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coralseacourt · 8 months

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Broken Love

🪸@coralseacourt Summery: The youngest Acheron Sister gets rejected for Elain.

Love is sweet but revenge is sweeter. After a broken heart comes a broken court part two of broken love. Warnings: naughty scene

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚 Part 2

He left.

Left me after all this? To find Elain?

The Shame and Embarrassment I felt in this moment was unbearable.

He ran from me like I had infected myself with a deadly disease.

If i could i would just lay here on the floor of the training room and never move again.

I stared still in shock at the ceiling above.

Wow.

After finally regaining some kind of consciousness I got up.

Should I have expected something different?

Probably not.

I knew he had feelings for her, but secretly i had hoped.

I grinched inwardly. How would I be able to train with him or even meet his eyes?

What if he gave up on my training?

With all those questions pounding in my head i went back to my room.

I had to talk to him tomorrow and make sure our training progress wouldn’t suffer.

I could do this. I would keep my feelings to myself.

That night I lay awake staring at the Stars outside of my window, so bright and yet they looked so lonely never quite reaching each other, when I heard it.

A giggle. So melodic and soft. I would recognize her voice anywhere.

I got curious what was she doing here?

She was living in the Townhouse with feyre, she never came up here.

I got out of bed and walked on quite feets to the door, opening it slowly.

My heart was racing, my hands sweating, a terrible feeling was spreading in my stomach.

I peaked out and could see Azriel’s back. His hands pressed against the wall across from my bedroom and in front of him Elain pushed between him and said Wall. Kissing. Touching. Little noises leaving her mouth.

“Listen to your sweet little moans. No one could ever compare to you.” His voice out of breath and dark from lust.

And that was the moment my Heart broke completely.

He had done this on purpose. Took her to the front of my room to devour her.

And for what? To send a message?

To tell me “I m not interested”?

I gasped loudly and tears started to roll down my face.

I would have accepted if he would have kept his distance or told me to leave him alone, but this?

It was intentionally cruel.

He pulled away from my Sister and looked at me over his shoulder.

I could find no regrets in his eyes.

I hastily closed my door and run to the Bathroom .

My Dinner heaving up . I fell to the ground in front of the toilet and threw up while tears were streaming down my face.

I should have stayed invisible.

Time was passing .

I didn’t know how long i had been laying on the bathroom floor before I went to bed.

While the sickness had left a hysterical hiccup had stayed.

Exhaustion had finally overcome me and I fell asleep.

For the next week I barely left my room.

Food magically appeared but I barely touched it. No one came to ask if I was ok, why would they ?

I had to think back about Rhysand’s words before I started training.

“Do you want to be seen?” I thought I did but if being seen meant being hurt then no I rather stayed by myself.

Or maybe it was just the wrong people that saw me.

And that’s were my plan started.

I needed to get away.

Away from everyone and everything that was holding me back. Away from everything that made me weak.

A week after the events in the training room I packed my bag and sneaked out to the 10.000 steps , that i knew i had to somehow overcome if i wanted to get away .

It took me hours.

Hours of sweat and scratched up hands.

Bloody and sweaty but feeling free.

It was still dark outside but barely.

I walked quietly through the still sleeping city.

I could do this.

Be on my own.

And with a last look towards the starlit city behind me i left, in to the woods.

🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚

1 year later

Beron was dead.

Eris did it. He finally was High Lord. And it was time to play.

For the last year I had mostly traveled, until I found myself lost in the autumn Court.

Eris the future heir had found me and offered me his friendship.

Was it a real friendship ? Probably not, but i had stopped caring.

He hid me in one of his cabins. Preparing me for the day that he would be High Lord. And the day was here.

Maids had dressed me in a dark red, long, see through dress with a slit down my left leg.

Nothing was hidden.

My curls running down my back freely. My face only touched by coal dust around my eyes.

“You look magnificent violet, my little nightmare.”

Eris was standing behind me his hands were sliding down my bare arms .

A shiver run down my spine and I closed my eyes enjoying the feeling of skin to skin contact.

“ Tonight I will release you for the first time, and I can’t wait to see their faces when they recognize you, my evil little girl.”

With still closed eyes I could feel his light kisses on my shoulder. “You really think they will care? No one has been even looking for me. “

I turned around and pressed myself closer to him touching his chest with my hands.

“ Don’t worry they will look at you and only you , when they see you in this.” He swiped his finger over my revealing cleavage and his eyes followed.

“ You are Shameless.” I whispered lowly. “ But would you want me any other way?”

He bend down and licked over my sensitive skin right between my Breast’s.

I groaned. Wetness pooling between my thighs. “ You know what’s going to happen if you don’t stop.” I mumbled lowly while trying not to moan.

His tongue wandered to my left nipple that was still wrapped in my silk dress.

The newly crowned High Lord started circling it slowly .

And i couldn’t help but grab a handful of his red hair, close my eyes , lean back to give him better access and hold on for dear life. “Oh I know my sweetness, but who am I to ignore such an invite in front of me.”

I yelped when he suddenly grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder walking to my bed.

“ I will enjoy my dessert first before I release my nightmare at the High Lords Meeting.”

He quickly threw me on the bed where I stared up to him from.

Finally he kneeled and pulled me with a swift move towards him , where he spread my legs giving me a last longing look before disappearing underneath my dress.

With the first sweep of his tongue I could feel my hole body stringing up like a bow ready for release.

His hands holding my thighs tight while his tongue swirled in heavenly ways bringing me to my release and making me moan like it was the first time.

🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚

I was standing in front of the door that separated me from the people i had left behind, that had hurt me.

That made me feel like nothing.

With Eris beside me i entered. My face was still, without showing any emotion or signs of weakness.

The players had arrived and this time I wouldn’t be the one hurt.

This Time they would see me for what I really was.

Taglist

🐚@impossibelle

#acotar fanfic #azriel #azriel acotar #azriel x oc #rhys acotar #rhys x reader #rhys x y/n #rhys x you #eris vanserra #eris acotar #eris x reader #autumn court #sjmaas #sjm books #sjm #acotar fandom #maasverse

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tiffyelefano · 4 months

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han dynasty fashion, but make it fae✨

•••

when starting this piece, i just wanted to draw a portrait focused on the little details of hanfu (like beading and such). but then i started thinking about the dawn court from ACOTAR, because it’s SJM’s kind-of conglomerate of all of asia in one region, and i thought it would be fun to design a character from there.

it’s canon that a lot of the dawn court has roots from xian, a place i can only assume was based off of china, so it isn’t too far off to imagine that for special celebrations, chinese-inspired traditional clothing would be worn by its citizens.

and as i was drawing this character facial features, she just ended up resembling me lol

so TLDR; this is my ACOTAR self-insert OC from dawn court

#acotar #acotar fanart #acotar oc #a court of thorns and roses #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf #digital art #sarah j maas #maasverse #dawn court #tiffy's art #tiffy’s ocs

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azrielsshadows42 · 2 months

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A Court of Scales and Fire prologue

Eris Vanserra x Female oc

a/n: this is my first series that I will be attempting to write, and my first Eris fic, posting will not be consistent, (cause of school, writers block, general lack of motivation or perhaps I am reading. Yes, shock horror, sometimes authors read to) I only have a vague idea of how I want the story to go, it will be a slow burn, there might be eventual smut, there might not, I haven't decided, this is a test run to see if anyone would be interested in reading something like this. If you do want me to write this, please say so, it gives me motivation.

Character mood boards

Word count: 1.4k

Edited: 21/07/2024

It was dark, quiet. Not a sound to be heard, no paws stalking across the land, no birds flying over the forest or incessant buzz from insects, even the winds itself seemed to be holding its breath, whether in fear of what had happened or anticipation of what was to come... nobody knew. A leaf falling upon the soft earth would have been deafening.

Despite the eerie silence, there were two who had dared to encroach on the land, hoping their presence wasn't met with hostility, hoping their presence wasn't met at all. Wing beats that usually would have gone unheard seemed to echo loudly, the sound ringing in the intruder's ears. They landed and she dismounted, painfully aware of how much the softest of sounds blared like an air horn.

They both crept forward until they found an opening, it gaped ahead of them, entirely unwelcoming. It wasn't just dark; the shadows absorbed the light like a fire consumed oxygen; violently. It seemed unnatural for something to scream so obviously of danger and foreboding to be just like everything else here; deathly silent. Looking at each other, they discretely agreed to go inside, they needed refuge, desperately, they couldn't afford to scout out the place, or look for a better option. They could only go inside and pray that the complete lack of noise was a sign that this place was uninhabited. She walked in first, looked around with bated breath, katana in hand, blade gleaming in the scarce light and beckoned to her injured friend when she found nothing.

Her friend limped inside, wings slumped, exhausted from days of continuous flight with limited, unsatisfactory breaks and the aerial battle with an unknown assailant less than an hour before. Stumbling through the long, narrow tunnel, she had her hand braced against the wall to feel how it curved, the other guiding her friend. They cautiously walked for what felt like forever but was really about three minutes until the air shifted, and she slowly realised they had broken into open space. She wouldn't go as far as to say she had night vision, that wasn't one of her abilities, but she could see better than most, normally could at least get some sense of her surroundings, so this all-consuming blackness that left her completely blind was highly unnerving, though she dare not light a fire.

They slinked around to find a spot for rest that wasn't quite so... open, despite being underground, she got the sense the ceiling was high, not being able to see just how far it stretched, nor any walls, or even so much as her own hands left a bitter taste in her mouth. After many mini heart-attacks thinking they hadn't been alone, only to find that any sound made was by them accidentally kicking a rock, the vast emptiness causing tremorous echoes to ensue, they finally found a small alcove to curl up in. She blocked the entrance with stone and lit a fire with the copious amounts of moss she was able to scrape off the walls.

As her eyes adjusted, she began to relax. Her friends' leaf-like scales gleamed in the fire light, kind bright green eyes looked into her own: dark cerulean with hints of purple and a ring of amber around the pupil. Her friends' lithe body, bruised and dirty, curled around the fire, tail sweeping the ground causing dust to billow up. She beckoned to her with her head to join, the movement was sluggish as the last reserves of energy left. She sat against her friend and knowing she was nearby she laid her head down and closed her eyes.

She gazed at her, heart aching at the situation they had found themselves in. "We're gonna be ok Everest, I promise." She whispered in an ancient language not even the oldest of fae remembered, so old, they wouldn't even know of it ever existing in the first place. "Once morning comes, I'm going to go out, find some supplies and heal you" She stopped to look in the fire, to force herself to feel the warmth seep into her bones, to remind herself she was alive, that she had survived and she was here, free, never to be imprisoned by him, or anyone else ever again. No matter how many centuries passed she still had to remind herself. "Who knows, maybe this place is really nice when you can actually see, maybe we could call this place home, it's definitely going to be a fixer-upper but, we could make it work, what do you think?" The only response she got was a contented sigh at the prospect of being able to call anywhere home, laced with all the lost hours of rest.

She smiled, imagining what it might be like to stay in one place for more than a month or two at a time, what it might be like to live without fear as their constant companion. Yes, she decided. Her and Everest would be just fine, for they had something no one else did. Everest had a skilled swordsman faerie outcast, and Y/n had Everest; a fiercely loyal friend who took shit from no one (Except her), Everest with her wings and fire magic, her spined tail and near-impenetrable scales. Everest, who just happened to be one of the myths parents told their children about so they would come inside before dark.

Everest, the dragon.

And the only person Y/n would die for...

For now, anyways

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Meanwhile in Velaris

Rhysand was hunched over his desk, doing paperwork that had been sitting there for far too long when he heard footsteps padding their way just outside the door. He hoped it was Feyre coming to distract him but knew she would still be at the art studio. Besides, her footsteps don't sound like that. Instead of his mate, Amren walked through the door, looking highly displeased. He sighed internally, knowing he wouldn't like whatever she had to say.

"Enjoy your vacation in summer?"

She gave him a scathing look, not even humouring him. This was serious. "What happened?" He asked, back straightening. She stared piercingly into his eyes and despite only being high fae now, she still had the same effect of whatever she was before. "Something has entered Prythian, Rhysand. Something powerful, I saw it, I felt it. I don't know what it was, but it's hurt, vulnerable, this is the best time to stop it before it gets out of hand"

Amren looked sincerely worried about this new potential threat, which made it all the more concerning "As you said, we don't know what it is, so how are we supposed to find it" She thought for a moment. "Last I saw, it was heading toward winter. Start there."

So he did. Let this be nothing, please Mother above let it be nothing. He, the rest of the inner circle and likely the entirety of Prythian, was to tired to deal with another threat

-------------------------

Eris's POV

It was late, he was tired, his body ached, and there seemed to be a constant throb in his head that no amount of tea or medicine could drown. Still, he had to finish the reports. Welcome to the life of a high lord, I guess. Rushed footsteps notified him that he should soon expect company. One of his sentries burst through the door, gasping for breath. He looked up, annoyed. "Well, what is it?" The fae gathered his bearings enough to pant out "Apologies High Lord, but something has been spotted on our border with summer"

Eris raised an eyebrow. "What was spotted?" He asked with barely restrained irritation. The soldier looked at him nervously " W-we don't exactly know" he stuttered out. Eris's eyes narrowed "What do you mean, you don't know, you said you saw it, did you not?" He spat out, rage threatening to boil over. "I- uh well um, yes s-sort of, we saw s-something and tried to shoot it down, b-but it was dark, w-we couldn't see properly, t-the only thing confirmed was that everyone felt the energy it gave off" Eris sighed deeply, he just solved the threat of his father, and now another appeared. "Find it" he spoke with a deathly calm. "Y-yes s-sir, r-r-right away" and the fae scampered off to track down whatever he and the other soldiers had seen.

Once gone, Eris slumped in his chair and massaged his temples. The Mother was not making his time as High Lord easy.

---End---

Chapter 1

#acotar #eris #eris vanserra #eris vandaddy #eris x oc #eris x y/n #maasverse #a court of scales and fire #eris fanfic #eris fanfiction #slow burn #series

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tristanflynnweek · 4 months

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Hello hello!

As requested, Tristan Flynn Week is a go! August 4th—10th! Please share and like so we can make this event more visible to all creators!

More to come very soon! Thinking about doing polls to decide prompts for each day!

#tristan flynn week #tristan flynn #tristan flynn x reader #tristan flynn x oc #tristan flynn fanart #crescent city #crescent city imagines #tristan flynn fluff #maasverse

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xxvalkyriesxx · 4 months

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ACOSAS - Chapter One: The Rescue of the Century

First chapter is live on AO3!

Chapter One: The Rescue of the Century

Please enjoy this wild introduction to the story. CWs are listed in the top chapter notes!

Master Post | Prologue

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talesofadragon · 5 months

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I have not read ACOTAR yet. But I have devoured every fanfic, fan art, reel like I have lived through that universe and refuse to leave it!

My obsession is so raw and real that I went from falling for Cassian to giving my heart to Eris Vanserra and creating an entire universe in my head with a female OC just for him!!

I have half a mind to start seriously plotting this work.

Somebody save me.

**excerpt**

"Little ember. Small, soft, seemingly feeble, yet capable of bringing the world to ashes with the power of a thousand blazing suns. You are my eternal flame, Liora. My mate, my lifeline, my forever."

- Eris Vanserra

#eris acotar #ACOTAR #a court of thorns and roses #eris vanserra #eris x oc #autumn court #maasverse #archeron sisters

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worldofhighfae · 5 months

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Like Calls to Like

Edition #1: Bryn and Rhysand

A/N: AKA What Would Happen If WoHF Characters Met Canon Characters. If you’re new here hi! World of High Fae is a text-based rpg set in the Maasverse. You should join us, we have a lot of fun!

Disclaimer: World Of High Fae does not claim ownership of any of the characters or locations featured in ACOTAR or the greater Maasverse. Those are the intellectual property of Sarah J Maas. The only thing we claim to have created is the original character of Bryn Kaen.

Word Count: 5904

Genre: Fluff with a bit of Angst

Characters: Rhysand (ACOTAR) and Bryn Kaen (WoHF)

CWs/ TWs: Mentions (vague) of miscarriage.

Every day Rosaceli Romalis gave Bryn more reasons to wonder why they’d ever agreed to hand a High Ladyship to her. Today, though, had to take the cake. Having an expert on relics close at hand may seem like an advantage for any ruler, but when that expert was Rosaceli it became more of a workplace hazard. She seemed to insist that the only way to find out what a magical artifact could do was to use it. This time it had been potentially catastrophic. She’d discovered a new relic and decided to bring it to Bryn. It was an hourglass with golden sand within it, and the power of the magic radiating off of it was palpable to everyone, humans included. The problem was that Rosaceli had no clue what it did, and Rosaceli was a hands-on learner. Bryn had called a meeting of the Trusted Few- their leadership- to discuss what to do with something so obviously powerful. As they’d all been theorizing over what it could be, Rosaceli had decided simply to flip the thing over, unable to be stopped by their protestations. Now they were here, falling from what was probably the sky (but they truly weren’t sure), until they thudded onto stone.

Bryn let out a soft groan, smoothing the fabric of their white dress shirt and dark brown dress pants mindlessly as they sat up and looked around, tossing their head to clear some of their short near-black curls from where they’d fallen into their deep-brown eyes. They most certainly weren’t at their round table. They weren’t certain of where they were. Well… perhaps that wasn’t entirely true. They knew the view they were seeing, and they had an idea of where they were seeing it from. They were looking down on Velaris at a beautiful dusk. Nothing in the continent could contest that view. They considered every chance they got to see it a blessing from the three-faced goddess. The balcony they stood upon was beautiful- carved out of a mountain on the north of the city of dreams. Rowan would have loved the way the blues and pinks reflected off of their near-golden skin. She’d always loved them in this light.

That aside, they had a very good idea of where they were- somewhere they had never been permitted entrance to, and somewhere they most certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to enter without permission. In the months since the coup, they simply hadn’t worn down the powers that be in the Night Court to allow them an official visit to the Headquarters of the Court of Dreams. But the thing at the forefront of their mind- the one reason why they had doubts- was because if they truly were standing on a balcony in the House of Wind, that relic had to be unfathomably powerful. There were strong wards on this place surrounding magical transportation- wards that blocked even the High Lords in all of their power from winnowing into this place.

Their mind was reeling, trying to grapple with precisely what they were seeing- what had happened. They still felt like they were falling through static even though they’d most certainly landed. Then, all of a sudden, they felt something trying to slip into their mind. One of the first things they’d done even upon becoming High Liege of the Western Wastes was learn to counter Daemati. Their mental privacy meant a great deal to them, and while the gift was rare it was present. This Daemati in particular seemed to push with substantial force, scraping against the walls guarding their mind with what could almost be described as talons. They felt the hairs on the back of their neck rise and they got a deep, unsettling feeling that they weren’t alone. They turned themself around and found themself meeting a pair of violet eyes that almost seemed to glow. They looked up as the High Lord they belonged to sauntered closer, not allowing themself to cower. If anything, they summoned every ounce of steel they had within them.

This confirmed the most popular hypothesis among their colleagues- that the relic had brought them to the past. Far enough back that they were face to face with Rhysand- the most powerful High Lord Prythian had ever seen.

They sized him up, their chest puffing a bit- although it was a bit of a ridiculous gesture given that he was over a foot taller than them (probably closer to a foot and a half). He didn’t laugh though- he only responded in kind, exerting the full scale of his intimidation. As strong as they were playing themself off they stood no chance against him in a fight and they knew it. They were deadly with a weapon in their hand, but he could snap his fingers and things would cease to be. Nothing stood a chance against that. The High Lord only stopped in his advancement when he was close enough that Bryn could almost feel the body heat radiating off of him. He looked down at them, his gaze just as calculating as their own. His eyes raked over every little feature, lingering on their ears, chest, and arms. They weren’t the only one masking their thoughts. They could almost see his mind at work before he finally broke the silence.

“What are you?”

“A witch.” Bryn told him plainly. That earned a half-amused scoff from him. For a moment they’d forgotten what that meant to Illyrians before the Joining.

“What are you,” He repeated, taking one step closer to them and glaring down at them. “And how did you get here?”

“Still a witch,” Bryn sighed, squaring up. “And an ancient relic.”

“What ancient relic?” He asked skeptically.

“I don’t know if it has a name, but it’s an hourglass.” Bryn admitted, their stance weakening slightly. “I only learned of its existence this afternoon.”

“And you decided to immediately put it to the test?” Rhysand gave them an unimpressed glare.

“I didn’t.” Bryn sighed, before grumbling a little bit, their gaze falling. “One of my council members did.”

“Who are you to have a council?” Something shifted within Rhysand- there was a genuine intrigue in his tone.

“It’s… complicated.” Bryn told him, meeting his gaze again. “If I tell you, you’re not going to take it seriously.”

“I have my ways of checking.” Rhysand shrugged coolly.

“I’m from the relatively distant future.” Bryn admitted. “And where I’m from, I am the Monarch of the Continent- which now encompasses Prythian, among other regions.”

Rhysand blinked slowly before starting to chuckle. As Bryn had said, he wasn’t taking them seriously. So they elected to do something drastic- something they would never normally do. They let down their mental shield, just enough for him to get in. This was politics, and Rhysand seemed to understand the significance of it fully. They didn’t have to challenge him to check whether they’d been telling the truth verbally, because the sliver of room they’d given him was invitation enough. It made them an open book- far more vulnerable than they usually liked to be, especially knowing how far Rhysand had historically been willing to go to protect his people. Rhysand immediately sobered, all semblance of chuckling dying in the cool dusk air. He looked them in the eyes as if asking if they knew what they’d just done. Bryn met his gaze, giving a soft nod to reaffirm their choice. They got one in turn before Rhysand slipped through the crack in their wall and into the depths of their mind, starting to sift through their memories.

Images flashed through Bryn’s head as Rhysand searched for answers. First and foremost, because it was the freshest in their memory, the final moments before they’d found themself here- everyone in their inner court scrambling to stop Rosaceli as she’d flipped the hourglass. Well- perhaps not everyone. They’d had tunnel vision in their panicked state, but they could remember some of their council having more positive reactions. Some of them were excited. Not Bryn though. Bryn remembered it in slow motion- and to be fair, it had felt like it was in slow motion as they’d tried to stop what was inevitable. Rosaceli Romalis was an unpredictable creature who seemed to attract chaos, but she was their Right Hand’s wife and Enza advocated for her fiercely.

Rhysand started to sift backwards through their memories- to when they’d asked Enza to be their Right Hand, through the coup. That was a bloody mess, but it was a bloody mess that they could be proud of. They got to watch their relationship with Rowan again through Rhysand’s meanderings in their mind, from when they’d met to their mating ceremony to where she now sat as their Queen. Rowan was the light of their life. They hadn’t thought that they’d ever have a mate, being a witch. But now that they’d found her, they could never imagine their life differently. Rhysand surely had to have felt the way Bryn’s heart ached as they realized she probably didn’t feel them over the bond, just as they couldn’t feel her right now. They didn’t want her worrying about them. Rowan was going to have a good many things to say about this entire situation if Bryn ever got back to her, and to be quite honest they would give anything to be by her side, letting her tear a strip out of them.

Rhysand explored Bryn’s memories with their adoptive daughters- the day they decided to take in a clan-raised fae, and the day they’d found a young Illyrian girl freshly clipped and taken her in as their own. Bryn was proud to show him Sylvine and Aesira. Their daughters were their pride and joy, and they always would be. Plus they knew Rhysand would particularly sympathize with Aesira, as an Illyrian himself. Then he moved on from the girls, watching their days before ruling The Continent. He watched them reform the Western Wastes with an iron fist. Those were brutal times, hosting public trials and executions to get a point across, and holding all accountable for crimes regardless of rank or class. Brutal, but effective- which could also be said of the guard they’d built themself in that time. The assembly of the underprivileged that they’d turned into a feared unit remained an integral task force within their arsenal. Then when Rhysand was satisfied with what he saw there he started to dig back into their nomadic days.

They started to resist a little. As much as they could appreciate how thorough he was being, there were things they’d rather not experience again. They’d become great, and greatness rarely came without a deep-seated trauma. Something to set them on a path. Although when they’d been set onto their path leading a Continent hadn’t exactly been where they’d anticipated landing. They tried to close their mind to Rhysand, but he just went deeper and deeper no matter how they tried to push him away. He gave Bryn a wary look. They understood why- resistance was rarely a good sign. So it didn’t surprise them that he kept going until he got to the very part they hadn’t wanted to see again. Their heart stopped, but there was no way they could look away from what was happening as it played out within their head. The blood. The screaming. The isolation, the mockery, the shunning, until they’d felt forced out of their clan. Rhysand’s eyes softened, and he withdrew. Bryn immediately reinforced their mental walls… and slapped him across the face. He held his cheek, but he didn’t protest, as he knew he had no grounds to.

“I deserved that,” Rhysand admitted as he took a few steps back from Bryn. His eyes were trained on the ground just in front of them.

“I told you to stop.” Bryn growled, blinking back the tears that had threatened to well.

“I know.” He sighed, finally meeting their gaze again, lowering his hand from where it nursed his cheek. “You have to understand why I’d be wary…”

“You should have stopped.” Bryn glared at him. “I allowed you in as an extension of trust. You abused that.”

There was silence in the room for a moment, and certainly not the comfortable kind. They knew why he’d done it, and if they were being truthful it had affected neither their trust nor respect for him. He was just being discerning, and they would have done precisely the same thing in his shoes. And they would have accepted the slap just as gracefully.

“I’m sorry about your child.” He told them. “That must have been painful.”

“You have no idea.” Bryn looked down, trying to ground themself. He would not see them weak.

“You’re formidable.” Rhysand told them. When they met his eyes, they didn’t find the compassion and pity that they’d been dreading- they found understanding. They nodded in thanks, unsure of what to say in response to that. “Why do you think your relic brought you here?”

“I don’t know.” Bryn sighed. “It could be completely random.”

“The magic required to get you here would have had to have been extraordinary.” Rhysand reminded them. “That magnitude of magic is rarely random.”

“I didn’t ask for this if that’s what you’re asking.” Bryn stated defensively.

“I know you didn’t.” Rhysand scoffed, giving them another quick look-over. “I was just in your head. But I do think that it brought you to me for a reason.”

He had a point. They knew he had a point, but they didn’t particularly want to admit it. They had a good rapport going on with Rhysand as it stood. He respected them. Rhysand, Lord of Night- the most powerful High Lord to ever live- respected them. He’d called them formidable, though they still weren’t entirely convinced that it wasn’t out of sympathy. He couldn’t have known what that meant to them, but it meant a great deal. Rhysand was a man any leader could look up to. Perhaps he hadn’t been perfect, but he’d kept the heart of his court safe during Amarantha’s reign. He’d protected Prythian and the lands beyond. He’d stood for what he believed in countless times, and he’d often been a leader among leaders. To say that his respect was high praise to Bryn might be the understatement of a lifetime, and considering they were already two and a half centuries into theirs, that bore a significant amount of weight.

“Why do you think the relic brought us together?” Bryn asked him, quirking a challenging brow. “Clearly you have an idea.”

“I think it’s because you need me.” Rhysand told them. Bryn scoffed halfheartedly. “I see myself in you.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere with me.” Bryn deadpanned, shifting a little bit. Their options were either squirm or blush under the attention they were getting and blushing was far more obvious. Though they didn’t have much choice over what happened either way.

“You consider that flattery?” Rhysand smirked.

“Of course I do!” Bryn scoffed, crossing their arms over their chest and looking away from Rhysand. “You are the most powerful High Lord of all time- one of our history’s great leaders. To compare anyone or anything to you is essentially sacrilege.”

“Well, now I’m flattered.” Rhysand chuckled softly.

“I can only dream of history remembering me the way it remembers you.” Bryn admitted. Rhysand sobered a bit of that, giving them an appraising look.

“Regardless of how you’re remembered, you possess a strength that I will never match.” Rhysand told them. “It’s one thing to be born into nobility and step into your birthright. It’s another entirely to start with nothing and no one at your back and fight for what you believe in until there’s a crown atop your head. I know many people who would have let themselves die after the loss you experienced and the abandonment you faced because of it, but you used it to fuel you. You didn’t just live- you lived to become great.”

“You reduce yourself to nothing to defend your beliefs time and time again.” Bryn countered, looking him in the eye. “Do not diminish the strength that conviction takes.”

“You’d do the same.” Rhysand told them. He seemed so confident of that fact- it caught Bryn off-guard.

“Perhaps.” They shrugged, before letting out a sigh. Their arms dropped back to their sides. “I modelled so much of the ruler I am after what history knows of you. We are equals at best.”

“So few people understand the importance of the mask we put on.” Rhysand sighed, looking away from them for a moment. “Nor that it takes as much of a toll on us as it does them.”

Bryn considered that. They’d worked hard to cultivate their image as a ruthless ruler who settled for nothing. They’d staged and orchestrated a coup to perfection to take their continent in the direction it had needed to go in. They’d spilt blood for their cause, but it had borne fruit. Their lands were at peace at last. Clans had learned better than to wage wars, Lords had learned better than to abuse their citizens, and fiends of all varieties learned that justice would find them they would get their dues. Bryn had ushered in an era where people could feel safe in their homes, safe to feel joy, where that hadn’t always been the case before. They were feared, yes, but those who reaped the benefits of their work revered them. Respected them. Some even loved them. Did they hate sometimes that people who didn’t know them flinched at their very presence in a room? Yes. But would they change what they’d done? Not for the world. This was the way things had to be. This was the way that kept everyone safe. Whatever personal sacrifices they would have to make to preserve this way of life would be made proudly.

“I have a family. They know my true nature.” Bryn told him, their left hand crossing over to fidget with their right wrist. “That will suffice.”

“Sometimes.” Rhysand mused. “Sometimes it won’t. And you’ll lose sleep.”

“You don’t have to tell me what I already know.” Bryn scoffed bitterly.

“You could expand your idea of family, to make things easier.” Rhysand told them, angling himself slightly away from them. “I consider my entire Inner Circle to be my family.”

“You have a history with yours. I don’t have that with mine- save for Enza and Rosaceli, but that history was… complicated.” Bryn countered, suppressing a chuckle. Complicate didn’t cover the half of it.

“Regardless… you chose them. You chose them because you knew that you could trust them.” Rhysand pointed out, looking back at them. “You should let yourself do that.”

“I didn’t ask for advice.” Bryn glared at him.

“No, but perhaps you need it.” Rhysand chuckled softly. “Your relic brought us together.”

“How do you know it’s not you who needs the advice?” Bryn pointed out, giving a little nod towards him.

“I don’t.” Rhysand admitted. He paused for a moment, before scoffing amusedly. “I suppose that was a bit self-centred of me.”

Bryn looked him over. Anyone with sense knew what an honor it was simply to be in Rhysand’s presence. The High Lord had every right to be self-centred. There was something about even being in his presence that was awe-inspiring. He had this aura around him that demanded reverence. Of course, Bryn didn’t want to trip over themself, because they were building a good rapport with him, but truly? They weren’t in any place to complain about any of it. They paled in comparison to the Lord of Night. That didn’t mean they were going to cave and start to grovel for him though- desperation wasn’t a good look on anyone. They kept themself cool so that Rhysand would continue to take them seriously. Perhaps that was why his advice had agitated them so much- because it felt as though he were in a position ever-so-slightly above them. But they didn’t want to linger on that.

Nor did they want to linger on going home quite yet. It dawned on them amid everything that this entire fiasco had begun because Rosaceli had flipped the hourglass, and thus commenced the flow of sand through it. It stood to reason, then, that the effects would be reversed once the sand ran out. Now, that hypothesis could very well be disproven- and if that happened, then they would worry about it. But for now, they’d try to enjoy the ride. Who knew where it could lead? They weren’t one for making friends, but they’d come into this conversation with an existing respect for Rhysand and they were enjoying aspects of the conversation already. So they might as well take this rare opportunity to bond with a man who made so much history. They set aside anything that could let negativity fester and moved on to something with more potential for lightness.

“I wonder where the others are…” Bryn mused, turning once more to look over the city as dusk turned to evening. Velaris was gorgeous all alight.

“Yours wasn’t the only unfamiliar presence I felt in this house.” Rhysand told them, joining them at their side. “You were just closest. I sent Mor after one. One, I believe, fell into the training ring. Cassian will deal with them, I’m sure.”

“Do you know which one is in the training ring?” Bryn’s face fell slightly. They wanted it to be Cassandra or Enza. Even Naexi or Calla would be manageable. But their gut told them they weren’t going to be that lucky. Then they heard a faint battle cry and the clashing of swords, and they started to rub their temple. “Start sending your prayers to the Mother”

“Why?” Rhysand started to chuckle softly.

“That cry you just heard came from Rosaceli Romalis.” Bryn sighed, looking over at him. “Wife to my Right Hand, and a High Lady in her own right. She’s a half-blind Seraphim Valkyrie with a vendetta against all men, and especially against Illyrians.”

“She’s pitted herself against the General of my Armies.” Rhysand told them, a semblance of a smirk starting to creep onto his lips.

“One of the most powerful warriors to ever live- I know. His name has been far from forgotten.” Bryn hummed, giving a soft nod. “It’s an even match.”

“You’re putting a lot of faith into your High Lady.” Rhysand raised his brows.

“You’ve never met Rosaceli.” Bryn gave him a tired look that spoke of far too many experiences.

“Then I suppose I should be grateful that she wasn’t the one thrown into the library with Nesta.” Rhysand hummed amusedly.

“I wouldn’t breathe any sighs of relief.” Bryn let out a wary chuckle. “Nesta Archeron is either faced against our Court General- which is your best case scenario- Rosaceli’s equally violent partner, an off-kilter dragon tamer and circus performer, an assassin, the owner of a longsword and ax named Judge and Executioner, a man who will Illyrian Bargain you out of house and home if you give him the opportunity, our most recent Carynthian, or my sister-in-law.”

“Your sister-in-law?” Rhysand raised a brow.

“She’s our Spymaster and the General of our Armies.” Bryn elaborated, their fingers brushing and inaudible rapping on the railing.

“That’s a lot of power for one person.” Rhysand let out a soft bemused chuckle.

“She’s deadly.” Bryn told him with a casual gravity that wasn’t uncommon to them. “Violent, and smart about it. She could probably kill me in my sleep and I wouldn’t see it coming to stop her. Not that she would do that to me, but… the point stands.”

“Lovely circle you’ve formed for yourself.” Rhysand snickered, hands crossing behind his back.

“None of them are sane, but I’d trust any of them with my life.” Bryn smirked softly. “I think you could appreciate that sentiment, couldn’t you?”

“Well…” Rhysand tried to counter.

“One of yours isn’t even of our plane. She drinks blood.” Bryn deadpanned, making a small gesture with their arm. “Cassian destroyed a building in Summer.”

“Those are fair points.” Rhysand admitted, another bout of chuckles escaping him.

“You’re going to lose a few pieces of furniture no matter who’s down there.” Bryn warned him.

“I’ve had to rebuild almost this entire house.” Rhysand shrugged, the chuckles giving way to a smirk. “At the very least it’s Cassian and Nesta’s responsibility now.”

“Oh, so they’ve mated.” A smirk grew on Bryn’s face.

“They have.” Rhysand nodded before a soft chortle escaped him. “Cauldron save us all.”

“Does that mean you’re also a father?” Bryn smiled softly.

“Why do you think that I was so quick to find you once I sensed your presence?” Rhysand smirked in turn. “I’ve got a little bat to protect… which I’m sure you know can be a challenge.”

“I do. Aesira’s certainly… strong-willed.” Bryn hummed contentedly, before letting out a soft sigh. “We’re trying to rebuild her wing strength. Sylvine made her a device that’s functioning fairly well.”

“Do you think she’ll fly again?” Rhysand raised his brows, interest piqued.

“We’re hoping. I have the best healers aiding her.” Bryn mused. “There’s no guarantees, but the process seems to be taking nicely.”

“You’re a good parent. Most would have resigned themselves to the fact that she wouldn’t have use of her wings.” Rhysand told them. “Nyx is starting to get fussy about his wings.”

“I can imagine they would be uncomfortable for an infant.” Bryn considered.

“Would you like to meet him?” Rhysand offered. Bryn hesitated. “He’s here- down for a nap, but he’s already slept plenty for the day. I don’t think he’d mind the interruption.”

“How would his mother feel about me meeting him?” Bryn checked, a weak attempt to decline without expressly declining.

What they didn’t want to say was that babies could be painful for them. It reminded them of what they’d lost. But they were sure that Rhysand knew that.

“Feyre trusts me to protect the child. If I thought you posed any kind of a threat to it, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Rhysand told them, a look in his eyes that told them that he saw right through them. “Come on- you likely don’t have much time left.”

Ah, so apparently that hadn’t been so much an offer as it had been an order. Rhysand turned, and it was clear he expected Bryn to follow- which they did. It would be rude not to. They were shocked at the amount of trust Rhysand was extending to them, though they knew that they probably shouldn’t be. There were two very logical explanations for it. The first and most obvious one was that they were likely to vanish at any given moment. There was very little they could reliably do to harm anything in the past without massive repercussions to their future. On top of that, Rhysand had taken a stroll through their head. He likely knew Bryn as intimately as Rowan did, which had most certainly not been the witch’s intention but was also very much their own fault. Rhysand had a reputation for pushing boundaries that had made its way through millennia of histories. It had been a small price to pay for his trust, especially considering how little he could do with any of the information.

Bryn soon found themself in a guest room with a crib in it. Inside the crib was a tiny babe with small black wings. They weren’t sure of how old it was- probably less than half a year though. Their heart stopped as they tried to push ‘might-have-been’s from their head. Those would do them no good. They hadn’t had their baby. It had passed long before it was even supposed to see the light of day. It wasn’t anyone’s fault that things had ended before they began, no matter how much they blamed themself when they lay awake at night. But they weren’t thinking of that right now. They were thinking about Nyx- a great leader in his own right. Bryn wasn’t cursed- the rational part of them knew that. Their being in this room wasn’t going to cause terrible things to happen to the baby. Any inklings of that nature that their mind fed them were utterly ridiculous. Nyx was safe around them. Safe. Their heart thumped as the baby opened tiny blue eyes, making a little crooning noise. Bryn hadn’t even realized that they were crying until they heard the light thud of a tear splashing on the floor.

“Bryn… this is Nyx, my son. Heir of Night.” Rhysand introduced gently before his tone shifted to more of a coo. “Nyx, this is Bryn. You may serve under them years from now.”

Bryn wasn’t going to tell him that he didn’t. Instead, they took a knee, bowing their head to the future High Lord of Night- another immensely powerful High Lord. They raised their head, looking in at the baby in the crib.

“My Lord.” They croaked out, voice raw with emotion. Babies were the one surefire way to break them.

“You’re going to give him a big head.” Rhysand teased softly. Nyx reached a tiny hand towards the bars of the crib and let out a little coo. “Looks like he wants to say hello.”

“Hello…” Bryn cooed at him. Instinct told them to reach for the baby, to meet his greeting, but something within them blocked them from doing that.

“You can touch him- he won’t break.” Rhysand told them gently, laying a hand on their shoulder. They weren’t sure if they were being obvious or if Rhysand was in their head, but it was still a bit jarring that he knew exactly what was on their mind. “You could even hold him if you’d like.”

“That might…” Bryn started to protest.

“Have you held a baby since?” Rhysand asked bluntly. Neither of them had to clarify what he meant by that.

“No.” Bryn admitted.

They avoided children under eighteen months at all costs. Once they grew into little people Bryn could stomach them- and was quite fond of them. Children that small didn’t lie. They only learned to lie later when adults taught them to. Bryn could always trust them.

“Then it’s time you did.” Rhysand sighed, picking up Nyx and putting him into their arms. They couldn’t refuse, otherwise the baby would drop to the ground- and they certainly didn’t want that. “There. Is that so bad?”

Nyx wriggled ever so slightly, adjusting in their hold. Bryn was tense with shock, tense with nerves… but the baby seemed contented. He gurgled softly, eyes closing again in their arms. Slowly, the tension faded, and Bryn simply held the little thing. He was so tiny, with his tiny little hands and feet and wings. They almost cried again, but to cry twice in front of Rhysand would weaken their image- which they didn’t want. Instead, they gently rocked and bounced baby Nyx, relishing in every coo and gurgle he gave them. This had been Rhysand’s plan all along, they realized- probably since he’d stumbled upon that memory. It was insanely invasive of him, and not even close to being his place to do. They were not a problem to solve, much less were they his problem to solve. But… they were grateful for it in some capacity, as inappropriate as it was for him to do. They had needed someone to give them a kick in the right direction, they just would have preferred it to be Rowan.

“No.” Bryn let out a shaky, breathless sigh.

“I thought so.” Rhysand smirked triumphantly. “Now, give him back here- you’re liable to vanish.”

“You know I’m not broken- I don’t need fixing.” Bryn told him, a hint of coldness in their tone as they handed the baby over.

“I didn’t imply that you were.” Rhysand furrowed his brows as he held his son, bouncing him softly. Bryn raised their brows in turn, unimpressed, looking at Nyx until the High Lord seemed to realize what they were implying. “I was just trying to help.”

“I didn’t ask for help.” Bryn pointed out.

“That doesn’t diminish the fact that you needed it.” Rhysand countered.

“Are you my mate? My family?” Bryn retorted, an unimpressed brow quirked. “Did the situation even remotely pertain to you?”

Rhysand was silent. The High Lord of Night likely wasn’t used to being talked to so plainly, but Bryn was both his equal on the social hierarchy and had no way of reaping consequences for their actions. They could, in theory, say whatever they wanted to him. Their respect was a choice- and certainly one they intended to keep up. They could be saying things that were a lot nastier, and a small part of them wanted to (a power-hungry part, mind you, that would have gotten a rush from putting the Rhysand in his place). But they would settle for being firm. Now that this door to the past was opened who knew what it could mean for their present? They’d unwittingly managed to introduce a powerful magic into the mix, for better or for worse, and as much as they were seizing what should be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they also should probably treat it as a diplomatic relation.

“My trauma is not yours to heal, Lord of Night.” Bryn stated clearly. They then broke the intensity of their tone, softening as they leaned in to coo at Nyx. They weren’t upset enough that they wanted to risk any negativity lingering between them. “You tell your Dad to stop being a meddler.”

“I’m certain he will, many times.” Rhysand sighed, chuckling softly. “I apologize for overstepping.”

“I suppose I can’t hold it against you too strongly.” Bryn shrugged, holding out a finger for Nyx. “Your intentions were pure.”

“The future seems to be in good hands.” Rhysand told them. They tried not to flush too much at the compliment.

“Thank you.” They nodded graciously.

And so they spent what remaining time they had playing with Nyx and swapping stories with Rhysand about their inner circles. It was funny, they considered, how history repeated itself. Perhaps one day they would have the kind of kinship he had with his group. They could see it if they tried. Being here made them realize that making friends was a lot easier for them than they let it be- or perhaps that the High Lord was very easy to make friends with. They weren’t entirely sure which it was. It could be either for all they knew. What they knew on more certain terms was that Rhysand had been right earlier when he had said that he saw himself in Bryn. Now that they were here truly getting to know him, they saw bits of themself in almost everything he did. Soon, as quickly as they’d fallen into this place and time, they felt themself ripped out of it. Their head swam until they found themself seated back at the table, the rest of their Trusted Few seated just as Bryn had left them. The air was still for a moment as it was obvious they were all trying to recover before Bryn sighed.

“Anyone have particularly fun stories to share?”

#acotar #sarah j maas #rhysand #rhysand acotar #a court of thorns and roses #a court of mist and fury #a court of wings and ruin #a court of frost and starlight #a court of silver flames #acotar fanfiction #acotar fandom #maasverse #maasverse oc #maasverse au #wox #world of high fae #oneshot #acotar oneshot

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chunkypossum · 8 months

Text

Welcome to my fic masterlist ! Fluff? Never heard of her (well, it's here somewhere but you might have to dig a little). I only aim to hurt (angst, whump) but somehow these characters always evade the worst of it and come out with a happy ending. One of these days I'll get them. Read with caution, it will only get more unhinged from here.

I am currently writing mostly Azriel X Eris with some additional content sprinkled in. 18+ only as most fics contain some explicit content

!NEW! ERIS VANSERRA Week 2024 Master List

Full list of all my fics under the cut

MAASVERSE

*title links will redirect to their Ao3 page

POLY+ACOTAR WEEK 2024 MASTERLIST

Embers in the Wind (Nesta X Cassian X Eris)

A Dance Named Starlight (Cassian X Nesta X Eris X Azriel)

Lighthouse in the Woods (Azriel X Eris X OC)

AZRIS WEEK 2024 MASTERLIST

Once Upon A Dream

Between Us

Just for tonight

The Trees Told Me About you

When Even Moonlight Burns

What We Deserve

Additional Fics:

Kerosene - Ship: Azriel x Eris || Status: Complete || Word Count: 225,584 || Chapters: 30 || Playlist || Pinboard

*Mind the Tags Half in the Shadows - (unofficial sequel to Kerosene) Ship: Azriel x Eris, Nyx x OC || Status: WIP || Word Count: 10k and counting || Chapters: 4 and counting || Playlist || Pinboard || Moodboards

Come Hel or High Lord - Ship: Canon ships across all SJM current books (excluding HOFAS) + Azriel x Eris || Status: WIP || Word Count: 79k + || Chapters: 25 (?) || Pinboard || Tumblr Master Post

*Mind the Tags Mother Save Us From Your twisted Fate - Ship: Azriel x Eris || Status: Complete with bonus chapters coming soon || Word Count: 11k || Chapters: 2 || Playlist

By Solstice End - (found the fluff) Ship: Azriel x Eris || Status: Complete || Word Count: 16,588 || Chapters: 3 || Playlist || Pinboard

The Ultimate Guide to 'The Art of Mastering the Only Way to Lose the Game - Ship: Azriel x Eris || Status: Complete || Word Count: 3,516 || Chapters: 1 || Playlist || Pinboard || Moodboards

So I Start to Say Goodbye - Ship: Azriel x Eris || Status: Complete || Word Count: 11,644 || Chapters: 2 (with a full fic planned)

Together Ship: Azriel x Eris(minor, implied); Mostly just Lucien and Eris working on being brothers || Status: Complete || Word Count: 7,529 || Chapters: 1

Coming Soon

{My Coming Down} Ship: Azriel x Eris || multi chapter || Modern AU

{When Even Moonlight Burns} Ship: Azriel x Eris || multi chapter || Modern AU (vampires) || Tumblr master post

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readychilledwine · 4 months

Note

why are you helping with the villains week?

Because I like complex characters, and because @hieragalbatorixdottir and @achaotichuman approached me about it since I posted on my blog about doing a small one.

We are not using this week to justify what the villains did, to try to make you sympathize with the villain, or to even attempt to vilify non-canon villain characters. It is simply a week to appreciate the less celebrated characters who truly are essential to the plotline.

You do not have a good story without a good villain. No one wants to read a fantasy novel, and we all know I use that term loosely with SJM, without a villain and conflict. Amarantha, Maeve, Ianthe, Arobynn, the asteri? They all are major characters when it comes down to the meat of the stories that the Maasverse has fallen in love with.

Take this week to explore your darker side. Write a story from Amarantha's view as she's drinking on her throne overseeing a party or one of Feyre's trials. Write some steamy dark reader/oc smut with Maeve. Give Arobynn a tragic back story that leads to him being who he is.

This is a chance to play with the taboo. Play.

#elizabeths.updates #send asks #send anons

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witchysquirrel · 6 months

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Epiphany

Chapter Twelve

“Ravenna!” Rhys boomed, wrapping her into a hug and kissing her on the cheek as if he’d not seen her merely 20 minutes ago.

“Rhysand,” she laughed, then stepped aside. “This is Fetrin, my childhood friend from the Dawn Court.”

Rhys extended his hand to the male with a broad smile on his face, though Ravenna could see the silvery glow in his eyes that dared Fetrin to say the wrong thing, and the air was thick with the darkness that his power exuded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Rhys said. “Anyone who’s a friend of this one is a friend of ours.”

“Pleased to meet you. It seems she’s been well taken care of here,” Fetrin replied, bowing his head to Rhys.

“She takes care of herself very well,” Rhysand corrected. “And takes care of the rest of us too, now that I think of it.” With that, he winked at the pair and headed off in the opposite direction. “Enjoy the party! Send Thesan my regards!”

Fetrin watched him leave, and then leaned down to Ravenna’s ear. “He is extremely scary,” he said over the din of the party. Ravenna laughed, genuinely, in response.

“He is scary, but he means well,” she added, finishing her glass with a giggle.

“I believe you. Another drink?” he proposed, his right hand falling to rest on the small of her back.

“Please,” Ravenna answered, allowing him to guide her back towards the bar. She was feeling the freedom that the alcohol allowed her, and couldn’t remember why she had been nervous in the first place. The orchestra played beautifully, the crescendo of the music reverberating in her chest. She ordered a cocktail, and the pair floated back to the edge of the room.

“Tell me more about you,” Ravenna said, sipping her drink and raising an eyebrow at him. “You’re not the kid I knew anymore.”

“I’ve done a lot, since… since then. Studied philosophy for a while, did some more military service. Traveled some,” he answered, one hand in the pocket of his pants.

“Married?” Ravenna asked as casually as possible.

He chuckled. “Never. My parents tried a few more arrangements but… I think work just takes up too much of my time.”

“I know that all too well,” she replied. “Sometimes I prefer it that way.”

“I don’t believe for a minute that you’re still on the market, Ravenna,” Fetrin said, shaking his head slightly.

“Believe it,” she replied with a laugh. “I’ve been told my lifestyle isn’t quite what most males are looking for.” She scanned the ballroom, the hall glowing in contrast to the sky that was now dark with twilight, stars sparkling in the distance. Subconsciously, Ravenna knew she was looking for the points of Illyrian wings above the crowd, but when her eyes finally landed on Cassian talking with a group of soldiers she knew, her chest fluttered. She quickly returned her attention to Fetrin.

“My mother said something similar to me last week. That no one wants to marry a workhorse,” Fetrin replied, making a face. “But I don’t have nearly the same amount of charm as you.”

Ravenna leaned into his shoulder, nudging him slightly. “As charming as I may be, I prefer to just do my job, most of the time.” She glanced in Cassian’s direction again, surprised to meet his gaze. He gave her a small smile, before she averted her eyes again.

“What does healing entail outside of wartime?” Fetrin asked.

“Mostly helping people recover from their injuries, doing home visits for wound care in the city and things of that nature,” she answered. “The immediate post-war period is always the busiest. What about you?”

“In short, I attend a great deal of meetings and respond to an even greater deal of correspondence between the High Lords and their other allies on the Continent. A glorified messenger,” he conveyed, rubbing his chin.

“You most certainly work more in collaboration with the High Lord than I do,” Ravenna said, “and I’m sure Thesan is a much better companion than Rhysand.” The pair laughed together, and Fetrin nodded emphatically.

“Thesan isn’t old enough to scare me yet.”

They talked about their lives, where they’d been, how their parents were, how the places they frequented when they were young had changed. There seemed to be an endless supply of things to be updated on, and they found themselves chatting like old friends – Ravenna tried not to think about the subtext that they were chatting like he hadn’t killed the love of her life and then tried to marry her afterwards.

Ravenna finished her drink. “Do you want to dance with me?”

Fetrin nodded, and her head felt fuzzy as he offered her his hand. She took it, allowing him to lead her through the crowd to the dance floor in the center of the room. They discarded their empty glasses on a nearby table, and Fetrin swept her into position, one hand on her waist. She took his hand, resting the other on the crest of his shoulder. She had to choke back the feelings that brimmed at the familiar scent of him now that he was so close. He carried her across the floor, the other patrons blurring in her peripheral vision.

The first song that played was heavy with fiddle, quick and flighty, with lots of spinning. Ravenna reveled in the music, enhanced by the buzz in her head, and giggled the whole time. Fetrin kept her upright and headed in the right direction, and that was all she needed. The next song that played was much slower, more dramatic and sensual than the one before. She looked up at Fetrin, and he pulled her slightly closer by her waist, both hands resting just above her hips. She swayed with him, looked up at him from below dark lashes, until the music picked up slightly and he spun her once more. When Fetrin released her to twirl, she met Cassian’s gaze from across the room. His eyes were dark, siphons flickering vaguely as he watched her. The music carried her back around and into Fetrin’s arms, the scent of him overwhelming her again.

He needs to watch his hands.

Ravenna’s cheeks grew hot at the sound of Cassian in her head, barely more than a growl. She continued to dance, floating across the floor as her dark hair flowed over her shoulder behind her. The gown she’d chosen was perfect for dancing, the cape that flowed from the skirts sparkling as she moved.

I’m serious, Ravenna.

It’s just dancing. I’ll be done with him soon.

They danced for a few more songs, until the music slowed to a pace where they were able to catch their breath.

“When do you go back to Dawn?” Ravenna asked.

“Tomorrow morning,” Fetrin replied. “I’ve got a meeting to get back for.”

“So many meetings,” Ravenna breathed. “You sound exactly like all of my friends. Everything is always so political.”

Fetrin laughed. “There are always decisions to be made, pawns to be moved, I guess.”

“I only wonder where the humans fit into all of it,” Ravenna said with a sigh.

“I do too,” Fetrin said, eyes softening. Ravenna let the silence sit for a moment after that, determining where to go from there.

“I went on a mission once,” she started, “we’d invaded this mansion on the Continent, it was some sort of rescue mission. There were a number of injured and dead and it was my job to recover the casualties and heal as much as possible in the field.” He watched her intently as they danced, slowly swaying together.

“Only two of those I healed from there had injuries from the invasion itself,” she continued. “The rest were human slaves that were being kept within the house, so badly beaten that I could only provide minimal relief.” She held her breath as she waited for Fetrin’s response.

“That is despicable,” he said quietly, shaking his head. “It’s despicable that it’s not completely outlawed throughout Prythian and beyond.”

“Isn’t it? I’ve always hoped something would change, but after that it became hard to ignore,” she returned.

“I’m hopeful something will change one day,” he said. “With the right people in charge.” Ravenna smiled up at him genuinely, detecting no mistruth. They danced one last song together, before he led her from the floor and went to fetch water. They stood together in silence as they caught their breath and sipped the water from crystal chalices he’d found at the bar.

“I wanted to tell you how sorry I am,” Fetrin said, “for everything that happened, back then.” They stood facing each other, and Ravenna tried to keep her face neutral as she responded.

“I know. It’s okay.”

“No. I took him from you because I thought I deserved you more. I was young and stupid and I’m so fucking sorry.”

Ravenna had not expected this from him, after so many years, and she wasn’t sure exactly what she should say next. She’d gotten the information she needed, she could really say anything she wanted at this point.

“It’s okay, Fetrin. I forgave the kid who did that a long time ago,” she told him, and she meant it now. She didn’t think they should’ve married regardless, they clearly weren’t all that compatible – but his mistake was a childish one, and they had been so young, so impulsive and immature.

He gave her a grateful smile, almost a pitiful one, and she tried to mirror the expression on his face as he stepped slightly closer to her. “I’m glad you invited me,” Fetrin told her, reaching out and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You look as beautiful as ever, by the way.”

She felt herself starting to get an anxious feeling again, unsure of how she would say no if he made a move on her. Ravenna forced the corners of her mouth to turn upwards into a smile as he gazed into her eyes, but she broke eye contact a moment later to take another sip of water. Her liquid courage had worn off, and now she was just drunk and nervous.

She took a deep breath, wetting her lips. She turned at the sound of someone coughing awfully close to her.

“Did you save me a dance?” Ravenna turned to find Cassian, hands poised behind his back, an expression she couldn’t identify on his face.

“Oh of course!” she mused, grateful for the interruption. She turned back to Fetrin. “Fetrin, this is Cassian, General of the Night Court. Cassian, meet Fetrin.”

The two males shook hands, a tentative smile on Cassian’s face. “Do you mind if I steal my dear friend for a dance? She saved my life recently, so I feel like it’s necessary,” Cassian told him.

“Be my guest,” Fetrin answered, tipping his head.

Cassian outstretched his hand to Ravenna.

Come dance with me.

She slipped her hand into his and followed him back out to the dancefloor.

You’re moving pretty confidently for someone who’s not the best dancer. Ravenna’s laugh echoed through his head and he couldn’t help but join. Finally he took her waist in his hands, pulling her into him. Her hands found his shoulders and they moved across the floor together, awkwardly at first, until Cassian let a giggling Ravenna take the lead.

“How’d it go?” he asked, once they were far enough away.

“Good, actually,” she said. “It was nice to talk with him.”

“He was getting a little handsy there for a second,” Cassian replied, a hint of warning in his tone.

“You are so overdramatic,” Ravenna teased, rolling her eyes. “Jealous maybe?”

Cassian raised an eyebrow. “No,” he insisted. “I’d never be jealous of an emissary,” She beamed up at him at those words, letting him twirl her again.

“Your wings are looking really good, by the way,” Ravenna added.

“Thank you. I can even use a sword again,” he said with a wink.

They traversed the floor a few more times, laughing drunkenly as they moved to the music. When the song finished, he pushed her back in Fetrin’s direction and stalked off, looking back once to watch her walk away with a smile on her face.

Ravenna stumbled back to Fetrin, the remnants of the smile Cassian had left her with still painting her features. He looked amused, waiting for her to return.

“You didn’t tell me you had a mate,” he said as she approached, brow furrowed ever so slightly.

She looked at him, with her head cocked sideways, her smile turning to confusion. “What do you mean?”

“The General,” Fetrin said plainly. “He’s your mate, no?”

Ravenna’s mouth went dry, her stomach dropping. “No, he’s not my mate,” she said, voice dull. Her mind was racing faster than she could keep up with, thoughts ricocheting off of other thoughts causing her head to throb. Fetrin didn’t know them. He was just mistaken. That had to be the explanation.

“Ravenna…” he said, hesitantly, the look on his face a mixture of fear and realization. “You didn’t know, did you?”

She shook her head. “I mean no, we’re not mates so there’s nothing for me to not know.”

His face read pure pity. “You have no reason to, but trust me on this. That is your mate. Whether either of you has realized it yet or not.”

“He has a girlfriend,” Ravenna replied, raising her eyebrows at the male.

Fetrin shrugged. “Do you think the mating bond cares?”

“I don’t know!” She felt like she had been punched in the gut, like all the air had left her. She wondered then, if Cassian knew. Or if Rhys or Azriel had sensed it already, had all known it before she had.

“Let me walk you home,” Fetrin said quietly, offering her his arm. She latched onto it and followed him out of the ballroom wordlessly. “I know it’s a lot to digest.”

“I’m not even 100% sure I believe you,” she said. “I mean it’s just your opinion.”

“I’ve seen lots of mating bonds take shape over the years. I saw the way you looked at each other, the way you fit together. It’s inevitable.”

“What am I supposed to do about it? Break up his relationship for my own benefit?”

He pursed his lips, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked. “It’s a sticky situation, for sure. Time will tell.”

They walked the rest of the way into town in silence, Ravenna trying to focus on walking in a straight line. She had already not been able to handle her feelings for Cassian, but she had thought they were just feelings. A mating bond was different, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that was why his voice in her head felt so right. She couldn’t process it, and she briefly wondered where Mor was, as she hadn’t seen her since the beginning of the night. She doubted Mor would know what to say, but she felt like she needed to tell someone, to see if they agreed with Fetrin. Maybe she looked stupid, and it was obvious to everyone else.

They made it to the street below the House of Wind and Ravenna turned back to Fetrin. “This is where I leave,” she said. “I’m really glad you came.”

“Me too,” he told her, moving his hair from his eyes. “I’m sorry if I told you something you weren’t ready to hear yet.”

“It’s okay, maybe I needed to hear it,” Ravenna replied. “Thank you Fetrin.”

Before he could reply, she winnowed above the wards that guarded the House, and made a rough landing in the courtyard.

Epiphany Masterlist

#acotar #acotar fic #acotar oc #cassian acotar #acotar angst #cassian angst #acotar fanfiction #cassian x oc #cassian x reader #acotar smut #cassian fluff #sjm #sjm universe #maasverse

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decomposing-writer · 7 months

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Masterlist(s)

>WEEKLY UPDATES<

🌗LOOK FOR THE SYMBOLS🌗

NSFW( 🔆)

ANGST ( 🥀)

FLUFF ( 🌸)

ACOTAR

Forbidden Fruit (Nesta x OC) 🔆

Batboys NSFW Headcanons 🔆

Rhysand's Daughter (3) Headcanons 🌸

Night Court Ladies NSFW Headcanons 🔆

Left Alone (Azriel x OC) 🥀

Crescent City

Throne of Glass

Maasverse

Blaze Prologue

#sjm #maasverse #crescent city #acotar fanfiction #throne of glass #acotar masterlist

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sjmvillainweek · 4 months

Note

hi! i know you guys have a masterlist of villains, but i was wondering if OC villains were allowed?

In your creations for this event, you can include any characters you want including OCs! However when it comes to the spotlight of all media, we would prefer the villains from the Maasverse were the one highlighted, as it's their appreciation week.

Thank you for the question!

#sjmvillainweek #sjmvillainweek2024 #sjmvillainweekasks

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steelhecrt · 14 days

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mobile muse list

gamora zen-whoberi - marvel (fc: zoe saldana) - primary

natasha romanoff/black widow - marvel (fc: claudia doumit) - primary

jean grey/phoenix - marvel (fc: charlotte hope) - testing

pamela isley/poison ivy - dc (fc: deborah ann woll) - primary

clea strange - marvel (fc: rose mciver) - primary

aelin galanthynius - maasverse/throne of glass (fc: sarah gadon) - testing

feyre archeron - maasverse/a court of thorns and roses (fc: daisy head) - testing

nadja of antipaxos - what we do in the shadows (fc: natasia demetriou) - primary

becca butcher - the boys (fc: shantel vansanten) - primary

meredith grey - grey's anatomy (fc: ellen pompeo) - by request only

lillian carver/siren - the boys oc* (fc: naomi scott) - primary

shiloh wallace - repo! the genetic opera (fc: jenna ortega) - testing

#;out of steel #;blog updates #;mobile muse list

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azrielsshadows42 · 3 days

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A Court of Scales and Fire VI

A/n: The story should start to speed up from here, umm, but I have found myself in a bit of a predicament, I have no idea how to introduce Everest to the other characters, so if you guys have any ideas, please don't be afraid to let me know.

Word Count: 4161 And I know nobody cares but, my character count for this (Including spaces) was exactly 22222

Warnings: Swearing, Eris hate from the ic (Inner Circle), protective Cassian, Eris is a bit of a prick, snakes, over-thinking

Dividers by @tsunami-of-tears

Italics = thoughts

Bold = Draconic

Both = Telepathic communication (Colour will vary)

Y/n's Pov

I stood there a little stunned at how blunt Eris had been. That's ridiculous, you'll stay in Autumn, track them down and then I shall assist in getting them back to Elethairia. I was expecting more of a back and forth you know, like I don't trust you! You don't have a choice! My Court, my rules! My mission, my inhibitions, I'm going there with or without your permission Fire newt! Then we'd have a few rounds insulting each other, Cassian would cheer me on and eventually I'd have to get all up in his face like Listen jerk face, I don't care who you are, I've got a duty to fulfil, and you're not gonna stop me! Then, like a total badass, I would walk out onto the pavilion, Everest would fly into view in slow motion behind me, so it looked like I was the one with wings at the right angle, I'd jump of, land on Everests back and we'd ride to Autumn against the sunset.

I may have taken some creative liberties with that last part, but it would've been really cool if that did happen. While I was busy imagining how the interaction should have gone, everyone was looking at me. "Sorry, did you say something? I zoned out" Disappointed Azriel noises "Y/n" My focus went to Rhysand as he spoke to me, his expression was solemn. Who the fuck died in the five seconds I disassociated? "It's your choice, whether you choose to stay in Autumn or not" Oh, I did

It took me a second to realise they actually wanted me to give an answer, while they were all looking at me which I think is a little inconsiderate, who can make a decision with that much pressure? 1, 2, 3, 4 Fi-, five pairs of eyes just waiting for your response. Granted Amren wasn't actually looking at me, but her presence is intimidating. She should honestly count as three pairs of eyes all on her own.

On to more serious matters, I do need to decide if I stay there or not, staying there would be more convenient for me, and them, no one would have to winnow me there and back, but from my training I know that the main Autumn building is the forest house, which the majority of it is underground and is heavily guarded thanks to the former High lord's paranoia, perhaps that had changed since Eris ascended the throne, but I don't exactly feel like taking my chances with him. Being underground meant no windows that Everest could use to sneak in.

Ev, what do you think?

I think we need to find them and get home, I'll stay out of trouble See, I want to believe her, really, I do, but she doesn't have the best track record.

You know that Fire Newt is a High Lord, right? Specifically, the High Lord of the place we need to be in, meaning you can't do anything to him for attacking me despite the proximity. Judging by her grumbling lack of commentary, I could tell that was exactly what she had planned to do.

Fine. I promise I will not bite, scratch, hunt, or burn him. Nor will I drop him off a cliff, because according to your stupid high fae laws, that somehow counts as me killing him, even though gravity is clearly at fault, making it natural causes. She knows that's not how it works, but Everest has been adamant that cliff dropping should not count as murder ever since I explained to her that someone buying the last salmon while we were there to buy some doesn't count as stealing.

"I'll stay in Autumn" I could see Cassian tense in the corner of my eye. Rhysand and Feyre looked to each other, communicating through their bond. They locked eyes with me simultaneously which was a little unnerving, Rhysand was still unsure about me but I could tell that despite her mates worries, Feyre believed that I was telling the truth by the look in her steely eyes as she said to me "Be careful, he's dangerous, sleep with one eye open"

I began to wonder if I'd just made a deal with the devil. What exactly had Eris done to make them all react this way? Even Azriel hiding in his shadow puddle tensed at the High Lords offer. I got the feeling that he didn't like me very much, neither did Rhysand which both made sense, but I just felt like Azriel's dislike for me ran deeper.

Despite this, he still didn't like the idea of me going to Autumn and that raised my guard more than anything. "I'll send word to Eris, in the meantime, you should start preparing" There was a strange ominousness to his words that crawled up my spine. What the hell am I getting myself into?

-Time skip, 2 days-

Each member of the inner circle had come to me to give some kind of warning or bit of advice, all of it ran along the lines of, be careful, he's dangerous. Other than Cassian of course, whose advice was "if he tries anything, fuck him up and come here, we'll create an alibi for you" And while that plan would be ineffective, it was funny and soothed some of my anxiety knowing I could count on him if shit went south.

Today I would be willowed to Autumn. Oh, during the two days of preparations I learned it's called winnowing, not willowing and I have been saying it in my head wrong the entire time. I personally prefer my version, but I digress.

Everest was not particularly pleased with this development and demanded that I wear something she could hide in to avoid having to take a trip more than halfway across the continent. I wore a fur coat that was a little baggy on me for her to slip in, she hid around my neck with her tail curling around the top of my arm.

Rhysand walked in with Feyre on his arm, both dressed impeccably in distinctly Night Court attire. "Are you ready?" His voice was deeper than usual, just slightly, already slipping on the mask to speak to Eris. "As ready as I can be"

Rhysand would obviously be taking us there, Feyre was coming for diplomatic reasons, which as far as I've observed meant that Feyre told Rhysand she wanted to go as well, and he was all too happy to hang the stars for her. After about an hour-long argument, it was decided that Cassian could join for, as he so stoically put it 'my protection'. As if the sparring we'd done the past two days, and my years of training and experience wasn't enough.

Rhysand winnowed us there in the blink of an eye, and it was only as I felt Everest's claws dig into my shoulder that I wondered if he could sense her with his magic. I had put on a glamour to mask her magical signature, but I was unfamiliar with winnowing, would he feel her presence? It seemed either all my worries were for naught, or he was a good actor, for once we reached Autumn, he made no comment.

We all approached the entrance as one, I could see Fire Newt and another fae standing there. The High Lord was looking at my coat as if it had offended him and panic struck through me at the thought that he might sense her.

"High Lord Eris, General Madoc" Rhysand greeted them cooly, Feyre standing by his side mimicking his almost bored expression while Cassian stood like he thought the leaves were out to get him.

Eris greeted his fellow High Lord and Feyre, but pointedly ignored Cassian and I. The tension hung thick in the air as silence broke out, I almost flinched when Cassian shifted his footing making the leaves crunch. Everest moved, accidently tickling my neck and I masked it as a shiver, though thankfully Rhysand had chosen to break the spell that had befallen us.

"I expect updates on any progress, and we will be back in a week to ensure Y/n's well-being, there will be consequences if she is harmed here" The threat in his voice was clear. Just like that, they were gone, and I was left with Fire Newt. I should probably start calling him Eris in my head, otherwise I might call him 'Fire Newt' out loud, which I don't really wanna do. Actually, yes I do, but not while I need to be on his good side, I can call him that to his face when I'm back home.

The silence was becoming awkward as I waited for him to say something. "There is a room waiting for you. You are to settle in then join me at dinner so we can discuss a course of action" His words were clipped, as if I was making him late for something.

Eris turned swiftly, his coat flaring out behind him, but Madoc stayed in place, so I wasn't sure if I should stay, or follow. I was about to ask but small dainty footsteps sounded from inside. A lesser fae with a furred orange tail appeared in the doorway shyly, her head was bowed, and her dress was covered in stains. "This is Daphne, she will show you to your room, if you need anything, she will bring it to you"

She gave me a small smile and then started walking down the hall to a grand staircase. The entire floor was carpeted in red with golden embroidery, torches lined the walls giving it that homey glow, like candles. The walls were a dark spruce colour, and every door was had intricate engravings of different things, trees mostly, but some were of the woodland creatures like foxes, squirrels, and swans, it was beautiful but also, eerily quiet.

The entire way I had seen not a single other fae, the loudest sound was my foot falls, it felt like I'd stepped into a vacuum so nothing could be heard. Daphne stopped in front of a door with an autumn leaf, she opened it, motioning inside.

The room was furnished nicely, it had a four-poster bed with entirely too many pillows and a blanket draped over the bottom, it was so so soft. The room did in fact have a window, tinted with red, orange and yellow, giving the evening light that shone through a few extra tones. It was smaller than my room in night, I was actually a little thankful for that, it didn't seem as hollow. There was a desk with an obnoxiously fancy quill in ridiculously expensive ink and a velvet chair lay before it. A little gaudy in my opinion but was certainly better than what I was expecting.

I had honestly forgotten that Daphne was in the room until she cleared her throat softly. "Is there anything you need?"

"No, no everything is perfect, thank you, Daphne." She nodded her head politely and left the room on silent feet, closing the door behind her. Not even the hinges made a noise in this place. As soon as the door had closed, Everest wriggled out of the coat, immediately exploring the room, the thing that interested her the most was the ornate lamp, carved in the shape of a tree with more tinted glass as a covering to act as leaves that sat on the bedside table.

Everest landed on it, her claws making a soft clink as she did. She lay down, absorbing the heat it radiated, her scales slowly shifted colour, melding to the shades of the lamp until she looked like she was part of it. Show off

Everest's only response was a happy, satisfied purr as the lamp warmed her stomach. I looked around some more, opening the cupboards and drawers. Autumn clothes both male and female were there, ready to be worn. The dresser contained a small assortment of jewellery and clips. A brush made of acacia laid neatly on the right side, a comb on the left.

It was not long before a knock landed on the door. "Lady Y/n, I have been sent to tell you that it is an hour before you are expected to be at the dining hall, your servant will show you the way when the time arrives." My servant? Does he mean Daphne? Was she really expected to be my servant? Her hesitant demeanour made sense now.

I don't know about you, but I'm hungry, and I highly doubt I'm invited to dinner, I'll have to catch my own food, again.

You realise you're a dragon, right? You're supposed to catch your own food.

Everest growled at that. You realise you're a fae, right? You're supposed to be my food.

You don't like the taste of fae, you prefer other meats, but you'd rather eat exotic fruits if given the choice. I shot back.

Just shut up and primp, you have a prince to seduce. She teased. I saw the way he looked at you.

So did I, he looked like he wanted me dead. He's a High Lord, not a prince, and I'm not going to be seducing anyone. It didn't matter what retort I gave, she had already dived out the window, blending in with her surroundings and closed her end of the bond.

I didn't have time to question Everest's where she found that particular line of thought, I had to figure out what I was going to wear to dinner. After going in circles for a good five minutes, I knocked on Everests walls.

I need your help to pick out an outfit I heard her long, drawn out, suffering sigh reverberate through our connection.

Fine, go ahead.

I don't know whether I should wear Night court clothes, Autumn court clothes, or my armour.

...Does it matter?

Of course it does! They may have an alliance, but it is strenuous at best, so wearing Night court attire might be disrespectful. If I wear Autumn court clothing, there might be a traditional way to wear certain things, and wearing it wrong could be offensive, or worse, he could think I'm trying to mock them. But if I wear my armour, it could be seen as a threat. Now do you understand my predicament?

No, not in the slightest, you're such an over thinker, making everything so unnecessarily complicated She closed her side of the bond again, more firmly this time. Cassian was right, courtier work sucks.

I was about to start undressing myself when I got the feeling I was being watched. A tingling sensation from my upper back travelled up my neck, down my arms and to the tips of my fingers. I recognised that feeling, a smile broke out on my face as I opened the window. "Night Shade!" My two snakes, Night and Shade, named after the plant their venom was made of, slithered inside. "By the mother, I've missed you guys, my arms don't look like they're mine without you there." I offered both my hands to them, and they climbed up, crossing over each other behind my head, before coiling themselves around my arms, once again merging with my skin to become tattoos.

I'll wear Night court attire, that's what they like best, and they've had to travel a long way to get here. I knew that technically, they're not alive, they don't need food or water, they don't tire, and they don't have minds of their own, they're made entirely out of magic, but I'd made personalities for them in my head, and based on that, they preferred Night court clothes, it matches their scales.

Eris's Pov-when Y/n arrived in Autumn

I stood outside the forest house beside Madoc, the past two days could not have gone by any slower. I had gotten a response from Rhysand a mere hour after my proposal, what in the name of the Mother could she have needed to pack that required two DAYS to do it?

It was early evening now, the sun had just started to set causing soft shadows to be cast across the ground like blankets. Rhysand winnowed in with Feyre on his arm, both dressed like they were going to a sophisticated event instead of a three minute drop off. Had to give it to them, they had style, though it was dulled by the company they kept, the brute followed along slightly behind the witch, looking around like he expected an ambush.

I knew Rhysand made sure there was space to walk up to him as a power move, so that they could take their bloody time strolling up to the doors with bored expressions to grate on my nerves, and any other time, it would have, but right now, I was very thankful for the few moments it afforded me.

The witch wore a fur coat, white and grey with flecks of black, I assumed it was to fight off the Autumn wind, and she looked beautiful, but it didn't suit her, it gave her skin an ashen tone that I did not like. There were much better alternatives for warmth, like me, for example, I could warm her much quicker and much more effectively than that poor attempt at comfort.

What am I thinking? I thought the strange thoughts had ended in Night, this needs to stop, now. I greeted Rhysand and Feyre, ignoring her and the brute, I accepted his demand for updates and barely registered his threat as I noticed the witch shiver in my peripheral vision and chose to be ignorant of the way my hand twitched toward her, convincing myself it meant nothing.

Rhysand and his company left, it was just me, her, and Madoc. I stared at her, wondering if it was too late to send her back, call it off, anything so that she wasn't staying near me, making me act a fool.

"There is a room waiting for you. You are to settle in then join me at dinner so we can discuss a course of action" I tried to keep my voice professional, like how I talked amongst other High Lords, but it came out too curt, too harsh. Anything I said would just fuck things up further, as I had apparently lost all control of my vocal cords, so I left, striding quickly to my bedchambers.

My pace slowed once I reached my door, it was engraved with two baying hounds and a small acorn in each corner. I slipped inside, feeling like an imposter in my own home. I leaned against the door breathing deeply, trying desperately to get my thoughts in order.

Once my heart was beating at regular speeds I got up and started shuffling through my armoire (Fancy French word for a closet). I spent the better part of thirty minutes pulling out different cloaks and shirts, laying them flat against me to see what would look best to Y/n. Not that that mattered of course, I wasn't trying to impress her, merely appealing to my audience.

Madoc knocked on my door, reminding me that I had an hour left to get ready. I had chosen a dark under shirt with gold buttons, but I had yet to choose what should go over it. I considered the one with golden fire embroidery but decided against it, thinking it might make me seem juvenile, flaunting my abilities about, she knows very well what they are. Wearing the celebratory one would be entirely too flashy for a dinner, so I ultimately decided less was more, choosing one of my simpler over coats but no less elegant.

I finished prepping myself, making sure there was not a hair out of place. Madoc greeted me at the door to the dining room, and we walked inside. A smaller table had been moved in, seeing as it would just be the three of us, I didn't want the Lords bombarding her with irrelevant questions, many of them were firmly stuck in their ways and would scoff at the idea that a female could be useful beyond cleaning and child rearing. I took a seat at the head of the table, Madoc to my left, and a seat for the witch was left open on the other end. The room felt very empty without a large table to fill it. Traditional Autumn foods filled the table as she drew near, the massive arched doors swung open slowly.

Once she entered, the torches flared, the distance made her look small, details blurred, but I could still clearly see that her outfit originated from Night, my jaw tightened at the sight. I could see matching snake tattoos coiled around her arms, the rest of their bodies hidden beneath her dress. They reminded me of the snake under the mountain that had seemingly come from nowhere and bitten me, it sent a creeping feeling up my spine to my neck where the serpent had sunk its fangs into.

As she got closer, this dress admittedly suited her much better than that dreadful coat, aided by the firelight, her skin now looked warm instead of ashen. "High Lord, General" We both nodded back to her, and I motioned toward the empty seat. Once she was seated, she folded her hands over her lap, waiting for permission to begin eating. "Please, help yourself"

I tried desperately to ignore it, but I couldn't help but take notice of what she did and did not select. The mashed potatoes and roast beef along with the tangy coleslaw made it to her plate, but not the steamed broccoli or baked gem squash. She prefers savoury food. We eat in silence, it was a little awkward but not terribly tense, once finished I sought more information.

"Exactly what weapons are these people smuggling from Elethairia?" She looked up at me and our eyes locked for the first time tonight, it sent tingles through my traitorous body and my heartbeat picked up.

"They've been smuggling all sorts of weapons for centuries, but what we are concerned about is the newest ones, a type of stone that can store magical energy, problem is, some of them don't have a limit, but the more magic stored inside, the more unstable it is."

"How come you are only concerned about it now?" It seemed suspicious that this was suddenly a problem, why hadn't anything been done about it before?

"Like I said, they've been doing this for centuries, they've gained experience and size, they have more than one base of operations and apparently the guy who runs it is scary enough that they'd rather live a life in prison or die than talk. It feels like fighting a hydra, you stop one and two more show up."

Depending on how many they have, it could be extremely dangerous, people are still recovering from under the mountain and Hybern's war, having explosions everywhere will make this worse, the court can't handle much more, Beron really did a number on these people. If only I'd been stronger, gotten rid of him sooner, stopped the tyranny so fae could hope again, stop fighting each other for the scraps Beron dangled in front of them. This is my fault, and I will fix this.

"I plan to find the shipment, and bring it back to Elethairia where they can be activated in a safe place so that no one can use them"

"What about the fae responsible, what is to happen with them? Are they supposed to go free?"

"They can be dealt with later, the main priority are the explosives" My face hardened. She was planning to leave them here where they could harm Autumn civilians while she ran off and played hero?

"I promise, once we have the opals out of their hands, I can come back and assist with arresting them, but they've already desolated one of our larger towns, almost five thousand died, I think you can see why this takes precedence. You can decide how they are to be punished seeing as this is all taking place in your territory."

Yes, begrudgingly, I could see why obtaining the stones was more important than obtaining the people, and the sooner one happened, the sooner the other could follow. I nodded showing that I understood. "Will you be needing anything else?"

"No, all good, everything is ready, and I'll be out of your way as soon as possible" My heart clenched and tugged at my insides to do or say something to prevent it. I found that I once again had no control over the words coming out of my mouth.

"Perfect, we can start first thing tomorrow" She froze, and even Madoc looked to me in question

"I'm sorry, we?" Too late to turn back now.

"Yes, We"

ok, hope that was good, but I have a question, do you guys like that I colour code the mind speak dialogue? I originally did it cause I noticed I had a lot of unseparated dialogue, and it might get confusing, but I now realise it also might be distracting.

Taglist: @imma-too-many-fandoms @rcarbo1

A/n: Did anyone get the game of thrones reference right at the beginning?

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