Aether Beasts

"Brothels?" Aeverie asked after Aiden and the others had left. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

Zirani nodded. "There is. I need some of your people to help with some things."

She waved to her surroundings. "This city is involved in some sort of slave trade. They kidnap women from towns and villages that can't protect themselves and then use an enchanted item to control them to a limited degree. The others and I have destroyed one of their brothels and rescued the girls from it alongside some from a warehouse we found, but there are still two more, and the people responsible are still out there."

Aeverie nodded slowly. "And you want to rid the city of these people?"

Zirani nodded. "Don't you?"

"Now that I know, yes," Aeverie replied. "It should be rather simple. They won't be anyone in this city that could pose a threat to us. Give me the details and I'll figure out the rest.

"You sure?" Zirani asked.

Aeverie nodded. "I could do with something to pass the time when we're not together."

Zirani explained everything she knew, including some of her thoughts and ideas as to what was probably the best course of action. She knew that her sister could handle it and that they were wouldn't be any problems. Whoever was behind this probably thought themselves above the law and untouchable, but they were about to learn how wrong they were.

Zirani stood. 'Then I'm heading off, thank you, sister."

Aeverie smiled warmly. "Anytime, and it's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back," Zirani said with a smile before she left.

Her bond with Aiden allowed her to know where he was and as she headed over to him, she got quite a lot of looks, and bows. She simply smiled at each and nodded, understanding that they were all in shock. They had come on this expedition expecting nothing but boredom, and they had found their princess whom they had thought was dead. Zirani imagined that there was going to be a lot of shock, followed by more shock as they were told she was alive, and then that she was bonded to a human of the plains.

Just before she entered the building where Aiden and the others were she waved to a guard who quickly walked over and bowed, his eyes wide. "Have four meals along with drinks brought over in a few minutes."

"Of course, princess." The guard bowed low and quickly went off to do as asked.

'I'm going to have to get used to that again.'

When she entered, she didn't post any of them, but as she followed the bond, she heard them clearly, and what fun there were having in the bathing room. She smiled and felt warmth spread to her, but she pushed it away for now. She would make sure to spend some time with Aiden tonight, but before that, she wanted to speak with a certain some.

"I know you're awake, so listen to me," Zirani said mentally to the lost queen. "I take it you're smart enough to understand what will happen if the wrong people find out about what Aiden has within him, and his potential."

The lost queen didn't respond, but ZInrai knew she had heard and taken the words seriously. The lost queen was tied to them now and if someone of greater power like one of them took notice and discovered what Aiden could do then they would be screwed. She herself had only told Aeverie some information about his divine bloodline and had kept everything else a secret, and that was her sister.

After she was done with that, Zirani took a seat and waited for the others. She could hear that they were done and getting dry, so there would arrive just on time to eat with her. She was looking forward to seeing what they thought of some food from her court.

——

Aeverie swirled her glass of berry wine in her hand as she gazed at the seat where her elder sister had been just moments before.

It had been a shock, to say the least, but a very welcome shock. It seemed this punishment was more of a reward now, and perhaps she should be thank full of Julian's mess up, even if it had caused her no small amount of embarrassment.

Sometimes she wondered if he really was worth all the trouble, but until she was done with him, she would keep him close, and it was nice having a bed warmer about who would do anything you asked.

So many of her friends had questioned her judgment when she had revealed Julain to be her consort and not just another fling, but she had her reasons. In the end, it hadn't been that he was a half-breed, at least not completely. It was mainly his odd personality. He was like a very jealous puppy and required constant affection or he'd get in a sour mood, and then there was his jealousy which blinded him to a lot.

She chuckled as she removed how he had almost gotten into a fight with a lord who had been eyeing her. He was lucky she was so good working a room, or else, he would have been done for then.

It wasn't just ZInrai, though, that had been a shock, but the boy and the girls. The vampire was odd, and of a powerful bloodline she had sensed so it would be interesting to learn of how she had come to be in the plains, or perhaps she had turned in the plains if that was even possible.

There was the lost daughter of the Umbrin clan which would be very beneficial for the court, and once they learned of what Zirani and done, the Umbrin would be indebted to the court, and new ties would be possible.

But those two were nothing compared to the boy, or man should she say. His presence and that silent power around him had been very noticeable even if he himself didn't seem to realize it was there, and then there was what her sister had shown her. She knew it wasn't everything, but enough for her to see that the boy was special. Divine in nature, something scarce indeed. A rarity.

Those of divine descent of some kind were usually only spoken about in stories and legends, though she did know that people with divine blood and power existed, especially now after she had just met one

It had been hidden by something she couldn't pierce and masked extremely well, far better than Zirani could do at her current power or the boy, so there it was the bloodline or something else.

'Dual bloodlines.' she smiled. 'A diamond in a sea of dirt.'

Aeverie was broken from her thoughts by approaching footsteps and before she turned she already knew who it was.

She smiled as Julian walked over to her. "How are you dear?'

He relaxed and his eyes lit up at her calm and soothing words. "Do you need anything, my lady?'

He was such an easy person to read even without the use of aether, and Aeverie thought back to that first time she had found him in that fighting pit, being used as sport to entertain others. He had fought with an animalistic ferocity that was born more from desperation and instinct than skill. His abilities in arcane were much the same, inherent instinct working to help him, and it had been far different from what fae normally did or fought. It had given her new ideas, and thoughts to think of. It had helped her projects, and that alone had made her buy out of his debt, and take him with her.

She had only meant to study him for a short time and then set him free, but he was proving to be a wealth of potential knowledge and discovery, his upbringing giving him a unique set of abilities and arcane style. Half fae humans were rare though not uncommon, and she had yet to meet one like Julian.

She would continue to keep him around until his usefulness was done and then she would fix his problems and set him off to live a good life. Yes, she was manipulating him and keeping him as he was, but only for now. A few years meant nothing considering how long he could live and she would make sure he had everything he needed to live a good life, once she was done with him, that was.

She might have been colder if she hadn't been raised by Zirani and the others.

'That's enough of that for today, time to continue where we left off on.'

"I could do with some relaxation," Aeverie said as she stood and walked over to a wall which quickly warped to create an opening. She stepped into her lush and lavish bedroom and let her clothing fade into petals of light, revealing her bare body to Julian.

He turned and she noted the hunger in his eyes. "Well, come on. Come and serve your lady."