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“He seems to have found his voice,” Jacob notes.
“It’s true, he’s been really amazing,” I agree, laughing as Andras’s yells fill the room. It’s a contrast from the timid fae we’d met in Silver Forest.
“How are you doing?” I ask Jacob. He smiles at me and shakes his head.
“Will you ever believe that I’m happy I came here?” I give a guilty shrug, he knows me too well.
“I’m glad I’m not dealing with this mind explosion alone. You’re the perfect prince for Faerie.” I link my arm through his and lean against him, balancing myself and soaking in his confidence for a moment.
“I am. We always knew I was royalty at heart,” he replies, holding his head high and marching me around like he’s a true royal gentleman. His theatrics have me laughing and relaxing even further. “At least I’m not the only human. I hope the others know it’s okay for humans to be here. I bet there are some mixed families.” He has a point.
“When we’re finished I’ll go find Allwyn and ask for the stone," I reassure him. We are quickly interrupted by a procession of helpful fae bringing down armfuls of goods. Then the last one carries down three folding camp tables. I set them up on the other sides of the room and we load the food on top. Some of the bigger items are stacked in the corners. Everyone files back out, with another round of bows. I can’t stand all of this bowing.
“Now all we need is the ice to keep it cool,” Jacob sighs, glancing around. “Maybe we can pull some from the entrance to Winter?” His words have me wondering if I can connect to the courts without actual being in them.
Just in case this majorly backfires, I pull Jacob to the entrance of the room and call my magic again, this time thinking of white snow and frosty winds. At first nothing happens, not even a hint of frosty air. Then slowly the air turns crisp and a cool breeze swirls around us. It’s a different kind of magic than before, this magic sharp and cruel, yet beautiful. It keeps building and I force it to calm before it overwhelms me, aiming it towards the center of the room instead. In my mind I picture a column of ice. This time I watch as the icy wind swirls to the spot, a cyclone of snow. When it’s task is done, I release it, a frosty twisted spire left in its place.
“Nice!” Jacob says like I just made something normal like coffee or something. I laugh at the nonchalance but turn and drag him upstairs with me.
“Let’s go find Allwyn before getting to work on food."
While we handled the cold room, Allwyn and his group were busy as well. At least ten large tents are set up in two rows. Someone had reconnected with their magic as well and formed a small cluster of trees on either side of the tents, probably so we have s
ome shade. They even went as far as having camp showers set up on the edge of the trees.
Working our way through the people, I finally find Allwyn near one of the front tents and stop him. “Allwyn, can you take me to the Spring place of power, and bring the communication stone?” I ask quietly.
He nods and motions to the man and woman who entered the portal with him, to come over. “The queen requires a moment in the Spring lands. Would you two like to join us as part of her guard?” he asks formally.
“I would be honored,” the man answers for them both and they lower themselves into another fucking bow.
“I’m going to make a law against bowing,” I growl to Allwyn before smiling at them. “Thank you, friends. Please call me Bella while we are working together. I’m not used to such formality. Your names?” They hesitate, gazing at me as if waiting for the punchline.
“I am called Serena, Queen Bella,” the woman replies. I guess it’s better than the usual greeting of my queen or your highness.
“I’m Landon,” the man says with a nod. Allwyn gestures for us to follow and they form a triangle around me, with Allwyn as the front man. It’s so weird to have anyone guard me, but there’s a lot I’m finding I need to get used to.
“I have no idea what animals or dangers are around, but the journey should only be an hour long,” he informs us as he leads on. “Though I don’t know the exact location.”
When we cross the bridge, the world around us seems to shift. The air is heavy for a moment as we pass through, then we’re surrounded by the colors and scents of Spring. They aren’t subtle like on earth, but strong and overwhelming. It’s almost like Spring ran wild with plants until they were out of control.
The rain has cleared and a cool breeze blows through the land. It’s weird but I feel like I’ve known this court even if I’ve never been. The magic is muted, but beckoning forward and my body obeys.
Soon we reach the wall of trees blocking the majority of the land, but thankfully there’s still a path leading through them. The temperature drops even further as we move into the copse of trees.
As beautiful as it all is, the lack of noise is unsettling. There’s not a single sound from any animals in the area, a fact that sends a shiver down my spine. We knew Faerie was unbalanced, and this is just a stark reminder.
“The lack of noise," Serena whispers quietly. The silence is making us all want to whisper.
“It’s to be expected, the lands aren’t healed yet," I offer and Allwyn nods his agreement. We continue on until we break through the trees. Here the land isn’t as overgrown, in fact, it’s breathtaking. The land in front of us looks like a giant garden. Flowers adorn nearly every surface, from grass to ivy as it creeps up every tree it can. A stone wall separates the garden from the rest of the world, the purple peeking out from under the covering of green. A rainbow of colors swirls around until they converge in the middle of the land. Even better than the view, is the mix of florals and Spring rain.
In the middle of it all stands a crumbling, odd stone structure. It looks like someone made intricate pillars and folded them into the center where they touch. It resembles a stone bird cage, the backdrop of greenery and vines creeping up each column otherworldly. The entire garden feels magical, but this spot feels sacred. It thrums with an ancient magic that calls to me, just like the portal did on Earth.
Before investigating the altar further, I glanced around to take the entirety of the gardens in. They’re vast, spreading out as far as I can see. A path weaves around the stone structure and a pond, before it leads further into the distance, ending at a large gate.
“The Court of Spring is beyond those gates. It’s so odd to be home," Allwyn’s voice is choked with emotion and I don’t hesitate to walk forward and wrap my arms around his waist, hugging him from behind. He awkwardly pats my hand and I let go before I can make him too uncomfortable. I’m unsure if affection makes him uncomfortable, or if it’s just me or my new title, but I’m not going to push it.
“Let’s go, my Queen,” Allwyn urges us forward, a hand on my lower back again. If I wasn’t positive before, I know the moment we approach that this is the place of power. I can feel the power radiating off of the stone surface, the rocky structure warm to the touch.
