A Court of War and Thrones

Nightmares

They decided to stay the night.

Mainly because Rhaella needed to rest and didn't think she could winnow to the Night Court just yet.

When they got there, she would not rest. Would not sleep.

June, Kalta and her would be little cats in a pit full of wolves and they knew it.

That's why Gale was staying behind. In the Guild, controlling the criminals in her behalf.

If they were only cats in the Fae Lands, Gale was nothing more than a bug.

And, honestly, they had grown to like each other. It would be a shame he died.

So, in that moment, Rhaella tried to rest.

Failing miserably, of course.

Sleep refused to come to her as if her body, even though it was exhausted, was telling her to keep going.

Maybe it was just her mind, stopping by her from resting.
She knew what she would face once she fell asleep.

But, fuck, she was very tired.

So she removed the covers off her body, the chilling air quickly hugging her barely covered body.
Those nightgowns were going to be the death of her.

Rhaella quickly crossed one of the doors inside her chambers. Oke that connected to her new office and looked through the drawers.

She found it quickly.

Rhaella grabbed the dried plant woth gentle hands, afraid it would break and, before she had time to think about it, she smashed it and placed the bits into a paper.

Rhaella light the paper with a lighter and soon, she was walking back to her bed, smoking the plant.

She didn't know exactly what it was.
She just knew it made her sleep.

And, also made her very hungry when she woke up the next morning.

But that was a problem for future Rhaella. Present Rhaella just wanted to sleep.

***
I

t was a bad idea.

Now, she couldn't wake up.

She probably took too much and needed for her body to sweat it off.

So Rhaella covered her ears inside her head, in the forest she created years ago, where she had trapped Rhysand the first time they met.

She covered her ears as the vines grabbed her legs, bounding her to the floor.

She couldn't move, couldn't escape.

She regretted her choices as the people she had killed washed over her.

She remembered some faces.
She didn't remember many.

Too many people.
Too many lives ruined.

Too much damage...

"What will you do when you are Queen of Lanky, Rhaella?" A black haired woman said. She knew that woman. She was the one that almost made her give up that night after Dante killed Lorcan. "What will you do when you become The Queen?"

Her voice was muffled by her hands, her eyes shut tight.
More vines grabbed her wrists, taking her hands away from her ears.

She opened her eyes and the woman was there.
Beautiful and dangerous.

"Will you be known as the Mad Queen?" She purred, circling her. "Will they fear you because in your free time you ride your dragon and burn it all?"

"Shut up." Rhaella muttered. "This is my head! I am in control here! This is just a dream!"