"You called for us?" A playful voice carried softly through the air to Morcant's ears, his head turning as he looked at the three standing to the side.

Seeing the chosen three, he could only nod in approval. Yes, he would definitely have to reward the small fae for its choices, even if the last one of the trio had him slightly concerned over how they might behave. Not that he felt at ease with the one who had spoken, them being who and what they were, but at least they were known more for only seeking those who were willing without using trickery to attain what they desired.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized the only one in the group he could trust not to try anything with (y/n) was the only one without a human form. He would definitely have to set down some rules with the other two over what was and was not allowed during their time in the other realm. Especially since he had decided to send all three, due to recent changes in the situation.

Gazing at the tallest one, he momentarily wondered how they would react to the person who had slipped past his barrier and entered the portal earlier that morning. Not that Morcant had any worry about them bringing harm to (y/n).

No, any concerns he might have were for completely different reasons. After all, they still blamed Morcant for her death in this world. If anything, they might end up being (y/n)'s strongest protector outside of Morcant himself. The problem would come if they decided that she needed to be protected from Morcant himself.

Foolish child.

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Over the course of the past week, I had grown addicted to the flavors of mind and honey, filling my cupboards with the honey that I picked up at a farmers' market. Store bought honey just hadn't managed to match the flavor at all and the closest I had found was from a local beekeeper who sold the excess honey from their hives.

Apparently, it was due to the large amounts of red clover the bees had been gathering nectar from and I could expect the flavor to change slightly from one harvest to the next due to the hints of other nectars that could be mixed in based on what was in bloom at the time.

Hearing that, I had bought every bottle from that harvest that they had. It was a good thing my job paid well or I would likely have been living off the mint and honey for the next week or two.

I was still trying to find a mint tea with a flavor that matched the one he left behind. Unsuccessful so far, I planned on giving away the teas that currently filled one of my cupboards. I planned on going to another farmers' market tomorrow to see if I could find something that was a better fit, having heard that last week a new stall had opened that specialized in natural remedies.

I figured it couldn't hurt to check if that included teas.

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"Catnip?" The question seemed to hang in the air as I stared at the pale brown liquid before me. Sure, the smell was somewhat tantalizing, but catnip? Wasn't that something for, well, cats?

"Yes, catnip. It has medicinal uses in humans, mostly geared towards aiding in stomach ailments and its calming effects aid in helping attain a restful night's sleep. It is also found to aid some women with easing morning sickness," a voice spoke softly from beside me, startling me since I was sure the area had been empty just moments before.

Turning quickly with a hand pressed against my chest, my heart racing, I looked up. And up some more when I realized the man was taller than I had expected when he stood up straight, a smile on his lips. Long, dark hair hung around his shoulders, loose for the most part but with a few braided strands here and there.

Basically, the man looked good and likely would have had my heart racing for a different reason if it wasn't for Morcant ruining other men. After all, who could compare to someone who seemed to be pulled straight out of a children's fairy tale, complete with real working magic? Normal men just couldn't compete with that, no matter how cute they might be.

And so it was that I simply blinked and asked the only question that had any real importance to me at the time, "Okay, but how does it taste?"

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Cern chuckled to himself as the woman walked off, a bag of catnip tea in hand, remembering the wistful look on her face after she'd taken that first sip before declaring it to be perfect. It had been quite interesting to hear her begin mumbling about mint and honey before he'd barely caught the fondly whispered "Morcant" as a smile appeared on her face.

She was different, this one, but definitely interesting.

Turning away from the stalls that lined the paths for the market, Cern walked further into the trees of the park, nodding quietly as two others joined him where he stopped once he was out of sight of the humans.

"So, that's her, is it?" Cern could almost feel the mischief that was being planned in the shorter males mind as the third among them let out a short growl. "Oh, don't worry so much! I'm not stupid enough to try anything after the 'warning' that Morcant gave us all. I plan on still being alive after all of this troublesomeness is done with."

"Don't we all?" Cern gazed to the side once more before walking forward again. "Do try to keep your hands to yourself this time. I would rather not have to guide a friend into the underworld, even one so troublesome as you are."

"You worry too much Cern! Try relaxing a little more!" The tall male merely shook his head resignedly at his friend before vanishing into the trees, the other two glancing at each other before heading off in their own directions.

After all, they had a job to do.