He frowned, and relaxed his hand. Slowly she started to regain some of her size, and she sighed in happiness. “She was flirting with another guy?” The kneeling girl nodded emphatically. “You allowed him to get close to her, which is a great transgression,” he boomed.
“No, no, I was just trying to let her move among the crowd and make friends as you requested, I didn`t know he would be dumb enough to poach on what you had already clearly marked as your territory,” she quickly responded.
“I will send someone to deal with this boy,” he spoke calmly. Good humor restored, he continued, “One more slipup would have led to…terrible things, but I`m glad to hear you`re doing your work properly now,” he smiled.
A woman decked out in gold trim and blue velvet knocked on the door, and after being ignored during the prince’s conversation gave a polite cough to signal her entrance. A man came in behind her, bearing the same fiery red hair. They both scanned their eyes around the room, zeroing in on Jackie`s presence. She saw them as well, and promptly turned her nose up at them. Aeron sighed, head in his beefy hands, and finally snapped his fingers. All in the room instantly turned their attention on him, effectively ending the little contretemps, and both the prince and Jackie instantly snapped back into the size and appearance they’d had before they came. “Your message?” rather than icy, his voice was genuinely warm, and Jackie standing next to him jumped in surprise. Bearing her no notice, he continued, “You won`t be able to get back to your little bonfires if you can`t give me the papers.”
The woman walked up, handing the papers to him with a smile. “Oh, you know it`s not just little bonfires. You like to play burn the village as well, don`t you?” She grinned at him. He chuckled back, speedily shuffling through and scanning the papers.
Noticing Jackie staring after Aeron in shock, the male twin laughed. “You never knew? We creatures of fire like to stick together, and Aeron makes the most beautiful flames with our toy village.” Both twins giggled at this, now twining round and around Jackie. Glancing over, she noticed he was completely absorbed in his reading, though she doubted he would have helped her anyways. Both twins grabbed a hand each of hers, flames twisting like cobras around her wrists. The skin there burned, and the smell of a woodfire filled the room. “Ah, so we did find a nymph!,” the daemons crowed. “What fun,” the boy added.
“Hawthorne. Rowena. I assume you`ve looked through the letter?” Aeron asked, voice brooking no argument.
“Well,” answered Hawthorne. “Perhaps part of it,” Rowena chipped in.
“Good. That means you understand what is going on. Put together the basic search team,” he said, “and make sure you get the good ones.” He thought for a moment, tapping his chin, then hastily added, “If there are any burned contractors or nymphs, it will have to be the usual punishment.” Both twins doused their fire and Jackie clutched at her smoking hand.
Hawthorne blanched. “Toys for the harpies,” he gasped. Rowena seemed less shaken. “What if the daemons involved are female? I haven`t heard of any male harpies, or lesbian ones for that matter.”
“If you are aiming for some type of punishment, then perhaps I`m not stern enough with you,” Aeron had now lost his smile. “I think the best solution, in your case, would be to pair you up with a centaur. I hear they are always eager to add some bipeds to the herds, and there is a popular underground of slave auctions of other species. Adds some strong new genetics to balance out the birthrate. ”
All in the hall were silent, shocked by the severity of the threat.
“I won’t resort to such an extreme punishment, of course, if my people retrain themselves from killing any of the defenseless ones,” he continued. “I suppose I won`t get angry if you do your job and happen to burn a few nonessentials, but none of those directly under the command of my parents of myself should be harmed” he continued. The twins grinned, high fiving each other. They skipped out of the room to gather the search party, casting one regretful look at Jackie before they left. She stuck their tongue out at their backs, pouting once the steps became faint and distant.
Standing up, Aeron picked up a letter from his desk and threw it at Jackie, though it flew to her and landed with a solid thump in her hand that was more a sign of his feelings than any great weight to the stationary. “Read it, now. She unfolded the thick parchment, a blue crow seal decorating the page. She gulped. The blue crow stood for the espionage unit that represented those most fervently loyal to Aeron, determined to crush all those who opposed the prince they supported as the rightful future heir. Trembling, she read the missive.
Priscilla the Nyad, common name Nymph. Disturbance in the area noted at 16:00. Presumed kidnapping at 20:00. Considered missing from the Nymph village for two weeks, cannot be traced in nearby villages. Nearby streams do not report any sightings. Tracing spells have determined victim can be found in a magic neutralizing zone. The victim appears to have not received the notice [concerning her sister`s replacement roles.] Supposed that kidnapping is due to fear over the role she has been removed from. Some chance that disappearance is involuntary, caused by perpetrators of the civic disturbance. If your royal highness wishes, a search party will be sent immediately to retrieve the subject.
Signed,
Alabastor Fyojhan
General of Blue Crows
“Oh,” Jackie said in a small voice. “She always was a wanderer. I guess she just wandered into dangerous territory. Her voice was wobbling, and she clung unto a gilt chair standing at her elbow. “At
