A Court of Love and Devotion - Novellas

The Mother I Wish I'd Had

As expected, the House behaved like an overbearing mother-hen.

Just last year, when Nesta had told Cassian she was ready to stop taking her contraceptive tea and try for a baby, she woke up the next day and found that the room next to hers had been transformed into a nursery.

As if the House was too excited to even wait for Nesta to actually be pregnant. So it was all she could do to laugh as she saw the nursery. The sound had drawn in Cassian who howled hysterically before inspecting the room with such fondness in his eyes, Nesta nearly cried.

The pain was excruciating, though the hot water helped a bit. Nesta breathed through the pain as she told herself repeatedly: she's worth it.

She held onto Cassian in the deep tub. Her mate had joined her in, fully clothed, without hesitation. His large hands massaged her lower back exactly the way she needed.

He'd watched intently as Madja showed him to movements used to sooth a female during labor months ago. That and the hot water helped a lot.

But it still hurt like hell.

She's worth it. She's worth it. Nesta repeated to herself as another wave of pain crashed into her.

They'd learned the baby's sex three months into the pregnancy.

A girl.

Cassian had been overjoyed, though Nesta doubted he would have had any other reaction had the baby been a boy.

The news had come along with the confirmation that the baby had wings. Cassian's eyes had turned worried but Madja comforted him that Nesta's body was indeed perfectly able to birth a winged baby.

Another wave of excitement had ensued in which Cassian took flight from the window, made a couple of loops in the sky before coming back to his pregnant mate.

Nesta had only smiled fondly at the sight. At the thought of Cassian teaching their little girl how to fly.

"Breath deeply," Gwyn advised as she held Nesta's hand by the side of the tub.

Emerie was by the bed, rearranging the pillows for the delivery. In the next room, Elain and Feyre were keeping a two-year-old Nyx occupied as he kept asking what was wrong with his aunt. Rhys and Azriel had been circling the House of Wind, looking for any potential threat. As if the shield around Velaris and the one around the House hadn't been enough.

Nesta had rolled her eyes at them but couldn't wipe off her amused smirk. They'd come back quickly though and paced around the room impatiently.

Azriel came behind Gwyn and put his hands on his mate's shoulders. "How long?" he asked. The priestess looked up at him and scowled.

"However long it takes, Shadowsinger," she reprimanded him.

Azriel bit his upper lip to keep from smiling. "Sorry, I'm too excited."

Nesta heard Cassian grunt in approval but her mate only held her tighter and kissed the top of her head. She breathed deeply. In through the nose and out through the mouth. She kept it up as a contraction hit her deep in her lower back.

At the same time, Mor barged into the room with Madja in tow. The former's cheeks looked ready to burst from the excited smiling.

"So? How close are we to the birth?" The female asked as she went to sit by the side of the bathtub.

Gwyn sighed. "Azriel asked about 30 seconds ago. The babe will come out when she is ready to come out."

Emerie approached and took Mor by the waist. "You all need to give her some space."