Chapter 12
“I would like to take a further expedition into one of the Courts. I would prefer the Court of Spring so I can check and see if my magic made progress there. I am offering to take a small company of travelers with me, my guard, and Prince Jacob.” I projected my voice through the campsite. We were gathered for breakfast and I was eager to start exploring our new lands. I knew restoration would not happen overnight, but I wanted to at least get a feel for the land while I was figuring the bigger problems out.
“I would like to go.” Andras said, standing up and giving me a slight bow. Jacob grinned at him and Andras’ cheeks tinged pink.
“I would as well.” River stood up next, followed by Gwen. I smiled at my original Fae friends.
“I offer my brothers and I as protectors for your expedition, Queen Arabella.” I scanned the crowd, searching for the man who spoke. My eyes settled on a group of four Fae men who stood up to show their intention. My heart skipped a beat as my eyes slowly inspected the brothers. The first brother was clearly the leader. He had long golden blonde hair, that was secured in a bun on his head. It was held in with a leather strap. With his hair out of his face his striking blue eyes stood out. He had the familiar Fae beauty, but he also had a fierce, rugged look about him. I could see his huge biceps and defined muscles from my position.
The second brother, who stood slightly behind the first, was a slimmer build. He had shorter, shaggy red hair. His pale skin was perfect, with a light dusting of freckles across his nose. He had a mischievous look about him and he gave me a cocky grin as my eyes met his chocolate brown orbs.
The third brother had striking silver hair. He kept it long as well, but his hair was free and hung over his shoulder in waves. His looks were eye catching due to his bronze skin that was a beautiful contrast to his pale hair. His eyes were a deep purple, a shade I haven’t seen before. He met my eyes for a moment before bowing slightly and looking down. I guess this brother was a bit shy.
The fourth brother had short, dark brown hair. He had bright green eyes and met my gaze with an intense, but unreadable look. His face was stoic, and unchanging. I would have sworn he was a statue if it wasn’t for his eyes blinking every so often. He was huge, built like a bodybuilder.
I looked quickly back at the first brother in confusion. They looked nothing alike, surely they weren’t brothers. He met my eyes and winked, I offered a small smile and bowed my head in each of their directions.
“I would be honored. I think that is enough travelers for our first expedition. Too many may cause more of a disturbance than would be safe. Thank you, my friends who volunteered.” I gave one more nod of my head to the crowd before sitting.
After breakfast I returned to my tent to change into more appropriate clothes for travel. I pulled on a pair of boots and braided my hair and threw the long braid over one shoulder. I didn’t exactly have an extensive wardrobe with me, and my clothes were meant for the human realm. I found a form fitting purple, long sleeve shirt. If I was hiking through forests with unknown plants, I wanted my skin protected.
I hurried back out to meet Jacob and the others. Jacob promised to pack up food and water for travel, and Allwyn was gathering weapons. I found them waiting by the bridge to spring, along with the others who volunteered.
“My Queen.” The man who spoke for his brothers greeted me. “I am Maddox. We four are survivors of our courts and found each other while escaping Faerie. We stuck together and returned together. We are not blood brothers, but are brothers just the same.” He explained. He looked pointedly at the other three.
“I am Bowen, your majesty.” The red headed brother said with a suggestive wink.
“I am Gerwyn.” The Silver haired man stated quietly. He gave me a shy smile and a bow. I grinned at him. He intrigued me the most of the four, and I had a feeling an afternoon with Jacob and I would either drive him insane or bring him out of his shell. I understood being slow to warm up, though.
“Emrick.” The huge brother grunted his response, his voice was deep and gravely, much like I expected. If he didn’t have the pointy ears of the Fae, I would question whether or not he was really Fae. When you think of Fae you think tall, lean and beautiful. He was handsome in his own way, and his eyes were captivating, but his intimidating presence distracted you from that. I was hoping he was one of those intimidating, big guys that is really just a softhearted teddy bear underneath.
“Welcome, friends. It’s a pleasure to meet you. This is Allwyn, my personal guard, Prince Jacob, my human brother, my dear friends Andras, River and Gwen.” I pointed to each person as I introduced them.
“Jacob, do you have enough food and water for everyone?” I asked as I gestured to the pile of items in front of him.
“Yes. Does anyone else have a pack?” He asked the group. Gwen, Maddox, Bowen and I all stepped forward, bags in hand. “Ok, here is water, you can each take a few extra for the bagless people. Here are some snacks and food to last us two days.” He finished distributing the provisions and we pulled our packs on.
“Weapons?” I asked Allwyn. He studied me for a moment.
“Have you ever used a dagger?” He asked in his somber voice. I shook my head and he nodded in acknowledgment. “Then you may not have one, we can begin training tomorrow. Do you four have weapons?” He directed at the brothers. They simply nodded and held up their gear. “I will take the lead, since the Court of Spring was my home. Could you four split up among the group, with one in the back? Queen Arabella, please stay in the middle next to a guard. You are too important to lose, please do not argue.” He fixed me with his intense gaze and I gave an eye roll, but cooperated.
We got into our travel positions, ready to start this adventure. Allwyn led, followed by Andras and Jacob. Maddox stood behind them, with River and Gwen. I stood behind the second row, flanked by Gerwyn and Bowen. Emrick was directly behind me. I tried not to think about the surly, walking statue behind me.
We wound our way through the entrance of Spring, retracing our steps until we reached the garden. I was disappointed to find no visual changes.
“I would like to stop here and see if the land feels different.” I announced, in a loud voice. I started walking and Gerwyn and Bowen kept their flank around me. I wasn’t used to it, but they were graceful and seemed to naturally move with me.
The group surrounded the stone structure and I sat on the raised stone stool once again. As I closed my eyes and felt for my magic, I focused it on the land. I could feel the sorrow from the destroyed land, but I felt a sense of healing as well. It was as if I put the healing in motion, but on such a small scale it would take years to happen. I needed to find a way to enhance it.
I opened my eyes and took a deep breath to bring my sense back slowly.
“Any improvement?” Gwen asked excitedly. I gave her a sad look and a shrug.
“I can feel a sense of healing, but it was so small it would take years before it spread. I put as much magic as I could into it yesterday, I think we need to find more answers to this. I may step through the portal and speak with the gatekeeper again if this journey doesn’t lead to any results.” I replied, a hint of sadness in my voice. I couldn’t help but feel sad and a little defeated. Realistically I knew I wasn’t going to just run into Faerie, sprinkle some magic dust, and bring about a new land. However the fact I used so much magic I collapsed and can barely feel the difference was defeating.
“Let’s find those answers then.” Bowen said as he gestured us forward. We resumed the positions we were in previously, and continued forward toward the high stone walls.
As we approached the large gate that was in the center of the stone walls, I noticed there were no handles or keyholes.
“How do we open it?” I mused aloud. I looked at the brothers flanking me, then up towards Allwyn. He simply walked up to the gate and rested his hand in the center. The gate took on a bright green glow before swinging open. “I guess that answers that.” I huffed, annoyed that Allwyn didn’t explain that before he opened the gate. I heard Bowen and Gwen snicker to themselves before we proceeded forward.
To say the land was vast, would be an understatement. I guess I though Faerie was small, the gates simply blocking a castle. The truth was much different. The castle was still far in the distance, we would be lucky to reach it by nightfall. Now that we were past the gates I could see that the Court of Spring spanned as far as the eye could see. I could see a city at the base of the castle, a forest beyond that. There were a few villages sprinkled throughout the land. The land itself was full of plant life.
The plants in Faerie were shocking to me. When they said the land turned hostile, I figured it became barren. The area between towns was filled with tall grasses, flowers and trees. There was a winding stone road that wound it’s way through the landscape, ensuring easy travel for all.
The stone road began where we currently stood. The fastest route to the castle seemed to be through two different villages, before we reached the city at the base of the castle.
The castle itself was enormous. It was made of the purple stone that was frequent in Faerie. I couldn’t see all of the details and design, but it was made of several towers and looked as wide as the village itself.
“My mom grew up in a castle that was wider then the town. I guess they weren’t afraid to flaunt their power.” The sarcasm was strong in my words. Maybe because I wasn’t raised in this life, but I couldn’t imagine the need for a castle this large. I guess Emrick agreed, because he grunted in response to my statement.
“The royals were always proud of what they had, and weren’t afraid to use their power. The castles simply reflected to everyone that they were in charge and weren’t to be challenged.” Gerwyn explained, I could read the surprise in his eyes as he processed my words.
“I haven’t discussed it with the queen yet, but our plan was to build a new castle on the stone plateau of the meeting site. Then a room in each of the castles for visits.” Allwyn supplied, giving me an apologetic smile. I smiled back. I wasn’t offended in the least.
“Fine, but I refuse to waste resources on building something that flashy and unnecessary. As long as it’s big enough for my family and guards I will be fine with it.” I explained in a determined voice, crossing my arms in front of my chest for extra emphasis. The rest of our group studied me, I guess to see if I was serious, but Jacob gave me a knowing look.
“That’s fine, but don’t forget about Prince Jacob.” He joked.
“Never!” I fake gasped at the mere thought. When we broke into laughter the rest of the group gave us an odd glance. Well except for River and Andras who were used to our odd friendship.
“How is he a prince?” Maddox asked, looking slightly appalled at the thought of his queen making up titles. I met his eyes with a hard glare.
“The same way you have three brothers from different courts, Mad.” I deliberately shortened his name as a means to throw him off. He snorted at the name, and continued to study me.
“Fair point.” Bowen chuckled, giving me a pat on the arm in reassurance.
“I believe that was her humble way of putting you in your place, Maddox.” Gerwyn quietly chuckled. Maddox gave them a look, before a grin spread across his face. Was he testing me?
“Men.” I muttered and rolled my eyes and gestured for us to continue.
We were approaching the first village. From what I could see the small buildings were made of wood and the roofs had flowers and grass growing off of them. I loved the extra touch of nature that the inhabitants had put into their everyday lives.
Walking through the village was unsettling. It was completely silent other than our footsteps. I broke away from the group and pushed open the closest door I could find. The building was a bit larger than the average homes, and I noticed it was a blacksmith shop with weapons lining the walls. The layer of dirt and vines covering the weapons, was a testament to the years of abandonment.
I heard hard footsteps come up behind me and I squeaked as I felt huge hands encircle my waist and lift me up. I knew it was Emrick, because of the size and power that radiated off of him. I huffed as he set me down and gave me a stern look. He entered the building ahead of me this time, and did a quick sweep of it, heavy axe in hand.
I followed behind him and looked around. The backroom was as filled with dust as the rest of the building. The empty dishes on the counter of a workbench and an unstrung bow was a testament of the unexpected abandonment of the land.
“Did the animals die in the war, or did they die due to the changes in the land?” I asked softly, the untouched and silent building made me feel as if whispering was appropriate. I realized then that Emrick was the only one in the wooden structure with me, so I was startled when he answered.
“They disappeared halfway through the war. One day they were here, the next not an animal could be found.” His voice was as deep as I expected, but had a rich, smoky quality to it. My face lit up with a smile at the sound of his voice and I even felt a bit honored he had answered me at all.
“Thank you for answering, Emrick.” I beamed a smile and gave him a quick bow of my head in appreciation. The smile he returned was small, yet heart stopping. It morphed his face from one of intimidation, to serene, relaxed, and gorgeous.
We made our way out of the building and I looked around for the group. They had paired off and were searching the other buildings. Emrick and I stood in the center of town where a well stood.
“Was the water tainted?” I asked Emrick, peering down the well trying to see the water in the darkness. When I looked up he nodded his affirmation to my question. I frowned. “I’m going to see how the land feels here. Protect me, my knight?” I asked with a sweet and joking smile. He gave me a half grin and nodded again. He was a man of few words, but I felt like we made more of a connection than I anticipated.
I climbed on the stones that created the well, dangling my feet forward. I heard an exasperated sigh and smirked as I felt Emrick’s giant hands surround my waist in case I fell forward. If anyone would pull that off it would be me, so it was probably a smart move.
Once again I closed my eyes and pulled forth my magic. For some reason I felt it surge forth this time, instead of the smooth wave it usually manifested. I was panting with the strain of it until my body adjusted. I pictured a magical tether that I sent into the depths of the well. I could feel the poisonous magic in the water, but I also felt something else down there. A strong magic brushed against mine and I was thankful that Emrick was holding me still. I almost fell off from the shock of it.
“Something is down here, Emrick, something powerful.” I whispered, still focusing on my magic. I felt his hands tighten, and arms tense. He was ready to pull me back at the first sign of danger. I pulled my magical tether back and sent it into the ground near the well. I wanted to see if the healing effect had made its way here. I was overwhelmed by the sorrow I could feel in the land. It broke my heart and I could feel the tears running down my cheek. I was no longer able to focus on the world around me, falling deeper into the emotions of the land.
I tried to sort through the emotions when images began to flash into my mind. The images were in quick succession so I didn’t have long to focus before the next flashed into my mind’s eye. They were images of the town and land of spring as the war broke out. The images were of different levels of devastation to the land and the Fae. I saw children and families lining the streets. I saw magic blasting against magic as the Fae fought for their home and lives. As the devastating images faded away, my senses slowly returned to myself. I pulled the last of my magical tether into my body and slowly blinked open my eyes.
I was startled to find five sets of eyes staring down at me. I was now laying flat on the ground, but was unsure when that happened. I tried to sit up, but Emrick’s protective hands lifted me until I was sitting, leaning against his hard chest. I blinked a few times to clear the tears from my eyes. I felt a gentle touch wipe away the remaining tears and my eyes met Gerwyn’s worried face.
“I’m fine, guys. Help me up, big guy?” I glanced at Emrick and he gave me his half smile before helping me to my feet.
“What happened, Bella?” Allwyn asked, surprising me with my preferred name. He must have been really worried. I gave him a reassuring smile.
“The land was giving me a glimpse at the war. Faerie flashed images of the people and destruction and devastation. It was heartbreaking and I could feel every ounce of her sorrow.” I explained, causing my chest to ache at the reminder.
“She mentioned something down there.” Emrick rumbled, gesturing to the well.
“Oh! Thanks, big guy. He’s right, something powerful is down there. It didn’t feel alive, but it felt strong. It’s magic brushed against my own.” I wrinkled my brow in confusion.
“We can inspect later, let’s make it to the castle before dark my queen.” Allwyn encouraged.
“Bells!” Jacob yelled in the distance, he must have been further into the village. I quickly followed the sound of his voice and found him in an abandoned home.
“What’s wrong?” I yelled as we burst into the house, my guard’s weapons at the ready. Jacob gave me a sheepish smile.
“Sorry, girl. I didn’t know how far away you were. We found that the homes are full of clothes and supplies. Clearly not food or water, but clothes and stuff.” He explained. He gestured to the pile of clothes and blankets in front of him.
“Maybe we should stay behind and see what we can salvage for our people?” Andras suggested.
“Plus, real beds.” Gwen pointed out, giving me a pleading look. I grinned back and nodded.
“I think I can repair some of the clothing here.” River stated thoughtfully as she ruffled through the pile of clothes.
“I’d prefer us to stay together, we need the extra protection.” Allwyn said firmly.
“There are weapons down the road at the shop I entered. Surely they can protect themselves if they wish to stay. The people need these supplies.” I reminded him.
“Fine, if they wish, but the guard stays with the queen.” He said firmly. The man was stubborn, that’s for sure.
“We are capable adults.” Jacob said with an exaggerated eye roll. I stifled a chuckle.
“Let’s go gather them some weapons?” I suggested to the men who were quickly becoming my personal shadows. We made our way back to the blacksmith shop and grabbed an assortment of daggers, swords, and bows and arrows. `
“Stay safe, my prince.” I gave Jacob a tight hug. He smiled at me and rolled his eyes.
“Always the dramatic one, Queenie.” He joked, but squeezed me back just as tight.
“If anything happens you bolt the door and stay inside. Don’t wonder around at night.” I lectured, a hand on my hip. River rolled her eyes and gently pushed us out of the door.