Page 14 of Their Queen

I couldn’t communicate with the others, and I found myself missing their voices. That didn’t mean I couldn’t feel their emotions through our bond, calling out to me desperately. Anger, despair, frustration, and loss threatened to have me abandon the mission that Avalonia had sent me on before I could even find out what I was supposed to do.

Before opening the door, I tilted my head toward the ceiling. “What do you want from me? Why am I here?” I asked Avalonia in a whisper, even though I knew she couldn’t answer me. The ascension had taken a lot out of her, and I could feel how weak she was. Every extra bit of magic she’d held had been fed to me, healing me slower than either of us would have liked.

I tamped down my doubts and fears, putting my mask back in place, as I swung the door open to find Cyerra on the other side, with a broad grin on her face as she leaned against the opposite wall, waiting for me. “About time, slow poke.”

She pushed past me and into my room. “What’s up?” I asked her, curious as to what was on her mind this late. The darkness had taken over a while ago.

“Well, I figured you were in here, probably moping…” she started, smiling again at my arched brow. “So, I thought we could head into the village tonight and meet your subjects, take your mind off the fact that your guys aren’t here with you. Who knows, we may even find out the real reason why Avalonia sent us here.”

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re just trying to get me drunk?” I asked her. I was tired, but her idea held merit.

“Who says I’m not?” She retorted. “So, what do ya say?” She held out a hand. “Stay in here and cry over the fact that you miss your guys, or…” She held the palm of her other hand out as if weighing my options, “Go out with me and have a good time, doing research while keeping your mind off those hunks?”

“Gee, when you put it that way.” I smiled at her antics, unable to resist her good mood. Sighing, I gave in, “Fine. Just let me grab my weapons,” I told her, moving over to the bedside table to do just that, throwing on my boots, too. “Ready when you are.”

“Whoop!” she called out, her enthusiasm contagious as I found myself looking forward to getting to know the other fae. Since coming to Avalon, I’d had very little exposure to what it was truly like. All I’d really seen was the dangerous side, the politics, and the ass-kissing. Now, maybe I would finally get the chance to see exactly what I was fighting for.

We exited the abbey, Cyerra’s arm looped through mine as we strolled toward the small pub. We passed by several closed shops, barely more than shacks in the small village. I couldn’t help but notice the disparity between the extravagance of the capital and this tiny village. It seemed that no matter what world you lived in, there would always be the haves and have nots. Something that had always burned my biscuits, even while living on Earth.

How could the High Fae live the way they did without sharing their excess with those who needed it? Sure, I was a big believer in working hard to earn your reward, but so many people worked hard every single day of their lives and still went without. While others were born into the lap of luxury through no effort of their own. Those people simply made demands, entitled brats who loved throwing their weight around.

As we closed in on the entrance to the pub, Cyerra pulled away, throwing the door open wide and letting it thunk loudly against the wall, drawing everyone’s attention. The music halted as everyone turned to see what the commotion was about. Smiling at me mischievously, Cyerra yelled out, “Hear ye, Hear ye! I present your Queen Heir, Rhowyn Hunt!”

Immediately, my face turned bright red, hating the pronouncement of my arrival. I braced myself as Cyerra had a good laugh at my expense, thoroughly pleased with herself. I narrowed my eyes at her. “I will get you back for this,” I hissed as I pushed forward into the pub, knowing there was nothing to be done at this point.

My eyes scanned the crowd, and I approached the barkeep confidently. I spoke to the pudgy man in a stained apron, making sure my voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, “A round for everyone!” Cheers rose at that, the thirty or forty fae clearly happy with my announcement. The barkeep smiled approvingly, pouring a glass for me as everyone swarmed the bar for their free drink. I placed several gold coins on the counter, not even making a dent in the money I had brought with me.

It was the least I could do, knowing that tonight would ease their burdens for a little while. Cyerra grinned as she was handed her own mug, turning to shout, “Let’s hear some music!” The crowd laughed at her gaiety, settling down and returning to their previous activities as we found an open table near the performers. A couple of male fae played instruments similar to guitars, the music reminding me of the old shanties that sailors used to sing on Earth. One of the men started singing, and I found myself enjoying the raunchy song, sipping from my mug.

A female fae, her skin green with a bark-like texture, approached me as my glass emptied. “Another round?” I nodded at her, relaxing for the first time since having left the guys, my eyes roving over all the different types of fae who were gathered here. Laughter sounded out from several of the other tables, clearly enjoying themselves after a long day of toiling in the fields, but underneath, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of desperation and fear in their actions. Their clothes were all well-worn, patched in several places and dirty from a day’s work. Clearly, everyone in the village made very little, yet they seemed so much happier than those who resided in the capital, who had everything they could ever dream of.

The server returned, dropping off a fresh mug of the ale. I thanked her, putting a gold coin in her hand. She blushed but took the coin gratefully. Cyerra smiled at me. “Granted, it’s not honey wine, but it still gets the job done. What do you think?”

“I think I’m glad you dragged me out here. I needed this,” I admitted.

“Figured as much. Besides, there’s no one I’d rather share my first pub experience with, so I’m glad you came along,” she admitted without batting an eye.

“What?” I sputtered, choking slightly on the drink I had just taken.

“Well, we don’t have a pub at the Enclave, but I’d always heard stories about places like this.” She looked around at the small crowd, smiling.

“Is it everything you hoped for?” I asked her.

“Not yet, but I think I know how I can rectify that.” She winked at me and jumped up from her chair. She made a beeline toward a young male fae, who was quite the hunk, even if I didn’t think he measured up to my men. I watched as she spoke to the man, holding out her hand.

He smiled up at her as if awestruck, letting her drag him to the open space in front of the musicians. She started dancing with him, laughing at something he said. Smiling, I couldn’t help but be happy for her. She knew how to grab life by the balls, something I could definitely learn from her.

A middle-aged fae approached me. He bowed his head in deference, and I blushed at the acknowledgment, feeling awkward. “Your Highness, may I have this seat?”

“Sure,” I told him, holding out a hand to indicate Cyerra’s vacated chair. I had a feeling she wouldn’t be needing it for a while, clearly entranced by the young male. “Would you like another drink?”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” he said, ducking his head.

“Please, call me Rhowyn. I’m just a regular girl out for a drink with a good friend. Not too different from you, I’d suspect,” I told him, searching for the server and indicating we could use more drinks.

“I wouldn’t say that Your…Rhowyn.” He corrected himself when I arched a brow, smiling.

“And why’s that?”

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