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“I have the gift of sight,” I said, smiling at him.

“Like your grandmother…”

I nodded. “Hers was more refined than mine. I can’t quite control it yet, but I’ve foreseen this, a great battle with many lives lost. We’ll have to be prepared.”

Rubbing my cheek with his thumb, he shifted so that his kilt inched higher. “I am here, Princess. There’s no need to be afraid.”

“But there is,” I assured him. I closed my eyes and saw the fire again. The rubble. The death. “There’s much to be afraid of.”

He was silent as he took in my words. Then, his demeanor changed. The lines in his face deepened and he stared out across the pond. “There’s an old lore in my country. Lore that tells of the greatest warrior who had the strength of a thousand men. He fought his battles and defeated his enemies, but there was one thing he did not have. Love. The tale tells of a man always searching, always pressing forward, but never feeling complete. We all have our own battles and our own fears, but love is not one of them. Love is the savior of all things. It does not matter what we will face, my princess. We will stand by one another. I said I will serve you and I will, in whatever way you ask of me.”

The dark cloud in my head cleared, and a weight lifted from my person. There was something to be said for this after all. Someone to share the burden with. Someone to share everything with. I inched closer and captured his lips in a kiss again. His hand swept up behind my neck and pulled me close. For a moment, my fears fell away. Inside, I felt the seedling of the feelings my parents had for one another. It would take time for it to nurture and grow, but it was there.

If it felt this way with Calen, what would it feel like when I added more?