It was a large, open-aired room. The floor was still of stone, but it was mostly covered with thick carpets, pillows, cushions with tassels, and daybeds piled high with more pillows. A haze of almost sickly sweet smoke hung in the air, and there were platters of food and drink on low tables everywhere. In the back, there were several hallways branching off from the main room.

There were several women there, and they looked up languidly at us. They all wore drape-y, revealing clothing. Most of them were human, I realized, though a few were fey. The human woman had kind of fuzzy expressions on their faces, and glassy, blurry looks in their eyes. Were they drugged?

One of the fey women was smoking some kind of pipe, which was the source of the noxiously sweet-smelling smoke.

“Ladies, this is Mercy. She’s the newest member of my little harem. Please make her welcome.” Brand announced to them.

None of them really reacted. Not that I’d have noticed even if they had, because his words shot through me like an arrow, freezing my blood.

His harem. That’s what this was. The room where he kept his concubines…and I suspected not one of them was there by their own free will.

I took several deep breaths, willing myself to be calm, but I choked on the cloying smoke and coughed.

“Now, let’s get you out of those bindings.” Brand turned back to me, grinning evilly at me. “But security comes first.” I felt magic in his voice when he spoke again. “You want to be here, as my concubine. You’re glad to fulfill my every whim. You do not leave here without my permission. I am your master now. You will do as I say.”

I made a split-second decision. He didn't need to know that his speech-magic had no effect on me. Something told me he’d have me thrown into the dungeons if he knew I could resist it, and at least this place wasn’t cold. I’d also have a better way of finding a means of escape if I wasn’t locked in a dungeon.

Instead of telling him where he could go and what he could do to himself, I let my head droop and my shoulders sag, hoping that was a reasonable reaction to speech magic. “Yes master.” I murmured, cringing inwardly at how stupid it sounded.

Brand said something to Parva in Faerie, and the restraints on my wrists were cut loose.

I idly rubbed my wrists, trying not to seem like I wasn’t enchanted.

“Well, that takes care of that.” Brand smiled, “I’d tend to you right now, but…business calls, I’m afraid. Don't be too sad though, you’ll see me tonight for sure, my pet.”

I let myself nod dumbly.

“The magic really seems to affect you.” he said smiling to himself. “That makes my life a lot easier.”

“I’m not strong.” I told him, shrugging weakly. “Just a healer.” He didn’t need to know that I’d been working on using fire and levitation. The fire came more easily still, but levitation was difficult. Fen said my magic was very odd, so I’d need to be careful when I used it here, otherwise it would be noticed very quickly. Though I’d used it in the dungeon, and no one had mentioned feeling me use it, so perhaps I’d be able to get away with a little without being noticed.

“Good!” Brand threw his head back and laughed, then addressed the other women. “Find her some new clothes, ladies.”

“Yes master.” the women spoke in unison.

“I’ll be back later.”

“Goodbye, master.” They said, I chimed in this time, hoping I seemed just as dreamy and foggy as the other human women did.

The door shut, and I felt magic surge through it, locking it tightly.

One of the human women stood. “You need a new outfit.” She said in a monotonous, kind of sleepy voice. “Follow me.”

“I like this dress though.” I told her, trying to match her flat tone.

“The master said you need a new outfit.” Another of the human woman said, coming up beside me and catching my wrist. “Come.”

They led me down one of the hallways in the back of the room, and to another room full of clothing, apparently the harem’s walk-in closet.

I was quickly stripped of my clothing, and practically shoved into another, far more revealing outfit made of the same lightweight chiffon the other women wore. It was practically see-through as well, which only made it even worse. It consisted of a bustier with a cutout across the top of my bust, nothing to cover my stomach and back at all, though it had gauzy-wrist lengthy sleeves, and a low-rise set of flowy pants, though the fabric of the legs was split on the outside basically up to my hips.

Oh well, at least it was only other women there, for now. I’d have to formulate my escape before Brand returned. Though I didn't like the clothes I'd been forced to put on, the one silver lining to them that they would be easier to move in than my dress, which meant that, when I made my escape, I'd have less trouble running.

The two other women wandered from the room, and I sat down on the floor to think. I had to get out of here, before Brand returned.

I did not want him to touch me, or come even remotely close to me.

After turning over various escape plans in my head for a while, and deciding each one was unlikely to work, I became unable to ignore the gnawing pit of hunger in my stomach anymore. I was thirsty again as well.

Getting up, I made my way back to the larger room, where I remembered seeing food and drink set out on tables.

“Is this food for us?” I motioned at a tray of finger food.

“Yes. Help yourself.” One of them said, yawning sleepily.

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I dug in, ravenous. There was no way I was escaping if I had no energy. I ate and drank until I was full, then took a deep breath, and coughed again because of the smoke, so I drank a bit more water.

It really was a very strong smell, and I knew it would give me a headache if I kept having to breathe it in. On that note, I looked around the room to see if there were any windows we could open to vent the air a little.

All of the light in the place was currently supplied by windows near the ceiling. From what I could see, I should be able to fit through them, provided they opened.

“Can we open those windows up there?” I asked the group of women, “The smoke makes me feel sick.”

“Yes. Simone, stop smoking.” One of the fey women spoke up. She didn’t have the same dreamy tone as the human women.

Simone, the woman with the pipe, immediately put it out without a fuss, murmuring, “Okay.”

The fey woman walked up to me. “We can open a few and get the smoke out.”

I studied her. Though her tone was tired, her eyes were still sharp, and not fogged over with Brand’s magic. “You’re…not enchanted.” I said softly.

Those sharp eyes were dark blue, and she had crimson skin, dark purple hair, a pair of small white horns, and a pair of grey cat ears.

She blinked, sounding surprised, “Neither are you…but…you’re human!”

Making yet another split-second decision, I decided to trust her. Taking a deep breath, I said, “I have my own magic, like he said. I’m not so easily enchanted.” The other women seemed to not be paying any attention to us as they lounged on their various cushions and daybeds.

“Fey aren’t so easily enchanted the same way humans are either. Technically, I am bound to Brand’s bidding by magic, but through a rune, not speech-magic, like he uses for humans.” She showed me a mark in a letter-like shape on the outside of her left shoulder.

“If he finds out I’m not enchanted by speech-magic, I bet he’ll try that…I don’t know if I’ll be immune to that or not.” I chewed my lip. “I-I don’t intend to be here to find out.”

“Only weak fey are susceptible to runes. He preyed on us, knowing we were weak.” she motioned at another one of the fey women, then told me, “But if you could repel his speech-magic, I think you’d be okay. Though a rune not taking hold on your skin would only enrage him, which would be dangerous, and he’d already be angry to find you’d not been affected by his speech-magic.”

“What’s your name?”

“Chrysanthemum. Call me Chrys, though.”

“I’m Mercy.”

“It’s good to meet you.” Chrys smiled sadly, “Although I know these circumstances are…not good.”

“Yeah.” I muttered, glancing around. “I think I can fit out those windows."

“Let’s get a couple open.” she nodded, going to the wall and grabbing a long rod. She lifted it to a window, and used it to manipulate the latch, and push the pane up.

“If I can get up there, you and the others could too…we could probably manage to get the other humans out too.”

Chrys shook her head, “If it were that easy, we’d have already done it. Runes don’t break until the caster releases them, or dies, and Brand would rather die than release us, he’s said as much before. He’s ordered us not to leave, and we have to obey that. He didn’t order us not to help someone else leave, and the other humans won’t go willingly because of his spells either, not without causing a ruckus, anyways.”

Another of the fey women drifted over, addressing Chrys in Faerie and smiling a little apologetically at me. She had somewhat small, white wings, light brown skin, and bubble-gum pink hair.

“This is Vana. She doesn't speak your language.”

“That’s alright.” I smiled at Vana, still wanting to be friendly.

Chrys and Vana spoke in low, seriously voice for a few moments. Finally, Chrys turned back to me, “We’ll do what we can to help you.”

“If I make it out of here, I’ll send help for you.” I told them firmly.

“Unless you intend to rid the world of Brand, there’s not much you can do for us.” Chrys sighed, “But we won’t let you rot in here. We’re a lost cause, but you should escape while you can, before he’s touched you.”

I shuddered, “I…I’m…terrified of that.”

Vana put a gentle hand on my shoulder, murmuring softly in Faerie.

“I…I know someone who could help you all, though, if I can just get to him. He'd be more than happy to help." That said, if time weren't a pressing issue, Fen would find me and get me out of the situation without me having to escape. But given that Brand had promised to come back that night, well, I didn't need to wait around for Fen to rescue me, though I knew he would come for me, once he figured out where I was.

“Brand’s home is well-guarded.” Chrys shook her head regretfully.

“The High King, Fen, is my fiance.” I told them, “I don’t think he’d let that stop him."

She gaped at me. “What?!”

“It’s…not common knowledge, but…if I can just get back to him, he'll be happy to deal with Brand and help you all out of this place."

Chrys shook her head, seeming bewildered. “If that’s true…well, we’ve got to get you out of here! We may be magically weak, but we’re physically strong, like the rest of our kin. I think we can get you up to the window. I fear the other humans would call for the guards if they notice though...” Chrys beckoned over the last of the fey women. “Mya.”

The last fey woman had sage green skin, forest green hair, and lovely blue scales around her eyes and on her arms. After a quick explanation, Mya smiled brightly, “Oh excellent!”

“It will take two of us to get her to the window, I think.” Chrys looked up, judging the distance. “We’ll need someone to keep the other ladies occupied while we do this.”

“I can do that!” Mya smiled, then drifted back to the other human women. “Why don’t we go have a nice bath?” she suggested innocently. “I’m willing to share my bubble bath that the master gave me! It’s his favorite.”

The poor, enchanted human women tittered excitedly at that, and followed her willingly.

“That’s scary.” I murmured.

“Yes. Although it’s…almost a kindness. At least they think they want to be here, for now.” Chrys sighed, shaking her head as the group drifted down the hallway.

We turned to face the window, which was high above us.

Chrys and Vana spoke in Faerie for a little while.

Finally, Chrys told me, “Vana is going to fly up to the window and over there. I’ll give you a boost up into the air, and she’ll catch you. She can’t take off with two people, but she can keep you up there long enough to get hold of the sill, and then she’ll do what she can to get you out once you have a grip.”

“Okay.” I nodded.

“Once you’re out of here, we won’t be able to help you. I think there’s a pretty steep drop, given the height of the window. Stay on the sill until you get your bearings, and hope that a guard isn’t passing by.”

“I’ll look before I just pop out the window.”

Vana leapt into the air, slowly rising up to the height of the window, and hovering there. She nodded at Chrys, who laced her fingers together, and dropped to one knee. “Put your foot into my hand.”

I did as she said, putting my hands on her shoulders.

“On three, I’ll propel you up. Reach out so Vana can catch you.” Chrys directed.

“Right.” I nodded.

“There are a lot of statues and pillars, they might give you places to hide, but you’ll have to be careful, we have very good hearing.”

“Right." I nodded.

“Alright. One. Two. Three!” Chrys vaulted me easily into the air, and I flung my arms up.