Page 74 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

"You look so beautiful, Princess Aekeira," Amie gushed as they stepped out of the Royal Residence. "It is nice to see you glowing."

Considering how sick she had been over the past few days, Aekeira took the compliment in good faith. "Thank you so much, Amie. Have you seen my sister?"

"She left early. Said she needed to visit an old friend."

Aekeira smiled.So, she finally made the time to visit High Lord Herodis?

Emeriel had barely left her side for days, fussing over her like a mother hen just because she had fallen a little unwell. Stubbornas ever, her sister had insisted on staying, refusing to leave—even for a moment. But now that she was showing signs of recovery, her sister had finally started to ease up.

Some days, it was hard for Aekeira to remember she was the elder one.

Today, she was heading to the market. A small outing with a special purpose.

She planned to embroider a rope belt for Lord Vladya as a gift, which was why she had waited until he left for the hills before dressing up to go fabric sourcing.

"Lord Vladya left really early this morning too," Amie said casually. "He is rarely around the fortress anymore."

Aekeira only nodded. She was well aware.

Lord Vladya had been so preoccupied the past week that, despite her moving into the bedchamber next to his in the Royal Residence, she barely saw him. But it was for the best.

"It pertains to getting his soul back," Aekeira confided. Over the years, she had come to see Amie as a true friend. Despite Aekeira’s status change, that part of their relationship had not. "He is working closely with the Oracle to find a solution."

"Really?" Amie gasped, her eyes going wide as she hurried ahead, spinning around to face Aekeira. "Oh, that is wonderful news! You must be so excited, my princess!"

“I am,” Aekeira admitted with a smile. “So far, only two of the rituals have succeeded, but we are hopeful."

Amie clapped her hands excitedly, nearly bouncing where she stood. "How many rituals are there?"

"Four." Her smile dimmed just slightly. "The third one keeps failing."

The second ritual had gone through after two failed attempts, but the third had been performedseventimes.

Still, Aekeira refused to dwell on disappointment. They had been fortunate enough to have two rituals succeed, and she was determined to remain optimistic.

"Oh, I have faith it will go through!" Amie declared, maintaining the conversation while still making sure she faced Aekeira. "You two have been through so much. You have come so far—just like the Grand King and Prince Emeriel!"

Aekeira chuckled. Only Amie still made the "prince, princess" mistake when referring to her sister.

For a twenty-two-year-old who had endured terrible hardships, Amie was a ray of sunshine that never faded, even at dusk. Cute as a button.

"So, after his soul is restored, you two can finally bond and live happily ever after?" Amie bounced on her feet.

Aekeira could not help it—she laughed, shaking her head. "I hope so."

Her being aSoulbondhad changed things. They no longer needed to endure the grueling, seven-day bonding ritual for soul compatibility, but there was still the mating ritual.

Usually performed on the last day of the bonding ritual, it was the most important of all. And for it to succeed, Lord Vladya still needed his soul.

Aekeira could not wait for that day to come.

"Unlike the bonding ritual, if the mating ritual fails, it can always be redone, right?" Amie nearly stumbled but quickly caught herself.

“Careful,” Aekeira said with a soft chuckle, nodding. “And once again, you are correct.”

"But what could cause a mating ritual to fail? Bonding rituals only fail when the souls do not align, but what about when the souls are already naturally bound by the gods?"

"Well." Aekeira gave it a thought. "I guess if the rites are recited incorrectly, or the female’s heat is not at its peak, or, in our case, if Lord Vladya’s soul is still missing, it might fail."

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