“I’m sorry. Of course we knew. I was just kind of hoping it would have come up in conversation tomorrow.” He shot a cold glare across the table at my uncle.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be the one to tell you either. It just kind of slipped out.”
“And her father is the Hintin King? How is she supposed to become an Assassin?”
“Because her mother is Kaluian.” Grandfather answered. “Becoming an Assassin is what entitle Cadence to her life. It was a bargain your father had a hand in securing when you were both infants.”
“And was I part of this bargain?”
“I can get you out of it if necessary.”
“No!” I may have jumped into that too quickly and corrected myself. “No. It’s not. I didn’t ask it because I was mad. I just wanted to know why you didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t want you to think it would be forced upon you and it’s not because you’ve already proven that you want to be with her. I didn’t completely know that it would happen but it was one of the reasons I wanted you to meet this early. I didn’t want you to be strangers.”
“Does she know?”
“Will that change your opinion of her because she never told you through your letters?”
“Of course not.”
“Then yes but she’s not being forced into it either. She likes you for you and that’s what matters. Let the adults deal with the diplomatic aspects. We want you to just have fun.”
“Then I think I’m going to turn in for the night. I’m meeting Cadence in the morning so we can go somewhere for breakfast.”
“That sounds fun indeed. Go ahead. We won’t be offended.”
“Thank you, father. Goodnight, everyone.”
“Goodnight.”
I went to my room and forced myself to get some sleep but my mind was going too much. Cadence was a Princess and for some reason I couldn’t explain, it made her all the more alluring. I’ve never met a Princess before or I never thought I have.
I thought about mentioning it to her and wondered if she knew that I didn’t know or if she was really going to tell me tomorrow. Either way, I still had to wait.
I hate waiting.
Chapter 29
Seth
I got another kiss at her doorstep but I tried to be a gentleman about it with her mother overseeing our departure.
“Be safe.” Meg said. “I have a few things to do but I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, mother. I’ll be fine. I am with Seth after all.”
I smiled to the confidence she had in me but was a little pressured that I now had to live up to it.
We walked one street over where there was a little more traffic because all the little shops in the area and she led me towards an eatery called Carmen’s. I had heard about this place through talk between the grownups and it seemed to be a place everyone liked to go.
It was busy inside but we were lucky enough to find a little table for two in the corner right by the front window and ordered some breakfast. I managed to hackle some coin off grandfather before I left this morning so I would pay for everything today that needed paying. Of course he encouraged it but I let the embarrassment pass when I knew who I would be spending the day with. It was all worth it.
I waited to see how long Cadence would take if she was really planning to tell me who she really was today but nothing was ever mentioned and I’m the one that broke.
We were strolling on top of the east wall that would soon run behind the palace when I chipped at the ice so to speak on the royalty subject.
“Is your father looking forward to having you this summer?”
She shrugged. “I suppose but I’m sure it won’t be much fun. The summers in Hintus don’t get very hot. Only maybe spring weather compared to here.”
“But I’m sure you could find plenty of things to do in the palace. You don’t visit often so it would be like a new adventure each time.”
“The palace?” She looked over, her eyebrows slightly asking if I really knew or not.
“Isn’t that where your father will be, being King and all? Or does he have a summer palace like we do?”
She shook her head, careful that she didn’t express her shocked reaction to my knowledge but I could feel it. “No. It would be the city palace. I just—I’m sorry. I thought you didn’t know where I came from. I know we’ve never discussed it before since you knew my mother was from here.”
“I was informed but it’s not what makes me stay. You are. I like being around you. I feel like it’s easier to be myself.”
“Are you not yourself around other girls?”
“I hide parts of me. I don’t want to come off as too attached. I know why girls like me and a lot of the times I don’t feel like it’s because of me.”
“I understand. Maybe that’s why boys around here like me.”
“They know about you here?”
“Yeah but that would be silly to get all of the attention like you. My chance for the throne isn’t definite like yours. You’re next in line. I’m a ways away. My brothers and all three girls from my oldest would have to die and I would never ask for that. I actually never want to rule that country. I know it’s a part of me but I feel like my home is here and being an Assassin is where I belong, you know?”
“Yes and I agree. Your home is here.” I put my arm around her and she smiled like I had embarrassed her.
“Seth, you’re so sweet. I never want to leave.”
“I know and I don’t want you to either but according to parental views, we’re too young to make those decisions.”
“It stinks.”
“Well, when we’re old enough, we’ll get to decide and they won’t be able to stop us.”
“That seems so far away though. Three years?”
“We’ve gotten through one and I’ll always be waiting when another ends.”
“What’s going to happen tomorrow when I have to leave? Are you going to go back to Randal and spend your summer with someone else?”
I knew this conversation would come eventually and led into it slowly.
“I won’t be in Randal but my summer palace and I won’t be spending it with someone else unless you count Bryce, Dirk, their mothers or mine.”
She laughed slightly. “No. I guess they wouldn’t count.”
“Don’t worry. My summer is going to be just as boring as yours.”
“I wish mine could be with you.”
“Me too.”
“So, I guess in the morning we’ll be parting ways for another year.”
She said it for me and on some level, I was glad.
“Yes but next year we’ll get the whole summer together.”
“I’d like that.”
The sky cracked loud around us, jumping us both.
“But I don’t like that.” She said, ducking her head. “I didn’t even notice it was going to rain.”
I honestly didn’t notice the sky turn gray either. Being with her was enough to distract me.
“The palace is right there. If we run for it, we might escape the rain.”
She nodded and took my arm tightly.
I could feel the moisture in the air and we ran straight ahead on the wall but we weren’t going to make it.
“Close your eyes. I’ll get us there.”
Either she didn’t think or she didn’t care because she immediately did it and I used my speed to get there. Then my eyes turned black and I leaped from the wall to a second floor balcony, rushing to get inside the doors.
“Whoo!” Water just flowed off her when she shook out her hair. “That was weird.”
“Sorry.” I said, helping get her dry. Moving fast through the rain just seemed to cause more of it to hit us and we were both soaked.
“It’s okay but I don’t know about going home yet.”
“You can stay here for a bit. At least until the rain dies down. I’m sure we can find something to do.”
I didn’t want to say go
odbye and was glad when she agreed. Tomorrow was going to be rough. Another goodbye and more waiting. I didn’t even want to think of it.
I spent the rest of the afternoon with her and walked her back to her house after dinner with the family. That goodbye wasn’t pleasant but she requested another kiss and it was the only thing that kept me from breaking down. I would see her in the morning one last time before the real goodbye and another year of separation.
I hated myself for thinking of it on my way back because that was my emotion when I saw my father again; I was mixed up and frustrated.
“What’s the matter?”
“I just—I can’t—I can’t do it again, father. Another year? How can I possibly wait that long? I don’t want to feel like this the whole time.”
“And how do you feel?”
“I don’t know. It hurts. Is that how you feel when you know you’re going to be separated from mother for a while?”
“Are you that far in your relationship that you’re comparing it to mine?”
“Should I not? I love her, father.”
His face was still for a moment but his eyes traced mine for some kind of answer.
“You’re young, Seth.”
“Don’t tell me that! You can’t tell me how I feel. Only I know how I feel and I know I love her.”
“Have you told her?”
“Of course not.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“I’m not sure. When we can actually be together. We haven’t made anything official because the distance would make it too hard.”
“And the other attention.”
“That too.”
“Well, a strong couple like your mother and I would make it through something like that.”
I groaned and for some reason I actually thought he would understand. “Father. I’m young. I have needs that I can’t just ignore and Dirk says it’s necessary to gain experience before being with someone that’s destined for you so they don’t think you’re a hopeless fool in the love department and I don’t want Cadence to think that of me.”
“Dirk said that?”
“Yeah.”
“How would he—” My father trailed off and the look on his face was both in disbelief and a little intrigued.
I was intrigued myself. “What?”
“Nothing. It was just weird to hear those words came from Dirk. I would have guessed it to be more Darius’s philosophy.”
“He probably got it from him.”
“You’re absolutely right and you wish to pursue it as well?”
“It sounds logical. I’m not with her yet and until I can be, I need to get experience. I don’t need a detailed answer but mother can’t be with you just for your looks, right?”
He laughed. “She’s most certainly not with me just because I’m good at other things. She fell for me before experiencing it.”
“But I’m sure it helped.”
“All right. Go get some sleep. I understand completely why you think you shouldn’t be together right now. You can say goodbye to her in the morning then we go back to Randal so you can get on that experience.”
“You mean bring me to the mountain palace. You told mother you’d drop me off before going back.”
“Oh, I did say that, you’re right. Thank you for reminding me. I would have forgotten about it completely. I’ve gotten rather fawned of you being there all the time.”
“It’s just for the summer, father. We’ll all be back.”
“I know. All right. Off to sleep. You don’t want to oversleep and miss her.”
I most certainly didn’t and went right to my room.
I almost dreaded for tomorrow to come. I didn’t want to say goodbye but I had to listen to myself sometimes and use the advice I told my father. Cadence was worth it. She’s what everything would finally lead to and I would get to have her forever thereafter.
I knew she tried not to cry when I saw her that next morning. My father was with me and we had to get back too before mother got worried or worse, suspicious. I just hoped she didn’t have Bryce looking for us and was seeing exactly what we were up to.
“I’ll see you next summer, Seth.”
I hugged her and spoke in her ear. “It won’t seem that long, don’t worry.”
I was sorry for lying already. I knew it would feel like forever, especially for me but I just didn’t want her to cry. I didn’t want to remember her face being sad when we had to part.
I hugged her for a long time, hoping she would calm and I could see that smile. She showed it to me but her lavender eyes were still too moistened to be considered normal when she climbed into the carriage.
“Don’t forget to write.” I had my hand up as a wave and she stuck her head out the side window to reply.
“Don’t be silly! You know I won’t.”
“I love you.” My voice was low and the carriage was too far down the street to hear me.
Just like that, she was gone and I waited next to my father until the carriage turned the corner.
A gentle hand was placed on my shoulder and I turned my somber eyes to him.
“Don’t worry. Trust in your own words.”
I nodded steadily and collected myself so I did not appear sad. “I’m ready to go home now.”
“That’s my boy. Let’s get out of the city first then we run for the mountain palace.”
I nodded and we began to walk in the opposite direction of Cadence’s carriage. We were to leave out the east gate but she was heading to the west gate to take a ship from the western docks. Our distance was growing and it would be like this for another year.
Chapter 30
Zayden
I was proud of him. He took it much better than I expected, more like a man would have.
We began our journey back and even his run had improved. We didn’t have to break once and made it back to his mother where we would now be separated.
“We missed you around here.” Adele’s squeeze around him was deathly.
“Mother.” He groaned, feeling more embarrassed these days about getting hugs around other people. “I’m fine. Really. We had fun.”
“Well, I’m glad.”
“Me too.” I said. “But I should be getting back.”
“So soon?”
“I should. They may need me. Who knows what kind of disarray the palace has fallen in.”
“All right. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks. I just needed to get away for a while.”
I smiled and touched her chin. “I know. I expect it to be a summer occurrence. The boys could do some good with this break as well.”
“Where are they?” Seth asked.
“They’ve been outside all day. They needed something to occupy their time while you were away.”
“May I go see them, mother?”
“Of course you can. They’ll be glad to see you. Say goodbye to your father first.”
Seth turned to me with the quickest of hugs. “Thank you, father. I had fun. Have a safe trip back.”
“I will. You just go and enjoy your stay here.”
“Bye.”
He waved and was gone up the stairs with Rift happily following.
“So, what did you do?”
I was still watching the stairs and her question kind of caught me off guard. “Huh? Oh, not too much. We worked on perfecting his gift, well, the one I gave him but I made it seem like the work was fun. He enjoyed himself.”
“That I see. I really wish you would consider staying.”
“I know, Love and I’d love too but I don’t like leaving anyone else in charge while I’m gone. It doesn’t matter who it is.”
“Can you at least stay long enough to say goodbye to me properly?”
My mind must not have been thinking clearly because it took me a while to realize what she meant and just as I did, I heard Ruby’s voice from just around the corner in the lounge. “She wants you to fuck her, Zayden. Gees.”
“
Ruby!” Adele’s high voice carried. “Language with the boys in the house!”
“But they’re not in the house and that is what you want. It was safe to say it.”
She rolled her eyes and I took her hand. “Come on. I always have time for that kind of goodbye.”
She sighed but let me lead her upstairs to our room.
I really didn’t want to leave. Staying here was nice like I remember but since I’ve become King, I haven’t had much time to come back here. I haven’t had much time to have any kind of vacation, actually. Maybe I needed to change that. Seth’s youth has been such an inspiration to me lately that it almost made me feel younger. Adele certainly wasn’t complaining but at this point, I’ve perfected my gift when it came to pleasing her and I could have it last as long as she needed it to. That’s what made her happy most of all and for the time, our life seemed perfect.
Seemed but it wasn’t true. I was still dreading that day Ryon had told us about in Seth’s future. I made sure he knew exactly where he was at all times when we went into Dorlin but this obviously wasn’t the year. It worried me only because I don’t see why he would go back there to see her when she’ll be coming to Seni next year and it couldn’t possibly be the year after. That’s when Adele will have her, secluded somewhere where they can train without distraction. I haven’t mentioned that to Seth yet but this didn’t seem like a good time. He didn’t need to be worrying about that just yet. It was still years away.
He got used to the separation and it soon came that another year was passing. He was doing well at the Academy, lots of friends to occupy his mind and he was growing into me more and more every day, except for one thing; he liked being Prince and looked forward to the new duties he would have when he reached sixteen. As for me, I was stubborn when it came to things I was required to do. I’ve outgrown that now and was glad he was not steered onto the same path. It was better this way but he was still stubborn in some ways that he did not get from me. They were traits he acquired from his mother that I could have done without.
He was growing up but Adele almost refused to see it and wanted to force him to go back to the mountain palace with her for the summer.
Blooming Life (Fate's Intent Book 10) Page 16