Chapter 3: Be Our Guest (03)
"Master Shade, welcome home." My aging chamberlain is waiting for me on the airstrip.
"Have you been well, Aegin?" I nod at my closest advisor and my Keeper of Hearth & Key before stepping up onto the wing to disengage the belt and lift out my now very inquisitive guest. She's craning her neck around like she wants to see everything immediately. "This is Verity. I don't think she cares very much for formality."
"Lady Verity, it is our pleasure." Aegin gives her a discreet bow.
"Just Verity, please."
"As you wish, child." Aegin gives her his best wrinkled smile. He's a Canine Beast-Kin, and his old grey tail gives a gentle woosh as he turns his full attention to her. Like all of his kind, he in particular enjoys receiving guests. It is always a point of minor-guilt that I hate entertaining, and am so frequently away from home. Twice a year, I beg my sister to host one of her soirees at my estate even though they cost a fortune. It brings Aegin such immense joy it always ends up being worth the cost.
"Which wing are you thinking for the child, Master Shade?" Aegin sweeps immediately into host mode.
I suppress a chuckle and school my features, as I see my guests' hackles rise at being called a child. Aegin is a genius at malicious compliance; I should know, I've been fighting off his well-intentioned smothering for nearly my entire life.
"I think she'll like my mother's old room best, Aegin. Please make sure the greenhouse is also unlocked. I'll escort her within the hour. We have to make a quick stop at my workshop, first."
Aegin looks surprised at my decision, but doesn't question me. He leaves to accomplish his newest task with an, "As you say, Master Shade" before quietly withdrawing.
"Why your mother's room? Wouldn't any guest room do just fine?" Verity skips a little to keep up with my long strides, as I take us straight across the lawn toward my airfield workshop. I love tinkering on my planes when I have a spare moment, but at least the tools I need to remove the bonds are nearby.
"My mother was an excellent horticulturist, and maintained a greenhouse as a part of her suite." I inform her. "I've kept it maintained. I thought you might like to spend some time with her plants after your imprisonment."
I open the door for her and gesture her in, but she's looking at me in consternation.
"Kindness will not earn my compliance." She lifts her little chin and those purple eyes flash at me.
"I'm not trying to earn your compliance." I say mildly, and gesture for her to enter. "Fortunately, for me, that is more a role for my sister."
She glares at me, entering reluctantly, but gasps in delight immediately at the half deconstructed aircraft laying all over the place. It's a magicked space I perfected myself. The inside is nearly as big as the castle she just left.
"Oohhh. This is incredible! There are so many kinds!" She dances from one object to another. "You are an interesting sort, aren't you? What do you want from me really, Mr. Kidnapper?" She demands of me.
Words are leaping like migrating fish up my throat, but I'm getting better at chewing them back. I feel like I swallowed a mouthful of bone shards though even after I've succeeded, and grimace helplessly at the horrible sensation.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put that much power into it." She actually looks contrite.
Again, this is all just too confusing. I can't wait to pawn this responsibility off on Pru.
"How old are you?" I have to let something out I realize. She's demanding some kind of truth from me. I can feel the pressure of it building on my brain stem to the point where I'm worried she's going to fry me.
"How old are you?" She challenges me right back.
"I'm just 22 a fortnight ago." I answer willingly, as I go about gathering the tools I need. It's not like it's a secret. Everyone on this estate, the one I inherited from my mother for being the second born, knows I was born 7-years after my sister. Sometimes I'm jealous she got so much more time with our mother than I did just by being born first. It has been a comfort to spend time on the lands that she loved, and surrounded by her people.
But it's not the same as having my mother back.
There is a study in the house that I have never touched up on the third floor. My mother's shaw still hangs over a chair, the last flowers she ever picked have long since dried in a vase, and a half written letter lays on her desk. I stand in the doorway sometimes and imagine she just walked out for a moment. I long for that feeling of comfort that my mother could be just around the corner ready to catch me in some mischief.
It's hard to believe it's been almost 10 years, since I heard her voice or saw her face.
"I'm 17 today, but 18 tomorrow." She says it so casually as if that wasn't the most massive of bombshells.
"Your age of majority is tomorrow? You're so..." Little looking? Tiny? I bite all of those descriptors back at the rage in her eyes. I lean on one of my work-tables completely uneasy, and modify my thoughts: "... Alone. What of your people? Don't you need them to get through this?"
"Yes, it would certainly be more convenient." She lifts her chin in a very challenging way, but I can see the fear there as if she shouted it at me.
I wouldn't have put her a day over 15. She's just so little.
"Have you seen what is going to happen tomorrow?" I ask her solemnly.
"Only that it hurts quite a lot." She whispers. "There will be no one to sing me through it. I don't know if I'll live through it, if that is what you are in fact asking me. I black-out and then wake-up from the vision."
I know what she means. My sister was the one to anchor me when I came of age and my magic threatened to drain me dry. Taking the place of my mother was a hardship for her and a godsend for me. It strengthened our sibling bond immeasurably. Pru knows me now. She could have left me to die, but she didn't. I was in a tough spot with proclivity for both basic sorcery and the sanguine-swordcraft. There hadn't been a blood-drinker sword-wielder in our family in recorded history.
We all have our magic. Have a sense of what it will be, but we truly come into our powers when we hit the age of our majority. For some it's like opening the door, and for others, like me, it's like being drowned over and over again until you just want to die to escape it.
But saints preserve me and gods abandon me, why did her birthday have to be tomorrow?
If I would have waited one more day… As inconvenient as this is, I'm honor bound to help her.
I wish I was a real Villain, like the majority of the world thinks our people are.
I did just put on a grand show of kidnapping her and absconding with her here to my estate. I bet the Nephilim are in ecstasy over the idea that she might die on my watch.
I put it aside for now.
"Let's talk about that after I've freed you as promised, and then we will go have a meal and discuss our options. Please take a seat..." I gesture to my workbench and am surprised when she complies immediately without her traditional verbal riposte.
I use the wire cutters to gently cut through the restrictions placed on her wings slowly one at a time. To her credit, she doesn't try to fluster me when I have something so sharp near to her spine. I appreciate the ability to work in silence. Nothing echoes in the large space, but the occasional twang of a snapped wire. It's the type of nice, rhythmic work that I like best. I can feel my mind going to that empty place it goes to when I'm practicing my swordplay.
When I'm done her wings try to unfurl, but she cries out in pain making the same sound of a whimpering puppy.
And I'm angry all over again.
"Shh, shh. Let me help you. We host a Pegasus clan during fowling season, and I work with the littles every spring; I think it's just cramped from being restrained. Wings are tough, they're not easy to break or they wouldn't be able to carry your weight through the sky." I keep chatting as I gently support her left wing until it is unfurled fully. I wait before slowly releasing my hold only when I see she is able to maintain the weight on her own, and then repeat the process with the other side. "You'll need to exercise them 3-5 times a day, as much as you can stand. The muscles are shortened, so gradually stretching them out a few times periodically throughout the day should help. There you go."
I step away immediately to give her space to flutter them gently. I can see the hack-job of where they cut-away her primary wing feathers clearly.
I should have killed them all even if it meant 50 hauntings and no sleep for a 7-day. I should be able to get around the anti-war covenant if it was only 50…
"Shall we?" I move to the door after I see her successfully retract the wings again, panting. Putting a little space between us deliberately. I don't want to crowd her now, especially after what she's been through.
Pru is going to pitch a fit at me when she gets here over her treatment.
"Are you… alright?" She asks me puzzled. I realize my face must have shown some of the darkness of my murderous thoughts.
"I'm starving, you?" I spit out the first truth that doesn't involve me graphically decapitating my enemies.
"Yes…" She's looking at me with those questioning eyes that make all the fish bones of the knowing world lodge in my throat. And I almost sprint out the door, which (of course!) makes her chuckle.
I move a bit ahead of her. Stretching my legs after the long-flight, and also giving her some space. I'm jumpy. Space. I keep trying to get away from her to give her space, but I think I'm maybe the one who wants space away from this uncomfortable girl. I need to write to my sister - immediately. She should have been here when I arrived. Something must have held her up at the capital.
I cannot be the only one here when she comes of age. I just can't. I've never been an anchor before. I'm the youngest of our entire family line - it simply wasn't necessary to learn the process!
There is no-one at the manor, but staff of the various local Beast-Kin clans who don't even have an age of majority. Beast-Kin magic is different and based on innate skills, not magic. Our locals are mainly Canines, Felines, and Rodents; although, I'm sure there are some of my Cervidae foresters lurking about. I've never summoned them in the 10-years since my mother's passing. She told me in once that they liked to be left in solitude to maintain the grounds, so I've tried to respect that. Plus, I know they check-in with Aegin, which suits me just fine.
I could relate to that. I liked to be left in my solitude, too. Not that my family ever permitted it.
When we arrive at the house, the skeleton crew of my staff is present and waiting for her.
Finally, I can run away!
"You've met Aegin, but I'd like to introduce you to Asile." I gesture to the woman who used to be my nanny. "Asile, are you okay to help our guest settled in? Excellent, then we shall meet again over dinner at half-past."
I barely wait for her to Asile's nod before making my escape.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
LaDiDah
LaDiDah Thanks for reading!
Feedback is valued and appreciated!
First time attempting a WPC... might have no idea what I'm doing. Sorry about that! Wanted to play around and write some swashbuckling battle royals.
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