Page 76 of Their Chosen

Lennox and I led her to the buffet, Lennox snagging drinks for us as a server passed and handed them out, earning a pleased smile from Rhowyn. Callum had already split from us to lean up against a wall.

We made a couple of small plates and moved to the side so we could eat without everyone's eyes on us. Though Callum didn't join us, I could feel his gaze following Rhowyn, drawn against his will.

I listened as Lennox pointed out people and filled her in on all the juicy gossip about them and their proclivities. His antics and the alcohol caused Rhowyn to laugh frequently, showing her a different side of him than she'd seen before.

A loud knock echoed through the room in preparation for the announcement of the Queen's arrival, causing the room to draw silent. No one dared to ruin the moment, the fear palpable. We all turned to face the back of the room where the Queen would enter, and just as the door opened, the announcement of the Consorts was made. Each consort filed out stoically, dressed in their finest, and took their places, standing on either side of the throne.

Once they were in place, the Queen was announced, and the entire room bowed or curtsied as she walked through. Thankfully, Rhowyn was a fast learner, another of her facets that had me so enraptured by her, and curtsied. Granted, it wasn't well, but it was enough to qualify and prevent any unwanted scrutiny.

As the Queen took the dais that held her throne, she paused to face the crowd. “Please, rise!” She gestured with a hand that we should all stand. Once everyone was upright again and watching her, she continued. “Thank you for joining me this evening in welcoming and congratulating all our Chosen and their Consorts. Such a momentous occasion, the trials in which a new queen is selected to ensure our magic continues to flourish in Avalon. It is because of them that we know we will have a bright and prosperous future. So please, enjoy this opportunity to get to know your Chosen before they face the trials. One of them will be your new queen at the end, after all, so it would be wise to get to know them now.

“Also, I want to make the announcement that for the first time ever, thanks to the dedication of Master Jude and his team,” she paused to gesture at the man who was across the room from us. “We have found a way to broadcast to everyone the trials. Which means that we will all get to watch each Chosen as they go through the selection process.”

The room broke out into a dull roar as everyone began to murmur or whisper about what this could possibly mean. My own mind began to race as she continued to describe the specifics. I couldn't help but wonder why she wanted the trials broadcast because it wasn't out of the goodness of her own heart.

A glance at Lennox and the tension he now held in his stance only confirmed my suspicions that the Queen was up to something. I couldn't think of anything she could gain by making the whole process so public, though, and made a mental note to pick the guys' brains later to see what they thought about this change.

“Take your time tonight, get to know your Chosen, and may you back the right one because supporting the wrong one may have consequences down the road. But above all, enjoy your evening and my hospitality, because the trials will begin soon!” the Queen announced before she went to sit on her throne.

She’d probably meant to add excitement to the gathering tonight, but all she had managed to do was ratchet up the desperate tension in the room. Rhowyn seemed immune and unimpressed by what all had just happened, continuing to sip on her drink.

When the room started moving and mingling again, she turned to Lennox and me, asking, “Can we go see Master Jude?”

Never able to deny the woman anything, I answered, “Of course. I see him over there, across the room.” I tilted my head in his direction since she couldn't see him, still so much shorter than everyone else in the room outside of the human servants.

I was rewarded with a beaming smile as she tucked her hand in the crook of my arm, indicating I should lead the way. Lennox laughed and followed us. Callum's eyes tracked our movements, but he didn't move from his spot, doing his best to become a piece of art along the wall.

Arryn was still making the social rounds, but he caught my eye as we headed toward Master Jude. I tilted my head again, indicating our destination, and he nodded in confirmation, resuming his conversation.

We slowly made our way through the crowd but, unlike last time, we seemed to be garnering more interest if the whispers around us were any indication. Some seemed to be curious or kind, but most of the whispers were harsh. Discussion of her human glamor and lack of power leading to some outrageous rumors as to why. Some even speculated how she could be a Chosen and questioned if the process was broken.

Rhowyn’s grip on my arm tightened, the only indication she heard the whispers as she kept her head held high and shoulders back. Her strength of character made her even sexier to me.

Finally, we made it through the crowd to find a smiling Master Jude. Lennox handed Rhowyn another drink, which she promptly took a large sip from before smiling widely at all of us. “And here I thought high school was bad,” she said with a laugh. I joined her, being the only one here who knew what she meant.

I couldn't help but wonder if my Earth-side assignment was fate, preparing me to help Rhowyn assimilate into our world. I knew for a fact that me being the one to fetch her was absolutely fate, but I felt that there was more to it than that. Whatever the reason, I was thankful for it because it allowed us to bond quite quickly, resulting in the best kiss of my life.

And now I was getting hard again as I thought about our plans for later, the things I wanted to do to her flashing through my head. I held back a groan as I remembered we had to survive tonight first. I watched Rhowyn as she spoke and laughed with Jude, who introduced her to a couple of people as they made their way over, their curiosity getting the better of them.

I watched as, one by one, she charmed them all, her candor and honesty refreshing. Slowly, the attitude regarding what she was and what she represented started to change. I even caught a few of her competitors taking notice of her for once. Whether people liked her, hated her, or were indifferent didn't matter. She was the juiciest piece of gossip our realm had been presented with in a very long time. She seemed to be the favorite topic of the evening.

After about an hour, Master Jude made his excuses and started to mingle with others, leaving us to hold down our new spot. Rhowyn turned back to me, her cheeks flushed from the heat and the alcohol. Her eyes sparkled from humor, and I found myself wishing the Queen would leave so we could as well. I wanted to be the reason for her flushed skin and the heat in her gaze. I'd even share the credit with Lennox if it meant I could slide my dick into her warm pussy.

As if catching my thoughts, her eyes met mine and held, the hunger evident there. My nostrils flared as her jasmine and ginger scent touched the air, and I barely held back a groan. I shifted, trying to readjust myself at the same time as Lennox. Arryn finally joined us, his own nostrils flaring and gaze darkening with his desire as he smelled her arousal. I bit back a laugh at his discomfort.

“Hey, stranger,” Rhowyn greeted him, oblivious of the effect she was having on all of us. “I thought you'd never get a chance to rejoin us.”

“Well, I just had to come speak with the belle of the ball. Seems everyone can't get enough of talking about you,” he teased.

“Ugh! Don't remind me,” she said, slapping a hand against his arm and causing us all to laugh at the playfulness. “So, when can we leave, do you think? Does the Queen plan on releasing us soon?”

“Some nights, she can barely be bothered to show up, and others, she stays until early morning, so there's really no way of knowing. It all depends on her mood,” Lennox muttered, his tone darkening as he continued.

“Well, hopefully she gets tired soon. I don't think I can handle much more of this, much less putting up with it until morning.” She finished her drink with those words.

I could tell she was feeling more relaxed because of the drinks, but she wasn't drunk, only having two glasses of honey wine in the last hour and a half. Unlike some of the other competitors, who I could see hanging off their consorts and starting to embarrass themselves. Despite the casual atmosphere of tonight, we couldn't afford to forget that this was a competition. People were weighing and judging us on our suitability to be the next rulers of Avalon. And the behavior they were presenting wouldn't do them any favors.

To be honest, I hadn't seen Rhowyn drink very much her entire time here. Tonight was the most I'd seen her drink, and it still wasn't very much. I wondered briefly if it was a conscious decision on her part.

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