Before heading home, we stopped by The Mystic Fig to fill our bellies. By then, we were fainting with hunger, and I hoped the place lived up to its name. The centaur, the faun, and the half-giant were waiting outside when we arrived.
Luke had explained we'd need more paperwork to make the men my concubines, plus some hefty fees. I grimaced at the idea of essentially buying peopleâit felt archaic, disgusting.
"What are you guys doing out here?" I asked, stopping in front of them. "Why didn't you wait for us inside?"
"Centaurs aren't allowed inside," Brin said, standing tall but clearly embarrassed.
"And none of us are allowed in without the escort of a titled Lady," the faun added.
I threw the restaurant a dirty look, feeling my disdain for this city grow. The place reeked of classism, reminding me of all the horror stories of human caste systems. I had to wonderâwould they even let me in, knowing my background?
"What about the pixie and the satyr? Where did they go?"
The three exchanged uneasy glances, staring at the ground.
"The constables took them before we could get them clothing," the faun said softly. "Xavian's mistress retrieved himâhe's the satyr. Tylas, the pixie, is in jail for his attire."
"Hah... great." I muttered. "Wait. Are you all runaway slaves?"
They shook their heads.
"Only the satyr. The rest of us were cast out by our mistresses. He was the only one hiding. He took a chance that you might accept him."
I leaned on Dominic, my decision feeling heavy. "So... what I'm trying to find out is whether you're still technically owned by someone? Will I need to pay to set you free?"
Again, they nodded, eyes on the ground.
Great. Another weight to add to my ever-growing pile of responsibilities. Cons? I had to shell out money to get these guys on my team. I had to make them concubines, which felt like letting go of even more of my values. Pros? They had useful abilities, or so they claimed. They'd be loyal, and I'd have more people in my corner, which might give us a better chance. Plus, maybe I could actually help them.
Still, it felt like I was justifying a bad decision, no matter how I framed it.
I sighed and turned to Luke. "How did Marisol and Regina get all those extra people into their courts? I thought the Becoming ceremony included everyone."
"The Becoming unites you and your consorts," Luke said with a shrug. "Banmuinen and concubines can be added afterward, with proper rites."
"Of course," I muttered, puffing out my cheeks before blowing out a breath. "You need to sit down with me tonight and go over all these rules. Every single one."
Luke's lips twitched as though he'd expected this outcome. "Very well."
I turned back to the three beings. "Are you hungry? Can we get a table by the window soâ" I pointed at the centaur, "What's your name? Not your true name, just what you go by."
"My name is Brin," he said, bowing by kneeling on his front legs.
"Brinâso that Brin can talk to us through the window," I finished, trying to ignore the unease settling in my gut.
"I'm sure we can manage that, Princess," Dominic said, throwing a glance toward the restaurant. "Doesn't seem too busy."
"Yeah, though if this place weren't one of the only options, we'd go somewhere else." I glared at the building before leading the group inside. The host frowned when I mentioned the faun and giant, and it took a few extra gold coins and my status to convince her. Begrudgingly, she opened the window near an empty table so Brin could be included.
We sat down, and the server brought out bread. The three men tore into it as if it were their last meal, practically choking as they stuffed it into their mouths. My heart twisted at the sight.
Dominic patted the faun's back as he coughed. "Whoa, slow down there." His eyes flicked to me, and I could see the pity in them. Yeah, I knew how he felt. These poor guys must not have eaten in days. At least they were dressed decently now. Brin wore a tunic over his human torso and a blanket over his horse half, while Noc, the half-giant, was draped in a blue robeâmuch better than the strange gold bodysuit he'd had on earlier.
Luis, on the other hand, was quietly tearing apart his roll until it was a pile of confetti on his plate. His anger was palpable, like a cloud hanging over us. He'd tried to talk to me a few times after I walked away from him earlier, but I wasn't ready for that conversation. Not now.
"So, what's involved in helping these guys out?" I asked Luke, trying to break the tension.
Luke leaned back, his expression serious. "Since they were cast out, you must visit the temple and pay for their redemption. Once redeemed, they are yours. But Madeline," he lowered his voice, "we don't have time to waste on this."
I shot him a look. "You saw the size of the teams Marisol and Regina have. We're at a disadvantage." I glanced at the centaur, faun, and giant. "Besides, Brin could provide extra transportation, and survival knowledge and ice abilities from Noc could be useful."
I didn't mention how weak they looked, as I was trying to stay optimistic.
"I think we should accept them," Dominic chimed in, offering the faun the rest of his stew. "It's the right thing to do."
"You know, I was against it at first," Adrian said, "but seeing those huge teams? You've got a point, Matt. Let's help them out."
Rielte, the faun, practically bounced in his seat, nodding vigorously. "I'm an expert climber, My Lady! All my knowledge is yours!"
I couldn't help but smile. "Good to know, Rielte."
Ciaran leaned back with a teasing smile. "Don't forget, Princess, you also have the letters from the ceremony. And I still think you should consider Ãowyn, despite his shocking proposal. An ancient Alfar would be a powerful ally."
I groaned. "More men?"
"Think about the competition, My Lady," Elsie said gently. "It's better to not be at a disadvantage."
Jeanne, who had been unusually quiet, smiled at Brin. "I agree, My Lady. Plus, I'd love to get to know these spring fae better."
"Spring fae?" I asked.
"Oh yes, My Lady. They belong to the court of Spring, which Ciaran rules," Jeanne explained.
I glanced at Ciaran, who gave me a resigned nod. "After the wars between the Trees, my citizens became beholden to Lars. Slavery has been a part of our existence ever since."
"That doesn't make it right," I said, frowning. "You lost the war, sure, but slavery? That's barbaric."
Ciaran shrugged, his sad smile never wavering. He popped a grape into his mouth, but the sorrow in his eyes was undeniable.
I sighed. "Leaving aside the letters for now..." I paused, thinking about what I was about to do. "I'll take the three of you. After the trial, if I can, I'll help the pixie and satyr. And maybe... consider the others."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. What was I turning into? A sultan building a seraglio?
"Just so we're clear," I added, "I'm not purchasing you guys. I'm setting you free. You'll be concubines in name onlyânothing else."
Their tearful gratitude nearly undid me. By the time we finished our meal, I headed to the temple, where I was greeted with mocking laughter when they learned I was accepting "animals" into my court. Despite the jeers, I left twelve hundred gold coins lighter, with three new members added to my court.
I stared at the official papers to make them my concubines, feeling like they were stained with blood. My hands trembled as I crumpled them, only for Luke to snatch them away and tuck them into his satchel.
He spoke softly. "You did the right thing, Madeline."
"Yeah," I muttered looking up at him with surprise. He'd seemed so against it before. I looked at his satchel where the papers were and said, "It doesn't feel like it."
I turned to my new companions, their faces hopeful despite everything. I glanced at Ciaran and Luke. "So, how do I do the ceremony to make them my concubines?"
Luke answered. "They must swear an oath to always protect youâ'Your body is my body, your heart is my heart, forever to protect.' Then, you'll tie a string bracelet on each of their arms. You cut the strings when you no longer want them as concubines. Your seal will appear on the concubine's forehead once the bracelet is tied, and like before, you'll seal it with a kiss."
I grimaced at the formality. "I don't have any bracelets, though. So I guess we'll hold off for now."
But of course, Ciaran couldn't let the moment pass without stirring trouble. He smirked, leaning back with a knowing grin. "Ah, but there's just one small detail our dear Luke overlooked."
I shot him a wary glance. "What now?"
"Well, my dear, you only have twenty acorns." He raised an eyebrow, waiting for the realization to settle in.
"And?" I crossed my arms, not liking where this was going.
"Ten forward, ten back. Seven for your consorts, three for your banmuinen." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "So unless you somehow get more, you're limited."
"So I get more," I said, as if it were obvious.
He laughed, shaking his head. "Do you really think they'll hand you more acorns, Princess? You're already walking on thin ice. And, you upset Valenia."
I huffed in frustration but knew he was right. Still, I couldn't let it go. "Well, I'm going to ask anyway. Better to try than give up without asking."
True to Ciaran's warning, I was met with laughter and mockery when I made my request. They called me an "animal lover" and sneered at my plea. I left the temple fuming, their cruel laughter ringing in my ears as I stomped down the steps.
"I told you so," Ciaran sing-songed, barely containing his amusement. But he held up three bracelets. "While you were humiliating yourself, I got these for the men."
I shot him a murderous look, but deep down, I knew he had been right. "Fine, and thanks," I muttered. "We'll still go through with it, acorns or not. We might need their help in the next trial."
"There's just one small matter left to address," I said as we all gathered to leave. I looked at Brin. "How are we getting you home with us?"
"You needn't worry, My Lady," Brin said, stepping forward. "I can take on a human form."
I blinked in surprise. His form shimmered, and the blanket that had covered his horse half dropped to the ground as he transformed.
"Yo! Warn a guy next time!" Adrian yelped, covering his eyes. "Nobody needs to see that!"
"Oh, my stars!" Dominic gasped, yanking his shirt over his face.
I clamped my hands over my eyes, though curiosity tempted me to peek. From the few glances I stole, Brin was... impressive. Very impressive.
Before I could even think about sneaking another glance, Luis stepped up beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Don't even think about it, Matt."
"I wasn't going to look!" I protested.
Much.
Once Brin was fully dressed in human attireâpants includedâI finally let my hands drop. He staggered slightly, adjusting to his new form, and I did my best to focus on his face.
"It's taxing for a centaur to remain in this form for long," Ciaran explained. "Their mass gets compressed. We need to move quickly."
I nodded, still feeling the heat in my cheeks. "Okay, let's head home. We'll handle the concubine oath when we get there."
As we piled into the cars, Luke leaned in close to me, his voice soft. "I shall take you the cemetery and your mother's grave, Madeline. We'll take that walk when we're home."
I gave him a look of surprise, then hugged him tightly. His arms came around me in surprise, and a small intake of breath let me know how much my gratitude meant to him.