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Aero, Maevis, Tidas, and Lucas all talked about the possible details of a trade deal, while Skye, Celestia, and Nicolas discussed Roland Snare and the journals. Peggy and Lady Moonstone came back, asking if anyone was staying for dinner. It was nearing three o’clock, and the chiefs required a general head count.

Celestia hastily fluttered over to Aero, to ask his thoughts on staying later, and sharing a meal. She’d nearly been shocked into a standstill at the sight of her husband enjoying the particular company he was in. He was currently laughing at a joke delivered by the prince as the queen came into his view.

Standing up, Aero bowed lightly as he tried to naturally reined in his joviality. Celestia kissed his cheek and asked if he was enjoying himself with an ‘I told you so’ expression on her face. He nodded in the positive before wrapping an arm about her shoulder, and rubbed it out of affection.

Leaning in to whisper into his wife’s ear, Aero conceded; “You were right.. I think we can trust Maevis and Nicolas with it; so long as Tidas and Skye are in accompaniment.”

Pulling away to look at his wife, Aero grinned when she remarked; “Of course I was right; how silly of you to doubt me, husband..”

“Yes it was; I apologize, my Queen. I promise to make it up to you later..” Aero replied in a low, sultry voice that only his wife could hear.

Celestia felt goosebumps spread across her skin in an instant. She loved her husband deeply, even after hundreds of years together. Celestia was his reason for living after his family was killed by humans, and would forever be. Their connection was deeper than most; making each slightly irrational at times. But their hearts were always in the right place, and their people knew it.

Their royal romance had been in their news, and had been the center of gossip for centuries. In truth; they were the Fae equivalent of a power couple. Celestia was breathtakingly beautiful with her white hair, perfect features, lineage, and rainbow glow. Aero’s signature dark purples complimented her well, making the two a stunning match. Many in their court tried to emulate them in manners and fashion, but none compared.

.....

“Will the prince and princess be staying? Or will they be leaving beforehand?” Aero answered his wife’s question with ones for Tidas.

Skye, Nicolas, Lidia, and Peggy joined the others as Aero was asking the prince. He felt Skye grab his hand, prompting him to look at her. She stared at him with puppy eyes, begging him to agree. He hadn’t planned on it, but they would have to stay a while longer regardless.

“Aye, we’ll stay. I have to help Lucas mend the contract for the land, and I believe we also need to draft a trading deal as well,” Tidas stated as he looked to Aero and Lucas for confirmation.

“So long as my Queen agrees to the terms, I believe we can work something out,” Aero replied as he glanced to Celestia for her clearance on the matter.

While nodding in the positive, Celestia added; “I grant my husband negotiating power in my stead.. If possible; I’d like to continue to speak with Skye.”

“I would like that as well! The men can deal with the paperwork while we relax and chat a wee bit,” Skye added with an impish grin.

After some discussing; Tidas, Lucas, Aero, Maevis, and Nicolas headed into the lord’s office area to re-draft the property deal, and create a trade deal with the prince’s seal upon it. That way; the local magistrates wouldn’t need to do so much work to process the deal, and register the wares with the guilds.

The only way to sell one’s goods was either through a guild, or receive an independent merchant’s license. Lucas had one issued to him directly from the king, but they were usually difficult to obtain. Not only did one’s goods have to be verified by multiple guilds, but independents usually got hit with higher taxes. They generally made more individually than they would in a guild, but they were also completely responsible for any overhead or surprise costs.

Very few actually became successful like Lord Moonstone had. Some, like Lord Fowler; skirted the system by establishing their own guild, but held two sets of books. Lucas had been tempted to establish his own, but after quite a bit of research; decided against it. The amount of regulations entailed with it were far more trouble than it was worth, to Lucas. He’d already made more money than he could spend, and had no guild association to answer to on how he spent it.

That loophole had allowed Lord Moonstone to help fund Tidas’ crusade against slavery. Solely using his own wealth the entire time, would’ve left Skye’s future husband broke, and dependent upon the crown for his livelihood. Lucas had not only helped to pay for his start, but taught Tidas the ‘proper way to invest’. Lucas believed in people, and invested in them, rather than their outward uses.

Supporting various people in their lows made them grateful to Lucas; creating even more connections for himself once they’d recovered or bloomed. The lord specialized in seeing untapped potential in others, and had built an invisible empire upon his talent. His influence stretched from one end of the Star Continent, to the other; in every direction. Making him the perfect person to spread the wares created by the Fae.

After the men and Maevis had gone off; Skye, Celestia, Lidia, and Peggy were left to chat. Peggy went to fetch more tea, as Skye went to grab the armor she’d made for Tidas. She told Celestia of it after Tidas had walked over to the other group, so he wouldn’t hear her. She wanted it to be a surprise for him before his demonstration bout, before the Mage Trials.

The princess wasn’t sure how long they would have from when they arrived, to when the trials started. Tidas had mentioned it before, but the thought was lost. As Skye walked towards her room, a rank, rotten smell filled the hallway. She looked about, but saw nothing that the smell could’ve been coming from.

Backtracking; Skye poked her head into the kitchen door, and asked if any of the servants could smell it. Only when a couple of them came out into the hall, did they finally understand what their lady was talking about. They promised to find the source, and take care of it before the royal Fae would be joining them for dinner.

Satisfied with the situation; Skye went back towards her room. Peggy had moved the armor from the hall into her room, before heading to the servants’ quarters to sleep. Skye giggled as she reached for the door knob to Peggy’s room..

“What are you laughin at, ye stupid bitch..” Jacob snarled as he came up behind Skye, and pinned her against the door.

Grabbing Skye by her hair, Jacob smashed her face against the door; causing her vision to blur and ears to ring. She tried to scream, but he covered her mouth with his mangled hand he’d just used. It had been wrapped up, but the bandage was filthy. In his one good hand; he held a pistol to her head.

As Jacob pressed himself against Skye to hold her in place, she finally realized where the gut-wrenching smell was coming from. The hand he used to cover her mouth reeked of infection, but it still wasn’t as bad as the rancid fecal smell wafting from him. Skye literally gagged as he shoved her into her room, shutting and locking the door behind them.

Becoming pissed at Skye’s response, Jacob yelled; “You’d smell like yer own shit and piss if you’d been sittin in it for days too! Now shut yer fucking mouth! And if I even THINK yer tryin to use yer magic, I’ll kill you, then yer parents.”

Fear and anger surged in Skye as she replied; “But not Tidas, huh? Ah, that’s right... Ye don’t go after those who could kick yer arse!”

Taking two steps; Jacob closed the distance between them, and pistol whipped Skye. She’d grunted as she fell to her knees, but hadn’t cried out. He hit her again in the same spot when she’d sat up, but she still made almost no sound. Seeing her hand sprawled out on the ground for balance; Jacob slammed his foot down onto her hand, and ground his heel into her flesh.

“Yer prince will live.. But without you. Ima dead man either way. By killin you, I’ll make him wish for death.. Serves him right for what he did to me hand!,” Jacob sneered as he crushed her fingers beneath his foot.

Skye grunted slightly before asking; “Why would Tidas break yer fingers?”

“Because of You! He did it last night when ye disappeared! The stupid prince thought I had something to do with it! So he ‘asked’ me who would’ve taken ye...”

“I told him that if it had been one of mine to take ye, he wasn’t gettin ye back whole. That’s when the bastard did this!” Jacob held up his had as he twisted his heel, causing blood to begin to pool around her hand.

“Ima gonna put ye through hell, then send ye there..But don’t worry; yer wee friends and parents will be joining ye shortly..”

The pain rushed through her, but Skye had very recently felt Much worse. As Jacob twisted his heel back and forth, she looked up at her attacker, and began to laugh boisterously. Unnerved by her seemingly insane response; Jacob slapped her with his gun again. Skye took the hit hard, but seeing how it affected him, she kept laughing through the pain.

Jacob didn’t realize it, but Skye was using the opportunity to channel some of her magic into the ground. As his anger clouded his judgment, Skye created a pitfall similar to the one she’d made during his first attack. But instead of a flat bottom, she had spikes protruding up from the ground.

Skye was done being his victim. Every chance he got, he came after her. He had literally planned to torture her, then kill her, but that wasn’t the part that infuriated her. Jacob had threatened her loved ones... In Skye’s eyes: he sealed his own fate.