Tension filled the cabin after the conversation with Ray and Darius. My hands itched to get behind a bow and my body craved a swim. I told Raydir I was heading out and started for the front door.

“Arwyn.” Raydir caught my hand and pulled me back to him. His green eyes shone with concern. “You have to know I had no idea Darius was going to show up like this.”

I swallowed and nodded. “I understand. Just”—I reached out, brushing my fingers over the stubble on his cheeks—“I don’t want you two to turn this into some big competition.”

Raydir frowned. “What do you mean?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. He knew very well what I meant. “You said it yourself on our way to Darqua. You don’t like Darius. And now he’s here.” I couldn’t help but think he had an ulterior motive. Was this his way of trying to win me back?

“It’ll take some time to get used to him here, but I won’t make a scene of it. I promise.” He leaned in to kiss me. I tugged at the front of his shirt, pulling him closer to me as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Raydir hooked an arm around one of my legs as it slid up his before pulling back from the kiss. There was a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “Go clear your head. I know you want some time.”

I smiled. That was the Raydir I knew. “Thanks. I love you.”

“I love you too.” I started to walk away from the cabin, toward the barn, so I didn’t see Caesaria following behind until she called out to me.

“Arwyn, wait up!”

I paused. “Are you following me?”

Caesaria shook her head. “No, I-I saw Darius leave and I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“I am.”

There was an awkward pause between us. I didn’t know her well enough to consider her a friend yet, but maybe she could fill in some gaps.

“You wanted to explore the valley, right?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Why don’t I show you around? I know a lot of great spots. What did Rosie tell you about where to explore?”

I pointed into the distance. “She mentioned the falls by the lake. We were there yesterday but didn’t have the time to explore much.”

Caesaria’s eyes lit up at the mention of the falls. “The falls do have a very calming vibe. It’s secluded and serene. A perfect spot for you to take Raydir. But we have to change first.” She took off down the hill, away from the barn.

“Wait up!” I called, running after her.

She stopped in front of another cabin, this one about half the size of the one I had with Raydir.

“Is this your place?” I asked.

“Yeah. I know it's not like the way you were brought up but, it's small and cozy and just the way I like it.” She unlocked the door, leading me inside. The decor was pretty much the same, a wooden table and a sofa in the center of the room, the entrance to a bedroom just down the hall.

“It certainly feels homey,” I commented as she disappeared into the bedroom, returning a minute later with some clothes.

“I’ve also had years to get used to it,” Cae added. “You will too, it just takes time. The valley is a different pace of life from the dukedoms.”

“Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It is really homey,” I commented as she disappeared into the bedroom, returning a minute later with some clothes.

“Thanks. Here.” She tossed me the outfit. “If we’re gonna go exploring, you’ll need something that doesn’t have a skirt. We’re about the same size, so those should fit. And you can borrow another pair of boots. Anything with heels out here is just not worth it.”

I looked down at my feet. “I like the heels.”

Caesaria smirked. “You won’t when you slip on the gravel and twist an ankle. Believe me—I’ve been there.”

Reluctantly, I took the boots and the clothes and went to change in the bathroom. She had chosen a pair of brown leather pants that were incredibly breathable and a long-sleeved green cotton shirt fit with a separate dark corset piece. My fingers struggled to clasp the buckles across my chest.

I emerged a minute later.

“You look fantastic,” Caesaria commented, beaming at me. She was wearing a similar ensemble, the green of her top contrasted well with the fiery red of her hair.

“Thanks. This should definitely make riding a whole lot easier.”

“Oh, pants make everything easier.” She tossed me a bow and quiver. I glanced back at her, shocked.

She smirked. “I know you have an eye for archery, as do I. It was one of my favorite pastimes before coming here, and I’ve kept up my skills ever since.” She held her hands out toward the door. “Shall we go?” I followed her outside, and we made our way to the stables to prepare our horses.

“So tell me, what else do you know about me?” I asked as our horses trotted side-by-side along one of the grass trails. "Besides my favorite pastimes, that is.”

Caesaria laughed. “You’re asking because of my power?” When I didn’t answer, she continued. “I know what troubles your heart, if that’s what you mean. You wish to know more about Darius Harford. That’s why you asked if I knew him.”

“I was just curious. My chance encounter with Darius back in Runswick meant nothing more than meeting a friend.”

“Yet he turned out to be your Chosen,” she said. “And now he’s shown up here in the valley just days after your arrival. You can’t say you had no feelings for him whatsoever?”

Heat crept to my cheeks over the accusation. “He is—was—just one of those brooding bad boys who might invade your mind briefly but there’s never any action.”

Caesaria and I burst into a fit of giggles.

“Geez, you know what I mean!” I said once we finally stopped laughing. “Plus, I have Raydir.”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Majesty came to a stop to graze on the side of the path. I slipped out of his saddle, tying his reins to a nearby tree.

The view was beautiful; tall oak trees overpowered the scene in front of us, bending slightly as if bowing. As we approached the lake, the sweet scent of honeysuckle hit my nose. I breathed in, familiarity taking hold. The honeysuckle vines by the school in Gwyniar had always been a favorite spot. It was where Raydir and I used to meet up for midday rendezvouses. I could almost hear the faint laughter of our innocent 16-year-old selves as he spun me in the sunshine, hidden by the tall brick buildings.

Lost in thought, the sound of rushing water became a roar in my ears as we approached the lake with the waterfall.

“Want to swim?”

I glanced nervously at the water, thinking about the previous day’s adventures. “Ray and I did come here yesterday but we never got the chance to actually go behind the falls.”

“Well then. All the more reason.” She reached down to unlace her boots. “We’ll go for a swim then dry off as we head to the next spot. I brought us some snacks, too, in case we get hungry.” She nodded at me. “The corset is waterproof, so are the pants. The shirt is not.”

I looked down at my clothes. “So, are we supposed to—”

She reached for her top then hesitated when my eyes widened. “I’ll give you some privacy. Sorry—I’m more used to doing this by myself.” She turned around.

“Th-that’s ok. I’m sort of new to the whole valley experience. Even yesterday when Raydir and I went swimming, it was still a little awkward.” Ignoring the fact that that was for an entirely different reason.

My fingers flew hurriedly over the corset, dropping it momentarily to the ground while I pulled the shirt off before tugging the corset back on. The material was snug against my body but loose enough that the breeze still wafted underneath, sending a shiver down my back.

Once I refastened the corset, I turned back and gave her the all clear.

“That’s understandable.” Caesaria gathered her hair over one shoulder. “Alright, we have to be careful where we wade in and then we can swim toward the falls. How are you with opening your eyes under water?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t really tried much before.”

“That’s ok. We’ll swim out to the middle, take a rest, then swim behind the falls. Just follow my lead.”

We waded toward the lake. The coolness of the water felt refreshing on my skin. Caesaria dipped her head below the surface of the water, and I followed, slowly moving my body toward the middle of the lake. My eyes tentatively opened; expecting them to burn, I was met with a refreshing calm as if the water were bending around me. Several schools of minnows darted below the surface, zigzagging around me seemingly in a hurry to swim downstream. Bubbles floated up as I stopped to admire the determination these little fish had to get where they wanted to go.

A tug at my arm knocked me back to the present. Caesaria motioned above her head. We broke to the surface to catch our breath.

“How are you doing so far?” she asked. Her red curls hung limply over her shoulders, darkened by the water. She blinked droplets out of her eyes.

“Better than I expected. The water doesn’t sting as I thought it would.”

Caesaria tilted her head in thought. I fought the urge to ask what was going through her head because as much as she was very outspoken, there was still something she kept reserved.

“We should keep going.”

The breeze shifted, making me shiver. The water seemed to calm me, lapping over my shoulders, but there was something else here that I was missing.

Minutes later, I caught up with Caesaria. There was a small cavern behind the falls with water lapping in tiny waves over our feet.

“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions earlier,” I blurted. We sat on one of the rocks behind the falls. “I shouldn’t have accused you of trying to steal Raydir away from me. I know that wasn’t your intention.”

She smiled. “Apology accepted. And honestly? I would’ve felt the same way if it looked like someone was trying to go after my partner.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes.

“What do you want to know about the valley?” Caesaria asked.

I leaned back on my hands. “I don’t know.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I know it’s a lot to take in. Pick something to start with.”

“The marking situation you were talking about,” I said. “Is that, well I mean, does that have to be a sexual thing?” This was awkward. I barely knew Caesaria, but she seemed just as good as any to help me learn more about the valley.

“The marking itself is, yes. And with the marking usually comes the mind link between you and your mate.”

“Mind link,” I repeated. “Ray and I had that briefly right when he shifted. Does that mean anything?”

“That happens sometimes,” Caesaria replied. She tucked her hair behind her ears. “The Alignment exerts a lot of energy and temporary telepathy can be one of the side effects. Until the marking when the mind link is truly established.”

“Right.” So that meant Ray and I had to have sex before we could have a mind link. Last night had just been a fluke.

I kicked a foot up, letting the water drip off. “Why did you decide to leave? I know it’s personal and we don’t really know each other, so I don’t want to overstep.”

“No no, I’m happy to answer your questions,” Caesaria reassured me.“I was sort of a special case. Even though my wolf stayed dormant, I grew up with my power. So it was harder for me as a kid because no one knew what to expect. I also didn’t tell you this before, but there was an incident that led to me leaving. It wasn’t just because I didn’t want the Fate Ceremony.”

This piqued my interest. Caesaria was probably two years older than me—but even so, I hadn’t heard about any scandals from when I was that young.

“What happened?”

Caesaria twisted her hair into a bun on top of her head, then let it go so it cascaded down her back. “I made the mistake of telling someone what I sensed, and it got out of hand. Darius and I were actually friends at the time, and he was the only one outside of my family who knew about the gift. But that day at the school—this was just before I left—he didn’t defend me and I never knew why. There was no good end to that situation.”

I rubbed my hands over my arms to chase away the sudden case of goosebumps. Being out of the water had made me cold. “So your gift was outed and the only choice you had was to come out here and abandon everything you knew.”

She nodded. “It was a lose-lose situation. Darius was just a kid—we both were—so what was he honestly supposed to do?” She shrugged. “No matter. We should be getting back soon. There is so much more to explore.”

Without another word, she disappeared through the wall of water back into the lake.

***

By the time we got back that evening, all I wanted to do was take a bath and fall asleep in Raydir’s arms.

“This was a lot of fun,” I said on our walk back.

Caesaria beamed. Her hair, which had darkened from the water, was back to its brighter red. “Same time tomorrow?”

“Yeah, that’s perfect. Maybe I could even teach you some of my archery skills.”

She laughed. “Oh it’s so on. Any plans for tonight.”

I shrugged. “Not that I know of. But I’m thinking Ray probably—” The sound of thunk thunk thunk could be heard from the direction of my cabin as Caesaria and I approached. “Hold that thought.” When the cabin came into view, Raydir stood outside—shirtless—swinging an ax at a pile of firewood that was not there earlier.

“Oh my,” I heard Caesaria mutter next to me.

My thoughts exactly.

“Ray!” I called out to him.

He looked up, wiping sweat from his brow. “Arwyn. How was your afternoon?”

I scrunched my nose at him. “Fine. I see you found something to keep you busy.” My eyes zeroed in on his bare torso, glistening with sweat in the fading afternoon light.

Raydir ran a hand through his hair, making it stick out at all angles. “Sorry. Bennett stopped by and told me that chopping the woodpile was a coping mechanism. It’s supposed to help clear the mind after the Alignment.”

Caesaria and I exchanged glances.

“Ray, is everything okay?” I asked. “Are you still having headaches?”

“Just a little tired after all of the excitement, that’s all.” He offered me a reassuring smile.

“Ray.” I ran my fingers up his arm.

“Arwyn.” He cupped my face in his hands so I could look into his eyes. “I really appreciate you being there for me last night. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through without you. And having you there when I got was exactly what I needed.” His eyes flashed a deeper green.

“We need to talk about that too—”

“But right now, I just need time to process. With Darius here, things just got super complicated. And yes, I want you by my side. Just later, once I’ve had a little time.”

I nodded and leaned up to kiss him. My lips lingered on his for a few extra seconds. “Okay. I’m gonna go get cleaned up for dinner. I love you.”

“I love you too.” He brushed my hair back away from my face and gave me one last kiss before returning to the woodpile in front of him.