Turning the Tide

*Ainslee*

“Ainslee! Ainslee!” Lucia bounds into my room while I’m staring at my canopy, resting my hand on my throbbing chest. “Rallegrad’s being pushed back to the northwest! Reports are coming in that Longclaw, Shadowglade, Warfang, and some half-breed forces are winning now!”

I raise my head and smile weakly. “That’s wonderful news.”

She plops down beside me on the bed, taking my hand. “It’s only a matter of time now.”

“Yes. Shadowglade will win the war. Or wars, I suppose. Tormentia never did breach the border, did they?” I chuckle.

“Not one man. It’s incredible!” She laughs. “It’s wonderful and incredible, and when the Longclaw troops are back, you can go home.”

I shake my head. “Not unless I can convince my father, Lucia. Remember, I promised.”

“But you’re dying!” she says, exasperated. “I mean, I know this is the high road and all, but you need to think of Rafe and your children.”

“I am,” I insist. “If I go back on my word, Longclaw might declare war on Shadowglade, and we’ll just lose more people, and we might not win after all the losses we’ve already suffered. It’s best I just stay here unless he can be persuaded.”

Lucia rolls her eyes. “That’s very nice and self-sacrificing, but you know your father isn’t being fair. Not to you or to King Rafe.”

“No,” I agree, “he isn’t. But there’s very little I can do about that now.”

“It’s not like you to give up, Ainslee. There’s so much you can do to make this situation better,” she insists. “Maybe ask your father if you can all make a trip to Shadowmanor Castle so he can meet King Rafe in person? Or maybe King Rafe can come here?”

I shudder. “I’m afraid if Rafe comes here, he won’t ever leave again in one piece. My father isn’t exactly thrilled with him.”

“I think Rafe will come for you, whether you want him to or not,” she says stubbornly.

Hope flares briefly in my chest. “I’m not sure the war will be over soon enough.”

“What do you mean? It’s practically over now!” she replies.

“Pushing them back and defeating them are not the same thing,” I tell her.

“Close enough.” She flops down on her back and stares at the canopy with me. “I think you’re just depressed because King Bleiz keeps trying to get you together with Marcus.”

I groan. “Don’t tell me. Another dinner I can’t miss. That’s why you’ve come?”

“Well, it was me or Marcus, and I figured you’d prefer me,” she says.

“True.” I just stare at the listless movements of the canopy in the light breeze from my window. “I’ll be down presently.”

“I’ll make Marcus mark me if it will help you,” she promises. “He’s worried about King Bleiz, but we can’t be worried about him forever. At some point, you just have to move forward.”

I look over at her. “This is hurting you, too.”

She sighs and nods. “Yes.”

I sit up. “I’m going to tell my father once and for all that I won’t take another mate. You should be free to live your life happily and not be stuck in this weird triangle with Marcus and me.”

“Aren’t you worried about King Bleiz getting angry?” she asks cautiously.

“I can’t worry about things like that anymore. I don’t have the energy.” I scoot her off the bed and then swing my legs over the side. “Help me dress?”

Between the two of us, we manage to get me to look presentable, albeit pale. She walks with me down to the dining hall, no doubt worried I’m going to keel over. I share the same worry.

Two guards open the dining hall doors, and my father and Marcus are sitting with their heads close together, both of them red-faced. It’s clear they’ve just been arguing.

“Ainslee,” my father says. “It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Marcus was just saying how much he misses you.”

Marcus scowls.

I shake my head. “Father, enough. Enough. Marcus and Lucia are mates. You’ve already controverted the Goddess’s will once. Don’t do it again.”

“I am the king, my daughter. Don’t make me remind you of that again. The Moon Goddess has brought me back from a disastrous life to make me king, and she will not mind if I make this one change. The two of you will marry in two weeks, and that’s my final decision.”

Lucia whimpers behind me, but I stand my ground. “I will not marry Marcus. I will not marry anyone. And that’s that.”

The king stands up so quickly it knocks his chair over behind him. “You will both do as I say, or else!”

“Or else what? You’ll send me back to Shadowglade? One can only hope,” I snarl. I’ve had quite enough of his controlling nature.

“You are never going back to Shadowglade. I will not have my only child mated to a vampire after all they did to us,” my father says. “You will marry Marcus, or I will have Longclaw forces march on Shadowmanor Castle.”

I gape at him. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“If King Rafe Poe isn’t alive, then there are no more obstacles, are there?” he snaps. “So, you have a choice. You can sit here and pout while I decimate Shadowglade, or you can mate and marry Marcus.”

“What’s happened to you, Father?” I whisper. “This isn’t the man I remember from when I was a little girl. You’ve let this new status go to your head.” I turn on my heel to leave the room.

Marcus stands and takes my arm to steady me as I rush from the room. I wobble, so I’m glad of his help, even though I resent needing it.

Lucia comes out after us, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Ainslee, you have to marry Marcus. Shadowglade…”

“Just wait,” I whisper.

Marcus shakes his head. “I won’t marry you. This is getting ridiculous. You’re clearly sick from being separated from your fated mate, and I feel as though I’m going to lose mine. We’re all going to be weak and dying.”

“For Shadowglade, and for Drake’s and Rafe’s safety, I can do anything,” I mumble. “Besides, if I do have to marry you, I’ll die as soon as my daughter is born. Then, you and Lucia can be together.” I’m just stating facts now. I’ve read the books in the library, and I know people who are as desperately fated to be together as Rafe and I cannot live when we are apart for more than a year or two at best.

“It’s not supposed to be that way,” Lucia sobs. “Rafe needs to come and rescue you. King Bleiz is out of his mind if he thinks he can bend the will of the Moon Goddess herself.”

“He doesn’t believe it’s the Moon Goddess’s will. But he will by the end, don’t worry.” I smile tiredly at both of them.

“I won’t give up,” Marcus says.

“I know. I’m not ready to give up either.” I stumble, and Marcus and Lucia both grab an arm to keep me from toppling to the floor.

His jaw works. “I will write a letter.”

“King Bleiz will never let you send it,” Lucia murmurs sadly.

“Tough. I’m sending it anyway. I need King Rafe Poe to know the seriousness of our situation.” He rolls his shoulders back. “I have half a mind to mark Lucia and be done with it.”

I grip his arm. “What if Father marches on Shadowmanor Castle? Just to punish us both.”

He grunts, but nods in agreement. “I am still sending a letter.”

“I hope it makes it there in time,” I say. Just the thought of Rafe and my baby back home in Shadowglade without me makes my heart break and tears prickle against my eyes.

“Me, too,” Lucia and Marcus reply together.

“Would you include something in the letter for me?” I ask Marcus.

“Yes, of course,” he responds.

“Tell Rafe I love him,” I whisper.

He squeezes my shoulder. “You’ll soon be able to tell him yourself.” Then he kisses Lucia on the cheek and heads off toward his office.

I nearly collapse, so Lucia slings my arm over her shoulder and supports me back to my room. “Remember, Ainslee,” she says, “you have to make it to the birth of your daughter at least. Let me get you some tea and something to eat.”

“I wish Father weren’t so stubborn and unreasonable. He won’t hear anything good about vampires.” I sigh as she settles me back down on my bed.

“It’s not surprising. A bit disappointing, but not surprising, given everything King Axel Brodcraz did to the Longclaw territory.” Her face is sad as we both remember everything our people had gone through before Rafe took over.

“He thinks marrying me to Marcus will be enough to break the mate bond with Rafe, but I don’t think it will work that way,” I tell her. “I’m afraid it will kill me.”

She wrings her hands. “I wonder if there’s any way to put it off until after the baby is born. I don’t want you both to die. I don’t want either one of you to die.”

“I don’t, either. But I don’t know that I’m going to have a choice in the matter,” I say. “I’m more afraid it will kill Rafe, even at this distance.”

Her brow furrows. “We’ll think of something. Or Rafe will come. I know when he gets Marcus’s letter, he will come.”

Hope blooms again in my chest, even though I barely dare to believe in it. “You think so?” I ask. Why hasn’t he come yet? My only thought is it must be because he is busy with the war.

“I know so.” Lucia puts her hands on her hips. “Now, I’m bringing you some food, and you’re going to eat it. Are we clear?”

“Crystal clear,” I reply.

“You need to keep your strength up,” she orders me. “Because King Rafe is coming!”