Page 33 of Their Chosen

As I crossed the room, Juniper smiled warmly at me. “You look lovely, Miss.” She gestured to my vanity and the small chair in front of it. “Please sit.”

I did as she asked as she started to comb out my mess of hair and attempted to tame it into submission. Larissa headed to the makeup that was spread out in front of me. As they busied themselves, I couldn't help asking the questions that had been plaguing me. “What's the ceremony going to be like tonight? I just like to be prepared as much as I can be.”

Juniper's fingers snagged in my hair, pulling a little painfully. “Sorry, Miss,” she said while her eyes flicked briefly to Larissa, who still wasn’t making eye contact with either of us. The glance and slight tension in her posture made me nervous.

Finally, she decided to answer my question. “While we've already completed the spell to select all the Chosen, tonight we must determine who your Consorts will be that will undergo all the trials with you. All the other Chosen have already found their Consorts and have had the week to get to know them. We've never had to complete separate ceremonies before. No one was expecting to have an unknown Chosen residing on Earth, but I'm sure it will be no problem for Master Jude.”

“Will he be the one completing the ceremony tonight?” I asked her, knowing I still needed to speak with him about how to return home as soon as possible. I found myself liking Juniper and trusting her. The jury was still out on Larissa.

“Yes, Miss, he's the one in charge of all the ceremonies and the trials.” Her kind smile returned as she twisted my hair.

“What exactly are these trials? I know they're to decide the next queen, but no one's told me what to expect.”

“The trials are different for every selection process. No one really knows what this group of Chosen will face since they change every time. Each one is always different from the last, but their goals are the same. To test the potential queens to see who is most suited for the honor of ruling Avalon.”

“What if I don't want to be chosen? Much less a queen?” I asked her softly, not wanting to divulge my own thoughts or fears yet but needing an honest answer.

She paused briefly, meeting my eyes in the mirror before continuing. Larissa finished with my makeup, and Juniper turned to her. “Larissa, can you please fetch the brown sandals from the closet? None of these are quite right for Miss Hunt for the night.”

Larissa nodded, but hesitated a little before replying, “Sure, Juniper.” She walked away to the closet, leaving us alone.

Juniper waited until Larissa had entered the walk in before answering me quickly and quietly, “You must be careful, Miss Hunt, while here in the castle. There are always ears of the Queen everywhere who have no choice but to whisper what they hear to her.” She held my gaze, imploring me to understand the importance of what she was saying, her eyes flicking to Larissa again.

I didn't reply with words, simply giving her a quick nod and a pat on her hands which now rested on my shoulders, her work with my hair completed. I mouthed my thanks as Larissa came out, interrupting our moment. Juniper plastered a smile on her face. “There now, Miss, you look more lovely than all the other Chosen. You'll certainly have everyone’s attention tonight and will look the part of a queen.”

Larissa buckled my sandals, which wrapped up my calves, and smiled at me but still didn't make eye contact. “That you do, Miss.”

“Thank you so much, ladies. There's no way I could have accomplished all of this on my own.” They both nodded at me, pleased at my praise. I stood as the slit that reached my knees on both sides of the skirt caused the material to swirl and flashed glimpses of the leather sandals.

“We must be on our way now. Someone will be here shortly to escort you to the ceremony. We’ll be back this evening to assist you in any way you need,” Juniper said as both women bowed slightly and then left me alone with my thoughts.

Looking in the mirror, I barely recognized myself but liked the reflection anyway. I hadn't lied when I’d told them I could never have come close to the artistry both had accomplished tonight. The most I had ever done on my own was simple eyeliner, some mascara, and a ponytail, usually preferring no makeup at all since I spent so much time sweating in the gym.

My heart panged, already missing my training that never failed to center me. I'd need to see if they had anything similar available here. If I had to continue through the trials and keep myself so contained, I would need my boxing as an outlet. The rhythmic movements put me into a meditative state, allowing me to work through my issues. It was better than therapy, in my opinion.

I wondered if everything here was stuck in medieval times, especially their thoughts on women. I knew they had a queen, but they also seemed to focus on the Consorts as being the balance the Queen needed to rule. If they were truly that backward, it would only be another reason to leave this place as quickly as I possibly could.

There was an air that seemed to permeate through the space, one of mistrust and danger, and everyone was jumpy and on guard. This wasn’t a place that I wanted to stay long, especially knowing how much I had all the bullshit games. Hell, I’d been here less than twenty-four hours, and already, I’d found out that one of my maids wasn’t to be trusted. At least, according to Juniper, but I had nothing telling me I could even trust her. It would be better to limit what I said and keep my cards close to my chest. That was something I could do without much effort.

I was glad I made Baer come with me. Having him and Arryn around would ensure I at least had someone to trust through this clusterfuck I had found myself in. Maybe that was why Lennox was such a dick, always wondering who he could trust, who was real, or who was using him. I couldn't even imagine growing up in that kind of environment.

My life had been pretty shitty, but after my first couple of homes I had found people I could trust, even if they never stuck around long. Like my coach who had gotten me into MMA, seeing an angry young girl spiraling and desperately needing an outlet. He even left me, but that wasn't his choice. Fucking cancer took him several years ago, but I would never forget how he had saved my life. So, I could only imagine what Lennox had faced growing up, finally understanding his actions, but I still didn't like him. There was no way I could be his friend or fully forgive him while he treated me like shit, but I could at least empathize with his situation.

A knock on the door startled me from my pacing, my nerves jumping higher now that the ceremony drew so much closer. I still didn't know what to expect or what exactly this ceremony would involve. I opened the door and did a double take. After making sure my jaw wasn't hanging open in shock, I took in Lennox’s stunning form. The man sure cleaned up nice in his dark pants and dark, flowing shirt that was embroidered in gold threads, a golden crown resting in his dark hair. If only he wasn't such a complete and total ass.

“Are you ready?” Lennox asked as he took me in. “You look nice, Rhowyn.” I started to thank him, but he interrupted me. “I hadn't been sure that was possible.” He smirked at me.

Biting back my wanted retort and reminding myself of my earlier revelations, I forced out a reply, “Thank you, Lennox. I even took a bath and everything. I had no idea what one of those even was.” Well, my sarcasm might be a little thick, but it was the preferable response. No insults included at all. When he stood there with a lifted eyebrow at my thanks, I continued, “Ready as I'll ever be.”

Lennox held out an arm, elbow directed toward me. I took it and allowed him to lead me down the hall. “You know, I've never been asked if I'm ready as many times as I have been since meeting you guys. It almost feels ridiculous and redundant.”

“Well, I will be glad when I can quit asking you that question. Maybe when you've finally run on back home, we’ll all get back to business as usual,” Lennox said in a bored tone as if stating facts or commenting on the weather, even if his words didn't convey the same message.

“You and me both. You know, you could help me speak with Master Jude alone so that I could get his help with that very thing,” I said, still refusing to rise to his bait.

“I think that's something I can arrange, but I won't be able to do anything about that tonight. I'll let you know when it's done. In the meantime, you just play along and act the part of a Chosen.” He said the last part as if he didn't think I could.

Little did the asshole realize I was a multi-faceted person capable of playing a dutiful role when I needed to. I just hadn't wanted to. It would be fun to prove the asshole wrong. “I believe we have ourselves a deal.”

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