by Linda Kage
I put a tighter grip on this handshake than I had with the king, but my sister’s betrothed only grinned goofily as if he understood he was being put to a test. I had to respect that.
I gave Brentley a courteous nod. “Prince Brentley,” I murmured. “It’s an honor.”
All the while, I just wanted to shout, someone introduce me to my one true love, so I can tackle her against the nearest available wall and rut a dreamy smile onto both our faces.
I swear, keeping that demand in was one of the hardest things I’d ever done.
Brentley laughed uneasily at my formal greeting as if embarrassed by such respect, his round cheeks turning bright pink. Bowing his head, he returned the sentiment. “Likewise, Prince Urban.”
King Caulder motioned to someone behind them. “Then this is our first cousin, Sir Soren, also of House Donnelly. He is my top advisor and closest friend.”
Who the fuck cared? Where was my woman, already?
But I stood patiently, every muscle in my body tense and alert as Sir Soren snapped to attention. With light hair that was long and tied back at his nape, Soren had a narrower, pointed face and more colorless, vapid features than his two cousins. He didn’t seem to be as openly friendly as them either.
Reserving his smile, Soren kept a ways back and merely nodded to both Allera and me, his gaze condescending and pompous. His demeanor told me the cousin/best friend/top advisor thought the same of High Cliff folk as I did about Donnelleans—that we were not to be so easily trusted. If my gut instinct was correct—and it usually was—I’d bet Sir Soren had advised King Caulder not to marry his brother off to Allera, alliances be damned.
So my first impression: Sir Soren seemed like a dick.
A more dickish dick than I.
But I didn’t care about him either. I just wanted to meet my damn one true love.
“And this is my sister, Princess Nicolette Donnelly.” When Caulder splayed his hand to the right, I paused, anticipating feeling a punch of longing when I faced her.
But when I turned… Nothing.
Allera had been right. The princess honestly was one of the rarest beauties I had ever seen. But I still released a breath of gratitude when my mark didn’t focus on the dark-headed girl, glad my bond wasn’t for the princess. She was quite young, just a teen from the looks of it. It would’ve been agony to have to wait years before I could wed her… And thus bed her.
Because I wanted to bed my one true love today… Right now.
My brother Olivander’s one true love was only fifteen and half his age. He’d met her when she was just a babe, and as soon as she’d hit puberty, he’d sent her off to a boarding school to avoid temptation, where he refused to see her again until she was a proper age to wed. The last few years had been a miserable, difficult time for him. He’d become quite moody and irrational. It would wreck me if I had to suffer through the same fate as him and wait so long for my mate.
I barely paid Nicolette any attention as I took her hand, but I noticed Allera’s avid gaze on us as we greeted each other, probably hoping the young princess was my intended match after all. Glancing at her, I gave a slight shake to my head.
Her shoulders lowered fractionally, the only disappointment she would dare show.
“And please excuse my wife,” King Caulder said, flashing a dismissive wave of his hand over his shoulder toward his throne. “She’s remained seated with her sister. Movement becomes quite difficult and cumbersome at this stage in the pregnancy, I hear.”
Caulder continued to motion his white-gloved hand toward the dais, where two honey-blonde-headed, dark-eyed women sat talking with each other in bejeweled chairs next to the king’s seat. One wore red. One wore blue. When they noticed everyone’s attention on them, they stopped chattering and waved to us, calling out pleasant greetings.
Caulder turned back from them, an affectionate smile lingering on his lips, before he prattled on about…something. But I couldn’t pry my attention from the two sisters, where my one true love sat, swollen with pregnancy.
Chapter 3
Urban
My chest compacted, making breathing impossible, and my mark pulsed uncontrollably, until my vision blurred, which panicked me because I didn’t want to stop looking at her. From what I’d seen, she’d been so pretty, all her thick, blonde hair swept up in a large bun to display the curve of her jaw, her pointed chin, the length of her graceful neck. Her eyes had been dark and soulful and her nose pert and short.
And she’d been mine. My one and only. My mate and one true love.
I blinked rapidly until, ah…there. She came back into focus. Thank God.
My happily ever after rested on the shoulders of this very woman… Who was quite obviously full with another man’s child.
At first, I didn’t understand that part. Because, really, what?
My one true love was pregnant? That didn’t make sense. I hadn’t even met her yet. I mean, the need for her was strong, but not strong enough to impregnate her from across the room with my desire alone.
Or was it?
Shit, this was just all wrong.
How could she be…? She wouldn’t. Except, okay, she wasn’t from High Cliff and didn’t believe in our marking ritual or one true loves. Of course, she had no reason to wait for hers to show up.
Which apparently she hadn’t.
Fuck!
Sweat coated my brow. Needles prickled my abdomen, making nausea swell up my throat. My vision dimmed again. I wasn’t sure how I remained upright.
But… Jesus Christ on the cross, the woman who was supposed to become the love of my life was already taken.
My lungs heaved, and breathing picked up. Only the fingernails biting into my flesh from my sister’s hand when she touched my arm was able to draw my attention away from my heart’s purpose… The woman who could make me the happiest… My one fucking true love.
I turned to Allera frantically, seeking support, but she wasn’t looking at me; she was too busy smiling politely and answering a question the king had asked her.
“Yes, it was a good trip. Thank you for asking. But long. So very long. I fear it’s worn both me and my brother quite to the bone.”
She finally looked up at me. The pointed glare in her eyes told me to shape up and pay attention. We were here to align our kingdoms, not tear them apart by me stealing one of its royal women from whichever man expected a baby with her any day now.
I clenched my teeth, not at all pleased by Allera announcing to everyone that I was some weakling who couldn’t handle a bit of travel, but at the moment, any excuse to evacuate this room was welcome. If I couldn’t carry my one true love away and bed her right now, then fuck it, I had to flee before I strode up there and fell at her feet, bellowing about my rage and sorrow.
Goddamn. What was wrong with me?
I didn’t do shit like that.
I didn’t even know that woman.
Spinning to King Caulder, I blurted, “Would it be rude of me to ask to be shown to my chambers now?”
Allera gaped at me, and yep, she definitely wanted to strangle me. But both the king and Prince Brentley chuckled politely at my request.
“Not at all, Prince Urban. I’ll have one of my pages show you to your quarters forthwith.” After motioning a servant forward, the king bowed slightly to Allera. “And you too, as well, Princess. For your comfort, we’ve set up your rooms directly across from each other.”
“Oh, thank you. That is most kind. You have no idea how much we appreciate it.”
Allera’s gushing made me roll my eyes.
Sir Soren caught the move and narrowed his gaze scornfully. I glared right back, no longer in the mood to be diplomatically pleasant.
Allera took my arm and yanked me around so we could follow some tiny man with long, spindly hands down dizzying passages, up a wide staircase, and down more lavish hallways until he paused and turned to us, splaying out his enormous hands to direct each of us to our respective rooms.
> Neither Allera nor I had spoken a single word on the entire walk. We shared a telling glance before we both turned away and entered two different chambers.
I was barely inside mine ten seconds before a knock fell on my door and she tore inside.
“What?” I growled at her, not ready to discuss…well, anything.
When she only shook her head, I cursed under my breath and began to pace the floor.
She stepped toward me. “Talk to me, Urban.”
“And say what?” I spat, seething.
Life sucked.
My life sucked.
I didn’t want to be on this ride any longer.
“About anything,” she said patiently. “Just… Talk it out.”
I snorted and sent her a dismissive glance. But she looked so worried and understanding, I growled another curse and swiped a hand through my hair.
“Well, it looks as if you’ve lucked out in the marriage department, anyway,” I told her. “The prince seems like a complete sap. You’ll be walking all over him in no time, getting whatever you wish.”
“Yes, yes, he seems quite kind. I’m lucky indeed. Now….” She grabbed my ear, making me howl in protest as she forced me to face her. “Don’t you dare tell me your one true love is the king’s wife, Urban, seriously? The queen?”
I stared at her stupidly with no idea what to say, because damn, I wasn’t even sure which woman my one true love had been. I’d locked my sights on her and hadn’t paid attention to the other sister who’d been next to her at all.
“My God!” Allera whispered, her face going pale. “The queen? You’ve gone and mated yourself to the queen of Donnelly? Have you lost your mind?”
“Yes, lost it completely,” I snarled sarcastically before jerking away to glare. “I didn’t mate myself to anyone, you nit. You make it sound as if I had a choice in this. This is all the fucking mark’s work.”
“We’ll be executed,” she went on, clutching her throat. “Both of us. Probably beheaded. Oh God.”
I rolled my eyes over her dramatics. “And blast it,” I continued, talking over her. “I don’t know which sister it chose. So shut up about the queen already.”
“Wait. What? What do you mean, you don’t know which sister? Couldn’t you narrow down the sensation to a single one? Or… Oh!” Allera pulled back and blinked. “Are you saying you bonded to both sisters?” Her eyebrows lifted as if impressed by that idea. “I’ve heard of polyamorous bonding.” Then she snorted out a laugh, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “Kind of takes the one out of one true love, doesn’t it?”
With a dry glance, I muttered, “I didn’t link to both. And I knew which sister I bonded to. I’m saying I just don’t know if she was the queen or not.”
“Oh.” Sounding disappointed, Allera’s shoulders fell. “Well, what color was she wearing?”
My legs started to wobble, my knees no longer wanted to hold me. I sat on the edge of the bed and hung my hands between my knees as I lowered my head, defeated.
“Blue,” I admitted quietly. “She wore blue. She was the one who’s…pregnant.”
Allera breathed out a long sad sigh and sat beside me.
When she said nothing, I finally demanded in a hoarse voice, “Well? Is my one true love the queen or not?”
“No,” Allera answered.
My shoulders fell with relief. “Oh, thank God,” I breathed. “It probably wouldn’t do for Father to send us all the way here to make peace with the Donnelleans only for me to cause a war by bonding with the king’s wife.”
“No,” Allera agreed quietly only to growl, “Instead you’ve bound yourself to her sister, who’s married to the king’s first cousin, best friend, and top advisor.”
I whirled to her, my mouth gaping. “You mean, that quiet, moody fucker? Soren?” My eyes narrowed with disgust. “She’s married to him?”
That bastard had put a baby in my one true love?
I’d slaughter him.
Allera rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t act jealous.”
“I’m not acting!” Then I groaned and buried my face into my hands. “Fuck me. How is this happening? I’m jealous of a complete stranger. I don’t know him. Hell, I don’t know her! How can I feel—”
“I know,” Allera said quietly and patted my back. “It doesn’t seem possible, especially when it first happens. But this is exactly how it progresses for all of us.”
I stared at her, not sure how Allera made it through each day without her one true love.
She touched the side of her eye where her mark had faded. “I’m sure the pull from the mark is why the tattoo fades after one dies. The pain with it there would probably be more than we could bear. The misery’s quite intense without it, anyway. I’m almost glad it’s gone.” Except, I could tell she wasn’t glad at all. She wanted her mark back. She wanted her one true love back.
I gently touched the side of her eye, mourning with her. “I’m sorry,” I said. “For all you’ve suffered.”
Guilt and agony consumed me.
This was my fault. If only I’d just—
She smiled sadly and wrapped her fingers around my wrist, accepting my sympathy.
“Will it always itch so much?” I asked. “When she’s near?”
I could still feel my mate’s presence in the castle, but it wasn’t as strong as it had been while we’d been in the Throne Room together.
Allera grinned and rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t itch. It tingles. And no. The first glimpse will be the strongest, but you’ll always be aware when she’s near. And now that you’ve had your first sighting, you’ll always know which way to go to find her.”
I nodded, glad to hear that, though I don’t know why I should be glad. I shouldn’t care, and yet I wanted to be able to sense her presence and know she was out there, that she was alive and well. I liked realizing I could always locate her if I needed to. It provided a security that eased something restless in my soul… Something that hadn’t even existed until I’d entered the Iron Castle.
But damn, the tingling had been intense. I had felt like a dog who’d heard a whistle no one else could receive. I’d nearly started spinning in circles, snapping at my tail and howling out my distress, right there in the Throne Room.
“Any more questions?” Allera asked.
I turned to her. “Yeah.” I gave a self-derisive grin. “What am I going to do about this? I can’t exactly claim her since she’s already married.”
“No, you can’t.” Her sympathetic smile and watery eyes turned hard before she answered, “There’s only one thing you can do then. Nothing.”
I sat up straighter, wincing in confusion. “What do you mean nothing?”
I couldn’t do nothing. My one true love… She was in this very palace.
“I mean you’re not going to do anything,” Allera reiterated unnecessarily. “She’s already married, Urban.”
I shook my head. “Yeah, but—”
Allera shook her head right back. “But nothing. She’s married. To another man. She’s about to have a child with him. Hell, this may be their fifth babe together.”
“Don’t say that.” I winced and had to glance away. “She’s mine,” I whispered. I couldn’t honestly be expected to just ignore that, could I? “I’m hers.”
“She doesn’t know that,” Allera murmured. I turned to her, and her eyes filled with sympathy. “Think about what’s best for our kingdom, Brother. You can only cause mayhem by acting on this. I guarantee you they don’t understand our marks. They could kick us out of Donnelly, sever our alliance, hell, they might even kill us.”
I almost didn’t care. The itching urge to find her this second still roared through me. Nothing mattered but being by her side, worshipping her, living my life to provide her with everything she ever needed or wanted.
But then Allera said, “This is what she would want. Think about that. Think about what’s best for her.”
An arrow of pain shot through my abdomen because I alrea
dy knew what Allera was going to add even before she said, “She doesn’t know you. She’s not marked and doesn’t feel the draw the way you do. If you go to her with this, you’ll only frighten her. You’ll upset her husband, who’d probably treat her differently afterward and thus upset their marriage. Do you want her to be unhappy because of you? She’s already established a life apart from you. Do you really want to harm that? Harm her in that way?”
I nodded. “If she’s not happy with the life she has, then yes, I do. I’ll burn down the whole fucking realm around us to make her content.”
A second later, I caught my breath and shook my head before exhaling unsteadily. “Shit, did I really just say that?” I cupped my head in my hands. “What is wrong with me?”
How could I speak this way about a complete stranger? How could I actually feel this way and want to be more loyal to her than anyone I’d ever known… Even Allera? What if she didn’t deserve it? What if I didn’t even like her?
Allera smiled and clasped my arm. “It’s okay. Everything’s intense and overwhelming when you first see your one true love. Truth be told, I was so dazzled by Jazon, I bedded him about thirty seconds after we met.”
“Good God, Allera! Stop.” Wincing, I covered my ears with my hands and glared at her. “Seriously. I could’ve gone my entire life without knowing that. No man wants to hear such things about his sister.”
Allera laughed and tugged my hands from my ears. “I’m just saying, you go a bit crazy at first sight.” Then she sent me an admiring glance. “You actually surprised me with how well you held it together. You have impressive decorum, Brother.”
It certainly didn’t feel that way. To me, I felt utterly unhinged.
“But rest assured,” she went on, bumping my arm encouragingly. “The sensations will be much easier to handle from here on out.” Then a frown marred her brow. “Or maybe it was easier for me to handle after first sight because I slept with Jazon on our first encounter. You know, sex might’ve been what dulled the mark’s tingle, not just seeing him. I’m not exactly certain. Huh. Curious, that.”