#mate azriel

AZRIEL POV

The Inner Circle had gone back to the night court knowing there was a lot they had to talk about, both politics and family dramas that seemed to always crop up in these situations for them.

Azriel couldn’t think. Couldn’t move. He was flying blindly next to Cassian.

And all he could think about was his mate over in the court that happened to be the complete opposite of his.

She was beautiful there was no denying that. She had such sharp features, foxy almost cat like eyes and cheekbones that were strong which he could tell were from her Illyrian mother. And then the rest was a perfect mix of Cisca and Helion blessing her with dark curly hair, brown eyes and warm tanned skin.

Azriel landed in the House of Wind Cassian next to him and they spot the others who have winnowed their way here along with Amren, Mor and Nyx who had stayed behind.

“Right, I think it’s time that … Feyre, Cisca, Azriel, Cassian and I retire to the office to discuss what occurred tonight” Rhysand admits.

“What happened is everyone alright?” Amren asks, a look of surprise on her face. These things often had someone coming home in a fit and it was shocking to see just how calm everyone was. It was actually a little off to Amren, not that she’d admit that.

“Politics as usual Amren” Rhsyand says before winnowing him and Feyre to the study. Cassian, Cisca and Azriel follow shortly behind, Azriel tagging at the back almost still in his own thought and not ready for a group conversation about this just yet.

Rhysand did his brother a favour by actually talking politics, the closer bond between the night and day court thanks to Y/N Princess of the Day Court. An alliance between them was necessary and Thesan seeing two solar courts united will want in on it as well making the northern three territories of Pythian unified.

“Cisca, your daughter …” Rhysand says tentatively making both Feyre and Cisca freeze. Feyre knew how heartbroken Cisca was over not seeing her daughter, as a mother herself Feyre was the person she opened up too the most.

“Yes, my lord” she answers her gaze watching her booted feet on the floor. Her wings twitching in annoyance.

“I’ll invite her to stay here. She’s going to be a crucial part of this unity between Day and Night. Both you and Azriel hold a key part in that” Rhysand explains and confused looks cross around the room.

“I understand me, but … why Azriel?” Cisca asks looking up at her high lord.

“Azriel has felt the mate bond with her” Rhysand explains softly making everyone in the room still.

Azriel had waited the longest out of the brothers for a mate. First he was obsessed with Mor, which was unrequited love for many years. Then the obsession with Elain and the fact that the third sister HAD to be for the third brother, only for her to fall hard for Lucien despite everything he’d done to show her his interest. And Gwyn who’d later found her own destiny along a different path that Azriel was not on.

And then there she was, as bright as the sun yet as calm as the moon. Azriel had been stumped. He’d never been like this before and it almost made the usually stoic and brooding shadowsinger … giddy?

“She’s your mate?” Cisca asks in disbelief.

“The bond snapped as we walked in. I- it didn’t snap for her” Azriel explained.

“That’s why you followed her out … to me. That’s why you listened. I thought you were just being nosy but you were going to try comfort her weren’t you?” She asks and Azriel looks down.

“You can be honest with us Az” Feyre smiles, looking at him with genuine happiness. She could see the two of you together and what a beautiful sight it was.

“Oh Rhysand we should invite her over to dinner and to stay. Just for a few nights!” Feyre says to her mate. To anyone else it probably sounded like an offer or question Feyre had directed to Rhys. But the High Lord knew better than to question his High Lady.

“Of course darling. I’ll let Helion know immediately” he smiles patting her thigh letting her know he approved.

“That might be difficult” Cisca says her wings dropping and a gnarly frown on her face.

“Why?” Cassian pushes.

“My daughter and I … we don’t exactly get on” she breathes out awkwardly.

“Don’t get on? Everyone likes you Cisca. Come on” Cassian jokes and laugh until he catches on that no one else has found his joke funny.

“Oh. You’re serious! I- I’m truly sorry” Cassian blubbers.

“Surly we can convince her? I’ll go myself!” Feyre says determined to get you here in both mother and mate distance.

“She won’t come for me” Azriel said, and Rhys took in the glimmer of pain on his face. “She doesn’t even seem to know I exist let alone that I’m her mate”

“I’ll talk to Helion, I think I have the perfect excuse to get her to come here” Rhys smiles his eyes twinkling with a mischief to them.

Azriel was dismissed and left to go back to the main room, Cassian following in his wake.

Feyre had run off to grab Nyx off his sisters to put him to bed. Cassian had immediately found purchase next to Nesta who was curled up reading a book. Elain was next to the fire silently sipping on her tea. Her face lit up as Azriel entered the room and a wave of nausea overtook him.

How was he going to explain this all to Elain. Things had started to fizzle out between them. From whose end, he didn’t know but it didn’t feel like they were outwardly looking for each other anymore.

“Elain, can I have a moment” Azriel says and both Nesta and Cassians head pops up in interest.

“Of course. How about a walk in the garden” she smiles sweetly and he nods. She holds her hand out to him, as if to guide him.

In that moment however, touching any female that wasn’t his mate no longer felt right now that he’d found her.

Elain brow raises in curiosity before talking his hand in her own, guiding him down to the gardens.

Y/N POV

You were lounging in the pools of the day court Lucien, your half brother beside you.

“You’ve met my mother right?” You ask looking at Lucien who rolled his shoulders back before turning to face you. His long ginger hair was down and the bottom half was wet from both of you having been swimming.

“I have yes. She tends to my mate and her sisters” he says gruffly. He’d spoke to you about his mate Elain and how he’d given her time to come to terms with the mate bond but she just didn’t seem interested in even trying to talk to him. So she knew her brothers kindness and how he’d waited for the newly fae female to approach him.

“But what is she like? I’ve never …” you start but it’s like your words are stuck.

“You’re lucky you knew Helion for as long as you did unlike me. But alternatively if you’d grown up under your mother’s care, she would have also cared for you the same. She’s a spectacular female, very strong and hardworking. It’s unfortunate you don’t give her the chance to prove to you what she could truly be like” he sighed, knowing that his life with Beron had been painful enough and he would have done anything to have Helion in his life earlier than he was now.

“I’m scared” you admit, pulling your hair back up into a loose updo that had your dark curls cascading out of the makeshift clip you’d used to secure it up out of the water.

“Of?” He asks and you frown thinking for a moment what you were truly scared off.

“That she’ll disappoint me… that I’ll disappoint her? I don’t really know. I just know that she hasn’t made the effort for 100 years so why should I make the effort now” you admit and he nods.

“That’s right, but you’ll also get to explore the part of your lineage that you’ve always questioned” he smiles knowing what it was like the first time he came to the day court seeing all the wondering pools and dome shaped roofs on the white sandy buildings.

“Y/N! Lucien come quickly” your father shouts and you both immediately swim to the edge of the pool hopping up wrapping a robe around you.

“Father?” You ask panicked as you and Lucien run over to him.

“The night court needs both of you immediately! Their general has a nasty curse on him that needs to be broken!” Helion advises and you go to question it but he shakes his head.

“You’ll be staying there for some time. Rhysand wishes to have you read some old tomes as well. Lucien you will escort you sister and go with her, do you understand?” Your father directs both of you. With a sigh you both nod and without anymore questions you winnow to the night court.

Taglist:

"Father" you smile at Hellion as you walk into the sunlit dining room where he was sat reading a book from the library. You didn't know what the book was about, it seemed like one your father wouldn't let you get your hands on. That proved correct when he lightly closed the book at the sound of your voice and appearance in front of him.

"Hello, my little light. How are you today" he says placing the book down on the chair next to him.

"I'm well, I woke up in good time despite staying up last night to chart the stars! I knew you had that important meeting today" you smile softly taking a seat opposite him.

"We, have an important meeting" he says, sipping at the tea that the maids had given him earlier on as it wasn't steaming like the fresh one that had been placed in front of you was.

"Thank you" you smile kindly to the maids, Cerfel who'd also placed your fruit breakfast infront of you. "We father? I imagined i'd be staying here?" you ask, confusion across your face at the idea that your father wanted you there. Of course he'd trained you in all kinds of politics and warfare but he'd done so well keeping you away from official meetings that you assumed you wouldn't be invited until your father deemed you adult enough to deal with it despite being over 150 years old.

"Yes, we! Your mother will be attending the Dawn Court as Escort to the High Lady and her sisters and has requested that she see's you" he says, his tone a little clipped as if it was something he was dreading. And if you were being honest, so were you.

Your mother hadn’t reached out in nearly 100 years, so why now?

"Why? She barely acknowledges my existence" you say, stuffing some of the juicy cut fruit into your mouth, chewing whilst holding eyecontact with your father.

"I know, darling. Come let us choose a gown for you to wear today!" He says taking a step away from the table coming round to your side and holding a hand out for you. You take it with a sigh, before smiling and kissing his head.

"Thank you"

Once in your room you and your father, with the help of your maid go through potential options. Hellion however had his mind on one dress he'd had the seamstress make you for your 100th birthday. Sky blue in colour, golden accents coming down the bodice and silk fabric that fell down around you making it look like soft waves of water or clouds were surrounding you.

You put it on with help from your made who later starts to style your hair and give you bangles and rings only in gold and sky blue. After your daidem was placed on your head, sun shapes across the spikes pointing up.

"The true Princess of Day, you make me so proud!" he smiles.

Before you know it, your father is winnowing the pair of you to the Dawn Court Palace that he was very much acquainted with.

“Thesan” he smiles pulling the male in for a hug.

“Hellion, always a pleasure. But even more of a pleasure to grant us the presence of your gorgeous daughter” Thesan says, colour rising to your tan cheeks.

“Thank you High Lord” you say, bowing slightly to him which only elicits a laugh from him.

“No need to do that Princess. We don’t have such rash formalities for Princess’ here” he offers and you nod, before he directs you and your father to the main room where everyone already is waiting.

“We were late?” You whisper to him, to which your dad shakes his head.

“A high lord is never late” he says before strutting over to Kallias and Tarquin. You remain behind awkwardly shuffling. You could feel gazes on you which made the anxiety worse.

Turning your head you spot the night court. Their High Lord and Lady, Rhysand and Feyre who you’d spotted when you’d been trapped under the mountain, Cassian and Azriel, Feyre’s two sisters and finally your eyes land on your mother who is fussing about Nesta’s hair.

Rhysand was the first gaze that you caught, his purple eyes wide as he looked over you. He could immediately tell you were like him. Half Illyrian which meant you were both able to conceal your wings.

Then you felt Feyre’s gaze join her mates, obviously he’d said something to her, a gasp coming from her. Which led to Azriel being more attentive to what had gained his high lady’s attention.

He’d been watching Elain, entranced by her beauty yet again. But when his eyes landed on you the world seemed to slow down. All voices that were currently going on seemed to be drowned out and all he could focus on was you. Everything about you. He went to step forward but was stopped by Rhys who had been unfortunate enough to enter his mind just as Azriel’s thoughts became lewd.

She’s your mate? Rhysand’s voice entered his mind snapping him out of his bubble of joy after finding his mate after all this time. 500 years of waiting and here she was, as radiant as the sun during the day and as captivating as a moonlit night.

Yes

Az, I know you’ve waited longer than most, but you have to wait a little longer. Rhys offers and Azriels gaze snaps to his but before he could question it the meeting started.

You still had yet to look at him and Azriel could feel that the bond hadn’t snapped for you yet which frustrated him increasingly. Your gaze was solely on Cisca, Feyre, Nesta and Elain’s sworn protector.

The gaze wasn’t one he could pin and Azriel prided himself of the way he was easily able to read people. But you were like a blank when he looked.

And he kept looking at you hoping that finally your eyes would meet his.

The meeting ended, an agreement made between the courts. You’d gotten up, excusing yourself from your father walking out the room and down the corridor. Azriel sunk into his shadows following her as she left.

“Y/N” a voice calls and it almost makes Azriel loose concentration.

So that was your name, he couldn’t help but think to himself. He wanted to desperately test the word on his tongue to see how it would sound but he knew he had to remain quiet.

You stopped in your tracks, pausing but not turning to look at Cisca. Azriel was confused as to why Feyre’s guard was here talking to you.

As you turn round, and Azriel sees the two of you opposite one another his eyes widen. You’d of course taken after Hellion, after all he was a High Lord and carried the dominant gene, but what shocked him was the uncanny resemblance you held to this Illyrian woman.

“My daughter” she smiles confirming what Azriel had thought.

“Mother” his mate replies with all the angst in the world, a grit in her tone Azriel wished he would never hear directed at him.

“I - you’ve grown into such a beautiful young fae my dear. You are … glowing” she smiles before stepping closer. “Let me see them darling” she says and you knew what she meant, as you revealed wings that hadn’t been there before. Ones you’d hidden. They were long leathery ones like his that he hadn’t expected.

They were concealable like Rhysands where you were only half Illyrian.

“My daughter. I’m so so sorry my duty has kept me away from you. I’ve wished nothing more than to spend time with you. And … if you want the High Lord has given me permission to house you in the Night Court whenever you desire” she adds and you look at her with a frown.

“I never want to go to that place” you say venom in your tone.

“But - I thought I could make up for lost time. Please you have to understand Y/N, I’m under duty to Rhysand and his father before him” she says and tears brim in your eyes.

“I’m happy in the day court with the father who raised me when my mother dropped me on his doorstep unable to care for me! I’m happy with the man who raised me to be both compassionate and combative. The man who taught me how to break spells and curses, using the ability he gave me. Then man who stuck by my side whenever anyone would question my wings as a child because I didn’t understand how to conceal them! So no, I will not take up your late invitation. I don’t want anything to do with the night court!” You say, all while tears are streaming down your face.

“Y/N please” she begs, a horrible look of begging and panic on her face.

“Cisca” a voice joins the conversation and it’s your father who you run over to, his arms open and waiting for you.

“What are you doing?” He asks looking at the woman who once used to very much love.

“I just wanted time” she says, a sad twinge in her tone.

“I’ll talk to her, get yourself back to your court. Please Cisca” he whispers to her, pain in his own heart knowing how horrible it must feel. He wouldn’t probably go insane at the thought of you not wanting to be around him.

“Please promise me you’ll try convince her” she says, tears in her green eyes.

“Of course” he says before kissing her head swiftly ending the conversation. He then led the pair of you away out the corridor and back to where Thesan was.

“You can come out now Azriel” Cisca says making him curse under his breath before he rounds the corner from a dark spot he’d been hiding in.