Page 18 of Fire & Ice

I nodded slowly before trailing him towards the interior palace. The mixed emotions in my heart made me feel anxious and excited all at once—fear because I had been summoned to his parents' presence, but also wonderment for everything that had changed in our world recently. As we walked through the palace to meet them, I couldn't help my curiosity about mated Selene's powers.

"Do you know anything else concerning mated Selene?" I asked Beau as we walked along.

"A few bits," he answered thoughtfully. "It's legend that she could easily use both ice and fire with no struggle whatsoever—a true oddity among even our kind. It's reportedly told that no one ever won against her in battle because of how easily she could dominate those elements, only using her additional arsenal of gifts when necessary."

I hung onto his every word, enthralled by the story he was telling me. The concept of holding multiple gifts appeared too good to be genuine. Even when mated, you did not completely own two distinctive gifts but instead built and shared a second singular gift with your partner. But then again, everything in our novel world seemed to be like this where gifts and technology combined harmoniously like milk being poured into coffee, seamlessly blended yet still staying apart.

Chapter 20

Tempest

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves as Beau and I made our way closer towards his parents’ receiving room. Everything in the palace was luxurious, from the sparkling chandeliers to the marble flooring. We passed portraits of his ancestors, their stern gazes following us as we continued our journey.

Finally, we reached a large double door at the end of the hallway. Beau pushed it open, revealing a grand receiving room full of halflings and vampires dressed in their finest attire. At the far end of the room was an elevated platform with Beau’s parents seated on it.

Beau led me forward, his hand firmly grasping mine. As we approached, the entire room fell silent, and all eyes were on us. “Mother, Father,” Beau bowed before them. “My mated, Tempest,” he introduced me.

I curtsied nervously, feeling very self-conscious under the scrutiny of Beau’s parents. “Welcome, Tempest,” Beau’s mother said with a warm smile. “We have been looking forward to meeting you again.”

“Thank you for having me,” I replied softly, trying desperately not to show how intimidated I felt.

Beau's father stood from his seat and walked down the steps towards us. He was a tall, imposing figure with a stern expression on his face.

"Welcome, Tempest," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "I am pleased to see that you are adjusting well to your new life."

I nodded; my throat clogged with uncertainty. I was aware of just how much I had to prove to Beau's parents and the southern kingdom.

“We are delighted that you have been chosen as our future Queen,” Beau's mother smiled warmly, her eyes twinkling in the candlelight. “When I felt the power flow through me to you last moon, I knew immediately that you were special. You have an immense challenge waiting for you, but we believe in you.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled, feeling lighter now that I had their support. In the flurry of introductions and polite chatter that followed, it seemed like everyone was fascinated by me and Beau's mating. Although overwhelmed by the attention, I pushed on and tried my best to keep up with what was said.

As guests began to depart, Beau's parents approached us once more.

“You did a good job tonight, Tempest,” Beau’s father said, his expression softening slightly. “But being queen will not be easy. You must be prepared for difficult decisions and challenges ahead… plus there is the official mating ritual to combine your gifts."

A wave of determination coursed through me, and I nodded in agreement. Despite how challenging ruling would be, I was willing to do whatever it took to make it work.

“I understand,” I replied confidently, “and I’m ready for it.”

Beau’s mother smiled kindly at me. “We have no doubt that you will make a great Queen, Tempest. Your family has served on the council since its inception and it only makes sense that your blood would eventually become a part of our own," she said.

I couldn't believe it. I had never even considered this possibility before. I guess I just assumed our power levels would be equal since we were already mated, but it was clear that wasn't enough. We needed to undergo the stages of the mating ritual to truly merge our gifts.

As we were leaving the room, Queen Tatiana stopped us briefly near the door. Concern was etched clear across her face.

"Please take care, my boy and be vigilant. Protect her with all your heart. Gabe has informed us of the.... anomalies," she whispered softly, but firmly enough that only we could hear it. "And it's always best to remember that our kingdom's enemies are not just outside the palace walls; sometimes they lurk inside walking shoulder to shoulder with us too."

That warning was enough to make me shudder slightly—true words spoken by a worried mother who knew danger better than most.

Her voice pitched louder for the ears trying to pry as a smile worked its way on her face erasing the concern that had been prior. "However, tonight is for family. We will be having dinner together so that Tempest's parents may present her to the council, and so that she may officially meet your brother. Plus, I understand there was a halfling that you were searching for Tempest? A friend, called Sara. Marcus has found her, and she has been invited as well."

I felt a wave of relief at the mention of Sara. I haven’t seen her since her own twenty-fifth moonday—over four months ago—and letters were all we’d had since. Though in each, her words had seemed cautious—tinged with happiness—as if she were excited about something but unsure if it would last.

Beau smiled brightly at his mother's words and then turned to me. "I think you'll like my brother. He's always full of surprises."

I couldn't help but smile back at him, my heart racing as we walked through the palace hallways towards our chambers for preparation before dinner. Beau carried my slippers in his hand and the cool marble underfoot felt good against my skin. I found myself lost in thoughts, still dwelling over possibilities regarding traitors roaming freely among us, and the upcoming mating ritual. But it wasn't all bad news. I would have an ally outside with my parent by my side, someone to watch my back as I delved into the secrets buried deep under smiling faces, friendly handshakes, or bloodwine-filled goblets.

As we navigated the halls, hand in hand, my mind kept going back to the mating ritual. What if it didn't go right? Could fate have brought us together only for our gifts to not merge and be complementary?

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