“Also, don’t be full-on sympathetic,” Raven added. “Some of the hedge dragons themselves sell their own kind into slavery. They work with the slavers to corral their vulnerable members into a position where they can’t fight back.”
It occurred to me that sometimes one’s own family could be one’s worst enemy. That had certainly been the case for me.
As I sat there, I realized that most of my luggage had been brought in and put away. The maids worked quickly, I had to give them that. I still hadn’t met my lady’s maid, and I wasn’t in any mood to right now. I’d have to soon enough, but that could wait until later.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Raven asked me.
“Samhain. Herne wants the castle to be in order by then. Our wedding’s going to be a far more massive splash than I expected. We’ll hold a private ceremony a little later. Meanwhile, I’ll look around and see who I can find to send with Storm. I like her. I don’t want her going into Wildemoone alone, not when she’s got a target on her back because of what she is.”
“Have you seen her change into a dragon yet?” Angel asked.
Raven grinned and nodded. “The hedge dragons aren’t as big as regular dragons, but they are impressive. They’re probably as large as an elephant, and they can do a lot of damage. And I like Storm. I wish I could go with her, but Kipa won’t let me. He says it’s too dangerous, and Väinämöinen wouldn’t let me either. I’m neck-deep in my lessons.” She sighed. “Honestly, I feel like I’ve been run ragged. By the end of this internship, I’ll either be an incredibly powerful witch or I’ll keel over from exhaustion and sleep for a hundred years.”
The thought of someone capturing Storm and skinning her for her hide made me want to puke, though I could see how, for shady adventurers who wanted sturdier protection than regular leather armor could provide, she’d be a prime target.
“Do you think she has a chance to find her sister alive?” Angel asked.
Raven shrugged. “I’ve been over in Wildemoone a number of times. Kipa and I have taken a couple of vacations there. It’s a beautiful place, vastly different than Annwn or Earth, but it also has a deadly side, with a lot of pitfalls. Some of the cities—Owlanvine in particular—aren’t exactly concerned with human rights. Owlanvine is a hedonistic city, and the family that rules it began as nomads, raiding the villages and gathering the people under their flag. From what Kipa told me, they founded the city a thousand years ago, and eventually wiped out most of the nearby villages, turning Owlanvine into an empire.”
“A city is considered an empire?” I asked.
“Granted, it’s a small empire, but they didn’t build their empire by being nice, or by enforcing a code of honor. They rule by the sword, and while they trade with the rest of Wildemoone, if you step on toes there, you tend to disappear.”
“I’ve never been there,” I said. “I’m not sure I want to, given what you tell me.”
“Don’t blame the realm for one city. Wildemoone is beautiful, with wild grassy plains, and massive mountain ranges—one of the mountain ranges comes down from the Forgotten Kingdom through Pohjola into Wildemoone. Their tallest mountain makes Everest look like a baby. The oceans are wild and tumultuous. There’s a lot of pristine land over there, and unsurprisingly there’s a large population of elves. Also, Saílle and Névé will be moving their cities over there before too long. Kipa verified that.”
“Well, that’s going to be interesting,” I said. Saílle and Névé didn’t play well with others, and it was hard for me to imagine them finding a space where they would be welcome, especially given they took control wherever they went.
“They’ll fit in,” Raven said. “There’s a lot of uninhabited country and they should be able to find space for their cities. Although how they’re going to build them up again so quickly I don’t know. Are they deserting the buildings over on Earth? That real estate is going to be worth millions. Perhaps billions. The Fae don’t skimp on décor.”
“I have no idea how this is all going to play out,” I said. “But if Saílle and Névé move to Wildemoone, I’m going to have to go visit them. I still have some unfinished business with them, and my great-uncle lives in TirNaNog.”
Raven sighed. “Thank you for allowing Storm to stay. Kipa and I’ve come to like her a lot. I wish she wasn’t traveling alone.”
With that, we headed back to the living room, where I was determined to get to know Storm a little bit better.
But when we returned to the living room, only Kipa and Herne remained.
“Where did Storm go?” I asked, looking around.
“I asked one of the maids to prepare a room for her.” Herne patted the seat cushion next to them. “She was exhausted. Come, sit by me,” he added.
I snuggled up next to him, curling my legs under me on the sofa. Raven settled into the rocking chair, and Angel sat in a recliner. With the fire crackling, and the door shut, the room felt almost cozy. Even though I still missed our home over on Earth, I realized the sting was diminishing. Those days were gone forever.
Kipa and Herne were talking over some sort of logistics involving cattle and ranching and livestock, and I found my mind wandering. Angel had picked up her knitting from her room, and she was staring at the pattern, a confused look on her face.
“Problem with the yarn?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, I’m just still new to knitting.”
“I’d help but I can’t even sew on a button,” I said.
“Don’t look at me,” Raven chimed in.
Herne turned to me. “You’ll be meeting with the head housekeeper. You need to keep me informed on how much meat the castle needs.”
“What?” I stared at him, totally clueless.
“The head housekeeper. You’ll meet with her weekly to go over larder stores. She’ll also be consulting with you weekly in terms of the menus for our meals. You have to approve them before the staff can cook for us. As far as the servants’ meals go, that’s up to the head housekeeper and the head cook. They make up the menus for everybody who works here.”
Once again, it dawned on me how different life would be. Instead of a multitude of small families living in a village nearby, everybody who worked in the castle, lived in the castle, and everyone was a cog in the system. This must be how it works for the Queen of England, I thought. Or some of the foreign monarchies or empires.
“Elta will fill you in on everything tomorrow. She’ll get you situated in your Morning Room, where you will attend to your business.” Herne paused, and then said, “I don’t think you realize how much of a job being a goddess is. You don’t get to go floating through life doing what you want, and even though you make the rules, you have to keep to a schedule. Your tutors will help you sort out what you’re going to be doing on which days.”
It was then that I realized that I had a new job as well as a new world and a soon-to-be new husband.
The next morning I had finished breakfast, and was feeling rather lonely. Herne was off tending to business, Angel was eating with DJ and Cooper’s family, and everybody else seemed to be scattered to the winds. Mr. Rumblebutt sat on my lap as I finished off my eggs and toast. I scratched behind his ears.