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She waved her hand, and a brown, hooded cloak appeared around my shoulders. Though the fabric was thick, it did not make me hot. It was lightweight and comfortable upon my skin.
“When the garment is closed, you will be undetectable by human eyes,” Thayla explained. I wrapped the cloth around my body and looked down, finding that I camouflaged perfectly with my surroundings.
“A soldier like you does not come along often,” she continued. “I need your exceptional skills and fortitude far longer than a human lifetime allows. So for my second gift, I am granting you an everlasting life. You shall not perish so that you may continue to fight for what is right. I will call upon you when you are needed.”
“Yes, Goddess,” I answered, bowing my head. I didn't mean to be ungrateful, but this gift didn’t excite me as the cloak had. I was honored to fight for her will, but the idea of immortality made me uneasy. I had no family or friends, and I watched my fellow soldiers die often. It would be a difficult road, but I would do what was asked of me.
Warmth spread across my face when Thayla touched my chin and lifted my head so that our eyes met. As if she heard my internal struggle, she spoke, “But what good is an immortal life if it is lived alone? For my final offering, I am granting you a mate to spend eternity with; someone to love and to cherish. He will be your perfect match, and he will need your protection and strength.”
My breath caught in my throat, but I managed to ask, “He?” in a strained voice. It was forbidden for a man to love another man, yet I couldn’t deny the secret trysts I’d had, just to experience the touch of a masculine hand. I couldn’t deny the longing that lived inside me, or the way my heart raced with hope.
Thayla’s grin spread. “Yes, Ansel;he. I know the desires of your heart. Do not worry about man’s laws or what they believe is right, for I know that all love is beautiful and pure. It is with my blessing that you will wed, and one day, many others will follow.”
“When will I meet him?” I asked desperately. “How will I know him?”
Thayla gave a gentle laugh. “I will appear to you again when it is time to meet with your fated one. Be patient and know that he is worth the wait. For now, we must part. Remain vigilant and use these gifts granted to you to retain peace and protect your king.” She reached out to touch my scruffy cheek once more, warming my skin, and in an instant, she was gone.
I ran a shaking hand through my long hair, trying to wrap my mind around everything that had just happened; both the great responsibilities I had gained, along with the great rewards.But did it really happen?Perhaps it was the delusion of a dying man. Perhaps it was a hallucination as I bled out from my wounds.
No. It was all too vivid; too real. Ihadno wounds any longer; only dried blood on my clothes and scars on my skin. And I had the cloak, hand-delivered to me by Thayla herself.
But most importantly, I had a fated one waiting for me some time in the future. A love which I only knew as forbidden; filthy, but was deemed blessed by the Goddess. Now that I knew it was possible, I wanted him; needed him more with each passing moment, but Thayla’s words repeated in my mind.Be patient. Be vigilant.
For now, I needed to inform the king of the foiled attack. He was a good man, and I knew that he would give proper burials of respect to the soldiers who fought to protect him.
With a deep breath, I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head and began my journey to the castle, with daydreams of my fated one keeping me company.
Chapter One
Leo
I sighed as I looked between the bars on my window to gaze upon the starry sky. It was a beautiful night; not a cloud in sight, and a full moon illuminating the courtyard below. A cool breeze floated into my room in the tower, teasing me with perfect exploration weather.
Ilovedto explore. As a child, I would stroll through the castle corridors, delighting in discovering new rooms. And while there were many rooms, I eventually found them all and grew tired of the view.
I craved more; something new, so I asked my parents, the king and queen, to let me outside the castle walls. But they forbade it. I didn't understand; I was the prince, and I believed I should see the kingdom and the people who would be my subjects one day, but my parents would not budge on their decision.
It didn't quash my desire, however. So, when I got old enough to make a plan, I snuck outside during the night hours when my parents would be asleep. I knew the castle and its passages well, and where I could stay hidden from the guards who stood watch.
I managed to stay undetected while climbing out through a window on the first floor. It was risky, but the moment my feet touched the ground, I had no regrets.
I loved everything, from the softness of the grass beneath my toes, to the sweet scent of the flowers in the courtyard, to the way the moonlight danced on my skin.
I went back night after night, venturing out a little further each time. It took about a month for my courage to grow, but I finally gave in to my deepest desire; to see what lay beyond the castle grounds.
I don't know what happened; whether a guard saw my thin body sneak out between the bars of the fence, or he heard my gasp of delight when I saw the cobbled road and many cottages lining it, but I was captured within moments of my escape.
I was dragged back inside and my parents were awoken from their slumber. They were furious with me, and told me that I was never to go outdoors again. I argued that as an heir to the throne, it was my duty to know the kingdom. That was the first time my father struck me, calling me an insolent child.
The ordeal scared me enough to keep me within the walls. Even if I became brave again, it would be for naught, as all the windows were barred and the number of guards working at the castle had been doubled.
When I asked the guards why I was being treated like a prisoner, they only answered that it was “for my protection,” but that didn’t seem right. My parents weren’t the nurturing type; they rarely even spoke to me.
After my ‘escape attempt’, they even appointed an older man named Fagen to keep an eye on me and make sure I didn’t try to leave the castle. I think it was meant as a punishment, but it turned out to be the best thing I could have dreamed of.
Fagen was everything that my parents weren’t; kind, caring, and attentive. He told me stories, and then even taught me to read to keep my mind entertained so the view of my interior walls wouldn’t drive me mad. I didn’t care about my bloodline; Fagen was my father as far as I was concerned. He was the only person in my life who had ever cared for me.
He’d visited me earlier in the day to celebrate whatshouldhave been a momentous occasion; my eighteenth birthday. Officially a man, I should have been honored with a coronation; introduced to my future subjects, and paraded throughout the town.
