Son of Night and Daughter of Stars

Chapter 1: The Princess

A/N: Above is a picture I made of how I picture Estelle, Aelin and Rowan's eldest daughter.

"Tell Ana I'll help her in a minute, alright?" Estelle told her youngest brother. "I'm busy." 

"I'll go help her," Katrien said, standing up. "You finish getting ready, Estelle." 

"You're being too nice to her, Katy," Estelle said, straightening the silver, diamond, and peridot tiara on her golden curls. "Just like you always are." 

Katrien met Estelle's eyes in the vanity mirror, smiling serenely. Not for the first time, Estelle was struck by how much Katrien looked like her mother. They shared the same rich gold-and-brown hair, although Katrien's was a bit darker, the same dusty skin tone, even the same magical healing powers. But Katrien's glittering bronze eyes ruined any chance of confusing her with her mother. 

"I'm just trying to help," She said, shrugging slightly. She waved goodbye, then turned and left the room. Talen stayed where he was, continuing to watch Estelle. 

"What do you want now?" She asked, turning around and meeting his gaze. Her brother grinned at her, fidgeting with the end of his small green coat, the exact shade of his winter-pine-colored eyes. The exact shade of her own, matching eyes. 

"You look very pretty." He told her, still grinning. She smiled begrudgingly. She could never stay mad at her younger siblings. 

"Thanks, Tal," She said, reaching out to ruffle his silver cap of hair. He ducked out of the way, laughing madly, and ran from the room. 

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the vanity, shaking her head. She examined herself in the mirror and tilted her head a bit so the light glittered on the tiara.

"Estelle?" Her mother came into the room and met her eyes in the reflection of the mirror. Her mother smiled at her, her gaze landing on the tiara. 

"Sorry, Mother," Estelle said sheepishly. "I should have asked-" 

"Oh, I don't mind. It suits you." Her mother waved off the comment and sat down next to her on the bench, smoothing out the deep green folds of her skirt. Estelle snuck another glance at her mother in the mirror. Her honey-blonde hair, so much like Estelle's, hung loose down her back in waves of gold. Perched atop her head was her golden kingsflame crown. Despite her real age, she looked only a few years older than Estelle, courtesy of her Fae blood. 

"What are you looking at?" Her mother asked, smiling at them both in the mirror. 

"Nothing," Estelle replied, reaching up to straighten her tiara again. Her mother laughed and stood up, moving to stand behind her. 

"Let me, before you ruin your hair," She teased, gently pushing Estelle's fingers out of the way. Estelle moved her hands and let her mother remove the tiara, smooth her pinned-back hair down, and place it in again perfectly centered. 

"There," Her mother said, putting her hands on Estelle's shoulders and grinning at her. "Now you look like a proper royal." 

"She certainly has the stubbornness of one." Estelle and her mother both turned to see her father standing in the doorway, smiling slightly at the two of them. In his hands, he held Estelle's newest sister, who was only a few days old. 

"Oh, hello there!" Estelle stood up, ran over to her sister, and poked her little nose. "Hello, Ginny!" She beamed at her father. "Can I hold her?" 

"Of course you can," Her father laughed as he handed the baby over to her. "Just like your mother. Completely obsessed with children." 

"I am not obsessed," Her mother protested. "They're just-" 

"So small and so precious, baby Genevieve," Estelle cooed to her baby sister, not even hearing her parents. She looked up when they both began to laugh. "What?"