"Yes, well, be that as it may, I still need her to perform her job adequately." He brushes his hands together as if to cleanse himself of unpleasantness. "Are you ready for the grand tour of the best realm in the kingdom? After all, it will be your home for the next month."
"Sounds lovely," I say, and Yami perks up at the idea of seeing new places. "But… will Fen be coming soon?" I don't want to make Asher feel bad, asking about Fen, but now that I'm back, I want nothing more than to see the Prince of War and make sure he's okay.
"He will be on his way shortly, no doubt. There's no point heading north to him, when he'll likely be heading south to see you. Two ships passing in the night, that would be. He'll be here before the day is out, with our realms adjacent to one another."
Asher's pleasant attitude puts me at ease, so I nod, and he helps me into the carriage. Seri stifles her crying beside us, focusing on the messages. The driver clicks at the horses, and the carriage begins to roll.
In moments, we enter a city full of platforms and bridges. Canals run below and around the polished stone buildings, the water full of boats large and small, transporting vampires and Shades. At the head of a small vessel a man with blue hair plays a violin and sings a haunting melody in a minor key. The scent of fresh flowers carries on the wind. The carriage stops, and we exit before a grand castle with towers that shoot past the clouds. Green vines sprouting purple flowers crawl up the marble stone, and ancient glyphs cover the colorful stained glass windows. Asher throws up his hands. "Welcome to Sky Castle."
He guides me forward, past giant opened gates decorated with eagles. Past gardens cultivated with immense care and detail, the shrubbery trimmed into the shapes of dragons, wolves, and eagles, the leaves purple, pink, and green. Giant flowers sway and dance in the gentle breeze. A perfume scent tickles my nose.
Yami hops off my arm and forges ahead, sniffing at the gardens and exploring all the new sights and sounds. It makes me nervous, him on his own, but I remember no one can see him but me. I suppose he's safe enough.
The dragon jumps into a rose bush and chirps loudly. I rush forward, lean down, and pull him out, pricking my finger on a thorn. Yami licks the wound.
Asher inhales deeply. "Best not to bleed in these parts, Princess. Fen may have strict rules about how his vampires feed, but we are more lenient here. And you smell delicious."
"Do I smell… Fae?" I ask, realizing I never did anything to cloak my scent.
Asher pauses. "You smell different, but not Fae. According to Fen, your blood doesn't have Fae properties either. Perhaps because you are half-human."
"How is my blood different?"
Asher smiles. "Fen said it did not have a toxic effect, but was still… addicting."
I wrap my finger in a bit of cloth from my pocket, stopping any bleeding. Yami perches on my shoulder, eyes wide and alert; seems jumping into thorns was enough exploring for him.
"This way, Princess." Asher guides me out of the garden and to a canal. A large wooden boat rests on the water, draped in purple banners, Fae and vampires bustling on the deck. We climb aboard and take seats near the back. "This is my personal barge," Asher says, reclining. "From here, we can explore my entire kingdom in comfort." At least a dozen slaves on either side of the boat begin to paddle oars, and we drift through the water.
"Why don't you use magic to power this boat?" I ask, eyeing the slaves with discomfort.
"A barge this size would require too much magic," Asher explains casually, as he leans back with eyes closed, the sun on his face. "And as you’ve seen, my new Keeper isn’t the most reliable with her new tasks. This was easier."
"Easier? Having slaves work for you was easier?"
He squints open his eyes to look at me, a reply ready on his mouth, when two Fae girls bring us grapes and wine on silver platters.
"Kara? Julian?"
The two girls Fen assigned me in Stonehill Castle bow. "Your Grace," they say in unison. Kara beams, her golden hair shining in the sun, her dark eyes more tired than I remember. Julian, with her red hair tied in a bun, her green eyes full of life, fills Asher's goblet with red drink.
The Prince of Pride grins. "I thought you would feel more comfortable with them here. I was informed you own their contract."
"Yes... well, technically I suppose… " I smile at the girls. "How have you been?"
They curtsey. "Very well, Your Grace. We have been well cared for while you've been... gone."
"Good." There's more they're not saying, but I'll talk to them later in private. I want to know how the slaves I bought are doing as well. And I want to know about Fen. Slaves often hear and see things others don't, so they should be able to tell me much. I thank Asher for considering my comfort and bringing them to his realm.
He nods, a twinkle of flirtation in his eyes. "Anything to make M'Lady more comfortable. I want you to experience all the joys and pleasures this realm can offer."
I chuckle, sipping the wine. "Very well then. Let's enjoy." I turn to the Fae girls. "Go and relax for the rest of the ride. I don't need anything right now."
They bow and leave, finding some pillows to sit on while we travel.
Asher tsks at me. "That wasn't a good idea, Princess."
I lean over and whisper. "How can you speak of peace between the vampires and Fae and still use slaves?" The slave presence here is much stronger than in Fen's realm: slaves on the water, on the land, rowing boats, pushing carts, cleaning streets. I realize the Prince of War may be the most civilized of all his brothers.