The Sky Kingdom Ch. 22

Thank you to everyone following this story. I've really appreciated all your feedback so far. Apologies for the long delays in submitting this chapter. The next one is mostly complete, so you shouldn't have to wait as long.

I also wanted to say a massive thank you to those who've helped to edit/proofread this chapter.

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There is something unique about waking up with a warm mouth wrapped around your cock. I felt hands on my thighs and a tongue running slowly up my shaft. A momentary pause preceded unintelligible whispering underneath the duvet. In my newly awoken state, engaging my magic and listening to what they were saying took longer than normal.

"Em, I've warmed him up. Now it's your turn. If you want to thank him, this always makes him happy."

"But you are an expert. I've only ever done this once. Surely he would prefer if you do it." Emily replied.

"If you are going to be more than just a Font, then you need to learn. I'm here to guide you. Use your tongue and run it up the side." Scarlet explained.

I felt the instant connection to Emily as a tongue ran up the side of my firmly erect cock, and I shivered in pleasure. I lay there, not wanting to interrupt, while Scarlett gave hints and tips. When I felt myself approaching an orgasm, I slowly lifted the hem of the duvet to look down at my slaves. Emily immediately reacted by releasing the head of my cock from her mouth and looking at me with embarrassment.

I returned a broad smile.

"Continue what you were doing, Emily," I ordered.

Scarlett's hand wrapped around the base as she directed Emily to continue her work. I watched on with admiration when Scarlett joined in, kissing my thighs and moving lower. I jerked when I felt her fingers playing with my puckered hole. I lay back, moaning in pleasure as Emily sucked on the head of my cock while an oil-covered finger slowly worked its way inside me.

The sensation of Scarlett stroking the inside was enough to send me over the edge. I felt an enormous orgasm rip through me as I came into Emily's mouth. Her reaction to me doing so was to jump away rather unexpectedly. It was still wonderful, but the sudden release took some edge away.

My final spurt of cum hit Emily in the face. She looked at me in shock and blushed bright red. She immediately looked to a livid Scarlett, who radiated displeasure towards her charge.

"What did you do wrong?" She asked in a calm but menacing tone.

"I'm sorry, Mistress. You said I should never back out mid-orgasm."

"Correct," Scarlett replied while reaching out and using her finger to scoop the cum off Emily's face holding it before her. She stared intimidatingly at Emily until she leaned forward and took her finger in her mouth, swallowing the contents.

"Good girl," Scarlett said.

Emily then looked at me, and I smiled back at her.

"I think you've just earned yourself a morning spanking. Come here, my kinky angel," I stated, and she reacted with another blush.

I drew myself up, standing naked and walked over to the bed's edge in our very small room.

"Bind her and present your charge for punishment," I ordered, addressing Scarlett directly.

She dutifully complied, pulling Emily to her feet and clipping her still-fitted cuffs behind her back.

Pleased with their compliance, I gestured for them to join and soon had Emily drawn over my lap with Scarlett kneeling in the present position next to us. I could see in her eyes the excitement about what we were doing.

Emily was still wearing her white and gold thong, but the thin strip of material did little to protect her as I landed the first blow with my bare hand. I was firm, but a look from Scarlett encouraged me to go harder the next time, and Emily reacted by squirming in my grip while she gasped. I took my time and spread my assault across her bottom and the backs of her thighs. I felt myself tiring, but her panting grew more and more pronounced.

I stopped the spanking, and Emily began to shuffle back towards my hand.

"Please, Harry, just a few more I am so close!" She bit out.

I spanked her hard.

"It's Master, Emily," I replied in a harsh whisper and looked up to see a gleeful Scarlett.

I reached up to the top of her thong and drew it down to her knees to inspect her folds. Her rosebud and pussy looked delightful against her pale skin. I noticed a pronounced glistening on the lips of her pussy and reached up to find it dripping with arousal. I stroked her with my fingers, not anticipating that this would be the final straw, and Emily screamed in ecstasy and began to writhe in my lap.

"You naughty little minx," I chuckled, fondling her as she rode out her orgasm.

Once she had calmed down, she looked back at me. "I'm so sorry. I'm not sure what came over me. When you punish me, I lose myself."

"Evidently, if you are going to learn anything, we'll have to keep using the more bespoke forms of punishment for you."

"Scarlett, did you bring Emily's belt?" I asked, looking up at her kneeling form.

"No, please, no. I'll behave, I promise. You don't need to lock me away in that thing again." Emily replied while I held her tightly as she struggled to move away.

"The part you seem to have not realised is that you are now my slave, and I decide what happens to you."

"Yes, Master." She replied with a breathless tone.

Scarlett returned moments later from one of our bags, and while I held Emily, she secured her into the chastity belt. I took the key from her hand, noticing that she seemed keen to keep it herself.

"This belongs to me," I announced before slipping the chain with the key around my neck.

Scarlett then appeared once more holding a well-oiled plug that Emily was less than pleased to receive but soon found lodged inside her.

"Now, Emily, kneel," I ordered.

She slipped from my lap and looked up sheepishly with her hands still secured behind her back.

"Your punishment for coming without my permission will be staying secured in your belt until I say otherwise. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Master." She replied, keeping her head bowed.

***

The town, by morning, had transformed as the already compact streets were now littered with market stalls and produce as the locals went about their daily business.

Scarlett and Emily had dressed similarly to the day before, wearing the appropriate clothing for their station. I regretted not telling them to wear something more conservative for arriving at my mother's castle.

The Captain arrived, dressed smartly in full-liveried armour and looked much better off than some of his men who had enjoyed more of the house ale than they perhaps should have. We soon boarded the small carriage and exited the gate at the other end of the town to find the larger carriage set up and ready to go, with the remainder of our guard standing to attention.

Boarding the luxurious and spacious cabin was a joy once more, and I welcomed the proximity of Scarlett despite the protracted sparring match we seemed to be going through. The situation with Scarlett the night before had kept me awake into the night, and I worried that she seemed to be getting on as if nothing had happened quite easily. Emily was quieter than usual and settled herself on the other bench as we sat in comfortable silence for the next few hours of passing countryside.

While stopping for lunch, I became increasingly concerned for Emily, who seemed in some discomfort as we unwrapped food parcels provided by the inn.

"Emily, are you okay?" I asked and moved to sit beside her.

"It's nothing, Harry. I swear," she replied but closed her eyes halfway through her response.

"Master, I think it's obvious what's wrong," Scarlett said, suddenly beside us.

"What is it?" I asked but assumed we had the same theory.

"It's the Font bond, Master." She said, affirming my concerns.

"It's not that. I'm fine," Emily replied unconvincingly.

"Em, it's okay. We are all in this together," Scarlett said while moving to slide next to Emily and take her into a hug.

"I'm not ready for that again. Please, there has to be another way."

"We'll make it as easy as we can," I said calmly, taking her hand and feeling our connection. I was surprised by the strength of her magic; given the few days it had been, her raw power must be immense.

She remained disconsolate for the rest of the afternoon, with Scarlett ever present looking after her. She started demanding short stops from the Captain to allow Emily to get some air when she started having bouts of nausea. Despite the situation, we still made excellent time as the Captain carefully navigated through a plethora of small roads.

I perked up when familiar landmarks came into view as we climbed the final valley entering the outer limits of the estate. We crested the top of a hill, and the landscape of my earlier childhood was laid out before us as nostalgia hit home.

The manicured grasslands sloping down from the hills were littered with grazing deer and encircled a castle that seemingly floated on the Queen's Lake as it was known. The lake's still water perfectly reflected the keep, making it appear even larger. Although, the immense bastions towering over the surrounding area were more than intimidating enough. We continued to ride along the outside of the lake as Scarlett became glued to the window to get a better look.

"It was built as the summer retreat for the sitting Queen hundreds of years ago. The lake serves as a moat with only a single-entry point protected by a drawbridge. Raise that, and you have an almost impregnable fortress easily defended with only a small force. Once inside, it feels like you are on a ship floating on the lake!" I explained.

"It's stunning. I can't believe I've never heard about this place." Scarlett replied, mesmerised.

"It's not a well-kept secret, but it is rare for anyone but the Royal family or staff members to ever visit."

"Is your mother, the Princess, in residence?" Scarlett asked nervously, looking back at me.

"We are here to visit my mother, so I hope so."

"Will you visit us in our quarters once you've seen her then?"

"Scarlett, you are coming with me to meet her. She is not like anyone else in the Kingdom and is a leading speaker against slavery," I replied, panicking as my eyes fell on Emily and the thought of how she would look down upon me for taking a Font.

"Did you grow up here?" Emily perked up to ask.

"I spent many summers here when I was younger. But that all changed when my parents split around ten years ago."

"Why didn't you stay with your mother? Doesn't she outrank your father?" Scarlett asked, intrigued.

"I never truly understood what happened, but I've always believed that my father held something over her that almost exclusively kept me by his side. I could only see my mother when she visited Carrara. That's why it has been so long since I was here."

Our carriage continued around the lake and came to a stop in a staging area outside the main gatehouse on the land beside the lake. A range of liveried servants approached and seemed to have been expecting us as they immediately began unloading the carriage before we'd even begun to descend.

Emily was increasingly worse for wear and required my help to get down from the carriage, and I settled her on a low wall near the carriage. I rushed over to Lady Adalynn, my mother's lady-in-waiting, who seemed to be directing things.

"My Lady, it has been far too long. I hope you are well," I spoke politely, trying to be jovial.

"I am well, Your Highness. Welcome back to Hadleigh castle. Who, may I ask, are your companions?" she finished in a judgemental tone only someone who has known you as a child can use.

"Thank you, My Lady." I began before losing my words, trying to explain who my concubine and Font were to this refined Lady.

"Lady Emily has taken ill during our final few hours on the road, and I was hoping someone could attend to her," I replied, regretting using her title immediately at the raised eyebrow that met my question.

"I take it this Font is the Lady Emily you speak of," she asked, eyeing my wrist to see the matched bracelet signifying my ownership of her.

"She is, My Lady. Are you able to help?"

She gave me a disapproving look, and I assumed she very much held similar opinions to my mother on such things.

"I will have her bathed and put to bed in the guest wings." She replied, seemingly irritated.

"That would be wonderful. But Lady Emily will be staying in my room with me." I replied, feeling protective.

"Your Highness, that is hardly appropriate. Your mother would not approve of you keeping her in such a manner. Our guest rooms will more than suffice for her comfort."

"She is new to the collar and nervous about visiting the castle, and I do not wish her to be separated from me this early on. Please see that she is comfortable, and I will look after her for the evening." I replied.

She conceded and gestured to a young woman in livery who listened to her before moving to Emily's side along with another servant girl who escorted her into the castle.

"Your mother is preparing herself and would like you to meet her in the Sun room," She turned to me with a hard look, "with your other companion." She finished with a judgmental tone of voice about who she assumed was a concubine.

Scarlett arrived just as the conversation ended and seemed quite demure as she settled her hand in mine and stood slightly behind me.

Despite not having been to the castle properly for years, I led the way. The Sun room required venturing across the decorated stone inner bridges that separated sections of the castle. In the event of an attack, these thinner crossings were easily defendable but also provided the sophisticated elegance of a Royal residence. The Sun room ran along the longest section of the castle, with high windows letting in plenty of sunlight. The room seemed cavernous, with multiple sets of furniture, tables and fireplaces, allowing for sizeable gatherings across the vast room if required.

I led Scarlett down to sit on a large velvet sofa at one end, and she clung to my hand tightly. Our bond revealed her nerves to me, and she seemed increasingly concerned, checking every door.

"Scarlett, are you okay?"

"Yes, Master. I'm just a little nervous."

"A little! You are positively skittish! There is nothing to be nervous about."

"What if she disapproves of me? She's the King's sister...what if she has me sent away?" she rushed out.

"That's never going to happen, and you're stuck with me whatever happens."

Before she could respond, I heard a noise at the other end of the room as the door swung open, and the most naturally elegant woman in the Kingdom entered. My mother was a juxtaposition, with refined elegance, beauty and poise envied by the whole court but also someone who tried everything not to be in the limelight.

I raised my hand in a gesture of greeting, and she gave me an unexpectedly nervous smile which was completely against the normal behaviour of the mother I knew. At this point, I felt the panic from Scarlett, who buried her forehead behind my back and against the back of the sofa.

"Master, hide me. Please hide me. Don't let her see my face," She whispered desperately in Ravian.

"What's wrong?" I asked as my mother glided through the vast room towards us.

"She's the Lady I told you about. The one who looked after me, who rescued me. Why is she here?"

"She invited us to come here. She wanted to see you."

"She's the one who abandoned me," She hissed in a hollow whisper.

I looked up to see that my mother, who I now knew was also known as Lady Catherine, had moved to kneel before the sofa and rested her hand caringly on Scarlett's back. She looked up at me with a loving smile before turning her attention to Scarlett.

"Scarlett, my precious Scarlett," she stuttered in a nervous manner I'd never seen from her before.

"Will you sit up so I can see your beautiful face?"

I felt Scarlett freeze against me before her head slowly turned, still pressed to my side.

"You know my real name?" She asked breathlessly.

"I'm so so sorry, my dearest. I thought I'd lost you forever," my mother said as she awkwardly folded her hands into her lap.

There was an extended silence before Scarlett whispered, "Where were you?" before tears burst out, and she buried herself back into the crevice between me and the sofa.

My mother jumped up next to her and wrapped her arms around Scarlett lovingly, but this wasn't reciprocated.

"I searched everywhere. You disappeared, and I've been trying to find you ever since."

"You abandoned me," she whispered, "you left me to those monsters."

"No, I never abandoned you. I desperately searched all over the Kingdom for you, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I finally found you. When I found out what they had planned, I had to rescue you by any means necessary. That's why I had Jasper get you out of there."

"I begged you to come, but you never did. You promised me I'd be safe." Scarlett replied a little louder, seemingly not taking in what was being said.

At this point, my mother turned to me.

"Henry, it might be easier if I can speak with Scarlett alone. There are some elements I would like to keep private."

I made to stand, but Scarlett latched onto me.

"Master, please don't leave me alone with her!"

Her lost and innocent look almost persuaded me to stay, but I felt that leaving was for the best.

"Scarlett, you are safe with her. You can trust me on that." I replied calmly.

"How could you possibly know that?" she shot back in a whisper.

"Please trust me. I'll explain everything later."

She gave me a hurt look as I moved away before burying herself into the sofa as my mother moved up to sit against her.

I exited out of one of the side entrances and found myself in a corridor lit by small light sconces with alcoves running at intervals all along. I slipped into the closest one to keep out of sight and used my arcane core to boost my hearing.

"Please let my Master come back. I need him."

"Scarlett, it's me. You are safe," I heard my mother say in reply.

I could feel the raw emotion through the bond as Scarlett's control faltered.

"I need to stay with him. He owns me, and I belong to him."

"No one owns you," my mother replied fiercely, "you are a noblewoman of high birth, and you can never truly be owned or belong to anyone."

"I've been a slave for almost eight years, and I'm quite aware of what being owned is." Scarlett fired back as her tone changed.

"The girl I remember was a slave, but she never let that get her down. She had fight, ambition and a capacity to open her heart to others."

"The person you knew is dead!" She replied as her tone turned bitter once more, and her fighting spirit left her.

"No, my dear, she sits before me now, looking healthy and as beautiful as I remember."

There was a long pause before Scarlett finally responded in what was little more than a whisper, "No, that girl ceased to exist after the first time she stood up to her handlers and when they showed her the consequences of having fight and ambition."

"I know you've been through a lot, but that girl I knew is still inside there. Don't let them take that away from you!"

"Then let me tell you what happened to the girl you knew," Scarlett replied as I felt sorrow and helplessness seeping through the bond. "She arrived at the Two Moons facility in strict manacles that kept her arms pinned behind her back. Seven arrived at that intake, and the lead handler gave them the opportunity to get ahead by doing favours for him. She wanted to show the handlers that they would never break her, as you had taught her, so she offered to do so and spat on him in disdain when presented with his manhood."