The Court of Nightmarish Behaviours

The Court of Nightmares

AN: So I hate this fic (the last few chapters are especially awful) and I either want to take it down or do major edits, I don't wanna edit this though and I don't really want to take it down either cause.... I dunno I probably should.

Anyway just know I'm very sorry, please read this as self-indulgent of me like 2 years ago when I wasn't very smart in the head and just read for fun and enjoy - instead of actual good content (I have other works in ACOTAR's fandom which border on good so :/ don't feel obliged to like this one cause I am VERY aware it is a hot, disgusting mess).

Anella Sylvester lived under a mountain, she was a member of the Court of Nightmares in the Night Court but females weren't really seen as a part of the court so she didn't call herself one. Her father wanted to be like Kier, a steward, who had plenty of power in the court. All Anella wanted was to get away from her family, they were already considering who to sell her off to; wondering which marriage would gain them the most.

Anella wished she had the Morrigan's strength, to take her future into her own hands and sleep with a bastard Illyrian, sully herself so much that the Lord of Autumn's eldest son did not want her. She wasn't allowed to go anywhere near males, the Court of Nightmares had learned from past 'mistakes'. Anella was never left alone with males that weren't her father, she was just worth too much to him.

Her blonde hair must remind people too much of Morrigan, it was long and golden and fell around her shoulders. Her eyes were a pale coral blue, and her skin was equally as pale; she had never even been out of the mountain. She was usually dressed in a darker blue than her eyes, in hope to complement them and bring out the bluer parts as sometimes they seemed almost grey.

Tonight she was dressed in such a gown, the dress went down to mid-calf, and the neckline plunged low into her chest. Her father had reluctantly allowed a thigh-slit to be made, in order to help her bow when the High Lord and Lady arrived. Anella was going to see them for the first time that evening at a party, the Court of Nightmares always made sure there was a celebration whenever their Lord and Lady were due to visit. This was the first Anella was invited to one and she was curious as to why; she was not going to query her chance to attend their visit.

She had been dressed shortly before and was soon to make her way through the dark, damp corridors to the huge hall where the party was. She was nervous of seeing all of her court gathered, hoping her father would not try to hide her from any male gaze and randomly send her back to her rooms just when something got interesting. 

"Are you ready to go to the hall daughter?"

"I will be out shortly father, I just have to put on my necklace."

She hated the necklace her father had chosen for tonight, the stones matched her eyes yet again. Anella had always wondered why he had insisted on her wearing blue, yes there was plenty of variety within the one colour, but it wasn't difficult to get bored of her monotone wardrobe.

"Our High Lord and Lady will be arriving soon with their Inner Circle. They do not take kindly to tardiness." Her fathers tone was clipped, he was already losing patience with her. It took all of her will not to roll her eyes as he entered her room, furrowed his eyebrows slightly and growled slightly. "You don't need to look so depressed, females are supposed to cheer up us males. It's not the other way around."

"I'm sorry father, I will try to look happier tonight." Full sentences, speak clearly, ensure all sentences made sense, and now smile. Anella could have cried with frustration, her father had spent the past 25 years training her to be the perfect lady, and she felt she had never lived as herself. However she was not one to fight, it had not been trained out of her, the instinct, she just had never had it. Endure and survive. That was all it ever had been, and all it ever would be.

She rose to her feet from in front of the mirror, adjusting her gown to sit unruffled on her beautiful, curved body. Her father had always been proud of that, how beautiful her body had become. As if it was his achievement; as it if was an achievement at all. She curtseyed to him and he offered his arm. Anella took the muscular arm and willed a calm, serene smile onto her face. Her father looked pleased and led her out of the room, into a dark corridor. His footsteps were urgent, it was very important they were not late. The High Lord especially would not be pleased, and her father would likely be the one facing a punishment due to their tardiness.

They arrived in the huge hall, the lights that hung high from the roof giving the room an eerie glow. The crowd shifted around, drinking and talking quietly. Anella sensed tenseness in the room and realised everyone was waiting for the High Lord, to see what his mood was today, before they relaxed or tried to slip away. 

She stood for a few minutes standing holding her fathers arm while he discussed boring matters that she had no idea about with his 'friends'. They likely all hated each other, all battling for the next promotion, but she didn't care at this point. Anella was too busy waiting for the High Lord and Lady. Eventually her father sensed she was nearly falling asleep on her feet with the lack of stimulation and told her to go and get a drink. His words shocked her enough that she didn't say anything as she slid away into the crowd. Why did he not think she would just go and find a male like Morrigan had? Anella considered the possibility then realised she wasn't brave enough to do anything like that; her father was right to trust her in a crowd of males and females.

Anella finally made her way to a table with variations of refreshment and selected what she hoped was a safe choice. Her happiness-forced eyes roamed over the room, assessing everyone she could define in the crowd. She found people fascinating, how they were all different. The crowd behaviour nearly made her chuckle aloud, no one was trying to stand out. Every single Fae in the room was trying their hardest to hide in the shadows.

She raised the glass to her parched lips and drank slowly, still judging how the Fae around her kept their distance. Anella put the glass back on the table once it was finished and made the decision to go back to her father. The building tension set her on edge and it was definitely safer to stay with him, he could talk her through how to behave in their High Lord and Lady's presence, she would've been looking forward to it if there was not terror starting to rise at what might happen if she acted out of line. 

A voice called to her across the room, and Anella knew she needed to get to her father straight away. Risking being separated when she did not know how to behave was not an option. Her feet had her halfway to him, when the huge oak doors creaked, and opened.

The High Lord and Lady had arrived with their Inner Circle.