Page 26 of Their Chosen

I was in an absolutely shitty mood, especially after chasing Rhowyn down on her runaway horse. When her horse had taken off, my heart had lodged in my throat, and I was forced to admit to myself that I cared too much for her well-being already. The last thing I needed was to get tangled up in her mess, not if I was going to make sure she left Avalon for good. I was done being part of the royal family. I clung desperately to the hope that she’d get Master Jude to undo her ties as a Chosen and leave directly after.

A part of me believed, deep down, where I didn't want to admit, that I was one of her consorts. The magic in the ceremony had been too familiar. When I hadn't been chosen, I convinced myself it was a good thing. When I discovered there was one more chosen, I knew she’d be the one who would tie me to her as a consort with no choice or say in the matter.

I had already lived my whole life as a coddled prisoner, and the last thing I wanted now was to be tied to another queen. I wanted the freedom to choose for myself, but it didn't look like I’d have any say in the matter. In this case, the land would be deciding, the one that drove the final nail in my coffin, killing all my dreams.

My last and only hope was that Rhowyn would follow through on her plans. It didn't matter that I found myself attracted to her, even in her human glamor, or that she was the only person to ever talk to me the way she did. I had no illusions that her demeanor would change once she found out I was the prince, the son of a tyrant Queen who controlled everyone around her as if we were all pawns in her quest for more power. Rhowyn would continue to be who she was, no matter what people thought of her.

I stomped from my tent in search of food, the sun setting and reminding me that we needed to be at the palace tomorrow to avoid Mother's punishments. I wasn't a fool. I knew Rhowyn had struggled with the pace we’d set today, but we had no choice if we were to meet our deadline. Maybe the torture would be enough to send Rhowyn crying and crawling back to Earth, releasing me from any further duties.

A feminine laugh in the air had me instantly halting. I shook my head and continued, refusing to think more about why I could pick out her laugh even if it had been among all the other women I knew, those husky tones stroking something deep inside me.

I finally made it to the central campfire and procured my share of dinner from the soldier in charge of meals before sitting around the fire. I watched the flames, eating my food without tasting any of it. As I finished, Rhowyn and Baer arrived for their own meals, Baer saying something in her ear and making her laugh again.

Grinding my teeth at the sound, I refused to acknowledge either of them and instead focused on my food. However, her presence was magnetizing, drawing my unwanted gaze despite my desire to avoid looking at her. There was just something about her that called to an unspoken part of me, wrenching emotions from me that I’d rather not feel.

The two of them sat down across the fire from me, interacting as if they’d known each other for years. Watching them now, I had a growing suspicion that he was one of her consorts. I didn't know Baer outside of our trip to Earth, but he seemed like a good man, making her smile and laugh more than anyone else I had seen so far. It was like a dark cloud followed her as if she was always prepared for an attack, but with him, she relaxed, and her whole countenance shifted to one that was more lighthearted.

It wasn't a bad change, and despite a small flare of jealousy, I couldn't blame him or claim any nefarious reasons behind his actions. What he showed Rhowyn was the same man I’d experienced over the few days we’d traveled together.

The capital would chew them both up and spit them back out broken. If I did nothing else, I could at least protect them from that. She might hate me by the end of her time here, but it would be for the best.

I took a large drink from my wine and caught sight of Arryn joining them. Though he sat a short distance away from them, it was still close enough to interact. Baer and Rhowyn were done with dinner now, and from what I could tell, he was teaching her something. My guess was magic, which was confirmed as the fire climbed higher and warmed drastically as air was fed into it, quickly dying back down as he released his magic. Rhowyn's eyes widened with awe and excitement, her enthusiasm evident even from here.

Baer answered what I believed was a question from her, and she closed her eyes. Her breathing deepened and became more rhythmic as she concentrated. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes with a huff of frustration, her impatience noticeable in the tense way she held her muscles. I was sure she was aggravated by the fact that she had yet to work magic, which was unheard of as a fae and especially as a Chosen. Baer gave some more instructions, and she replied before sighing in defeat, closing her eyes to try again.

This time, I wasn’t the only one watching her. Arryn's eyes were glued to her, his expression flat, but I had seen how protective he was becoming of her in just a short amount of time. It made me wonder if he might also be one of her consorts, though it was hard to make that determination since he gave nothing away. While that was a great trait in a leader, it didn’t help me in determining his character or his intentions. Other than our journey to Earth, I only knew Arryn by his reputation, which was why I’d requested him for this mission.

Rhowyn opened her eyes and threw her hands up in the air, drawing my attention back to her. I drank more wine as Baer tried to soothe her frustrations. She was either not from Spring, or she was weaker than we’d ever seen, possibly from living on Earth for so long. Arryn said something, and she turned to face him, seeming to be appeased by whatever he said. She nodded in response, and Baer placed a hand on her knee to comfort her. She tensed at the touch, something I would have missed if I hadn’t been studying her so closely. As if finally noticing my stare, she met my eyes as Baer continued speaking, so I smirked at her. She clenched her jaw in response and then stood, speaking quickly to both Arryn and Baer before stomping off in anger or frustration.

I downed the rest of my wine and climbed to my feet, just now realizing I'd had more to drink than I should have and was now slightly drunk. Good thing I was going straight to bed. I ambled back to my tent, going slow enough not to stumble and make a fool of myself. It was never good to show weakness, even among those we might call friends. It was often those we thought we could trust the most that had the power to absolutely destroy us with their betrayals. Good thing I was a quick learner.

As I walked, I kept my eyes on the ground in front of me, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone, not wanting to have a conversation in my current mood. I let my mind wander, trying to avoid the dark thoughts I was so prone to. Unsuccessfully, my mind kept drifting back to chosens, consorts, and what exactly my mother had planned.

I didn't delude myself that Mother would be happy with the abdication of her power. I was certain that she had a plan in the works to ingratiate herself among the new court. She’d already offered to be a mentor to the new queen. After all, prior queens maintained the powers of all their consorts, but it faded in strength as they aged. After the transfer of the crown, Mother would still be more powerful than the new queen who hadn't had a chance to learn the full scope and depth of her powers. Gradually, the power and control of the magic would shift from the old queen to the new one, until the old queen was too weak to be a threat to the throne. At least that's how I understood it. Mother kept a lot of that information from the court and her subjects, her fear of having it used against her not without reason. It had happened before with the rebellion of the Autumn Court.

My stomach clenched at the physical and mental pain that accompanied that thought, memories I had locked away hammering at their cage in my mind. I paused, taking a deep breath as I tilted my head to the sky and closed my eyes, pushing everything back in its place.

Once my thoughts were settled again, I opened my eyes with a deep exhale, physically relaxing my shoulders, and stared at the stars, which never failed to remind me how insignificant I was in the grand scheme of things.

I stumbled, barely catching myself from falling after being pushed from behind so suddenly. As soon as I had my feet under me, I whirled, my hand going to my blade at my side, ready to pull it from its sheath at the first sign of attack, my knees bent and ready for any threat. When I recognized the petite and fragile creature in front of me that could never be considered a threat, though she might bluff otherwise, I relaxed and stood straight.

“Sorry. I'm so sorry, it's so hard to see out here, and I didn't know you were there.” I said nothing, only glared at her, her honey eyes sparkling and reflecting the starlight. She ran a nervous hand through her long, dark green hair, but stopped that motion when she realized I was studying her.

“What's your problem? You act like I'm such an inconvenience, but that can’t be true, not after you traveled all that way to find me. It doesn't add up.” Her hands went to her hips as she squared up to me, demanding answers.

I didn't blame her. I was confused myself. All I really knew was that if I wanted freedom, it would only be because she returned to Earth. “No one ever claimed I wanted to go to fetch you. I was just following orders; not like I had a choice.” I left my response at that, insinuating that she was lesser than myself in every way and purposefully increased my arrogance.

“I see.” She nodded, anger flaring in her eyes. “Then I guess it's a good thing that I'll be going back as soon as I can.”

I stepped further into her personal space wanting to intimidate her, further increasing her desire to leave. “You have no idea.”

“Whatever,” she huffed, throwing her hands up and then stomping around me, her scent of jasmine and ginger covered by Baer’s soap fluttering around me. I refused to turn around and watch her, clenching my fists tightly.

“No. You know what? I get you don't want me here, but you could at least be civil with me until I go.” I heard her call from over my shoulder.

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger briefly before turning around to face her. I stalked over to where she stood staring me down, again crowding her to show my dominance. Holding my tongue, I prolonged the silence to increase her discomfort. Once she started to shift her weight, which took longer than I’d expected, I finally spoke to her, trying to keep my amusement from my tone. No one could deny she had balls. “Now why would I do that? Especially when you look good enough to eat when you're angry.” Shit! I hadn't meant to say that out loud, the wine loosening my tongue more than it should have. But now that I’d said that, I studied the flush on her cheeks as she gasped slightly in response, her pupils dilating as she held her ground.

My eyes flicked to her plump lips, my mind flashing to how they'd look wrapped around my dick. That thought sent blood rushing to that appendage, and I fought the urge to adjust myself, almost groaning in response to holding back. As if sensing my thoughts, she licked her lips, parting them slightly and gently swaying closer to me. My hands clenched at my sides, wanting to grab her waist and that thick ass, but not sure how she'd react.

---