Page 29 of Their Queen

“I’ll have none of that.” She pushed her way inside the bedroom, raising an eyebrow as she caught sight of Lennox sitting up in my bed, his shirt missing. A smirk was pasted on his face, clearly proud of being discovered in my bed, his abs contracted by his position on his forearms, and jerked my mind to other much more enjoyable things we could be doing than this. He pulled his eyes from mine, not needing the mind speak Brannoc and I shared to determine just where my thoughts had turned.

“I’ll take that as my cue to leave.” He rose from the bed, his pants hanging loosely from his hips as he walked over and pasted a chaste kiss to my cheek, not embarrassed in the slightest at his appearance. “I’ll go find the others and meet you at dinner.”

“All right, get out of here. I’ve got things that need doing, and if you keep distracting our Queen, we’ll never get them done.” Aurelia swatted at him playfully as he jumped away with a laugh.

He stepped forward once more to kiss me lightly on the lips, pulling away when I tried to deepen it, thankful to have him back. “Behave, Princess. If you play your cards right, then I’ll be reacquainting myself with you after we’ve played our parts for everyone else.”

“You sound so sure that’s going to happen.” He shrugged, his eyes belying the truth. Needing to tease him back, I whispered, “Perhaps, I might take Arryn or Callum to bed with me tonight?”

“They can come too,” he said, stepping closer with a small rumble from his chest, leaning in to whisper into my ear. “But tonight, you’re mine. I need you.” He pulled back with that last statement so I could see the truth in his eyes.

Unable to respond to the emotions I saw there, I swallowed a lump in my throat and nodded. “Okay, you two, if we don’t get started now, we’ll be late.” Aurelia interrupted our moment with a smile of indulgence on her face. Lennox pulled back and slunk from the room with a heated gaze, hips rolling seductively.

I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I watched him leave, admiring his backside as he went. That lithe swimmer’s body, tightly toned in muscles that would flex under my hands, his long legs, and how his back narrowed at the waist with a great ass. He knew what he was doing to me, everyone able to smell the scent of my arousal now, even myself, thanks to my new form. Once he’d left, I turned back to Aurelia, asking, “So, what did you have in mind?”

She eyed me. “I think I have just the thing. The perfect way to establish yourself on your first night as Queen.” When my cheeks heated at the title that still didn’t feel quite right to me, she chastised me. “Now, none of that. You should embrace your destiny. Something I’ve known for quite some time now, ever since I watched you in the first trial.”

“You say that as if it’s as easy as snapping your fingers,” I admitted to her as she entered the closet. “How do you go from being a nobody to the leader of an entire world?”

She leaned back as she continued to thumb through the clothes provided. “You were never a nobody. Hidden, perhaps, but never a nobody.” I let her words sink in, wishing I could have had a sister like Aurelia growing up. What would my life have been like had I had a sibling to rely on? I sighed, knowing that dwelling on such things would never get me anywhere. Could’ve, should’ve, would’ves were all best left in the past.

“Here we are,” Aurelia said, letting me ruminate on my own while she continued her search. Walking back into the bedroom, a light silver gown was held over her arm until she laid it out on the bed before turning back to me and indicating I should sit at the vanity. Unfortunately, her haste meant that I was unable to get a good look at the gown; however, I knew whatever she had chosen would be perfect for me. Her own taste in clothes indicated that we had similar understated tastes, neither feeling the need to be flashy.

She started brushing my hair, leaving me sitting in front of the mirror and giving me ample time to stare at my new visage, something I had been avoiding since I had lost my glamor. Not that I’d had much time to spend looking in the mirror. Surprisingly enough, my appearance hadn’t changed too drastically. I had feared it would be like looking at a stranger, but instead, it was the same. Just more.

My honey-colored eyes sparkled with specks of light that glinted back at me, more intensely hued than before. A darker ring surrounded my irises in stark contrast and only increased their uniqueness, the shape more almond and slanted. My face was the same, except my cheekbones seemed just a little sharper and more pronounced. My lips were slightly fuller and rosier in their natural coloring as if I’d just slicked lip gloss over them.

Of course, the biggest difference was my ears which came up in a point like all of the High Fae. Now that Aurelia was arranging my hair up and out of my face, my ears stood out as more noticeable. My neck seemed slimmer and longer, and my entire body was elongated, giving me about three or four more inches in height, though I was still shorter than most of the other fae females. What had once been compacted muscle was lither, like a dancer’s physique. I was still more athletic in my build than the other females as well, and I couldn’t help think it had something to do with my training on Earth. A part of me wondered if the other females could have the same shape if they trained as I had.

Although come to think of it, I hadn’t seen a female warrior or fighter yet. At least one that wasn’t a Raven. That was something I would have to change under my new rule. I still wasn’t sure if the women felt they had to be submissive and soft, if it was just a part of their societal standards, or if it was something deeper and more pervasive. Could they be held back by the expectations of men, unallowed to aim for more?

My men had never demeaned me or made me feel like less than them. Had never made me feel like it wasn’t my place to go into battle with them. Despite their desire to protect me, I had never once thought that their desires to keep me safe sprang from a need to keep me in my place. Of course, that could be because I was destined to be Queen or because my men just seemed more accepting all around. Evidence in their favor was the fact that they never looked down on me because of my human glamor or treated the lower fae with anything less than respect. Either way, it was something I could investigate at a later time when I wasn’t so focused on dethroning Titania and saving all of Avalon.

As my mind drifted, Aurelia’s movements drew my attention back to the altered appearance in the mirror. It boggled my mind how I could be so different, and yet, I still felt the same, as if nothing had changed. Of course, my body felt stronger, more resilient, faster even, and I couldn’t wait to test the full limits of my capabilities. Maybe I could even talk the guys into training with me tomorrow? Excitement coursed through me at the thought, picturing in my mind how it would go down, a smile gracing my face.

“So, wanna tell me what it was like growin’ up with Callum?” Yup, still had the Texan accent. Seemed that was not something that would change anytime soon, but maybe with enough years here, it would fade. A part of me was saddened at the thought of losing something that seemed like such an integral part of who I was.

Aurelia laughed. “Honestly, he’s not much different than the man I suspect you know now. Granted, he’s twenty years my senior and was always looking after me. Stubborn in his ways, fiery temper, and an infallible sense of justice. He was trained from a young age to take over the Autumn Court, joining our parents when they decided to start a secret rebellion against Titania. Although, he seems gruff and grumpy, underneath, he’s always had a soft spot for those he feels need his protection. I feared for him when Titania discovered my parents’ subterfuge.” She paused, her hands stilling as her eyes watered. “I have lived every day since she took him hostage fearing that she would end him. The man who seemed indestructible was so vulnerable in her grasp. He was always one mercurial mood away from being executed like my parents.

“Finally, I’d had enough, and I found this place. It used to be one of our vacation homes, where our family would go for privacy and time to focus on bonding. A place to get away from the demands of court life. It was the only one left standing since it was so far away from Tir Na Siorai. I began using the wealth hidden here to feed the villagers who were losing their farms and way of life. Before long, many decided to stay, to help me in my quest to find a way to overthrow Titania. The thought of letting her continue her ruthless rule was unbearable for me. I needed to free my brother. And so, things grew as we slowly built what we had. Then, we reached a point where I felt I had to keep my followers safe and hidden. I’d felt that something was coming, an opportunity to accomplish what I desired. I just had to be patient. Although, I had no idea what I was waiting for. Until you. You changed everything, of course.”

I put a hand on Aurelia’s hand that had fallen to my shoulder after she’d finished with my hair. “I won’t let y’all down.”

Aurelia pulled her attention back from the dark memories, ones I was familiar with, saying, “I know you won’t. Avalonia sent you here for a reason.

When she moved around to the front to put on my makeup, I decided to change tracks. “So, how are the soldiers here? They seem eager and willing but also green and untried. Not to disparage them or anything, but I’d rather be honest in my assessment.”

“You’re not wrong,” she admitted, fully focused on her work. “We’ve done our best, but after Titania executed the best of our soldiers, there wasn’t anyone left to train them.”

Aurelia finished with my makeup and turned me to work on my face. “What if Arryn and Callum trained them?” I asked her, needing to know if we even stood a chance.

“Perhaps. There are some worthy warriors here, but most are farmers with little to no training before their time at the Keep. I fear it will take more time to get them up to par than we have.”

If what Aurelia said was true, that would change the way I proceeded. I needed a true assessment of the abilities of everyone here in order to determine what the next course of action would be. Options spun through my mind as Aurelia stepped back, hands on her hips. “There. Now, let’s get you into this gown.”

She rushed over to the bed and held it out for me to slip into, making adjustments here and there. Finally satisfied, she gestured for me to take my first look. Tonight, I truly looked the part of a Queen in a flowing silver gown that was covered in beads that cast light to and fro along the walls as I moved. It clung to my curves while also giving me room to move, a sheer panel covering the upper part of my chest and arms, swirls of beads painting a tattoo-like pattern onto my skin.

As I stared at myself in the mirror, shocked by the magic she had performed on me, Aurelia stepped up behind me. “Now, for the final touch.” She beamed over my shoulder as she placed a dainty crown on my head, signaling to everyone my status. The crown settled heavily on my head, the weight of responsibility sitting on my shoulders more so now than ever before. I swallowed because, for the first time in my life, since everyone had started calling me their queen, I truly felt like I was.

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