Page 11 of Kingdoms of Tides and Twilight

Together. He smiled at the thought, a warmth spreading through his chest.

He heard footsteps approach his room, the sound growing louder with each passing second. The heavy door opened with a groan, and a guard strolled in. Grayden vaguely recalled tripping this guard on his way down the hall earlier. The guard's wary glance confirmed the memory. Behind the guard was King Triston himself, his presence filling the room despite his calm demeanor.

The Tidal King strolled into the room, his movements graceful and measured. Grayden sheepishly noticed the swelling along Triston's lower jaw from where he had punched him. For his part, King Triston remained calm, his face betraying no emotion as he sat opposite Grayden in the chair. Once Triston sat down, he motioned for the guard to leave them. The guard hesitated for a moment, clearly reluctant to leave his king alone with the man who had assaulted him, but a firm nod from Triston sent him on his way.

Grayden waited for him to speak first, the silence stretching between them, but instead Triston just stared at him, face unflinching and impossible to read. The quiet became oppressive, pushing down on Grayden until he could no longer bear it.

“When can I see Renya?” Grayden asked, breaking the silence, his voice rough with emotion.

King Triston looked at him with scrutiny, his gaze sharp and assessing. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke, his voice low and controlled.

“You come into my kingdom unannounced, steal a canoe, force your way into my palace, strike me, injure my guards, and then break into my guest's room.” Each offense was listed calmly, but the weight of them hung in the air between them.

Grayden looked anywhere but at the swollen side of Triston's face, shame coloring his cheeks. “I guess I should apologize,” he said, the words feeling inadequate even as they left his mouth.

Triston ignored the hypothetical apology, his gaze never wavering from Grayden's face. “I don't care about any of that. I want to know what caused Prince Grayden, the supposedly calm and cautious leader of the Snow Lands, to come into my territory and start a spree of violence?”

It was a fair question, one that Grayden knew he had to answer carefully. He knew what had driven him to the wake of chaos he had created, but he wasn't sure if he should keep the bond private or not. He hadn't even explained to Renya what was going on. Had she felt it as he had? Or would her feelings be muted until he claimed her? Grayden tried to remember his parents' stories. Had his mother felt the connection to his father right away? He wished he would have paid more attention.

Triston looked at him, waiting, his patience seemingly infinite. Grayden decided that only honesty would work here. Besides, as soon as Triston saw them together, he would suspect it anyway. His desire to forge an alliance with King Triston was strong, and he should be privileged to all the facts before any decision was made.

Grayden sighed deeply before he began, the words coming slowly at first, then faster as the story unfolded. “When my men and I were on our way to the southern borders of my land, I came across a human woman, passed out and near death in the snow. I took her back to my tent and realized she was marked with fae magic. Her sudden appearance was the result of a portal opening up in the Snow Lands.”

If King Triston was surprised to hear about a portal in the Snow Lands, he didn't show it. Instead, he just continued his stoic stare, encouraging Grayden to continue with a slight nod.

“I took her home to the lodge with me and our seer sensed power in her. I had my suspicions she possessed some kind of fae lineage.”

At this, Triston spoke, his voice thoughtful. “You said she was human when you found her on your borders? The girl who came to my palace asking for shelter was not human.”

So, Grayden had been right. Renya had changed. The glamour hiding her fae features was somehow broken. “She appeared human at the time,” Grayden replied before continuing with his tale. “I kept her with me at my lodge and...we grew close.” The words felt inadequate to describe the connection he had felt with Renya from the start.

King Triston raised his eyebrow and Grayden saw the first hint of a reaction from the king. He supposed it was common knowledge throughout the lands that Grayden didn't entertain marriage offers.

“Queen Cressida's idiot cousin Brandle saw me with Renya in the forest, and he kidnapped her to get to me. I'm sure you are aware, the Shadow Queen has been looking for a marriage alliance to sire an heir. Brandle took Renya to force my hand.” The memory of Renya's abduction still made his blood boil, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

Now that got a reaction. King Triston looked repulsed, his mask of indifference slipping for a moment. Grayden would have commiserated with him if he wasn't so desperate to finish his tale and find his mate.

“My men and I, along with Renya's aunt—who is a very powerful ally—managed to get Renya back from the Shadow Queen and Renya and her aunt went back through the portal with the intention of destroying it so Cressida couldn't follow. After that, I don't know what happened. I woke up at my lodge and sensed Renya was back in our world. I set out to find her and when I tracked her here...I guess I got a little carried away.”The understatement of the century, Grayden thought ruefully.

“A little?” King Triston snorted derisively, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“Okay, a lot,” Grayden conceded, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

King Triston stared at Grayden again and then shifted uncomfortably in his chair. A long moment passed; the silence heavy with unspoken questions.

“You love her.” King Triston stated it as a fact and not a question, his perceptive gaze seeing right through Grayden's facade.

“When she came back into this world, I...” Grayden sighed. It seemed hard to tell people about their connection, given it was so odd that he had been around her without it developing before now. “She's my fated mate.” The words hung in the air between them, powerful and irrevocable.

At this, King Triston's mask of indifference finally slipped from his face entirely. “Fated mate?” he asked, his disbelief apparent. “You're far too old.”

“I know, and so is she. I think we've been fated this whole time, but something happened recently to make the bond snap into place. The same thing that altered her appearance. The last time I saw her, her fae features were glamoured.” Grayden's voice was filled with wonder as he spoke, still barely able to believe it himself.

“Well, with this confession, I can at least start to comprehend your intolerable behavior since stepping into my kingdom,” King Triston said, a slight smile on his lips. “Who would have ever thought, Prince Grayden fate-bound?”

Grayden could hardly believe it himself, the reality of it still sinking in.

“It seems to me that a reunion is in order,” Triston said, rising and patting Grayden heartily on the back. “Just try to keep it down. Remember, the water doorways aren't completely soundproof.” There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he spoke.

---