Page 16 of Their Chosen

Arryn and Lennox looked at each other, again as if they were having a silent conversation. I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest as I waited impatiently for their reply. Lennox turned back to me, finally, and said, “That should be okay, but we'll need to set a hard pace back to Court. We’re running out of time.”

I grit my teeth, trying to hold back what I really wanted to say, which was along the lines of no one telling me what I could or could not do. They needed me, not the other way around, but starting senseless fights wouldn't help the situation. After all, a good fighter knows when to pick their battles. “Fine. So, when and where do I need to meet you guys so we can head out? Also, how much can I pack, and is there anything I should or shouldn't bring?”

“We should leave as soon as we can if we're going to make it back in time,” Arryn said quietly to Lennox and Baer.

“Will six work for you? Or is that too early, Princess?” Lennox snarked at me. It was like he was actively trying to make me angry. Thankfully, I knew how to deal with bullies. If you ignored them, they got no satisfaction when they couldn't get a rise out of you.

Instead of speaking to Lennox, I turned to Baer. “I can be ready by six. Where should I meet you guys?”

“We can pick you up at your place,” Baer offered.

“Yeah, not going to happen,” I said, not feeling the need to explain my reasons.

“Alright, Princess, if that’s not an option, then where will you meet us?” Lennox said, holding his hands out, palms up as he turned at the hips like he was searching for a spot.

“We can meet at the gym. Y'all found that place easily enough today, so tomorrow shouldn't be a problem. And my name is Rhowyn, Asshole.” So much for ignoring the bully.

Baer choked on a laugh, and Lennox furrowed his brow at me, but he didn't seem angry, more like amused with my response. At this point, I didn't think I would ever understand Lennox's mercurial attitude. But whatever, he was just a temporary acquaintance. “That sounds good to us, Killer,” Baer replied once he’d fully hidden his amusement again.

“What is with the nicknames today? Geeze, it's going to be a long trip. I can already tell,” I chastised them, as if I was displeased by their audacity. Well, I wasn't fond of Lennox's, but I did find myself liking Baer's name for me. “Alright, guys, as pleasant as this whole thing has been, I'm gonna go and enjoy my last night here. At least for a little while.” I responded with my typical form of communication, sarcasm. I gave them a two-fingered salute as I turned around and started walking away from them. I needed to talk to my mom and ask her a few more questions. I had a feeling I was about to get in way over my head, but it seemed that it had always been inevitable that I’d end up here.

Answering the knock on the door, I peered through the peephole to ensure it was indeed my mother. She looked good, no signs she'd fallen off the wagon, which was always a good thing. Her hair was starting to get its shine back, and she was carrying herself with a confidence I couldn't ever recall seeing on her before, her shoulders pulled back and head high.

After letting her in, I shut the door. “Thanks for coming over so quickly.”

She turned to face me, smiling softly. “Of course. So, what is it you need? You weren't very forthcoming in your messages.”

“Yeah, I wasn't exactly sure how to word things.” I shrugged and then turned to walk toward my bedroom where I was in the middle of packing. Or trying to, at least. What exactly does one bring to some fantasy world? The guys never had answered that question, and I was already home before I remembered that little fact. We hadn't exchanged numbers either, so that was out of the question. “I was just in the middle of packing, and I wanted to see if you had any thoughts on what I should bring?” I asked as we made it to my room.

“Oh? Does that mean the fae have already reached out to you?” Her eyes turned fearful as her body stiffened.

“Yeah, they found me a couple of hours ago while I was grabbing dinner. They want us to leave tomorrow morning at six. Honestly, I’d just gotten back when I sent my messages, but I haven't really made any progress on packing since then. I'm not even sure where to start.” I hadn't asked her for anything so mundane or simple in a very long time, and it felt odd to be doing so now.

My question caused her to beam, obviously happy that I needed her again. “I understand completely. Let's see,” she trailed off as she walked to my closet to look at my meager wardrobe. It was a little embarrassing to have so few options, which mostly consisted of jeans, tanks, tees, and leggings. All casual. I did have a couple of dresses and nicer tops for weddings and stuff, but it had been a while since I'd worn any of them.

“So, what kind of weather can I expect? I can narrow it down from there,” I asked from behind her as she thumbed through my clothes which were hanging up for once. I loathed putting clothes away.

She turned to look at me over her shoulder, her hands pausing briefly before she turned back to her task. “Well, all of it really.”

Puzzled, I asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean that all of the seasons happen all at once.”

“How?” I asked, my brow furrowing, not quite following as she continued to peruse my clothes. Feeling useless, I turned and sat on my bed, leaving her to it.

She spoke as she worked, “Avalon is divided into four quadrants; each one has a season. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter all maintain their season year-round. In the middle of them all is the capital, Tír Na Síoraí, which does cycle through the seasons. Each season has different types of Fae within them, and their magic corresponds to the season they are born to, with variances of course.”

Done perusing all the options in my closet, she started to pick out clothes for me. “For instance, a winter fae can usually control snow and ice, or they could have magic that corresponds to the dark since their days are much shorter than summer's.”

“Okay, that kind of makes sense, I guess. I mean, if I completely suspend reality, I can believe it.”

She glanced up at me and chuckled. “You'll believe it when you see it. You never did have much of an imagination.” She was right of course, but I didn't tell her why that was. Growing up too soon kind of put a damper on that side of me. Back then, my only concerns were where to get food and shelter, but saying that would only ruin the moment. One I was surprisingly enjoying.

“Since Tír Na Síoraí, the capital, experiences all the seasons equally, you'll find more diverse fae. Usually, though, it's just the High Fae and the Court. That’s where Cashel Rí the castle is, the Queen’s source of power. It's the Queen's responsibility to ensure the magics and seasons are balanced. So, she rules from the center of Avalon so as not to favor one territory over another. As the Queen ages, her magic weakens, causing the land to weaken as well, resulting in an imbalance. It’s when this imbalance is too great that the land begins the process of selecting a new queen to regain its strength and right the balance. It's also why the Queen has four consorts, one from each season so that a single king cannot influence her to favor a season.”

By now, she had picked out a couple of outfits, which I glanced over as I let her words sink in. It honestly sounded like an ideal situation. “Wait. Four consorts? You mean like four kings? Four husbands?”

Again, she laughed. “Yes, the Queen always has four. Once she ascends to the trials, the Chosen gain access to the powers of their Consorts, which the Chosen or Queen can wield equally. Again, this allows for balance.

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