Episode 3
A Misunderstanding
Arisanna’s heart beats erratically as she tries to process the elf king’s words. Tharios is married...to a fae princess? That doesn’t make any sense. All her life, Arisanna has been destined to marry the future King of Lostariel. It’s why she was born. The entire purpose of her existence.
Why are they even here if not for a wedding?
Unless...surely they don’t practice polygamy in Lostariel?
Her stomach roils at the thought, but she dismisses the idea as absurd.
She’s never heard of an elf having more than one wife.
Elves are extremely loyal. Even more so than humans.
She’s studied enough of elven culture to know how highly they esteem the binding of two souls for all time.
No. Something else is going on here.
She glances uneasily at the younger son. Cerian? Was that his name? But he wasn’t even born when her parents struck their bargain.
Of course, neither was she. Is it possible the elves were agreeing to a marriage between two future offspring? Did her parents just assume the elf king meant his only existing son at the time he signed the treaty with them so many years ago?
The younger elf prince looks as confused and appalled as Arisanna feels. At least he’s not glowering anymore. Stars above, is this the prince she’s meant to wed? Prince Tharios seems pleasant with a ready smile. It was a relief when she saw his cheerful demeanor.
But Prince Cerian.
Arisanna takes a deep breath. Whatever is expected of her, she will do to protect her kingdom and her family.
“I fear there has been a misunderstanding between our peoples,” King Lorial enunciates in clear Nunian as if he’s afraid his language skills might be responsible for the mistake. His command of the human tongue is perfect, though. He barely has an accent.
“I think that much is clear,” Father says.
Arisanna watches as Prince Cerian holds his frail mother steady. What happened to her? Arisanna’s elven history lessons always portrayed Queen Nestraya as a fierce warrior elf.
This woman is little more than a specter. At least Prince Cerian is kind and gentle with her. Hopefully, that bodes well for Arisanna’s future if he is her intended.
“The terms of our agreement stated that my future child would marry yours,” Father continues. “We assumed that meant your only son at the time of the treaty would marry our future daughter.”
“I see.” The elf king’s brow furrows. “There must have been a mistranslation between our versions of the agreement we signed. The Elvish text says my future children would bind with your future children.”
Children? Arisanna’s eyes snap to the elf king before swinging toward the elf princess. When Arisanna glances at her brother, Rominy pales before her eyes.
And then she turns back to Prince Cerian.
The man she is to wed.
This long-awaited day has definitely not gone according to plan.
Steady. Steady, Rominy. Don’t faint.
Rominy struggles to keep his expression neutral at the elf king’s words, but his knees wobble. Surely King Lorial isn’t suggesting Rominy is treaty-bound to marry as well...is he?
Rominy turns to the elf princess. What did her father say her name was? She stares back at him with something akin to hurt, as if Rominy has somehow wounded her. Her brilliant smile is gone, and questions linger in her eyes.
Did she travel all this way expecting to marry him? No wonder she keeps looking his way—she thought he was meant for her.
Stars above, he was not prepared for this.
Rominy tears his gaze away from the silver-haired princess to await his father’s response. Surely Father won’t expect Rominy to go through with this. How in the world can Arisanna be so calm in the face of marriage to a stranger?
Of course, she’s had all her life to accustom herself to the idea.
But this is all just a misunderstanding. Father will sort it out soon enough.
“I beg your pardon, Lorial, but did you say children?” Father asks as Mother clutches Father’s arm.
“I did. Is that a problem?”
Yes. A big problem. Huge. Gigantic.
Oh, this is a nightmare. Rominy glances back at the princess. Hopefully, she won’t take any of this personally. She’s probably a lovely woman.
But Rominy has no intention of marrying her. At least, not tomorrow.
“We were not aware you had a daughter,” Father says slowly, as if he, too, is weighing his words carefully.
Rominy turns his eyes back to King Lorial as he awaits the elf king’s response, and King Lorial meets Rominy’s gaze.
“You were not expecting to bind with my daughter? To marry her?”
“As lovely as I’m sure the princess is, I admit this is a surprise to me.”
“I see.” There’s a pause as the elf king studies Rominy, and Rominy doesn’t rush to fill it. Then King Lorial glances at his wife before turning back to Rominy. “Are you attached to someone else?”
“Well, I...no, Your Majesty. I am as yet unattached.”
This is not going in a direction Rominy is eager to pursue.
“Are you implying that my son should go through with this?” Father asks.
King Lorial exhales slowly before responding.
“If he does not, I fear the magic keeping his heart beating may be too great a strain on my weakened queen. It is in all of our best interests to fulfill the requirements of the heartbinding that was woven between our children at the time of their conception.”
“What?” The word pops out before Rominy can stop it. “Heartbinding?”
King Lorial scratches his brow and looks at his wife before turning to Rominy’s family again. “Was not the magic that produced your children explained to you at the time of our agreement?”
Father makes a sheepish sound at the back of his throat before responding. “I’m afraid elven magic has always been a bit...mysterious to us. At the time, the details of the magic itself didn’t seem necessary for us to understand in order to agree to your terms.”
King Lorial’s gaze darkens. “Then I will explain it to you now. Twenty-three years ago, your wife ingested a tea given to her by our healers that had been imbued with my wife’s magic.
Queen Nestraya ingested the same tea, and two children were conceived, bound by my wife’s magic to maintain the beating of their hearts as one.
It is heavy magic to wield, and my wife has taken that burden on herself this entire time. ”
Rominy frowns as he studies the elf queen. Is that why she looks so ill?
“Prince Rominy, has your heart ever raced while you were at rest?” King Lorial asks.
“He has a minor heart condition that our doctors are not concerned with,” Father answers for Rominy, but the elf king shakes his head.
“It is not an illness. It is my daughter’s heart rate affecting his. Their hearts are linked.”
Rominy looks at the princess again. Their hearts are linked?
“Elowyn, will you demonstrate for them?” the elf king asks.
Elowyn. Her name is Elowyn.
“Of course, Pera, but the poor prince’s heart is already racing.”
“Perhaps you can settle it for him, then,” King Lorial suggests.
“I will try.” Princess Elowyn closes her eyes and breathes deeply. In through her nose. Out through her mouth. As she continues, Rominy’s own heart slows. It’s enough of a shock to set his heart racing all over again.
“I’m sorry, Pera,” Princess Elowyn says. “The prince is struggling against my efforts.”
“Forgive me, Princess,” Rominy says. “I felt what you were trying to do. It was...alarming, and I’m sure that didn’t help.”
A lopsided smile teases the princess’s lips as she looks at Rominy. “No, it didn’t help, but I promise you needn’t fear the magic.”
Easy for her to say.
“You felt the princess’s efforts?” Father’s forehead creases in a combination of concern and disbelief.
“I did, Father. As far as I can tell, King Lorial speaks the truth. Somehow, my heart is linked to his daughter’s.”
“Can’t this magic be undone?” Mother asks.
“It could,” King Lorial says. “But your son’s heart would stop beating.”
Rominy gulps at that news. “Let’s not do that.”
“No, definitely not,” Father murmurs. “Just because they are heartbound, as you call it, doesn’t necessitate their marriage, though, does it?”
“If you don’t do this, my mother will die,” Prince Cerian says. “Can’t you see how weak she has become maintaining your link with my sister?”
“Cerian,” Queen Nestraya says softly. “Give them time to process this. I already feel stronger now that the distance has lessened.”
Rominy frowns. This is what she looks like when she feels stronger? What must she have looked like before?
“I’m afraid the only way to free my wife from this burden is to complete the heartbinding that was begun at our offspring’s conception,” the elf king says. “The magic of the full heartbinding will sustain itself indefinitely.”
“And this heartbinding,” Rominy asks, “what exactly does it require?”
“It is a joining of everything,” the elf queen says. “Hearts and souls and magic. A deep bond that can never be undone.”
“Everything?” Arisanna asks hoarsely. Rominy looks at his sister. Is she heartbound, too? She must be. To the younger prince.
“Everything in due time,” Queen Nestraya says.
“It is a bond reserved for marriage. One which is usually only undertaken to save the life of one binding partner. Or in this case, to keep the heart of a magically conceived child beating. I have sustained the magic myself while the four of you attained adulthood with the understanding that one day, the magic of my own elflings would support the bond.”
“Won’t it make you ill?” Rominy asks Princess Elowyn.
She smiles that beautiful smile she wore the first time she looked at him across the meadow. “No. As long as we stay near each other, it will strengthen me. That’s how the magic is supposed to work.”
“What we did to ensure long-lasting peace between our people is not something the magic was ever meant to do,” King Lorial says. “It was a risk my wife chose to take.” He looks at Rominy. “Please do not let my wife’s gift to your family and both our kingdoms be in vain.”
All eyes turn to Rominy.
Stars above. This is definitely not how he imagined his day going.