A Court of Scars and Steel (Completed)

Chapter 8 - Aelin

After careful consideration, Aelin chose a long green dress that gently drags on the floor. It was made of lace, with a green backing under it so it doesn't show any skin. It was edged with silver, and it almost made her cry.

Green and silver were the colors of Terrasen. Aelin didn't know why she even chose to wear something that reminded her of home when she may never get back, but somehow as her first true act out of Maeve's prison Aelin wanted to support my country, even if the act would've gone unnoticed.

For a second, though, Aelin almost chose the black dress with gold edging. It looked remarkably like the golden dragon dress she wore for that night with Aroybnn, but somehow she couldn't wear anything like that without Rowan by her side. Without her court by her side.

Aelin wondered what was happening back home. Gods, she must have been out for days healing, and who knew how long she'd been with Maeve.

Was Terrasen winning against Erawan? They had to be, with the allies she'd procured for them. They had to have a fighting chance.

The thought of Aedion, Lysandra, and company having to go up against Erawan... Aelin needed to get home. And Rowan... she tugged on the bond, just to see if it was there. And it was. But it was faint, probably from being stretched through dimensions, and Aelin seriously doubted whether he even felt her tug.

Suddenly a new worry came to the forefront of Aelin's mind. What if Rowan thought she was dead? If she could barely feel the bond... gods know what Rowan felt.

Perhaps thankfully, someone knocked on her door. Aelin immediately whirled, a hand going to her non-existent sword. "Are you ready?" Feyre asked.

Aelin sighed, dragging the brush through her finally unknotted and detangled. Honestly, most of her body felt so much better after a shower. "Ready," she called, and dropped the brush on the vanity as she walked towards the door.

Feyre pulled it open before she reached it though, and a smile spread across her face when she saw Aelin. "You look beautiful."

Aelin ran an eye over Feyre's casual white tunic and long black leggings. "You look very casual."

Feyre smirked, "I did say there was no dress code."

Aelin smiled softly in reply, running a hand over the dress, "I wore what called to me. Besides, I would take any chance to dress up."

Feyre nodded, holding out a hand. "Now, shall we?" Aelin grabbed it, and everything darkened. Shadows swirled around her, and Aelin thought she was going to be sick. The darkness...

Feyre squeezed her hand tightly. "When it all seems like it's too much, and you're going to break, always remember that the b*tch wins if you break."

Aelin looked at Feyre in surprise. The words came from someone who knew exactly what she was going through, and understood.

That fact only reminded Aelin how little she knew about this world, if the swirling darkness around them proved anything.

Suddenly, the darkness was gone, and Aelin and Feyre were standing on a stone ledge, the moon just peeking above the horizon ahead of them. "What was that?" Aelin gasped, and Feyre grinned slightly.

"That was winnowing. It transports us from place to place through the shadows." Interesting. It reminded Aelin of Fenrys's powers. Someday, she'd have to tell him.

Feyre tugged Aelin forward, and pushed a glass door open, leading them into a wide, brightly lit hall. Three men and two women already sat around a table, one of whom Aelin recognized from earlier, the male, Rhysand.

They all looked at the two of them as they entered. Feyre immediately headed for the spot next to Rhysand and a grinning pale blond Fae, leaving Aelin to take the only remaining spot - next to a Fae with wings??? and a manbun.

The wings of the male next to her, and the one across from him, were beautiful, with little streaks of red and yellow running through the black membrane.

The woman to Rhysand's left quickly drew Aelin's attention, however. She had short dark hair, and a wicked looking smirk as she purred, "Hello, Firebringer, Aelin of the Wildfire."

A/N Thank you all so much for reading this!  And special thanks to @MichSif for my first four votes, and @EmilyGuo423 for my first comment.  And thanks to all of you reading this, we're finally over 100 reads!

Also, I have a couple other ideas I've been toying with for SJM fanfiction, maybe even an original story or two, and I want to know what you all think.

Also, do you guys want to see Elain and Azriel or Elain and Lucien?  I can't decide myself who I ship so I want to know what you think.  It won't reflect anything in the immediate future, as we still have to get to the incident with the Cauldron, but please let me know so I can write it in when the time comes!!

Finally, (I promise) I think the song The Lonely by Christina Perri really reflects Feyre's time with Tamlin at the beginning of ACOMAF.  Do any of you agree?

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