Page 23 of Ties of Starlight (Tethered Hearts #2)
N yrunn was proud he'd managed to rein himself in, but even the next morning he was internally fuming.
He'd never been so insulted , and it had never been harder not to yell out he didn't want anyone else. He loved her and he would have her as long as he could.
But if he wanted to keep her, he couldn't let her know how much he wanted her. The night before had proven that she was still bafflingly in love with her so-called soulmate. He needed to be careful and thoughtful when he finally told her how pathetically in love with her he was or else he'd scare her into running off no matter what.
The next morning, he lifted Idonea onto her own horse, at her insistence. He let her think she won the exchange, with her throwing in his face that the healer confirmed she could ride. As much as he wanted to insist she keep riding with him so he could bear some of the lingering soreness still flickering through their bond, he had to prioritize.
There were only a few weeks left of travel before they’d reach the Constellation Pool .
He took advantage of Lady Asa catching Idonea's attention as soon as they departed so he could fall back, Frode narrowing his eyes and following him—the insufferable, nosy creature he was—to talk with the Constella. If anyone could help him figure out how to break the cycle and free Idonea from this curse, it would be him.
“Constella, I have a few questions for you.”
“Ask away, Your Majesty.”
“What can you tell me about the sixth Cometa Couple?”
If he could figure out how this had happened, maybe he could discover how to break it.
Was it selfish of him to stop her from coming back again? Possibly. He couldn’t deny the thought of her coming back once more to pine after a so-called soulmate who had zero affection for her and no honor had him boiling with jealousy.
He might not be her first life or first husband, but he wanted to be her last.
The history of sudden, tragic deaths also gravely concerned him.
Nearly losing her once already… That terror and pain had been worse than any he’d taken from Idonea. Nyrunn wouldn’t be able to survive it if he actually did lose her.
“Ah, well, let's see. Agnarr's chosen was Ottar and Gytha's chosen was Idunn. The Constella in their lifetime recorded they were a well-suited couple, despite not having known each other beforehand. Idunn was quite taken with him. This was after the First Moon Elf Expansion, during the War of Iron between Chymes and Venefica, Gytha’s original homeland. We were quite close allies with Venefica at the time, so the witch kingdom was part of the entourage, given we were providing support against the alchemists. That was one of the few times we've had foreigners and humans witness the Cometa Couple. The queen that attended actually had ancestors who came from one of Gytha's ancestors. We were celebrating pushing the alchemists back, and of course Venefica had a vested interest in our magic being strengthened as well. That is the most notable thing about that life. Everything else went off without a hitch.”
But then, why would Idonea keep coming back if her first life had gone perfectly?
Why would she be cursed?
“How did the rest of the Cometa Couple's life go after that?”
Something was missing. There had to be more to the story.
“I'm afraid I don't know off the top of my head.” The Constella adjusted his grip on his reins, his arm still in a sling as well, not fully recovered from being broken despite the healer’s best efforts there as well. “I'd have to look at the records.”
“Then send word to one of your acolytes and have them send that information.”
“Your Majesty, forgive me if I'm overstepping, but why do you want to know what happened to them afterwards? All that matters is the ceremony.”
“If I wasn’t clear, that wasn’t a request, that was an order. Get me that information.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
Nyrunn began riding ahead and Frode quickly came up beside him. “So... what was that about?”
Nyrunn glared at him. The last thing he needed was Frode poking too closely to any of this. Idonea would never forgive him if anyone else found out the truth. He still wasn’t convinced she’d forgiven him for discovering it. He said, “Remember the part where I'm king and I owe no one any explanations as my word is law? ”
Frode at least didn’t take the rejection to heart.
“Of course, Your Majesty, how could I forget? Your wisdom is insurmountable. Your reasons beyond my understanding, lowly lord that I am; I should not even insult you by breathing in your presence.”
As they caught up to Idonea and Lady Asa, Lady Asa turned to look over her shoulder. “Your sarcasm will one day wear down His Majesty's last nerve and you will find yourself with no title or position if you aren't careful.”
“Sarcasm?” Frode gasped, placing a hand over his heart. “Dear Lady Asa, I am nothing but genuine in every word.”
Idonea wasn't paying any attention to them.
That. That he did not like.
She was just biding her time until her next do-over.
Not if he had anything to say about it. She would see there was a life to be lived that day and not wasted pining after a worthless, despicable creature.
“Idonea.”
At his voice she startled, turning to face him. “Yes?”
“Tell me, what do you think of the rumors that the Sun Elves are going to enter talks with Chymes?”
She blinked at him for a moment. “Well, I find them incredulous as historically there is no precedent for it. The Sun Elves have never had a relationship with the alchemists, not a good one. The Great Abductions are not something I should think the Sun Elves would forget even now.”
“Yes, I'm a little unclear on those details. History wasn’t my strong suit. Can you expand?”
Not only was Idonea storing an obscene amount of personal history in her head, but she stored quite a bit of world history as well.
“They ended roughly five hundred years ago but went on for about fifty to seventy years, depending on which historian you ask. The alchemists of Chymes, seeking to improve their own defenses, and forever in pursuit of more knowledge no matter the cost, began raiding the villages just on the other side of the Iubian border on full moon nights. Doing so kept their actions hidden, causing the Sun Elves to suspect and blame the Moon Elves for a time. Chymes used Sun Elf blood for all sorts of their alchemy and weapons. If the Sun Elves are in talks with them, they must have a good reason. If they’re looking to shore up allies in case the Moon Elves turn their attention toward them, I would have thought they'd first approach the valkyries.”
And she thought she wasn’t suited to be queen? Was there any elf in the kingdom better for the position?
“My thoughts are similar. I find the rumors troubling.” Nyrunn watched Idonea, but she faced straight ahead. “I do not see how any elves could entertain the notion of aligning with alchemists. Or frankly how any species with magic running through their blood could ever trust them. Even other humans, like the witches, will have nothing to do with them. For all their talk of knowledge, they are truly a barbaric people, in my opinion.”
Idonea glanced over to see Asa and Frode had drifted away while they were still bickering, not paying them any attention. She looked back over at him, a slight smile on her lips. “Yes, well, since they drowned me about four lifetimes ago, I concur.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What is so amusing about that?”
She just grinned fully. “I've never had anyone I could say that with. I've never been able to talk to anyone like this. It's... nice.”
Nyrunn's heart lightened and he returned her smile. “Well, I'm honored to be the first. That means a lot from you.” He paused, nudging his horse even closer as his grin doubled in size. “Old woman.”
Idonea's mouth fell open and then her stunning laugh filled the air. “I suppose I am.”
If Nyrunn could just have time on his side, maybe he could make her laugh like that the rest of their lives. Maybe he could slowly show her how wanted she was. How much he loved her. She might not ever truly be over the one she called her soulmate, but maybe she could find some room for him in her heart as well.
That their life together could be more than an inconvenience on her way to something better. That it could be something worth living in and of itself.