#castrid

Because Cassian is a lower version of himself around Nesta, and Nesta needs someone who has her back. Both are devastatingly insecure around each other and Nesta needs emotional support.

Nesta with Cormac 🔥 He would treat her like the princess-with-a-star-in-her-heart she is, and he would enjoy the banter. Both adore reading and I imagine them having ✨fun times✨ on a ladder in the library. Meanwhile the House of Wind sending a gust to shove everyone out while they make Dusk Court heirs.

Cassian gets SAVED by a half-Illyrian Valkyrie. 🥰 With blonde hair, tan skin, hazel eyes, and a wild unapologetic laugh. She would look similar to Mor, but rival her in beauty✨ Name her Astrid. (That’s it, she’s my OC now 🔥)

Their couple name would be Castrid. 🥰

Cassian would forget Mor’s name in sight of Astrid. She would just cross her arms and look at him sideways and he would just be so mesmerized by her and go, “Ah. So this is what it feels like.” With this big goofy, lovesick grin and twinkly eyes.

Castrid? (Multishipping( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

(Cassian, Astrid, and Elain see Nesta and the other Valkyries. Astrid and Elain observe Cassian and Nesta, who share a tense conversation.)

Cassian blew out a breath. “Alright. That’s it for the day,” he told Astrid and Elain. “Grab some water.”

He nodded over to where a water station emerged by magic. The House of Wind had been gracious to do so. Perhaps it did so for Elain, though she was also tense with Nesta. Whatever the sisters fought about, he felt that they would work it out. Even if…

“Nesta must be near,” said Elain. She was red in the face from the small amount she could muster. Over time, she would gain muscle, just as Feyre and Nesta had done.

Cassian didn’t know what to do with his hands. His legs. His voice. Not much could cause him to feel so uncertain like this. To doubt everything.

Astrid had done well. Whatever errands Keir had her run, he must have run her ragged. She was well beyond some of the Valkyries in stamina and skill. She was almost at Feyre’s level.

The two females took advantage of the House’s attentiveness. Cassian avoided it. Avoided anything given by the House. He felt it didn’t need to be in the middle of any argument.

Not when she commanded and befriended it.

Cassian avoided taking a glance at the bare spot on his finger. He and she, they…There was no exchange of mating bands.

He winced away the thoughts.

Chatter filled the area. The Valkyries must had finished their work for the day. Laughter and conversation were light on the air. Roslyn waved to Cassian. And Emerie. The others acknowledge him with smiles and waves. Two he didn’t see…

“Looking for someone?”

Cassian could have jumped at who stood behind him.

There she was. Beautiful. Voluptuous. Eyes of silver fire. Breasts full and…

He stopped thinking. If he kept thinking, he would have to excuse himself.

Think of Madja. Of Nesta and Rhys. Of kittens, you dumb bastard…

“I may have,” he admitted. Nesta watched him, wary of him. Gods…He had made her look at him that way. He really was a dumb bastard.

From the water station, the Valkyries exchanged greetings with Elain and Astrid. He wondered if Elain would ever join their ranks. Or if she would find herself with a certain redheaded heir. She still didn’t speak of him, after all these months. Cassian felt sorry for the male.

Nesta turned to see Elain in Illyrian leathers. If she was shocked, it didn’t show. Her beautiful face turned back around to face him. Cassian’s breath was taken away by it.

“You’re training Elain?”

He shrugged. Kept it casual. He hoped.

“She was already in the area. I thought she might benefit from it.”

We haven’t been allowing her to do much except garden and bake, he wanted to say. But after last night and this morning, he didn’t want to make things worse.

Nesta blinked. He wished he knew what she was thinking about.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted. “I was an ass. I’ve been one a lot lately.”

Her jaw tightened as she held his gaze. But her eyes were deep with sadness. Like a silver sea. He wondered if she’d been continuing her practice of Mind-Stilling.

“Azriel left to see Rhysand,” she blurted. So much for his big apology. “He doesn’t want him to be around Elain.”

“I guess he sensed her presence in the area.”

“Will he hurt him?”

Cassian blinked. Both his brother and his mate grew close, ever since that outsider Bryce came to Prythian. Cassian hated himself for envying his brother and the easiness he had with Nesta. Cassian had mentioned it to Rhys, but…

He guessed Rhys didn’t want Azriel to be near either sister, aside from Feyre.

And if he was being honest, Cassian didn’t feel comfortable in Az’s presence either. Something had changed in his brothers since those months ago.

“I’m sorry, too.”

He jerked back in suprise.

“So jumpy,” she teased, still wary. That was new, too. That Bryce had changed Nesta, too. She had became playful. And he didn’t know what to make of that either.

“Feel like sparring?” Despite all the hours he dedicated to getting his jitteriness out of his system, he still couldn’t shake it.

Nesta shook her head. “Gwyn and Emerie were wanting to go out and they invited me along.”

Silence settled between them.

“I wanted to let you know. And to say sorry.”

Cassian’s chest warmed. Maybe change wasn’t all bad. Perhaps there was still hope that they could make it work.

But then there was the matter of Rhys…

“Who’s that?”

“Keir’s bodyguard. Astrid. Feyre pulled some strings and got him to agree to let her train.”

They both observed the female as she waved goodbye to the other females. Elain watched Cassian and Nesta from her small corner of the water station.

And Astrid… Cassian settled his sights on the female. Flexible. Dedicated. Adaptable. With her golden hair braided back and her cloud of freckles, she reminded him of Feyre and Mor.

And yet she is entirely her own person, a small voice yawned inside him.

“She’s pretty.”

“She’s a beast in the ring,” he admitted. “If Keir didn’t have such a strong grip on her, she’d make a formidable Valkyrie.”

He watched as Nesta assessed the other female. Knowing well that her gaze fell upon Astrid’s scar across her mouth and jaw.

She never vocalized its origin. Cassian assumed it was from one of Keir’s missions. Or from the war if she was discovered.

I’m good at what I do…

Maybe not from the war. Keir’s spy. Cassian wondered how the hell Rhys went along with Feyre’s idea to allowing the female to train. And if she discovered the Valkyries… What would she tell Keir?

It took him a moment to realize Nesta had been watching him. Her face a mask of stone and steel. The perfect image of a Valkyrie queen… If Rhys allowed it.

His brother kept Nesta on a tight leash. Often it became a subject of contempt between them. And often it resulted in Nesta accusing him of taking Rhys’s side, and Cassian walking away. Gods, he was stupid.

His attention went to Elain, who like Nesta, watched him with assessment. Had the sisters been fighting over who’d been right? Cassian or Nesta. Rhys or Nesta.

“I think it’s been a long day,” he said with a sigh. His attention drew back to his mate.

His mate… His beautiful, valiant, stubborn mate. Almost over a year ago, they were mated. Cassian still couldn’t believe it. Even if the ceremony had not…

“Okay.” Nesta continued to look up at him. Until finally he realized she wanted a kiss. But when he reached down to do so, she turned on her heel and walked away. Gwyn and Emerie waited until she passed by them, and then they trailed behind.

Gwyn winced as she waved at him.

He didn’t hear Astrid coming up to his side.

“It’s not my business,” she began with a start. “But I hear dates are always a cute thing females like.”

He did not expect that. Cassian said nothing. What could he say to that?

Elain shuffled over to them. Her face long and somber. “You mustn’t be cross with her, you know. Nesta has been working hard to be amicable with everyone. She’s not used to it.”

In other words, it’s not in her nature to be nice.

But it was what Astrid said that stunned Elain. “It’s not that she’s not used to it, I think. She’s so used to being seen as mean. When really, she’s just honest and blunt. She doesn’t mince words, but she doesn’t mean to be unkind, either.”

“You… You see that? In her?” Elain’s eyes were wide.

Astrid had suddenly become shy. Her little freckles shimmered under the afternoon sun. “It’s a gift.”

And Cassian couldn’t argue. A dark hound. Astrid could sense the darkness in others. What kind of darkness did she see in Elain? In Nesta? In Azriel? In…

“What do you see in me?” It had been eating at him all morning since she first mentioned her gift. And if Nesta had looked at him the way she had, there must have been something lurking within him that he couldn’t see.

Astrid steadied herself and beheld him with a bold stare. A moment passed. He noticed that her eyes did not glaze over like Elain’s when she had a vision. Instead, she held the same funny expression as Mor whenever she saw the truths buried in others.

Scarily similar. Mother above, it was as if they were sisters.

Her wings twitched. For some reason, Cassian felt his breath take at the sight of it. What would have caused such sensitive nerves to twitch about like that? He couldn’t stave off the heat in his ears at the speculation.

“You’re loyal to a fault. But you’re caught in between two dark forms. Actually, many. It’s as if you don’t see the darkness around you. And that causes you to compensate for yourself.”

He let go of a breath. Well, she was right about one thing. He had no special powers. Not like his brothers. Not like Nesta and her sisters, Cauldron-blessed. Not like Amren, though now he supposed she had none of her special powers either.

But to compensate for it?

“Ouch.”

“She’s right,” Elain chimed in. She’d observed him, too. Cassian wondered if Elain had found a friend in Astrid, a kindred spirit who shared similar abilities. “And if you’re not careful, Cassian, it will be your downfall.”

A sigh of defeat. “You both are killing me,” he teased. Even though a part of him meant it. Such honesty… He couldn’t think. He needed to spar. Now.

“You look like you wanna punch somebody.” Astrid rested her hands on her hips. Her head tilted to the side. An accusatory smirk. “Need to burn some rubber?”

“You two go ahead,” Elain chirped. “I’m in desperate need of a bath.” And promptly left, with promise of cleaning Astrid’s leathers and bring them back at a later time.

“Well? What say you? In hindsight, you can’t exactly say no.”

Cassian’s brows bounced. “Why is that?”

Astrid spun on her heel to grab a pair of boxing pads before making a face that revealed a glittering smile of mischief.

“Because you’re a general and you love a challenge.” Cassian blinked as she bent under and over the borders of the ring. “I’m the challenge.”

-End-

She’s so funny. I love my girl. And Elain finding a friend in Astrid is so cute. I had Cassian be a little more self aware and implied that he and Nesta have been working on their relationship. And his loyalty is being tested once again. Or will be. 😈

All things Cassian x Astrid (my oc)

Chapter 1:

Chapter 2:

Chapter 3:

Chapter 4:

Chapter 5:

Chapter 6:

Chapter 7:

Chapter 8:

Chapter 9:

(Astrid begins training with Cassian, Az, and the Valkyries. And a rare audience from Elain.)

As promised, Astrid arrived atop the House of Wind ten minutes before seven. The Spymaster and General had not shown up yet, but a strange slim figure sat upon the bench near the ring.

Astrid dropped her bag on the concrete. A change of clothes, a sweat rag, a canteen of water, and a snack awaited within. Her Illyrian leathers had been clean and swept free from any dust. A small detail that separated her from High Lord of the Night Court.

She made way to the female on the bench, careful to make her footfalls heavy enough for the female to hear her coming.

“You’re training, too?” She made her voice clear and friendly, to not spook—

“Oh! Lady Elain!”

The middle sister regarded Astrid with a sad smile and puffy, red eyes. She held her arms for dear life, as if her ribs were fragile enough to spill over. “Oh. I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just needing some air and, well… I thought I’d watch the sun come up.”

Astrid nodded, and understood the struggle and desire to see the sun. “You’re safe to do so, lady. You’re not intruding.”

Lady Elain’s face pinched into a tight but friendly smile. Had anyone else been kind to her?

“Ah! I see you keep your promises! Good!”

Both females pulled their attention to the General, who strolled in with his work out bag. A cheerful smile, all of teeth and twinkling eyes caused Astrid to forget herself for a moment.

“What ever happened to ‘don’t be late’?” She hoped it came out the way she intended. Lady Elain snapped her sights to Astrid which went ignored. She did her best to imitate High Lady Feyre with what she hoped was an easy warmth.

The general beamed. “However did Keir manage to keep you so well hidden is beyond me.” He looked to Lady Elain and offered a nod of approval. “You’re welcome to join, too. I’ve seen you work. You’ve got that classic Archeron fire.”

That caused Elain to sit a tad straighter.

“You mean it?”

The general shrugged in an easy cadence. “Sure, why not! You’ve been here long enough. We’ll make a warrior out of you yet.”

Elain brightened at the comment. “I don’t have a suit, but do you mind if I watch at first?”

Astrid chimed in. “Oh, I have an extra in my bag! Granted, they’re adapted to allow access for wings, but if you don’t mind the windchill, you’re welcome to wear them for the day.”

Elain blinked. “I don’t mind.”

“That Archeron fire will keep you warm,” added Cassian.

He looked…better. Happier. Astrid wondered if they’d truly split or if he was just in his element. Just as Lady Nesta had been on the dance floor the previous night. Astrid silently wished them both well, whatever the case.

Astrid handed the extra leathers to Elain, who disappeared for a moment to change. In her absence, shadows darted toward the ring. The Spymaster peeked out from behind.

“Training today?” Whether he asked about Astrid or Elain, or both, was uncertain. But Astrid did notice the avoidance he had done in regard to Elain.

Astrid nodded. For both of them. “Will you be joining us?”

Azriel paused in that quiet stillness. A lethal stillness. Astrid found it rather beautiful. Like watching a predator behave in a non-predator way. He considered.

“Gwyn may need some assistance with the other newbies,” Cassian offered. They shared a quiet conversation. Years of familiarity gave them the insight into what the other thought, Astrid realized.

“Hmm.” Azriel prepared to winnow, and nodded to Astrid with approval. “Don’t do anything I would do,” he said with a smirk. Then disappeared into a spiral of shadows.

“Right. Well, we’ll wait for Elain to join us. We can start with stretches. Legs first.” He gave Astrid a conspiratorial grin. “You’ll be sore after today.”

Truly, she could use it. The mission accomplished, Astrid needed to deal with things that only physical activity could provide. She sat on the ground and tucked one foot into her crotch while tugging on the other foot. Her hamstrings and calves sang with pleasure. She let out a sigh of relief, allowing her muscles to give under the tension.

General Cassian blinked for a moment before doing the same. Silence settled between them. Until Astrid opened her mouth.

“Keir hasn’t kept me a complete secret,” she said by way of addressing his previous comment. “I’ve been around. Since before…”

Since before Amarantha held the High Lords Under the Mountain. Before Rhysand became her whore, Astrid needn’t add. His general could piece it together on his own.

And he did, bless him.

She continued. “He has me working various jobs and errands. A scout, his dark hound. I guess you could say I’m his spy when I’m not acting as his personal body guard.” She wished she hadn’t said the last part.

The general stilled as he assessed her, remembering something that he didn’t feel the need to share.

“What is a dark hound?” His question was sudden. It gave Astrid a slight cramp in her groin.

“It’s like a bloodhound,” she started. “But instead of sensing bloodlines, I sense darkness. So he has me working odd jobs and the like.” Astrid switched legs and allowed herself to arch over her hips for a deeper stretch. “It keeps me clothed, housed, and fed.”

“Did you fight in the war?” Curious question.

“No,” she answered. Her face fell. “Keir found me too valuable to be on the battlefield, even for Rhysand. Instead I was assigned to Azriel to snoop on Hybern’s camp. But even that was deemed too much of a risk.”

That caused the general to raise his brows and swear. “You really mean a lot to him then.”

“I’m loyal to him,” she said flatly. “I’m good at what I do, and Keir has given me shelter and safety whereas I could have easily been taken to Illyria. I can fly freely so long as I stay under his thumb.” She bit down on the last part. Too much. She said too much. Gods, why was it so easy to talk to him?

But Cassian’s easygoing smile shifted something in her core. Whatever tension that stayed knotted in her gut relaxed. Astrid pulled herself over for a final stretch for the other leg.

“Damn. You’re flexible.”

“Aren’t all Valkyries?”

He grinned at that. “You’d be surprised. But I can confidently say they become flexible, eventually.” He didn’t make an effort to hide the innuendo behind how he said eventually.

Astrid found herself chuckling despite herself. “Thanks. I needed that.”

“What? Be made flexible?”

She busted out with unbridled laughter, wild and unapologetic and loud. “I’m sorry,” she wheezed in between. “Keir has a dim sense of humor and I’ve had a shitty few weeks since I’ve been back.”

But Cassian had not made a sound of judgement. He just sat there, stretching and smiling with a big goofy smile. “I think I needed a laugh, too.”

Oh. Right. Him and Lady Nesta…

Elain entered with the borrowed leathers. Her tall, lanky frame in the black scales… Astrid had to be honest. If not scandalous, Lady Elain looked washed out. She stood in a sunbeam as the sun made its journey into the early mid morning.

“You were right about the space for wing allowance. My shoulder blades are freezing.”

Astrid winced a ‘sorry’ and pulled her legs inward, causing them to look like toned wings.

Cassian found himself too preoccupied with his stretches to make eye contact. Astrid could have sworn he stole a glance at how flexible she was at stretching her groin.

“Go ahead and start your stretches, Elain. Do you know what to start with first?”

The female shook her head.

“Alright then.” Cassian got to his feet and began teaching her the beginning stretches. She was in fact not as flexible. Cassian assured her that she was not alone, and that most beginners started out that way.

Astrid bit down on a comment. Something about how all Valkyries become flexible eventually.

With the warm up stretches completed (legs, buttocks, and core), Cassian led the females into the ring.

“Alright,” he said. “Now. Both of you. Show me what you can do. That way, we’ll know where we need to improve and then we can really begin training.”

-End-

Azriel is avoiding Elain because of Rhys’s orders. He’s being good. Elain is feeling a bit lonely, but at least she’s bettering herself. She wants to feel useful. But knowing Azriel is there is a bit difficult.

Astrid is as dirty-minded as Cassian, who is actually quiet for once. He doesn’t know what to do with her and is very inside his head at the moment. THEIR CHEMISTRY!!! 🔥🔥🔥