The Sky Kingdom Ch. 24

I was once more out of my element and unsure how to respond to such a declaration. My pause led to a few seeds of doubt appearing in the Captain's stoic demeanour.

Only a few weeks earlier, I would have baulked at the idea of having any staff, let alone a loyal bodyguard, but if recent events were anything to go by, I could do with the protection.

"If I am to accept your pledge, I need to know that you will keep certain aspects of my life confidential," I replied, flicking my eyes to Scarlett and then to Emily.

"I will be duty-bound to keep only your confidence, Your Highness."

"Then, Captain Grey, I will happily accept you into my service."

The Captain gave me a relieved look, and I gave him a nod before he stood. I reached out my arms, and he gripped my forearm in a military greeting.

"Your Highness, it will be an honour to serve."

"Let me make one thing very clear then, that is the last time you ever refer to me as Your Highness," I replied with a smirk.

"What should I call you then, Sir?" He responded, taken aback.

"How about my name, Henry or even Harry, and what should I call you?"

"Whatever you prefer, Sir." He said in a non-committal manner.

"Then Edmund it will be. And stop calling me Sir!" I replied in a jovial tone, hoping to lighten the mood.

He smiled and seemed to become notably more at ease.

"I also wanted to confer my discovery that your companion is an unbound Font," he stated with an unexpectedly mischievous tone and expression.

"Thank you, Edmund. I will ensure I inform my superiors at the earliest convenience," I replied, matching his smirk.

"Ed is what my sisters call me," he added before giving me a curious look. "Might I ask, Henry, what is your relationship with Lady Scarlett? Do you intend to make her your Font?"

I looked over to my ladies on the bed, and seeing that they were out of earshot, I gestured to a set of chairs, and Ed sat without question.

"This is something that you must keep secret."

"I am formally bound to do so."

"Lady Scarlett is gifted but is bound to me through Sorceress manacles that enable her to access her magic."

He looked at me perplexed.

"They are the precursor to Font collars. They allow a Sorcerer to take control of a gifted woman and control her magic without needing to take full control in the way a Font collar works. They have been used for gifted women in the Royal family for generations to avoid the difficulties of being a Font." I explained, seeing his need to understand more.

"I will explain in full detail at another time. But I must see to her well-being first."

"I understand, Sir." He stated, coming to attention.

"Ed, what did I ask?"

"Sorry, I understand, Henry."

As the Captain left, my mother arrived with a middle-aged woman in a physician's uniform.

"This way, Mary. As I explained, this remains strictly between us." My mother spoke after shutting the door behind her, still looking flustered.

The woman, Mary, acknowledged this before looking over Scarlett and assessing her.

"Your Highness, she seems to be in good health but bears all the signs Sorcerers do when they have over-exerted themselves." Mary said, "I suspect you are correct, and she is a Font."

"That I know. What I want to know is whether she will wake up soon?" My mother continued her focus solely on Scarlett and the physician.

"Typically, most Sorcerers would sleep until their cores have recovered sufficiently. Perhaps two to three days, depending on the strength."

"Thank you, Mary. You may leave." She stated flatly, "And remember, not a word of this leaves this room. Is that Understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness." She replied with a nod and headed for the door.

"Emily, dear, would you give us a moment to speak privately." She kindly asked just after the door had shut, directing me to the corner of the room while Emily stayed with Scarlett, "You must leave as soon as possible, Henry." my mother stated quietly the moment we were out of earshot.

"I will not be leaving Scarlett alone after what just happened." I shot back.

"Do you want to rescue Lady Emily's companion or not?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then quit being a fool. The physician stated that she could be out for up to three days. I will look after her and keep her safe while you attempt a rescue mission." She firmly continued, brooking no argument.

"I cannot be separate from her. Our bond requires that we stay close." I fired back.

"I know damn well what that bond is, and you haven't paid enough attention as her coming into her magic will have completed it." She shot back.

I reached into my bond with Scarlett and felt a notable change. Somehow, it felt stronger. There was a new depth of connection, a clarity that felt somehow more permanent.

Seeing my obvious comprehension, my mother spoke up in a sweeter tone.

"You do appreciate that the bond the two of you share is considered a formal marriage contract amongst the higher echelons of nobility? We will make it official in time, but I expect you to live as husband and wife from now on." my mother stated in what was clearly a command, "I intend to protect my daughter-in-law to the utmost of my ability, so you will make haste and take my Yacht forthwith.

"Marriage? Mother, I do love her and think she loves me back." I whispered, hoping she could hear the truth of my words. "But that decision is up to her as much as it is me, and I wouldn't want to marry her without both her consent and that of her family."

She clearly heard the truth in my words and sighed in response.

"Henry, it's been obvious that you two care deeply for each other from the moment I saw you together. But I wanted to be sure it wasn't a relationship formed solely out of the darkness Scarlett found herself in," She continued in hushed tones, "It's also obvious that she isn't the only lady you've been falling for." She continued before turning her gaze to the form of Emily, who was sitting nervously, eyes on the floor.

"I care deeply for both of them." I forthrightly replied, and she smiled back at me.

"I'll never tell you off for caring about those closest to you. But it is your job to protect both of them, as others will use this vulnerability against you."

I gave her a smile in response.

"I never thought I would care so much, but I'm not sure I could imagine my life without either of them for now. I know you disapprove of making Emily my Font, but I promise you that I did what I thought was the best thing to keep her safe."

"You continue to be the son I'd hoped you would be. Now, I want you to take Lady Emily to join Captain Grey and protect her friend. I promise you I will take the best care of Scarlett." She finished, walking over to Emily and telling her our plans.

Within a matter of a few hours, I reluctantly left Scarlett's side and we found ourselves lifting off from the Castle's small dock, a contingent of the Captain's men aboard and some helpful purses of coin from my mother. Emily spent most of the journey hugging my side as her nerves kept her quiet for what ended up being a much shorter journey than I'd anticipated.

Seeing our target in the distance, still hidden as darkness fell, the pilot descended into a clearing hidden over a nearby ridge. Having secured the Yacht to nearby trees and set up sufficient sentry posts, the Captain allowed us to disembark.

"Edmund, I must insist that we go alone. I will not be taking a contingent of guards to give away who we are!"

"I must insist, Sir. It is for your safety." He shot back, and I fired back a scowl, "Fine, Henry, it is for your safety."

"How about a compromise? What if you accompanied us? If we aren't all back in time, the guards will come looking."

With an annoyed grunt, the Captain acquiesced, and we soon found ourselves approaching a walled settlement that appeared to be an old fort repurposed to cater to a plethora of businesses. The road leading up to the main gate was full of merchants selling anything from spices to horses, and they seemed to be thriving despite the remoteness.

The gate guards waved us through with little fanfare, and we entered the surprisingly spacious outer courtyard of the former fort. The atmosphere was immediately different as scantily clad slave girls intermingled with a raucous crowd who were drinking themselves merry.

A smiling brunette in a slightly less revealing dress approached, and the Captain stepped in front of me protectively.

"Welcome to the Crimson Castle," she announced, and I inwardly chuckled at their description of this provincial fort, "do you have a reservation?"

I stepped around his imposing figure to speak to the woman.

"We do not, unfortunately," I said while flashing a smile her way.

Her face dropped slightly, "I'm afraid that this is our busiest night of the month, and the courtyard is already fully booked."

A shudder of panic hit me that we might not be able even to get in.

"Even for extremely well-paying customers," I replied, tapping the money pouch against my side.

Her eyes flicked down to the large pouch on my belt, and our fine clothing must have given away our elevated social standing.

"Are you here for the vestal auction?" She asked in sudden understanding.

"That's the one," I replied, not having a clue.

"You've come to the wrong entrance. The private entrance is to the south. It's about to start. I'll escort you there now!" She finished and quickly turned to walk away as we followed behind.

Emily had long since taken hold of my hand in a firm grip, and a glance back showed her nerves as she tried to take in the carnal scenes around us.

We passed through a side door along increasingly ornate corridors before entering a much smaller courtyard. The decoration was spectacular, with greenery covering most of the walls to give the appearance of a sanctuary garden. A large stage protruded from the centre with plush wide benches set around in concentric circles. These were already populated by much better-dressed men and women, with many having slaves, male and female, sat at their feet.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," a portly man announced, standing on the stage, "Welcome to our latest Vestal auction where that lack of experience makes them all the more valuable." He finished in a lurid tone with a sinister sparkle in his eye, and I felt immediate detestation for the man.

At his words, a curtain drew back to reveal a large golden cage with around fifteen young women, and even a few men, of many different ethnicities dressed in revealing, skin-tight silver dresses for the women and loin cloths for the men. The slaves had their arms seemingly bound behind them, some stricter than others, but my eyes instantly found the forlorn character at the back, who was unmistakably Tamara.

"Just a reminder of the proceedings," the portly man continued, "you raise the paddle under your seat to bid, and any vestal you win will be yours for the night in one of our luxury suites on the east side. You should not inflict permanent harm on our vestals, but this can be negotiated for an extra fee. Also, please do not attempt to remove the collar or take a vestal from the Castle. Our special collars prevent any attempt to leave or tamper without you paying a hefty additional fee to replace them."

I felt my delight at finding Tam falter at a major flaw in our plan. I had expected to use my magic to rescue her and make good our escape.

"Henry, if the collars are metallic, then let me rescue the girl," the Captain whispered to my side once we'd taken our seats on a bench towards the back, and I'd pointed her out to him.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain properly later, but I have some metal magic and may be able to use it on any collars. Let me free her, and you can take the horses out back to prepare for our exfiltration." He replied confidently.

I had a lot of faith in him but was unsure whether Emily would be okay with trusting Tam's well-being to someone else.

I turned to her, and she sensed my question while struggling to hold back tears.

"I trust him. I just want her safe and out of here."

"Then this is the plan. I'll win her, but gift her to my loyal companion." Giving a sideways look to the Captain, who nodded in return. "I'll then bid and lose on others before heading out to find us some horses."

"Wait, it'll be too soon to escape," the Captain pointed out, "we are better off trying to leave in the early hours of the morning once the parties have died down and most people are asleep."

"Then I guess we'll have to find a way to waste a few hours while you take the opportunity to free Tam and keep her safe," I said while nodding in agreement.

"You have my word that I will protect her with my life." The Captain replied, and I nodded in acknowledgement.

Almost immediately, the auction sprang to life and a young dark-skinned girl was dragged onto the stage by two burly men.

"Let's start with this exotic beauty. Can I get 100 silver coins?" The detestable portly man began.

We sat through the next six or seven auctions, each finishing at similar price levels. But up next came Tam, dressed in the same revealing silver dress and looking stunning with her hair done to frame her face. I'll admit, still no competition for my two goddesses, but she was a beautiful woman in her own right.

"Don't be mistaken by her placid nature now. This feisty Carraran beauty has caused my men untold trouble. If it weren't for her newfound fear of the lash, she'd be fighting like a banshee." He announced, and I saw Tam close her eyes in fear, shutting out the world around her.

Emily tensed up to my side at the words, and I waited as the auction began and a few early bidders stepped in.

I played my hand discretely and, as the auction wound up, fired in a solid increased bid that met no challenge. The relief on our bench was palpable when the hammer came down.

We watched while they dragged Tam off the stage, and the same lovely brunette from before approached with a token, marking me as a winner with Tam's number emblazoned on it.

"Congratulations on winning, Master. May I take your payment now?" She asked through what was clearly a fake smile.

I handed over the required coins that she placed in a pouch.

"May I have a word in private?" I asked her after she passed it to another slave carrying a tray behind her.

She gave me a confused look before directing me over to the courtyard's edge.

"How can I help you, Master?" she asked politely.

"I'm not actually intending to do the deed myself but rather purchased the night with that slave for my companion. All I wanted to know is whether it would be possible to meet her before he attends her?"

She seemed taken aback and hadn't been expecting that question.

"It's an unusual request, but I don't see why not. They will have taken her to the room but won't have fully prepared her yet. I could take you there now if you'd like?"

I nodded in confirmation and proceeded to follow her up into the fort. I studied the layout and attempted to spot escape routes, but the building design was better than expected. We soon approached a corridor with doors evenly spaced on each side running the whole way along.

"Let me check if they have finished, and then I'll send you in," she spoke after turning back to me.

"There is no need. Just tell me which room, and I will speak to her quickly."

The slave girl acquiesced and let me into a bedroom, shutting the door as I entered. The room had a grand window at the back, but the centre of attention was a large four-poster bed, which held an unbound woman in a silver dress pulling on a chain that had her tethered to the bedhead and fighting with all her might.

On hearing my approach, Tam whipped her head around with fearful eyes. A moment's confusion flittered over her face before it dawned on her who I was.

"H-Harry, is that really you?" She whispered before bursting into tears.

I moved towards the bed, and despite her tether, she threw herself into my arms and cried into my chest.

"Please tell me you are here to rescue me? Please!" She begged, barely audible.

"Of course we are!" I whispered in response, "Em was very insistent."

"Em's here! Is she okay?" Tam asked in a flurry, tears still streaming, as she released me from her fierce hug.

"She is, but we can sort all that out later," I replied, keen not to discuss the circumstances of our Font bond just now.

"I wanted to speak with you before I send up my new bodyguard to help you escape."

"You're not rescuing me?" She asked, panic coming back to her face.

"Of course we are. But the Captain thinks he can remove your collar without harming you, and then the plan is to lower you from that window to the ground. We have a sky ship nearby to make good our escape!"

"So we're not going now?"

"The current plan is to do so in the early morning, so Captain Grey will keep you company until we are ready to go," I continued, and she looked increasingly nervous, "and don't worry, he is amongst the most honourable men I've met in my time. You're going to be fine."

She still seemed unsure, but after a quick hug goodbye, I was back out into the corridor.

"They'll be over to finish getting her ready soon. Should I take you back to the auction?"

"Yes, please, and I didn't get your name?"

"It's Celeste, Master." She replied before quietly leading me back down to the courtyard.

I continued to bid and lose deliberately as the auction concluded. Celeste returned towards the end and escorted the Captain to Tam's room until I was alone with Emily on the bench.

"Tam's going to be fine," I whispered into her ear after I'd noticed her unease grow.

"I'm just worried. How long is it going to take?" she asked, turning to look at me earnestly.

"Not long. We just need to kill a few hours."

"If only you'd bought a vestal Virgin for us to play with," she winked at me unexpectedly.

"You'd have looked lovely in that dress chained to my bed," I replied before worrying I could be overheard.

To my surprise, I looked around to see that Celeste had returned and had clearly heard our less-than-subtle conversation.

"We have spare rooms, and we can prepare your slave in such a way." She stated, and I felt myself becoming aroused at the thought.

I turned to Emily and whispered in her ear, "What do you say? Do you fancy being my slave girl this evening?"

"I'll always choose to be your slave, Master," she responded loud enough for only Celeste to hear, who looked on with a blush, and my arousal only grew.

She slipped away before returning with another woman who encouraged Emily to her feet before confidently clipping a leash to her collar. I watched them leading her away while she was trying to look back at me, looking less sure of herself than she had moments before.

"I can escort you up in a short while once they've prepared her. Do you want anything while you wait?" She asked.

As she did so, a grotesquely large man sat behind where she was standing and was lewdly trying to get her attention.

"Oi, serving girl," he bellowed, and she turned her head, "I need a new slave's ass to ruin, and I want yours! Get over here now." He bellowed, loud enough to be heard over the background noise.

Pretending she hadn't heard him yet, she turned to me, and a flicker of disgust and panic momentarily spread over her features.

"Master, do you need more company this evening?" She asked in what seemed to be desperation.

A combination of arousal and concern had me openly considering her.

"What does that entail?" I replied as the slobbering man continued his loud requests.

"Anything, Master. Please, I'll do anything you want." She begged.

I took her hand and pulled her down to my side possessively.

"She's mine this evening," I bellowed back at the man who scowled in return.