17. Chapter Seventeen Rhowyn
Chapter Seventeen: Rhowyn
The ceremony was now complete, my consorts chosen. The crowd murmured in shock as we all realized that the prince was among them, my eyes locking with his. I watched him as he came to the same conclusion after enduring the pain, barely flinching in the face of it. When it dawned on him, his face paled further, his fists clenched, and his eyes widened as they met mine. Jerking them away, he glanced at his mother before running away.
I could admit to myself, even if I would never do so to anyone else, that his reaction had hurt. Knowing that he hated being my consort so much that his unflappable fa?ade failed. He’d wanted to get as far away as he possibly could, as quickly as he could. My cheeks burned in embarrassment as the crowd watched him flee, my anger quickly flaring to protect me from the hurt and pain his actions were now causing me.
Well, fuck him too . It was a good thing this wasn't permanent. I still had every intention of withdrawing from the trials and returning home. The sooner the better because it meant less time that I had to deal with that asshole. I should have known better than to expect anything else from him, but after our walk down to the ceremony, I had thought we had reached an understanding of sorts. Which was probably why his recent actions hurt me so damn much. The fucker.
Master Jude clapped a hand to my shoulder, drawing me back from my thoughts, but my anger and irritation remained. “Wonderful!” he exclaimed. “I haven't felt a reaction like that from the land in a very long time. The magic completed tonight was very strong indeed.” He grinned at me widely with what looked like pride, as if I had accomplished some daunting task instead of just being a warm body, present but not really a participant.
I thought what I’d felt running through my body during his chanting had been normal, the sensations of magic moving through as it grew in strength. It had felt so completely foreign to anything I had ever felt or known before. “Does that mean anything?” I asked him, not knowing anything about what was and wasn't normal.
“It means everything,” he told me softly, but before he could elaborate, the Queen swooped in. He bowed as she drew close to us, and I followed his example. I still didn't know how to respond to royalty, so I relied on imitation to bumble through what I thought was appropriate.
Master Jude greeted the Queen while I kept quiet. When I was younger, I had heard a saying that “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps his mouth shut.” There was no better time than now to employ that tactic. At least I could ensure I wouldn't put my foot in my mouth.
“Your Majesty,” he said before standing back up and waiting to hear the reason for her attention.
“Master Jude, I'm so grateful that my son was finally chosen as a Consort, as he should have been all along.” She turned to me then. “Rhowyn, you have gained an asset tonight with my son in the upcoming trials. You may have a chance at actually succeeding now.”
This bitch . To speak of Lennox as nothing more than his powers and as just an asset. As if I needed his help to succeed. I had never failed at anything I’d set my mind to before, and I knew I could do well on my own without the asshole. For her to assume otherwise when she didn't even know me was foolish and would eventually be her downfall, I was sure. Too bad I wouldn't be the one to do it.
I didn't say any of that, instead allowing her to underestimate me. I smiled at her, tongue in cheek. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Lennox is unmatched in a number of things as I have learned. At least in my humble opinion.” An unmatched asshole and flake.
She smiled back at me, her eyes narrowing slightly as if sensing my sarcasm but unable to say for sure that's what it was. “He certainly is.” She addressed Master Jude but maintained eye contact with me. “Master Jude, surely there must be something we can do to remove this child's glamor, so she doesn't have to keep looking so...human.” She said human as if talking about shit on the bottom of her shoe. Finally, she turned to look at him as she continued, “My son tells me that he tried during their travels to remove her glamor, but none of them were successful. Have you ever heard of anything like this before?”
“Hmm...” He paused to consider this information while I stood there, clasping my hands in front of me to keep me from lashing out at her blatant snobbery and sneering. If this was what it meant to be queen, I sure as shit didn't want it.
“I can’t be certain until I’ve learned more about the glamor itself,” he told the Queen and then turned to me. “Do you mind if I assess you? It won’t take long.”
“Of course,” I told him, my tone softening as I spoke to him. If I had a grandfather, I would have wanted him to be like Master Jude .
He stepped closer to me, raising his hands to my shoulders, stopping just short of touching me, and I felt warmth spread through me starting at those points and spreading outward. It wasn’t unpleasant, but I did have to keep myself from squirming under the unusual situation.
“Highly unusual,” he murmured to himself as he withdrew, confusion drawing his bushy gray brows down in thought. He turned to the Queen, who was watching the whole thing. “I'm not sure I quite recognize the magics at work. I'll need to consult my tomes to gain a better understanding, Your Majesty.”
“What do you mean magics?” she asked him, her head tilting to the side slightly, just as confused as I was by his statement. For once, we were on the same page.
“Just that. It feels as if the glamor has been layered on with multiple magics and will take an unorthodox technique to unravel and lift it, which is why I'll need to consult my records to determine the best technique to use, Your Majesty,” he replied calmly, as if speaking of the weather and not about something that was completely new to him.
“See that you do, Master Jude. I want it removed as soon as possible. I don't want the servants to get any ideas that she’s one of them and they have a chance at being queen.”
“Yes, yes. I'll get on it straight away, Your Majesty,” he replied.
Seemingly appeased, she nodded and left us, going to mingle with others in the crowd. As she turned away, I finally relaxed, unclenching my hands which had started to cramp with how hard I’d been squeezing them to keep myself from responding to her vitriol. “Thank you for your help, Master Jude. I appreciate anything you can do that will give me answers.”
“Of course, my dear.” He smiled at me softly. “And please, call me Jude when it's just us. No need for such formalities between us. I have a feeling that we will be seeing plenty of each other over the next several weeks. ”
I smiled genuinely at him. “I do believe you are right, Jude. I'll need all the help I can get. I'm so glad I have you here with me through this, not everyone has been so helpful.”
“I believe you'll find that you have more allies than you think, but they're ensuring they remain cautious during these uncertain times.” His words were cryptic, alluding to a fear in the court that I hadn't yet seen but could feel the tension. I took his warning to heart, better safe than sorry. “Speaking of allies, I do believe a couple of them now approach. You'd do well to count on these two,” he said, smiling again at a spot just over my shoulder.
I turned to see who he was talking about, and I immediately smiled wider than I had in a long time at the sight of Arryn and Baer approaching me. Baer returned my smile, beaming at me, but Arryn seemed on guard and unsure for some reason, his shoulders stiffer than our previous interactions.
My smile dimmed slightly, fearing that he might rebuke me somehow as they stopped in front of me. Arryn made eye contact with Master Jude. “So good to see you again, Master Jude. It has been too long since we last had the opportunity to converse.”
“Ah, Arryn, so formal!” he chided and drew Arryn into a hug as if they were old friends. Arryn relaxed slightly as they moved apart, and Jude turned to Baer. “I don't believe we have had the chance to meet, but I have heard much about you, Lord Hawthorne.”
I startled slightly at the title Jude gave the gentle jokester I had come to know. Were all these men hiding something from me?
Baer laughed. “It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Master Jude. I've heard plenty of you as well, but I have to ask how you knew who I was?”
“It was simple really, especially since you look so much like your mother. We were very close at one time as you well know.” He winked at Baer, and I laughed softly at the gesture on the old man, enjoying this playful side to him.
“Well, not many have made that connection, and I hope to keep it that way. I quite enjoy my current anonymity. It allows me to be judged on my own merits and not those of my parents.”
“Yes, yes.” The old man touched his nose with his index finger. “Your secret is safe with me for now.”
Baer laughed out loud. “That's all I can hope for, but I also realize that will change soon, especially with these new developments.”
“Ah yes, great responsibility comes with being Consorts in the trials, much less the ones you'll face if your Chosen is crowned,” Jude said, some of the humor leaving him as they moved to a more serious topic.
“I can say that I'm definitely up to the challenge,” Baer said, as it finally dawned on me that Baer was a Consort.
“Wait, what!?” I held up a hand between the two, glaring back and forth at the men around me. “You're a Consort? First, you’re some Lord, and now this? When were you going to tell me?” I demanded from Baer, my anger at being so completely blindsided leaking through.
Baer laughed so loudly in response that the people gathered around turned to glare at us for interrupting their conversations. “I don't think this is very funny, Baer! I guess I didn't really know you at all,” I said quietly but not without the full force of my anger behind my words. Fed up with him, I went to leave, so over this night and ready for sleep.
Baer grabbed my wrist before I was able to turn away, his mirth dying some but still present, and I prepared to punch him to get him to release me. As if he sensed my intentions, he let go of me and held up his hands to stop what I was about to rudely say to him. “Rhowyn, first of all, not even Arryn knew I was a Lord. In fact, only Commander Ashford in my unit knew who I truly was. It's not something I like to broadcast. Secondly, I couldn't tell you I was a Consort because I didn't even know myself until tonight.” He lowered his hands, waiting for my response.
Arryn and Jude watched us, and I looked to Arryn for confirmation. He finally spoke to me for the first time tonight. “He's telling the truth; I didn't realize who he was until I reported for my assignment. It's why I’m angry with him, even now.” He glared at Baer to demonstrate this, and I finally relaxed again.
So, he hadn't been upset with me. “Is there anything I need to know about you that you've been keeping from me? You're not some Prince or Lord in disguise either, are you?” I asked hesitantly, ready for another shoe to drop.
He smiled at that and shook his head no. Good; I wasn't sure I could handle any more truth bombs tonight. “So, who is your Chosen?” I asked Baer, looking at the crowd, trying to determine who it might be and fighting the pang of sadness I felt at the thought of him with some other girl.
“Uh, Rhowyn...” Baer said, drawing my attention again, a bashful smile on his face, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “We're your Consorts, apparently.”
“What? Seriously?” For a moment, I had totally forgotten that I was a Chosen and we were here tonight to find my Consorts. My Consorts. Shit. This was all starting to become real.
Jude laughed softly at my reaction, patting my arm gently as I met their eyes, seeing the confirmation there. “You mean to tell me that all three men who went to Earth to bring me back are my Consorts? I mean, what are the chances of that? Did y'all have any idea?”
Before they could answer, Jude jumped in. “Fate has a funny way of bringing those we need to us to help along the way. I truly believe that Fate is playing a big role in your life right now. You are about to face unknown trials, and these are the men best suited to help you along the way.”
I couldn't deny the coincidence, but I also couldn't fight the anger that bubbled up at the thought of fate either. “No offense, Jude, but I'm not sure I believe in fate.” I turned to face him fully. “If I were to believe in fate, then I'd also have to believe that I was meant to endure all the pain I did growing up and that we’re all helpless against fate's whims. No, I don't buy that. Everyone who subjected me to such horrors as a child had a choice, and they chose to be evil. They don't get a pass,” I spat at him, my wounds laying open again for all to see.
Jude studied me, but I couldn't face the pity I saw in his eyes. A hand touched my shoulder, and I jumped, spinning away violently and bumping into a group of fae behind me. They turned to glare at me as I whispered, “I'm sorry.” I turned back to face Baer and Arryn, afraid to see the same pity on their faces, but when I met their eyes, that wasn’t what I saw. Instead, I saw understanding and anger on their faces.
“I didn't mean to startle you,” Baer apologized to me. He waited patiently for me to calm my racing pulse and thoughts. When he saw my shoulders droop, he spoke, “So, we know who three of your consorts are, do we know who the fourth is yet?”
Thankful for the subject change, I tried to convey that to him with a look. He just nodded and turned to study Jude and Arryn to see if they had any ideas. When no one spoke up, Jude replied, “I'm certain that whoever he is, he is somewhere in the castle and just hasn't had the chance to arrive yet.”
“How can you know that?” I asked, nervous about who the mysterious final consort could be. All the people I knew were currently here with me. Well, except for Asshole, but did I really know who he was?
“Well, dear, the magic told me, of course. Just like I knew you were not in this realm, I could tell he was close by the amount of time it took for it to reach him once it left you,” Jude replied warmly. He was so patient with me, not getting upset at all when I asked questions that I was sure seemed basic, that I was also pretty sure even the youngest fae knew or could figure out. I wasn't complaining about it.
“I guess that makes sense when you don't consider the illogical nature of magic itself,” I said, laughing at my own joke.
“Magic has its own laws that it must follow, similar to the concepts of gravity or force,” Master Jude explained, immediately making my attempt at humor a joke itself. My cheeks heated at the realization that I had put my foot in my mouth again. Jeeze, Rho, even a fool is thought wise if he keeps his mouth shut. Maybe I should follow my own advice. I barely resisted the urge to slap my own forehead.
Thankfully, Jude continued as if unaware of my embarrassment and seemed to enjoy explaining the tenets of magic. “So, if we can understand these rules and constants, we can then use our magic to explore new boundaries. A deeper understanding of anything will provide us with the tools we need to grow ourselves in life and is something we should all seek.”
We all listened to Jude as he continued, almost oblivious to his monologue as he sank into the philosophical questions of life. I made eye contact with Baer and then Arryn, smiling at them as we shared this moment of indulging an old man to his heart's content. “Ah, forgive me.” Jude laughed as he realized that he’d been monopolizing the conversation. “I tend to fall off into tangents more and more the older I get. Thank you for indulging me.”
I laughed with him. “Honestly, your passion in your subject is contagious, and I've learned more tonight than I have in the entire last week. It's nice to finally be getting some answers. So, I really don't mind at all.”
“Nonsense! Young fae such as you all should be enjoying the moment instead of pondering the musings of an old, half-crazy priest.” We all laughed at this, when a priest rushed up to Jude and whispered in his ear. Jude's face became serious, and he turned to us again. “Forgive me, but something has come up that demands my attention at this time. I must excuse myself for the evening, but Rhowyn dear, I expect to see you soon.” He winked at me and nodded to Arryn and Baer before hustling away, with the other priest rushing to keep up with him.
I watched him leave. “I really like him,” I said almost to myself as I faced Arryn and Baer.
“He's a good and honorable man. You'd do well to have him in your corner,” Arryn said, his eyes meeting mine briefly before going back to watch the crowd. It seemed that even in a social role, he couldn't fight the habits he'd developed over the years. I smiled softly at the thought.
“Rhowyn, Arryn, would you like a drink? I'm needing a refill myself and would be glad to get you one,” Baer asked us.
Arryn denied needing anything, but I found that all the excitement and conversation had left me parched. “I could use a water, if you don't mind. No alcohol for me, not while I'm circling the shark tank.”
Baer laughed. “I'll be right back with that water.”
Arryn and I stood together awkwardly; our conversation stilted for the first time tonight. I wasn’t sure what exactly to say to him now that I knew he was one of my consorts. With Baer, it was always easy, mostly because he was so adept socially and could always be counted on to fill these awkward moments smoothly. “Do you know who the other Chosen and their Consorts are? Exactly how many Chosen are there?” I asked him, both of us watching the crowd.
“I believe there are fifteen Chosen in total, including you. The usual number that is selected.” He glanced at me before continuing. “As for who they are, I only know the basic facts and statistics on them, everything I would need to complete my job as guard. If you need to know more, Lennox will be able to fill you in better than I can since he was raised around them.”
“The last thing I want to do is ask him for any more help, especially since he couldn't get away fast enough as soon as he realized he was one of my consorts. Obviously, we feel the same way about being forced together,” I complained to Arryn, crossing my arms across my chest.
“That was rather unlike him,” he commented, unable to defend him. “Although, I can't claim to know him very well either, if anyone actually does. He has to be one of the most guarded people I've ever known, but it's not surprising after growing up in the castle and at court.”
“It's still not a good enough excuse to treat me the way he has,” I huffed, not liking that Arryn was bringing logic to the table when I wanted to vent, to be heard, and validated.
“No, it's not, but he also hasn't had the best childhood, much less his examples for what an honorable man looks like. I, for one, believe that what we see is not the heart of the man and the words are being used to keep him safe. Doesn't make it right, but neither is passing judgment so soon,” he said, only holding my gaze and raising a single eyebrow, making sure I heard his point.
I rolled my eyes halfheartedly. As much as I didn't like being called out, I tried to be the kind of person who could admit fault. I could also admit that he’d raised some valid points, and my behavior had been rather childish. Maybe I shouldn't pass judgment and should follow the Golden Rule. I've had my fair share of being judged for things beyond my control, I admitted to myself. I was a little ashamed for being such a hypocrite.
“So, you just might have a point, and I should probably wait longer or get to know him better before I can form an honest opinion. Or I can punch him when he's an ass. One of those seems to be a little more enjoyable to me, but I haven't yet decided,” I told him, not wanting to admit that I was being such a shallow bitch to Lennox in front of another consort.
He laughed loudly at my statement. “I guess outright admitting you were wrong is not an option at this time for you? Although, if you want to stay out of the dungeons, Chosen or not, you probably shouldn't punch the prince.” He winked at me, and it was my turn to laugh.
Baer returned at this point and handed me a water. I took a long sip, thirstier than I had realized. When I finally came back up for air, I told him, “Thanks, Baer. I was parched.” He smiled at me in return.
I continued with a dramatic sigh of exasperation. “Thanks, Arryn, for the attitude check.” I straightened up and told him, “In all honesty, I joke, but I do truly appreciate you calling me out and keeping me from being the type of person I can't stand.”
“It's nothing. I only ask that you'll do the same for me as well.”
“Oh, trust me, I have no problem calling out any bullshit I hear.” I laughed out loud, both of them joining in. “Maybe this whole Consort thing isn't such a bad thing. I just hope the other two can somehow be as agreeable as y'all have been.”