A Court of Love and Devotion - Novellas

Happy Birthday, Mommy

It was the soft kisses trailing on her bare back that woke her up first. Then the fingers grazing her arms as the kisses moved to her neck.

Nesta hummed happily as her eyes fluttered open. "Good morning," she told Cassian as she stretched her arms.

He squeezed in closer from behind. "Good morning, my love," he answered. "And happy birthday."

"Thank you," she managed to turn to face him. "What time is it?"

"A little past six. But we don't have to get up just yet," he said and brought her closer to him. "The priestesses know their exercises, they don't need us today. Besides, I'm sure mini-me is already awake and warming up right now." Nesta snorted. Indeed, she probably was. "How about we take the morning off? Before everyone hogs you and I don't get to touch my wife for the rest of the day."

His lips captured hers in a searing kiss. She moaned at the touch of his lips on hers. Then she moaned some more at the touch of his hands in other places. At the feel of him inside her.

He took her over and over until the bed was soaked. Then he took her on the desk, in the tub and on the counter until both of them were well and truly spent. Nesta couldn't think of a better way to spend her birthday morning.

Her family would be coming to the House for lunch, then those who wanted to join would fly to the mountain for an afternoon hike.

When the couple finally made it out of their bedroom, they immediately went to the dining room to start preparing for the guests but they found that their daughters had already done it all.

The table had been set. Fresh flowers were in vases to decorate and the room smelled of spices and herbs, making Nesta salivate.

Toned, tan arms went around her waist and squeezed. "Happy birthday, Mommy," Hazel said from behind her.

Nesta smiled and rested her head on her daughter's. "Thank you, my love."

Sage arrived and embraced her mother from the front. Then Elia on her right and Aria on her left. Nesta was trapped in a big mommy-daughters cuddle with kisses coming from all sides. She chuckled and held on tight to her girls until everyone finally let go.

"I don't get cuddles like that," Cassian complained.

"That's because it's not your birthday, old male," Hazel sneered.

"Even on my birthdays," he threw his arms up. "I never get cuddles like that."

"Awh," Hazel advanced on her father and embraced him. "Poor Daddy."

He closed his arms around his third daughter and sobbed dramatically. "Well, yeah."

Nesta shook her head and laughed. Then she turned back to the room. "What else is there to prepare?"

Elia hooked arms with her mother and brought her to the end of the table. "Oh, no Mom. It's your birthday, you sit here and relax. Everyone should be here soon."

Sage walked over to her with a warm cup of tea. "There you go, Mom." Nesta placed a kiss on her forehead in thanks. A few minutes later, Feyre arrived with her tribe along with Elain with hers. Then Mor and Emerie with Amren and Varian. And finally, Gwyn, Azriel and the twins.

A ridiculously large pile of presents had formed by the hearth when everyone gathered around the long table. It appeared the House itself had put gifts for its mistress.

It took a good hour for everyone to get through the main course alone. Bites were spare in the midst of conversations or catching up. Elain was telling her sisters about the new patch that was opened in one of the poorer areas of the Day Court. So that people may learn to cultivate the ground and harvest themselves for free.

With Spring in full bloom now, the High Lady of the Day Court rejoiced in seeing her garden flourish once more. Lucien listened to his mate's rambling with a hand on hers and a content smile on his face.

When everyone was done, Elia and Hazel brought the cake they'd made together. A four-tiered chocolate cake with each level decorated for each daughter.

The bottom had swords and shields to represent Aria, all in silver and black. The one above had dancing figures for Elia in soft tones of brown and beige The one on top, in a rainbow of colors, had paintbrushes and carving material for Hazel. And the top one had green and yellow books to represent Sage.

As soon as Nesta blew her candles, her daughters brought the pile of presents to her while her sisters cut the cake. Elia got her a pendant with four charms on which were engraved the initials of her daughters. Sage gave her an assortment of bath salts. Hazel had made her a personalized mug in the same style as the cake. But it was Aria's gift that surprised her.

"I was wondering if you and I could go on a mommy/daughter trip for a week. Just the two of us," she explained. "Like you did when we were babies."

Indeed, when each baby had started weaning, Nesta had left for a trip alone with each of them. She'd started with Aria and it became a tradition. As much a tradition as the belly molds that hung in the playroom.

When she was full term, she and Cassian had put a cast on her belly and when the babies were born, they'd put their handprints and footprints on the molds then hung them on the wall of the playroom. The room wasn't used as much anymore, though the family liked to play board games there from time to time.

Nesta smiled as she looked at the reservation sheet her daughter had given her.

"It's a cabin in the woods," Aria informed her. "But some walls are made of glass and we can see wolves walk by. There are some fun activities we can do as well."

Nesta beamed at her. "I can't wait." She kissed her cheek hard and resumed the opening of her presents.

She'd received a bit of everything. A fragrance from Rhys and Feyre. A cosmetic set from Mor and Emerie. A book on war strategy from Nyx. A set of daggers that looked like a torture kit from Azriel and Gwyn who had put a note saying To practice on Cassian.

She'd laughed and promised her friends that she'd make good use of the weapons.

Her mate had gifted her a new pair of dancing shoes, an advanced copy of the new Selene Drake novel (Emerie had nearly leaped from her chair when she saw that), a warhammer and, finally, as if she hadn't been spoiled enough, a red rose encased in a globe that had been enchanted to never wilt, to last forever.

"Like our love," he'd said and kissed her deeply.

When Nesta was done and surrounded by wrapping paper, it was time, for those who wanted to, to go on that hike. There was a track on the outskirts of Velaris that she and Elia favored. Elain and her family stayed behind as well as Amren, Varian and Valeria. Everyone else had put on their hiking shoes and gotten ready to go.

Sage decided to collect certain plants and study their uses. She'd found a book on the subject in the library and it became her new obsession.

"Practicing your poison, Sagey," Callum asked.

Sage had only shrugged. "It could come in handy when one of you annoys me."

The group arrived at the peak right on time to watch the sun set. They sat on boulders, all embracing one another. Nesta rested her head on Cassian's shoulder as their daughters sat around their parents.

Nesta smiled to herself, reveling in the embrace and the love she'd felt that day. Aria put her head on her mother's chest and whispered : "Happy birthday, Mommy."