— Elaeya —

Kaden was walking me to a peer in Blakeden’s quaint port.

He did not employ Sam and drove us himself. I was really curious what was all of this about, but I said nothing and waited patiently.

He guided me to a thirty feet yacht, all white and beautiful.

“A boat?” I asked.

“It’s harder to be distracted if we’re away from civilization,” he explained.

“True,” I admitted.

On the deck, there was a table set for two.

So this was a date.

Interesting.

“Give me a sec,” he said and went ahead.

A little later, the boat left and I looked at the setting sun over the vast lake as the wind blew through my hair.

It was beautiful.

“Are you cold?” he asked me when he returned.

The northern wind was much sharper than it had been the last few weeks, but there would not be any freezing for weeks still.

“I am fine,” I told him.

He circled his arms around me regardless. It made me smile.

“What is all this about?” I asked him.

“Someone helped me do two weeks of paperwork in a few days. I thought we should celebrate.”

“But this is not all this is about?”

He frowned. “I know I’m not the best at surprises, but you’re even more terrible than me.”

I tilted my head. “What kind of surprise?”

The way he looked at me made me think he was trying to sort out what I knew and did not.

“Well,” he finally said. “Things should have been in a different order, but I thought I should ask properly regardless.”

It clicked. “Yes,” I said.

You looked at me suspiciously. “You know what I’m about to ask?”

“Yes and it is yes,” I said turning around.

He shook his head in disbelief. “So much for romance,” he said. “You know, I really tried this time.”

I put my hands on either side of his face and pulled it down to kiss him. He indulged me.

It was a long kiss and soon enough, his arms were pressing my body to his.

“I don’t need the romance,” I said. “Just you.”

He smiled.

“Well.” He put one of his hands in his pocket and pulled out a little wooden box with a carved flower on it.

I could not stop myself from beaming.

He took my left hand and slipped the metal ring around my finger.

I felt it.

It was magic. Intricate. Probably better than anything I’ve ever done. And it was strong, subtle, hard to notice, but strong regardless.

I felt my eyes rounding and my breath hitched up.

He looked at me with a satisfied smirk.

“It seems I can surprise you after all,” he said.

“How?” I asked.

“I had help,” he admitted.

“Alik,” I said.

He nodded.

I put my left hand on his chest and looked at the ring.

It was a stunning piece of art. The metal criss-cross in vine-like elegant patterns, with little dots of shimmering stones like minuscule dewdrops and a center stone of pure multicoloured opalescence.

“What kinds of stones those are?” I asked curiously.

“White opal in the center, moonstone for the little ones.”

I concentrated on the enchantment, but I could not understand its makeup.

“What kind of magic is this?” I asked confused.

“One that I heard is not very common. I was told it was a lot more generic that most enchantments, and would probably be better suited for you. The wizard said people don’t usually go for something this broad and vague, but he said that given your gifts, you would probably find a proper application when the time would come. That it’s strong enough and versatile enough for a variety of things, but probably too complex to both make and use for most people to find good use for it.”

I nodded. “What kind of fulcrum was used in there? I don’t think I have ever felt anything like it.”

“I thought you might have known.”

I frowned. “It is familiar, I don’t know how, but it is not magic I have encountered before.”

“It’s animamancy.”

“Life magic?”

“It’s built over a piece of soul. I’m told it’s one of the most potent form of magic there is.”

I snapped my hand on his chest, over his heart, and went to look inside.

“You ripped off a part of your soul?” I nearly shouted. “It is like amputating a limb.” I was baffled.

He shrugged. “I did say I would have given an arm—,” he began.

“But that’s your soul,” I said shaken.

“Relax Ela,” he said grabbing my hand and wrapping his enormous finger over mine. “It will not kill me, souls grow back. It’s like blood, you can lose some and it’ll return later. You told me that people share and give pieces of their souls all the time.”

“Yes,” I admitted. “But this is a big piece, and your soul was injured not long ago, and it took so much time to get better.”

“Alik said it didn’t heal because you were away, and that within a month, this one would be healed too.”

“Oh.” I looked at the ring again, still shaken by what he had given me.

“It’s just that with all that is happening and all that may come, I want to make sure nothing is left to chance.”

I looked up and nodded.

“Just don’t take it off,” he said.

“I won’t,” I replied and kissed him.

It was slow at first but it grew in intensity, and I don’t know how long we were standing like this, but I vaguely remember being lifted up, my legs wrapping instinctively around him and feeling the brisk night air fade to the ship’s warmer interior.

We made quick order of our clothes, and we found ourselves on a bed. Him below me, in between my thighs as I raised our pleasure in cadence with the swaying of the waves under the haul.

Every time I heard the low rumble of his voice, my toes curled.

We made love, slowly, patiently, passionately. His hands never away from my body, mine on his chest.

The world, time, this location, everything faded and there was nothing else but him and I. It could have lasted for hours, days, or centuries, it did not matter but the contact of his skin against mine.

I did not know the time, but I knew it was late when we finally crumbled on the sheets in exhaustion.

His stomach rumbled audibly.

We giggled.

“I’m so hungry right now,” he said with a smile, tucking behind my ears a few loose strands of hair.

“I am absolutely starving,” I replied. “I think my stomach is self-cannibalising now.”

He picked his phone on the bedside table and typed a quick text, then moved up the covers over us.

Staff brought us our dinner, and I felt myself blush furiously. Kaden looked absolutely unaffected by the sudden intrusion.

We ate once they left and we covered ourselves with bathrobes.

The food was warm and perfect, with probably a small army of personnel—or as many who could fit on the ship without being intrusive—who took care of everything.

I guess this is what Mariqueen had meant when she talked of royalty.

I gave a quick glance at the ring on my finger. Never did the impending wedding feel as real as now.