Page 44 of Seeded By Two

I wondered what my future was going to be like now that I had Beth in it.

My fated mate.

Even repeating it to myself now, I could hardly believe it!

My fated mate.

I let the words and the associated thoughts drift through my mind, powerful and strong like a river.

Locating your perfect mate was something every Krev dreamt of but few ever achieved.

Being a decoy was hard and dangerous work and I belonged to the Royal Family.

Only a member of the Royal Family could release me from servitude.

I was, in effect, owned by them.

With the friendship I shared with the Prince, I thought it was virtually impossible for him not to grant me my freedom — and likely, very soon.

I suddenly felt sad at the thought I might not see him as often as I used to.

He was the only real family I had.

Any hopes I’d been fostering at bringing back the relationship I had with my parents and siblings (that I didn’t even know I had!) had drifted by the wayside.

The way I had imagined greeting them, with their eyes lighting up, somehow sensing who I was, and then welcoming me in with warm hugs, so we could begin rekindling the relationship that had been cut short… had failed to materialize.

My mother might have carried me to term, might have given birth to me, and I might have spent my first few years among them, but they were no more my parents than random strangers in the street.

My real parents were now the Emperor and Empress, although they had always ensured to keep a discreet distance from me so as not to make the Prince jealous.

They needn’t have worried.

It was always the Prince that had suggested I join them for their state visits.

I was always treated as part of the family — even if I was anything but.

I supposed my striking similarity in appearance with their son won me at least a little affection.

And now, soon, I would have to leave their charge — Prince Aslas willing — to start my own family with Beth.

My heart raced at the thought of it.

I had long since given up all hope I might have my own home and family one day.

My duty was to the Prince and the Royal Family, no one else.

I had not envisioned a time when my sworn duty to them would come to an end.

After all, the Prince would grow up and inherit the throne.

And even in the unlikely event that he did not, he would still have need of a reliable Decoy, and who was more reliable than the one he had grown up with?

But now things had changed.

With the arrival of Beth, nothing would ever be the same again.

I turned into the cafeteria.

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