Page 49 of I Destroyed the Elf Prince's Harem

Now that we were alone, I ripped off the veil and drew in a deep breath…and instantly regretted it. While the room didn’t smell of feces and urine, there was a rankness to our surroundings that I could do without. It also didn’t mix well with the salty air coming in through the tiny porthole window.

“How long will it take to cross the bay to Ulmenor?” I asked, holding my wide sleeve up in front of my face.

“If the weather stays as it is with a quiet wind and little chop to the waves, probably about five hours. Maybe less.” With astounding skill, the elf pulled himself up into the top hammock. He stretched out and removed his veil so he could show off his smirk. “The real wait is going to be the processing of the ferry by the port authority. This isn’t the only ship making the crossing today. I’m sure plenty of others have already set sail ahead of us. If we’re lucky, they won’t be letting the cargo off this ship until the sun has set.”

I attempted to lean on the side of his hammock, but the thing swayed away from me. Frowning, I straightened and tried to find a relaxed position even while my stomach bubbled and churned with a strange mix of anxiety and excitement. This was my first time on a boat, and I was going to see a kingdom ruled by elves.

However, I was sneaking into a kingdom that did not take kindly to trespassers. If we were caught, I was most likely dead.

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but do you have a plan for how we are supposed to get away from this caravan and somewhere relatively safe?” I groaned and scrubbed a hand across my face. “Fuck. Do you even have a plan for how you’re going to find the information you’re searching for?”

Nylian reached out and pressed a finger into the center of my forehead. “One problem at a time.”

I tried to smack his hand away, but the elf giggled and jerked it back, evading my touch. “Fine. How are we getting free of the caravan since we are not part of it?”

“I actually have two plans in place for that.” He held up two fingers and waggled them at me. “If it is evening when we’re released from the ship, the caravan driver will take the gift to a warehouse or a cheap inn for the night. Easy to escape from that. But if it’s still relatively early, and it looks like the driver will deliver the gift to its destination, Jasper is ready to act with a distraction.”

“Jasper!” I gasped. I leaned in closer, my fingers wrapping tight in the ropes of his hammock. “You’re talking magic, aren’t you? Have you lost your fucking mind?”

Nylian wiggled his shoulders as if he were settling into his temporary bed and laced his fingers together over his stomach. “No, it’ll be fine.”

“Uh-huh. Let me remind you of the ducks. And maybe the squirrel-sized ogres. I thought you didn’t like Jasper using magic.”

“It’s fine. Jasper and I have discussed it. He’s casting a small smoke-screen spell. At worst, it will turn into a fog that blankets the entire city for a day or two. Either way, that works in our favor. And I never said I didn’t appreciate Jasper’s magic. I just don’t like it when you’re stupid enough to stand in front of him when he’s casting a spell.”

I did not feel reassured. If anything, I was more afraid now than I had been a minute ago. But there was nothing I could do about it. We were locked in a room on a ship bound for Ulmenor. We’d figure out the rest when we landed.

With a grunt, I paced over to the porthole and cautiously peered out. Thankfully, we were on the side of the ship facing the lake. The waters looked calm, which was reassuring, since I was about to find out whether I got seasick. The shore for Galinaes and Ulmenor’s port was far enough away that I couldn’t even see a glimmer of land. It was endless water, as if we were about to set out to sea.

“Is it strange that none of the female captives that are going to be gifted to someone in Ulmenor were bound or shackled?” I turned and faced Nylian, leaning on the bulkhead with my arms crossed over my stomach. “Didn’t the caravan driver risk losing more of his cargo with them escaping?”

The elf had closed his eyes, but there was a strange grin playing on his lips. “Nope.”

“Why?”

He tilted his head toward me and opened those enormous green eyes. “Because not one of those women sees themselves as a captive. They all belong to a caste that was raised to serve those of a higher caste. It is all they know, and it is all they believe they are capable of. For them, it was an honor to be chosen to represent their people and family in another land. To run away from their duty is to dishonor their family and their original owner. If their previous master discovers it, it’s likely their entire family will be punished. Probably killed.”

My nose wrinkled and my lips twisted in disgust, no matter how I tried to hold back my judgment. That was a result of my upbringing. I’d grown up with the insane belief that I could be anything I wanted, as long as I was willing to work hard enough.

Professional athlete? Sure.

President? Of course.

Full-time author? Yeah, but I wished someone had smacked some sense into me on that one.

“By your expression, I’m guessing that such a thing doesn’t exist in your world,” Nylian drawled.

I opened my mouth to agree, but paused. There were things around my world that I hadn’t been fully exposed to or could properly speak to. “It’s not been part of my personal experience. Where I grew up, such a thing didn’t exist as far as I know. However, it would be naïve of me to say that it doesn’t exist at all.”

“That’s fair,” Nylian said, closing his eyes. “Do you…miss your world?”

Now there was an interesting question. Did I?

I’d not given it much thought other than the need to return to it. But even that wasn’t so much a matter of missing it, but a need to return to the place where I belonged. Did I miss my tiny, messy apartment? Did I miss microwave ramen noodles, my lumpy pillow, and mean comments from readers of my books?

“Not really.” I pushed off the wall and crossed to the hammock. After giving his hammock a shove, I carefully climbed into the hammock under him. “I’ve been kind of caught up in all the insanity here. There has been little time to think about my world.”

Nylian fell silent, and I closed my eyes, thinking that was the end of his questions. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to catch some sleep, as there was nothing we could do while stuck in the room.

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