Content Warnings: I am still trying to find a good balance for these. Hopefully I can find a good balance before this story really starts to need them.

Ayre

“If you say so, Princeling.” Amari has managed to pass us, and is now looking back with an unreadable expression.

Curse that sensitive hearing of hers. 

“Can you just… stop calling me that?” I say, earning myself another one of Amari’s predatory smiles.

“Would you prefer I use the terminology that the Lunarians have for Her Unholiness’s Broodlings?” Amari asks, her tail curling with what I can only assume to be anticipation.

I sigh. “Why not? I might as well get used to it.”

“Very well. Seed Prince.” Amari says, drinking in my response with great delight.

The Watcher and I exchanging bitter remarks is one thing. But I suddenly feel a renewed need to writhe with discomfort at the idea of these being the words that the Lunarians use to address me. Instead I turn to adopt an accusatory glare. “Amari. Do you delight in being routinely frustrating to deal with?”

The vulpine merchant bats her tail playfully. “I pride myself on being helpful. It tends to pay well.” She holds up a hand. “Better you lose your composure with me, whose silence can be bought with those… deep pockets of yours.” She makes it a point to bat her eyelashes.

Neither her choice of words or body language are lost on me, but the frustration I have remains unchanged. “Astraea will see you are paid and lodged for the night. Your services are no longer needed.”

“A shame. And here I hoped to speed you along to your destination so that I might spend a few days advising you on how best to deal with the locals before one of your siblings caught up with…” Amari’s sigh is as dramatic as her act is paper thin. “Oh! But it seems I am no longer needed!”

My frustration only grows at the thought of needing to indebt myself to this she-fox so quickly.

“Hold a moment. What do you know of my siblings?” I grind my teeth before continuing. “That much is worth keeping you on retainer for at least another day.” I cut myself off before suggesting anything more.

Amari’s eyes immediately grow to the size of moons. “How generous young Pri-” Amari touches her throat, feigning a cough to adjust her choice of words. “Prudent and wise Ayre.”

I gesture for her to get to the point.

She mercifully does. “Did you really think your siblings would let you bind yourself to foreign allies without meddling? Even if you are under orders to bind yourself so, I would not be surprised if two or more of your Brood arrive within a few moons to have a hand in how things play out.”

Great.

Wonderful.

Now I really am going to threaten to tear out someone’s throat.

Not Amari’s though, even if the carefree swaying of her tail suggests she is enjoying this exchange at my expense far too much. 

That her behavior is not a cruelty is something I have to remind myself of. Knowing that my siblings are going to waste no time in letting me adjust to a life outside the castle will help me avoid being caught by surprise.

Now that I think about it, the Lunarian Watchers may not be the last I meet to have their ears and hearing augmented. I will need to be mindful in the future if I wish to avoid being overheard.

Amari listening too closely into my conversations with Astraea will be overlooked until I decide how best to address the situation. But that sounds like a problem for tomorrow’s Ayre.

“Thank you, Amari. This has been most helpful. Please, enjoy your accommodations. I will make time to indulge you tomorrow once I figure out where I stand with the Seed Seers.”

“Of course, Master Ayre.” She says, lowering herself into another one of those courtly bows while trying out the term of address that my dolls use with me.

I glare at Amari. “Ease off on the flattery and titles. You’re too insightful to be subservient to me.”

Amari’s eyes glimmer with delight before she consents to being led away by Astraea.

My blood dolls take that as their cue to dismount from their seat at the front of the carriage.

“Master Ayre!” Fia exclaims, taking me by one arm.

I wince briefly enough that Fia misses it, too focused on the act of linking our arms together.

But no details escapes Selescia’s sharp gaze. “Is something the matter, Ayre?”

Before Fia can work herself up, I smile and gesture for Selescia to take her place at my other side. “Not anymore. I was just briefly reminded of my sister is all.”

There is only one sister that all three of us mourn.

“Oh.” Fia says gently. “I miss her too.”

Selescia tugs at my arm, which causes Fia to brighten up and do the same. It is only after we have begun to make our way to the tallest tree spire lodging in the settlement that Selescia goes into further detail. “In her place, we are shortly to gain two other Mistresses, are we not?”

“Yes.” I say, much to Fia’s audible delight. “They will not need to feed on you like I do. That much won’t change at least.“

“Very well.” Selescia says, taking the news in stride. “I trust you have not spent much of yourself during our travels?”

A nod.

“Good.” Selescia continues. “I am mostly recovered enough that I should be the only one needed to submit to you tonight. If such a need arises.”

I want to shake my head, to assure Selescia that I intend to refrain from drawing upon their blood without reason. But none of us have so much as set a foot outside the castle in our lives. These past few moons of travel comprise the bulk of our experience of the outside world not shaped by the words of others. 

“I know precious little about the Seed Seers or our situation.” I admit.

“Then you’ll have need of your senses!” Fia chimes in, too excitedly for my taste.

Selescia hums in thought. “We trust you to draw upon what you think you will need.”

“Amari and Astraea got us this far.” I say. “If I must again draw upon my wretched parasite, it will be to ensure that I secure us the most favorable circumstances to rest and recover until the day of the binding ceremony.”

“See?” Fia leans in front to catch Selescia’s eye. “Master has our best interests in mind!”

Selescia and I continue to humor Fia in her addled state for a time. That she is willing and bubbly does not necessarily mean that she has entirely returned to her senses. To diminish the senses of my dolls to the point of vulnerability is not something I consider lightly. 

It was my hope that I would be able to reign in how often I fed them, reducing my need to merely sustain the wretch of a parasite grafted to my heart.

But if my wretched siblings are going to follow us here, I will likely want to drain my dolls sooner rather than later so that there is time to recover. Without the moderating influence of the Castellan and her watchful Executioners, my siblings are more free to do as they please and worry about making up excuses after the fact.

But I can’t allow that kind of behavior around my dolls. Lenore and I made each of our blood dolls a promise. We would escape these depths, free the Fia and Selescia from their cages, and all live in comfort as friends.

But when Lenore… 

When she…

In a thirst for vengeance, I schemed and cut my way up the family chain. It was not until I took the Fourteenth sibling’s place that my parasite grew fat to the point of requiring a second blood doll. I claimed Selescia, Lenore’s doll, before any other broodling could manifest a need to replace theirs.

Instead of freedom, my responsibilities grew alongside the display of viciousness that earned me my station. Making enemies amongst my family demanded I alternate on which doll I fed upon so that one could protect the other whenever my attention diverted to a courtly function.

Now that my vengeance has led to us being sold as pawns with a neighboring nation, I cannot help but worry if I am improving or worsening our situation.

Fia and Selescia seem happy at least to regale to me the joys of the outside world. It almost calms me enough to want to linger in their presence. 

But the moon will rise before long. I will need to impress upon the Seed Seers enough that I secure long term accommodations.

There will be time to enjoy the sights for myself. For I must continue to focus on my responsibilities.

“So.” Selescia draws my attention with tightly knit eyebrows. “What is your immediate plan?”

I grimace. “The exchange at the gate worries me. I fear we have outpaced any news of the impending arrangement.”

“Oh dear!” Fia exclaims.

“I have a handwritten edict from my Eldest brother.” I say in assurance. “But ideally I will be able to break the news to the Seed Seers that we are to be bound for the foreseeable future as gently as I can.”

Selescia clears her throat. “You should be up front with the edict.”

Fia’s eyes widen. “That won’t do! Not unless they spent their whole lives preparing to serve like us!”

Selescia tugs me and Fia both. “Let me finish. Be honest. Do not hide the nature of this arrangement from them. You ideally want to portray yourself as on their side here. This arrangement has been made for the three of you without consulting.”

I sigh. “The only problem with that is I need to get a good read on them if I am going to have any success at painting myself as sympathetic in this."

Fia catches me off guard by offering up a beaming smile. “They don’t know how good you have been to us! But they will soon!”

“I appreciate that, Fia. I really do.” I say, trying my best to let her down gently. “But if our experience at the front gate is anything to go by, your relationship as my dolls might not be looked upon all that favorably. And who knows what that Watcher dispatched to communicate with the Seers might have said about us.”

Fia pouts.

But Selescia nods in affirmation. “It would be best that we let Ayre make the first impression on their own.”

I lower my head with the knowledge that the mere presence of my siblings will likely damage how people view us. No matter how gentle I try to be with my dolls, my siblings have no such reservations about openly draining others dry in order to facilitate leveraging their predatory senses at all times.

“Selescia is probably right.” I say, but an idea springs to mind. “But I might ask one of you for permission to offer me blood in the presence of the Seed Seers.”

“Are you sure that is wise?” Selescia asks.

I wince, still not comfortable with the idea myself. “It would be better, I think, if their first impression of feeding comes from the three of us.”

Selescia pales at that, confirming that I have no need to allude to how my siblings treat their dolls.

Not even Fia has a positive spin to contribute, but she does squeeze me a little tighter.

I lighten my tone, offering my dolls a gentle smile and a soft tug at the arm. “Again. I’ll ask for your permission. Feel free to come up with accommodations or concessions for me to resolve on the spot. Your comfort is just as important to me as making a good impression on the Seed Seers, if not more so.”

Tugging at their arms gives me an excuse to tighten my hands into fists without them noticing the change in tension.

Even if it means fighting my own siblings, I will never again allow Selescia or Fia to know the inside of another cage.