Page 41 of Their Trials

She gasped aloud again, her eyes snapping open to mine. “What is it?” I questioned her, my own panic starting to ratchet up at the shocked and confused expression on her face.

“My magic,” she whispered, her gaze moving to Arryn, who nodded at her to continue. “There's a crack in the cage around it. It's leaking out slowly but surely. It's just a steady drip, but it's there.”

We all sat there, absorbing that information before Arryn spoke again. “There's more.”

Chapter Sixteen: Rhowyn

What more could there possibly be? My magic was leaking out, and I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not. Nothing else had changed, at least from what I could tell. My magic didn't seem any different, but still. Was that cage there to protect me or hinder me? I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out the answer to that question.

I'd also, somehow, linked Baer to me in a way that was more intense than the bond we’d already shared. What exactly did that mean for us? Was it good or bad or somewhere in between? Shit. This wasn't good.

And now, Arryn was telling me there was more. “What is it?” I asked, needing to know. Knowledge was a weapon in and of itself, and I planned to arm myself with it. It was the only way I knew how to gain control of my own fate.

Arryn looked down at the papers before him, fidgeting with them as he decided what to say. He was always so purposeful with what he said, doing his best to present things in the best way possible. “While we may have won the first trial, a host of other problems have arisen because of it.”

“Okay. Like what?” I asked, relieved that this wasn't news that I was responsible for. Not directly, anyway. Surely what he had to say next wouldn’t be too bad. Whatever it was, we’d figure out a way to face it, one way or another.

“Well, for starters, you are now seen as an actual competitor for the throne,” Arryn muttered, implying that this wasn’t a good development for flying under the radar.

“But I don't want it. Everyone knows that. I've done nothing to hide that fact. Why would I be a threat?”

“Many believe that your denials are a ruse to get others to let down their guard. That you're using this as an advantage in the trials,” he said matter-of-factly.

I laughed. I didn't understand people sometimes. It seemed even the fae had a tendency to think the worst of everyone. “I guess they can think whatever they want. There's not really anything I can do to convince them otherwise. Besides, if they want to believe the worst about me, then let them. I don't need their approval.” I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms.

“It's not that simple,” Arryn protested.

“Princess,” Lennox chimed in. “The court can be ruthless. It is never a good thing to have enemies, much less powerful ones who see you as a threat. They think you represent change for them, that you'll undo all they have worked toward. They won't allow that.”

He paused, but I didn't have a response for him. I was completely out of my depth when it came to politics. I’d never seen the use for lying or hiding things. The truth always came out in the end, and when it did, it was always worse than if someone had just told the truth in the beginning. I knew from Earth that politics were everything, even for office jobs and workplace advancement. It's probably why I wasn't seen as a success. It was certainly why I had chosen the profession I had. The only politics there involved fists and submissions.

Because of my inability to play those games, I was better off leaving these sorts of things to the guys. Whatever they thought was best, I would do.

“Why do you think I've put on a mask in front of them all my life? I've played weak and unreliable so that I can never be seen as a threat,” Lennox explained, disgust pulling up his mouth at the thought of the kind of people he grew up surrounded by.

“Not only have you drawn the attention of the Court, but the Queen is not happy with you winning. She met with us after we finished the maze, questioned how you had healed, and left with a subtle threat. I'm certain she didn't buy our explanation that you healed yourself. While that explanation kept her from punishing us all, it has also sent the message that you're more powerful than she had thought. After standing up to her at the last ball, winning some favor among the Court, you now represent a danger to her reign,” Arryn explained further.

“So, what do we do? Is there any way to prove to her that she has nothing to fear from me?”

“I think we can only keep going. We'll just need to be more vigilant in watching for dangers, but I think we can manage those for right now,” Arryn said, shuffling the papers. “These papers are Callum's notes. I had him speak to the servants this morning, gaining information where he could about who we needed to watch more closely than the others.”

He paused, his eyes reading through the information more closely. “So, anyone I should keep an eye out for? Anyone I should be wary of?”

“There's a couple that are powerful enough, but they prefer to work in the shadows, so anything they do won't be overt. There's Lord Blackthorne, who opposes the Queen, secretly despising the fact that women are chosen to rule. This means, he will never be a true supporter of yours, but will pretend to be to your face.

“Then, we have Lady Bronwen, who has amassed her power in Court by knowing everyone's secrets. She uses gossip as a weapon and has been responsible for the rise and fall of many fae. She was instrumental in garnering support for the Queen when she went through her trials. You will need to be extremely guarded in what you say to her or her circle because she will find a way to twist that information for her own uses.”

I nodded, taking in what Arryn was saying. “Should be fairly simple to avoid those two since I don't even know who they are,” I said, confident that I would be okay.

“Lennox and I will ensure that you are always aware of when they’re around.”

“Sounds like a plan. Anything else?”

“Yes,” he said, stopping on the last page. “The real threat we need to watch for is Lady Genevieve Willows. She is a favorite of the Queen and can be ruthless in her rise to power. At one time, she had hopes of marrying Lennox, but changed her mind. Most likely because she realized that if she wanted to compete in the trials, she would have to remain unattached.”

My eyes narrowed, instantly hating this Genevieve for having had designs on Lennox. He was mine. Wait. When did I start considering these men as mine?

Lennox shuddered. “Yeah, that took quite a bit of convincing. Mother was highly in favor of the match, and Genevieve has always been eager to please her. Blech.”

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