Esana birds landed in the courtyard of the Ashfen castle. Dust and dirt flew up around them as they shifted back into their human forms. Naturally Orias thought of his mother first, but he remembered she was busy with the province.
Taking the bag with them, the twins walked inside. A single maid was there to greet them. He was surprised she was still working for them, but happy nonetheless.
“Welcome back, Prince Orias and Lady Isabella. Would you like me to prepare a bath and some food for you?” She asked, bowing her head.
Orias nodded. “Thank you. Also, could you tell me where Sela is?”
The maid straightened up. “The Chief is in the dungeon, Prince. She is interrogating a prisoner.”
He thanked her and made his way down to the dungeon with only his sister as company. They walked down the stone steps, the air getting colder and damper.
“Brother why are we going to see Sela? I thought we were going to rest,” Isabella asked, her eyes adjusting to the dim light.
Their flight had exhausted the both of them, the journey from the capital took three days instead of two.
“War preparations. We need to start getting ready,” he explained.
She tilted her head. “Doesn’t war require an army? We have five rats and some human guards.”
Ruffling her hair, he chuckled. “You have a lot to learn, little sister.”
The dungeon was a small space with a few cells.
“As the great Sun Tzu once said: The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
“Uhuh... And who is Sun Tzu?” Bella asked. She opened the door, revealing a large room with a single chair in the middle. A woman was sitting in it, her hands chained to the armrests.
Another woman stood in front of her, her arms crossed and her expression serious.
Sela, the chief of the Ashfen army. She was a salamander demi-human with fiery red hair and orange eyes. Her body was athletic, her curves visible even in the dim light.
“Prince Orias. What a pleasant surprise. Lady Isabella.” She greeted, bowing her head.
The woman in the chair looked up, her face bruised and bloody. Orias couldn’t recognize her.
“Please, continue. Don’t mind us.” He smiled.
Sela nodded and turned back to the prisoner. She pulled out a small knife from her waist and pressed it against the woman’s cheek.
“Tell me. Why did you kill the merchant?” She asked, her voice calm.
The woman spat on Sela’s boots, her eyes full of hate. Orias was surprised she still had the strength to do that.
The chief sighed and wiped her boot with the hem of her shirt.
“Should I just execute her now prince? She murdered a merchant from Grancraft and stole his goods. We have a witness and the body.” Sela asked, her gaze on Orias.
Grancraft... was another province ruled by one of his brothers. Not the best reputation but better than his.
“Eh I don’t think brother Lucian would care much about one merchant,” he mumbled, thinking out loud. “Keep her alive for now. Maybe we can sell her to a travelling merchant that deals with... exotic goods.”
Sela raised a brow, but didn’t question his order. The prisoner struggled against her chains, her mouth moving but no sound came out. Gesturing for Sela to follow him, Orias left the dungeon with his sister.
The three of them went up to a small room with a table and chairs. A jug of water was on the table and Orias poured himself a glass. The candles were dim and the smell of mold was strong.
“Prince, what is happening? Did something occur in the capital?” Sela asked, sitting down across him. She stretched her arms above her head and let out a sigh. She could feel the prince’s intense gaze on her chest.
Isabella plopped down on his lap, putting her arms around his neck.
Orias cleared his throat and looked away from Sela’s chest. “Well, you see, we are going to war. So, I need you to start making preparations.”
“With what resources? This place barely has enough money to pay our soldiers. Not to mention we only have two guards stationed in the Ashen Lake and they’re both useless. If we go to war, we will be wiped out.”
On his lap, Bella nodded along. She looked at him with those big red eyes, expecting an amazing plan from her genius brother.
“I don’t know...” he said, sipping the water. It tasted like dirt.
The women stared at him blankly. Never in their life did they hear the prince say those words.
Sela leaned forward, placing her hands on the table. The candle showed small scales on her skin, her orange eyes glowing in the dim light.
“You don’t know? Prince, with all due respect, if you don’t have a plan then I suggest we start packing our bags and flee to another kingdom.”
A smirk spread across his face.
Scoffing, he put his glass down and stared at the salamander.
“Who said anything about fleeing? I just need more time to think of a brilliant plan. So until then I need you to secure our water source and gather more men. Can you do that for me, Chief?”
His tone was authoritative, his eyes piercing.
Sela was silent, her mind working. She had known Orias since she arrived at the Ashfen four years ago. He was an unpredictable man, but he always delivered. She trusted him, even if she questioned his methods.
Nodding, she stood up and stretched again, her curves on full display. “I will do as you request, Prince. But I hope you have a plan soon or I am out of here.” She left the room, leaving the twins alone.
Isabella poked his cheek.
“So, what’s the plan? And what’s with all the staring at her body?” She raised a brow.
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes on the wooden ceiling. The mold was growing. He needed to do something about that but before that he needed to do three things: ensure a stable flow of water and mana cores, gather a bigger army, and find a way to use his blessing.
The last one was the most important.
He checked his wrist. The mana crystal was around a third full. Which meant he could shapeshift for another day before needing another core.
Holding Bella’s hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed it.
“Shall we try making another baby, sis?” He chuckled. His face was serious though.
She tilted her head.
“I thought you said that you can’t get pregnant from us having sex?” She asked, her fingers tracing his lips.
He shrugged. “It didn’t work before, but maybe now it will. It glowed for a reason, right?”
Isabella hummed and stood up from his lap.
“I don’t mind using my dick on you, but I think we should do it in our room. The smell of mold is giving me a headache.” She pouted.