By the time Iris woke up, she was inside of a carriage with Amelia, Chrysanthe and Ricci. The sun was already high up the sky and she wasn't sure how long she had been asleep this time.
Her throat felt dry while her whole body was aching as if she was hit by something. How long did she remain unconscious this time?
"Be careful, Iris. Don't force yourself up if you aren't feeling well." Chrysanthe said. Worry obviously lacing her voice.
Iris grunted and held the side of her aching head. It was only then did she notice that she was wearing a silver bangle on her left wrist, wondering where she got it. As if reading her thoughts, Ricci gave her a satisfying answer.
"Lord Kieran decided to bestow you with the magical bow as a reward for helping them deal with the Night Critters."
Iris was about to say that she didn't need it, but something from the outside caught her attention. Their carriage had entered a line of trees. She then turned her head to take a look at where they were going and saw a humongous wall through the thin fog that was ahead of them.
"We are about to enter Asnar, Lady Iris. You've been asleep since midnight." Ricci explained.
Iris's blood chilled as they drew closer to the high walls. There were accounts that those who were sent as a tribute by Dravial never came back and the thought was enough to distraught her. They didn't even know what awaited them beyond these walls.
As far as they knew, the thirteen demon lords governed the majority of Asnar, which consisted of kingdoms, woodlands, drylands and hot deserts, all the way to the great ocean that neither Iris nor her friends had seen before.
It was said that while the thirteen demon lords kept the peace in Asnar, the land was also overseen by several High King and Queens and powerful lords like Lord Kieran, who was born into nobility.
Ahead of them, she saw Lord Kieran riding his black steed again. His black cloak floating around him as if it danced midair. His posture was stiff and even when he inclined to his right to talk to Callum, Iris knew that the demon lord was still on high alert.
The legion of Frost Guards followed them deep into the woods, gathering close to make sure that none of the maidens would dare to leave their carriages. As they drew closer, Iris sensed several magical presences at once.
The gates of the high wall were opened by the sentries, who gave Lord Kieran and his troop a polite greeting as they passed. They had long ivory bows in hand, arrows waiting to be released in case an enemy dared to enter their lands.
Iris's heart raced once again, knowing that as soon as they passed the gates, it would be almost impossible to return to Calaren Town.
Soon, the path changed from uneven grounds to cobblestones, making their ride smoother than before. They were on a small winding path now. The trees were still surrounding their path and Iris watched as squirrels chittered, jumping from one branch to another as they tried to follow their carriages. She had no doubt that the other maidens were as curious as her by now.
"So where are we going now? Does Lord Kieran plan to take us to his lands?" Amelia asked curiously.
"Oh, no." Ricci replied. "We are on our way to Silver City where the Court of Shadows is supposed to meet."
Chrysanthe gasped and clenched her fists on her lap.
"Does this mean we are to be presented to the rest of the demon lords?" She asked the High Fae in front of them.
"I'm afraid that's right, Miss Chrysanthe. It's customary to present the maidens to test them for magic and illness."
"And then are we to be married off to the darklings?" Amelia asked with unconcealed disgust in her tone.
Ricci blinked twice and looked at their faces, seeing the same expression to them.
"Oh my. Is that what the people of Dravial think when we take their maidens?" She gasped, but then laughed behind her hand. "Sorry. I just didn't think humans would be so ridiculous. I hope you don't think that we also eat virgin maidens."
As Chrysanthe's face blanched, Ricci knew that she was right and burst into a round of laughter.
"So you wouldn't marry us off to other darklings?" Amelia arched a slender brow at Ricci. She will fight tooth and nail and would rather die than to marry a darkling.
"Why would we do that? Although it's true that some of the demon lords had taken human brides among the tributes Dravial sent to us, it's not always the case. Once tested, you will be sent to the Shayla Kingdom, where you will be educated of our history and taught how to live in Asnar. You will then be allowed to leave Shayla Kingdom to fend for yourself."
Iris noticed that Ricci grimaced as she mentioned Shayla Kingdom. What could possibly cause this High Fae to make such a face?
"But we aren't allowed to return to Dravial?" Iris asked. It was the one thing she wanted the most. She needed to fulfill her promise to find a way to return home.
"It's not something we Asnarians could impose on you. It's more like Dravial wouldn't accept anyone back in fear that we are sending spies back into their human kingdom. I suppose I don't need to explain how humans like you perceive darklings and fellow humans with magic."
Iris had no words to refute that. What Ricci said was right. Chosen maidens weren't allowed to step back into their hometown, let alone Dravial. Even a magus like her had no chance because her kind was being hunted.
"Can you tell us more about the thirteen demon lords?" Iris asked. "If we are to spend the rest of our lives in Asnar, wouldn't it be better for us to know who the big shots are?"
Ricci pondered for a moment, as if trying to find the right words to introduce the demon lords that reign over Asnar to them.
"As you know, the thirteen demon lords worked together to stop the Black Mage from destroying the world. The Court of Shadows are being led by three demon lords, namely Master Xanaros, also known as the Red King; King Eldas, Ruler of the Seven Seas and Lord Kieran, the Undead Lord. Each of them, as well as the remaining ten demon lords, hold great power and responsibility to maintain the peace in Asnar.
"Master Xanaros oversees the peace and authority in Asnar. He made sure that the High Kings and Queens of different courts and kingdoms wouldn't engage in a useless war. King Eldas on the other hand oversees the affairs of those living underwater. He can rarely be seen on land, while Lord Kieran is assigned to keep the Night Critters out of our lands by leading the Frost Guards."
"Sounds like a taxing job to me." Amelia commented, while Iris and Chrysanthe listened to the High Fae curiously. There wasn't much known about the thirteen demon lords from where they came from, as the Kingdom of Dravial had taught them to hate the darklings from the moment they gained a sense of consciousness of the world around them.
"Lord Kieran is the youngest amongst the three, but he's considered one of the strongest amongst the members of the Court of Shadows." Ricci continued. "However, that doesn't mean other demon lords don't see him as a threat. He has a long-standing rivalry with the Red King."
"And the other ten?" Chrysanthe asked. She wasn't surprised that even the thirteen demon lords still had a hierarchy among them. Considering how powerful they were, the inexistence of a power struggle is close to impossible.
"Others have their own roles, but some of them would rather work on their own, just like Lord Kieran. You also need to know that there are other beings that are on the same level as them, but don't hold the title of a demon lord."
Iris swallowed the invisible lump in her throat. She briefly remembered the other darklings she sensed along with Lord Kieran in the woods during one of her hunts with Amelia and Luca. It had a strong magical presence that was enough to make her cower in fear. She couldn't imagine what could happen if several demon lords appeared in the same place.
That could be frightening, especially for mortal humans like them who weren't well acquainted with the darklings. It only proved Iris's assumption that they had been living with false security in Dravial for some reason. However, she couldn't help but wonder why her father and their ancestors didn't choose to stay in Asnar instead of facing persecution in the land of the mortals.
"What would happen if they found a magus amongst the maidens?" She asked Ricci.
"Nothing serious. Once they completed their training in Shayla kingdom, the Court of Shadows or Queen Asheera herself could endorse the maidens to the magic guilds and work as a crusader. They accept missions from all over Asnar, such as killing monsters that are terrorizing the lands or accompanying prominent people for a price."
"You mean I can be an Adventurer and earn my own place here in Asnar? What currency do you use here? Is it the same as we have in Dravial?" Iris was surprised that such a possibility was available for a magus like her.
"We use bronze, copper, silver and gold coins as well, but I doubt that human kingdoms acknowledge it. Also, you have to know that time goes differently in Asnar. Three months here could only be considered as a week in the human lands. This means when you spend your whole two years in Shayla Kingdom, only two months would've passed in Dravial."
The three maidens looked astonished at what the High Fae just said. Iris and Amelia shared a knowing look while Chrysanthe considered her choices. They all thought that maybe they could use this time disparity to find a way and return to Dravial.
"Is that why Lord Kieran looked like he is only in his mid-twenties, when in fact he's been alive for over a millennium now?" Chrysante asked.
"Oh no, Miss Chrysanthe. Asnarians don't age the same way humans do. Most of us stop getting old at a certain age. I suppose it also depends on their race and how much mana they have."
"Thank you for explaining these to us, Miss Ricci. I'm sure Amelia, Chrysanthe and I would do just fine here in Asnar." Iris smiled at the High Fae.
"However, I doubt that Queen Asheera would let you off easily, Lady Iris." Ricci suddenly said with a solemn tone in her voice.
"And why is that?" Amelia narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You don't seem impressed when you talk about Shayla Kingdom, Miss Ricci."
Iris glanced at her best friend. So she wasn't the only one who noticed it.
The Fae Warrior glanced outside with a dazed expression on her face.
"Shayla Kingdom is where I came from. Queen Asheera is one of the thirteen demon lords and the ruler of the kingdom. She's also my mother. I was born as Ricci Hazelwood, but ever since I got exiled from Shayla Kingdom, I've been using my father's last name. So I'm known as Ricci Rosebriar now."
"That would mean that you aren't just a High Fae, Miss Ricci. You are practically a royal princess." Amelia commented.
Ricci gave them a weak smile. A princess of Shayla Kingdom was nothing but an empty title to her.
"I'd rather not be associated with my mother anymore. Of course, there are other fairy kingdoms in Asnar, but what sets Shayla Kingdom apart from the rest is that females dominated the place. Male Faes are only allowed to live there, but they aren't allowed to partake in any judicial or authoritative functions in our Kingdom. Their only purpose was to produce female faeries with their wives."
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