Lenna glared at Merrick.
“Excuse mefor being shocked that my lifespan just went frommaybeseventy-five years toover eight hundred,” she hissed.
Merrick groaned. He was trying to be patient, but how long would it take to break downevery partof their lands to explain to a newcomer? “Okay, mates are the other half of your soul. Your soul tie. The being that becomes so closely linked to your own self that if they die, you do, too. It’s the truestform of love, something most beings desire more than anything. To be with that one soul that understands their own completely.” He took another heaping bite of stew, silently thanking the gods that Laurent cooked because he always made the most delicious food.
“To find your mate is not easy since it can be anyone, any species. Some beings refuse to settle down until they find their mate. Others don’t wait for a soul tie, opting to just spend their lives with a partner instead, similar to the marriages you have in the Slate Kingdom.”
Laurent went on, throwing a scathing look in Merrick’s direction. “When the moon is full above us, it is the closest we are in this existence to the Goddess of Soul Ties, Carra. The legends say she was born from the moon to gift love to the beings who prayed for salvation. Now, we gather to honor her gift to us–the soul tie. Parties in every town are thrown on the night of each full moon. Everyone who is looking for a mate comes together celebrating Carra, and a lucky few might find their fated companion at the celebration.”
Merrick felt his heart ache for that sort of love. But the life of a warrior, destined for battlefields, did little to entice lovers. He usually spent the full moon belly up to a tavern bar, avoiding any of the beings that approached him, only returning their attentionafterthe full moon began to sink lower in the sky, taking the magic of soul ties with it.
Laurent continued, “Soul ties bloom once you make eye contact with your destined mate. Once both beings of the new soul tie touch each other, their souls fuse together irrevocably, and the soul tie is complete.”
“Eyes are the window to the soul, the key to forming a tie to another being. Touching is the lock–showing the other that you will walk this life with them until you breathe your last breath together. Beings who have found love take their partner to the festivities, to see if Carra blessestheir union with a soul tie. But it can be months, years,decades, before they get a soul tie–if they get one at all.”
Lenna hummed, slowly processing the information as she took another bite of stew. “Have either of you found your mate?”
Merrick shook his head, ice slithering through his veins, as Laurent answered, “No. We’ve been to many full moon gatherings, but neither of us have a soul tie.”
“Three species of beings in Terramere–fae, gargoyle, and human–are susceptible to soul ties in lands of magic. But it could take hundreds of years before you meet the one Carra chose for you. The only beings that cannot gain a soul tie are the witches in the Jade Kingdom,” Laurent huffed in disgust. Merrick grunted in agreement.
Known for their ruthlessness, cruelty, and backwards views of the world, it had been a blessing in itself that anyone with witch blood was forced to live in the Jade Kingdom after the last war, and the fact that they couldn’t be blessed with a soul tie prompted whispered discussions wondering if witches even had souls to begin with.
“So…the Fae King and the Gargoyle Queen had this soul tie,” Lenna stated, bringing the conversation back to the story she obviously was desperate to hear.
Laurent nodded. “It was the first time in history that a King and a Queen were mates. They joined the lands and their people together. And for almost two hundred years we have, more or less, had peace throughout Irridessen.”
“What broke the peace? The last Oracle?” Lenna asked.
Merrick shook his head, taking over the story telling from Laurent. “Tht is not what broke the peace, no. The King and Queen had twin daughters. Half fae, half gargoyle. Adara, the eldest by only a few minutes, and Esmeray.”
Lenna started at the name of thelatter, but kept her mouth shut. Merrick noted her knee jerk reaction but continued, “For the first time, the King and Queen changed the rules for the line of succession when the twins were born to give thanks to Carra for their soul tie. They changed it from the typical rule that the elder takes the throne to whomever meets their mate first wins the Opal Kingdom, and the latter would rule in the Obsidian Kingdom. Whoever won would be the Queen on High, ruling out of the Opal Palace. The other twin would oversee the Obsidian Palace with the titleLesser Queen–still a Queen, but not as influential and powerful for Irridessen as Queen on High.”
“What’s the difference between the Obsidian and Opal Kingdoms?” Lenna asked. Merrick was proud of how well she was holding up with all of this. She definitely showed signs of shock at the soul ties, but seemed to want to find out about her role as the Oracle.It was a good sign, Merrick reassured himself. She wasn’t running for the hills, demanding to go back to the Slate Kingdom.
Laurent stepped forward. “Once you see both Palaces, you’ll understand. But the main difference is that the Opal Palace holds most of Irridessen’s army, almost the entire court, and has riches that exceed even the wildest of imaginations. The Obsidian Palace is now more of a…stronghold…for times of war. It’s used primarily to train soldiers, and only a small court is assembled there.” He cocked his head, choosing each word carefully. “The Opal Palace offered a potential shot at the throne. Families fought over the honor of being invited to evenoneof the Opal Palace’s full moon celebrations. Every month, a fortune was spent on the parties, and eligible males and females would queue for hours to see if they were the mate of either twin. The Obsidian Palace hasn’t held a gathering since Queen Absolute Elera received her soul tie to King Absolute Scottrell. The Obsidian Palace also has…a pretty severe punishment system and an underground dungeon that breeds fear into even the most hardened prisoners. Not the best place toraise a family, rule from, or even justlivein.”
“Both of the twins wanted to rule as Queen on High,” Lenna said quietly.
Merrick finished his stew, rising from the couch with a groan. His voice rose as he continued the story from the kitchen, above the clinking of the ladle against the chipped ceramic bowl, helping himself to seconds.
“At first, yes. But a rift formed between them. Adara obsessively made it her life’s purpose to find her mate, lock in a soul tie, and grab the succession from her sister. Esmeray never cared about royal duties in the slightest. At least that’s how it seemed from an…outside perspective,” Merrick finished lamely. He didn’t know how else to describe the circumstances. “Esmeray neverreallyshowed interest in wanting to rule–but she didn’t want her sister to be Queen on High if it meant she had to answer to Adara. In a way, I guess Esmeraywantedto be Queen on High, just without the responsibility of ruling. The twins were close when they were young, but things escalated drastically over the last couple years. They’ve gotten competitive–ruthless, really–neither wanting the other to win.”
Laurent cleared his throat. “Esmeray is a very powerful being with magic these lands have never seen before. And she is as deadly as she is reckless. Adara hated the fact she was half gargoyle, with less powerful fae magic. Adara could never beat Esmeray in a duel for power if it came down to it. To secure her reign, we believe Adara has been learning forbidden spells, how to cast just enough magic from them to be more in league with her sister’s power. The spellsdoamplify her magic–but at a steep cost. It takes a lot of energy to perform even one spell. The price is bits of a being’s life force for each spell cast, and it’s because of that the Fae outlawed spell work centuries ago. Adara found an ancient book that taught her spells these lands haven’tseen in thousands of years.”
“To secure herself as Queen on High once she found her mate, to protect herself from her sister,” Lenna breathed. Merrick grunted his confirmation, scooping more stew into his mouth. “Did Adara or Esmeray find their soul tie?”
The grief Merrick knew colored his features must have been more vivid than he thought, since Lenna put her fork down and leaned in closer, her forehead crinkling as she wrung her hands together, her anxious focus making it harder for him to get the words out around the lump forming in his throat.
“Last year, at the Opal Palace’s first full moon gathering of summer, we, the King’s Guard, were present. Typically, the King kept us from the full moon gatherings, allowing us the night off to celebrate amongst ourselves in town. But there was a threat of rogue fae making trouble on the outskirts of the border, and he wanted his top soldiers at court to guard the party.” He swallowed, taking a steadying breath. “Well, we received notice that the situation was dealt with. Our commander, Keerian, went up to King Scottrell on the dais to confirm that the issue had been handled. And…the moment Keerian looked at Esmeray, a soul tie bloomed.”
Lenna’s eyes widened again at the mention of Esmeray, and Merrick made another mental note of it. Laurent finally moved away from the fire, taking a seat on the couch next to Merrick.
“It was…pandemonium. The King was upset because he wanted his daughters with a mate that came from a line of royalty. Adara was also…angry. Understandably,” Laurent said, unable to sit still. With a sigh, he got up from the couch again, going over to the small window and peering outside.
“What did Esmeray do?” Lenna whispered,fork hovering in the air, frozen on the way to her mouth.
Merrick pressed his head against the thin pillows lining the back of the couch. A year later, it was all still raw, fresh, in his mind. The night that royally fucked up his entire life. “Princess EsmeraygrabbedKeerian’s hand, immediately solidifying their soul tie, and waned them out of the throne room.” He closed his eyes, the memory of the chaos driving him to instinctively touch his ring.
