Page 9 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

Triston had never once considered taking a mate. He knew from a young age that he would never desire a wife, and he figured with the fading magic, the chances of him finding one were slim anyways.

But there, standing in the throne room, a mere five feet away from him, stood the woman fate had decided he was destined to share his life with.

How had his future changed so quickly?

Now that he thought about it, he had been experiencing some strange feelings on the journey to the Twilight Kingdom. Surprising even to himself, he had felt unfamiliar stirrings of lust, but he pushed the feelings quickly aside. He wasn't inexperienced with physical relations, but his drive was never particularly high when the weight of an entire kingdom rested on his shoulders. He would occasionally seek companionship, but it was all business. He had a need, he relieved it, and then that was it. No names, no sentimentality. Just a brief encounter, and then he'd be good for a while.

But now, he stood in the throne room, and he felt his body respond to Kalora's daughter, instantly embarrassing him. She was younger than him by quite a bit, and frankly, he'd never given her so much as a glance before. And yet, he was frozen there in front of the girl's mother, his body betraying him as he pictured her blonde curls tangled in his hands.

Queen Kalora was a shrewd ruler, quick to notice everything around her, and instantly sensed the tension in the room. One look at them both, and Triston could see her quickly unravel the scene before her.

“I see your newfound powers have granted you another gift, my daughter.”

Julietta's face reddened, and Triston could feel his own face pale as the blood drained away.

“I—I didn't—I—” Julietta sputtered, and Triston realized that she was just as shocked as he was about their...predicament.

“Me either,” he replied, fully taking her in for the first time. Julietta was a pretty girl, with a sweet nature and shy smile. She was curvy, which was something he didn't know he liked until he took in her figure. She was shorter than him by quite a bit, and he realized that he liked that, too. The women he usually spent time with were thin wisps with hardly any figure to speak of. But seeing Julietta there, and watching the pink spread from her cheeks to her chest suddenly made him feel—

No. He must shut this down, and quickly. He would not form any type of relationship with this girl. He had his own kingdom to think about, and his sole focus in life was protecting its borders and people. If he let himself care, let himself feel something—it would destroy him.

“We need to discuss this. Rationally,” he said, looking at both women.

“While I appreciate that you'd like to include me, I fear that this type of conversation doesn't need my attention. I'm sure my daughter would appreciate it if I left you two alone.” Queen Kalora crossed to the door.

“No, that's not necessary—” Triston began, but Queen Kalora had already pushed open the door and made her way into the hall.

Triston exhaled deeply, looking around the room. There was nowhere to sit except for the pair of thrones, so he nodded towards the two seats. At least if he was sitting, he could conceal his discomfort a bit easier.

“As I'm sure you're aware, this has come as quite a shock,” he began, watching Julietta arrange her full skirts around her. The fashions of the Twilight Kingdom weren't quite as revealing as the Tidal Kingdom fashions, and Triston found himself curious about the differences in their cultures.

“Yes,” she stammered, looking up at him. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, and he could see just a fleck of gold near her pupil. It was unique, and he didn't know how he had never noticed it before. But then he remembered that up until this moment, he never really thought about her at all.

He took in her soft face and her flawless skin. She was very pretty. And she was sweet, so he'd have to be very careful with his words. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that his rejection would probably break her heart.

“I am sure you are aware, but I have a kingdom to run. I don't have time for a mate—fated or otherwise. It's not that you aren't lovely, but—”

“We need to find a way to undo this,” she said, looking at him with determination. He was taken aback for a moment. He never thought that she might not want him. Actually, he was shocked. More shocked than he was with their original pairing. She didn't want him? She wanted to break their mating bond?

He cleared his throat, trying to hide his surprise. “Yes. I don't think there's a way, but—”

“There is.”

“What?”

“There's a way. It won't be easy, and it will require a sacrifice. My magic. But I'm willing to do it. There's no way that you're the man for me—and I'm certainly not the girl for you.”

Chapter Seven

Renya's head rested comfortably on the pillow, and she half-dozed while Grayden's large hand moved over her belly.

“You won't feel anything for months yet,” she yawned, then ran her fingers through Grayden's hair. He looked up at her, his smile wide.

“I just can't believe it.”

“I couldn't at first, either. You guys don't have pregnancy tests here, and things have been a bit wonky for me cycle-wise, but with the amount of nausea I've had, I don't think there's any denying it.”

“Pregnancy test? Does a healer perform magic to tell you?”

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