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Trinity

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This was our third time making the trip to the Fae compound. I was nowhere near as nervous as I was the first time. And even though I didn't know it, I had been nervous the second time as well. This time though, I was cool as could be.

Or at least that was what I was telling myself. I know that I was nervous this time too. The only thing is, I wasn't nervous about the same things as before. This time, I was worried about what someone might attempt to do while we were here.

Was this going to be it? Was this going to be the time that we had been waiting on for almost a year? Was that unknown enemy going to make their move? Were we going to find out what all has happened over the last year?

I had asked Athair mòr about the events of the last year, but he told me it would be best to wait and talk about it with Aunt Glory.. That, honestly, didn't make things any easier on me. If I had to express the way it made me feel, I would say nervous at the very least, frightened at the very worst.

The whole process of entering the compound was the same as the times we had come here before. We were met at the gate by Breon, however, he seemed to be in a much better mood than I had ever seen him before.

"Good day to you, Queen Trinity. I hope you are well. And you as well, King Reece." Breon grinned as he welcomed us through the gate. This time, knowing what was going to happen, I had my window down and shield up so that we could speak to the man before us.

"Good day to you as well, Breon. How is Juliet doing?" The last time we were here, he had mated with my guard, and she had stayed behind.

"She is doing very well. We were married over the summer. I could not be happier." Breon, who had slightly bowed his head out of respect for us, had now raised his head, and I was able to see the shining happiness in his bright golden eyes.

"I am happy to hear that."

Following our little exchange, Breon rode in that same black cart as he guided our vehicles into the garage with a group of soldiers surrounding the SUVs.

"Is it just me, or are there more soldiers than usual?" Reece asked of no one in particular.

"That is most likely because of me." Athair mòr spoke sheepishly. "As much as I dislike this show, everytime that I come back to the compound, they act like it is a major event." I saw a pink twinge in his cheeks, and I couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or because he was lying to me.

"That must be very taxing." I smiled at him, hoping that it was just the embarrassment that made him blush.

"It can be. That is why I do not leave the compound often."

"That must be boring." Reece laughed, distracting me from the situation. I think he could tell that my worry was making me feel suspicious and distrustful.

I hated the way that this was all making me feel. It wasn't fair to those around me. I needed to try and keep my emotions under better control than this.

Once we were inside, and the SUVs were unpacked, we had the same process as before. We made our way to the same residence that we had been in before, we settled ourselves in before we were to go and have a nice family dinner with Aunt Glory. Athair mòr had gone to his residence to get ready as well and would be meeting us there.

The residence was slightly different this time. There were rooms for me, Reece, Regan, and Rika on the top floor, just like before. There was a room for Lyla up there as well. Gabriel and Roisin had their room just below mine, fitting for what basically amounted to my personal retainers. On the same floor as Gabriel and Roisin were the council members. The floor below was for guards. The knights were staying in another residential home that was attached to this one but could also be entered from the hallway.

This time, there were fewer floors since there weren't as many people with us. That kind of saddened me though since I wish my family was here with me. Then again, didn't I want them here if something bad happened? That was why I had been nervous about bringing the twins with us. What if they got hurt because of it?

Roisin got straight to work preparing the home for us. Gabriel and she were already efficiently doing their jobs. My top guards, the ones that amounted to being family, were the ones that were going to escort me to the room with the Queen.

Before we left, we had discussed a few things at length before coming here this time. Even Athair mòr contributed to this conversation when he heard what we had been trying to decide. I was to use a taste tester at all times. After what had happened last year, and on the day of my ball, even Aunt Glory was using a tester for every meal. Athair mòr told me that he had used a taste tester again after coming back to the compound following his visit with us.

"It is the safest thing to do for now. I want all the food for everyone tested, not just yours Trinity." Reece had told me when he made his argument for it. "I don't want someone trying to hurt Reagan or Rika."

"I know, I agree." I nodded at him. "If the food is made in our quarters by Roisin, that is fine, but I will not trust anything else. Especially if Aunt Glory and Athair mòr are even suspicious of their food from their normal staff."

"Times are changing here." Athair mòr sighed. "You will see how it is later."

As I remembered his words, it made a pit open in my stomach. It was like nerves and fear were breeding and multiplying at a rapid rate inside me. I knew it was just the unease that I was feeling playing tricks on me, but still it wasn't pleasant. I was eager to get this done and over as soon as I possibly could.

"I think that we're all settled now." Roisin came and smiled at me after getting everything upstairs ready for us. It was now time to change and to head out for our meal with Aunt Glory. We would, of course, be talking before we actually ate. I just hoped that we would be able to settle some of my fears when we talked.

Maybe, just maybe, Athair mòr was not telling me what all was going on because they were preparing a special, happy sort of surprise for us. Yeah, and maybe I was a giant lizard monster that was blamed for destroying Atlantis or whatever. I knew the truth even if I didn't want to accept it. Things here had been steadily going to shit since my very first visit here. I had to wonder, was all of this my fault after all? Did I cause this?

Was Grier right that night that he died?