33. Chapter Thirty Three Rhowyn
Chapter Thirty Three: Rhowyn
Callum and I made our way down the hallway, his large frame close on my heels. I heard grumbling voices first; sounds of an argument hissed out quietly as if not wanting to be overheard. My brow furrowed in confusion. If anything, we should be celebrating our win over the Queen.
Sure, it had been a close call, but the end result was that we’d accomplished what we’d set out to do. We’d rescued my grandfather from her clutches along with another important prisoner. I mean, I didn’t know who the man was, but he had to be important to have been kept down there for so long. We’d struck a blow against her, one that should have made her scramble just like we’d been having to do since being ousted. Instead, it sounded like something else had gone down, and now we wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy that win.
As I entered the living room, the voices cut off sharply, Arryn and Baer standing next to each other. Arryn’s face remained the stoic calm that it always was. I was sure a bomb could go off in front of him, and it still wouldn’t shake him or his calm assuredness. However, Baer’s face displayed frustration and anger before he wiped it away with a forced smile.
He tried so hard to hide so much under that joyful fa?ade, but I knew that things were getting harder for him to find the bright side to. Lennox glowered from a chair, his gaze cutting over to Brannoc briefly before coming back to meet mine. Something was going on, but I knew they weren’t ready to fill me in on whatever it was yet. Instead of pushing them on what was so clearly a point of contention, I simply opened my arms and let Baer swoop me up into one of his famous hugs.
Smiling, I hugged him back before accepting a deep, claiming kiss as he set me back on my feet. Laughing as he pulled away, I said, “Someone’s happy to see me.”
“Always, Killer,” he replied, his smile finally reaching his eyes.
I moved forward into the room, Baer now hovering next to me as Callum walked over to Lennox, leaning over to steal a quick kiss from him. I gawked at the open affection from Callum, my blood heating instantly with desire. Okay, I definitely needed more alone time to explore all of these men more thoroughly. I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to have them all at once. Blushing at my errant thoughts, I shook my head, needing a distraction from my runaway libido. “So, what’s going on? How long was I out?”
“Callum didn’t tell you?” Baer asked.
“No.” I met Callum’s eyes, remembering our heart-to-heart. “We talked about other stuff.” Somehow, I didn’t feel right exposing him and his fears to the others. If he wanted them to know, he would tell them. Otherwise, his secrets were safe with me. Always.
He smiled at me in thanks before Arryn began speaking. “You’ve been out for almost two days now.”
“Holy shit!” I gasped in shock. No wonder I had felt so much better and rested. “Really?”
“Yeah, you had us starting to worry,” Baer admitted with a shrug.
“I guess I really needed the sleep then.” Turning back to Arryn, I probed for more information. “So, what’d I miss while doing my best Sleeping Beauty impression?”
“Sleeping Beauty?” Callum questioned softly.
Baer laughed. “It’s a human story. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Satisfied, Callum just nodded, letting the point drop. Arryn looked at the others as if unsure how to begin. I straightened my shoulders, trepidation filling me as the silence grew. “Just spit it out. Whatever it is, I can handle it like a big girl. Promise.”
“It seems that you’ve done something miraculous, child,” a steady voice sounded from behind me. I turned to find Jude.
“You’re okay?” I asked him, rushing over to him. He pulled me into a deep hug, and I couldn’t stop myself from snuggling into him. It felt natural even though we barely knew each other.
“I’m better now after your daring rescue. Foolish though it was, I am grateful for it. I don’t know how much I would have been able to take from her.” He sighed at me.
I walked with him over to the chairs in front of the fire as everyone shifted around us. Brannoc jumped up from his chair, clearing it for my grandfather. I gave him a thankful smile, but his eyes darted away from mine. Okay, that was weird. I thought him and I were better after our talk and what came after.
Shaking off the interaction to discuss with him later, I went back to my conversation with my grandfather. “What do you mean by something miraculous ?”
I glanced at the guys as I waited for someone to explain what was going on. It wasn’t suspicious at all, the way they kept avoiding my gaze . Okay…Now, I was starting to get worried. They only acted like this when they knew I wouldn’t like their next words.
“It seems that the man you rescued from the Queen’s dungeons wasn’t just some random fae,” Arryn started, hesitating at the last minute.
“Just spit it out. Someone tell me what’s going on. Now,” I demanded from them all, my anger rising. They were treating me like some fragile flower. Whatever information they had to impart, I could handle it.
“Rhowyn, why don’t you sit down,” Lennox urged me, having risen from his seat.
“No. I don’t want to sit. I want someone to explain what the hell is going on.” My hands flew to my hips as if to drive my point home, glaring at them all. Nothing told a man that a woman meant business more than the hands on the hips move.
“Child, the man you rescued was my son,” Jude chimed in, amusement on his face at our discussion.
“What! That’s amazing!” I exclaimed, my face bursting into a smile for him before it dawned on me what he was saying. “Wait. You mean…” I trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. If I allowed myself to hope for it and then I was wrong, I knew I’d be devastated. Maybe he had another son, an uncle that I hadn’t heard about yet. I needed to manage my expectations before they crushed me.
Taking one of my hands in his gnarled ones, he simply nodded at me. “Yes, you rescued your own father.”
All I could do was stare at him, his words not quite penetrating the shock that had overtaken me. “Are you sure?” I whispered, my eyes starting to water.
“I’m positive,” he said gently. My knees chose that moment to buckle, but two strong arms wrapped around me, depositing me in the chair I had refused just a few minutes ago. Okay, maybe they had been right .
“I need to see him,” I said, moving to push up and rush to wherever they were keeping him.
Another heavy hand landed on my shoulder, holding me in place. “Wait. He’s still unconscious, and we don’t know what kind of mental state he will be in when he wakes.”
“Okay. Well, shouldn’t he be awake by now? Why hasn’t he woken up?” My eyes darted from one guy’s to the next.
“It could be many things, child. The trauma he’s been through could have caused his body to shut his brain down while it repaired itself. Most likely it’s because he knows that he’s safe for the first time in decades. I’m sure he’s only caught brief flashes of sleep while imprisoned, too on guard to fully rest, and now his body is making up for lost time,” Jude explained to me, his eyes watering at the thought of what his son had endured. What my father had endured.
“Holy shit,” I whispered as it all started to fully sink in. “He’s really here?” I asked, not expecting an answer, my question rhetorical. Everyone remained silent while I worked through this new information.
“No wonder he never came back for us,” I whispered. He hadn’t been able to. He’d been in those dungeons for decades, enduring Avalonia knew what at the hands of that sadistic bitch.
“Oh, that cunt is going to pay,” I swore out loud to everyone, my anger rising to replace my sorrow and shock.
Just then, the crystal sprang to life in front of us, an image of the Queen coming into view. Her voice rang out through the room as we watched avidly. “It seems that the traitors, Rhowyn Hunt and her men, have broken into our dungeons and released dangerous criminals and traitors to the Crown. Among them was Master Jude. It appears that the two have been conspiring and twisting the trials to ensure that she wins, hoping to gain the Crown by any means necessary, even at the expense of the people of Avalon.
“I will not stop hunting for the traitors that have assisted her and her men. I will ensure the safety of Avalon’s people once again and make sure that no one else can manipulate the trials in their favor. A reward is being offered for anyone who has information on Rhowyn and her co-conspirators. Please reach out to the Royal Guard, and the information will make its way to me.
“In the meantime, we will be holding the ceremony to pass on the Crown to the rightful ruler as selected by Avalonia herself. Despite their best efforts, Master Jude and Rhowyn Hunt were unable to eliminate Genevieve. She is still recovering, but in five days, we will hold the ceremony and welcome in the new Queen, Genevieve, who will see us all into prosperity. The healers have assured me that she will be fully recovered from the attacks against her by that time. This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is the strong ruler we all will need moving forward. With your help, we can ensure the safety and prosperity of our land once more, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the ceremony to celebrate our new Queen.”
With that announcement, the room darkened again, silence ringing out around us as we stared at the spot that had just held the Queen’s projected image.