Kaia reaches for the straps holding her horse to the carriage, trying to figure out which buckles need to be undone and in what order. The harness is complex, designed to distribute weight evenly and give the driver maximum control, which means it is not meant to be removed quickly, and certainly not by someone with no experience unhitching horses from carriages.
She fumbles with the leather, her fingers working at buckles that refuse to cooperate. I can feel her frustration building through our link as she pulls at a strap, tugs at another, and lets out a low growl of pure exasperation.
I walk up beside her, assess the harness situation, and simply snap the leather strap with my teeth. Kaia turns to look at me, her face breaking into a delighted grin. "That works too," she says, reaching out to scratch between my ears in thanks.
She climbs into the carriage to retrieve her bags, before moving back to her horse, and I realize with growing concern that there is no saddle available. The saddles left with the supply wagon, already heading back toward the castle. All that remains is the basic halter and reins.
Are you going to be able to ride like that?I ask, unable to keep the doubt from my mental voice. Riding bareback requires significant skill, especially over rough terrain. One wrong move and Kaia could be thrown before our journey has truly begun.
Kaia nods confidently. "I have practiced for years without a saddle. It feels better riding them free, you know? No leather between us, just the warmth of their body and the rhythm of their movement. My mother taught me. She said that true riders do not need saddles, that the connection between horse and rider is strongest when nothing separates them."
She looks up at the chestnut with genuine affection, reaching out to stroke his neck. "Hey handsome, mind giving me a lift?"
The horse neighs in response, and I watch in fascination as he slowly curves his front foot backward and lifts it, creating a kind of step for Kaia to use. This is clearly something she has taught him over time, and it speaks to the relationship between them. This is not just a royal mount assigned to a princess but a partner, a companion.
Kaia steps onto the horse's bent leg and swings herself up onto his back with practiced grace. She settles into position, her hands tangling in his mane for balance. Then she leans forward to pat his neck affectionately. "Thank you. Let us go find some dragons, hmm?"
The horse gives a longer neigh, tossing his head as if in agreement. Kaia looks over at me, her eyes sparkling with the same mischief from last night. "Ready?"
Absolutely,I respond, and I mean it with every fiber of my being.
"This will be the last year for this nonsense, Sol. When I get home, I will rule my own kingdom, just the way my mother wanted it to be. No greed. No riches. Just the Valorian people and our happiness."
Zara
Istand before the gathered assembly, my voice carrying the weight of centuries of tradition as I speak the words that will join two souls together forever through magic. The Alpha and Omega kneel before me, their heads bowed in devotion and anticipation. Their hands are clasped together, and I can see the trembling in the Omega's fingers and the barely contained excitement radiating from the Alpha's tense shoulders.
"By the ancient laws of our kind, by the magic that flows through dragon blood and binds us to one another, I declare this union blessed and sanctified," I utter, letting power infuse each syllable. The air around us shimmers with responding energy, visible as faint golden threads that begin to weave between the kneeling pair. "May your bond be strong as stone, mayyour passion burn eternal as dragonfire, may your love endure through all the ages to come."
The magic responds to my words, recognizing the authority granted to me as one of the queens of Embrath. It swirls around the couple in increasingly complex patterns, binding them together in ways that go far deeper than any physical connection. This is soul magic, the kind that transcends individual existence and creates something entirely new from two separate beings.
"Rise now as mates, joined in body and spirit, bound by choice and sealed by magic."
The Alpha and Omega stand together, and the moment they are on their feet, the Alpha pulls her Omega into a deep, claiming kiss that causes several people in the crowd to sigh with longing or satisfaction. I can sense the genuine affection between them, the desire that goes beyond simple physical attraction. They chose each other not for status or power but because their souls recognized something in one another that called to them.
The Alpha gathers her Omega up in her arms, lifting her as though she weighs nothing, and storms out into the courtyard where the rest of the mating ceremony will take place. Where everyone will watch as the Alpha takes her Omega as a mated pair for the first time, completing the physical bond that the magical ritual has begun. The public claiming has always been our way, something even Alessia and I participated in years ago. There is no shame in it, no embarrassment. It is a ceremony worthy of celebration, affirmation, and joy at its finest.
The crowd follows them outside, whooping and cheering, eager to witness the climax of the ceremony. This is what Embrath should be. This is the thriving, passionate, connected society that our people deserve. However, the moment the crowd disperses, my face drops. The smile I have been maintaining throughout the ceremony crumbles. Exhaustionand disappointment crash over me, and I have to lock my knees to keep from swaying.
Alessia reaches out to take my hand as I turn to look at my beautiful wife sitting on her throne beside mine.
She is still thoroughly flushed from spending all day in our bed together, her skin still carrying that satisfied glow. Her blonde hair is slightly mussed despite her attempts to tame it before the ceremony, faint marks on her neck where my teeth grazed her skin. She is gorgeous and beloved and everything I could ever want in a mate.
But she is not enough. Not because she lacks anything, but because the magic itself declares that we are incomplete. We are two parts of a triad that requires three, and no amount of love between us can change that fundamental truth.
I sink to my knees before her throne, unable to maintain the pretense of regal composure any longer. I lay my head in her lap, seeking comfort in the one place I have always found it. Her hand immediately comes to rest in my hair, fingers threading through the long black strands.
"I can feel her, Zara."
Alessia's words are soft, barely more than a whisper. I lift my head to look at her, searching her face for signs of delusion or wishful thinking but there is none.
"Our Omega," she continues, wonder in her voice. "Something changed this morning. Like the magic shifted. It is such a pure feeling, so bright and clear. She is real, Zara. She exists."
"That is impossible." The words come out harsher than I intend, but I cannot help the denial. We have hoped before. We have felt things that turned out to be nothing, chased leads that ended in disappointment. I cannot let myself believe again, cannot open myself to that kind of crushing letdown. "The prophecy has been wrong before, or maybe we have misunderstood it. We cannot know for certain."
"She is in the Shadowlands." Alessia's voice steadies, a delighted sigh falling from her lips. "You know I can track the magic there. It is my gift, my connection to the wild spaces beyond our borders. And I feel her, clear as anything I have ever sensed. An Omega, moving through the Shadowlands."
"Yes, but an Omega?" I shake my head. "Why would there be an Omega in the Shadowlands? That is no place for an Omega! It is dangerous, unpredictable, and filled with threats that even experienced warriors struggle to handle."
