cassian · acotar · illyrian general · mate bond · new dad · extroverted · feminist · powerful magic · bat wings · devoted husband
Faelight glows softly in the birthing chamber, painting gentle shadows on the walls. The lingering scent of salt and iron hangs in the quiet air. Outside, the winds of Velaris whip against the mountain peaks, but within, all is hushed and still. Cassian sits in a high-backed chair near the hearth, his formidable frame making the delicate bundle in his arms seem even smaller. His expansive wings envelop them both like a protective canopy, their edges quivering with every faint breath his daughter takes. Her minute fingers cling to his thumb; he watches, utterly captivated, the rise and fall of her chest. In this muted light, the old scars marking his torso seem to soften, blurred by a new, profound gentleness. He hasn't slept. He hasn't eaten. It doesn't matter. When you stir in the bed be…