Yami chirps on my shoulder and begins flapping his wings. He floats into the air, staying near. Aw. My little baby is learning to fly.
He lands back on my shoulder, grinning.
I dig into my pocket and pull out a cheesecloth holding bits of meat and feed him small slices. The Fae weren't happy about preparing meat, but when Madrid convinced them it was for my invisible dragon, they relented. Or rather, they found a Fire Fae to do it.
Asher looks at me calmly. I think he is used to me interacting with thin air now. He warns me when we are about to flip in the center of the world. I put away the meat and grab Yami, holding him close. "Steady now, buddy."
We float in the air, and I twist so that when gravity returns I don't land on my head. My stomach wobbles and Yami shrieks, but we land down fine. I don't vomit this time.
The stone door opens, and we exit into another cave, this one with no lights. Asher guides me through the dark, his night vision much better than mine. We walk out into the light, into soft grass and flowing trees. There is a chill in the air, but it is mild compared to the Air Village or the Realm of War. Frost covers the leaves and bushes, but there is no snow. In the distance, a white castle draped in purple banners glitters in the sun.
Asher smiles. "Welcome to my realm, Princess."
"How? Isn't the Crystal Palace below Stonehill?"
He leads me forward, onto a cobbled path amidst a field of grass. "More or less. The Waystones, what you call elevators, do not travel straight up or down. They move at angles, allowing one to travel multiple places from regions like the Crystal Palace."
I nod, wondering at the genius behind these devices. Were they built by the Fae? Or are they even older?
Before I can ask, a carriage appears on the horizon, made from dark wood, the wheels coated gold. "Ah," says Asher. "Our ride."
We meet the carriage on the road. The driver, covered in a dark green jacket and hood, says nothing. The horses, two giant black stallions, try to nip at me.
Yami snaps back, growling.
I pat his back. "It's fine, little one. They don't know any better."
He keeps growling.
Asher sighs. "I am sorry, Princess. I was not the one to pick out these steeds, I assure you…"
The carriage door pops open. A young Fae girl with a short purple bob cut and a pristine silver dress that clings tightly to her body—likely picked out by Asher—jumps out. "Master," she says, her voice high and gentle, her Fae accent strong. "I brought the carriage as requested. I—" she trips on her sparkling high heals, muddying her dress.
Asher groans. "Hello, Seri. Allow me to introduce Prince Arianna."
I hold out my hand.
Seri stares at me. Then shakes my hand quickly as if it were a snake. "Pleased to meet you, your Highness, Grace."
Asher sighs. "Seri, please send out messages to my brothers. Tell them I have found the princess and she is safe in my realm. She will stay here for the next month."
"Uh, so a message for each prince, or one for them all or… " She pulls out paper and a quill pen and attempts to take down notes, but the paper bends over in her hands.
Asher speaks very slowly. "Six messages, one for each prince."
"Right," she says, biting her lower lip. "And you want them to come see Princess Arianna?"
"Bloody hell, no. Are you mad? That's the last thing I want. Just inform them she is safely returned to the Seven Realms. Do you understand?"
She nods and scampers inside the carriage to write. Sobs permeate outside.
Asher sighs dramatically and rubs the bridge of his nose. "My new Keeper. Her grandfather, my previous Keeper, passed away suddenly. She is his unfortunate, and only, replacement."
"She'll improve," I say, knowing all too well how it feels to be new at something. "And remember, she just lost her grandfather. She's probably still grieving."
Asher cocks his head. "I hadn't considered that. I thought she was weeping because of her failure to please me. But it makes sense now."
It's my turn to sigh. "You princes could afford a lesson or two in empathy."
"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."