A Court of A New Age

• Chapter 4 •

The next day, Celestia was called into her mother and father's study room, and she was fairly certain she already knew what it was about. Especially as upon entering she spied Azriel and Cassian stood against a bookcase.

She gave Cassian a look as she rubbed at a still sore spot on her arm, pulling her lips back slightly as he grinned.

"How are you?" Her mother asked, drawing her attention away from the irritating male.

"Better." She replied, moving to sit on the couch across from her parents. "So, am I right in assuming this meeting is about the Illyrian females?"

She plopped down on the couch, looking over at her father who nodded. "Azriel told us your idea."

She crossed her legs as she leaned back against the couch. "And?"

Rhysand gave his daughter an exasperated look before glancing over at Cassian who simply shrugged. "It's your decision, Cel, however if you do go then Azriel will accompany you."

"I'm not in need of coddling." She snapped, a bit viciously she realised as her parents gave her a warning look.

"We know that. But it would be better for Azriel to oversee their reactions to your arrival and demands." Her mother explained, smiling to soften the tension in the room at Celestia's idea.

The pause in Celestia could be felt as she allowed things to process. She leaned forward after a moment, locking eyes with Azriel, who seemed to mentally recoil at the sudden attention on him. "So, when do we leave?"

Azriel looked to Rhys, who spoke instead, "in two days."

Celestia nodded, her eyes somehow finding's Azriel's, who was already watching her. For a couple of seconds, they both unintentionally stared at each other, until her father unabashedly coughed.

Celestia shook her head slightly, looking away from the male that had always snagged her attention, as she pushed herself up into a stand and faced her parents. She gave them a toothy grin, as they returned it with gentle smiles of her own.

Her mother reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, "I believe you can do this. But if you can't, it's okay and you would never let us down. We'll just figure something else out."

Celestia nodded, her heart swelling as her father also gave her a platonic wink that meant he also had faith in her. She was grateful, more than words could comprehend, to have such understanding and strong parents.

"Right, scurry off my little creation, we've got adult talk to do." Rhys teased and she stuck her tongue out at him in return as she retreated over to the door of the study.

Before leaving she glanced at Azriel once again briefly, she gave him a departing smile as she exited, shutting the door behind her and nearly jumping out of her skin as she came face to face with her brother.

"By the Cauldron- Luka!" She hissed, shoving past her older brother as she made her way to have a walk through Velaris and practice what she'd say to the Illyrian females.

"You're going to Devlon's camp?" He questioned, keeping at pace beside her with his hands behind his back as if he was about to lecture her.

She narrowed her eyes at him as they left their house, "yes."

He gave her a sidelong look, "is Azriel going with you?"

She paused on the streets of Velaris, the chattering city filling her ears. "Why does it matter?"

He gave her a grin that only he could master, "just wondering."

A scent hit her and she turned as she spotted a figure coming towards them, tall and broad. "What are you pair doing?"

Celestia crossed her arms as her oldest brother approached them, his midnight hair nearing on dark blue in the sunlight. "I'm being annoyed by this creature-" she pointed to the male beside her and Luka whacked her arm away scowling.

Ronan rolled his eyes and moved forward, linking his arm through his little sister's as he urged her along, gesturing for Luka to find someone else to bother. Celestia grinned and sent her brother a taunting look as he was dismissed.

Luka snarled softly as he stormed off to no doubt get under someone else's skin. She smiled slightly as she looked up at Ronan, whose face was so similar to their father's.

"Dad told me you're going to Devlon's camp." He stated, looking down at her.

She rolled her eyes, "this is what Luka was annoying me about."

He grinned softly, a smile so similar to their mother's, his bright blue eyes dancing. "Calm down. I just wanted to know what you planned on saying?"

She blinked up at him, then down at her exposed arms, the Illyrian tattoo's climbing up the entire length of one, only leaving her hand bare. Her sheer top, with a bralet underneath that revealed her naval also showed the tattoos that were printed between her breasts, wrapping round underneath them and joining again on her back, swirling up and down her spine.

Like her brother's, she'd gotten tattoo's to signify their Illyrian heritage. Her arm tattoo was a match to the one her three brother's also bore, a bargain between them to always stick together, even after death. The one between her breasts and back, she earned after training in the Illyrian camps, awarding her as a trained and blooded warrior, despite being female.

She would receive a new tattoo soon that would wrap across her wrist and join around her middle finger, the one to signify she'd become the next High Lady. The thought sent a burst of nervousness through her heart and she looked back up at her brother, remembering the question he asked her.

He was waiting expectantly, so she sighed; "I don't know, brother."