The Sky Kingdom Ch 08

I hadn't realised I'd dozed off until I woke to find Scarlett shaking me by the shoulder. As I looked up to find her face framed by elegant flowing curls, I noted that she had dressed exactly as we'd discussed earlier in a cream woolen turtleneck top, hiding her collar, with sleek black trousers that highlighted just how slim her waistline was.

"You look simply stunning!" I said grinning up at her.

She blushed at my words, "I dressed as you requested Master, although I would be more comfortable wearing normal slave attire."

I quickly climbed out of bed standing up next to her to take her in. She looked very refined in her elegant attire but I couldn't help but picture her as she'd been an hour earlier wantonly bound and gagged before me.

"You look every part the refined lady you will fit right in once our guests arrive this evening." I managed to say despite my wandering thoughts.

"Guests?" she asked panic on her face as I realised I'd completely forgotten to mention about Lady Emily.

"I'm so sorry, I met a Lady on deck while you were indisposed earlier and we had lunch together. I invited her and her companion for dinner."

"In what capacity will I be serving?" Scarlett asked as she became more formal trying to hide her shock.

I chuckled a little awkwardly, "You aren't serving anyone you are my companion and will be joining us."

"But I've just eaten Master," she said guiltily, "I think Laura was trying to placate us and left fruit and sandwiches next door...I was ravenous so couldn't help myself," she continued while averting her gaze.

"But I'll be ok for later. I promise. Where did you go for lunch?" she finally asked steering the conversation away from her indiscretions.

"Emily found me pacing on the top deck when I was worried about you and she invited me to the 1st Class café for an early lunch." I replied a little guiltily myself.

"Emily?" she asked giving me a nervous smile.

"Lady Emily, she is travelling to the capital as well," I said blushing.

"Master, I can feel your excitement and heart beating faster. Do you like her...is she beautiful?" Scarlett asked me in an unexpectedly excited manner.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spent time with her when you were unconscious. I'm not sure how to explain it but we have a connection that drew us together," I said while still being confused as to why Scarlett wasn't more offended given that I'd in many ways cheated on her.

"Master, don't apologize, I'm your pleasure slave...not your wife. You choose who you spend time with!" she announced causing me to blush even more, "You really like her don't you Master?"

I nodded in ascent.

"Is she a suitable marriage match for you? Oh, this is very exciting," She paused for a moment before nervously asking, "Did you tell her about me? Does she know that I'm bound to serve you?"

"She knows some of it, I was very worried about you at the time and she picked up on that so I told her about you and what had happened. She had lots of questions about you though. She even wanted to come for dinner here to meet you."

"Do tell Master, what did she want to know?"

"She was very interested in you being a pleasure slave...she even wanted to know whether I keep you tied up with a collar," I replied chuckling away.

"Really master? I only know from personal experience but I think she could be perfect for you."

"What do you mean? You've never met her," I replied.

"Clearly you think she's attractive considering how fast your heart is beating. But asking those questions is a sign of her being interested in those things, Master."

I was taken aback for a moment, "What do you mean?"

"Master, if she's asking questions like that then they are quite possibly a fantasy of hers. If you gave me 5 minutes alone with her, I'd prove it to you."

"She's a Lady. I doubt she is day dreaming about being a slave."

"I'm a Lady and I fantasize about what you might do to me all the time," Scarlett replied naughtily.

"Anyhow, we only kissed and didn't go any further," I continued but struggled as my imagination went wild at the thought of having both Scarlett and Emily bound before me.

"I'm pretty sure she is similar to me...I guess you'll have to introduce us so I can tell for sure," she said while smirking happily, "Is she a good kisser?"

I blushed at her question as she approached me.

"I guess so, but her kisses were different from yours."

"How so?" she asked as she moved into my personal space and took my lips into another glorious kiss, "Does she kiss like that?"

"Umm...not really, it felt like my magic was out of control as we kissed and it affected her as well. It wasn't until afterwards that I realised that my mana pool had taken a sizable power boost. It's how I was able to heal your burns."

"That's strange, you do know that's not normal. The fact that you gained mana almost sounds like she could be a Font," Scarlett reasoned as her words caused a dawning horror to crash over me. Was that exactly what I felt with her, was she gifted?

"Master, are you ok?" Scarlett asked surprised by my change of mood and troubled expression.

I was a little panicked.

"How would you know if someone if gifted?" I asked hesitantly.

"Isn't that a secret of the sorcerers. I know they are supposed to test all men and women after their 18th birthday and that identifies whether they've got the gift or not. They just normally then whisk away the poor women who've tested positive."

"So, it's not possible for those tests to be wrong?" I asked tentatively.

"I'm not sure I know any more than you but I wouldn't have thought so. Are you worried that Lady Emily might be gifted?" she said expressing her own concern at the thought.

I was a little more relieved though, "She is a noblewoman, not some country girl from a remote village. There is no way she could have avoided being tested!"

"Master, if you are so worried why don't you go check on her?

I felt bad doing so but was desperate to check she was ok.

"Ok, but I don't want to leave you alone so why don't you come with me?"

"Don't be silly, I have some things to prepare for you here and she is your girlfriend," she finished cheekily.

"I've met her twice, she's not my girlfriend," I replied a little embarrassed.

"Well I'm your primary slave so she'll have to find her own role."

"Right now you are just my companion and you look beautiful dressed like that," I replied earnestly.

"We are in private Master," she said as she knelt down before me, bowed her head and slipped her arms behind herself, "right now I am still your slave and you need to remember that."

"Scarlett, you don't have to do that," I pleaded, "we aren't in the bedroom."

"This is what I need and being dressed as I am is confusing things. I am your slave and I need you to treat me as such," she implored in return, "Go check on Lady Emily and I'll wait for you to come back here.

"Oh, and Master, when you come back there is something I'd like you to try," she said with a hint of mischief.

I relented as it didn't seem like anything I said was going to persuade her that she didn't need to behave like my slave all the time. I hoped for a time in the future where that would just be something we saved for the bedroom and I could just spend time enjoying her company without the barrier of her slave training.

I left Scarlett kneeling behind me as I slipped from my suite and made my way to the 1st Class cabins. My memory failed me at this point as I looked up and down the identical rooms and after one unsuccessful attempt, the next door was opened by a flustered looking Tamara.

"YOU, what are you doing here?" she asked accusatorily.

"I'm looking for Scarlett, I was worried about her?" I replied with growing concern.

"What did you do to her?" she asked in a worried tone.

I felt panic rise within me as I pushed into the room in an ungentlemanly fashion. The room Emily shared with Tamara was small but luxurious with a set of twin beds. Emily was lying on the top of her bed in just a nightie with what looked like a wet towel resting on her head.

"Harry, is that you? Is it already dinner time?" Emily asked feebly.

"Stay away from her," Tamara shouted at me from behind as the door shut behind her.

I ignored her and rushed over to Emily.

"Lady Emily, are you ok? What is wrong?" I asked desperately but she appeared to have drifted off to sleep.

"You are what is wrong, she came back from spending time with you and now she is sick," Tamara accused me.

I reached out to take her hand and felt how hot she was as I took a grip of it. I turned back to Tamara with a deeply concerned expression.

She looked at me and broke down, "She was unconscious before you came in...I don't know what to do?"

"Tam, I need you to answer a quick question for me before I send for help. Has she ever been tested to see if she is gifted?"

The look of fear that flittered across Tamara's face answered my question.

"Her father always kept her secluded and I don't remember either of us ever being tested. You don't think she could be gifted?" she asked with a terrified look on her face.

"I don't know for sure but the way my magic reacted to her and the boost to my own mana from the time we spent together made me worry that she could be."

"No, she's like my sister, I'm not losing her to those monstrous Sorcerer's. You have to help me get her back home!"

"You do know I'm a Sorcerer as well?"

Tamara rushed past me to get between Emily and myself holding her arms up to me.

"Please don't tell anyone, I'll do anything to protect her," she beseeched me.

"I'm not going to say anything Tam. I'm worried for her as well."

She looked at me without an ounce of trust in her eyes.

"You've only just met her, how on earth can you say that?"

"From the first moment I saw her at the Sky Port I felt drawn to her. I want to explore that and if she needs my help, I will give it."

At this point Emily roused again and reached out her hands towards us. I lost the race with Tam but we both moved to either side of her on the bed taking a hand. She turned to me as her eyes flicked open.

"Harry, I can't hold it in, you need to help me."

"You can't hold what in?" I asked concerned.

"I don't know, I think it's your magic."

"What do you mean Em, you don't have any magic." Tamara said worriedly.

Emily sat up and turned to me, pulling her hand from Tamara and taking hold my hand with both of hers.

"I need you to take it back...NOW!"

Through our connected hands I felt a sudden burst of magic rip into me as I felt my reserves of mana grow within me. I panicked though as I realised that not all of her magic was being drawn into me as flickers of flames shot off from our clasped hands. Luckily before things became too out of hand it ended abruptly as Emily fell back onto the bed dazed.

"What was that...what just happened?" Tamara asked desperately as she used the wet cloth to put out a few small flames from Emily's magic as I just sat staring at her perfect still form.

"I think we just answered the question about whether she has magic or not," I said soberly feeling my heart lurch.

"No, she said it was your magic."

"I don't have that level of magic yet. That came from her. I'm so sorry."

"No, No, No, I won't let them near her." She stated defiantly as tears fell from her eyes.

At this point Emily stirred and sat up smiling up at me.

"Hi Harry,"

"Are you ok?" I asked surprised by her apparent levity.

"I'm fine, I think your magic got a little out of control though. I'm not sure I want to try that again," she said as she turned and noticed the distraught look on Tamara's face.

"Tam, why are you crying, what happened?"

Tamara moved to climb into the bed with Emily as she drew her into a hug.

"Em, it wasn't his magic that was out of control."

Emily tried to push Tamara away.

"What do you mean? He's a sorcerer, who else could it have been?"

"I'm so sorry Em. I won't let them take you," Tamara cried as she drew Emily back in.

"No, it can't be me. I would know. I can't be gifted," She looked up at me and my heart broke at her dawning horror and realization of her sealed fate.

"I can't be a Font, they treat them like animals," she said desperately clinging to Tamara as she joined her companion in tears.

"You only become a Font once they bind you. We can try and get you out of here. Can your family keep you hidden?"

"I can't go home unbound, I'm a danger to everyone around me!" she cried forlornly.

I knew that this was the general consensus but I'd had similar bursts of magic before I'd been taught to control things.

"I know it's considered treason to hide an unbound gifted woman but I think we can smuggle you out of the country and find a way to control your magic. There are rumors of a safe haven in the south."

"But what happens if I'm caught, I'll be bound and abused for the rest of my life," she said with dismayed realization.

Tamara turned to me seriously "How likely is it that we can get her out of the country safely?"

I knew how effective the hunting squads were and with her outburst they would soon be on her tail.

"It will be difficult but we have to try."

Emily seemed to be coming back to her senses a little before she turned to me.

"I don't want to risk getting caught nor putting my family in harm's way. Harry is a Sorcerer. I want Harry to bind me to him," she said innocently with her tears still wet on her cheeks.

Both Tamara and I said, "No!" in unison.

"Em, I'm not about to let you enslave yourself to the first sorcerer you've ever met. You barely even know him. I'm taking you somewhere safe."

"I also don't have, nor do I know how to get hold of a soul stone. Plus, I've seen how Fonts are forced to live and behave, I couldn't do that to you."

"I know what it involves, I'll just have to serve you. There are thousands of pleasure slaves who have to do the same thing every day," she announced far too optimistically.

I realised that she had very little knowledge of what being a Font entailed. Even I didn't know everything but I knew enough to know just how brutally they were often treated and the strict rules owners were meant to follow.

"Emily...I don't think you realise what you are asking. I'd have to do things to you, things I can barely bring myself to imagine doing. You'd have to spend the rest of your life as my belonging, as my slave." I said in as serious a manner as I could, "I'm not going to make you my slave when you can still escape."

At this point Tamara took Emily by the hand and pulled her over to the other side of the room and they began whispering away. I sneakily directed mana through my arcane core and into my ears as I enhanced my hearing to listen in on their conversation.

"Em, this isn't like one of your little fantasy books. He isn't going to keep you chained up in a golden cage and treat you like a captured princess. They'll do things to you, things you've never had done to you before."

"I know Tam, but what other options do I have? Plus, he seems really nice and is ridiculously handsome...if I have to be enslaved to someone why can't it be him."

I felt myself blush at her words as my member came to life.

"Stop being silly, you'd be a slave not a lady. He might be nice now but he has his own slave already. How do you know he doesn't treat her badly?"

At this point I felt guilty for listening in so pulled back my magic before making a sound to get their attention.

"There is something else I think we need to discuss," I stated trying to get the image of Emily as my slave out of my mind.

"I'm worried that other's might have felt what you just did," I said worrying about what my father would do if he found her.

"What do you mean?" Tamara asked me.

"There is a powerful Sorcerer on this ship who already has two of his own Font's. I'd be surprised if he didn't sense that and will likely come to investigate."

Emily stepped towards me looking panicked but with her tears now under control, "What would he do if he finds me?"

"I think it's best we avoid finding out," I replied.

"Should I hide?" she continued in a worried tone.

"No, I think you need to leave this cabin though. Why don't you both come and stay in my cabin. I have a spare bed and my magical essence should mask the limited magic coming off you now. From there we can plan what to do next."

"Are you sure you have enough room for both of us?" Emily asked nervously.

"We can make do. Can you both quickly pack up your things and I'll take you there," I said gesturing at the messy room.

Tamara turned to respond, "Is it not safer to get her out of here now. I can stay and pack before joining you once the coast is clear. Just get her out of here."

As she said this, she pulled Emily's hand that she was still grasping and pressed it into my grip.

"Wait Tam, you need to come with us as well."

Tamara ignored her, "What deck is your room on?"

"I am in the Cedar suite" I replied.

"Suite?" Emily exclaimed.

"My father is rich...," I said embarrassed that my father's money paid for everything.

"I'll send a note once things are sorted and you can come and help me move but if you don't hear anything assume that the coast isn't clear," Tamara said sternly, "Now take her and go."

I nodded to Tamara before pulling a reluctant Emily dressed in just an elegant pink nightie that hung off her shoulder out into the corridor as we made our way to my suite. While walking hand in hand Emily stopped and pulled me into an alcove looking up at me with a worried look.

"Harry, I'm scared...I don't want to end up with someone else. Why don't you want me? I thought you like me."

"Emily it's not like that. It's because I like you that I couldn't bear to do that to do."

"Do what to me? I'll end up bound to someone eventually," she said hopelessly.

"Don't say that. We'll find a way to get you to safety," I said as I tried to pull her into a hug but she moved away.

"What if I don't get away! Even if I do, I don't want to spend the rest of my life hiding and on the run."

I didn't want to let her go but she was too innocent to understand the true horror of being a Font. But the fear of her being someone else's slave hurt an awful lot more.

I was eventually able to pull her into a hug and just held her tightly until she began to relax a little. Once she'd recovered, we made our way back through the ship until we reached the entrance to my suite. Before going in she pulled me back to speak with her.

"So is your slave...is she staying in your Suite as well?" she asked nervously.

"Yes of course, her name is Scarlett and I try not treat her like a slave if I can avoid it. She really wants to meet you and I'm sure you'll both get on fine," I responded a jovially as I could manage.

"She wants to meet me?" Emily asked surprised.

"She knows I met with you and how much our kiss meant and was excited by the idea of meeting," I said trying to sound optimistic.

Emily blushed in response.

In the time I'd been with Emily and Tamara it had gone dark outside so as I stepped into the drawing room of my suite and found the nodule to flick on the crystal lighting which soon bathed the room in a pleasant glow.

I gestured for Emily to follow me into the room wondering where Scarlett might be but I needn't have worried.

"Master, I'm in the bedroom," I heard Scarlett's lyrical voice declare.

I quickly made my way in to find the room candlelit and Scarlett standing in a black silk dressing gown before me. Before I was able to say anything she flicked off the gown to reveal herself dressed in skimpy black and red lingerie with a garter belt holding up transparent black stockings quite literally taking my breath away.