Page 13 of Mountains of Mist and Magic (A World of Sun and Shadow #4)

T riston packed quickly, eager to be on his way to the Sun Realm. He decided to leave his soldiers behind; the fewer people who knew about him having a fated mate, the better. If his people found out, they would—

Would be hopeful for an heir. Would see it as a positive sign for their kingdom.

He sighed, continuing to toss tunics into his trunk. It didn't matter. Esmeralda could still marry, and perhaps even have children. He knew it would be harder for his sister to find a husband with whom she could have children, but it was still possible. Just…less likely. Fated bonds were the surest way to produce offspring…

He pushed the thought out of his head, remembering the heartache when he woke up on that isolated island. The weight of loss pressed down on him as he recalled the feeling of knowing that his parents had likely perished, leaving him alone in the world, save for his sister.

Triston had vowed then and there that he would never take a wife; he would never sire any children. He would look after his kingdom, rule it with a firm and gentle hand, and then meet his makers after a life of service.

Julietta's mesmerizing eyes and golden curls didn't have any effect on him.

Tucking his trident-shaped blade into his boot, he left his trunk on the bed to be loaded up onto his horse. He walked towards the dining room, in search of Julietta. Triston briefly wondered if and what Julietta had told her mother. Kalora seemed very protective of her daughter, and Triston had a hard time believing she would allow her only heir to go on a wild goose chase to the Sun Realm to break her own fated bond.

The halls were bursting with people, so many in one place that it made Triston uneasy. He hated crowds and always felt uncomfortable among them. While he knew that these were displaced members of the Twilight Kingdom, he would be glad to leave the crowds of people far behind.

He approached the dining room and opened the door, letting out a small sigh of relief when he noticed it was nearly empty. No Kalora.

Julietta sat in the corner, focusing on her meal. She wore her hair pulled back, and he'd never noticed just how slender her neck was, or how full her lips were.

He assumed his notice of her was simply due to the slight change in her hairstyle.

That was all.

Julietta barely looked up at him, but he felt the spark and the connection between the two of them. He didn't know how she could downplay it, because every single part of him longed to go to her and kiss her. To yank her hair free and run his fingers through her curls. To feel her mouth upon his, to stroke her cheek—

“Are you going to eat something?” She finally looked up, her bright eyes meeting his own. For a second he couldn't speak, his voice lost in his own throat. Julietta looked at him expectantly, and he finally came to his senses.

“Not hungry,” he grumbled.

She didn't respond and focused on her own plate. His eyes followed her every move as she picked up a piece of moon fruit with her fork and then took a small bite. He sat down, mesmerized as he watched her swallow.

“Do you mind?”

His mind kept wandering, and he had trouble focusing on her words. “What?”

“Stop staring. Instead, you should eat something. I don't want us to have to stop as soon as we get going because you're hungry.”

Triston couldn't believe the tone of voice Julietta used with him. It was almost as if she was even more annoyed than he was about this turn of events. He grunted a response, grabbing a plate from the table. A breakfast cart was set up in the corner, and he piled the first few things he saw on his plate. Some fruit, bacon, and a sweet roll. He sat back down and started eating, trying to hurry. He was eager to be on his horse, heading towards their destination.

Julietta sipped her juice silently, and Triston felt the uneasy silence around the table. He finally looked up from his plate.

“Your mother is fine with you gallivanting off to break your bond?”

“She doesn't know.”

He wiped his mouth on a napkin. “Really?”

She nodded.

“How did you explain your upcoming absence?”

“I told her you were taking me to the Tidal Kingdom to show me around and to try and get to know each other.”

“That was smart.”

“I know.” She stood up, and he noticed that she wasn't wearing a dress. Instead, she wore a loose cream tunic with tanned leather leggings. He gulped, not prepared for the picture in front of him.

“Ready?”

He jerked his eyes from her legs back to her face and nodded.

They walked through the castle silently. He couldn't help but feel self-conscious in her presence. This was definitely going to be a long journey.

Triston could smell the stables before he could see them. He approached the stalls, looking for Sea Breeze, his stallion. Sea Breeze was near the end of the enclosure, and Triston couldn't help but smile when he saw his horse.

“Hello there, boy,” he said, patting the stallion. “Are you ready to go?”

The horse neighed in response, and Triston opened the stall door. A groom came along to assist him, but he refused. “I'll put his tack on myself. See to Princess Julietta.”

The groom nodded, and Triston looked back to Julietta, who had a look of surprise on her face. He was confused as to what she could possibly be surprised about, but he didn't question it. He just murmured to Sea Breeze, brushing his jet-black coat before putting on the saddle blanket.

Julietta's horse was a pale tan color, with white dappled spots. The groom helped Julietta up on her horse, and Triston led Sea Breeze out of the stall and then threw his leg around his stallion and settled himself in the saddle.

“Are you ready?” he asked Julietta.

“I am,” she responded, and he kicked Sea Breeze into action, and the two of them left the confines of the Twilight castle courtyard.

The forest was dark and silent, and Triston felt uneasy as they trotted deeper and deeper into the blackness.

“Do you feel that?” he asked Julietta.

“What?” she asked, urging her horse faster so she could ride next to him.

“I just feel like…never mind.”

“You can tell me…” she urged.

“It feels…unnaturally quiet.”

Julietta looked around. “It's normally quiet in this part of the forest. The animals tend to migrate to the lighter half of the woods. In this area, they are mostly nocturnal animals. Around evening, they'll come out and it will be more animated.”

He nodded. “I guess I never thought about how it would be to live in twilight.”

“It's actually beautiful,” she responded, pushing a bit of stray hair out of her face. “I like the quiet. I ride through here as often as I can. I find comfort in the silence.”

“I do as well,” he said, glancing at her. For a second, a look of camaraderie passed between them, and Triston felt a tiny bit of…fondness for her. Or at least…something. He wasn't sure what it was, but he tried to dismiss it quickly and not dwell on it.

“How do you handle leading if you prefer the quiet?”

Triston bit his lip. “I think that I can put on a brave face, knowing that it's my job and duty. Almost like a mask. I know that at the end of the day, I can be…free. I retire to my room, and I'm just me. I know, that sounds crazy—”

“No, it doesn't,” she whispered, and he looked at her again. Her heart-shaped face was focused on the path ahead of them, but in the twilight, he could just make out her features. He noticed she wasn't really concentrating on the trail, but rather, looked deep in thought.

Julietta was…more intense than he realized. She seemed more complicated than he expected, more substantial. At first, he had just thought of her as another silly girl, full of frivolity like all the women he knew in his court. They would flirt and flounce around him, trying desperately to get his attention. He didn't know why he assumed Julietta would be the same. Triston found himself more curious about her than before.

“How do you feel, having your magic back?”

She grimaced, another reaction he wasn't expecting. “It's…okay.”

“Really? Most individuals would kill to have the powers you now possess.”

“That's just the thing—kill for. I'm afraid of…being used as a weapon. I saw what magic did to my parents, and I saw what magic did to my kingdom. I—I don't want that.”

He knew her father had died in a battle before her birth, but he never knew anything about her parents' relationship.

“What did magic do to your parents?”

“My mother had more power than my father, and he resented her for it. They weren't fate-bound, but rather, their marriage was a political alliance. It wasn't a happy one, from what I've heard.”

“I'm sorry,” he said, and he found that he was sincere. His parents' lives had been short, but he knew they had been mostly content with each other.

“Were your parents happy?”

Triston thought back to his early childhood, remembering bits and pieces. His mother smiling as his father placed a strand of pearls around her neck. The pair of them dancing together at the Moon Tide ball. The way they retreated to their shared room together, laughing and whispering.

“Yes, they were.”

“Were they fate-bound?”

“I think they were—but I hypothesize that their bond was locked. I don't think either one of them realized, or maybe they did, but… I do believe they were fashioned to each other.”

It felt good to finally voice a theory that he'd had for a long time. He never even told his sister what he suspected.

“I think that's quite possible,” she said, slowing down a bit as the path narrowed. Overgrown roots sprouted up along the forest floor, and the underbrush was getting thicker with every foot. “And romantic.”

Triston almost blushed. It was a romantic thought, wasn't it? He never considered himself as someone who believed in the overarching power of love, but now, it seemed like Julietta had forced him to look inward. Perhaps he did possess a romantic streak.

He didn't respond, but looked ahead, seeing a clearing with a shallow pool of water.

“Let's water the horses here.” He dismounted swiftly and watched as Julietta swung her leg down from her horse. It was quite a large drop, and Triston quickly moved in, grabbing her by the waist and setting her on the ground. The second his hands connected with her middle, he felt his member stir, and he quickly moved away so she wouldn't feel it against her backside.

Julietta brushed off her pants, and then turned around. “Thank you for helping me.”

He said nothing, but pulled out some travel cakes from their rations. He gave Julietta the larger one, and then shoved his in his mouth. He then turned towards Sea Breeze, grabbing a handful of oats from the saddle bag and bringing them up to the horse's mouth.

“What's his name?” she asked, still picking at her cake.

“Sea Breeze. He's a racing horse. My father went all the way to the coastal islands to buy him for me. He was a birthday gift.”

“Can I touch him?”

Triston nodded, and Julietta wiped her hands on her pants and then came over to where Sea Breeze stood.

“Hi there,” she whispered, stroking Sea Breeze's mane. Sea Breeze instantly nickered, and Triston realized it was his happy noise. The horse usually didn't care for others, and Triston tried not to read too much into the fact that even his horse seemed to like this girl. But his mouth flew open with astonishment when Julietta placed a soft kiss on Sea Breeze's nose, and the horse responded with a gentle nuzzle against her neck.

“How did you do that?”

“Do what?” she asked, obviously unaware of the monumental response from the animal.

“Get him to like you.”

“He doesn't like people?”

“Generally not, no. He bit Esmeralda on the rump last year. Hard.”

Julietta laughed, her entire chest heaving. It was a musical sound, and he found himself grinning, too.

Triston heard a loud whinny and turned towards the sound. Julietta's horse was watching her carefully, and she laughed again, walking towards her own mount.

“There's no need to be jealous, girl,” she murmured, stroking the soft velvet of her horse's nose. “I can have other friends, but you'll always be my favorite girl.”

“What's her name?”

“Sunny. As a girl, I longed to leave the Twilight Kingdom and live in a place where the sun always shone. Hence the name.”

“You would love the Tidal Kingdom,” he said, and before he could stop himself, he added, “If you'd ever like to visit, I'd be happy to take you.”

She stopped petting her horse, looking at Triston squarely. “Do you mean that?”

“I do,” he said, and then what surprised him even more, was that he did indeed mean it.