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“Definitely,” I agreed. “But it can afford to be. It has the clout to back up its roar.”
“Hmm. You really can’t see to the other side of it,” she mused. “I could never envision it whenever I’d heard the tales; I’m so used to sand, but now that I’m seeing it…” She shook her head. “It’s breathtaking. Do you really think there are other lands out there beyond it?”
I glanced at her curiously. “What? Didn’t you believe the explorers from Near Shore who claimed to have been to the Great Beyond?”
She only shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know they returned with artifacts, proving they’d been elsewhere, but the artifacts could’ve come from Corandra for all we know. The explorers were so sick and delirious, and they died soon after arriving home. It makes me wonder if one can truly believe the ramblings of crazy men.”
I smiled. “I don’t know. Sometimes the insane speak with more clarity t
han those lost in reality.”
She bumped her shoulder into mine. “Oh, so you’re a philosopher now, are you?”
I winked at her. “Just trying to impress you.”
She rolled her eyes but kept grinning as she sighed and returned her attention to the sea. “I wonder why we named ourselves the Outer Realms. Maybe whoever it is over there is the outer parts of us and not the other way around.”
I nodded. “Possibly. I mean, none of their explorers have ever made it over here to gather artifacts from us, now have they? It only makes sense that we’re more advanced and capable than them.” With a nod, I added, “Yes, I think you’re right. We should petition to rename ourselves to the…the…”
When I couldn’t come up with a suitable name, Vienne threw out a suggestion. “The Inner Realms?”
I laughed. “Yes. Exactly. I hereby rename us the Inner Realms.”
Chuckling as well, Vienne hooked her elbow through mine and scooted close enough that our sides pressed together. Then she rested her chin on my shoulder as she let out a delighted sigh. “You can be the one to petition that suggestion to Caulder.”
“Oh no,” I murmured, bumping against her playfully. “I believe that should fall to you. You’re the unassumingly persuasive one, after all.”
She started to roll her eyes before she looked up at me with a slight frown. “Wait. How did you know Nicolette had called me that?”
“Because I was hiding behind the curtains in the East Salon when she did.” The confession came easily, probably because this was a dream, I was sleeping, and my thoughts were utterly unfiltered. “I was watching you nap that day when she barged in.”
Her eyes widened. “Were you? Is this a habit of yours I should be concerned about?”
Shaking my head, I reached out to softly trace the outline of her face with my fingers. “Not at all, my lady. I’ve already decided not to spy on you like that again. It felt…invasive and wrong.” My gaze slid to hers. “And I don’t wish to wrong you. Ever.”
She had such dark brown eyes. They seemed to peer straight inside me as if reading every intimate facet of my soul. Then, with a small smile, she reached up and touched my mark. “Why do your people do this? Really?”
My eyes closed at the feel of her touch before I reopened them. Watching her study me, I said, “I’ve always teased that I have no idea why. But actually, I think I do know. A part of me understands, anyway. There’s just something about pairs that make things run more efficiently. Whoever started the custom wanted our kingdom to last as long as it could. I mean, don’t we move better on two legs? See better with two eyes. Hear better with two ears?”
Grinning, she slid her finger down from the corner of my eye to tap at the end of my nose. “Then why don’t we have two noses?”
“Ah, because we have two nostrils in each nose,” I answered before I nuzzled my nose into her neck.
She laughed and gripped my hair, controlling the tickle.
Not able to tease long before desire swelled, I moved my mouth to the flesh under her ear and gripped her hips in my hands. “Two hearts beat stronger than one,” I murmured. “We’re supposed to complement each other. Like night and day doling out the measurement of time, fire and ice to tell us the difference in temperature, black and white to give each color variety, salt and pepper to season our food, thunder and lightning to warn us of a storm—”
“Hugs and kisses to show the best affection,” she added, wrapping her arms around me and resting her cheek against my heartbeat.
“Exactly.” I hugged her back and kissed her cheek. “Being matched to you doesn’t take away what you already are. It can only add to it. You are still you, and I am still me. This will always be. We can take care of ourselves, live our own lives, go on our own journeys, but together…together, we make us, and traveling as an us down one road on our separate journeys... Well, we can help the other along the way, share our unique perspectives, encourage and entertain one another, combat the loneliness, love unceasingly.”
She lifted her face, her brown eyes solemn. “Except we can’t be together.”
I only smiled. “We’re together now.”
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “But this isn’t real.” Then she had to wrinkle her nose as if unsure whether she supported her own claim or not. “Right?”
Leaning in, I let my breath whisper against her ear. “It certainly feels real.”
