Lady of Nightmares | ACOTAR | Rhysand's Sister x Azriel

Tame the Sky Itself

Aithusa and Morcant knew they were wrong for each other from the moment the bond snapped in place. She loved him, yes, but only because he was her mate, and had saved her wings. Otherwise, she might have hated him, and often thought she did regardless. 

After the mating frenzy ended, they did not particularly care for each other's company. It wasn't hard to understand why the all-powerful, centuries-old high lord didn't have much time for his young, wild, Illyrian bride. Though they amused each other on occasion through a shared dry humour, and often shared each other's bed - and enjoyed doing so - they were simply too different to truly understand each other.

The heart of their problems were that he liked to control everyone and everything, whilst she ran from anything that even resembled shackles. He had grand ambitions despite being one of the most powerful fae in Prythian, and there was nothing he would not do to get what he wanted. Her only desire was to be free to do the things she enjoyed.

Perhaps it made her immoral, but Aithusa did not particularly care that Morcant was ruthless and often cruel. There was nothing she could do to change that, and she had no desire at all to be caught up in any kind of political scheming or plots. Not because she was scared of the consequences, but because she simply did not care. Such things were foreign to her, uninteresting too.

The one thing she tried to push was banning the clipping of Illyrian female's wings, but he was resistant to her arguments on that. He disiked the practice too, but claimed that it was not worth the trouble it would cause. Many an argument had occurred between them on this subject. He didn't tend to raise his voice, and neither did she, but their words were nothing short of vicious; his full of threats she knew he would not follow through on (not when it came to her), her own full of sharp insults designed to rile him further.

Her mate would only indulge her coarseness so far. It amused him to see her deal with simpering or hostile courtiers in a blunt, borderline rude fashion, not even entertaining their games, true. But he disliked how she preferred simple clothing, how she spoke to the servants as though they were equals, how she did not follow the flowery mannerisms and courtesies expected of the Lady of the Night Court. It was as though he had been expecting her to have transformed to his liking in the time since she arrived here. As if! Just because they called her lady, didn't mean she wanted to act like one.

They had battled bitterly over such matters, neither holding back any verbal punches. Their arguments were private but vicious. 

"I might as well try to tame the sky itself, for all the good trying to get you in line does," He snarled at her, and she had just snorted and declared that a good thing.

Aithusa felt a stab of satisfaction at the fact that for all his power, Morcant could not control her. Well, he could if he tried, but physically forcing his mate to act how he wished was a line that even the High Lord would not cross. She was lucky enough to be certain of that.

Others in the Court of Nightmares attempted to approach her often, usually to sneer at her, belittle her, force her into a mould she would not fit into, that of the delicate, well-mannered high fae lady who Morcant was supposed to have married. A mould that her wings were too large for. 

Her wings... She may have gone insane without them. When the court stifled her, when even the Moonstone Palace - lovely though it was - felt like a gilded cage, Aithusa went flying. She soared amongst the wind and clouds, and it was only there that she could relax completely, and forget for a while. The mountains were beautiful, a reminder of the Illyrian wilderness, and she could easily spend days out there. 

She and Morcant came to a compromise eventually. She would act his dutiful lady to those whose opinion he cared about. She would appear at feasts and ceremonies, whenever she was required (though she would not organise them, as a proper hostess should). She would not insult anyone important or embarrass him too much. And in return, in private, she could do whatever she liked, within reason. So long as she did not shame him, and could pretend when it mattered, and let someone know where she was going, he wouldn't try to tame her.