Their Chosen (The Reluctant Royals #1)

11. Chapter Eleven Rhowyn

Chapter Eleven: Rhowyn

I glanced up at the sky for the tenth time in as many minutes, hoping to catch sight of the sun or anything to tell me how long we had been riding. The trees towered over us, taller than any I had ever seen before, their foliage completely blocking out the sky and thankfully providing shade after enduring the first stretch of hot weather.

Apparently, we’d entered the Summer Quadrant, and it was almost as hot as Texas. Which wouldn’t have been so bad, but there was no breeze or shade to provide respite until we’d entered the forest we were in now. Which was great several hours ago, but now that my thighs were chafing from rubbing against the saddle while also trying to maintain this steady canter, I was ready for a break. My horse had a short stride, her steps choppy and quick, causing my butt to bounce a lot more in this unforgiving seat. My thighs screamed at me when I tried to stand in my stirrups to ease the jostling ride, already exhausted from basically holding a squat position for hours. All in all, I was miserable and wondering when we'd rest from this torturous pace.

I gritted my teeth, biting back a groan as my ass slammed into the saddle again, harder than intended, but I refused to be the only one to complain. Lennox would never stop with the princess comments if I did.

I tried to stand slightly in the saddle again, but my thighs shook and trembled until my knees buckled, causing me to slam into the saddle again. This time, I couldn't prevent the gasp that escaped my lips at the sudden chafing and pain. Yoga pants were never intended to be worn for long horseback rides. Let's just say there's a reason all cowboys wore blue jeans, not yoga pants or shorts. I should have changed when I’d had the chance, but I had no idea we'd be riding for hours non-stop at this pace. Wrongly, I had assumed we’d take some other form of transportation. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late to say anything.

I glanced up again, this time finally spotting a break in the foliage, allowing me a quick glance of the sky, still a perfect, cloudless blue. Their world was stunning, and if I wasn't hurting so bad, I'd be in complete awe. Everything was untouched by technology or greed, and the colors of the diverse plant life, in contrast to the sky, was so very vivid, more so than on Earth. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the lack of air and light pollution, or if this was just how their land was. Whatever the reason, I was astonished until I started feeling the pain again.

I gasped again, gritting my teeth. I caught Arryn glancing at me from the corner of my eye, and I tried to hide my pain and discomfort, but I wasn’t sure if I had been successful. I didn’t know how much more I could bear, my muscles unused to this kind of abuse, despite being an athlete and fighter. Because of my career choice, I had a high pain tolerance, and for me to want to cry right now, said a lot. No one else seemed to be feeling the same. Of course, they were all used to this because, so far, it seemed to be their only mode of transportation. When I’d said I knew how to ride, I’d also left out that it had been almost ten years since the last time I had. I could only imagine how I’d feel when it was time to stop and I had to get down and walk. I really didn't think my legs would hold me, but I'd be damned if I let Lennox, or the others, see my weakness.

There was still no end in sight to this forest that surrounded us, but I finally noticed that the air was cooling down. Hopefully, we'd find a place to stop for the night soon. Although, I hadn't seen any towns or even other fae outside of our group. Surely, they planned on staying at a hotel or inn for the night. I desperately needed a hot shower to relax my sore muscles if I had any hope of riding tomorrow as well. Just as I realized it was close to nightfall, based on the temperature alone, Arryn spurred his horse onward to catch the front of the group. I watched as he exchanged a few words with the two soldiers at the front of our line, who nodded in response.

He turned his horse around and rode back to my side, slowing his pace again. He spoke to me so softly that I barely caught his words. “We'll be stopping for the night soon.” I turned toward him, unable to hide the relief on my face, catching the pained look on his own. Unable to speak for fear I'd start crying or give away the fact that I was miserable, I nodded.

Glancing away before I revealed everything to him, my eyes landed on Lennox, who was riding in front of me. I'd caught myself more than once staring at his back, and oh, what a nice backside it was . He filled out the blue jeans he was wearing, not having changed either. Just another beautiful part of the scenery, even if it was poisonous. His hips were narrow, thighs powerful, and his broad shoulders tapered as if intentionally directing my eyes to his ass. I had to admit his physique provided a very nice distraction from my current discomfort, not that I would ever admit that to him. He knew exactly what he looked like and what his body did to a woman. There was no way to deny just how attractive he was, but his personality really sucked, which completely ruined it for me. But I could appreciate a work of art without feeling the need to buy it for my home.

While I studied the lines of his body and the way his muscles flexed as he rode, I completely missed the fact that our pace had drastically slowed. Meadow didn't, not distracted like I was by the obnoxious asshole in front of us, and slowed suddenly without my prompting. At the change in pace, I slammed forward in the saddle, squeezing my thighs to prevent myself from falling and gasping loudly at the intense pain. I recoiled from the agony, and my feet landed on Meadow's sides harder than I’d intended. I blamed the fact that my thighs were basically rubber by this point, so I couldn't get them to do anything even if I had wanted to.

Meadow mistook the touch of my feet as her cue to speed back up, jumping forward and to the side to avoid the other horses, racing away from the group. I barely managed to stay in the saddle as she broke away, running full speed past the line of soldiers.

A fall from this height would more than likely result in broken bones, so I did everything I could to prevent that outcome. It was hard though, because now, I’d lost my stirrups and was at her mercy, bouncing around on her backside, stars gathering in my eyes at the pain.

I couldn't hold back my tears from the suffering and the wind. Instead, I focused on ignoring it all. I needed to get my stirrups back on so I could stop her headlong dash away from everyone. As I bounced along for the ride, my foot continually slipped from the loop until, finally, my left foot found the stirrup. Once that foot was in place, I had more control over my position and could get my other one into the stirrup. With both feet in place, I stood and leaned back, pulling the reins with me. Meadow finally slowed to a stop with the action.

My tears fell freely now as my heart pounded in my throat. It had been years since I last rode a horse, but it all came back when I needed it to like riding a bike. I beamed with pride for not succumbing to my fear and saving myself.

“What the hell was that?!” The words were snapped at me as I turned in the saddle, gasping as my thighs rubbed the sides, startled to find Lennox halting beside me.

“Do you think I did this on purpose?! Cause let me tell you, this is not my idea of fun!” I yelled back at him. His attitude was the very last thing I needed right now and, of course, I could feel my tears streaming down my face, snot starting to run out of my nose, and my hair falling from the ponytail it had been in earlier, now sticking to the sweat on my face and neck. I knew I looked like an absolute hot mess right now, just compounding my shitty mood and topping off a crappy day. I was so over it.

Thankfully, before Lennox could respond and cross my last nerve, Baer and Arryn caught up to us. “Rhowyn, are you okay?” Baer asked, his horse drawing so close to mine that our thighs brushed against each other.

“Yeah, I'm okay,” I assured him, his eyes grazing my body for injuries, as if to convince himself I was telling the truth. “I'll be better when we can rest for the night,” I added, hoping to hear that we'd be stopping soon. Arryn neared me on his horse and handed me a cloth, not saying anything but watching me closely. “Thanks,” I told him as I took it and dried my eyes and nose, glad to at least make myself somewhat presentable again.

“We'll be stopping soon. In fact, the guys should be setting up now. Come on, let's get you back, Killer.”

“Setting everything up?” I asked Baer for clarification as we turned our horses .

“Yes, they're setting up tents, preparing food, and tending to the horses. You'll be fine sleeping outside won't you, Princess?”

“No complaints from me,” I responded with a forced smile, although I was disappointed. A hot shower had sounded so wonderful in my mind, but I wouldn't give Lennox the satisfaction of seeing that regret.

He huffed in response and then kicked his horse in the new direction, apparently headed back to camp. Baer continued to ride beside me while Arryn rode behind us, thankfully at a walk. There was no way I could handle anything more at this point, my body aching worse than it did after a particularly brutal fight. Baer kept up a steady stream of conversation that I only half paid attention to until we finally rounded a curve on the trail to find a large clearing that was quickly being filled with all the supplies needed for a camp.

I groaned in relief at the sight, more than ready to get off this damned horse. We stopped by the temporary corral holding all the other mounts, Baer and Arryn dismounting quickly and handing their reins to the soldiers assigned to oversee their care.

I found myself hesitating, not sure if my legs would support me. The last thing I wanted was to appear weak before these men. Baer was speaking to the soldiers who had taken their horses, glancing back at me when Arryn approached me.

“Let me help,” He said simply, soft enough that no one else heard him, and reached his arms up to me.

I nodded and slid into his arms, not foolish enough to pass up his assistance. He held me tight and lowered me to the ground, my body sliding down his, my hands resting on his biceps, and my core clenching as he gazed at me. My feet hit the ground, and my knees buckled, my legs screaming in protest, but thankfully Arryn didn't immediately release me, still supporting most of my weight while my body adjusted to the new demands I made of it, his eyes never leaving mine. Heat flared in his eyes, which dipped to my lips, and his hands clenched tighter on my hips. I couldn't stop the desire that flared inside me at the thought of kissing him.

“Alright, Killer, how about we clean up before we eat?” Baer said, loud enough to startle me, and I pulled away from Arryn, blushing. At some point, my body had started supporting its own weight, and to be honest, I didn't know how long they'd been doing so. My entire focus had been on Arryn.

At the thought of cleaning up, I groaned in pleasure. “Sounds great,” I replied to Baer and followed him, turning back to Arryn briefly as we walked off, only to find that the heat from before was still there.

I turned back to Baer, focusing on where he was leading me. We weaved through a few tents, passing soldiers still setting several others up. We stopped at a small tent, and he pulled back a flap, gesturing for me to enter. “This is your tent.”

I saw my bag resting on one side and what looked like a sleeping bag on the other. There was barely enough room for both of us inside, and we could only stand up straight in the center, the sides sloping down to meet the grass under our feet. “Thanks. Is there somewhere I can bathe?” I asked him, afraid to get my hopes up.

“Absolutely.” He smiled with understanding. “Let me grab some of my own things, and then I'll be back shortly to take you.”

With that, he exited my tent, not needing an answer from me. I watched him leave my make-shift room, the flap closing behind him. I was so out of my depth, and I just knew it was only going to get worse. But if foster care had taught me anything, it was how to adapt quickly. There was no doubt in my mind that I'd find my footing again soon, but until then, I would allow these men to ground me. Arryn's calm and steady nature and Baer's youthfulness, which often resulted in a smile, provided me with a balance I desperately needed right now. I was grateful for their presence in my floundering, especially when my first instinct was to rebuke help from anyone, preferring my own self-reliance. For maybe the first time ever, I found myself wanting to lean on someone else.

A part of me wasn't sure that was a good thing, especially since I didn't really know them. But I was curious to learn more about them, what I was, and my history and heritage as a fae. If I was going to do that, then I would need to remain here longer. After all my protestations, I knew I’d seem like a hypocrite if I didn’t immediately return to Earth. It seemed to me that no matter which choice I made, I’d only end up with regrets.

I turned and opened my bag, grabbing some pajamas and toiletries, making sure to pull out loose jogging pants so my thighs wouldn’t chafe further. Standing back up was a challenge, my muscles still screaming at me after my torturous ride. I walked stiffly toward the exit to my tent, opening the flap to step outside.

People wandered about with various tasks, none of which I understood except to know it was a lot to set all this up, especially just for one night. No one seemed rushed or harried, telling me this was a well-run group where everyone knew their roles and went about them, knowing it was vital to the group.

I spotted Arryn across the clearing, speaking to the soldiers as he stopped to check in with everyone. The soldiers clearly respected and looked up to him, their pride evident on their faces after speaking with him. To obtain that kind of respect, he’d have to be a good man. Fear brought about nervous and anxious states from people with a completely different body language. Based on that, I knew he didn't use fear to demand obedience or subservience. I smiled as I continued to watch him without his knowledge. You could often learn a lot about someone when they didn't realize they were being watched. And what I saw only endeared him to me more .

Movement to my right caught my attention, and as I turned, I caught sight of Baer. My smile widened at his lazy swagger as he weaved his way toward me, a smile present as if life, in general amused him. How I wished I could move through life with such a positive and easy outlook, but I’d been hardened and honed by my own experiences already. Still, I was inexplicably drawn to the warmth that oozed from his very pores. Normally, I couldn't stand people who were bubbly in their natures, usually finding that they didn't see the real world and were oblivious to all the pain around them. But with Baer, I felt that he saw the evil and made a conscious choice to laugh in the face of it, his own way of pushing back against it. To me, that choice was enviable, and I wished I could do the same.

“You ready?” he asked once he was close enough.

“Yup,” I replied, smiling up at him. He led me through the camp, both of us carrying our things. We exited the clearing and strolled through the trees, Baer holding branches back from me as we went. A few minutes later, we came upon a small stream. Baer turned to walk along the bank until it widened. There were large rocks nearby as well, and he approached them, setting his things on one. I did the same with my own things and then stood there at a loss for what to do next.

While I stood there wondering how this would work, Baer didn't hesitate, pulling his shirt off with one hand. I had to actively ensure my mouth was closed and not gaping open or drooling in response to the chiseled abs and adonis “V” in front of my eyes. Heat immediately flooded my body, and I had to hold myself back from touching those delicious muscles.

I had known he was in shape, but I hadn't quite expected him to be so cut. Not that I was complaining. I could watch those muscles dance under his skin all day long, but I didn't want to look like a weirdo.

He kicked off his shoes, and then his hands reached for his zipper. I swallowed and turned my back to him despite how badly I wanted to watch. I shivered slightly at the thought of finding out what exactly was in his pants and what it would feel like sliding inside me. I heard him laugh softly at my response, then felt a warm breath next to my ear. “Don't tell me you've never seen a man in his underwear?”

“What?! No. I mean, I have; I just didn't want to presume.” My cheeks flared in embarrassment at my awkwardness. Trust me, I was no saint.

He laughed at me again, this time from a little further away. “Don't worry, Killer, your innocence is intact, and everything is covered.” His voice seemed to come from further away. I turned around to see him walking into the water. “You going to join me?” he asked as the water came up to his hips, and he turned around to face me.

“Of course. I just wasn't sure...” I trailed off. “I've never had to bathe in a stream before, so this is all new,” I said by way of a weak explanation, even if it was the truth.

Instead of letting myself think too much more about it, I pulled off my own shirt, left my sports bra on, and then pulled my leggings and shoes off. Standing in my bra and boy shorts, I grabbed my toiletries and made my way to the bank. Setting my stuff down, I grabbed my shampoo first and walked into the water. I inhaled sharply as my toes hit the cold water. “Why didn't you warn me it was so cold?”

Laughing at me as I continued into the water, he replied, “I didn't want to scare you off completely.” I shook my head at him and then gasped as the cold water hit the burns on my inner thighs. “What's wrong?” he asked me. Apparently, I hadn't hidden the grimace of pain quickly enough.

“It's nothing, really,” I said, trying to brush off his concerns. He eyed me, not buying a word but not pushing me either .

He went back to soaping himself up, so I dunked myself under the water before I could wuss out, wetting my hair before popping back up. I shampooed my hair, trying my best to ignore the eye candy in front of me. Just a couple of steps would bring me within touching distance, and it was all too tempting.

I dunked myself again to rinse the soap from my hair. When I was done, my teeth were starting to chatter from the cold. Baer rinsed himself off, water running in rivulets down his body. I stood there for longer than intended, mesmerized by the trail which led down to his waistband. I licked my lips and then caught myself glancing at his face.

He was smirking at me, knowing full well I’d been checking him out. I blushed again and glanced at the shore. I didn't want to get out only to come back here. Thankfully, Baer was now done washing and was wading back to shore. “Can I use your soap?” I asked hopefully.

“Sure.” He sauntered right up next to me, stopping in front of me so close that if I took a deep breath, my breasts would touch his chest, small as they were. Granted, my nipples could cut glass right about now, and it wasn’t just from the cold water.

He held out the bar of soap to me, and I took it, our fingers brushing. My core clenched at the modest contact, electricity zinging through me. “Thanks. Can you take my shampoo back?” I held the bottle out to him. “It's too cold to keep going back and forth. I just want to be done.”

“Not a problem.” He smirked and then licked his lips while eyeing mine. I was torn between hoping he would kiss me and hoping he wouldn't. As if he knew, he took the bottle from me and then turned to walk past me, brushing my shoulder with his as he did so. “Don't take too much longer, Killer. Your lips are turning blue.”

Of course, he hadn't wanted to kiss me, he was just noticing how cold I was. I wanted to palm my forehead in embarrassment, but I was still holding his soap. Keeping my back to him, I washed my body as quickly as possible, rinsing even more quickly before rushing to the shore as fast as I could. My arms wrapped around myself and rubbed, trying to warm up. It wasn't until I got back to my rock that I realized I’d forgotten a towel. “Shit,” I cursed, not sure how to dry off now.

“What?” Baer asked as he pulled on a new pair of pants. These weren’t jeans but, instead, looked like worn leather and hugged his legs closely.

“I forgot a towel.” I barely kept a whine from my voice.

“Ah. I can help with that.”

“You can?” I asked hopefully, thinking he'd brought an extra towel for me. I eyed him, noticing his hair was completely dry already. Guys were lucky like that, not having to deal with sopping wet, long hair which took forever to dry without a blow dryer.

“Yup.” He strolled toward me, still in his pants and without a shirt, both hands empty. I eyed him warily but curious, trying to keep my teeth from chattering.

He drew up next to me again and then raised his hands. Before I could react, a strong warm breeze caressed my skin, and I couldn't keep myself from moaning at the pleasure, my shivering halted. The breeze picked up, harshly blowing into my face, forcing me to close my eyes against the pressure as my hair whipped back.

Abruptly the wind stopped, and I opened my eyes to find I was now completely dry. “Did you just do that?” I asked incredulously. He nodded at me, trying to gauge my reaction. “How?” I asked.

“It wasn't hard. Almost everyone from spring has control of the air. It's one of the first things we learn.” He smiled as I gaped at him. He spoke as if it was as easy as tying his shoes .

“Can I do that?” I asked eagerly, hoping I might be able to do the same.

He shrugged. “Maybe. It really depends on where you're from, which determines what magic you can use. Although, as a Chosen, you'll be able to draw magic from all your consorts when you find them. That connection will allow you to use the magic from every season.”

My smile dipped as I realized I had no clue which season I was from. Mom hadn’t told me before, and I didn't know to ask. For the first time, I truly wanted to find out what I was capable of as a fae.

I started to get dressed, deciding to change my underwear in my tent instead of out in the open and in front of Baer, not needing that temptation in my life right now. I pulled my dry hair from the collar of my shirt. “I want to learn. Can you teach me?” I asked him hopefully, looking up at his now fully dressed form.

“Sure, but let's head back to camp first before they send people out to search for us.” He laughed before walking in that direction.

“Of course,” I replied, eager to get back and to try my hand at magic.