Page 7 of Kingdoms of Tides and Twilight (A World of Sun and Shadow #2)

G rayden would later look back at his behavior at the Tidal Kingdom and realize he might have slightly overreacted. He probably shouldn't have pushed the guards at the mouth of the cave inlet into the water and stolen their canoe. He shouldn't have forced his way into their harbor and dodged all the guards that tried to stop him as he raced up towards the palace. He also probably shouldn't have punched King Triston and accused him of keeping Renya from him. He also probably shouldn't have forged a path of destruction through the palace until he found his way to Renya's room.

When he had pushed his way through the waterfall blocking her door, he saw Renya and he had frozen, momentarily forgetting he was being pursued by numerous guards. His heart had pounded, a deafening rhythm in his ears, and the desire to make her his had overwhelmed him like a tidal wave. He had made a move towards her, arms outstretched, fingers aching to touch her, as if to sweep her up and never let go. However, at that moment the guards had finally caught up with him, their heavy footfalls echoing in the chamber. They had tackled him to the floor of Renya's room, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. Hands pinned behind his back, he had looked up at Renya, his piercing green eyes meeting hers.

“Renya!” he had roared, his voice raw with emotion, as two guards yanked him upright and out of her room. Renya had tried to follow him, her bare feet slapping against the stone floor, but she was in nothing but her towel and Grayden saw two more guards holding her back, their hands gentle but firm.

“Grayden!” she had exclaimed, her voice a mixture of relief and confusion, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Don't you dare touch her!” Grayden had yelled frantically at the guards, his protective instincts flaring. “Renya! I've come for you!” The words had been torn from his throat, desperate and primal. He then managed to overpower both guards, muscles straining as he broke free, but another three guards came around the corner and pulled him back. It had taken all five of them to subdue him, their combined strength barely enough to restrain him as they dragged him to an empty chamber.

Now he sat there, seething in anger and nearly trembling with desire, so close to Renya yet unable to claim her. The frustration was maddening, like an itch he couldn't scratch, a hunger he couldn't sate.

He looked around the room they had shoved him into, taking in his surroundings with sharp, assessing eyes. There was a bed, its sheets rumpled as if hastily made, a small opening in the wall which he assumed was supposed to be a window, letting in a sliver of moonlight, a plain wooden chair, and a tiny bathroom. Still, better than a dungeon , he thought to himself, a wry smile tugging at his lips. He sat on the bed, its frame creaking under his weight, and removed his sword from across his back. The familiar weight of it in his hands was oddly comforting. He was surprised they hadn't taken it away from him. Of course, he didn't draw his sword at all in his pursuit of Renya, instead resorting to his fists. He might have head-butted one of the guards too. His forehead felt a bit sore and, in his desperation, he had used whatever force he needed to.

Now that his mind had cleared a bit and he saw Renya was unharmed, he started to reconsider his actions. The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind a growing sense of chagrin. Punching King Triston in the jaw wasn't the most diplomatic move he'd ever made. The memory of his fist connecting with the king's face made him wince. Of course, when Grayden had asked him where they were keeping Renya, Triston had glanced at his sister and taken way too long to answer. Still...he realized he might not exactly be thinking clearly at the moment. In fact, he was beginning to think he had acted like a ruffian, a far cry from the composed leader he prided himself on being. He never resorted to physical violence unless it was absolutely necessary. He hadn't even tried to explain to the guards at the cave entrance what he was there for. He had just shoved them as hard as he could into the still water and taken off with their canoe like a thief in the night.

Grayden stood up, his muscles protesting after the night's exertions, and checked the door. Unlike Renya's room, this door was metal, solid, and locked tightly. Fair enough. He had thrown quite the punch at their king. He went back to the bed and sat with his head hung low, the weight of his actions settling on his shoulders. Renya was unharmed, he kept repeating to himself, forcing his fists to unclench and his shoulders to relax. Grayden laid back on the bed, boots still on the floor, and stared at the stone-cleaved ceiling.

The memory of Renya's face swirled before him, as vivid as if she were there. She had been clad only in a towel, and the recollection of her so skimpily dressed, or rather, undressed, gave him a rush of pleasure, followed swiftly by a surge of jealousy that the guards had seen her like that. She was his and his alone to worship. Her face had been so lovely, pink and clean and...her ears. Her ears were now like his! He pictured her in his mind again, mouth opened in surprise as he had tumbled through the archway. His hair had been wet, and water had sloshed down his face, but he was sure of what he saw. What had happened to her? Had Queen Cressida done something to her? Or had her aunt?

Another realization struck him like a ton of bricks, leaving him breathless. Their fated bond. Was this the reason it appeared all of a sudden? Had he been fated to her all along and just hadn't known it?

He thought back to the time they had spent together before she went back through the portal with her aunt. He remembered finding her in the forest and cradling her limp body to his before he even knew her name. The memory was so clear, he could almost feel her weight in his arms again, smell the crisp scent of snow mingled with something uniquely her. Grayden hadn't wanted Dimitri to touch her, and even at the time, he hadn't understood his own reasoning. He should have left her at the inn when he went back to the lodge, but instead he had risked them both by taking her with him. He had told Charly he wanted Almory to meet with her as quickly as possible, but he also hadn't wanted to leave her behind where other men could stare or talk to her. He had wanted her by his side. Even when Almory had grabbed her hands to get a read on her, or when Jurel had taken her arm to escort her and Selenia to the village, he had felt a rush of possessiveness that he had struggled to control.

Fates. It had been there all along. Just muted, like Selenia had said Renya's magic was. What had Selenia said exactly? That Renya's magic was like a painting with gray over it?

This entire time he had been with his mate and hadn't realized it. All those times he had felt guilty for kissing her or when they were together in the snow cave. The whole time she had belonged to him, and he had belonged to her. He had felt horribly selfish, taking her when she wasn't his, but in those moments, how could he have possibly fought the bond that was there?

And then there were the elkten. They had appeared not once, but twice when he was with her. Gods, how could he have been so blind? His own animal guardian, thought to be extinct, had appeared to him twice, and he still hadn't put it together. He couldn't decide if he was dumb or just oblivious.

Or...maybe this was how it was to have a fated bond. His thoughts and judgments were so clouded by her. Every thought and action he took had Renya factored into it.

For the second time in the last week, Grayden wished his father was here. He had so many questions about the bond and no one to ask. To his knowledge, there wasn't anyone within his lands, and maybe even his world, that had a fated mate. Grayden exhaled loudly, the sound echoing in the quiet room. He and Renya would have to figure it out together.

Together. He smiled at the thought, a warmth spreading through his chest.

He heard footsteps approach his room, the sound growing louder with each passing second. The heavy door opened with a groan, and a guard strolled in. Grayden vaguely recalled tripping this guard on his way down the hall earlier. The guard's wary glance confirmed the memory. Behind the guard was King Triston himself, his presence filling the room despite his calm demeanor.

The Tidal King strolled into the room, his movements graceful and measured. Grayden sheepishly noticed the swelling along Triston's lower jaw from where he had punched him. For his part, King Triston remained calm, his face betraying no emotion as he sat opposite Grayden in the chair. Once Triston sat down, he motioned for the guard to leave them. The guard hesitated for a moment, clearly reluctant to leave his king alone with the man who had assaulted him, but a firm nod from Triston sent him on his way.

Grayden waited for him to speak first, the silence stretching between them, but instead Triston just stared at him, face unflinching and impossible to read. The quiet became oppressive, pushing down on Grayden until he could no longer bear it.

“When can I see Renya?” Grayden asked, breaking the silence, his voice rough with emotion.

King Triston looked at him with scrutiny, his gaze sharp and assessing. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke, his voice low and controlled.

“You come into my kingdom unannounced, steal a canoe, force your way into my palace, strike me, injure my guards, and then break into my guest's room.” Each offense was listed calmly, but the weight of them hung in the air between them.

Grayden looked anywhere but at the swollen side of Triston's face, shame coloring his cheeks. “I guess I should apologize,” he said, the words feeling inadequate even as they left his mouth.

Triston ignored the hypothetical apology, his gaze never wavering from Grayden's face. “I don't care about any of that. I want to know what caused Prince Grayden, the supposedly calm and cautious leader of the Snow Lands, to come into my territory and start a spree of violence?”

It was a fair question, one that Grayden knew he had to answer carefully. He knew what had driven him to the wake of chaos he had created, but he wasn't sure if he should keep the bond private or not. He hadn't even explained to Renya what was going on. Had she felt it as he had? Or would her feelings be muted until he claimed her? Grayden tried to remember his parents' stories. Had his mother felt the connection to his father right away? He wished he would have paid more attention.

Triston looked at him, waiting, his patience seemingly infinite. Grayden decided that only honesty would work here. Besides, as soon as Triston saw them together, he would suspect it anyway. His desire to forge an alliance with King Triston was strong, and he should be privileged to all the facts before any decision was made.

Grayden sighed deeply before he began, the words coming slowly at first, then faster as the story unfolded. “When my men and I were on our way to the southern borders of my land, I came across a human woman, passed out and near death in the snow. I took her back to my tent and realized she was marked with fae magic. Her sudden appearance was the result of a portal opening up in the Snow Lands.”

If King Triston was surprised to hear about a portal in the Snow Lands, he didn't show it. Instead, he just continued his stoic stare, encouraging Grayden to continue with a slight nod.

“I took her home to the lodge with me and our seer sensed power in her. I had my suspicions she possessed some kind of fae lineage.”

At this, Triston spoke, his voice thoughtful. “You said she was human when you found her on your borders? The girl who came to my palace asking for shelter was not human.”

So, Grayden had been right. Renya had changed. The glamour hiding her fae features was somehow broken. “She appeared human at the time,” Grayden replied before continuing with his tale. “I kept her with me at my lodge and...we grew close.” The words felt inadequate to describe the connection he had felt with Renya from the start.

King Triston raised his eyebrow and Grayden saw the first hint of a reaction from the king. He supposed it was common knowledge throughout the lands that Grayden didn't entertain marriage offers.

“Queen Cressida's idiot cousin Brandle saw me with Renya in the forest, and he kidnapped her to get to me. I'm sure you are aware, the Shadow Queen has been looking for a marriage alliance to sire an heir. Brandle took Renya to force my hand.” The memory of Renya's abduction still made his blood boil, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

Now that got a reaction. King Triston looked repulsed, his mask of indifference slipping for a moment. Grayden would have commiserated with him if he wasn't so desperate to finish his tale and find his mate.

“My men and I, along with Renya's aunt—who is a very powerful ally—managed to get Renya back from the Shadow Queen and Renya and her aunt went back through the portal with the intention of destroying it so Cressida couldn't follow. After that, I don't know what happened. I woke up at my lodge and sensed Renya was back in our world. I set out to find her and when I tracked her here...I guess I got a little carried away.” The understatement of the century , Grayden thought ruefully.

“A little?” King Triston snorted derisively, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“Okay, a lot,” Grayden conceded, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

King Triston stared at Grayden again and then shifted uncomfortably in his chair. A long moment passed; the silence heavy with unspoken questions.

“You love her.” King Triston stated it as a fact and not a question, his perceptive gaze seeing right through Grayden's facade.

“When she came back into this world, I...” Grayden sighed. It seemed hard to tell people about their connection, given it was so odd that he had been around her without it developing before now. “She's my fated mate.” The words hung in the air between them, powerful and irrevocable.

At this, King Triston's mask of indifference finally slipped from his face entirely. “Fated mate?” he asked, his disbelief apparent. “You're far too old.”

“I know, and so is she. I think we've been fated this whole time, but something happened recently to make the bond snap into place. The same thing that altered her appearance. The last time I saw her, her fae features were glamoured.” Grayden's voice was filled with wonder as he spoke, still barely able to believe it himself.

“Well, with this confession, I can at least start to comprehend your intolerable behavior since stepping into my kingdom,” King Triston said, a slight smile on his lips. “Who would have ever thought, Prince Grayden fate-bound?”

Grayden could hardly believe it himself, the reality of it still sinking in.

“It seems to me that a reunion is in order,” Triston said, rising and patting Grayden heartily on the back. “Just try to keep it down. Remember, the water doorways aren't completely soundproof.” There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he spoke.

Grayden didn't even have it in him to pretend to be embarrassed. All he could think about was seeing Renya again, holding her in his arms, and never letting go.