Fated Fae: A Why Choose Fantasy Romance

by Jarica James

  “You are our queen and deserve our respect," he mumbles. Not wanting him to feel embarrassed, I walk up and give him a kiss on the cheek.

  “Thank you for caring,” I whisper, before pulling away. His cheeks tinge pink for a moment, but his answering smile is wide and endearing. I swear these men will be the death of me.

  “Where’s my kiss?” Bowen pouts dramatically. I blow him a kiss that he fake swoons over, before he runs to the bed and flops onto it. I have a feeling that if Bowen is around, I’ll never be sad. Between him and Jacob, we’ll likely be driving Maddox crazy.

  Not wanting to openly check out the fae around me or think about sleeping surrounded by four sexy men, I take a moment to really look around the room. Everything is ridiculously fancy. The room is filled with ornate golden furniture, a full bathroom, and a sitting area. The bed is even big enough that we can all sleep on it comfortably for the night, if they’re comfortable with it. Clearly the royals were not shy with their spending.

  “Look at this, Arabella!” Gerwyn calls from a door I hadn’t noticed. Walking over, I peer inside to find it filled with dresses and clothes fit for a noble.

  “Nice find, Wyn! I can change after a bath tomorrow!” I hug him and squeal, causing his cheeks to turn red at the attention. The moonlight isn’t enough to really inspect them, so that would have to wait until morning.

  “I wonder if it was my mom’s,” I muse as I kick my shoes off. “Though I know nothing about who would have lived here other than her.”

  “She would be the likely explanation,” Bowen agreed.

  “Okay, explain the Allwyn situation," Emrick rumbles from his spot on the bed, pulling our attention back to the issue at hand. Glancing over at him, I realize he hasn’t relaxed a bit. His shoulders were tense and his face pulled down into a slight frown.

  Stepping on the enormous bed, I walk to the headboard and settle against the pillows in the middle. Maddox and Gerwyn follow suit and find an empty spot to claim. I stretch my feet out after throwing my boots off the side of the bed. The way we are all sprawled out looks like we are about to have a giant sleepover and it almost makes me laugh. Though, I guess we are about to have a sleepover.

  With a sharp, purposeful cough, Emrick forces me to speak up. “Well, I woke up needing to find a restroom, and noticed Allwyn was gone. I figured he was on guard duty and I’d be alright finding a bathroom. When I heard some sounds coming from upstairs, I followed them.”

  “Why didn’t you wake one of us?” Emrick grumbled. I gave him the side eye and didn't dignify it with an answer before continuing.

  “Of course I found a restroom before finding Allwyn. So when I was done, I went down the hall to see what he was up to. When I looked inside, Allwyn was creepily staring into a mirror. The mirror swirled a bit and then I saw a woman’s face. She was familiar but I couldn’t figure it out. Then they had a bash Bella party, calling me an outsider and a fool, saying I was too weak to rule. Then they talked about him tricking me into making him my King, so they could kill me and take over the throne.” Despite my efforts, a sob chokes out as I explain their murder plot.

  “It’s alright. You’ve proved that you’re no fool. Faerie chose you, who is he to think he knows more than the realm itself," Bowen whispers, reaching out and rubbing my leg. I give him a watery smile. I’m happy they believe in me, now I just need to learn to believe in myself.

  “Maybe I am a fool,” I shrug. “Hell, I genuinely trusted him. He helped me bring everyone here. He flirted with me and even kissed me. We made plans and had ideas for the future. I just don’t get it.”

  “You aren’t a fool, he was just good at his job. I’m honestly shocked that anyone would want to take over Faerie… other than you. You were born for this, called here by magic. The fact they needed you to do all of the hard work first, shows how weak they are," Maddox reassures me.

  He has a valid point. If they were fit, they wouldn’t need me at all.

  “Do you think the others are like him?” I’m almost afraid to hear the answer, but I need to know.

  “It’s always possible, but most fae don’t care about the humans. The way he kept saying ‘human-lover’, makes me think they just want revenge on the humans," Gerwyn looks thoughtful as he explains his theory.

  “Good point, Wyn. He said that he watched the humans kill a friend. Maybe that turned him?” There really is no way to know exactly what motivated them to plot this, but I wouldn’t just sit here and be an easy target for them.

  “We’ll protect you, Arabella," Maddox vows, causing the others to all nod in agreement.

  “Thank you for protecting me. Will you guys stick by me and be my guard for a bit longer?” They have proven themselves trustworthy, and even if I had any doubts, my magic definitely did not. To be a good queen, I can’t distrust every fae I meet. I need to work past this betrayal, but also study people a little bit more.

  “Always, my Queen," Emrick states. Holding his fist over his chest, he bowed his head. The other three follow suit and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude at their dedication.

  “Thank you, guys," I whisper, wiping away the rest of my tears. Their promise to stick by me has more of my tension falling away and I can finally shake off the gloom hanging over us.

  “Get some sleep, my Queen," Emrick responds, pulling the covers over me.

  “Call me Bella, that’s an order from your queen,” my voice is a sleepy mumble as I snuggle down into the bed. The others all settle in around me, leaving me feeling protected and relaxed.

  “Goodnight, Bella," Gerwyn says sweetly, causing a chorus of goodnights from the others.

  “Goodnight, my knights," my whispered words are the last thing I remember, as I drift off into blissful sleep.

  Chapter 15

  “Wake up, Bella,” Bowen’s sweet voice pulls me out of my dreamless sleep. When I finally groan and blink open my eyes, he gives me a mischievous grin before kissing my nose and leaning away. “Time for that bath. We need to head back to the others.”

  As I sit up and look around for the others, I notice everyone is already bathed and waiting on me. I guess I slept in. Whoops.

  “Wait, what happened to the crown?” Maddox asks, confused. Everyone shifts their gaze to my head, all of us remembering at once. Even my own hands drift to my hair and I gasp in shock, realizing I somehow forgot it downstairs and even worse, forgot to tell them about my encounter with the Spirits of Faerie.

  “It must be in the room with Allwyn," I answer with a frown. “I can’t believe I forgot to explain all of that!”

  “We all forgot. You were so shaken after your odd levitation practice that we all were more worried about getting you warm. Then you fell asleep. There really wasn’t time yet," Maddox reassures me, gently. He sometimes is so sweet to me, but outwardly he’s a fairly strict guard and leader. It’s nice to see both sides of their personalities. And unlike Allwyn’s hot and cold personality switches, they never seemed to be holding back from me or inconsistent. Even when Maddox was strict, he showed respect.

  “Will you tell us now?” Gerwyn urged. I took a deep breath and nodded, trying to recall all the details from the insane encounter.

  “Once I was up in the air, my vision blurred and I was transported to this clearing. This glowing entity explained that they were the spirit of the realm. They said that I would have to find the stones of Faerie. The stones are the source of power in each court, and having them back in place would bring balance back to the land that’s been corrupted. Once I have them cleansed they’re supposed to be embedded into the crown. And apparently that will tie me to Faerie, restore the land, and tie me to my four future kings.”

  “And that will magically fix Faerie? Finding stones?” Maddox is understandably skeptical. I’d be the same way in their shoes, but I saw it for myself.

  “That’s what the spirits said. Then we can focus on the rebuilding efforts when it’s done. They also mentioned that they won’t give the animals back until the l
and is restored. They said I’ll have to trust in my four kings, one from each of the courts.” My eyes scan their faces, waiting for the moment when this is all too much. Each expression is a mixture of shock, intrigue, and hope. Not exactly what I expected.

  “Does that mean I’m going to be a king?” Bowen asks, with a suggestive wink. “I can handle that, and I’m a wonderful lover.” His voice drops low at his last statement and he gives me a look of pure heat that has my cheeks warming and me squirming.

  “If you’re lucky,” I flirt back. My grin spreads easily across my face as relief washes through me. Once again Bowen’s humor breaks the intensity of the moment. Thank the spirits I found them.

  “Did the spirits guide you to any stones?” Gerwyn asks, his face lights up like I just gave him the best challenge of his life, a glint of pure excitement in his eyes.

  “One in each court is all I got from them. Though I think I know where the Spring one is, and I’m not sure how we’re going to make that work.” I wrinkle my nose at the idea of crawling down into a nasty old well. Though at this point, it’s likely empty.

  “The well?” Emrick guesses, looking equally as disgusted by the idea of crawling into it. If his mountainous form even fits in the well.

  “I believe so. She said its magic would reach out to mine, and something in that well certainly did.”

  Emrick stands up and ushers me into the restroom. “Get dressed, and let’s check it out. That’s what this whole journey is about. I’ll stick with you, Bella.” The promise in his voice bolsters my confidence and I give a curt nod. The others gape at his outburst and I almost start laughing.

  “You spoke!” Bowen pretends to faint and Emrick reaches into his boot and launches a dagger at the wall above his head. To his credit, Bowen doesn’t even flinch.

  “I speak," he rumbles, clearly not amused. A giggle escapes before I can stop it. He turns and gives me a quick smile, before turning back to his brothers with a stony expression. Somehow that just makes the whole thing even more hilarious, and the fact he only shows his sweet side to me gives me other feelings I’m not quite ready to face. The moment the spirits mentioned four kings, my heart secretly decided it would be them. But I very much doubt I’ll get a say in who the realm chooses. As long as it’s not the traitor downstairs, I’ll be okay.

  “I’ve heard more words out of you since we joined the queen, than I have in thirteen years,” Maddox laughs.

  “She’s special, you guys aren’t,” Emrick states plainly, completely unapologetic. He gives me a flirty smile then starts to walk through the door. “Bella, take a bath and get ready. One of you stay in here to protect her, the other two downstairs to check on the traitor," he growls out the word traitor, making him sound terrifying. Though his scary voice doesn’t take away from the warmth in my chest from his previous flirting. For once since coming here, outside of my friends, I feel like I have true allies.

  Walking into the closet Gerwyn found yesterday, I look through the contents. Most of it is impractical gowns. Not exactly the attire I want for shimmying down a moss covered well and championing for the Spirits of Faerie. Whoever owned the clothes was also a decent amount taller than I am, but at least the waist seems like it will fit. Small victories.

  Once I manage to get past all the frills and corsets, I find a comfortable pair of riding pants and a flowing white tunic that hangs off of the shoulders, making it cute, practical, and comfortable.

  Fresh clothes in hand, I practically run to the bathroom. I can’t stand the thought of being in these nasty clothes any longer. As soon as I shut the door, I rip them off and toss them into the trash. The tub in the middle has a panel similar to the other restroom I found, putting a wrench in my plans. When I place my hand on the panel, water starts to flow. Unfortunately, it’s ice cold no matter what I try, which is not going to work for me.

  Admitting defeat, I wrap a towel around myself before peeking out of the door. Bowen is laying back on the bed, looking bored as he stares up at the ceiling.

  “You got babysitting duty?” I joke and he looks up. His eyes slowly make their way over my body before he snaps them back to my face. Realizing what he just did, a blush flared across his cheeks.

  “I’m sorry, Bella, sometimes I forget you are a queen. That was disrespectful,” he says, looking upset.

  “Don’t be sorry, I surprisingly didn’t mind. Something about you guys just feels right. Which is crazy, because I never wanted any man on Earth. Here we are only one day in and flirting like crazy. Anyway, can you help me warm the stupid bathwater?” I say with a frown, changing the subject before they think I’m a desperate little girl with all my rambling. He laughs, but looks relieved at my words.

  “Of course. You know, if you wanted me to join you, you just had to ask,” he teases, walking ahead of me toward the tub.

  “Shut up and fill your queen’s bathtub,” I say imperiously, using the exaggerated haughty tone to hide my laughter and lust. It’s crazy how comfortable I am with them so fast. Countless times of Jacob attempting to find me someone and apparently all it took was becoming a fae. Our connection is new, but strengthening every moment. I thought I was finding that in Allwyn, but clearly I was wrong. Being around the brothers shows me just how weak our fake connection really was. Not once have they caused me to doubt myself, quite the opposite actually, they strengthen my confidence.

  “Come here and give me your hand,” he commands, holding his hand out for me to lay mine in. Without hesitation, I do as he asks and he moves our hands to place my palm under his on the panel. He leans closer to my ear to whisper into it, causing me to shiver at his warm breath tickling my neck, heat pooling between my thighs as I picture him bending me over the side of the tub. Down, girl.

  “You have to turn your palm to the right, that symbol means warm. The left is cold. Then you push a little magic in it, to get it to pour out,” he continues to whisper, oblivious to what he does to me.

  “It poured when I tried without magic.”

  “Well, you’re also the queen of the fae, so magic is part of you.”

  Once the tub is full, he finally releases my hand, taking a step back. He gives me one last intense look that sends fire shooting through my body, before walking out and closing the door behind him.

  Damn, I’m like a hormonal teen. What the hell?

  Leaning against the side of the tub for a moment, I try to calm my racing heart. Am I imagining this connection? I’ve always heard the fae aren't shy people, but it’s probably a myth like all the other silly things we heard over the years. I can’t deny the attraction I feel for Bowen, but I felt the same for Emrick. The knowledge that I’ll have four husbands is freeing in a way, giving me the confidence to like more than one of them.

  Pushing aside my confusing feelings, I slip out of my towel and submerge myself in the gloriously warm water. I take longer than I really should, but I’m being a coward, and I’m not quite ready to face Allwyn and his deception. I’m still hurt and understandably angry.

  When the water cools, I finally slide from the bathtub. Poor Bowen likely waited longer than he wanted to. Using another fluffy towel, I dry off quickly and dress in the borrowed clothing. The top fits well, and once I roll up the pant legs a few times, they fit too. Glancing in the mirror, I barely recognize myself. I’d gone from the awkward ‘cute’ girl to an elegant fae queen.

  When I step out of the bathroom, Bowen is sleeping soundly, sprawled out on the bed. Keeping my footsteps light, I approach the bed and contemplate how I’m going to wake him up. He looks so peaceful, I almost don’t want to wake him.

  “Fell asleep, didn’t he?” Maddox grins as he walks in. “He isn’t one for waiting. And don’t worry, Allwyn is still contained and furious. We also found your crown on your pillow downstairs. Here you go,” he says as he gently places it on my head and adjusts it until it’s perfect.

  “Thank you, Maddox.”

  “Of course, I came up to tell you that we were ready to
eat and head out. Why don’t you wake Bowen and meet us downstairs?” He gives me a wink and walks out. I turn to Bowen and crawl up into the bed beside him. Reaching over, I tickle him slowly. He wiggles in the bed but doesn’t wake up right away. Trying again, I softly trace a finger over his face and his eyelids opened slowly.

  “Good morning, sunshine," I whisper and he turns his head to look at me. A lazy smile forms on his perfect lips and I can’t help but think about kissing them to find out just how soft they are. I look back up at his eyes and notice I’ve been caught staring at his mouth. My cheeks flush, but I’m not sorry.

  “Sorry I fell asleep," he whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. It’s a sweet and unexpected gesture.

  “I took forever, kind of my fault. It sounded more enticing than facing the asshole,” I shrug.

  “Well, you at least got to trap him in darkness all night, so a small victory?”

  “That’s definitely a win. Ready to go downstairs? Apparently Allwyn is mad.” I make a fake sad face at Allwyn’s predicament and he lets out a chuckle, that has a bit of anger behind it.

  “Come on,” he says, pulling me to my feet. I turn to walk away and he stops me. “Let me dry your hair first.” Without waiting for an answer, I feel a concentrated flow of air coming from his hands. He hovers it just above a section of hair, using the other to keep it from flowing everywhere. Within minutes it’s perfectly dry and my mind is officially blown.

  “That’s so cool!” I exclaim, inspecting my dry strands. He gives me a cocky smirk, before guiding me to the door.

  “Well, I’ve got to take care of our queen. Now… let’s hurry before Emrick gets grumpy. He doesn’t like to wait to eat,” he says, pulling me along.

  The moment we approach the main hall where Allwyn is trapped, I freeze. My heart starts racing and that awful achy feeling blossoms in my chest, all of my light-hearted feelings Bowen enticed slipping away in a second. Bowen notices I’m not behind him and gives me a questioning look. Emrick walks through the doorway just then, mumbling to himself about women. Apparently I did take far too long for my knights.