I glanced around. Where were the comforts I’d come to expect from anyone magical? The clean rooms. The heating. The opulent rugs and flooring.
This was all so... medieval. But not just medieval. It was cold. Uncaring. As though magic didn’t exist here at all.
I shivered despite my attempts at keeping myself warm, unease moving through my veins. Was this what my father and Tavlor had spoken about? How rough, and extreme these Fae were? Obviously, they hadn’t meant it in a magical sense. Perhaps it was more barbaric? This was the sort of realm I’d be interacting with if I were to be High Warlock? I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle myself here.
We continued to walk through the dark and dank corridors. The guard us lead into a room I had to assume was where the royalty lived.
I stopped in my tracks and my mouth dropped open. “Oh, my...”
Was this where all the magic in the entire kingdom was housed? Was it even possible to store magic away from the people, away from everyone else like it was a physical representation of power?
The room was amazing, with shimmering silver walls, goldthread curtains, and marble floors.
There were tables of opulent flowers and platters of food, obviously nutrition that his people had no access to.
In every corner stood a guard, massively built and heavily armed. They looked straight at us, their bodies unmoving, but their gazes assessing us.
In the center of the room sat the king of the castle. Or whatever he was. Draped over a throne, his shirt undone, a half-naked woman in his lap.
I swallowed hard as feelings of embarrassment rose in my throat. I had never seen something so vulgar before, and considering my father was right next me did not help things.
The woman was beautiful, amazingly so, with long, curling blonde hair and lustrous skin. She wore nothing above her waist, and a long, purple skirt pulled up around her thighs.
A gasp sounded in the room as she arched her back and shoved her breasts into the king’s face. He groaned, dropped her head, and licked her pink nipples, then poured red wine from his goblet all over her soft skin.
She giggled and moaned as though she were about to mount him. If it wasn’t for Tavlor’s fingers intertwined in mine, I would have run from the room.
They didn’t even notice us. They didn’t care that there were others in this room, that we were watching such an intimate act.
How was that appropriate behavior when expecting guests? Especially the High Warlock of the Magical realm.
Or didn’t they know who was visiting today?
But as the King Fae lifted his head and smiled at my father, I knew we were expected. If anything we were, quite obviously, welcome.
“Matlock! Come in. Please.” The Fae King beckoned with a spare hand.
He pushed the girl out of his lap, and she staggered over to the table with caskets of wine and other drinks set up against the wall.
She giggled as she poured more wine into a goblet.
As we walked forward, I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Her breasts were even nicer close up, perky and full and round. And her skin was immaculate.
I forced my gaze back towards the king, who was drinking from a glass and staring at me with an expression I could only interpret as... interested. Lustful. Clearly, he had no idea I was Matlock’s daughter, or he would never be staring so brazenly at me, as though he could claim me as his with a single smile.
Tavlor’s warning growl was obvious even to my ears and the king laughed.
“Oh... half breed. Calm down.” He looked towards me with a smile. “Has the bastard child been claimed already?”
My eyes widened. So he did know who I was. At least, he knew what I was.
I glanced at Tavlor and back at the king.
“I’m sorry... are you talking about me?” I asked. I knew I was supposed to be quiet, but I couldn’t help myself.
The king sat up straighter, then stood up, his shirt gaping open. He was fitter than I’d imagined, and looked about thirty years old, with shoulder length black hair and keen, bright green eyes. “And you are, little one?”
“The bastard child?” I said and instantly wanted to kick myself.