15. Auslin

Chapter 15

Auslin

A fter a divine bath, Auslin relaxed on the outside veranda overlooking the beautiful pond, which glittered under the light of the full moon. Auslin couldn't help but reflect on all the times he had met Tatsuki on his veranda. He regretted the shifter warlord had not survived into the present so that they could meet once more. He could only imagine what Tatsuki's reaction would have been to his sudden reappearance. It saddened Auslin he would never have the chance to find out what would have happened.

The thought drew Auslin's attention to Hibiki, who nestled comfortably on his lap. "Why didn't you warn me not to go through Fate's Gate?" Auslin asked Hibiki, wishing he could get some kind of answer.

When Hibiki answered with nothing more than a flick of his tail, Auslin sighed. It was obvious the fire dragon spirit hadn't warned him because there was no actual danger for him going through Fate's Gate to his own rightful time. Auslin wished not for the first time he had never gone near the ancient gate, but it changed nothing about the situation he found himself in at present.

Auslin startled when Kitsuki cleared his throat. He wondered how long the shifter monarch had been standing there watching him. "Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. Welcome back."

"It is fine." Kitsuki sat down next to Auslin. "I did not mean to disturb you. What troubles you?"

"I'm not exactly troubled," Auslin denied as he scratched Hibiki behind his ears. "I was reminiscing about the talks I would have with Father on his veranda. I wish he was still here so I could see his reaction to my reappearance."

"Father undoubtedly would have been smug and insisted he knew all along that you would return one day," Kitsuki predicted. "He counseled me to remain patient for your eventual return. Father was steadfast in his belief we would reunite."

"I wonder if he figured it out?"

"Figured out what?"

It meant a lot to Auslin that Tatsuki had honored their agreement. "On the night you introduced me to him, I was terrified. He wanted more details than I felt comfortable giving. I was afraid I would alter the timeline and screw up the future if I told him too much, so I gave him the vaguest details I could safely offer."

"And that would have been?" Kitsuki prompted when Auslin fell quiet as he continued gazing out over the garden with a faraway look in his eyes.

"I told him what I thought was the truth," Auslin answered. "I said I was acquainted with two of his sons, neither of whom had been born yet. The older son was a fearsome and respected warrior, and the youngest was a half-shifter, which he found impossible to accept."

"Yes, Father did not have the best opinion of humans at the time," Kitsuki admitted.

"When Kio was born, King Tatsuki must have realized I only knew you by your royal name," Auslin explained. "It would explain why he was so confident you and I would eventually be reunited."

"That makes sense. I have no doubt Father would have been pleased with the outcome."

"Is it bad there's a tiny part of me that regrets that we don't get to see Mitsuki's reaction to my return?" Auslin impishly asked with a coy smile. "He absolutely would have tried to murder me on the spot, but that moment of disbelief would have been epic."

Kitsuki chuckled. "It is for the best he is long dead so I do not have to kill him for daring to harm you."

"My purifying him would have been a much more satisfying outcome," Auslin playfully argued.

"If that is the price we would have had to pay for you to remain at my side, it would have been well worth it." Kitsuki lovingly caressed his intended's cheek. "There is nothing I would not do for your sake."

The tender look that Kitsuki gave him while saying that made Auslin's heart beat that much faster. "I believe you," Auslin replied as he covered Kitsuki's hand with his own and nuzzled into the gentle touch. "Can I ask what happened to Tatsuki? I know he died in battle, which was what led Arenthia to step down as the War Power and Kizoshi taking over, but I don't know details."

"Father and Arenthia's courtship was a dangerous game. He started many wars to draw her attention, just as she created wars to watch him engage in battle. She found him irresistible as an undefeated warrior."

"But someone obviously defeated him, eventually."

Kitsuki nodded. "Father had the misfortune of running into a Mayhem during a battle with a phoenix shifter. Because Mayhems are chaos agents who the Powers cannot control, Arenthia could not dictate the outcome of the battle when Father began to lose."

Although it had happened centuries ago, Auslin still experienced sorrow for losing the father figure who meant so much to him. "I can't imagine anyone being good enough to defeat Father."

"It is true Father was recognized as the best warrior of his era, which is why Arenthia was so attracted to him. Once he passed to the Beyond Realm, she unleashed her wrath on Father's enemies. She slaughtered every last one of them in Father's name, including brutally killing the phoenix shifter who bested Father."

"I guess in her own way, she really loved Father." It was strange to realize such a fearsome Power could feel such affection.

"Once she made sure they were all dead, she chose to pass on to the Beyond Realm because she declared there were no longer any warriors left in the Living Realm that interested her. That is when Kizoshi took over her mother's duties as the War Power."

"That must have been so hard on Kizoshi to lose her father and mother at the same time." Auslin's heart broke for her.

"The early days of Kizoshi's reign as War Power were dark. She had to start wars she did not wish to cause to prove she could take Arenthia's place. Talwyn was in turmoil for many months. But once Mitsuki lost his war and his life, Kizoshi stopped the senseless warfare. She had more than proven her point by sending her brother to the Beyond Realm."

Auslin still couldn't find it within himself to feel sad Mitsuki was no longer in the Living Realm. "And after that, there was peace?"

"Kizoshi's wars were so bloody and gruesome everyone in the Divine Realm fears incurring her legendary wrath. The irony is she has no interest in sacrificing the lives of so many for such pointless warfare. There has been the odd skirmish here and there, but mostly, my reign has been one of peace."

"Do you think she'll start a war with Nasume?" Auslin asked. "It sounded like that was what Uncle Jaega was implying."

"There have been increasing rumors about the people of Kunushi being abused that trouble me," Kitsuki admitted with a frown. "Nasume is ruthless, so I fear things are far worse than the news that reaches us in Valzerna. But until Kizoshi tells me it is time to engage him in battle, I am content to keep my distance."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

Kitsuki took a moment to reflect. "Probably about fifty years ago? We both attended the Royal Consort Fatebonding ceremony of the king and queen of Alsari. As they are our closest ally, I could not refuse the invitation, which is the exact reason Nasume showed up."

Auslin's stomach sank. "And I'm assuming he didn't behave himself?"

Kitsuki scowled. "He made his usual overtures, but it was in vain. My sense of disgust with Nasume from back then has only continued to grow between then and now. You have nothing to fear from him. My devotion to you has always been and will always be singular."

"Good." Auslin didn't like the thought of Nasume trying to interfere in their relationship again. "I'd be fine if he disappeared from the Living Realm, too."

"At least I understand now why you had such an aversion to Nasume in the past. It is almost too much irony that Maseo is Nasume's son."

"Except I didn't realize back then because I didn't know who Nasume was or that he was Maseo's father. I thought it was a coincidence they were both wolf shifters from the same area." Auslin sighed as he rubbed the underside of Hibiki's chin. The fire dragon spirit nuzzled against him. "Sometimes, I wish Maseo was as easy to hate as Nasume."

"It is shocking you do not hate Maseo for constantly cheating with Kio. I did not think anyone's heart could be so forgiving."

"I'm sure from Maseo's perspective, I'm the awful interloper ruining their relationship. He would be well within his rights to hate me for interfering."

Kitsuki's nostrils flared as he tried to figure out Auslin's mood from his scent. "And that makes you sad?"

"I'd rather be his friend than have him hate me," Auslin said after a long pause. "It bothers me thinking of him all alone out there, especially knowing how much Nasume hates him. Everyone deserves to be with someone who loves them unconditionally. I can't be that person for him, but I want him to be happy. He's been too sad and alone for too long."

"And you believe I am too understanding." Kitsuki shook his head. "Your heart is truly remarkable for being able to forgive Maseo for what he has put you through over the years."

"But that's just it. It's not Maseo who put me through anything. It's Kio. Maseo and I were both collateral damage to Kio's desires."

"You say that, but Maseo has some amount of culpability in that situation," Kitsuki insisted. "He was aware Kio has moved on to you and yet he always made himself available to my foolish half brother's advances."

Auslin hesitated before continuing. "Like I mentioned at dinner, the same could be said of me. I knew Kio clearly wasn't over his breakup with Maseo, but I stubbornly insisted on trapping him in the shell of our relationship, forcing him into cheating as his only option to be with Maseo."

"Kio does not deserve your kind understanding," Kitsuki vehemently insisted, his bitterness toward his half brother on full display.

"Maybe so, but Maseo doesn't deserve blind hatred for being unable to leave a broken relationship any more than I do," Auslin said. "Even knowing now that he's Nasume's son, I still don't hate him because they're nothing alike. You've met him, so you know that's true."

"He may not behave the same as his horrible excuse for a father, but he still?—"

Auslin gently interrupted him. "Maseo is not automatically a bad person because his father is the worst. And maybe I'm stupid for feeling some kind of kinship with him over both of us being used against the other and knowing Maseo surely hurt as much as I did every time Kio strayed. But I know his heart is good. If we had met for a different reason, Maseo and I could have been great friends."

Kitsuki continued to struggle with the concept. "What could possibly make you say that?"

"Because it's Maseo's kindness that kept him trapped in his relationship with Kio the same way mine did," Auslin answered. "Maseo's heart tells me he is not his father's son. His problem is he's too good for the likes of Kio. I can only hope Kio was telling the truth and Maseo broke up with him for good."

Kitsuki reached over to caress Auslin's hair. "Most people would not understand such a situation, let alone be so accepting of it."

Auslin tried to explain it in a way Kitsuki could understand. "It would be like me judging Kisano by Mitsuki's behavior. They're related by blood, but they could not be two more different people. I would have missed out on a great friendship if I had prejudiced myself against Kisano by association with Mitsuki. For me, there is no difference in not judging Maseo based on his blood relation to Nasume."

When Kitsuki continued to sit in a stunned silence, Auslin felt the need to fill the space with noise. "Besides, I had no idea who Nasume was before I went through Fate's Gate, so I didn't learn about their connection until Kio told both of us. Maseo has been his own person in my mind for so long that I can't make myself go back and write him off by proxy to his asshole father. Especially since, from what I understand, Maseo and Nasume have an awful relationship."

"Yes, it is well known Nasume abhors his half-shifter son," Kitsuki admitted.

"Then is it any wonder that Maseo clung to Kio in search of acceptance of any kind?" Auslin questioned. "If he had no love at home, of course he held on tightly to the twisted bond he shared with Kio, awful as it may have been."

Kitsuki sighed. "The irony is Maseo was denied love and became a decent person while Kio, who had the deep affection of both his parents, became an abomination does not escape me."

Auslin looked up at the sky with a sad sigh. "But I suppose it is all good training for the future."

"What do you mean?"

"There always has to be another," Auslin explained with a heavy heart.

Kitsuki's expression was aghast. "There never has been and never will be anyone else for me other than you, Auslin. You must understand that by now."

"Your position as king demands heirs," Auslin pointed out. The thought of it dredged up old fears he had first faced when arriving in the past and falling for Kitaro. "It was one thing when you were the third son no one expected to rule. It is a totally different thing when you are the king of Valzerna."

"I have pledged my life to you and you alone," Kitsuki insisted. He gently forced Auslin to look at him to stress the seriousness of his assertion. "You need not fear anyone usurping your place. I am not my foolish half brother."

"I know I have your heart," Auslin told him, but there was a heavy air around him as he continued. "But it's an undeniable fact: you must have heirs to continue your reign successfully. That means you have to take a mistress at some point."

Kitsuki firmly refused. "I will never take a mistress or a secondary lover of any kind."

"But for the sake of your kingdom's future, you have no choice," Auslin insisted. "An heir is the sole thing I can't provide for you. I understand it's a necessary evil, but?—"

"Please, stop." Kitsuki seemed distressed at the implications. "That will never happen, Auslin. You must believe me. There is no one I want besides you."

"It's something I tried to come to terms with in the past, but now that you're actually the king, you have no choice?—"

Kitsuki interrupted Auslin by taking his face in both of his hands. He looked Auslin in his tearful eyes. "Auslin, I will never have another for any reason. I have already announced Tyrian as my heir. You are worrying yourself needlessly over something that will never happen."

"You're allowed to do that?" Auslin asked with a sniffle as he continued holding back his tears. "Isn't that against the rules or something?"

"I'm the most powerful king in Talwyn. I can do anything I damn well please," Kitsuki told him with conviction. "And the only thing that pleases me is being with you and you alone. I would step down from my throne before I took a mistress."

"But I'm human," Auslin continued arguing, uncertain why he was trying to throw up so many roadblocks between himself and his own happiness. "That's sure to bring shame upon your lands."

"Even if that were true, I care not about such things." Kitsuki stroked one of Auslin's cheeks with his thumb. "My only concern is keeping you at my side as my bondmate."

While Auslin was thrilled at the latter part of Kitsuki's reiteration, the first part confused him. "Even if that were true? What do you mean? I am human."

"Bancho seems to believe otherwise." Kitsuki's revelation came as a shock. "Kisano and I are inclined to agree with him."

Nothing Kitsuki was saying made sense to Auslin. "Of course I'm human. What else would I be?"

"A half-Power."

The mere thought made Auslin laugh. "That's impossible. My father may have been a healer, but that didn't make him a Power. For one, I don't have any Power markings. Secondly, you could smell if I had any Divine heritage, which I clearly don't have."

"Do you remember Satsuma talking about your heritage?" Kitsuki asked. "She told you that your father protected you from many things, including himself. What if that was because he was a Power?"

Auslin shook his head. He steadfastly refused to believe it was even a possibility. "There's absolutely no way that's true." He was about to continue his protests when he remembered an important detail. "Satsuma told me Kizoshi would talk to me about my heritage, but when I brought it up with her before, she said it wasn't time for that conversation yet."

"Then you should not be surprised when Kizoshi appears soon with information about your heritage. If anyone would know the truth, it would be her. Especially since Satsuma implied you and Kizoshi shared some unknown connection."

"That's way too outlandish," Auslin continued arguing. "Even if it was true, why would Bancho tell you and not me?"

Kitsuki frowned. "I do not have an answer to that. But I am certain he was not lying to me. That leaves only the possibility that he was telling me the truth when he suggested Imeyu was your father."

Auslin laughed hysterically at the idea the renowned Healing Power could be his father. "There's absolutely no way," Auslin dismissively stated while still laughing. "I've never heard anything so absurd."

"I do not believe it to be such a far-fetched idea," Kitsuki stated. "It would explain a lot about your abilities. The timing of his passing also aligns with your history."

"It's not unheard of for humans to have powers," Auslin pointed out. "It certainly doesn't mean I'm a half-Power."

"I suggest we await Kizoshi's eventual arrival to find out for sure," Kitsuki suggested. "It is only a matter of time before she puts in a very smug appearance to remind me she told me you would indeed return to me one day."

"Even though she always leaves me utterly confused, I'll still be glad to see her again," Auslin said with a smile at the thought that he would soon meet with Kizoshi once more.

A gust of wind blew past them, causing Auslin to shiver. Kitsuki immediately became concerned. "Come, let us go inside. It has been a long day, and it is getting colder."

Kitsuki stood up and held his hand down to help pull Auslin up to stand next to him. Hibiki returned to his ring before Auslin accepted Kitsuki's help in standing. Auslin hesitated before giving Kitsuki a fierce hug, hiding his face against the shifter monarch's broad chest.

"What is wrong?" Kitsuki asked as he returned the embrace.

"When can we finally become bondmates?" Auslin asked, too fearful to look up and get rejected by Kitsuki. "I don't want to wait anymore. I want to be with you in every way, Kitsuki."

Kitsuki's tone was remorseful. "It is too soon. You are still learning what it means to be with me now versus the Kitaro you knew in the past."

While it was a logical explanation, Auslin feared it was an excuse to stop them from becoming bondmates. "Do you not want to be my mate anymore because you like the me in your memory more than the me standing before you now?"

Kitsuki soothingly rubbed Auslin's back. "Nothing of the sort, Auslin."

"Then why can't the same be true for me?"

"I am only concerned you are rushing into wanting to be bondmates with someone who is not the same person you once knew. The last thing I want is for you to regret being bound to me forever when you are in love with the ghost of who I once was."

Auslin's temper flared. "I'm in love with you , damn it! Whether it's the talkative Kitaro or the quiet Kitsuki, it doesn't matter. I love all of you, including the person you're going to become now that I've returned to your side at long last."

"You are right. I can already feel myself changing." Kitsuki kissed Auslin in a tender, unspoken apology. "There is also the matter of the ceremony to consider."

"Ceremony?" Auslin repeated, a bit dazed from the kiss.

"As the king of Valzerna, I will be expected to have a ceremony affirming our love in front of others before we can officially become bondmates in private. It is akin to a human wedding."

While Auslin hated waiting longer to become bondmates with Kitsuki, he couldn't help but get excited by the prospect of a wedding for all to see their commitment to each other. "And how long do we have to wait until then?" Auslin asked, hoping the answer wasn't a long time from now.

"There will be many preparations that need to be made before then."

Auslin looked crestfallen at having to wait before they could finally be together as mates. "And how long will that take?"

"I am not sure, but I will talk it over with Kizoshi once she arrives."

"Good, because I don't want to wait another day to be your bondmate if I don't have to," Auslin said before going up on tiptoe to kiss Kitsuki.

Kitsuki indulged him before picking his intended up into a cradle hold to bring him back into the bedroom. The doors shut automatically behind them as Auslin joyfully laughed.