secure an heir for the family line. Weddings are planned in a rather brisk but ceremonial fashion.” Anna wrinkled her nose. “They’ll turn you into a princess, and while I dislike the whole damned thing, at least you’ve earned being turned into a princess. Ain’t nobody with a working pair of eyes who can dispute that, seeing what you’ve been doing in the outskirts. And word got around you sheltered one of the bounty hunters out for your head before giving him the slip. Sorry about that cellar of yours, though. You burned it?”
“Somewhat. You can use it if you need it.” To prove my point, I gave her its location and how to get into it. “I’ve got better places.”
If she wanted to find out about my Asylum pass, she’d have to work harder for it. I’d have to take care with when and how I accessed the underground city, but it was a small price to pay. Once I had a few minutes, I’d evaluate my situation and figure out how best to handle those after me right along with figuring out why they’d picked me.
My parents had a little wealth, but not enough to warrant interest from a major family line. More importantly, beyond having a child with fox ears and a tail, they brought little to the table in terms of their magic. They had enough to be respected, but they’d never be powerful or influential enough to give me standing among the top-tier men and women ruling over the East.
While I could still vote, I wondered how my vote stacked when compared to those who bought and sold people to improve their family lines on their quest for more power for the next generation. I could only assume my parents were a symptom of the system, as neither discussed how they met each other, and most days, it impressed me they’d gotten along well enough to have me in the first place.
“Yes, you’ve proven to be quite resourceful. I’m more impressed a little vixen from the East is capable of doing so well in the Alley. Most imports tend to die during the first storm season.”
No kidding. If I had to guess, one in ten survived to see their second storm season, and the smart ones left when the weather was calm. “Why me?”
“You’re a rarity, and foxes are trendy right now. Not just trendy, but useful, especially for families hoping to develop new powers. That you’re capable of dodging bounty hunters for so long has sent a message to the buyers: you’re smart. They want smart matrons. Smart matrons make and break empires. But that’s a double-edged sword, and the buyers know it. If they want your cooperation, they’ll have to win you over. However much it disgusts me, this might be a good deal for you, but I get your type.”
“You do?”
“You’re proud. You’re going to give your buyers nothing but trouble, and they know it. That’s part of why they’re paying so much for you.”
I couldn’t tell if she complimented me or scorned me, judging from her wry tone alone. “Do you know who the buyers are?”
“No. It’s anonymous. The influential families in the East likely know who it is, and they’ll counter bid a while just to make the buying family earn you. This sort of auction tends to go over rather amiably. They know if they bid up too high on the interested buyer, retaliation will come, and the auctions will become much more ruthless. Generally, two or three competing families will bid first, and they won’t go more than a couple of hundred thousand unless they want to be a contender, but even as a contender, they won’t go over a million. Those bids mostly establish approval for the uncontested courtesan. It’s considered to be bad form not to bid on someone like you. The higher the bids, the more approval you and the buying family have garnered. I believe it’s to send a message to the courtesan as much as it is to send a message to the buyers.”
“What message? That they have more money than sense?”
“That you’re worth the price they’re paying for you. If a family overbids, and the original buyers back out, they win you and the clauses of the contract all apply. I’ve heard of people buying out the original buyers before on purpose, though.”
“The odds of that happening with me?”
“Considering how much your bounty is worth, it’s unlikely. The bounty just gets you