Training For War: The Bond Once Severed Book 2 (Updating)

Natalia's Burden

Raja lay with his head resting on Natalia's belly, his ear pressed close. Though he knew he wouldn't hear anything yet—the child growing inside her was still too small—the simple idea of it filled him with a strange, wondrous thrill. Natalia's fingers moved slowly through his hair, her touch gentle, yet it didn't soothe him the way it should. His thoughts were too tangled, each colliding with the next, a swirl of hopes, worries, and doubts.

"It's quieter without Theo," Natalia observed, her voice breaking the silence.

Raja blinked, drawn back from his thoughts. "Yes," he replied, his tone distant and unsteady. "The midday meal is much more somber without his stories." He tried to focus on the conversation, but his mind kept drifting. "Lukas confirmed Theo's healing is continuing well at the Palace."

Natalia's hand stilled for a moment, and she looked thoughtful, her eyes unfocused. "Good," she said, nodding to herself. "I'll inform the Master." Her face took on a blank expression as she reached out into the Mindspace, connecting with Paulo in a way that Raja could only watch from the outside. A flicker of jealousy sparked within him, bitter and familiar. Though he had always tried to ignore it, the sight of her slipping seamlessly into the minds of others reminded him of his shortcomings. However, his jealousy was tempered by his knowledge that as his connection to the Elements grew, he might soon be able to communicate through them as she did with her Mind Magic.

When Natalia's eyes refocused, she let out a slow, soft breath. "He's relieved," she said quietly. "But sad."

Propping himself up on one elbow, Raja studied her face, noting the shadow in her eyes. "There's something different between them now," he mused, his words more an observation than a question. "They aren't the same as when we first met Theo."

"No, they aren't," Natalia replied, her expression clouded. "I think Paulo has accepted his feelings for Theo, though he's still ..."

Raja nodded, letting her thoughts linger in the air. He could hear her concerns through their bond. "It's complicated," he said thoughtfully. "I suppose Theo could renounce his title."

"Or Paulo could give up his position," Natalia murmured, her voice tight with an unspoken weight. "But if either of them did that, they'd lose their purpose. It's too much to ask."

Raja leaned back, his eyes staring unseen at a pattern on the far wall as he considered her words. "You're right."

Natalia rose and crossed the room, her steps light yet purposeful, heading toward the window where she so often retreated. He knew that posture well, the slight arch of her spine, the way her fingers curled gently against the stone, as though she were holding on to something only she could see.

Raja stood and slowly moved behind her, close but not touching, letting the quiet settle around them. After a long silence, she sighed, her breath fogging the glass as she spoke softly, more to herself than to him. "I fear there's no happy ending for them," she murmured, her words carrying a sorrow he knew more profound than mere concern.

He felt a pang at the look on her face and kept his gaze steady, watching her out of the corner of his eye. "Sister Water seems to support them," he offered, thinking back to the strange, almost tender way the Elements seemed to weave into Paulo and Theo's lives.

"Yes," she whispered, still gazing into the distance. "I feel it, too. It's odd... how much interest the Elements seem to have in their relationship."

Raja's gaze sharpened at that. "And ours," he said quietly, his voice cautious. He had felt the Elementals' interference, though he had yet to find the right words to express it.

Natalia's shoulders tensed, and she turned just enough for him to see the tension in her expression. "Yes," she murmured, her voice a bare whisper. "And I fear... there may be no happy endings for us, either."