Asher frowns. "When?"
"Now, my lord."
"Bloody hell. They'd better not make any decisions without me."
"Without us," I correct.
He sighs. "I suppose you better come along. After all, you're safest with a prince."
We leave the castle and step, once again, onto Asher's boat. The sun is high in the sky as we travel south. "We can't let them invade the Outlands," I say, weakly. I've been up all night, and it's taking its toll.
Asher nods. "I agree. If we head past the walls, the Druids will gather an army to meet us. It will be chaos. Both sides will suffer. And our hope of peace will be but a dream."
I fidget with my hands, thinking of alternatives. "Maybe we can offer a peace treaty."
He chuckles. "My brothers care not for peace, remember." Once again, I'm reminded why Asher would make the best king. "And if they capture one of the Druids… I pray they don't learn of the Waystones."
The stone doors. The elevators. The way into Avakiri. "Asher, how is it the vampires don't know of the doors?"
He stares out at the horizon. "When we invaded Inferna, we decimated all in our path. The Fae that could, began to flee. We thought they retreated to the Outlands. In truth, they fled to Avakiri. They sent armies back to meet us, to try and reclaim their lands. Every soldier of theirs was sworn to secrecy. They would die before revealing the purpose of the doors. When we slew the last of the High Fae on this world, we thought the war won. But then my father, through methods of torture I can hardly imagine, learned of the Waystones. He discovered the Fae still held half this world, still had armies, still had fortresses. He did not tell me or my brothers. He chose to have us believe we ruled all, had won all. In the end, he saved many lives."
I shake my head, confused by Lucian and what he told me in the cavern. Half his actions seem to breed war, the other half peace. "I understand how Lucian knew of the Waystones. But what about you?"
He looks away.
"Varis," I say, putting together the pieces. "You were friends. He told you of the doors."
He grins. "Perhaps my father told me recently?"
"No. You knew your way around the Crystal Palace. Around the Air Village. You had traveled those paths many times."
His smile grows wider. "Impressive, Princess. You know, sometimes I wonder if who you choose as king will matter at all. Sometimes I wonder if, in the end, you will rule us all."
White towers peek over the horizon. Banners of all colors flutter in the wind. High Castle.
We reach shore and make haste to the Council Chambers. They are dark, barely lit by blue torches. Grand chairs surround a round table. The banners of each prince hang behind their chairs. The brothers are already there, yelling at each other.
Asher clears his throat, quieting the room, and takes his seat before the purple eagle banner. I stand at his side.
Fen looks up and grins. Baron circumvents the table and greets Yami and me, and I pat the wolf's head.
Levi, his eyes tired, his white hair unkempt, points at me. "This is no place for the princess."
"She stays," Fen says, glaring at his brother.
Asher keeps his face emotionless. "I agree."
The princes exchange nervous glances. Ace checks the watch-gizmo on his wrist and shrugs. "She will be Queen one day. Let her witness the meeting," he says softly.
Dean scowls. "I don't see why she should be Queen of anything—"
"Enough already," Niam groans. "I vote the princess stays. Four against three. Now please, let us return to the matter at hand."
Zeb nods. "We should at least give the Druid's words serious consideration," he says calmly. "War will cost us all."
Dean scoffs. "Give serious consideration to freeing all the slaves? How would that work, exactly?"
Levi reclines in his chair, throwing his feet on the table. He runs his cold eyes across the room. "Yes, let's consider. How would it work? I suppose Dean would have to bathe himself again, and Ace would need to transport all the materials for his inventions by hand, and Zeb's nobles will need to pick their own crops. And Niam's lords—"
"Enough," says Niam. "Dean and Levi are right. From a financial point of view, this would never work. Our economy would collapse overnight. Our nobles, even the middle class, would revolt. We either fight the Fae or we fight our own kind. Seems a simple choice, to me."
"We fight the Fae," Levi says as spittle flies from his twisted mouth. "We defeated the Druids before, and we can do so again."
Zeb raises a finger in the air. "Technically, brother, we defeated the High Fae, and the Druids went into slumber. How could they have returned if the High Fae blood line was killed off centuries ago?"
My blood runs cold at their talk, and Fen looks at me, frowning.
"Someone must have survived," Levi says. "Which leaves us only one choice. We must find the High Fae and kill it, just as we did before. It will end this war before it even begins."
"I agree," Dean says. "Strike at the head and the beast will fall."
This is going too far. "What if there is another way?" I say.
Levi sneers at me. "You are not a part of this Council, girl."
Fen growls. "Let her speak."
Levi looks around for support, but Ace nods. "I too want to hear what the princess has to say."