The Sky Kingdom Ch. 22

"That's not all of it," she said while fiddling with her neckline despite appearing bare, "my power is linked to the mind. I have discovered that I can read people nearby and understand their intent and emotions. But in recent years, I've found that it allows me to plant ideas to guide their actions."

"You can make people do whatever you want?" I asked, bewildered by what she was saying.

"Not quite. I've found that I can implant the seed of an idea. Jasper is an old friend, and I asked him to meet me in the city. He has always offered to keep an eye on you for me so I took advantage to help Scarlett and influenced him to go there to buy a slave for you that looked just like Scarlett. He was to find a way to get you to keep her."

"But how did you know I'd accept her? Did you think there was a reason we could be compatible?" I rushed out, worrying about my own proclivities coming to light.

"No, I did it because you are my son, and I know your heart. When faced with a damsel in distress, I knew that you would want to protect her, and you were the only person I knew I could trust her with."

"But I collared her," I added, ashamed at her expectations of me.

"That part didn't go quite as I'd planned. Jasper was only to give you the collar as a last resort. I didn't think it would work before she came into her magic, but it's what I'd always hoped for both of you."

"You wanted her to be my slave?" I asked in surprise.

"Of course not! I intended for the two of you to be married. But now I'm worried she'll never be able to be the Lady she was always meant to be."

"We were to be married?"

"As far as I'm concerned, you already are. You will be dealing with the consequences of your actions and making a decent woman of her." My mother replied suddenly, very sternly.

"You care a lot about her," I added into the silence that followed.

"I do," She replied softly.

I paused, building my confidence before asking, "Is this because she is the daughter of the Duke of Ravia?"

Her reaction said it all as she looked away.

"It's true. You and the Duke were lovers?"

"We may have been in the past," she admitted after moments pause, "but I promised him I would protect Scarlett with my life, and then he thinks I had her killed. He hates me." She finished with a forlorn look.

"That's not true. He knows she is alive, and he knows because I told him that Lady Catherine is the one who protected her."

I saw a glimpse of hope on her face.

"Does he know about Lizzie?" I asked, looking to get answers to all my questions.

At this point, my mother blanched more than I could ever have imagined.

"You know about Elizabeth?"

"We met earlier today, and working these things out doesn't take a genius. Is Lizzie really my sister? Is she why you left Carrara?"

"It's a long story," She began looking troubled, "your father and I tried for other children after you, but we were never successful. I betrayed him in one evening of weakness, and I became pregnant again. I had hoped I could convince your father that she was his, but it was all too obvious that Jamie was her father once she was born."

"Jamie?" I asked inquisitively.

"Yes, the Duke of Ravia. It hurt your father desperately because he always wanted a daughter. So, he gave me an ultimatum, dispose of the child or leave Carrara and never return. I took the option to protect her, but he threatened to expose everything and target Elizabeth if I didn't leave you behind. I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to be left with him for long. But I also had to keep her safe and a secret. I fear what my brother would do if he found out James has another daughter."

I had initially felt a spike of resentment toward Lizzie as she'd taken my mother away from my childhood, but at the same time, she was the real innocent in all this. She was at risk of being a pawn in a larger game, and I could understand why my mother wanted to keep her off the game board.

"He still allowed me to see you a few times a year, which I always cherished. I was proud that despite being with him, you always felt as I did regarding the status of slaves in the kingdom. Which is why you will now explain to me why you snatched and bound a Font from under the King's nose?"

"I did it to protect her!" I replied defensively.

"You've forced her into a life indenture and suffering. There is a legitimate escape route to the south if you were truly trying to protect her."

"It's not like that. Lady Emily and I met and hit it off on the Skyship to the capital. But our meeting triggered her magic, and she had an outburst on the ship. She decided it would be me if she had to be with someone. But we refused and planned to send her to the south."

"Lady Emily, and who is 'we'?"

"The 'we' is her servant Tam. Her best friend. Emily is also a Lord's daughter, which complicates things."

"So what happened?"

"We snuck her off the ship successfully, but she had another unexpected episode when fleeing and was captured by hunters. Father gave me a Font collar set for going to the academy, so I rushed around until we found her. She was about to be taken by Cousin Angus, so I bound her to me to protect her from a worse fate. I know it's wrong, but I honestly did it for her."

My mother visibly relaxed.

"You are lucky that I've always been able to sense when you are telling the truth."

I felt myself pale at her words.

"Hang on, are you saying your magic allowed you to know if I was lying my whole life?"

"Well, you aren't exactly the best liar. But it did help!" she replied with a cheeky smile.

"I always thought you had some sixth sense," I smiled back.

"Now tell me, what happened to her friend?" She asked, moving on.

"I don't know. Emily told me she was captured at the same time as her but hadn't seen her since being assessed for magic. She is still very worried, but I don't know what to do other than contacting her father, Tam's legal owner. How do you find a lost slave?"

"I have some friends who can help track her down. Do you know her details?"

Luckily, I had learnt them when trying to hide Emily, so I jotted them down on a parchment close by and added as detailed a description as I could manage before handing it over.

"How do you have friends who know how to track her down? You said the same about finding Scarlett. What is it that you speak of?"

"I will be honest with you, but you must first swear yourself to secrecy."

"Swear myself to secrecy?" I asked, perplexed, "I'm your son. Can't you just trust me?"

"These aren't just my secrets to share; everyone who knows has sworn the same."

I knew the risks of swearing a magically binding oath, but the risks were even greater as a Sorcerer myself.

"Is it in my best interests to swear this oath of secrecy?" I asked, as serious as I'd ever been.

"I promise you that knowledge of this can only help."

"Okay, I will swear."

My mother then guided me through a formal incantation that concluded with me swearing not to knowingly divulge what I would learn without risking losing my own magic.

Once complete, my mother settled back in her chair with a content smile on her face.

"I've been dreaming of this moment and bringing you into the fold." She began.

"You are making me nervous. Just what exactly are you involved with?" I asked, becoming increasingly anxious.

"I am involved with a group of like-minded, powerful individuals within the Kingdom who seek a better world for all. We call ourselves the League."

"The League? Just who is involved?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm not going to divulge that for now but rest assured that we are all influential people. We want to see a Kingdom where your station isn't defined entirely by your birth and one which seeks to harness rather than cage the strength of women."

"So, you want to overthrow the King and end slavery?" I replied, thinking over the implications.

"It's not as simple as that. For one, the Kingdom would collapse if slavery disappeared overnight. But we must transition away from it and to a society that values everyone, and it will be difficult to do so with my brother still on the throne."

"So, will you take the throne or leave it to one of my cousins?"

"I have played with the idea. I had also hoped to one day persuade Jamie to do so, but we now have someone we think could be powerful and legitimate enough to unite the Kingdom and change things for the better."

"Well, who is that?" I replied, dreading what was slowly dawning on me.

"I think you know." She said after resting her hand on mine.

"How could it ever be me?"

"For one, you are a legitimate claimant to the throne with the backing of the richest Dukedom in the Kingdom. But you also have the potential to be one of the strongest Sorcerers in the Royal Family since my great-grandfather."

"I'm not that strong!" I replied in a growing state of panic.

"You have barely grown into your magic, and with a primary core of healing, you have the ability to stand up to the King. I know I was disappointed with your choice of taking a Font. But with powerful and willing Fonts, you could become untouchable in terms of raw power."

"This is all a bit much," I said, feeling a wave of anxiety flood over me, "I'm barely trained and would be years away from being so!"

"Don't worry," she said, gripping my hand tighter, "I am only telling you this so we can help prepare you to do so. I will help you build alliances and enhance your power behind the scenes until you are ready to change the Kingdom for the better."

I slumped back in my chair, barely comprehending what she was saying.

"What if I don't want to risk that?" I asked, but she seemed to be expecting the question.

"Of course, you have every right not to be involved. But the King and his minions see you as a major threat whether you want to accept it or not."

"What about Scarlett and Emily? I don't want them in harm's way."

"The fact that you care so much about their welfare is why you need to do this. But I had always planned for Scarlett to be by your side for this, and I had hoped to coach her into the role, but that opportunity was taken away. I also have a willing fire sorceress ready to commit to you, but it seems like you've already jumped the gun from that perspective and from what I could sense, she is more than powerful enough."

"I'm not giving up Emily," I replied firmly.

"I wouldn't expect you to. But I wish you hadn't drawn the ire of the King quite so much with your stunt. Being family offers some protection, but that doesn't make you safe forever."

"So what happens next?"

"We'll speak in more detail in the future. But for now, you need to start training at the academy and building alliances while I find you an Arcane Sorceress. To that end, my aim has been to either find or recreate Sorceress manacles, but even after extensive searches, I've only unearthed the single set for Scarlett. There simply aren't enough resources to experiment with creating new ones." She replied, lost in her rambling explanation that I was hesitant to stop, "That's why I've been working with an enchanter to try and develop Font collars that would enable a more equitable bond. We just haven't had any opportunities to test them out."

I sat there bewildered by what I had just learnt, but she didn't leave a moment to respond.

"Anyhow, it will be many years before you'll be ready to take the throne or be a threat to the King, so you don't need to worry about anything for now."

"Not worry!" I replied sarcastically, sitting back, "You truly expect me not to worry when you've been plotting to place me on the throne while searching for lost artefacts and casually experimenting with Font collars!"

"Henry, that's enough. You know we are only working towards what is best for this Kingdom and the people within it."

A long pause followed her rebuttal, and I watched as her demeanor shifted and knew it was the end of that discussion.

"Now, this girl you want to find. Do you want to get her back for Lady Emily? Or do you intend to have her returned directly to her owner?"

"I think Emily would want her to be with us," I replied after taking stock, knowing that Em would never forgive me if I didn't.

"Fine, I will reach out using the League's network and see whether we can track her down. In the meantime I want to know whether you have been treating Lady Emily with the respect her station dictates or not?" she replied, evidently trying to get a read on my response.

I realised I'd been keeping her in a state I enjoyed and hadn't allowed her to be the fun Lady I'd met on the ship. We'd thrown her into the deep end of life as a slave, and although she seemed to be enjoying herself, I did appreciate that we weren't being fair to her.

"I think this is something I might need to work on. She is the daughter of Lord Carrington, after all."

My mother's eyes flashed in shock, "she is Clara's daughter?"

"We believe her mother is one of the King's Fonts. But no one knows other than us," I replied.

"She was one of my closest childhood friends. I visit her whenever I can, but my brother is a cruel man at times. What he did to her and Lord Carrington was beyond evil."

"Would you be able to help Emily meet her? She's desperate to do so."

"It would break her heart to know her daughter is a Font, but I think she would be desperate to meet her. When I'm next back in the city, I can see what I can do."

"Thank you, Mother. I know she'd really appreciate that."

"You better treat her well, though. If I find out you haven't been doing so..." she said with a menacing tone.

"Fine, but I need Scarlett back."

"Henry, I think it's for the best if I look after her tonight. I want you to meet Elizabeth, so why don't we all get together for dinner tomorrow? I'll see how Scarlett is by then."

"I've not been away from her for this long since we met. Please tell her I'm thinking of her." I replied, feeling lost at her not being around."

"I will, but I insist you get to know your Font better. I helped encourage Scarlett's parents to appreciate each other and acknowledge their needs, which blossomed into a much more manageable Font relationship."

"You do like to pull the strings of the world," I stated with finality.

"It is all just one great game!" she replied with a smile.

I left my mother as she returned to her chambers with a scattered state of mind. Despite finally having answers, I'd discovered that the world was far more complicated than I'd imagined, and much of what I knew about my life wasn't entirely accurate.

I felt a yearning for Scarlett and was comforted by the affection I sent through the bond, coming back with aplomb while I walked. I reached the guest suites and slipped into the room to find a sleeping Emily in the bed. I wasn't hungry, so I decided to turn in for an early night, and after shedding my clothes, I climbed in beside Emily only to discover that she was now dressed in a silk nightie. Almost as if she sensed me, she shifted backwards until her side was against mine as I drifted off, listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing.

I awoke with the rising sun, looked down at the angel beside me, and smiled. The sun reflected off her golden locks as she looked at peace. I slid from the bed and wandered over to the armchair, pleasantly surprised to see a steaming pot of tea next to an array of pastries provided by someone who knew me well. I looked down on the game of kings board and saw that one of the white pieces opposite me had moved.

I smiled, reliving the joy of beating my household as a boy whenever someone dared challenge me. Seeing that the other player had advanced their queen's pawn by two spaces, I matched with the same move.

"Do you play?" an eager voice whispered from the bed.

I looked up to see a suddenly alert and awake Emily sitting up and staring at me and the board.

"I've dabbled," I said with a smirk, confident in my abilities.

She slipped from the bed showing off the white silk nightie she wore as she wrapped herself in a blanket and glided over to sit in the chair to my side. Without looking up, she immediately advanced her King's pawn to sit alongside its buddy.

"I take you play as well?" I asked.

"Yes, Harry, I grew up playing!"

"We've got all day to spend together. Why don't we play, and whoever wins gets to choose what we do today?" I asked, confident that I would soon be in full control of which states of undress Emily would quickly find herself in.

"Deal!" Emily replied far too quickly as she waited eagerly for my next move.

I immediately took the unprotected King's pawn, and she promptly followed by bringing her Queen's side knight into play to attack me. Looking to consolidate my advantage, I protected the pawn with my knight before she moved another pawn into the path of my own. Surprised by how clumsy the move seemed, I gleefully took her pawn, and she took it back with her Queen. Despite her positional advantage, I was able to take her other pawn with my own Queen to be easily in control already.

I smiled contentedly as she looked on, seemingly perplexed. Immediately her bishop came into action and pushed my Queen back, and I moved it over to attack the pawns on the far side of the board. She castled in response, and I saw my opportunity and pinned the Queen and newly positioned rook with my bishop.

"Are you sure you're up for this? I'm willing to reduce the terms to just this morning?" I asked while she stared down at the game board in concentration. Without breaking a sweat, she moved her knight forward, forgetting that her Queen was threatened. I didn't even take a moment to reconsider as I gleefully knocked down her Queen, with my bishop taking full advantage of her error. She didn't even react as she moved her knight once more and attacked my King.

"Checkmate." She said as she looked up at me with a beaming smile and the glistening light in her eyes that spoke of vast intellect.

I looked down at the gameboard, mystified by what had happened, but she was quite correct, and I had lost a game I thought I was in complete control of.

"Sorry, Harry, I read a lot, and Tam was an excellent player."

"You read a lot! So did I. I haven't been this outplayed since I was a child," I replied, bemused.

"If you wanted to know, that is called the Halosar trap...it's one of my favourite trick plays. Does this mean I get to choose what we do today?" she replied while nibbling on the end of a buttery pastry.

"It does, my Lady. I am at your service," I said with a faked bow from my seated position, "would my lady like me to redden her backside?"

She blushed fiercely at my comment.

"Umm, Harry." She started nervously, "I'd like to go outside on a walk with you. Maybe we could even take a picnic." She replied.

Her request took me aback as it was the last thing I had expected. I waited to reply for too long, and she quickly started to backtrack.

"Sorry, Harry, it's a silly idea. It's still very cold outside so it wouldn't work."

I reached out and took her hand.

"Em, I'd love to spend the day going on a walk with you and having a picnic," I replied earnestly, and she gave me a big smile in response.

I took the opportunity to exit the guest room to find some available staff. They were very accommodating; some went off to help Emily get ready, while others helped arrange things exactly as requested. I returned to the room to find Emily waiting for me, dressed in her outdoor winter clothes.

"Are you ready?" I asked her.

"I am, but are you sure it is alright for me to be with you like this?" She replied, looking unsure of herself.

"What do you mean?" I asked, perplexed.

"I overheard the servant ladies saying it was unusual that I would stay with you. They said that most Fonts are kept securely locked away. Is that true?"