by Logan Byrne
Fae’s Choice
The Elemental Fae
Book One
Logan Byrne
Copyright 2018 by Logan Byrne
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblances of characters to actual persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. The author, Logan Byrne, holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
No part of this book can be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without the permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
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1
A loud crash echoed through the arena as Frim, my challenger, struck her sword against mine. I grimaced, holding back the power of her six-foot frame as I struggled to keep myself upright.
“You are not worthy to wield the crown,” she spat, as beads of sweat dripped off her and splashed onto my skin.
There had been a few throughout my lifetime who considered me unfit to rule this kingdom. My mother, Queen Esmerelda, my mentor, had been ruling this land for decades and was the best damn queen this kingdom had ever had. I wasn’t her, but that also didn’t mean I would be a horrible ruler.
I looked over at her, my mother, as she watched my performance. She held her hand to her mouth, before she raised her eyebrow slightly as she glanced at the dusty dirt floor beneath us. A ray of sunlight glimmered from my sword like a beacon. I reached down and grabbed a fistful of dust and threw it in Frim’s face, blinding her, as she roared and stumbled backwards.
She dropped her sword, her palms covering her face, and I ran in towards her and knocked her backwards, placing the sharp edge of my sword to her neck. “Match,” I said. She looked up at me, her eyes red and piercing through the brown dust on her face, and she nodded.
I sheathed my sword and extended my hand, helping her up, before a water wielder and an earth wielder came towards us. “Let us help you,” they said. The earth elemental extracted the dust from her eyes and the water elemental splashed her face clean, providing much-needed relief to her dry eyes.
I watched in awe. My own powers hadn’t yet set in, as I hadn’t undergone the ritual. Our magic, fae magic, was different than that of the mages. We were different than them—more than most other beings, actually.
Our society, our kingdom, was matriarchal, which had proven to be a point of contention among other tribes in the magical world. Men, outside men, didn’t always care for it, and they made sure we knew it.
We were strong, though. Our magical powers were limited but they came from Mother Nature herself. She blessed us with mastery over the dominions of air, earth, fire, and water, the four elements coming together to benefit our society in any way we deemed fit.
Still, our kingdom’s way of life didn’t come without drawbacks, of course. While we lived in a matriarchal society, men got their powers first. Their powers came to them naturally, on their thirteenth birthday, as if the gods above blessed them through their birthday slumber. Women weren’t so lucky.
We didn’t receive our powers until we turned twenty-one, and even then we received only a chance at having them. Our powers were drawn through our mates, the men, and our spirit bonds to them. We pledged ourselves to one man from a different element than our family’s lineage. My family wielded water, so as long as my future husband was air, fire, or earth, I would be set.
Once I pledged myself to one of them and bonded myself spiritually, we could never be separated. Only death would be our divorce. That was why I did this, fighting with weapons and martial arts. I was supposed to do my retreat, my journey, with some of the men soon, but until then, I was stuck wielding this sword.
“The winner of this match is Kira Frost, Princess of the Kingdom of Terrandale, and future heir to the throne!” the announcer crowed as the crowd cheered.
I raised my hand, smiling, never one for the limelight, before leaving the arena and walking towards my mother. She still sat in her throne, watching me as I came towards her, not giving an ounce of emotion or even much recognition of my presence.
“Are you proud?” I asked, smiling.
“Why did you hesitate?” she asked, her face expressionless.
“What do you mean? I won the spar,” I said.
“It wasn’t until I gave you the clue that you did anything to win. You were being crushed under her sheer power, and would’ve faltered had I not intervened,” she said calmly.
“I didn’t want to hurt her, mother. It was only a spar, a friendly battle, and not true combat,” I said.
“Leave us,” my mother said to her guards and subjects, and they scurried off.
I crossed my arms, leaning back against the railing of her box, realizing that I was about to be yelled at.
“If you are to rule this kingdom one day, you must be a fearless warrior, Kira. You cannot worry about who you are fighting because of your history with them. What happens if there is a coup against you one day? Are you not going to fight back because you once shared a meal in school with the person who defies you?” she asked, her voice cold.
Her eyes were piercing, her face stern, as if I’d just come back from a failed battle and lost half of our army. I found it a bit much, especially given I’d won the combat trial.
“No, mother,” I said, biting my tongue and giving her what she wanted. “I would not hesitate. I will do better during my next spar. I will bring honor to our family name.”
She stood up, walking over to me, before embracing me, putting her arms around me, and hugged me close. Stunned, my eyebrows furled a little, my expression vacant, before I wrapped my arms around her too. “I know I am tough on you, Kira, but it’s because I love you. You are my only daughter, my only child, and I want the absolute best for you.”
“I just don’t think I’m as traditional as you’d like me to be. I don’t want to let you down, but I don’t want to live my life for you, either. I want to be my own woman, and sometimes that comes with making my own mistakes or losing my own battles, but that’s okay. Losing a spar or not doing as well as you want isn’t the end of the world. I promise,” I said, looking her in the eyes. After a moment, she nodded.
“Enough about this sparring talk. We have to talk about your upcoming journey. I have been scouting your potential suitors from the kingdom. Only the best for my daughter,” she said, rubbing her hands together.
Even though all our citizens were trained for combat, at least on a basic scale, each elemental wielder was born to do a different job, depending on which element they wielded.
Water elementals were healers, bringing life and rejuvenation to the world. We were doctors, nurses, and those who always dropped everything to help others.
Air elementals were both studious and spiritual, bridging the gap wit
h our fallen ancestors and keeping our history and knowledge safe from the hands of those who sought to destroy or pervert it.
Earth elementals were grounded in the present, master blacksmiths, carpenters, and those who sought to grow our kingdom with buildings, weapons, and anything tangible that would propel our society further.
Fire elementals were warriors, the flame within their hearts fueling the aggression needed to win wars and keep our walls safe. They were strong, fearless, and somehow also the sexiest.
“What will my journey consist of?” I asked, listening intently for her response.
“Because you are descended from royalty and are the heir to the throne, your feats will be four strong, one to represent each of the elements. Once I have secured your potential suitors, I will relay them to you,” she said, nodding.
“Not even a single clue?” I asked.
“Not even one,” she replied, smiling.
A fae’s journey was always taxing, but the one for royalty was the worst. We were held to a different standard, doing more feats, and usually completing harder ones as well. It was a rite of passage, and only when you successfully completed your feats did you receive the opportunity to spirit bond with a mate and receive your elemental powers.
My mate would be my king consort and partial ruler of our kingdom. I supposed one could say my decision would be harder than others’, for this man would be more than just a mate—he would have to help lead this kingdom.
My mother’s mate, my father, was the first man I’d ever loved. He died three years ago and was no longer here to guide me or impart his wisdom. He was a fierce warrior, a fire elemental, so my parents could always extinguish the other if their tempers flared too high. I only ended up water because the elemental line followed the mother, not the father, but I’d always said I had the temper of a fire elemental anyway.
“I have to admit that I’m starting to feel a little nervous about this entire thing,” I said.
“I would be worried if you weren’t. I remember my journey. It wasn’t easy, but your father made it easier,” she said, smiling as she rubbed her fingers along a jade necklace he’d made for her years ago.
“So it was an easy choice to pick him? I’m worried I won’t be able to choose,” I said, laughing.
“It was easy in the end, but not at the beginning, or even during the middle of my feats. I enjoyed the embrace of another man, Julius, who was an earth elemental. Your father was a fire elemental, but Julius was just as warm,” she said, smiling.
“I’m not sure if I should be grossed out or not,” I said.
“The linking embrace of the soul is nothing to be ashamed of. The entire point of the journey, no matter whether you are royalty or a common worker, is to find yourself in your mate. That includes a sexual component, Kira. How will you know which man is right for you if you don’t open yourself up to the carnal desires that surround you?” she asked.
“I guess. I should be going, I’m supposed to meet Telerius. He supposedly has something for me,” I said, shifting.
“Ah, yes, I know what you mean. I’ll have word of your consorts and your journey within two sunrises. Until then, I suggest you prepare yourself. You’re in for quite the adventure,” my mother said, grinning.
The sun shined brightly as I walked out of the castle and into the streets. The cobblestones were clean enough to eat off of, as the villagers swept the ground. Others peddled their wares and smiled at me, waving, as if I were a celebrity walking through their midst with my sword clinking against my side.
Telerius was a few blocks away. His library was filled with magical antiquities from all backgrounds. We were a bit isolated here in Terrandale, as the walls of the kingdom only opened for outsiders with whom we had treaties or whom we respected, and never for anybody else.
We didn’t completely shield ourselves, though: the journey of each fae traversed the magical and even the mortal worlds, where we experienced the cultures and customs of all beings.
Being that I was of royal blood, I knew I would experience these things more than others. I had to, after all, if I were to broker change and good tidings with other leaders. My mother did it, and her mother before her. Now, it was my turn, and I had to be sure I could represent our people well.
“Telerius?” I called, knocking on his thick wooden door. It was covered in metal rivets, the hinges creaking as I opened it. A moment later he appeared from behind a bookshelf.
“Princess Kira, it is great to see you,” he said, bowing with a smile.
“It’s just Kira, we’ve been over this a hundred times. I’m not as formal as my mother,” I said.
“It is out of respect for the royal bloodline, my princess,” he said, nodding slowly.
Telerius was an older fae, two hundred years if I wasn’t mistaken. Fae lived long lives, our metabolisms slow and our aging glacial. An average fae could easily live to three hundred fifty years if they took care of themselves right. That was, of course, less likely for fire elementals, for obvious reasons.
He wore sandy-colored robes with a sash around his waist like a belt. He carried a book in his hands, shelving it, before turning his attention back to me. “I’m sure you wish to know why I called you here today.”
“As much as I love visiting you, yes, I am just a bit curious. You know I leave soon,” I said.
“I heard as much from your mother this morning. I expect you’re feeling nervous,” he said.
“You could say that,” I said, walking with him towards his desk. “I worry about picking one of the men as my mate. I think it will be too difficult.”
“Do you worry one of them will not be good enough? I assure you that your mother is only sourcing the finest men,” Telerius said.
“Not that, I’m sure they’ll be great, it’s more the idea of telling two of them to beat it while I pick another. My mother told me she liked a different man, but settled on my father,” I said.
“Well, I don’t think she settled with your father, he was a great man, but you are talking about Julius, the man from earthly blood,” he said, grabbing a wooden box.
“Wait, you know him?” I asked, in shock. Why had I never heard of this man before today? It made me wonder who else in the kingdom knew about this love affair.
“Of course I knew him. He was a great man. He and your mother would’ve been very happy together. He didn’t take her choice too well. I imagine he was heartbroken by it. He thought your mother was going to pick him, I gather,” he said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of. That I’ll break somebody’s heart. Why do I even have to choose?” I asked, shaking my head and cursing the world that was forsaking me.
“Not everybody does, you know,” he said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, there is no law stating that you cannot choose more than one man. It does mean, however, that you would forfeit your elemental powers. The spirits will only imbue you with elemental powers if you spirit bond to one person,” Telerius said.
“Interesting,” I said, furling my eyebrows, considering the idea.
“But anyway, this is why I requested you here today. Your mother wore this necklace during her journey, and it has been enchanted to bring you protection and clarity,” he said, pulling an amethyst pendant necklace from the box. He held it in front of me, the stone a mesmerizing deep purple with a delicate silver chain wrapped around it.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, and he set it in my hand.
“May it protect you on your journey and bring clarity to your mind and decisions,” he said, gently pushing my fingers closed around the necklace.
“I’ll keep it protected, I promise,” I said, before slipping it into a leather pouch I wore on my hip.
“I trust you will, princess. If you ever need guidance, I will always be here to help you. I wish you good tidings on your journey, and I cannot wait to see who you choose. He will be a lucky man, that’s for sure,” Telerius said, sending me on m
y way.
•••
I looked out my bedroom window later that night at the moon and stars above. It was clear, not a cloud to be found, as the glimmering twinkle of stars filled the sky. The air was calm, with but a gentle breeze flowing. I took in a deep breath before closing the window and walking to my bed.
I couldn’t help but wonder about what Telerius had said earlier. I didn’t think he meant to talk about choosing more than one man, or maybe he just mentioned in passing that one could do that, but without meaning to suggest that I do it.
Could I even do that? Not getting my elemental powers would be a crushing blow, and I couldn’t help but think that I wouldn’t be able to ascend the throne one day. My mother would be furious, and there would be a scandal, but sometimes you just have to follow your heart.
No, I was getting ahead of myself. I hadn’t even met any of these men yet and I was already talking about being with all of them! For all I knew, one or two of them were disgusting and picking one man would be the easiest of choices. I just needed to calm down, take a breath, and think logically.
Of course I’d pick one mate, right? I had to. That was what was expected of me, and it would make this entire process easy. Yes, I was sure of it.
With a million thoughts racing through my head, I settled down, turning off my oil lamp and laying my head back against my pillow as I stared at the ceiling. Thousands of fae women had done this before me, and thousands more would do this after me. Every woman must have had these worries and thoughts, and it was natural and normal.
I had the necklace, it would provide me help, and if nothing else I could tap into my spiritual side and search for guidance from my ancestors. I yawned, covering my mouth with my hand, before the thoughts of today were swept away and I was transported into a blissful dreamland.
This was going to be fine.
2
I picked up my sword from my bedside table and turned it as I read the runes inscribed at the base. It had been handed down through my family, all the women in our line being proficient with it before they received their elemental powers. It had seen battles, war even, and I didn’t dare think of how many swings it had seen.
