“Far more than I could do,” he insisted, then grinned. “Although it might have been faster just to blow out the candle.” Taegan laughed at that.
“Well, I never claimed it was more efficient,” he admitted with a shrug.
“Tell me more about the bond, then,” Zorvut said. A soft fondness was welling up from his end of the bond; Taegan thought he just liked to hear him speak, and that made him smile.
“What else? Well, there is a limit to how far across the magic can connect,” he continued, trying to think of what he had not already said. “It’s not exact, and again can vary between couples, but usually about a mile is the very furthest it can connect.” Zorvut blinked, seeming to think it over.
“Strange to think we’ve never been more than a mile apart since the day we met,” he murmured, and Taegan nodded. “So what happens when wearea mile apart, then?”
“I’m not sure. Hopefully, we will not have to find out,” Taegan replied, shrugging. A more somber mood seemed to overtake Zorvut suddenly, and he glanced up at him, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
“I was just thinking, orc lifespans are so much shorter than elves,” Zorvut said slowly, not meeting Taegan’s gaze. “I may live to a hundred at the very most, but you’ll barely be middle-aged then. You may even still be a prince. When I die, what will happen to the bond?”
Taegan blinked, surprised at the turn the conversation had taken. “I don’t know,” he stammered, then took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. “When my father died, the king knew the instant it happened, even though they were far apart. So it must be different from just being separated by distance.” He had a flash of a memory of that day—the image of his father’s face suddenly going pale and still while he sat on his throne, the words he had been speaking trailing off before he turned away and vomited blood, bright crimson splattering against the white marble tile, was still perfectly clear in his mind even after all this time. With a shake of his head, he forced himself to focus on the conversation at hand, pushing the unpleasant memory away. “I’m sure there is some pain, though, obviously, it is survivable. I... don’t think I’ve ever asked him about it in depth. I don’t think I could.”
“Understandable,” Zorvut murmured, then finally met Taegan’s gaze. “Sorry. I just had the thought, and... well, it seemed important to know. My apologies if that was too dark.”
“No, no,” Taegan said, shaking his head as if trying to shake off the lingering discomfort the question had left him with. “It’s good to have these kinds of conversations. It’s something I had never really considered before, but... you’re right.” He pursed his lips. “That makes me sad to think about.”
Zorvut shrugged. “That’s always the case, though,” he replied. “One will always die before the other. Well, maybe not always, but nearly always. No need to be afraid of it yet, though.”
“Let’s talk about something else for now, then,” Taegan said. “There will be plenty of time for that sort of thing later. Do you still want to finish this book?” Zorvut looked at him with a wry smile, but nodded, and Taegan resumed reading.
It took only a few days to settle into their new normal. Just as Taegan had said, the more often they simply held hands or embraced throughout the castle, the easier it became—and the more it made Taegan’s heart bubble over with affection, though he wasn’t quite sure if he was comfortable enough to say so just yet.
They were walking together toward the archery range late in the morning when the king’s voice came from behind them.
“Taegan!” King Ruven called, and they both turned quickly to face him. Taegan bowed his head slightly, and Zorvut followed suit. “I’m glad I found you. Could I have a quick word, in private?” The king smiled at the surreptitious glance that Taegan and Zorvut shared. “Nothing bad, I assure you. I just wanted to speak with you, my son.”
“Of course,” Taegan agreed, then glanced at Zorvut. “Don’t wait up, I’ll meet you out there.”
“I’ll have your things set up,” Zorvut agreed, and released Taegan’s hand. He tilted his head up expectantly, but Zorvut hesitated, then instead pulled Taegan’s hand up to his lips before giving another polite bow of his head to the king and continuing on his way.
“Is anything the matter?” Taegan asked as he joined his father, who started walking leisurely back the way they had come.
“No, not at all,” he said, a slight smile on his lips. “It’s just strange not to have all your time to myself anymore.”
Taegan chuckled. “I hate to be the one to say it, but itwasyour idea,” he replied, and the king laughed aloud at that.
“I’m glad to see you’ve been in a good mood,” he said, then gave a more knowing glance to Taegan. “Both of you seem to be getting along better as of late.”
“Yes,” Taegan agreed, glancing away. Already he could feel his face flush with embarrassment. “Your advice definitely helped me. It took a few conversations, but we are getting along much better than I would have anticipated.”
“Good,” Ruven said. They were walking in the general direction of the king’s private quarters, but with much less purpose than Taegan was used to seeing from his father. “I appreciate how much Zorvut also seems to want things to be successful, both between our nations and the two of you directly. I don’t know if he is yet comfortable enough around me for it to mean anything if I said that to him, but perhaps you can pass my thanks along to him.”
“Of course,” Taegan said, nodding. The king’s expression tensed, as if he wanted to say more, so he waited, but Ruven seemed to be weighing his words.
“Taegan,” he finally said, looking into the distance. “Do you think you’ll be able to be happy this way? Maybe not now, but someday?”
The question took Taegan by surprise, and he almost missed a step as they walked, catching himself before he could stumble.
“Yes,” he said, nodding even as he glanced away, his face reddening. “Zorvut and I have been getting along very well. I enjoy his company, and...”
He paused, unsure if he could admit it. “And I think... I think I may love him.”
The king turned to look at him as he said it, his eyebrows raised but his expression otherwise unreadable. “And does he feel the same?” he asked, his voice much softer than Taegan would have expected.
“I think so,” he answered. “I don’t know. I haven’t said it yet. But I hope he feels the same. I think he does.” He was stammering now, and he shut his mouth firmly before he could say anything more embarrassing. When he glanced back over at Ruven, a soft smile was playing at his lips, though he was clearly still trying to maintain the same stoic expression as always.
