m so sorry, I wish it could have worked out. You truly are a magnificent person, and I’ve loved getting to know you over the past two months. Friends?”
“Friends,” Marcus confirmed, giving you a brief hug before pulling away. “I’ll see you at your bakery’s opening, when was it again?”
“It will be next Friday, I’ve decided,” you declared brightly, glad that things with Marcus could still be pleasant.
“I’ll see you next Friday, Y/N,” Marcus said before walking away, leaving you on your doorstep once again.
You sighed and headed inside, going straight up to your bedroom to get undressed and wash your face. After you had, you flopped into bed, wishing that you’d been attracted to such a kind, helpful alpha.
But you’d find someone, at some point. You would meet at the right time, the perfect time, and everything would fall into place from there, you were sure of it.
🤍🩵🤍💜🤍
“It didn’t go well, did it?” Mor asked as you sat down across from her in the noodle restaurant.
You sighed. “No, it was a fine outing, just not a good date,” you said. “I did have fun with him, there just isn’t that connection there, you know?”
The two of you ordered quickly when the server came over, then went back to your conversation.
“Are you sure you don’t want to give it one more date?"
You nodded your head. “I’m sure, Mor. There’s no point to it, if I haven’t felt any kind of attraction in the two months we’ve known each other.”
It was Mor’s turn to sigh. “Okay, okay. Do you have any other alphas that you might like to date?” Mor asked, wiggling her brows at you.
“None that I can think of Mor, you can tell Viv that I’m happily single at the moment.”
Your food arrived then, and the two of you tucked into your food, both of you humming happily at the taste.
“So, my bakery opens tomorrow,” you said after a few minutes of comfortable silence while eating, and Mor quickly swallowed her current bite.
“Tomorrow? Oh, that’s so exciting Y/N! What time do you open? I’ll try to get there near then, but no promises, I might be sleeping in.l
“That’s fine, Mor, I’m opening at seven so I don’t really expect you to be awake at that time,” you laughed, knowing that the alpha was the opposite of a morning person.
“Mother no, I would never be up that early for anyone,” Mor giggled. “Have you sent out flyers or anything yet?”
“Yes, I had some pamphlets printed up with the menu, they’re being distributed around town as we speak!” You said brightly.
“That’s good, that’s good. I hope everything runs smoothly, Y/N, you deserve it after all of the hard work your put in.”
“Thank you, Mor. I just hope that people like my pastries.”
“Y/N, just based on that little sampler basket you brought me at the beginning of the week, the people here will go nuts over your bakery,” Mor reassured you.
You had brought a basket of pastries to every person that had helped you in starting your bakery: Mor, Marcus, Rella, Arana, Oren, and the stained glass artist, Wren. You’d actually brought five baskets to Marcus’s office, enough so that he could have a basket of his own, and plenty left for the crew that had worked so hard to bring your dream together.
“Thank you, I’m glad to hear that. I hope that you can make it tomorrow, I believe that Kallias and Viviane will be stopping in later in the day, so long as nothing pressing comes up.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing you and them tomorrow, then, Y/N,” Mor said as she gave you a quick goodbye hug, her citrus and cinnamon scent washing over you again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mor,” you said with a smile, managing to get your bank card down on the bill first.
You walked home alone, knowing that you needed to make sure everything was in order for the next morning as you went, taking a little longer to savor the warmth of the sun. It had started to warm a little bit, and most of the snow was cleared from the streets at this point.
You used your three hours before your self imposed bed time to check everything twice and make sure you had enough ingredients for everything you needed to bake in the morning, as well as plenty of tea and coffee for people to drink.
Your time to sleep went by too quickly, and soon enough it was four in the morning. You took a quick bath, then donned a comfortable lilac dress with a back scooped low enough for your wings to be free, something you’ll want as you will most likely be spending the next fifteen hours working in the kitchens and the front of house.
Finally, you thought, so happy that your grand opening is finally here.
You rushed downstairs, turning on the fae lights so that you could see your work.
Most of the pastries were done proving, and ready to go in the oven. You had plenty of your winter berry jams ready to go, all you need to do is make more dough and get it proving.
You spend the next two and a half hours working quickly and efficiently, the rush that baking on a large scale gave you fueling you on, faster than ever before.
You had just finished stocking up the pastry display cases, medicinal on the left and typical pastries on the right, when Elain showed up at the front door, bright eyes and perfect hair even at the early hour, You rushed over to unlock the door, opening it to let the sweet fae inside, and you flipped the open sign over as you shut the door.
“It smells absolutely wonderful in here Y/N. Lucien is bringing the rest of our family around, I made them all promise to show up after they devoured that basket of pastries you delivered to my house,” Elain said, shaking her head lightly at them. “I was able to try that hornberry pastry thought, it was divine. Tell me you’ve got plenty ready to go?” Elain asked.
“Oh yes, I’m already thinking it will be my most popular pastry, I’ve got two dozen ready already and another five dozen in the process of being made,” you reassured her, already going behind the counter to grab her a pastry and place it on a plate. “Here you go, and if you ever want to take some extras home, just let me know,” you said with a smile, loving that she immediately took a bite of the pastry.
“Seriously, these are so good,” Elain said, right as a crowd of people pushed through the front doors.
In first was a red headed male, who made his way straight to Elain, placing a kiss on her cheek and swiping the pastry from her fingers. Lucien, presumably.
Next in was a tall, bulky Illyrian with hazel eyes, holding hands with a beautiful fae- Nesta?
“Y/N?” Nesta asked, making her way over to your counter after she met your eyes. “I didn’t know you were the one Elain was working with, what a small world.”
You nodded your head, meeting her strong steel grey eyes. “Yes it is, I didn’t know that you were related to Elain, either. It’s nice to see you again, I’m hoping I can make it to that book club of yours in the next couple of weeks,” you said.
“That would be nice, Y/N."
“Introduce me,” the large Illyrian said after gently nudging Nesta, having followed her over.
Nesta rolled her eyes, a small but affectionate smile on her lips as she said “This is Cassian, my mate.”
Cassian stuck his large hand out for you to take, and when you did his hand practically swallowed yours. “It’s nice to meet you, Y/N. Now, am I allowed to order right away or should I wait a little bit?” The alpha asked, eyes already turned to the pastry cases.
“You can order right now, if you’d like,” you responded, letting him look over the options for a moment.
“Oh, Nes, we are so getting the hornberry pastries, remember that little promise that you made to me?” Cassian asked, turning his mouth to Nesta’s ear, whispering something that made the fae’s face turn beet red before she nodded. “We will take two of those, plus three croissants.”
You handed them their pastries on a large plate, telling them “Bring it up here when you’re done, or if you need a to go bag.” They left the counter, Nesta still blushing profusely, even when they sat down.
You looked back to the door, seeing Mor and another Illyrian next to her, this one with shadows swirling around him, occasionally dipping into his ears. They moved over to the right side pastry case, peering through the glass at what you had on offered. You glanced away from them and back to the door, and that’s when you saw them-
The most devastatingly beautiful male and female you had ever seen, power thrumming off of them in gentle, soothing waves, and their combined scents washed over you- citrus, sea, jasmine and lilacs. A perfect, heart stopping blend of two alpha scents that set your mind and body on fire in the best possible way. You felt so awake now, so present as you stared at them both, trying to memorize their faces as quickly as you could.
This. This is the feeling you wanted to feel when you went on a date with someone.
The couple moved closer to you, and Mor introduced them.
“Y/N, this is Rhys and Feyre, our High Lord and Lady.”
Oh, Mother, you are so fucked.
“It’s nice to meet you, Y/N,” Feyre said, extending two beautifully tattooed hands to grasp yours. “Mor has told us so much about you, it’s nice to finally put a face to her kind words.”
Your heart nearly stopped, you were sure of it. “It’s lovely to meet you as well, High Lady-”
“Oh none of that, please call us Feyre and Rhys,” Rhys said, his strong voice pulling your eyes away from Feyre’s hypnotic ocean eyes. His were just as mesmerizing, violet with flecks are stars in them, just as beautiful as his mate’s.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Rhys and Feyre,” you corrected, your hands still captive in Feyre’s.
“Alright you two, stop hogging my friend, I’d like to have one of her delicious pastries for breakfast,” Mor said, breaking the spell the two alphas had over you, and you finally looked away from Rhys’s eyes to lock onto Mor’s.
“Did you know what you wanted, Mor?”
“Yes, I’ll have one of those cute little cheese danishes, and a cup of coffee with some cream please.”
You nodded your head, then set to grabbing Mor’s order. With your head turned from the group, though, you couldn’t help but close your eyes.
You are so fucked. They are mates, they are a couple, you will never have them. Remember that, you thought to yourself, before turning around, Mor’s coffee and danish in hand
Mor tapped her bank card to your ledger before you could stop her, sticking her tongue out at you. “You can’t make me not pay, Y/N, I just won’t do it,” she said while smiling at you, then left the counter to take a seat in front of the fireplace, where Elain and Lucien were now sitting.
You turned your head back to the couple that you knew would stay in your thoughts for days, maybe even weeks to come. “Did you two know what you wanted?”
Story Summary: You've been a baker for 75 years, and are finally moving on from the Winter Court to the City of Velaris to start your own bakery after your grandmother passes. After your grand opening, the High Lord and Lady of Night become daily visitors to your bakery for months, every day having your most popular pastry- one that increases fertility for a short time. All the while, the two alphas want nothing more than to call themselves yours.
Warnings: A/B/O Dynamics, mentions of sex toys, I really don't think there's anything else?
Words: ~7.8k
Author's Note: it's here! I struggled a lot to get writing with this chapter, I think it's because there's so much I want to happen! Things should start moving a bit quicker after this chapter, were done with most of the OC introductions (just lil friendos for reader to have outside of the inner circle~). Hopefully in the next chapter reader will meet Rhys and Feyre :)
18+ only pls
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You had been reading for a couple of hours before Mor returned to the inn, busting into your room as soon as you opened the door at her frantic knocks.
“I brought dinner!” Mor squealed as she set a bag onto the table in the middle of the room. “I went to Sevenda’s and got my favorite of hers, it’s this delicious pesto chicken pasta with broccoli in it, I think you’ll love it! We just have to make sure to take the bowls back tomorrow, Sevenda made me promise and I’ve forgotten a couple of times already,” Mor said sheepishly, a grin on her face. She sat down and began pulling out the takeaway dishes along with napkins and utensils.
You sat down in the other chair, gladly taking your share of the heavenly smelling food and digging in. Mor followed suit, and the two of you ate happily in a comfortable silence for a moment.
“So, were you able to set up a meeting with Auric already?” You asked Mor before taking another bite- it tasted even more amazing than it smelled.
Mor nodded. “Yes, he agreed to tomorrow at two o’clock at this cute little café just a couple of blocks down from here. He mainly wants to know your plans for the land before finalizing the sale. Auric’s family has owned the land since Velaris was founded, and since he doesn’t have any children he just wants to make sure it’s a business with good intentions, I think.”
“That makes sense, I would probably do the same in his position.”
“Agreed. I think he’ll find a cozy bakery to be a perfect fit, he ran a custom paint and supply store once he took over, and I believe it was an apothecary before that.”
You smile softly at the knowledge that your bakery will be on land with such a long history, one that must have made so many people happy. “The apothecary part will be somewhat carried on with my bakery, I have a few different pastries with special herbs in them to give different effects to the person that eats it. I have one that was very popular in the Winter Court, it helps to boost fertility. We started having a greater amount of births around every major holiday, that’s when I would bake the most of them,” you gushed, always happy to talk about your baking.
“Really? Oh, that will be lovely! Since the war, everyone in Velaris has had their eyes turned to the future, and it seems almost everyone wants to have children nowadays. Once word gets around, you’d best be ready for constant business for that pastry alone.” Mor’s words instilled confidence in you, something that you needed every so often to be sure you’re making the right choices.
A half hour later, Mor stood from her chair and began packing up the dishes. Before she left, she pulled a small metal card from her pocket and handed it to you. “This is your bank card, you’ll need it to make any purchases within Velaris. Kallias and Viviane had me set up an account for you and deposit your farewell bonus. Ten thousand for every year you worked for them, a total of 700,000 gold marks.”
“700,000?!” You asked in a frantic tone. That was to much- far, far too much. “That- they must have made a mistake. That’s a ridiculous amount of gold!”
Mor only smiled at you as she answered, “No, they were very specific about the amount. They said if you were panicking to tell you that five thousand every year was for your grandmother, and five thousand was for you. And to tell you that there is no way to convince them to take any of it back, so don’t attempt.” Mor’s smile turned to a grin when you stayed silent, still processing the immense wealth that you now possess. “I’ll be here a bit before two tomorrow to show you to the café for your meeting,” she said as she left your room, bag full of empty dishes in her hand.
“Thank you, Mor. For everything you’ve done today.”
One more bright, sunshine filled smile. “You’re welcome, Y/N. It’s no problem, you’ve been lovely to get to know.”
You return her smile, and shut the door when she is out of sight. Standing alone in your hotel room, you suddenly feel the weight of your day crashing into your shoulders. You set your new bank card on the table, the weight of its wealth too heavy at the moment.
You made your way into the bathroom, carefully removing your dress from your body to not snag your wings on the fabric. Then you set to drawing the bath- luckily, it was fully enchanted with plumbing, allowing for hot water to fill the tub.
It was a bit smaller than you were used to, not quite the right size to fit a winged body, but it would do just fine until you could have your own custom tub made for your apartment.
As soon as the tub was filled, you sank into the warm water, keeping your wings out of the water for tonight- too much of a hassle to dry with how tired you are already.
You let the steam relax you, sinking into a soft, relaxed state of mind. It drifted to your grandmother- she had died today, but you weren’t devastated. She had been in pain the past thirty six years, caused by the curse Amarantha had put upon her. Your grandmother had accidentally served burned pastries to the revel, one making its way to Amarantha herself. As Nanna’s punishment, the evil queen had cursed her blood to burn away slowly until she eventually passed.
But she was in peace now- able to move on to the next life, hopefully one that’s happier, less filled with psychotic fae.
And here- here, you could believe that. You’d seen so many different kinds of fae today, more than you’d seen at once Under the Mountain. Every one of them got along, there was only minor haggling and bickering to disrupt the peace. Besides that, everyone had sounded happy, unburdened.
It was nice.
The Winter Court, even six years after Amarantha’s fall, was still struggling to find the same freeness that this city radiated.
Your grandmother would have loved it here, the two Palaces dedicated to food stuffs alone might have convinced her to move here.
You would love it twice as much, just for her. She had always wanted you to live a full life, one of joy, hopefully with an alpha and a family of any size. She had been an omega as well, understanding that need, that overwhelming desire to have a family, an alpha that loves you.
When you presented, your mother and father had already passed, taken by a brutal pneumonia that had overtaken most of your village. Your grandmother had been the only family left to teach you, and she had done all she could to prepare you for your secondary sex and all that came with it.
You had yet to take an alpha, ever. During your few heats before being trapped Under the Mountain, you had taken a beta as your lover, trusting him enough to help you through them.
And Under the Mountain… Well, you were lucky enough to have been relegated to the kitchens at all times besides during your grandmother’s punishment. No alphas had been allowed to work at kitchen staff, so you were kept relatively hidden during your heats, though they had been less frequent due to the stress, possibly even from the magic sucked from your body.
Now, though, they had returned in full force, three months apart and stronger than ever. Viviane had been kind enough to show you to the small shop dedicated to sex toys in the square of the capital city, some of them designed to mimic a knot.
The toy you had gotten that day had seen you through your last six years of heats, along with a special blend of herbs your grandmother had created that lessened the symptoms to a close to manageable level.
Now, though, in a new city? Maybe you could find an alpha for yourself, as well as follow your lifelong dream. You let yourself drift off and think about what your alpha might be like as you washed your body.
As soon as you were clean, you got out and dried yourself off. You wrapped yourself in the towel and padded into the bedroom once more, finally ready to unpack your things.
It went quickly enough, you hung up your dresses and put away your romance novels and cookbooks. One of them was your grandmother’s entire catalog of recipes, all of her tricks to making any recipe a bit easier. It was your most prized possession, your own catalog a close second.
Your bags were empty now, and you placed them at the bottom of the wardrobe, along with your pair of extra boots.
All alone. A new city.
You crawled into your bed after putting on your favorite nightgown, long sleeved and reaching your calves in a blue so light it’s nearly white, and a scooped back allowing for your wings to remind untouched by fabric.
The sheets on the bed are soft, and you bury your face in them for a moment, reveling in the feeling of them on your skin. A gentle huff leaves your mouth, and you turn your head to look out the window, to where it’s snowing.
You’ll be sad when the snow is gone, but you can’t deny that you’re excited to see the other seasons come and go as they do outside of Winter.
And your bakery- you wonder how that will change throughout the seasons. Different pastries, outdoor seating, seasonal themes- would you be able to make it snow inside during winter?
You drifted off to different imaginings of your new business, new home as well as you’ll be building an apartment above the bakery itself.
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You awoke the next morning to the winter sun shining into your eyes. You stretched for a moment, then got up from your bed, and walked over to the doors leading to your balcony and stepped through them. Outside, the snow had stopped falling overnight, and now looked to be around five inches deep.
That wasn’t bad, not bad at all. This time in Winter there would be nights with a foot or more of snowfall. It looked to be about ten in the morning- that would be more than enough time to go and grab some breakfast, and maybe shop around a little bit.
You quickly pulled on a pair of thick grey wool tights after removing your nightgown, then slipped into your thickest winter dress, making sure to get all of the buttons into their holes to make the fabric wrap snugly around the base of your wings to protect the skin beneath. The dress, made of thick wool with a silvery fabric layered over the top, was one that you didn’t wear too often, as you didn’t tend to venture outside of the High Lord’s palace often when it snowed heavily. Your wings, even after living in Winter for the first twenty five years of your life and the past six, were still sensitive to the cold at times, so you preferred to stay inside during most of the heavy snow season.
This dress keeps the rest of you warm and cozy, and you want breakfast, so you’ll risk your wings feeling a bit chilled.
You pulled on your boots that nearly reach your knees and lace them up quickly, your stomach’s loud growl making your fingers move faster. Then you throw on your scarf, hat, and mittens, taking care to slip your bank card into your right mitten for safe keeping, and then you’re out the door, locking int behind you and bounding down the stairs.
“Good morning, Y/N,” Druana said from behind the counter as you breezed past her, making your way to the door.
“Good morning, Druana!” You replied enthusiastically. “I’ll see you in a little bit, I’m going to explore the city on my own for a while.”
“Have a good time, and be careful in the snow. It gets slippery on the stones beneath quickly,” Druana warned as you opened the door and slipped through it.
“Thank you!”
And then you were in the crisp winter breeze, breathing in deep lungfuls of the clean, snow scented air. You’ll definitely miss this once the season slips into spring, but you’re here now.
And it’s beautiful.
The snow has iced the roofs of the buildings around you perfectly, and everything looks like a little gingerbread town. You made your way through the streets slowly, following the delicious scent of cinnamon, sugar, and coffee that you picked up.
Soon, you were at an adorable café, decorated with soft pastels inside and out, primarily pink. And you could tell that inside there was a cinnamon coffee cake and coffee to go with it, one of your favorite breakfasts- just perfect for your first official morning in a new home.
You entered the building, spotting a slim high fae beta at the counter in the back.
“Good morning,” she chirped cheerily at you as you made your way to the counter.
“Good morning,” you responded, already looking over the display of baked goods she had out. “I’ll have a slice of that cinnamon coffee cake,” you said, pointing to the perfect looking coffee cake. You then looked behind the other fae, taking in the coffee brewing equipment. “And a coffee with a bit of cream in it, please.”
“Of course,” the other fae said, grabbing your order in a couple of minutes, sliding a plate and a mug over to you after you’d slid your mittens off. “That will be two gold marks,” she said, and you handed over your bank card, hoping that you weren’t doing this wrong. The fae opened up a ledger, and pressed your card against it. “Alright, here’s that back. You can take a seat wherever you like, and just bring the dishes up to the counter when you’re done,” she said softly as she handed you the card back.
“Thank you,” you said with a smile. You grabbed your items, and sat at the table right in front of a window looking out onto the street you’d just come in from.
Both the cake and the coffee were delicious, warming your insides nicely as you sat and watched people go by, the city slowly waking as you ate, a few customers walking in as you did. You returned the dishes to the front, smiling at the pretty fae running the café. “Thank you, it was absolutely delightful! Would you happen to know the way to a bookstore near here?” You asked a bit shyly.
“New to town?” The fae asked, and you nodded your head in confirmation. “If you go to the right and head down five buildings, take a left and then in two more buildings you’ll be at Gina’s bookstore- she’s very nice, and loves meeting new people.”
“Thank you so much, I’ll probably see you again soon. My name is Y/N, by the way,” you said.
“My name is Jayla, it’s nice to meet you Y/N. And it’s no problem, I’ll see you again!” The fae said cheerily.
You followed her instructions well, and within a few minutes you were shaking the snow off of your boots and dress and walking into the cozy bookstore. There were rows and rows of shelves extending into the back of the store greeting you, and when you looked to your left there was a counter with a green skinned fae behind it. Further down from the counter, there was a small sitting area in front of a fireplace- a roaring fire already blazing inside.
“Welcome in!” The fae said with a warm smile as she looked to you, standing just inside the now closed door. “My name is Gina, I’m happy to help you find anything, or you can browse around for a bit.”
You moved closer to her, taking off your mittens and tucking your bank card into the collar of your dress as you did so. “My name is Y/N, I was wondering if you had any romance novels?” You asked, feeling a bit shy at the request, especially once the alpha’s scent washed over you.
She probably thinks I’m some silly romance obsessed omega now, you thought to yourself.
“Ah! Another romance lover! Right this way, I’ll show you some of my favorites too, if that’s alright,” Gina exclaimed as she quickly made her way over to you and grabbed your hand, leading you through the rows of books to the middle of the store.
“Right in the heart of the store is where I keep my favorite genre,” Gina said as she pulled a book from one of the shelves. “And this is my favorite romance series! It’s called Healer of Time, it’s about this omega high fae from the Dawn Court. She has these really strong healing powers, and she somehow ends up traveling back and forth between current time and three hundred years ago, and has to choose between two fantastically hot alphas, one from each timeline. It’s just perfect, and I’ve helped make the series all the rage in Velaris!”
She handed the book over to you, which you eagerly accepted. That sounded like the best blend of romance and adventure to you. “How many books are there on the series?”
“Nine so far, but the author puts out a new one every year or so, thank the Mother!” Gina responded, pointing out the other eight books for you.
“Wow, that’s a pretty good turn around. I honestly think I’ll get the first four today! It sounds like a really good read.”
Gina grins widely at you, and her excitement is too contagious to not smile back. “I’ll take these up to the front for you, but if you have any more questions feel free to come up and ask me!” Gina took the book from your hand and pulled three more off of the shelf.
“Do you happen to have any cookbooks?”
“Of course, they’re near the front, off to the right in the row second closest to the wall Y/N.”
You make your way over to the area, and quickly spot the section dedicated to cooking and baking. One catches your eye, titled Night Court Favorites, with a beautiful illustration of a moonlit picnic on the front. On the back, it promised the recipes for the past three millennium of Night Court nobility’s favorite dishes. Probably as good a place as any to start your full cooking journey, now that most of your meals would not be prepared by the other kitchen staff of the High Lord’s palace.
You flipped through it quickly, eyes snagging on a recipe for Night Court traditional curry- it sounded absolutely delicious.
With the cookbook in hand, you ventured slowly back to the front counter where Gina stood talking to another fae excitedly, your books waiting on the counter for you.
“Ah, Nesta, I’d like you to meet Y/N, she’s the customer I was telling you about!”
The other fae turned around, her movements sending a small amount of her scent- a winter bonfire and very alpha- and you were struck by her beauty. Sharp angles and liquid steel eyes, and lovely golden brown hair twisted into an elegant braid crown on top of her head.
“It’s nice to meet you Y/N, are you new in town?” The high fae’s voice was husky and holding a certain power to it, absolutely lovely.
“It’s nice to meet you, Nesta. And yes, I just moved to the city yesterday.”
“Well I hope you find the city to your liking. Gina was just telling me that you like romance novels?” You nodded your head. “I host a little book club here every second and fourth Wednesday at four in the afternoon, and we mainly read romance novels. I always like to extend an invitation to those Gina thinks would enjoy it,” Nesta offered.
“Oh…” you thought about it for a moment. “I’m in the process of getting my business up and running right now, but maybe in a couple of months when things have calmed down?” You asked hopefully.
Nesta nodded her head in agreement. “That’s fine, just talk to Gina when you’re ready to join, she’ll let you know what book we’re reading. Well, it was nice meeting you, but I’ve got to be going now now,” Nesta said, making her way over to the door.
“It was lovely meeting you as well, Nesta. I’ll see you in a couple of months.”
The alpha was out the door after waving goodbye, and you were left alone in the bookstore once more with Gina.
“Did you find everything you wanted, dear?” She asked, taking the cookbook from your hands.
“Yes, I did. Though I’m sure I’ll be back in a week for some extra reading, if I end up having the time.”
“You mentioned a business? What kind?”
Your books were bagged now, and you handed over your bank card after pulling it from your collar. “I’m going to be opening a bakery in the Rainbow, if all goes to plan.”
“Oh, that’s nice! We can always use more food stores, and bakeries especially! I’m a big fan of anything bread,” Gina said with a laugh, handing you back your bank card and sliding the book filled fabric bag over to you. “It came out to 11 gold marks and one silver mark, and if you absolutely hate the first book, I’ll let your return the rest and pick out something else, alright?”
You grin at her. “I don’t think that will be necessary, but it’s good to know! I’ll see you sometime soon, Gina. Thank you.”
“I look forward to hearing what you think of them! Walk safely, it can get slippery,” Gina warned as you stepped back into the snow and cold, door thunking shut behind you.
You followed your route back to the café you’d eaten at, simply names Jayla’s. You walking, taking the path that you think leads to the inn. You end up making a few extra turns, but you’re back in the warmth of the inn after you finally find the building. Druana is nowhere to be seen when you enter after kicking the snow off of your boots and dress, so you simply go up to your room.
Your bag lands on the table, and you immediately pulled out the cookbook, flicking through it again to find the curry recipe. You spy a notepad, quill, and ink pot which you grab and bring over to the table.
On the page, you write all of the ingredients you’ll need to make the curry- tonight, hopefully, if you can find everything you need in the two food centric Palaces. You’ll need chicken, a few different root vegetables, a good variety of spices, and coconut milk- you hoped that one of the various stalls you’d seen yesterday would have some prepared, you don’t quite feel like going through that hassle yet.
You check the small clock hanging on the wall, seeing that it’s only a quarter to noon still, that should be plenty of time to get the ingredients you need and be back here in time to meet Mor.
Next you look in the cupboards of the kitchenette, which hold a large frying pan, a pot with a lid, a cutting board, cooking utensils and small knife set. There’s also two sets of plates, bowls, cups and utensils. The frying pan and pot should work nice enough for the curry, there’s not much point to you buying your own cookware until your building is completed. And there’s a cold box, enchanted to keep dairy and meat fresh.
That would hopefully mean going to only one Palace today, or at least before the meeting. You let the ink of your list dry for a few more minutes, flipping open to the first page of your new book series, quickly reading the first chapter.
Just as you thought, it was going to be a good fit.
You folded your list in half once, then again, and tucked it into the collar of your dress alongside your bank card. You should probably get a purse of some sort soon. But that can wait.
You’re bounding down the stairs again in an instant, and Druana is back at her desk this time.
“Oh, I didn’t even hear you come in! I’ll see you again soon, Y/N.”
You smiled at her and said, “Yes, I should be back at or before 1:30, and Mor will be meeting me here, just so you know.”
“Thank you,” Druana replied with her own smile.
You were back in the winter air, sun shining down on you now. Your breath still made puffy clouds in the air, but you didn’t care. It’s winter, and it’s beautiful.
Slowly, you made your way across the nearest bridge that connected right to the Palace of Hoof and Leaf, your current destination. Upon entering the more tightly packed area, you gravitated towards a large stall, covered in so many different vegetables and large glass jars, only a few still filled to the brim with spices. There was a tall, dark skinned high fae standing behind the stall.
“Can I help you?” She asked in a low voice, and you instantly pinned her as an alpha.
You pulled out your grocery list. “Yes, I needed the vegetables and spices on this list, if you happen to have them,” you said, handing it over to the female when she gestures for you to give it to her.
“I just so happen to have almost all of these spices, and the ones I don’t I can point you to another sweet fae who has them, as well as the coconut milk and rice you need. And I have all of the vegetables you need. Making the traditional curry?” She asked as she began gathering the vegetables for you.
“Yes, I’m new to the city and want to learn some of the common dishes here, and this sounded like a wonderful start.”
“Well, I’ll say that it’s one of my personal favorites, so I hope you won’t be disappointed. My name is Petra, by the way, it’s always nice to see new faces in town.”
You smile at her, so happy that so far you’ve only had positive experiences with the people of Velaris. “I’m Y/N, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Now, would you like to buy small spice jars that you can bring back and refill, or just go with the amount you’ll need for the recipe?” Petra asked you, holding up a small glass bottle with a metal lid fitted to the top.
“I think I’ll buy the spice jars, please.”
She fills the three small bottles up quickly, putting them in a thin wooden container with a handle, with six slots perfectly fitting the spice jars.
“You can come back and have them filled up for a slight discount for any spice sellers in the two food oriented Palaces, but I’d prefer if you came back to my stall,” Petra said with a wink, placing the container into the tan fabric bag containing the vegetables. “That will be 7 gold marks, please.” You handed her your bank card, and she quickly passed it back after pressing it to her ledger. “Now, the other two spices and the coconut milk you need, you can find three stalls down on the right, and the male next to her has a good price on chicken, just to give a few suggestions,” Petra offered, pointing out the two fae she was speaking of.
“Thank you so much, I’ll be sure to come back when I need more vegetables,” you said before walking away, exchanging waves and warm smiles.
You made your way over to the other stalls, quickly buying the other two spices, coconut milk, and rice you need, as well as the chicken the recipe called for- one large chicken breast. You trekked back to the inn carefully, switching the bag between hands every so often.
“Grocery shopping, I see,” Druana greeted you as you breezed into the inn after kicking the snow off of your clothes.
“Yes, I thought it would be better than ordering in every night,” you chuckled as you made your way over to the stairs.
“Well, good luck with that. And don’t burn my inn down,” Druana added playfully as you began going up the flight of stairs.
“I’ll do my best!” You unlocked your room, immediately dropping the heavy bag next to the books you’d purchased earlier. Groceries sure are heavy when you have to lug them across town. No matter. You’ll get used to it soon enough, especially once you have to purchase for the bakery.
You put the chicken and coconut milk into the cold box, and the vegetables and spices onto the counter. Right after you had, there was a knock at your door. “Y/N? It’s me, Mor.”
You swung the door open, letting the bubbly blonde into your room. She was carrying a large yellow envelope under one arm, and decked in winter gear from head to toe, but still slightly shivering even in the warmth of the building. “Time to go?” You asked, still holding the door open.
“Yes, getting there a little early is wise with weather like this. Nothing quite like eating shit one to many times on your way to a meeting and ending up late,” Mor said, already moving back out of your bedroom door and into the hallway, and you followed her after making sure your bank card was still tucked safely in the collar of your shirt
The door snicked shut and you locked it quickly, following Mor down the stairs and outside once more. She led you through the streets cautiously, obviously afraid of falling down, but you made it to the café within ten minutes, and to your surprise it was Jayla’s café.
“Ah, welcome back Mor, Y/N,” Jayla said from behind the counter as she wiped it down with a cloth.
“Morrigan!” Exclaimed an older male’s voice, gravelly with age. “It’s wonderful to see you again, come, introduce me to your friend,” the elderly high fae said, beckoning the two of you closer to where he was seated at a table, three other chairs surrounding it.
“Auric, this is Y/N, the lovely young fae hoping to buy your property. Y/N, this is Auric, Velaris’s most experienced paint mixer, including magic imbued paints as well,” Mor said as the two of you sat in the unoccupied chairs.
“It’s wonderful to meet you Auric, I truly fell in love with your family’s property the moment I saw it,” you said right before Jayla came over to the three of you.
“Would the two of you like anything to drink?” She asked, and you noticed that Auric already had a mostly full cup of tea in front of him.
“I’ll take a tea, whatever you recommend please.”
“The same for me, please,” Mor said. “Thank you, Jayla.” Jayla nodded and walked away, going behind the counter to begin brewing your teas.
“So, you fell in love with the land? What did you like about it?” Auric asked you, eyes running over your face. It was then that you scented him- a male omega. It had been years since you’d met one yourself, before the mountain you believed.
“I loved the view looking towards the Sidra, you can see the mountains in the background as well as all of the other beautiful buildings in the city. The land itself is so lovely, it’s nice and flat, and I think it would look wonderful with a little extra landscaping, maybe a tree or two of that would be alright. And the location, on the outside edge of the Rainbow would be perfect for a bakery, close enough to a few residential areas, but also involved in the creativity that the area boasts,” you gushed, still picturing the view in your mind. Being able to bake and look out at such a beautiful river, beautiful city, truly, would be amazing.
Jayla returned, two cups of tea in hand that she placed in front of you and Mor. “A lovely raspberry tea for the both of you,” she said before walking back to the counter.
“A bakery, hmm?” Auric questioned, raising a brow at you as you took a sip of the tea- delicious. “Are enough sure you have the stamina to run it? It’s a hefty job.”
You nodded your head once, fully confident in your abilities. “Yes, I previously worked to bake for the entirety of the Hugh Lord of Winter’s residence, and over the course of… Well, being Under the Mountain, I was assistant to the head baker, my grandmother, for twenty years, and for thirty years after that I was head baker myself. I am confident that I can handle running a bakery on my own.”
The older fae’s eyes narrowed at your for a minute, before they crinkled as his lips spread into a smile. “I like you. I’m sorry that you had to go through that, but it’s good to see you’re stronger for it. Now, what type of baked goods will you be selling?”
You breathed a small sigh of relief before answering. “Well, I do have a few favorite pastries of the Winter Court that I’ll have, as well as loaves breads and cakes. Plus I have a number of recipes made with medicinal herbs or berries that have health boosting benefits. My most popular one by far has been a fertility boosting pastry made with a berry native to the Winter Court.”
Auric hummed as he considered everything you had said. “And what will you name it?”
“I… What?”
“What will you name your bakery? Surely you know what you want your business to be called, Y/N.”
“Of course I do, Auric. It will be called Sparaiya Bakery, after my grandmother. She might have left this plane, but she will always be with me, especially when I bake.”
Auric clapped his hands together once. “Very well, then. I’d like to sell you my land, Y/N. I think you have a good amount of experience, you have a vision for your bakery, and you seem like a strong, loyal person. I believe my ancestors would be proud to have your business on their land,” the older omega said sincerely. “I’ve set the price at 100,000 gold marks, are you willing to pay that much?”
The thought of that much money alone being spent made your stomach churn, but you reminded yourself of the massive amount of money that Kallias and Viviane had given you, and that this land was worth every single mark you were going to spend on it. “Yes, that’s perfectly fine with me.”
“Perfect!” Mor pulled the envelope from between her arm and chest, pulling a few documents out and summoning a quill and a pot of ink. “The two of you can go ahead and sign here, and Y/N, you’ll just need to press your bank card to the top right corner after you’ve both signed.” The two of you do as she says, standing and shaking hands afterwards.
“Thank you so much, Auric, for entrusting your family’s land to me. I hope that if you come by once it’s finished, you will be proud.”
Auric regarded you warmly, squeezing your hand an extra time before letting go. “I’m sure that I will be, Y/N. Let me know when you’re opening, and I’ll be sure to stop by.” He grabbed his copy of the sale documents
“I’ll make sure to. Have a wonderful rest of your day,” you said as he walked out of the café, leaving you with Mor. “I’m so happy he said yes! Oh, I should go tell Marcus that I have the plot of land now, and get everything moving in that direction. Thank you so much, Mor. You’ve been such a help in all of this,” you said, placing a kiss gently on the alpha’s cheek. “I’m going to head over to Marcus’s business now, if that’s alright.”
“Oh, of course!” The alpha responded, already donning all of her winter clothes again to bundle against the cold. “You walk safely over to there, Velaris gets slippery when it snows. Now, will I see you for lunch this Thursday?” Mor asked, and you mentally double checked the day of the week in your head- Monday.
“Yes, three days from now sounds perfect. Do you want to meet somewhere or at my hotel room?”
“I’ll meet you at your hotel room this time, alright?”
You nodded your head in agreement. “That sounds good, I’ll see you on Thursday Mor. You walk safely too!” You were already out of the door with your bill of sale in hand, beelining your way as well as you could to the Palace of Flame and Steel. When you arrived at Marcus’s shop, you swung the door open and stomped off the snow on your boots before entering. “Marcus!” You said excitedly as you met his eyes, waving the paper in your hands at him. “I have land now, will you be able to come assess it in the next few days?”
Marcis stood from his place behind the desk and made his way around it to you. “I can go right now, there it too much to do around here at the moment,” he said, already ushering you out of his shop, flipping the open sign on the door to say closed, and locking it behind him.
“If you’re sure…” you said before grabbing his hand and pulling him with you to the Rainbow as fast as the two of you could manage in the snow. “This is it!” You gesture to the dilapidated building excitedly.
“You are planning to tear it down, right?” Marcus asked, amusement in his voice.
“Of course I am, silly, I wanted the land. It has such a beautiful view of the Sidra and the mountains, come here.” You pulled him past the building, to where you had stood when you’d known that this was the land you wanted your dream to come to life on.
Marcus let out a heavy breath. “Okay, I get it now.” He looked around, taking in where they were situated. “And it’s in the perfect spot for a bakery, you really picked the best possible spot.”
“I know!” You squealed, jumping as high as you could without using your wings in your excitement. “So, what’s the procedure for tearing down the old building and starting the new construction?” You asked, ready to learn the necessary details.
Marcus pulled you back onto the street, and the two of you began to walk back to his business. “Well, we need to submit a request for a permit to demolish, and one for construction. But since I’ve done a good amount of work in the past six years, I doubt that there will be much more than two days of waiting time between submitting it and getting the permits. We can fill out all the forms once we get to my office, and I’ll get them sent up to the House of Wind as soon as I can.”
“Alright, that sounds doable enough,” you said as you threw a smile at him, happy that he’s kind about you not knowing much about the building process.
Soon enough the two of you are back at his office, and he swings the door open, letting you go inside first. He went through a filing cabinet behind his desk before pulling out a half inch thick stack of papers in total. Marcus turned back to you, placing them on the desk and gesturing for you to take a seat.
You do as he asks, and he sets two piles in front of you- both are identical. You give him a quizzical look, not understanding the purpose of having two.
“One pile is for your own personal records, and the other is for the permits and for our contract agreement, for payments and things like that. I suggest you read everything closely, and I can explain something to you if you’d like.”
You read through the stack of documents, finding everything to be fair, both in compensation for the company, and certain protections on promises made to you. You signed the contract documents first, letting Marcus take the pages as you finished to sign them himself. Then came the permit application, you needed to state why you wanted to tear the building down, then what you were going to replace it with.
That was easy, the current building would not suffice for a bakery, it might even burn down if you ride to light a fire in it. And building on top of the land, well, a bakery plus a second floor apartment with a small garden.
Once it was all filled out, Marcus went through every page to make sure that everything had been signed. “Alright, everything looks to be in order. I’ll write to you to let you know when it’s been approved, okay Y/N?”
You nodded your head, happy to be done with the paperwork portion of the day. “That sounds just fine, Marcus. I’ll see you in a few days, most likely,” you said before standing from your chair, stretching your muscles and wings slightly.
“I’ll see you then,” Marcus responded, asking you over to the door. By this point, the sun had begun to set over Velaris, but the city was more alive than it had been all throughout the morning.
“And thank you, Marcus. I look forward to working with you,” you added as you stepped outside and away from his shop.
“It’s no problem, Y/N. I’ll see you soon.”
And the you were off, your new property deed tucked under safely against your body. You were eager to make your way home, wanting nothing more at this point than a hot bath and a warm meal- you didn’t particularly care in which order. You were at the inn soon enough, kicking snow off of your boots and the hem of your dress for the last time of the day.
“Welcome back, Y/N,” Druana greeted from behind the counter, waving a bark skinned hand at you.
“Thank you, Druana. I’ll see you in the morning!” You said, already making your way up the stairs in your rush to finally get out of your winter gear.
The door to your room swung open and shut quickly, and you sat at the table in the center of the room, undoing the laces of your boots as fast as you were able. They came off, then followed by your dress after unbuttoning the back carefully. Now you were only standing in your underthings and tights, and very much feeling the chill that had set in from being outside in your bones. You stripped off the rest of your clothes before heading into the bathroom and starting the tub.
Gloriously hot water spilled out of the faucet, and you didn’t wait for it to fill up, merely settling yourself in as the water slowly came up to your neck. You allowed yourself to soak for a few minutes, letting the cold seep from your bones and warmth replace it. Once you felt warmed and comfortable, you washed yourself quickly after hearing your stomach growl loudly.
After toweling off, you went back into your bedroom and donned a soft set of white cotton underthings, as well as an oversized lilac sweater that you were able to wear like a dress, the back already having had the fabric carved out of it to fit your wings. It was so cozy and soft, you felt buried in it. Just how you wanted to feel after an eventful day.
You went to the kitchenette, pulling out the cutting board, pot, and pan. You grabbed the cookbook from the table and set it on the counter next to the cutting board, reading over the instructions once more. Next you pull out the chicken and grab a suitable enough knife, dicing the meat into bite sized chunks as the recipe called for. You set them in the pan, lighting the charcoal beneath the burner to get the heat started.
You washed the knife and cutting board and dried them off, then grabbed the root vegetables that you’d bought earlier. Similar to baking, you switched between washing and chopping the vegetables to moving the meat around the pan easily, being careful not to burn anything while getting everything else you would need prepped.
Paying attention to the recipe, you measured out the right amount of each spice, mixing them with a bit of water to create a paste that smelled heavenly and spicy.
The chicken was done now, and you added the vegetables along with a bit of water and the coconut milk. Then all you had to do was wash and set the rice to cook, and wait. You rinsed the rice in one of the bowls, getting the water clear before carefully draining it out and placing the rice in to the now boiling water.
In another twenty minutes, you deemed the vegetables and rice to be cooked enough, and dished out a nice serving of rice, with lots of curry on top.
You cleared off the table, moving your new books over to the nightstand by your bed, then brought your dinner to the table. You sat facing the windows and stared out at Velaris as you ate, pleasantly surprised with how nicely the curry had turned out, with it being your first time cooking anything like it.
Soon enough you were full and getting sleepy, so you brought your dishes back to the sink. You plated the rest of the rice and curry into the other bowl that you hadn’t used, then washed all of the dishes you had used that night.
By the time you had finished, your bed was calling to you, and it was such a soft, sweet landing when you finally made your way under the covers, deciding to sleep in your massive sweater instead of changing into a nightgown.
It’s not like anyone will see me sleeping, anyways, you thought to yourself, right as you drifted off into a peaceful sleep, filled with the view from your new property.
Is it possible for Nesta to become a queen in Illyria? What do you think?
Eh. That seems sticky to me.
First, anything is possible. But world building-wise, it would seem really out of place to suddenly have queens in Prythian. Why have queens and High Lord’s? And Illyrians aren’t the kind of people that seem like they’d accept a queen??? Also as an Illyrian queen she would still answer to Rhys and I don’t think Nesta can be subservient to him. She needs autonomy over herself and the only thing I know that can deliver that to her is to become a queen in a land that does not already have a ruler. So my money is on the slice of human lands below the spring court. (There was foreshadowing for it!)
SECOND AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, to have a white queen rule the Illyrians, who was not born Illyrian or raised by Illyrians feels REALLY ICKY to me. I mean I’m not sure if there is a way to pull that off and not have it be hella hella hella problematic. Like, that’s killing Nehemiah level problematic.
Since we have identified both Nesta and Rhys as alphas, who do you think cassian will" yield" (for lack of better word )to, because there have been many instances when nesta is involved you can see cassian wanting to protect her and be in the middle but he doesn't act on it completely, so what do you think will happen when one day maybe both nesta and rhys demand something different from cassian ????
I AM WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT. If a mating bond clicks into place and he and Nesta accept it, then Nesta comes first. And I don’t think Rhys would put Cassian in a position to have to choose between them.
But like in that Teaser scene, you could totally tell Cassian wanted to get between them. And i took away from it that he wanted to protect Nesta but that he’d probably get between them and then say something stupid like “Nesta calm down” or something that would ultimately align him with Rhys. Because, as it stands, he is Rhys’s “creature.”
But also. I think that if he thought Rhys was going to attack Nesta, he’d draw a HARD line in the sand. And it would be a moment that would forever alter whose pack he belonged to. He can’t challenge his High Lord like that. He can challenge his friend and brother like that no problem. But not his High Lord. And It would be a JUICY instance of a male of logic and reason turning into a complete raging beast in order to defend his mate. It would be so dramatic and angsty I would freaking love it dude.
But i don’t see Rhys losing his cool enough to attack Nesta, or put her in a position where Cassian would have to get between them for fear of Rhys hurting her. Now it could change if their mating bond slips into place and they accept it. All the little things rhys says to Nesta (if he continues) would probably trip the breaker on reasonable/logical Cassian and send him into raging mate mode.
And as I write this I’m thinking, “no this is totally possible.” Even without a mating bond. Cuz Rhys is a little triggered by Nesta too and he’s not going to get over that easily until he sees that she’s established herself outside of the role he relegates her to. And let’s say she and Cassian get close in the mountains and then come back to Velaris for some random reason and Rhys takes a jab at her. I think Cassian could get aggressive. Not that he’d need to because Nesta can take care of herself. But HOLY SHIT can you imagine the look on Rhys’s face when he realized he’d just picked a fight with Nesta AND Cassian?!
