The shepherdess didn’t struggle as much as Asa had expected. From time to time, she made motions as though she was thinking about trying to break free, but for the most part, she leaned against him. If her muscles hadn’t been so tight, it would have almost been like taking a country drive through the twisting mountain roads.

When they got to Cendas, the city-state ruled by Quinn, his king, the rest of his men broke away, heading for their own homes. Asa slowed his bike as the shepherdess’s head twisted this way and that, taking in the sights. Since this was her new home, he tried to let her see it. The city was much bigger than the villagers thought. Cleaner, too. The captured humans they brought there always expressed that they had expected the city to be a collection of tents full of dirty people who rarely bathed.

He smiled as he pulled up to his manor. It had been in his family for generations and was built far before modern vinyl siding and architecture. The stonework was so tightly-fitted that even without mortar, you couldn’t fit a piece of paper between the rocks. A tall woman with braids hanging down to her knees waited on his front porch.

Asa pulled to a stop, lifted the shepherdess off his bike, and took back his helmet. He put a hand on the small of her back and urged her forward. There were no traces of tears on her face.

Once he got to the stops, he bowed towards the woman. “Thank you for coming to see me, Lady Shante.”

Shante inclined her head and glanced at the shepherdess. “Are you planning to keep her or ransom her back?”

For some reason, the thought of sending her away again made his fires flicker low. “I’ve been wanting a maid. I’ve taken the course for proper treatment of human captives, so I am within my rights to keep her.”

“You took a course?” the shepherdess looked at him with big blue-grey eyes. Her tightly curled hair gleamed like fire in the sun. It was one of the reasons why he had always noticed her during the raids of his village: her red hair. Gorgeous.

“We have strict laws about how captives are treated, girl. Now. What is your name?”

The shepherdess licked her lips. “Willow.”

Shante looked at her and frowned. “You look sturdy and strong. I will have one of my attendants bring over a manual to you, to know what is expected of you as a captive servant and what rights you have. You will not be kept more than three years, at which time you are free to leave or stay on as a paid servant. If Asa here treats you unfairly, then you will tell me and he will be dealt with. Understood?”

Willow nodded, chewing on her lip. “So you – you’re the harem keeper?”

If he hadn’t been so shocked, Asa would have laughed. “Harem?”

“All the captured women are kept in a communal harem . . .  aren’t they?”

“Certainly not.” Shante snorted. “I am the king’s mistress. I am giving him a child since he lost his mate.” Her hand rested on her slightly rounded belly. “It’s an honor I fought hard for. With this position, I have responsibilities, though, and one of them is to ensure that the UN’s Human Rights protocol is not being breached.”

Willow swallowed hard. She stepped away from Asa, a look coming over her face as though she just realized what was going on. “No. I can’t stay here. I can’t be kept here. I have to go.”

“You were taken in a raid and are therefore bound to your captor for three years,” Shante said stoically.

Willow shook her head. “I don’t want to sleep with him!”

“Then don’t. You are not obligated to give him access to your body. And if you change your mind, there is a stringent application process that he must go through.” Shante shook her head. “I will leave you to it, then. Asa, remember that she isn’t to be given any tasks—”

“For three days.” Asa bowed. “Thank you. I will take it from here.”

As Shante walked away, Willow stared at Asa. He met her eyes and she continued to stare for a moment before looking away. He put his hand on the small of her back again to guide her inside. She walked with confident steps and he couldn’t help but smile.

“You don’t seem to be very afraid of me.”

“I’m probably in shock.” Willow shrugged, appearing casual. “I’m sure that I will be afraid once this all sinks in. It’s like a dream. At least, I think it is. I never remember my dreams. Or if I do, I always know that I’m dreaming when I dream. My brother says I have no imagination.”

“I see.”

He led her to the top floor, where the rooms were built into the attic. It was retrofitted to be more comfortable than the first days it had been built, but the rooms weren’t his favorite up there. He glanced around, considering where to take her. The butler’s suite was the most spacious. Everything was coated in dust, though. It had been a long time since he’d been up there.

“You can have this room.” He opened the door to the butler’s suite. “I wasn’t expecting to take a human home with me this time, so things aren’t quite ready for you. I will have a new bed delivered and get some clothing made for you. The water in the bathroom should work.”

He strode through the room to the en suite bathroom. The toilet, a horrible yellow thing, was bone-dry. He remembered that he’d shut off the water years ago. He grimaced and turned back to Willow. She stared around in amazement.

“When did you decorate this place? The seventies?”

“Well . . .  yeah.” Asa glanced at the floral wallpaper and shrugged. “I’ll have it redone. I haven’t had a servant in a few decades. But for now, I’ll get you a proper evening gown. We have to present our hauls to the king during a feast. I hope you like lobster.”

Willow jumped, her eyes growing wide. “I’ve never had it.”

“Well, then.” Asa grinned. “You’re in for a treat.”

***

Asa leaned back in his chair, pushing it up to its back two legs. All around, men and women were patting their stomachs in satisfaction and chatting amiably with one another. Next to him, Willow, in a stunning green off-the-shoulder gown that highlighted her red hair, gazed around with a familiar look on her face. Like she was trying to suck it all in through her eyes.

“So, how did you like your first dragon feast?”

Willow shrugged. “I was surprised that you use silverware. I thought it’d be like a medieval feast, eating with your hands and wiping your faces on your sleeves.”

“We’re dragons, not barbarians.”

The king, Quinn, sat at his own table at the front of the room. Shante sat beside him and an empty chair remained on his other side where his late queen had once sat. Even all these years later, it was strange to see it empty. If Quinn had been anybody else, he would have been permitted to marry again, but a king could only have one queen.

“Bring in the bard,” he called.

“Oh, good!” Asa brought his chair back on all fours. “You’re in for a treat, Willow. Our king’s bard is the most magical singer left on earth.”

Willow gave him a doubtful look as the doors at the back of the hall opened. A stooped, grey-haired man came in, carrying a Celtic harp on his back. He moved with shuffling steps. His bare arms had black tattoos running down them in a pattern you’d find in a dragonfly’s wings. The man bowed to Quinn and took his harp from his back.

“It is an honor to sing for you, my king,” he rasped.

Quinn smiled at him. “Sing us a tale of the old country.”

Willow leaned in close to Asa. “Old country?”

“Faerie,” Asa whispered back. “You see, Sherwood is a fairy.”

Willow’s jaw dropped. “Liar!”

Asa chuckled. “It’s the truth. He was traded to Quinn’s ancestors around the same time that the great pyramids were being built, I believe. He’s been tied to their line ever since. He’s said to have killed a thousand of the king’s children before being bound to his will by the fairy queen when she split the Faerie world from the mortal world.”

“But fairies aren’t real. You’re having me on.”

“I’m not. Fairies are immortal.”

Willow brushed a hand through her red curls. “Like dragons.”

“No. Not like dragons. We grow old and die, just like humans. It just takes us a little while longer. Think about your lifespan compared to your dogs. You could easily see four, five generations of a collie in your lifetime. You’d seem immortal to them.”

Willow ducked her head at that, her lip trembling. Asa was surprised that such a statement would be the one to break down her walls. He opened his mouth, about to tell her that a human’s life could be extended greatly by the consumption of dragon flesh. Eat enough of it, and they could become a dragon themselves. That was how Shante had ended up joining Quinn for so long. He didn’t speak though. Humans were funny creatures, and that information was as likely to disgust her as anything else.

Instead, he sat back and focused on Sherwood as he started to sing, letting the magic of the bard’s voice wash over him.