It took Jayden all his will to leave the room and not to mark Mina, and it took Mina all her common sense not to go after Jayden. When the door closed behind him, her heart ached. The day was warm and lovely, but she felt gloomy. Jayden would return soon after the Yeltane festival, but it hurt to see him leave because of her. In such a brief time, she came to care about Jayden more than she expected. Their first two encounters were rocky, and she thought he was an impossible man. But living with him had made her realize how kind Jayden was. How selfless he was.
She was lucky to have met him when she did, and she would wait as long as it took for him to love her. For him to know what she already knew.
She got out of bed and went to the wardrobe, and took out a few changes of clothes for Jayden. When she put his shirts and pants on the bed, a few tears fell down her hands. She hadn't even realized she was crying until that moment.
'I am being utterly silly and irrational. It is not like he is leaving me. He will return as soon as he can,' she thought to herself while she dried her tears.
While Mina packed a traveling bag for him, he waited in front of the house, not trusting himself to be under the same roof as her.
Her scent was all over the house, beckoning him and driving him crazy with lust, and he needed to breathe fresh air to clear his head. Or at least that's what Jayden said before opening the front door and stepping outside.
Einar and Arald waited with Jayden in front of the house while Caesar and Aksel kept an eye on Mina.
Before leaving the room, Mina changed her clothes and brushed her hair before trying to put on a brave smile. She had to practice a few times in the mirror until she didn't look like she was on the verge of crying.
"I've packed a few things for Jayden," said Mina to Aksel as she went to the dining room. Caesar took the bag to the entrance.
Aksel sat at the table, talking with Shaun and Herron while Andres played his harmonica. The men hurried to stand as soon as they saw Mina enter, but she motioned them with her hand to sit.
"Thank you, Andarra. I am sure the Commander will be grateful. He had to leave the house with haste and with only the clothes he was wearing," said Aksel. He went to the entrance, and Mina followed. "I think it would be better if you would remain inside," he said as he picked up the travel bag.
"Oh, I just wanted to say goodbye," Mina said.
"It would be better if he would not smell your scent. He is struggling a lot with control. I have never seen him like this in all the time I have known him. We have spent other festivals together, and the females never tempted him. Not like you do. The way he acts around you is like you are his—" Aksel stopped speaking and stared at Mina. She nodded. "Well, then, I better give the Commander the bag before his carriage gets here."
Aksel opened the door, and Mina saw Jayden for a brief second. He was talking to Einar but stopped and whipped his head in her direction. The door closed, and her smile disappeared. For the first time in her life, she hated the festival.
She was about to go to the kitchen when Aksel rushed inside the house. "Andarra! The carriage is here, but the Commander told me he would like to have your shawl with him."
Mina frowned. "What does he need my shawl for?"
"His ocxoa has a hard time leaving his unmarked mate alone with unmated males. Your shawl has your scent, and it will calm him until he returns," explained Aksel. "Of course, I had to promise to kill anyone who dares to glance at you."
Mina smiled. "Of course. But you don't have to worry about that. Except for Jayden, no one is interested in me."
Aksel smirked. "Now I understand why the Commander says you are too innocent for your own good."
"What do you mean?"
"The shawl, Andarra, or else the Commander will come seeking it himself."
Mina understood what Aksel meant and went to fetch one.
Jayden had purchased a few beautiful shawls, but she chose to give him the one she had had for many years. It was, after all, the one she used the most.
After giving Aksel the shawl, she went to the kitchen. Kara, Shin, and Xander were cutting vegetables while Belle and Violet were feeding the kittens, while Landon was reading from a tome—Myths and other creatures. Shin had been the one to teach the other children how to read and write, and out of all of them, Landon was the one who loved reading the most.
Mina sat next to Landon and listened to his soft voice as he read the story of the Duke with an iron heart. He was cruel, and everyone living in his land feared him. Everyone except a mermaid. She lived in a lake close to his mansion. The duke always took a morning walk around it before starting his day. The mermaid was in love with him and watched from afar, afraid to talk to him. A great war started in the kingdom, and the duke stopped coming to the lake. The mermaid was worried the duke would die in the war, so she went to her brothers to ask for help. They all gave a little of their magic so the mermaid could have legs. The mermaid left the lake behind and went to where the war took place. She did not know how to fight, but her voice was so beautiful even the sun would stop to listen to her. She found the duke on the enemy line, dying. He talked to her and told her she was why he walked around the lake each morning. That his heart might be of iron, but he found her beautiful. Sadly, there was nothing the mermaid could do to save the man she loved. After she buried him, she returned to the lake with a broken heart and swore never to let anyone get close to it.
When Landon stopped reading, he noticed everyone was listening to him. He blushed, and Mina ruffled his hair. "One day, you will be a great scholar," said Mina before turning her attention to Caesar. "Do you need any help in the kitchen?"
Caesar looked at the stove with longing. "Kara is a better cook than I am, and she already has Shin and Xander helping her. I will work in the garden while my sister steals my job," he said dramatically.
"Can I help?" asked Mina, hoping she could keep herself busy until Jayden returned.
Caesar looked at the dress Mina was wearing. "You will need an apron."
Mina grabbed one from the coat rack and put it on when Aksel entered the kitchen. He appeared to be uncomfortable as he looked at Mina. "Is something wrong, Aksel?" When he did not reply, she stared at him.
Aksel spoke a few seconds later. "Could I, um, talk to you in private?"
"Of course," replied Mina. "Let's walk around the garden. Caesar, I will look for you once I have spoken with Aksel."
Two cherry trees were next to the house, and they were blooming. A bench was placed between them, and Aksel and Mina sat down. They sat in silence. Butterflies danced in the air, and the kittens came running out of the house, trying to catch them. When the butterflies flew away, one of the kittens, Butter, started playing with Mina's skirt, and she picked him up. Butter started purring the moment she started stroking his soft fur.
Aksel cleared his throat. "I would like to talk about Lady Ivy."
"What about her?" asked Mina. With all the things that had happened, Mina hadn't seen Ivy since the day she brought cookies.
Aksel folded his arms over his chest and looked at the grass for a long time before speaking. "She is to visit in the afternoon. I know what she wants, but I cannot give her the life she is used to. I don't even have the money to buy a simple bracelet." He looked at his palms. "My father was a hunter. And so was his father. And so on for many generations. Lady Ivy is—she deserves better."
"There have been quite a few men that liked Ivy and tried to court her. She disliked all of them. Her father, Earl Esad, won't care if you are a bastard or a king as long as you make her happy. Ivy has money. She only wants a family. And of all the men she met, she chose you. If you like her, tell her. But don't let pride be an obstacle to being happy. Or money."
"It's not about pride," said Aksel. "It's about being a good mate and being able to provide for my female and future offspring." He stood. "I will talk to Lady Ivy and let her know I cannot reciprocate her feelings."
"I wonder if all ocxoa males are this stubborn," she said before going to help Caesar with the garden.
Caesar planted herbs and a few vegetables, and he was pulling out the weeds when Mina found him. Belle and Violet were helping him. Mina was not used to working in the garden, but it kept not only her hands busy but also her mind.
When it was time for lunch, Belle wanted a picnic, so Mina and Kara spread a big blanket over the grass while Caesar and the children brought the food from the kitchen. Einar and Arald returned in time to eat with everyone else. They informed Mina that Jayden had caught the midday boat for Isyleon Island. The trip took around two to three hours, and Mina felt bad for not packing food for Jayden, but Einar let her know Jayden bought a meat pie and a bottle of wine from Oviella's Tavern and that Essy and Martin were hoping Mina would visit them soon. After finishing eating, the ocxoas went to Ruxman Mansion. Only Aksel and Caesar remained at the house with Mina, Kara, and the children.
Late in the afternoon, Ivy came to the house with a basket full of cookies. She wanted to serve Aksel first, but he refused to have any unless he spoke with her. Ivy and Aksel used the Drawing Room to talk while Mina and Kara made a list of the food they would make for the Yeltane Festival.
Mina had hoped Aksel would change his mind, but when she saw the hurt in Ivy's eyes, she wanted to smack some sense into Aksel.
After dinner, Aksel offered to take Ivy home, but she refused to talk to him and asked Caesar to keep her company until she found a carriage. Aksel said nothing as he went to patrol the mansion.
Kara helped Mina get the children ready for bed, and Landon read another story before Mina turned off the magic crystal and retired to her room. Without Jayden, the bed seemed big and cold, and Mina had a hard time falling asleep.
The next two days passed fast—between getting the new clothes for the children from the tailor, finishing the pillowcases in time to deliver them, and making sweets and food for the festival.
The evening before Yeltane, the big bell on top of the biggest Fire Church in Athea sounded three times.
King Baswein was dying.