The silence stretched until I wished I could swallow the question back. ‘You really don’t have to answer, I’m sorry—’
‘It’s okay.’ He cleared his throat, clearly unprepared. ‘My mother’s not with us anymore. We don’t like the reminder.’
The amber of his eyes softened with old pain. We were still holding hands; I wasn’t sure who needed it more.
‘I’m sorry, River.' My voice broke. ‘I can’t imagine losing a parent.’
‘It was tough.’ Whatever he was thinking pulled him far away. ‘Toughest on my father. They were true mates. Ortensians are half fae; you must know what that’s like.’
It struck me how little our kingdoms really knew about each other. Centuries of war, and still, ignorance thrived.
‘Most of our people are halflings,’ I said. ‘But we get witches, too. And it isn’t that simple anyway. Witches don’t tend to have mates unless they’re shifters or, at times, fae, but that’s rare. And even then, the majority of our population dislikes the constraints of monogamy. They prefer harems.’
His hand twitched in mine. ‘Harems? Multiple women for one man?’
I grinned. ‘Reverse harems, too. Sometimes mixed groups.’
The king’s expression shifted somewhere between horror and curiosity. ‘But what about love? I don’t mean sex.’
‘Neither do I.’ A chuckle escaped me. ‘A lot of my people see monogamy as unnatural.’
For a person who carried himself so confidently, he looked lost. ‘And they share one woman?’
‘Or one man.’
Shoulders growing rigid, he grimaced and seemed to be really considering the logistics of the matter. ‘Fae malesare possessive. How can Ortensian men just share? Have they lost their instincts?’
I couldn’t help enjoying our little debate; our cultural differences were oddly entertaining. Taking a slow sip of my drink, I said, ‘Ortensia doesn’t quite work like Fogoya in that regard. Fogoyans pair up based on love or matehood, right?’
River nodded.
‘We still have a few old-fashioned halfling clans who chase their mates, but most of our society has given up on that. They marry for strength or influence instead.’
A scowl twisted his mouth. ‘It’d be difficult to understand matehood if you’ve never seen it.’
‘Maybe I’ll read about it,’ I said quickly, though my thoughts tangled between curiosity and unease. Were my people missing something by rejecting it?
River's hand tightened around mine, fire pulsing rough and alive through my veins. ‘Is that what you’d have done in your court? Married the strongest or most powerful?’
The judgement in his eyes hurt. ‘I wouldn’t have had a choice.’
His expression didn’t soften, so I added, ‘My mother would’ve forced me. She wanted to pawn me off to one of the water princes. They liked that I came with a dragon but hated my fire. I think she planned to marry me off to some noble and ship me away.’
River’s brow furrowed, his scowl returning. ‘What kind of mother does that?’
A dry laugh escaped me. ‘Mine. That witch hates me.’
His power flared, the warmth of it wrapping around me like a blanket. Then, quieter, he wondered as if to himself, ‘Why curse you to keep you, only to want you gone?’
‘She would only let me leave on her terms. I don’t think she cared about me being there—just about what people would say if I weren't. Once I bondedmy dragon, she couldn’t lose that asset. So yes, your “imprisonment” is a blessing in disguise. I’m finally free of her.’
For once, River looked uncertain.
‘You’re not a prisoner,’ he said softly, loosening his hold.
It was time to learn the terms of my situation. ‘Then what am I?’
He held my gaze. ‘You’re not my captive.’
