The Courts of Haven

Faery Party Tricks

"Ow...ow...ow!" I cried, Yvonne was relentless as she curled and yanked and brushed at my hair. 

"Hush, it isn't so bad" she murmured, still focused on my tortured locks of honey hair. I was dressed in a robe, a few choices of wardrobe laid across the bed and my hair a work in progress. Tonight's theme was wind apparently, whatever that meant. Yvonne was too busy getting us both ready to explain, but I didn't push her, she had party fever in her eyes. "And, done" she huffed, stepping back and picking up a silver mirror, facing me with it. 

I blinked at myself, my hair was half down with curls of golden feathers in the mass. 

"Hot damn" I said, she smirked. 

"Now, for the dress" she hummed, I stood from the table to look with her. Everything was gold, black, and grey. She closed her eyes, brushing her hands down each dress. There was at least ten, each a different design and base color. But before I could give any input she exclaimed and picked up a dress, sweeping it around so I could see it. It was long and skin baring. The stomach was exposed in a diamond shaped cut, it had a thigh high split, and it was sleeveless. It was black, inky almost. 

"Isn't that a little-" 

"Perfect?" she asked, glancing down at it. I raised a brow, 

"Uh, racy" I answered, she gave me a look. 

"It will be modest in the presence of the other Fae women, do not fret about that" she said, yeesh, I couldn't wait to see what everyone else was wearing then. Or what they weren't wearing for that matter. "Come along, we have very little time" she said, she had me drop the robe and shimmy into the dress. I wore a bra and underwear, but she took off the straps of the bra and pressed her hand beneath my armpits. 

"What're you- yee!" I yelped at the sudden blast of ice, I flailed my arms and scrambled back, lifting them and peering beneath them. There was crystallized glass pinning the bra up beneath my arms, I stared, confused and oddly terrified. "How-" 

"Fae magic is nothing to gawk at Thea, now hurry up" she clapped her hands together and I looked at them, Fae magic huh? 

The dress was skin clinging, I kept patting my tummy self consciously but Yvonne swore it looked amazing. I felt so naked.

"I'll send Ferrid to retrieve you, Lord Thorn will be very busy all night so be cautious when you approach him, he becomes...testy in the presence of the Queen" she said, she disappeared through the door and I was left with cold armpits and nervous twitches. 

It was my first Fae party and I was actually petrified. Fae were rotting souls, they were like carnage with a pretty face and I knew that well enough. And their parties were waltzes with wine and blood. I felt cold dance up my back and I rubbed my arms, I had to keep my wits about me tonight. 

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When Ferrid came to retrieve me he was dressed in a black vest over a white button down, matching white gloves on his hands. This time I took his arm when he offered, despite his almost permanent scowl and sharp gaze I felt like I needed to hide behind him. 

The entire feeling of the Court had changed, I felt static wash over my skin and I wished Yvonne hadn't made me wear this dress. I felt too exposed, vulnerable. So I curled my fingers in Ferrid's sleeve and steeled myself as the double doors at the end of our walk swept open without a sound. 

The air was what struck me first, it was sticky and cool and smelled like something sweet enough to give me a toothache. And then I drank in the scene before me. It was...insane, no, it was beautiful.