"My uncle brought you here, darling! Not long ago. You were in a coma."
"Uncle? But I don't understand—how did it happen? And where are my parents?"
"I know nothing about that..." Ula emphasized in a businesslike tone, pursing her full lips affectedly and rubbing the tip of pointer between her fingers. "When Lariel shows up, you can find out where he brought you from yourself! I didn't ask... My uncle is always dragging some girl or other around; you can't keep track of them all... But you're clearly his type—I know him well... he needs 'that' every day... because he's insatiable!"
"That... what do you mean?"
"Intimacy! Lariel only makes love to delicate, beautiful girls with fragrant mana..." Ula explained, accompanied by the boys' quiet giggling. "Silence, you wretches! That is rude behavior! You can't act like that! You should be asking politely, 'How can we help you, my lady?' instead of neighing like idiots! Is that clear?"
"Are you seriously... bringing up them like that? This isn't a game?" Elina asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"That's just how life is for us! These lads need to have it explained clearly how to behave around high-born ladies!"
"I agree... I'm an aristocrat myself, actually!"
"It shows! Lar rarely messes around with commoners! If he dragged you here, it means you're special to him in some way!"
"What is he like... this Lar?"
"Very handsome... everyone likes him! There's nothing to worry about... don't be afraid... you'll get used to living with Syrinxes, Elina. There are a lot of us! About a thousand!"
"And do they all have wings?"
"Almost all of them!"
It took her a long time to adjust to her new life in a transformed, adult body, all while avoiding contact with the huge, winged "uncles" she watched warily in flight from her bedroom window.
There was no way out of the vast palace garden, which was enclosed by a towering wall—a secure place for keeping captive bipeds.
Realizing she had been abducted and raised during a long coma for some special purpose, she had hoped to find other young women for moral support; however, the palace turned out to be empty and deserted, and only the explanations offered by the young Princess Ula kept her spirits up.
Missing her parents, Elina would replay memories of her former life every day, waking up anxiously at night as she tried to figure out a way to return home. The anticipation of unpleasant changes was agonizing, yet nothing terrible actually happened; instead, she spent her time strolling through the garden and trying on an extensive wardrobe of silk corset dresses that accentuated her slender waist.
"I've been ordered to keep an eye on you until you settle in! It's obvious you're afraid of our men—you run away whenever they appear... And rightly so! Better not to fall into their clutches," Ula remarked with a sly smirk.
"How can I escape from here?" The silent question was picked up telepathically.
"That's hardly possible, my dear."
"You see, I lived in a completely different world! There were another things there... household items, cars, appliances, gadgets... and all kinds of food! Here, I only eat fruit from the garden, like some poor wretch! What kind of place is this, anyway? It's boring, and there's no high-tech stuff?"
"What are you talking about?"
It was explained to her in greater detail that she was on one of twenty-one colony planets settled by groups of winged beings; ordinary humans did exist there, too, but they lived apart.
"But they wouldn't let you live in their villages... Those are commoners, the destitute! Kingdoms used to exist there long ago, but everything vanished during the invasions of the flesh-eaters... Though those are stories too terrifying for you!"
"What does your father the King do?"
"Erin spends a lot of time in Ornalion, a city far from here; he rarely visits. Mother is there too, but I'm fine on my own..."
"And they trust your uncles enough to leave you unsupervised?"
"I hold high status and bear the Seal of Inviolability... so no one would dare touch me!"
"What kind of seal is that?" Elina asked, surprised.
"A magical one! If someone grabs my arm, they get a stunning blow to the head! Who would want to deal with that kind of pain?"
"And how does one acquire magic?" the captive asked, her interest piqued.
"You can consult your patron that when he shows up!" Ula burst into laughter, making her shift nervously on the garden bench.
Soon Lariel showed up in a rather peculiar way: she simply woke at dawn in the arms of a powerful, handsome winged man.
Stunned by the incredible sight of the naked man sleeping peacefully, with his long, lavender-colored locks and not daring to make a sound in her astonishment, she wondered if... he had likely already done something to her. She didn't make a scene; instead, she lingered, admiring his attractive features. Suddenly, the thick, dark lashes of his closed eyes fluttered, and a lilac flash illuminated his burning gaze. Without a word, amidst the rustle of grey wings fluttering behind him, he immediately pinned her beneath him and crushed his mouth against hers; he devoured her, sucking her in as if she were a delicacy with evident relish, accompanied by low moans and a rumbling purr. Her heart hammered wildly as she struggled in vain to break free from the muscular body pinning her down.
"I am Lariel. Do not be afraid!" the girl heard an imperious, velvety voice echo in her mind. "Everything is all right..."