Chapter 9
“What do you mean, you are going to Faerie?” Jacob yelled. I had explained the basics of what the gatekeeper told us and Jacob was reacting about how I expected. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes.
“Jacob this is about more than just me. I can’t leave these people to this kind of treatment for the rest of their lives. I also can’t leave the land like it is. If there is even a chance I could fix it, then I will.” I said through my tears.
“You can’t leave me behind, Queenie.” Jacob said quietly as the fight left him. “You are all I have left, and the only real friend I’ve had my whole life. Even my family cast me away when they found out I was gay.”
I went over to him and sat in his lap, wrapping my arms around him. We sat in silence for several minutes until River couldn’t hold her questions in anymore.
“What will we eat? How can we bring in the rest of the Fae? Do you really think you can heal the land? What if it takes awhile before we can survive there?” She asked all at once. Allwyn held up a hand to calm us all down.
“First, we don’t know what Faerie is like right now. We will pack and take food with us. We can exit the portal the same as we can enter it, so we can send some of us to replenish supplies. We also can’t be sure of what all our queen can accomplish until she is fully connected with Faerie and her power. This is a mission of faith.” His somber voice calmed down all of the hysteria floating through the room.
“Can I go with you? Or are simple mortals not allowed?” Jacob asked so quietly we almost missed it.
“You would come?” I asked, the tears spilled over again.
“I am your prince, after all.” He joked through his tears that now spilled over.
“Mortals can come to Faerie, but once your body adjusts, you are stuck there. You will only be able to come back for extremely short visits, and that would be risky. You will however, live as long as we do. It is not a light decision. I know that that used to be the legend, that once a mortal enters Faerie, they are stuck. It isn’t because we tortured the mortals, it was because their bodies weren’t able to travel back for many years. Time is faster here then Faerie.” Andras explained. I was surprised by how much he knew about it.
“Well, what do I have to lose? It seems like my only choice, but I will think about it.” He said with a nod at Andras, letting him know he took it seriously. I didn’t miss the flash of excitement on Andras’ face. I glanced at River who had a smirk on her face, I wasn’t the only observant one.
“What about cold foods?” I didn’t see how we would keep it once in Faerie. I wasn’t sure I could survive on dried foods alone.
“Cooler? They sell big ones, we could get a few things in there.” Jacob suggested. River shrugged. Andras looked deep in thought.
“You are half Winter Fae, correct?” Andras asked and I nodded. “Then we work on your ice magic first and build a cold room. You also have earth magic, but so do a few others. I think we will figure it out when we get there.” He stated confidently.
I was uncomfortable with their confidence still. I felt more human than Fae. Hopefully Andras was right, and once we made it to Faerie I would know my powers.
“Andras and I will go and fetch foods. Jacob, River and our Queen will clear the refrigerator of food and cook what you can for tonight and tomorrow. That way we can fit our travel food inside. When we get back, we discuss a plan.” Allwyn gave orders. In moments like these you could clearly see him as a leader. Though he seemed more than just a simple guard like he let on.
“Alright, but please pick up chocolate and coffee. Also, plenty of water for us to survive in Faerie. Everyone pile money in.” I announced. Allwyn apparently disagreed.
“I brought gems with me from Faerie when I first came through. They were worth much more here, I have plenty of funds to cover this and more. We will return soon.” He replied, waving off my money.
I nodded and went to Jacob’s kitchen. I pulled out all of the items in his refrigerator and stacked them on the breakfast bar. Next was his cabinets so I knew what I was working with. Jacob walked in with his eyes wide.
“Jacob are you sure about this? If you decide to stay I don’t want you to have nothing left to survive.” I hesitated in emptying the cabinets while I waited for his response.
“I’m going. I’ve thought of nothing else since Sam left. I knew you would at least travel there, and I wanted in on the adventure. My life here is nothing worth mentioning, but if I could be with you and help bring life back to a new realm? That is a life worth mentioning. I’m going. Now, lets do this, pour the Champagne.” He grabbed his wine glasses down and waited for me to open the bottle. I poured the drinks and handed out aprons.
“This is too chaotic, can we make a list of what we will be able to make?” River cringed as she looked around.
“Paper coming up, Queenie you get the music.” Jacob ordered as he went off in search of what he needed. I pulled out my phone and turned on my music app before putting it into Jacob’s speakers he kept on the counter. We rarely cooked together without music. At least this time we didn’t have to turn it down just for Sam.
“Okay list maker, take a stool and get to writing. Our resident chef can make meals out of random items, so she will tell you what we can make.” Jacob danced into the room handing River his notepad and pen. She sat and I looked through the ingredients.
“Muffins will travel well, add them. Jacob, text Andras and ask them to pick up butcher paper and paper bags. Cookies. We will make all of the meat and frozen items today and have a feast tonight. Granola bars would be easy. I think I have enough flour here to make bread and rolls. We can repackage the pretzel sticks and make popcorn for the journey. That’s all I can think of now until we get the stockpile down a bit.” I grabbed down the mixing bowls and mixer.
“Andras said they will get plenty for all we are making. I also told him to get several bottles of our pink Champagne.” He said with a wink my way. I laughed and took a sip of my current glass.
By the time the other’s returned I had a ridiculous assortment of food lining the kitchen table. I managed to make a cheesy potato dish, baked chicken, steak fajitas, mac and cheese, a few different veggie dishes, fries, nachos, and black bean burgers. We also had the baked goods almost finished, I was letting the breads rise while we ate.
“Let’s go help the guys bring their stuff inside. Thank God I live on the ground floor.” Jacob said dramatically. Though I agreed, carrying this amount of groceries up flights of stairs might have killed me.
“Holy shit!” I exclaimed as we looked at the haul the guys managed to buy. They even got camping gear, huge backpacking packs, lanterns, foldable tables, a ton of tents and way more food than I thought they would get. They also had a huge cooler for our cold stuff.
“How do we get this stuff through the woods and down to Faerie?” River asked, looking as shocked as I was.
“We will park close to the woods, then we will load what we can in our packs and the rest we will pull along in a big sled. It was the best I could come up with.” Andras shrugged like it was no big deal.
“We can discuss our plans over dinner, it smells quite enticing in here.” Allwyn suggested, taking a big sniff of the aromas in the room.
“Quite.” I agreed with a chuckle. The way he spoke was definitely growing on me. We all sat down and passed around plates.
“Okay, where in Faerie should we plan to go? Which court?” Andras asked around a mouthful of food.
“All of them. This is a new era for Faerie, it seems fitting our Queen starts fresh. I vote we venture to the middle of all the lands. It will be rough at first, but there must be a few architects left among us. Plus with earth magic on our side, building is never too hard.” Allwyn suggested. In his somber tone though, it seemed more like an order.
“Queenie is an architect in training, she can make blueprints and I can help design it.” Jacob announced. The looks of shock around us were almost comical. I guess they didn’t pay attention to what I was going to school for.
“That’s fantastic news.” Andras said emphatically.
“Do we have any sort of map of Faerie?” I asked. The idea of not knowing where I was going freaked me out. I liked to know what to expect.
“We do not, maybe we could draw one?” River asked Andras and Allwyn. Andras looked like it was Christmas day.
“Andras, what is it you did before you came to Earth?” I asked with a laugh. He blushed and gave a nervous chuckle.
“I ran the Summer court’s libraries.” He said. That made a lot of sense. He knew little facts the others weren’t sure of.
“Brains and looks, nice.” Jacob grinned at him. Andras blushed and looked down, though I could see the small smile on his face.
I grabbed my art paper and charcoal pencils, before I cleared the table. After placing everything on the breakfast bar for now, I put the supplies in the middle of our group.
“Is everyone done, I can package it up for Gwen and the others.” River asked as she grabbed out the plastic wrap and started covering dishes.
“Just send them over in their pans, we won’t need them again.” Jacob said absently over his shoulder.
“I am no artist.” Allwyn said as he wrinkled his brow. Andras agreed.
“Well I am, can you talk me through it?” Jacob said as he cut off a section of the paper and got his pencils ready. “I’ll start with a rough sketch of the land. Tell me landscape first, then we can add in the towns or whatever. You got erasers in there, Queenie?” I nodded and grabbed my container of white erasers.
“The middle of the Fairie realm was a meeting grounds. It is a flat plateau that each court could meet and discuss treaties and such.” Allwyn started.
“There is a huge lake here, and mountains run along the outer edge of the entire realm.” He pointed out his landmarks. River walked back over and pointed to a different section.
“This whole side is forest lands. It seems cliché but the courts describe the landscape. So Winter’s Castle is at the base of the mountains and cold runs through their section. Each court is separated by a river, that meat up in a circle around the plateau. Bridges come from each section into the middle ground.” River explained. I held up a hand to make them stop and let Jacob catch up.
“What’s beyond the mountains?” I asked and they all looked surprised.
“I have no idea.” Andras admitted. “It was widely known to be unsafe, but I’m unsure what would be beyond them. If my libraries are still intact I could research when we get back.”
“I have heard it is other realms. Faerie is a magical realm created for our protection as much as yours of the mortal realm. You can’t think of it like a planet, it’s more a vast array of different realms next to each other.” Allwyn announced. Andras looked shocked at someone having more knowledge than him.
“I guess being a part of royalty’s personal guard had benefits.” I joked. Allwyn nodded in agreement.
“Continue, my fellow cartographers.” Jacob announced, pencil poised above the map.
“The castles are here, surrounded by the court cities. Everyone dwells within the cities for the most part. Some hunters and seers had homes sprinkled throughout the land though. Each castle is made of stone and a stone wall surrounds the castle and town.” Andras explained and pointed out the space each took up in their lands.
“We also have points of power in each court, though it is unknown to those outside of the royal court and advisors. I know that Spring’s is here, though I am unsure what it is.” Allwyn pointed out and the others looked surprised. He noticed and went on to explain further. “The points of power are where royalty can be closer to the magic of Faerie, though some abused it.”
“After we are settled we should go and find them, so I can try and connect and see what the land needs.” I said, and the others nodded in agreement.
“River, what did you do in Faerie?” Jacob asked, not taking his eyes away from the details he was adding to the map.
“I was a tailor for the Court of Autumn.” She replied. Jacob and I both raised our eyebrows at that. I expected her to be involved in a quieter trade, not one that frequently had to speak with the royals. She was so shy at times.
“So is it just us going? What about Gwen and the others?” I asked, directing it at Allwyn.
“That is the purpose of the communication stone. Royalty can use this to communicate with their subjects. You are of mixed royalty, the last of all Fae royalty, and should be able to communicate with all of the subjects. We will know for sure if River and Andras are able to hear it. I think it’s only fair to explain and give everyone the option of coming home and being part of the rebuilding of our lands. We can write down what you will say and I will help you use it.” He explained.
“You found a communication stone?!” Andras was practically salivating at the thought. “The gatekeeper had one?”
“Yes. He kept it for the day Queen Arabella returned.” He replied. “Once we are settled you will need to set up your royal advisors and committee.” Andras explained to me.
“Explain.” Was all I had. This information overload was getting to me.
“Each court had a group of advisors, much like a local government. They helped to decide on laws and punishments. Though the royalty had final word. The committee was who met on the middle grounds. They were the top two advisors per group plus each courts king and queen. They voted on laws of the land and used popular vote to decide. This helped ensure we had rights and the royalty didn’t do sinister or selfish laws.” Andras explained.
“Though if this is a new land and a united front, I would like to make it more then just some rich folks deciding the fate of all. It will be a mix of trades and people I trust. We don’t need to repeat history.” My tone left no room for argument.
A knock on the door disrupted us from our discussion. River went and answered the door, finding Sam on the other side. I gasped in shock, before the anger hit me. I was in front of Sam quicker then the others could think.
“What do you think you are doing here, Sam?” I bit out and he flinched at my tone.
“Bella?” He asked in shock. I nodded and crossed my arms.
“I wanted to talk to Jacob.” He said in a weak voice.
“Jacob, do you want to talk to Sam?” I asked over my shoulder.
“Is it about getting back together?” He replied. I looked pointedly at Sam and he nodded.
“Yes.” I replied and Jacob laughed.
“No thanks, I’m busy. I’ll text you tomorrow or something.” Jacob announced and I gave a falsely apologetic shrug and closed the door in his face.
“I thought that was Gwen, sorry Jacob.” River winced. Jacob waved off her concern.
“Girl, it’s nice to be missed, but I don’t do second chances. He chose to leave during an awful situation and that says something about his character.” He announced and went back to adding color to his map. It was actually really fantastic. They explained the colors of the land and he added into his map. Though I noticed a few things off about his color schemes.
“Why are the mountains light purple? And the water here is teal?” I asked the others.
“The stone in the mountains is stronger then Earth rocks. The material is purple instead of gray. This lake in particular has a rare seaweed that grows under the surface. The water is all clear, but the plants give it a teal tint.” Allwyn explained.
“Finished.” Jacob announced with a proud grin. It was a work of art. I could see his usual eye for details didn’t fail him, it took on a 3D quality.
“Impressive as usual.” I said as I studied it. “Where does the portal come out?” I noticed it wasn’t marked on the map.
“We are unsure. All of the other portals disappeared when we crossed over. We didn’t end up here until we felt the pull.” Andras replied, looking troubled.
“Well we will be fine, we have our map.” Jacob waved away our worry. “Time for relaxing and packing.” He rolled up his map and we put it into a spare travel tube to keep it safe. I helped Jacob for a few minutes before Allwyn pulled me into the spare bedroom.
“We should use the stone tonight, my Queen.” He announced as he helped me sit on the edge of the bed. “Once you are touching it with both hands, it should glow. You will say your words into it, in a normal voice, and it will be heard in their heads. I didn’t tell the others so they could tell us if it worked. Here are the basics we need to say. You can add the rest.” He said in an encouraging tone. I read it over and nodded.
When the stone was placed in my hands it started to glow and grew warm to the touch. I could feel the power flowing through my body as it lit up. I leaned forward and kept the intent to reach all of the Fae in the front of my mind.
“My people, I am your new queen. I am the daughter of the former Princess of Spring and Prince of Winter. It was found upon my birth that I should possess the power to help restore the lands. My magic is the balance that Faerie lost. We are taking our first expedition into Faerie to see what we can accomplish and it is my honor to inform you we will be leaving tomorrow at nightfall from Silver Forest, Missouri. If you are unable to reach here in time, travel to the giant twisted tree in the forest near campus. It will lead you to a gatekeeper. My magic was bound and I was raised on Earth, so it will be a learning process. I am determined to show you I am a worthy queen. You will find us in the middle grounds of Faerie. Be safe, my people. I look forward to meeting you and your families one day, even if not tomorrow. Farewell.” I finished and handed the stone to Allwyn. My hands tingled from the contact with the stone.
“Well spoken, like a true queen.” Allwyn said with a bow. Andras, River and Gwen walked into the bedroom and bowed.
“We heard you, Queen Arabella.” They said in unison. It was a bit creepy, but I understood that they were showing respect. I nodded and smiled. It was the first time since this chaos began that I really felt like I could do this.
“Has anyone heard from Allwyn or River?” I asked. The rest of us were making sure all of our items were packed up properly.
Allwyn managed to tie thick ropes to two large sleds for us to stack our belongings on. We would have to take turns dragging them along until we get to Faerie, then Andras thinks we could use air magic to propel it along. I hoped that Dormouse could handle the portal like the rest of us. I decided to put him in my pocket for the ride and let his cage stay with the supplies.
“He has a group of about twenty so far. Though I last spoke to them an hour ago. They are leaving at six to meet us at campus. Which leaves us to have everything ready and packed into Jacob’s SUV.” Andras replied. Thankfully we had the rest of the Fae that had been sleeping at River’s house. We had the SUV loaded and the sleds tied on top within an hour. Jacob and I had the most belongings, but I wasn’t willing to part with them, even if I had to drag it myself.
When it was almost six we loaded who could fit into the SUV and Gwen led the rest on foot. Thankfully Jacob chose an apartment close to town like I did.
Jacob and I were the last to be outside. He wanted one last look at his apartment. He pulled out his phone and called Sam.
“Sam, I’m leaving town, the apartment is yours, it’s still furnished, though there isn’t any food left. I loved you, you know. I also could feel you pulling away. You hurt me, but I will be alright. I won’t see you again, but I still care about you. Be happy and be safe Sam.” He finished and I could hear Sam yelling into the phone, telling him to not hang up. He hung up and looked at me with tears in his eyes. I gave him a tight hug.
“You know he probably thinks you are going to do something to harm yourself.” I said a few minutes later. Jacob snorted.
“I guess I was a bit vague and cryptic. I said I was leaving town though!” He laughed it off and we got into his car. Once we made it to campus and parked next to the edge of the forest. It was near where Allwyn and I entered the previous day.
“Looks like both groups are here. That’s a lot of Fae.” Jacob said, pointing to the edge, where nearly fifty Fae waited. I was shocked we reached so many so fast. Though looking closer I noticed there were a few mortals among them and at least four kids and two babies.
Allwyn approached and helped us load the sleds and we put on our backpacks. As we approached the group Allwyn put hand on my arm to stop me.
“My people, meet your new Queen. This is Queen Arabella of Faerie.” My heart thumped as he introduced me and I scanned the faces of those in the crowd. I only saw one or two skeptical and suspicious faces, the rest showed excitement.
“I am pleased to meet you, shall we begin. We will get to know each other more during our journey.” I projected my voice to reach them all before giving a low bow to my people. I heard a few gasps of shock from the crowd.
“Queen’s do not bow.” Andras said from next to me. His face also showed his discomfort.
“Today, your Queen bows to you. You have put your faith in me, and I respect that decision.” I replied. Allwyn gave a proud smile and did one last view of the crowd and our group.
“Do I have any volunteers to pull the food, supplies and belongings?” Allwyn asked. A few of the burlier Fae came forward and I thanked them. It would make it easier to retrace our steps if I could concentrate.
“Allwyn, how will we get the supplies through the undergrowth?” I asked quietly. He just smiled and grabbed my hand, leading me forward. I ignored the few murmurs of surprise at his gesture. I knew his gesture was to offer me strength and I took it for what it was. A tentative sign of our budding friendship.
As we walked forward I noticed that the path the gatekeepers magic led me through was now cut through. I glanced questioningly at Allwyn and he nodded with a grin. He apparently came through last night and cut down a path to make our journey easier. He thought of everything.
We all stopped once we reached the tree. I turned to the group and held up a hand to wait. I entered into the tree to inform the gatekeeper.
“Gatekeeper. I am ready to travel to Faerie, as are some of my people.” I announced. He looked up from his spot at the table with a happy grin.
“Queen Bella! I knew you would come!” He walked to the mirror with a beaming smile. After a few words the surface began to swirl until it rippled like water. My gasp of shock had him turning. “Don’t fear, this is a portal to Faerie.” He reassured me.
“Where will it come out?” I asked as I walked closer to inspect the mirror. He looked surprised by my question.
“It will be near the meeting grounds of the courts. There is a small archway built into the landscape that is Faeries portal to Earth. You will exit there.” He replied. I nodded my understanding and walked outside.
“The portal is ready my people. Good news, it will connect directly with the meeting grounds that will be our new home for now. Once we have restored Faerie you are free to go wherever you feel safe.” I informed the crowd as I ushered them forward. Once the last of the group stepped through, including the supplies, Allwyn pulled me into the tree.
“I will enter first, to ensure the safety of my queen. Is anyone else armed and willing?” He asked the crowd, before giving me a look that clearly said not to argue. I pulled him closer and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, my guard.” I whispered as I pulled away. His face showed his shock and a slight blush tinted his cheeks. It was almost comical, but he collected himself and turned back to the crowd. A man and a woman stepped forward, weapons at the ready. She had a quiver of arrows secured to her back and he had daggers a dagger in each hand. They fell in line behind Allwyn as the stepped in first. Once they disappeared safely I held a breath. The gatekeeper held up a hand and stepped halfway into the mirror. He stepped back in with a grin and ushered us forward. I once again waited behind the crowd and ushered them forward. Once Jacob and I were the last ones in, the gatekeeper turned to me.
“Be safe and good luck, my queen.” He bowed low.
“More may be coming, please let them through. Be safe as well, my friend.” I said, with a bow of my head. I turned to Jacob. “You ready to do this Prince Jacob? Are you sure?” I asked one last time, the thought he may regret this ate at my conscience.
“Let’s go, Queenie!” He said, linking his arm through mine. We stepped through the portal arm in arm, my other hand holding on to my little mouse.