Page 57 of Their Trials

Turning to face Charity, I looked up to find her also on her horse. “You're not interrupting anything. I was just about to mount up.” I held the reins in one hand, but before I could grab the saddle to try to hoist myself up, Lennox lifted me, hands on my hips. Swinging my leg over and finding my seat, I looked down at Lennox with a smile of thanks.

He walked off to get on his own horse as I turned back to Charity, a question in my eyes, wondering why they hadn't set off already.

“I was hoping we could travel together for a little while?” she asked hesitantly. Reading between the lines, I could tell they had no clue where to start and didn't want to admit that in front of everyone still watching us.

I glanced to Arryn, who shrugged one shoulder. I answered her, “Sure. I don't see why you can't.”

She sagged slightly in relief, a broad smile gracing her beautiful face. She really was stunning, her golden, curly hair shining in the light as if surrounded by a halo. If I didn't know she was fae, I'd suspect her of being an angel.

Arryn spurred his horse forward, our large group following behind. One of Charity's men, I forgot which one he was, sped up to ride beside Arryn, engaging him in conversation.

Charity and I rode side by side with one of our men on each side of us. Callum, Lennox, and Charity's other men rode behind us, the huge field before us allowing us plenty of room to spread out. The rolling hills with flowers dotting the ground in patches made this seem like a fantasy world. Everything here was glowing and vibrant as if brimming with life to the point that it couldn't quite be contained, seeping out into the air around it.

We traveled in silence, aware of the watchers, two small glowing orbs trailing us that were barely noticeable except for the slight glimmer. They looked like heat coming up off the asphalt in summer, shimmering in a hazy swirl as they floated behind us. They hadn’t been present during the first trial because that had taken place within a self-contained maze and was easier to watch and record from fixed locations. However, now that we were venturing out on our own, it seemed the devices would follow each group to chronicle our activities through the second trial. A fact that grated on my nerves and added to my tension despite the idyllic scenery.

We kept our pace sedate as we made small talk, neither group in any hurry. I knew why I didn't want to win, but I couldn't help but wonder what was holding Charity back? In my opinion, she was what I pictured a fae queen to be. Kind, benevolent, gorgeous, and mild speaking. So why wasn't she pushing harder to be the first to arrive?

“So, just a reminder that I'm completely new here, but who is this Lady of the Lake? Earth has tales of a lady that helps King Arthur by giving him a magical sword. Is there any connection?” I asked Charity and Baer, hoping they could fill me in on what exactly we were hoping to accomplish in this trial.

They both laughed, Baer's deep and warm like honey, and Charity's tinkling softly like the sweetest music you could ever hear. Damn, even her laugh is perfect. I couldn't help but feel like a troll next to her, and yet, I didn't hate her.

“That's the Lady of the Lake. She's always enjoyed traveling to Earth and meddling in their affairs, although that was so long ago,” Charity answered me.

“That's the same lady? So King Arthur is real?” I asked in shock.

Smiling at my reaction, she continued, “Yes. She even brought him back here for a time since they were lovers after all, but eventually, he had to return to rule his kingdom. Angry, she ran off with Arthur's friend Merlin. He also liked to meddle, but not near as much as she did.”

I sat there on my horse, dumbfounded by this information. Earth believed Merlin and Arthur to be myths, but the Lady of the Lake and Merlin were fae who were simply bored and sought adventure.

Considering this information, I couldn't help but wonder if Loathly Worms crossed over at some time, lending to the legends about dragons on Earth. It made sense, but it still rocked me when I realized that the myths were real. Now my mind was running wild with questions about whether all the other legends were real or not.

Not allowing my brain a chance to catch up, Charity continued explaining, “The Lady used to be one of the most powerful and affluent fae, but she disappeared almost two thousand years ago without a trace. No one knows why or where she went, most assuming she had faded and returned to the land. But now, we know she actually lives. The question is, where exactly she could be.”

“That's crazy,” I said, my mind still spinning with this new information. “Why would Avalonia want us to find her?” I asked, whispering, not wanting our observers to be aware of the conversation.

“That's the big question. The Lady, or Viviane as she was known by when she spent time in court, was always known for her enchantments, able to imbue articles with the strongest of magics. That's how she created Excalibur after all, her most powerful enchanted object. It disappeared about the same time she did.”

I sat there for a few minutes, taking in the information that she had just told me. “So, we're after an enchanted object of some sort,” I said, thinking out loud, “Or at least something that she's willing to give us.”

“Seems like,” Baer answered, even though it hadn't been a question.

“What was she like?” I asked, hoping to get a feel for her personality so I could figure out the best way to approach her should we find her.

“Honestly? I didn't think she was even alive. Most of what we know is hearsay since everyone that was born around the same time has already faded. All we have are stories, but she seems to be rather mischievous and the cause of many of your human legends.”

“Okay. So how do we plan on finding her?” I asked Baer, knowing Charity hadn't the first clue either, both of us looking to him for answers.

“I'm just following Arryn's lead on this. He's the one that knows our history the best, so I'm hoping he has an inkling of where to start,” Baer admitted.

Not satisfied with that answer, I spurred my horse forward without warning, catching up to Arryn easily. He turned on his horse to face me, a question on his face as I pulled up even with him. “What's the plan?” I answered his unspoken question with my own, needing to know what we were going to face. Preparation and knowledge were often underestimated but could change the course of a match, or in this case, a trial.

“To start, we'll be heading to Summer's territory to a friend’s place. He can put us up for the night, and we can make preparations and plans from there.” His vague answer irritated me, but I also knew he didn't want to give anything away at this point, so I kept my mouth shut.

I took the reins in hand, preparing to turn Meadow back around and ride back to Charity and Baer. I was stopped as a wave of nausea washed over me, dizziness making my head spin as I clung to the pommel and struggled to keep myself seated.

Arryn stopped beside me, noticing the change in me. “You okay?”

I put a hand on my head, hoping to stop the spinning. “I don't know. I just got dizzy,” I told him as the sensation eased up slowly. “I must be a little dehydrated.”

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