"I made a fortune. More than one thought possible in such a trade. And when I had saved up enough, I bought that whole tree that my parents had raised me in, and I put them up in the fanciest room, with the most glorious of views. They told me I’d done them proud then. And I told them it was because of their work and love that I got where I did. After, I was busy with work, so busy I never saw them again.
"For the Unraveling came. And when the vampires raided our city, they set the forests on fire, and the tree I grew up in, the tree where my parents lived… it lit the night up in flames. I still remember the shadows the fire cast. Of faces screaming. Screaming into the night."
Baldar wipes at his eyes, turning away, wearing an embarrassed expression. "Excuse me, Princess. I must have partaken too much in my own wares."
I reach out and take his hand. "I’m sorry for what happened."
"No. No. I have it far better than others. Keeper to the Prince. And I still get to brew my mixtures, even if they are more potion than drink now." He sighs heavily, looking at the goblet between us. "I think it is time for me to go, Princess. Time for rest."
"Thank you for the potion," I say as he stands up and puts out the lanterns.
He smiles at me, though whether it's genuine or not I can't say. "Sweet dreams, Princess."
It takes me a while to find my way back to my room. Once back in bed, I take two drops of the white potion, and it fills my body with calming numbness. It is only then that I see him.
"Varis?"
He stands on the balcony, his fur cape flapping in the wind. "We cannot stay here. The vampires will use you until there is nothing left."
I sit up, though the motion is difficult with all the herbs and eighty proof alcohol running through my blood. "Varis, I trust Fen. He won't let anyone hurt me."
The Druid shakes his head. "You will be safer in Avakiri. There you can rally the Fae. Give them hope again. Hope for peace. Not the rage and fear that Metsi feeds them. If the Prince of Lust must come with you, so be it. I know herbs that will make him more docile. We can bring him with us."
"I can’t leave. I must go back to Stonehill. It’s my home."
He looks away, seemingly unconvinced.
I pause, thinking of what else I could say to sway him. "I know the way you feel about Asher. I see it in the way you look at him, in the way the two of you talk. So I know you understand vampires are more than just beasts. They are people. Some I deeply care for. And I will not abandon them."
Finally, Varis nods. "Very well. We stay here for now. I will train you, and hope it is enough to keep you safe."
***
The sun is bright when I wake. And Baldar is standing over me.
"Apologies, Princess," he says. "But I was told to deliver a message as soon as you awoke. Prince Dean and Prince Fenris request your presence in the training yard today."
I nod, reminded of my early days in Stonehill, when I didn’t yet know what I would do in this world. "How's Es? Is she okay?"
Baldar nods. "She is well. Resting. They both are. I gave them a stronger sedative to help them sleep. After a shock such as the one they've had, they'll need time to rest and process."
"Okay, well, please make sure someone notifies me when they wake. I need to talk with them." To try and apologize… to explain.
Baldar agrees, then waits outside the room as I grab another white dress from the armoire, and slip it over my current one. It's a little less see through this way. More or less.
Yami finds purchase on my shoulder, and the Keeper guides us outside the palace, to a courtyard filled with flowers and warriors, honing their swordsman skills on wooden and stone columns. Fen and Dean stand around a wooden table, pointing at a large map and taking turns speaking.
"We can use the secret passageway behind the waterfall," says Dean. "Sneak into Stonehill and catch Levi unawares."
Fen shakes his head. "He knows of the passage. Would have had it caved in by now. Or worse, set with traps."
"Valid point. Well, that only leaves a frontal assault. But no great army. I have few men left after the battle against Metsi and Oren, and most of them are deserters."
"They will have to be disciplined," says Fen, massaging his knuckles.
I join them at the table, wrapping my arm around Fen’s, and smiling. "They fled a battle that wasn’t worth fighting. We shouldn’t blame them."
Fen grunts. "They fled because Yami made them shit themselves."
My baby dragon stands a little taller, roaring into my ear with pride. I giggle.
"He’s back, isn’t he?" asks Fen.
"Yes. And he misses Baron. Where is the wolf?"
"Hunting." The way Fen says it, he seems quite jealous.
Dean steps up to me, uncomfortably close as he scans my shoulder. "Where is the beasty? Come on boy, you can come out. I need to congratulate you for pushing the Fae back. I was surrounded by fifty men, near my wits end when you roared in the sky and sent them running. Ah, there you are."
I flinch. "He revealed himself?"
"I see him too," says Fen, grinning.
I turn to Yami and pet his little scales. "What a good boy. Such a good boy."
Dean takes a turn petting as well, and my baby dragon purrs with joy. "You train up and get big now," says the prince. "We’re going to need you." Yami nods, squinting and trying to look serious. "There you go. Good little beast of mass destruction. Now, back to the plans. We need a bigger army."