Page 44 of Their Trials

I smiled, proud of the father I had never met, hoping I could live up to the man he’d been. Tears misted my eyes at the thought. “He sounds wonderful.” My words came out wistful.

“He was one of a kind, destined for great things. I only wish I knew what had happened to him,” Jude said, the memory bittersweet for him.

“What do you think happened?” I asked, curious why the man Jude described would abandon his wife and child to another world.

“I can't say for certain. There was an uprising about twenty-six or seven years ago, many fae unhappy with the rule of Queen Titania. Our lands have been failing for several decades now, each year worse than the last. Most blame the Queen for these things occurring.

“What were once predictable and useful cycles in our weather have now become storms and droughts which have ravaged the lands. Granted, most of the damage is in the edges of our lands, but as time has worn on, it has continued to creep nearer and nearer to the heart of Avalon.

“Now, there's no proof that Queen Titania is responsible for what has been happening, but the timing itself is suspicious. Never before have the fae undergone such harsh times to the point that many have had to abandon their homes that they lived in for eons to move closer to the heart of Avalon, where the weather is more stable.”

“That sounds awful, but why would the Queen be responsible?” I asked him, not fully understanding the duties of the queens of Avalon.

“The most imperative responsibility of the Queen is to maintain the balance of the seasons. When Avalon is in balance, the seasons transition as they should, the weather predictable in its patterns. It's usually when this balance is challenged that the Trials are triggered due to the fading abilities of the Queen. A new connection to the land is needed in order to return everything to normal.

“However, despite the signs of needing a transition, no Trials were ever triggered. It's clear the land has been out of balance for nearly a hundred years and yet, nothing ever came of it until now.”

Satisfied that I was following, he continued to tell his story about how my father had disappeared. “Now, because of this instability and the weak connection between Queen Titania and the land, many fae revolted, challenging her right to reign over us. The Autumn court was the biggest supporter of this treasonous act. Being that they were responsible for most of our food sources, their territory was hit the hardest, their people suffering the most as a result.”

He smiled sadly again, pride still in his eyes. “Your father was among them. Seeing such injustices for himself, he couldn't stand idly by while others suffered, so he took it upon himself to work behind the scenes to help further the rebellion.”

“What happened?” I asked, desperate for all he was willing to tell me, needing to know what happened to him.

“I don't know.” He said those words so softly that I had to strain to hear him. “I tried to caution him. I wasn't happy with what was occurring, mind you, but I had pledged my services to the land and the Queen that it chose. To abandon those vows went against everything I stood for.”

He sighed, his shoulders slumping, regret clear in his face as he met my eyes again. “He said that he had put some things in motion and that should they succeed, we would finally have the answers we needed to restore the balance in Avalon. Unable to convince him otherwise, him and his wife set off on their quest, determined to save those less fortunate.

“I can't say I was surprised. He'd always fought battles for Avalonia's creatures. Because while the High Fae were able to relocate, the other creatures were left to suffer in barren lands, many of them starving or dying out completely, unable to adapt to the rapid changes in Avalon.”

Understanding my father better now, I hugged Jude, who seemed like he desperately needed the reassurance. “You did absolutely everything you could. He was a grown man, responsible for his own actions. He fought for what was right, and there's no better way to be remembered than as someone who stood for those who couldn't.”

He chuckled softly. “So wise for someone so young.” He cupped my cheek with his withered hand. “I keep asking myself how I got so lucky as to find you after all this time. Avalonia has surely smiled down upon us.”

I basked in his affection, soaking it all in. “Me too.”

Pulling back, he said, “I wish I could stay longer, but I need to get ready for the evening, as I'm sure you do as well since it is in your honor.” He winked, pride shining in his face again.

I laughed. “Trust me. The last thing I want to do is go to that ball, but I know I must.”

“Indeed, you do.” He stood, and I followed, walking him to the door, a final thought occurring to me.

“What do you think is responsible for the changes in the land?” I asked him. If anyone knew, it would be this man, whose job was to be attuned to its nuances.

He paused next to the door, his face falling in concern. “To be honest, I believe that Queen Titania is responsible. I have no proof, but she has done nothing but try to garner more power her entire reign. In fact, I struggle to understand how she was even chosen in the first place. Surely Avalonia knew what was in the heart of the Queen, so why would she subject us all to Titania's rule?”

“You don't think she did something to effect the outcome of the trials, do you?”

“That's just the thing, child. I want to say that there's no possible way she could have, but the circumstances indicate otherwise. If she was truly the Chosen Queen, then why would the lands now be failing?”

“It does all seem rather suspicious,” I admitted, convinced that the Bitch Queen had indeed done something to manipulate the outcome in her favor both then and now.

“Indeed, it does. Not only that, but I suspect that she's doing the same now.”

Chapter Eighteen: Rhowyn

My grandfather left me with a warning to be careful and promised that he would keep researching answers on how to help me. I was sad to see him go, wanting to spend so much more time with him, getting to know him and listening to his stories about my father. I still had so many questions, but again, the Bitch Queen was interfering.

Now, I was sitting in front of my vanity as Juniper and Larissa helped me to prepare for the ball tonight. I couldn't help the sense of anxiety that I felt at returning to that room after having undergone the Queen's punishment not too long ago. I kept telling myself that I'd be a fool to not be wary of going back, knowing the full scope of the danger I was in every time I was around her. I reminded myself that this nervousness was normal, but it did nothing to ease the tension or my racing fears.

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