Daughter of Tide and Illusion

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Side by side, the Crown Prince of Dalcaine and the King of Escarral walked down the hallway of the palace. The staff who were still hard at work paused as soon as they saw them, backing up close to the walls on either side of them, bowing their heads in respect.

Jai himself had much respect for Bence, which had grown with every day he knew him three years previous as Amory. Even though he was a king, he was a man who did not abuse his power, but rather made great use of it. It was never just for him or his family. No, it was almost all for his people, which was how he had kept their loyalty even when his wife overthrew him. All he wanted was what was best for everyone.

It was this that made Bence want to open relations with Dalcaine in the first place. The stories he had heard made him realize how instead of animosity with the Fae-ruled land, even when his father was still on the throne, peace between them would do more good than harm. He became curious when the Escarrali army came to Dalcaine shores and even more when Guinevere decided to take out her own rage on the Fae lands. But while their feelings toward the land and those who lived in it were negative, Bence felt a kinship to it, which he'd explained to Jai all those years ago.

When he'd practically let himself be caught trying to sneak into one of the Ayverian camps one night.

They were settled throughout Asturia to keep back the small bands of Escarrali soldiers who were trying to get Guinevere, who had been locked in the Asturian dungeons. It was at a time when Bence had come back to look for her, too, right before he told his guardsmen to retreat and head for home.

And it was the week after the autumn equinox. A night when Jai himself hadn't been able to sleep because of a feeling he'd had all day, a warmth and calming feeling, a sense of peace, something he hadn't been able to explain.

He understood that reason when he met Lyv, though.

Because it had been the night she was born.

The mate he wouldn't meet face-to-face until a little over eighteen years later.

It was something Jai had never told her. Not many knew about what happened on that night at all, actually, just Gideon, Camilla, and Soren. And the only reason was because it had been Jai who caught the then Crown Prince Bence of Escarral.

He didn't realize who he was when he came up behind him silently in the moonlight, wrapped an arm around his neck and slapped his hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. He could have used magic, but the strength and power he exuded then was enough to silence the man as he dragged him into Jai's empty tent as he put up a ward of silence around them.

"So, the Escarrali prince is resorting to spies now, is he?" he snarled.

"No, I'm not."

The hood of the black cloak the young man was wearing fell as soon as his knees landed on the ground and he saw they looked the same age, but Jai still had centuries on him.

Of course, Jai paused when the young man pulled the cloak from his shoulders, revealing the navy embroidered jacket, the royal Escarrali crest on the left side of his chest, and black leather pants and boots.

The two crown princes of different lands stared at one another in silence.

"What did you think your plans would be once you sauntered into this camp?" Jai asked then. "The Crown Prince of Escarral single-handedly taking us out?"

"Actually," Bence began, standing up and straightening his shoulders. He was only an inch or so shorter than Jai, though not as wide, and still exuded a power that was not magic related. "I came here to talk."