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“You’re still carrying that lie of omission with you.”
I didn’t like her tone. As if I had no right to that feeling. She caught my frown and lifted her hand, playing with one of the pearls hanging from her necklace.
“I may have only just met you, but I like what I’ve seen so far. I know you were raised human, and I can imagine our ways must seem foreign to you. Would you allow me to offer you some perspective?”
I didn’t know what to say to that. But I nodded.
Her expression turned solemn.
“I’m in love with Conreth. And he is in love with me. Together, we have enjoyed a wonderful life and a relationship filled with mutual respect. One day, gods willing, we might have a child. Despite everything we have, I would give anything for Conreth to be my mate. Anything.”
Her eyes flooded, and I opened my mouth, unsure what to say. Emara simply shook her head. “I have to live with the fact that his true mate is out there somewhere. The other half of his soul. And no matter how much I love him, our relationship can never be what he would have with her.”
I couldn’t imagine such a thing. Could I have kept Lorian, knowing there was someone else out there for him—someone his people believed had been crafted by the gods to be the other half of his soul?
As much as I would like to believe I could, the jealousy and insecurity would eat me alive.
“I’msorry.”
Emara wiped at her eyes. “I used to think that knowledge might destroy me. Now, I can admire Conreth for doing what he saw as best for his kingdom, even as I wonder if my own mate might be out there somewhere, waiting for me. I apologize for involving myself in your relationship, especially as we have only recently met. But…Lorian gave me some advice of his own a long time ago, and that advice helped me greatly during one of the darkest points of my life. So I’m going to give you some advice too. When the fae love, they love deeply and unreservedly. And with their mates…that love has no limits. I know Lorian, and his love for you will be a wild, possessive love. He will cherish you above all, but he may forget that you have other responsibilities. And he will give up everything for you.”
My eyes blurred, and I turned away. “Do you think I want to get between him and his brother?”
“No,” she said softly. “I don’t believe you do. Conreth has made some mistakes—”
“Mistakes?” The word whipped from me, and I forced myself to temper my tone. This was still the fae queen I was speaking to. “Conreth’s only job was to love his brother. And instead, he turned him into a weapon and watched him lose his soul one piece at a time.”
Emara flinched. But from the way her gaze briefly lowered, some small part of her agreed. “I apologize for interrupting your day. I think…I think the relationship between Conreth and Lorian will likely get worse before it gets better. Both of them are stubborn men, and nothing you or I do will change that. But I hope one day we can be friends.”
I attempted a smile. Emara seemed sheltered, despite her title, her responsibilities. But she also seemed to have a good heart.“I hope so too.”
She smiled back, walking out of the room. She didn’t rush, yet her steps were purposeful, graceful.
When her footsteps faded down the hall, I wiped my face and went to find Galon and the others.
I found Marth sitting on his balcony, a bottle of wine in his hand. He drank straight from the bottle, turning his attention away from it just long enough to nod at me.
“Galon is training. He made noises about finding you for a session.”
I looked down at my pretty dress ruefully. Marth sniggered.
“Where is he training?”
“Below the castle. There’s a small arena down there for when Conreth and his guards wish to train alone.”
His expression had hardened once more, and I sat next to him.“Do you want to talk about it?”
He shook his head.
We sat in silence for a long time. Occasionally, he sent me a glower, as if silently asking why I was still in his space. I just smiled at him, waiting him out.
Finally, he sighed.
“I saw them.”
“Who?”
“Sybella and Piperia.”
