We dismount, and I summon my happiness, turning Yami smaller. He jumps up on my shoulder and snuggles against my neck.
"Follow me," says Dean. "I know the way to the fortress."
We walk down a street, and I quickly realize this city is far larger than I even thought. It's funny how small things can look from up in the sky. Down here, everything looms over me. A few minutes pass, and people start to leave their homes, setting up shops, tending to jobs. I note their fancy clothing and clear eyes. Vampires. Good. The sun begins to rise, though the sky turns barely brighter. It seems we must live in Darkness while Lucian still draws breath.
I allow myself to look around, to enjoy this place I've never visited before.
The Realm of Sloth is truly a place of marvels. Golden carriages ride on rails throughout the city, taking nobles to grand halls and splendid manors, while others with less fortune travel by canal or on foot, filling up giant market squares where goods and inventions are traded. Green vines spill over the golden buildings, and glass doors and ceilings are common, filling the city with the dull hue of a diluted sun blocked by Darkness. It's all very steampunk fantasy, at least according to the standards of my own world. It's funny how far away that seems. I haven't thought about social media or cell phones or cat videos in so long. Everything about me has changed. I guess it's part of survival that we so easily adapt to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. That and maybe there's something in my blood that always knew this place, this world was part of me. Steam contraptions pop and fizzle on the sidewalks, creating juicy drinks one can purchase on the go. Dean buys me one, and I find the taste a mix of pineapple and something unique to this realm, something that makes me tingle. Then we reach the fortress.
The Golden Castle stands atop a hill surrounded by canals, its golden walls shooting up into the sky, filled with trebuchets ready to fire at enemy forces and soldiers prepared to fight off any invaders. It is larger than High Castle, Sky Castle, even Stonehill. Pathways connect it to the giant walls spanning the entire city. Dean explains the reasoning, waving his hands in grand gestures. "The gates can be reinforced with troops straight from the castle. For the metropolis to fall, the fortress must fall. This was not the way with Stonehill, where too often the city was ruined while the castle stood strong. Here, civilians are safe during battle. Ace is a bloody genius I tell you."
We reach the castle gates, and the guards, two men clad in golden armor, recognize Dean instantly. "Prince Dean. We'd heard reports your realm had fallen to the Fae. We thought you were…"
"Alive and well, as you can see," he says with a smile and a wink. "We must see Prince Ace immediately. "
"Of course, but…"
Dean clenches his jaw. "But?"
"He's in an important meeting."
Dean and I exchange glances. Important meeting? Lucian said he would offer his children a chance to pledge allegiance. If that's what happening now… "We must get to him immediately," I say, drawing my two swords. "Take us to him now, or else face a vampire prince and the Midnight Star."
Their eyes go wide at the mention of my title. "Of course, Prince all Powerful. This way."
Dean chuckles as the guards open the gate, and we follow them inside, up golden stairs and hallways until we reach a grand door. I push it open, swords at the ready in case Ace proves foe rather than ally.
The Prince of Sloth stands by his war table, a brown cloak falling from his shoulders, a belt of gadgets strapped to his waist. A clock-like gizmo hangs on his wrist, and a sword hangs at his side. He no longer wields the cane. His face is hard. Eyes like brown marble. Dark brown hair neat. This is not the injured Ace I last saw, but a prince ready for war.
A familiar face is with him. Zeb leans over a map, his shady hair messy, his eyes too tired. So, this is who Ace was meeting with.
Tension hangs in the air between us.
Last time I saw these two, the council sentenced Fen and I to death. Now, I need their help.
I step forward. "Ace, I—"
He raises a hand, cutting me off. "Before you speak your part, I must know one thing. The thing I have asked myself every day of this past month. Why did you never tell me the truth? Why did you never tell me you were the Midnight Star?"
Dean reaches for his sword, but I touch his hand and shake my head. "I will tell you." I see in Ace's eyes only the truth will do. Another lie will break him. I step forward once more, closer to the two princes. "First, the Fae… no, Lucian, forced me into a new contract. I could not speak the truth to anyone who didn't already know it. I could not tell you I was the Midnight Star. I could not even tell you your father still lived. If I tried, my mouth would lock shut, my body would fill with pain."
Zeb looks away, his face reflecting the agony of my words. Ace gives me no sign. No change in his mood.
I step closer, continuing. "So I could not tell you, even if I wanted to. Not until the battle at Stonehill. The contract was terminated so that I could defend myself even if it meant revealing I was Fae. It is then, of course, you found out the truth. A part of me wishes you had known sooner." I step closer once more. "But in the end, even if I could have told you earlier, I do not think I would have. You are my friend, yes, but you are also a prince. You have a responsibility to your people. A duty to protect them. If you had to choose between me and your realm, I suspect you would pick your people in the end. I think, if you would not, then we would never have been friends."