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Aleksi stood between his fathers. The earth bender’s sister, her consort, and their four children, all grown and the eldest of the cousins, had joined. Their son kept a hand around his wife’s shoulders; the scar on her cheek was where all this truly began.
She’d been the one King Thorvald attacked when Valen filled my father’s chest with his axe.
Strange, to have them here. For this reason.
Beside Valen and Elise were Livia’s grandparents, one mortal, one fae, much like her parents. Rorik kept drifting to the side of the sea fae until Stieg promised him a Rave dagger if he would keep still.
The warrior was blood to none of us, but like Celine and her folk, Stieg deserved a place here.
The only one who did not truly belong, at least not to me, was the pensive watch of the elven from one of the upper windows. Thewoman had willingly returned her herb bands to her neck, agreeing not to use her affinity against us. She’d calmed the dangers of the Chasm, but I did not know what to do with her.
Small grins, a few flickers of feeling, had ignited over her face as of late, but Livia informed me she remained unlike the woman she first met. My songbird was hopeful, but I wasn’t convinced that woman would return.
I shook thoughts of the elven away, turning my focus to the table.
Narza lit the candles. “Bonds are no small thing. Complicated spells, but powerful. Bonds of the heart come from willing blood of two separate lines. These, when valued, when loved, and when cherished, are the heart of the Ever. They are what brings the royal line its full potential.”
Livia slipped her fingers into mine, beaming at me; I could not help but smile back.
Narza reached for Livia’s hand. “Blood is offered, willingly, ardently, and with desire. Is this true of you?”
“Yes.” Livia watched in fascination as drops of her blood spilled into one of the bowls.
My grandmother looked to me. “The heartbond of the House of Kings was destroyed, but we have found nothing that says a new bond cannot be formed with another. Do you willingly claim House Ferus as yours, ardently, and with desire?”
I swallowed, my throat all at once tight. Some, like Joron, would see this as a betrayal of the House of Kings. They would say the Ever King sold himself to the earth fae. I hardly cared. My loyalty was to the woman at my side, thrones and crowns be damned.
It meant something to know every soul of House Ferus came to prove they, too, accepted it.
I nodded and held out my hand for my grandmother. “Careful.”
Narza grinned softly. “I have bandaged more than one scrape on your knees, Grandson. Whether you recall it or not. I’m not afraid of your blood.”
My blood landed in the opposite bowl. One by one, those of our blood families were added. Tavish winked before he added his. We’d never admitted to each other the truth, nor had I said anything to Maelstrom.
It was simply known by the way they’d begun to share stories about my mother, whether through a look I gave, and Maelstrom would say, “Gods, that is how Oline used to frown.” Or if something reminded them of my mother—how she hated the scales of fish or how she’d once determined to be the first Lady of Blades, and that she would’ve been proud to know her son made such a thing possible.
Thorvald would be disappointed, and it made the new bonds all the better.
Narza heated the blood with herbs and incense, then carefully ladled both into one mortar, two bloodlines united. “Join hands.”
Livia and I held our clasped palms over the bowl. Narza began to sing, gentle and sweet.
Skin prickled; our palms heated. The longer Narza sang, the warmer our skin became.
Livia winced. I nearly did when the bite to my forearm dug to the bone. Not like a blade, more a weak burn that spread through meat of the body to the marrow, then the veins, until my chest bloomed in warmth. A soothing heat, like a gulp of hot tea, felt all the way down to the belly.
Narza’s song slowly tapered off. She wiped a tear from the corner of one eye and gestured to our hands. “May you always honor the bond between you.”
Breath went quiet in my lungs. I dropped my gaze to the bare skin on my arms and let out a rough gasp.
Livia laughed, wiping tears away. Branded on our flesh, in the same place that once bore the bind rune of the House of Kings, was a new one tangled in what looked like ivy vines.
“House Ferus,” Elise whispered, grinning. “That is the seal.”
I kept rubbing the place over my heart, reveling in the familiar fullness. Gods, I’d missed it.
Livia rose up on her toes and kissed me, her tears wetting my face. When she pulled back, our families applauded. I looked only at her as her delicate fingers traced the bottom line of my lip.
