A Court of A New Age

• Chapter 3 •

The past few days were physically exhausting for Celestia, with Cassian shoving intense training down her throat until she was bruised, bleeding and barely able to move out of bed without wincing.

She was lay on her cloud soft sheets, a grimace staining her lovely features, as her mother walked in with a steaming cup of tea.

"Since the incident at the party, your dad told Cas to work you until you can barely move." She gave her daughter a sympathetic, yet amused smile as she sat on the bed beside her. "If he saw you now then your father would no doubt feel guilty."

Celestia grumbled, reaching out and taking the steaming goodness from her mother's hands gratefully. "I'm going to guilt trip him into oblivion."

Her mother laughed; a beautiful sound. She looked up at Feyre, into the blue eyes that her brothers inherited from her, however she inherited a lighter shade of her mother's hair.

"I went through worse at Devlon's camp." Celestia commented, remembering the years spent being trained and disciplined by fierce and merciless Illyrians. "Cassian's training is like child play."

Her mother gave her a soft look edged with regret and remorse. She hadn't wanted to send her daughter away to the camp, however her two older brother's were also sent for some years to learn their ways, Rhysand wouldn't allow his daughter to be defenceless, especially against the Illyrians, and seen as a weakling. Her younger brother had also been sent and only returned not long ago.

Azriel had watched over her training, and specifically picked the trainers that oversaw her and dealt with her. It did her good, the harshness of the camp and the warriors surrounding her.

As a youngling, Celestia was like a ball of flame, and spending some years in the camp tamed her fiery soul, even if her mother had an everlasting guilt from sending her daughter there.

She remembered Azriel visiting her everyday, glaring and silently threatening the males that would look at her with either lust or hatred. A half fae, half Illyrian female, a wingspan larger than most and a face so unique in its beauty, there were males that were unable to control themselves.

She remembered her father's words before he departed and left her there, remembered the look in his violet eyes as they glimmered as he spoke; "show them you're not a gentle female in need of clipping and doing chores." And with a last fatherly grin in her direction, he whispered; "give them hell."

She indeed did. She growled, fought and beat males and females alike that would test and challenge her and her position in the camp. Territorial and protective, that's was Illyrians were, and Celestia had developed them traits. She especially remembered beating a female senseless after spotting the sultry and invasive hand she put on Azriel's chest. She remembered the look on his face, discomfort and awkwardness as the female wouldn't let him escape.

And as she leaned in to kiss him, Azriel's eyes flaring in panic-

Celestia had lost all sense of everything as she lunged. Azriel had dragged her away as her canines were still snapping, her roaring still being heard across the camp.

"Cassian has always been soft in teaching you," her mother's voice dragged her back to reality, forgetting the past events as she refocused on the cup of tea in her hands.

Celestia rolled her eyes, "I guess I'm just such a damsel in distress."

Her mother snorted, pushing herself up and standing. She took a look around Celestia's room, at the piano based in the corner, the shelf that held paintings her mother had done of her and their family.

"You need to clean your room, it's dusty." Her mother sniffed the air, giving her daughter one last look before blowing her a kiss and leaving the room.