Page 22 of Heartbreak Prince

“Due to the extensive training, the highly detailed work, and the valuable materials involved, the price of a low-grade magic carpet, one with no speech capability and limited altitude, far exceeds the annual salary of the average household. And then there are the maintenance, cleaning, and repair costs to consider, which are out of reach for all but the wealthiest members of society, even in a kingdom as prosperous as Belavrin. Add to that the fact that magic carpets are limited in how many units of life energy they can support—ah, I didn’t explain that yet, did I?

“Unicorn hairs from the strongest, oldest mares and stallions are typically used to craft more powerful carpets that can carry three or four living beings at a time. No carpet has ever been able to sustain more than four, and the carpets who can bear that many humans are slow, expensive, and unable to fly very high. Their stamina is also reduced, which means they can only fly for a few hours before they must be rolled up and allowed to rest and recharge. For this reason, as well as the matter of cost and maintenance, horses and carriages remain the preferred method of transportation for most humans. Some people do ride the wyverns of the Red Mountains as well, but those creatures are highly volatile, as likely to devour their riders as obey them. They deserve their own treatise, so I will regale you with information on their species at another time.

“A magic carpet like myself, with a nice blend of hairs from unicorns in various stages of life, can fly for several hours at moderate speed while carrying one or two living beings. Their weight or size does not matter, nor does the weight of their luggage, although if you pile too many possessions onto a magic carpet, they will interfere with our agility, and they may tumble off when we flex, ripple, or turn. The faster we fly, the faster our stamina drains, and the sooner we require rest in our rolled-up state. When at rest, our unicorn fibers cease to glow, and we cannot see, hear, or sense anything around us.

“There is one exception, however. Even at rest, a magic carpet can be wakened and activated by the voice of a human with whom that carpet has developed a psychic link. Such a connection forms when a carpet and its dominant rider share significant experiences and develop a relationship based on loyalty, care, and respect. It can happen quickly, or it can take years to develop.

“A rider who is linked to a carpet can call upon that carpet from any distance, and the carpet, whether active or at rest, will be able to sense the location of the rider. The carpet will feel the urge to fly to the rider, and while the summons is not a compulsion, it is a powerful motivation.

“Magic carpets are susceptible to the vagaries of weather. We can be thrown off course by an unexpected gust of wind, which may land our riders in a treetop or at the bottom of a gorge. A carpet as wise as myself can anticipate such issues and self-correct whenever possible. As you’ve seen, I have the capacity to think ahead and respond to danger.

“When it comes to other aspects of the weather, be assured that, although I experience certain tactile sensations and I can sense heat and cold, temperature extremes do not hinder me or threaten my well-being. I dislike the cold because it stiffens my fibers a bit, but it does not prevent me from flying. The sun’s heat does not trouble me either—in fact, I rather enjoy it—but I have a natural aversion to fire, which could destroy me. I would also rather not fly through thick forests full of thorns and sharp branches which could tear me.

“Since we are susceptible to blades, acid, and fire, my kind are typically not ideal for battles. At present, there is no such thing as an indestructible magic carpet, though I suppose one may eventually be created. As I have said, the science and art of carpet craft is relatively new, and it stands wide open to future alteration and invention…”

5

The prince is falling asleep on the magic carpet. Which, as Severin keeps reminding me, is dangerous.

“We are quite high above the ground,” he says. “And while the growing fields of spring hoverbloom below us might provide some cushion for his fall, he will probably die. At the very least, he will fracture multiple bones, which can only make it more difficult for you to escape the people you’re fleeing, whoever they are.”

I haven’t explained the situation to our textile companion. Maybe I should.

“If I tell you what’s going on, and you’re captured by the people who are chasing us, can they use you to get information? Would you answer their questions if they ask about us?”

“I am not bound by any inhibitor strands, and you are not actually my owner. However, my explanation of the link that develops between carpets and their primary guides would certainly lend some insight here.”

“Of course.” I feel the prince’s weight against my back and shoulders start to shift, and I manage to grab him before he slides too far to the side and tumbles off. “Let’s say that perhaps I let my mind wander during that part of your thorough dissertation on carpet creation and function—what part, exactly, would provide insight?”

I could swear the carpet sighs. Or maybe it’s simply a surge of air.

“As I previously explained, a carpet’s guide is the dominant rider, the one who most often provides direction and commands. Sometimes, even without official ownership, the guide and the carpet develop a psychic location link as well as a personal connection. In such cases, the carpet would not dream of betraying the guide to their enemies.”

“Am I the guide, then?”

“You’re the bossier one, to be sure,” replies Severin.

“And do you feel any allegiance to me?”

“What do you think?” he says dryly.

“I think we’re nowhere near that point yet.”

“Then you’re not hopelessly foolish after all.”

“Still, I think you should know what’s going on.”

“If you want to tell me, that is your choice.”

I give him a brief summary, to which he replies, “I may not have much experience being out in the world, but I do not think I am the kind of being who delivers people over to their enemies. So, if I were to be captured by the ones pursuing you, I would endeavor not to give them any usable information. Now, shall we land and find somewhere for the young prince to sleep before he slides out of your grip and falls to his death? Or would his demise be a relief to you?”

“It would,” I admit. “But it’s my job to keep him alive.”

“Not a task I envy, considering that he seems even less intelligent than you are. I, of course, surpass you both in sheer intellectual capacity, given the conditions under which I was created. Or did you miss that part of my talk, too?”

“If you’re as all-knowing as you claim to be, I assume you know of an inn nearby? Preferably something small and clean?”

“I never claimed to be ‘all-knowing,’” Severin points out. “Nor am I consistently infused with up-to-date information about every inn and eatery in the kingdom. However, there is a hamlet nearby that should have a pub with a couple of rooms. Whether it is decent or not, I have no idea. Everyone’s definition of ‘decent accommodation’ is different. For example...”