Chapter 1

Queen Rionach's cries seeped through the cracks of old Oberon Castle. Along with the cold morning air, her screams reached Valda's chamber. The young girl fell from her bed, scrambling, terrified. She ran to the door, her tiny ear pressed to the thick wood. There were footsteps on the other side, and she wondered if she should peek out. She wasn't supposed to. Her mother had always told her to stay inside her chamber if she were to hear racket outside. Yet the queen never mentioned anything about what to do if she was the one making the racket. Valda pulled on the latch and opened the door. The guards on each side looked at her, surprised to see her up.

She wasn't supposed to do that. She wasn't supposed to leave her room, not at this time. She was supposed to wait for a chambermaid to wake her up.

But her mother needed her.

Ignoring their questioning gazes, Valda ran down the hall as fast as her short legs would allow her. The guards followed her, their armors clattering behind her. The grand chamber wasn't far from hers, but tonight, it felt like it was. The guards that normally stood by the grand chamber were missing. A rare occurrence must've happened for them not to be there. As Valda pushed the door open, her confusion cleared up when she saw the chief general of the Skylian army.

Arwin turned to her, his face battered, bruised, and tired. His leather armor was torn and useless. Valda's nose scrunched at the smell of blood; a distinctive scent she could recognize at only six years old.

"Valda…" His hoarse voice dropped to a whisper.

"Is she here?"

Valda focused her attention on her mother. The young woman sat on the edge of the bed; her face tear drenched. The young girl opened her mouth, but Arwin picked her up. The smell of blood was stronger, so Valda pushed him away.

Thankfully, her mother stood from the bed and pulled her from the general's arms. Valda welcomed the teary kiss and wrapped her arms around her neck, hiding away from Arwin and his ravaged demeanor.

"What happened to him?" Queen Rionach asked, her hand gently stroking Valda's back.

"You need to come to the throne room," Arwin answered.

Rionach's hold on Valda tightened. The young girl turned to look at her and then at Arwin, whose expression saddened as they made eye contact.

"What happened to my mate, Arwin?!"

He didn't answer. Instead, he focused on Valda. She moved in her mother's arms uncomfortably. Arwin had a scary face. Though many chambermaids called him handsome, she couldn't find a fragment of beauty in his visage. The left side of his face had been marred.

"Arwin, what happened to Brontes?"

He shook his head. "I am here for you. They need you in the throne room—"

"He is dead! I felt it… The bond, I felt it break!"

Arwin nodded and attempted to grab her, but Rionach slapped his dirty hand and ran down the grand hall, running past injured soldiers and worried handmaids.

Valda clung to her mother's neck until she stopped at the entrance of the throne room.Taking a deep breath, Rionach moved a shaky hand to push the heavy door open, her voice calling out to the king.

"Brontes?"

The king's body lay on a large, marbled platform, surrounded by even more dead and injured men. Handle gripped in his hands; the Heaven Sword lay over his chest. Although his eyes were closed, Valda knew that his slumber wasn't a normal one. Valda understood death. She knew that once someone died, they fell into a deep sleep, never to wake again. Her father was death-sleep, and he was battered too, like Arwin.

The general walked in, holding his injured side. His attention fell on Brontes, then to Rionach, and finally settled on Valda. His gaze softened and his jaw quivered.

Was…was he about to cry too?

Valda frowned as reality dawned on her.

Her father was dead…

Brontes Aither, King of the Sky Kingdom, lay dead before her very eyes.

"Momma?" Valda pulled on her mother's blouse, but the young woman was barely holding on, with lost and clouded eyes. She tugged at her blouse, but her mother wasn't there. All she saw was a husk of what she used to be.

Between the sobbing of the broken warriors around them, the general's steady and clumsy steps filtered through Valda's senses. She turned just in time to see him running his fingers through his silver hair, and promptly touching the scar on his face. He carefully laid his arm on Rionach to usher them out of the throne room and back to the grand chamber.

"We will make preparations for the king's burial," Arwin whispered once they were inside and alone.

"How did he die?" Rionach asked, finally finding the words.

Arwin shook his head. "The Sea Kingdom was destroyed. The storm…"

"It wasn't the storm." Rionach pulled away and touched his side. Arwin grunted in pain and took a step back. "A storm wouldn't do this. What happened?"

Arwin pulled away, grabbing the queen, preventing her from touching him again. It was clear as day that he didn't want to have the conversation now.

"Arwin…" It was so strange to hear the general's name in her mother's mouth. Valda had no memory of her mother ever calling him by his first name up until now. "What happened?"

Valda wanted to know what happened too. Her father was a strong, burly man. Tall and powerful, the best fighter in the entire eastern hemisphere. Feared by many, respected by all. How could a mere storm take his life?

"Not now," Arwin whispered, his gaze falling on Rionach, then on Valda. He rubbed his hand over his trousers, cleaning them before offering himself to the queen. "Let me help you," he said, gathering Valda in his arms.

She held on to his neck, absentmindedly embracing him. She hadn't realized it yet, but she was in dire need of a hug, of comfort.

The general's heavy hand pressed against the center of her back before traveling to the nape of her neck. Arwin cradled her as she pressed her heated face to the crook of his shoulder, something her father would always do when she was about to cry.

As Arwin squeezed her to him, she felt the press of an object on her torso. Curious at what it might be, Valda touched the round object and pulled it out of from Arwin's leather cuirass. Valda frowned, holding a small shining golden apple.

Arwin snatched it away from her hands and hid it in his trousers before he shook his head. He quietly scolded her before Rionach sobbed, calling out to Valda's father over and over again.

Valda's chest ached, seeing her mother suppress her own sobs and walk away.

"Cry all you need, child. I will be here for you," Arwin said, taking a couple steps forward. "For both of you…"

Silence fell in the room. Until Rionach whimpered. "What happened to the Sea Kingdom? What happened to Queen Amphitrite…?"

Arwin rubbed Valda's back, his strokes heavy and quivering. Valda pushed away from his shoulder to look at her mother. Fresh tears were sliding down her cheeks.

"The royal family is gone."

"What? No…" Rionach gazed at Valda, her heart breaking yet again.

"The castle collapsed on itself."

Rionach sat on the edge of the bed, and Valda could only move her arms towards her. Arwin set her on the ground, and she dashed to wrap her arms around her mother's waist. Her mother never cried. She always smiled when she was around her father. Seeing her like this turned Valda's stomach, because she knew that from this day forward, her mother's smiles would be numbered.

"They can't be dead, Arwin," Rionach said, her lip quivering as she raised her gaze at him. "The Fates spoke to Brontes in his dream. They said that Valda would marry the heir of the Sea Kingdom. The kingdoms were to join, Arwin—" Rionach's breath faltered. Shaking her head, she touched Valda's head. More tears streamed down her face. "She won't find her mate?"

"Rionach," Arwin whispered the queen's name as if he was telling a secret. His heavy boots echoed in the vast chamber as he kneeled next to Valda. "Brontes had a dream. They are gone. All the gods are gone."

"But— They must communicate somehow, right? Without them we are lost." Her eyes widened as she grabbed his forearm. Hope shone in them for just a second. "The Oracle! They can use their blessing and tell us if Valda will find her mate!"

"Listen to me, Rionach. I will say this again, if you need me to." The scarred side of his face stretched as he gave Valda and the queen a rueful smile. He pulled Rionach to a stand and gathered her in his strong arms, pressing their bodies dangerously close. "I will take care of both of you…"

Raan Era wasn't sure how he was going to tell his wife that he had rescued a Sealian child— a baby no older than a year old. He was on his way back to the Sky Kingdom. The sea had finally ebbed away its savage attacks enough to allow boats to leave the shore. Thousands of Sealians were packed in ships heading back to the Sky Kingdom. They couldn't stay in their land. The storm had destroyed their homes, their bridges, and their crops. They had nowhere else to go. They could stay and try to rebuild or leave and make a life elsewhere. For now, they needed food, water, and shelter, and the other Kingdoms in Gaia would accommodate them.

The destruction in the Sea Kingdom was nothing like Raan had ever seen. It was as if the gods themselves had descended, taking back what belonged to them, and destroying everything to start anew. Triton Castle didn't stand a chance when the roaring waves crashed on it, followed by a lightning storm beyond imagining. How Raan was able to find this child was beyond him. But he wouldn't, couldn't, leave a baby to die. He found it strange that the child was left out by the ruins of Triton Castle, alone and exposed to the cold rain and strong winds. The cyclonic tidal waves that had destroyed the castle should've taken her life as well, and yet she lived. Maybe she had been specially protected by Poseidon himself.

He pulled his coat and looked down at the baby girl, grimacing at her high-pitched wails. He patted his pants, feeling for something he could feed her, but he had nothing. Waiting to safely dock land was the only choice. For now, Raan's priority would be to keep the baby warm.

"What will Saha think when she sees you?" he wondered as the roaring sea outside of his cabin smashed against the ship. The wood groaned and his heart raced.

"Poseidon, please allow me to go back to my wife," he prayed, snuggling the baby closer to his warm chest. "Ouranos, let me see the sun once again."

From the spot on the ground where he'd chosen to rest a fellow soldier scoffed.

Raan arched his bushy brow. "What?"

"I don't know what's funnier. You not deciding which god to pray to, or that you are praying at all."

Raan shook his head and looked down at the baby, whose fussy cries had settled for now. "You act as if they don't exist, my friend."

"They left a long time ago."

"Or so we think," Raan refuted, but the other man laughed and turned to give Raan his back.

"Have you forgotten about The Great Disappearance?"

The Great Disappearance of the gods happened centuries ago. The gods left, leaving a handful of mortals with their powers. Those who were stronger used their power to reign over the others, thus the kingdoms appeared. But Raan believed the gods were still around, still listening, cursing those who deserved it as well as blessing those who do good.

"I wasn't talking to you, though. Mind your business,"Raan said.

"Even if the gods were still around, I sure wouldn't be praying or asking for anything."

Raan scoffed this time and waved his hand dismissively before going back to the baby girl swaddled inside his coat. He took in her features. Like all Sealians, the child had thin blue curls on top of her head, as well as blue eyes. The baby was beautiful. Saha would love her the second she saw her—he was sure of it.

"First, I have to make it home alive," he whispered to the baby, a tired yet bright smile spread across his face. Leaning against the wooden wall, Raan sighed loudly as the rocking boat drifted him off to a light sleep.

He could still hear the conversations around him. Soldiers and rescuers exchanged theories of what had happened. Some said it was just bad luck; the Sea Kingdom's island hadn't been hit by such a storm in decades. Others said the gods had punished them.

Upon the ship's arrival on the Sky Kingdom's shore, a soldier slapped his hand on Raan's leg, waking him up. Raan gasped softly, clutched the baby to his chest. He didn't want to admit it now, but he had grown protective of the child.

"We are here, Era. Let's go."

Raan nodded at his fellow soldier and watched him walk up the stairs to the main deck.

"We are home, little one," he muttered, checking inside his coat and finding the baby girl smiling wildly and waving her hands to reach his nose. "You must be starving. I will get you some fruits as soon as we are out of here." Raan sealed his promise by pressing his lips against the baby girl's hand. His black beard tickled her fingers, and she squealed in delight.

He climbed the stairs to the main deck and off the ship. The Sky Kingdom already had helpers out on the docks. Large wooden tables were set out, where Sealians were asked to give their names, their towns, and the names of any immediate family members.

Raan squeezed the bundle in his arms, his other hand moving to touch his sword's handle. He and his wife had been trying for a child for such a long time. Finding this baby felt like a blessing from the gods. But at the same time, if she was someone's child, there must've been a couple of parents looking for her.

"Let's look for your parents, shall we?" Raan walked with a slight limp through the dense Sealian and Skylian throng. His injury in battle burned through his thigh with each step. The air became dense with feelings of desolation, mourning, and fear. He saw Sealians embracing each other as they found their loved ones alive, as well as mothers falling to their knees crying at the confirmed deaths of their children or mates. Raan swallowed hard as he stood before a Skylian clerk.

"Soldier." The middle-aged woman tilted her head in a somber greeting. "What do you have for me?" she asked, dipping her quill in ink and eyeing the bulge inside his coat.

Raan tensed, deciding whether he should show the baby to the clerk. Before he could walk away, he saw a father embracing his adult son, his shrieks of happiness swallowing Raan whole. He turned back to the clerk and undid his coat, presenting the beautiful baby.

"I found her abandoned outside of the castle. She wasn't dressed and she had nothing to identify her by."

The clerk's eyes widened, and Raan wasn't sure if it was because of the child's beauty and innocence or if she was just surprised someone would've left their child alone.

"Were there any dead bodies near the child? Any that you thought might have been her parents?"

Raan shook his head. "It was as if she was just left to die near the shore. I had just been checking for survivors in Triton Castle and… there was no one."

The woman bit her lower lip and brushed the quill against her jaw. "I've had so many orphan children through my table today." Her gaze moved from the baby to Raan. "I could take her, but I don't think we will be able to find any family members. A child this young, left alone like that—" She shook her head while turning and pointing to a group of children. "Just now I had a brother and sister who lost their mother as their ship docked." She cringed. "It has been difficult."

The orphans were all sitting alone, separated from the rest of the Sealians. Raan's stomach dropped. There were children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers—all broken, crying, bruised, and cold. Shivering, his attention returned to the baby in his arms. How could he leave her here and hope for the best?

The woman released a resigned sigh before saying, "I will take her off your hands and—"

"Can I keep her?"

The clerk took a deep breath, looked at the baby, and shrugged. "If someone comes forward claiming they have a baby more or less her age, I will have to contact you for further investigation." She took out another large book, opened it and dipped her quill in ink. "What's your full name, soldier?"

"Raan Era. I am a guard from Oberon."

"Where do you live?"

"On the outskirts of Cressida."

The clerk nodded as she wrote down. "Are you mated?"

"Yes. My mate's name is Saha Era." Raan couldn't help but smile at the thought of his mate. His wife; his soulmate. He wondered how she would react the second she saw the baby. Would she get mad? Would she tell him to take her back?

A soft coo interrupted his thoughts, and he peeked down to see the baby sucking on her thumb.

"Do you have any food I could give her? She must be starving."

"I will give both of you food soon enough. I need you to tell me her name."

Raan frowned. "I am sorry. Name? I…"

"I need it for record purposes. You can give her a name right now." The clerk chuckled for the first time. Her crooked smile brought Raan some comfort. It had been a long time since someone had actually smiled at him. "Maybe something related to her heritage. We wouldn't want her to forget her roots."

"Of course!"Raan smiled back and took a minute to think of a name. The clerk had put him on the spot; it was hard for him to think of anything, let alone a name for another human being. He sighed in discontent and turned around to take in his surroundings, hoping something would inspire him.

The waves ebb and splash about the rocks near the dock. Two more ships were nearing the shore, probably filled with even more Sealian refugees.

"How about Maris?"Raan finally suggested.

"Maris? That sounds beautiful. Maris Era. " The clerk said approvingly.

Raan nodded decisively. "Maris Era." He liked it as well. It had a nice ring to it.

"Good." The woman closed the book and stood up. "Stay right here. I will be right back with some food for you and little Maris."

Raan nodded, watching as she walked over to a pile of wooden crates filled with provisions. Maris blew spit bubbles, her tiny hands pulling at his dirty clothes. The clerk came back with a waterskin filled with cool water and a box with fruits, dry meats, bread, and cheese. Raan tried to take it while juggling Maris in his arms.

"Thank you so much."

"The Sky Kingdom can only do so much to help our brothers and sisters from the Sea Kingdom. That beautiful baby deserves a chance for a good life, and I am more than sure she will find that with you, Raan Era."

A knot formed in Raan's throat. He swallowed it down and bowed his head at the clerk before saying his goodbyes and limping away. He found a quiet spot away from the ships. He sat down and settled Maris against him. She could already sit up straight while he pulled out the bread before offering it to her. Reaching chubby fingers for the bread, Maris took it before shoving it into her mouth.

Raan chuckled and repeated his actions. Maris ate, and it wasn't until she was dozing off that he ate something himself.

The rushing of the sea swallowed the voices on the other side of the dock. Raan was thankful for it. He wouldn't be able to stomach the all-too-familiar sound of pained cries. Deciding on getting a horse once he was done eating, Raan wanted nothing more than to be home with his mate and Maris.

Rionach rubbed the tension from her temples as she wrote another letter to the neighboring kingdoms. The letters were short and to the point. King Brontes Aither was dead and apparently the Sealians' royal family was as well.

It was hard to put the announcement into words. Her own emotions surfaced each time she wrote her mate's name. She swallowed hard and folded the piece of paper, sealed it with wax, printing the symbol of their patron god Ouranos with it. She addressed it to the Vulcan Kingdom and put it aside before starting her last letter to Harmonia.

Rionach wished she could feel something other than the emptiness in her chest. For if she had a broken heart, that meant she had a heart to heal. Instead, she felt nothing but the heaviness of absence inside of her.

Hearing about the severance of a mate bond was one thing; feeling it when it happened was another. Waking up to that dull, aching pain, and then sudden silence, was something she would never forget. With a heavy sigh, she finished her last letter. She meticulously put her stationary away, but not before wiping her cheeks and nose.

In her bed, Valda lay tangled between the satin sheets, sleeping quietly. She hadn't slept in her own room since the incident two weeks ago. Not because she was scared (or so she said) but because she didn't want her mother to feel alone. Rionach had tried to hide her amusement when Valda told her.

Her Valda, her little thunderstorm, with a personality as big as the sky itself, always looked out for her. But with her father's death, Rionach was worried that her daughter's larger-than-life personality would wither away.

She believed Brontes when he told her about his dream, about Valda and the heir of the Sea Kingdom, about the union and the revolution throughout Gaia. Although Gaia was diverse, the idea of Kingdoms coming together through a mate bond, or even a regular marriage, was unheard of.

But that didn't matter to Rionach now. All that mattered was that her sweet thunderstorm had been robbed of meeting her mate.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Rionach turned as someone pushed the door. A tired looking Arwin walked in, his hand resting on his sword hilt. She flinched at the dark circles under his eyes. How long had it been since this man had a good night's rest?

"Still up?" Rionach asked, her voice a soft whisper, not wanting to wake Valda.

"Still working," he corrected. "I just wanted to see how you were doing before retiring for the—" Arwin's eyes drifted to Valda. "Ah. Little Valda is here."

"Oh!" Rionach turned to Valda. "She doesn't want to leave my side."

"Understandable," Arwin muttered before clearing his throat. "Rionach—"

"I need a full report of what happened at the Sea Kingdom," Rionach said, standing from her small desk. "A very detailed report," she added.

Arwin's gaze fell before he nodded. "And you shall have it, but there is not much to look into." He stepped away from the door, circling to the living space in the chamber and sitting down on the grand sofa. He spread his legs, taking up most of the space. He exhaled, closing his eyes and throwing his silver hair back.

"I still have ships coming in from Agenor's Islands. I've heard reports of tidal waves destroying some of the ships on their way back." He rubbed the scarred side of his face. "We keep losing people…"

"It has been years, decades even, since the Sea Kingdom had a storm like this."

"You'd think they would be ready for this, but they weren't…" He shook his head before resting his hazel gaze on Rionach. "Could it be punishment?"

"For what?" Rionach scoffed. "And why would any punishment fall on my mate?" She sighed. "Why wipe away the Sea Kingdom's royal family, especially with the prophecy?"

Arwin turned away, enough to hide his face from Rionach. "Maybe… the Fates were wrong?"

Rionach tensed. "Blasphemy…"

Shrugging, Arwin stood from the sofa and quietly walked to Rionach's bed, where Valda still slept soundly. His tense back muscles relaxed as he studied the sleeping child. Leaning close enough to brush Valda's dark curls from her forehead, he let out a soft grunt before straightening again. "She looks so much like him."

Rionach swallowed hard and smiled. Yes, Valda was the spitting image of her father, the late king. With her dark hair, honey eyes, sun-kissed skin, and freckles sprinkled over her face, shoulders, and chest, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was the next queen.Yet, whenever Arwin mentioned Valda's resemblance to her mate, she always felt a hint of resentment in his voice.

Deciding on brushing the feeling away was better for now. She remembered Brontes and how it felt to see him for the first time, locking eyes and feeling the surge and the connection right away…

Valda will never experience that.Rionach sighed and walked to the other side of the bed before lying next to Valda. She cradled the young girl in her arms and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She didn't wake up; instead, she snuggled closer to her warmth.

The bed dipped as Arwin sat with them, looking down at her and Valda intently. As much as she wanted to push him off and tell him to leave… she couldn't help but appreciate his presence, especially when he cared so much about them. His hand went back to Valda's hair. He petted her sweetly before releasing a tired sigh.

"I am sorry, Valda," he muttered, his voice trembling.

"Why?"

Arwin's lips parted, as if he wanted to answer right away, but then he bit his lower lip and stood from the bed.

"Because she won't meet her soulmate?"

Arwin frowned. "No." He answered, nonchalantly. "Countless go about their lives, never finding their soulmate."

Piercing hazel eyes burned through her. Rionach swallowed hard, her gaze straying away from his.

"Many hope they will find their soulmate in their next life." Arwin shrugged. "Pray with her and keep hope that she will find hers." The general's steps were slow and calculated as he moved to the living space and then out the door.

Rionach's jaw quivered, unable to pick up if he spoke jeeringly or not.

Raan wasn't sure what his mate was feeling. Deep within his chest he could feel her excitement and fear, but also apprehension.

Saha, his mate of fifteen years, stood by the dining table, staring at the Sealian baby. Maris was enveloped in soft satin sheets he had managed to buy before heading home. Her small hands and feet reached the chandelier dangling from the wooden roof.

For a moment, Raan stared at Saha. Her hands were rolled into fists and pressed to her stomach, as if unsure if she was supposed to touch the baby.

When he arrived and tied the horse to the outside of his home, before he could knock, his wife had already opened the door for him, possibly feeling his presence minutes before his arrival. Before she could throw her arms around him and welcome him with a kiss, she had noticed the bundle in his coat.

Her smile had disappeared for a second as he walked in and proceeded to settle the infant on the table.

Now, they both looked at each other as if neither had seen or heard of what a baby was, despite being the one thing they had longed for since the moment their life together began.

"That's a baby, all right," Saha exhaled, rubbing her hands against her loose cotton pants. "Are… weren't…" She scratched the back of her head next and turned from Maris to Raan. "I…"

"I found her outside the Triton Castle," Raan began, walking closer. "General Arwin had said there were no survivors after the castle collapsed, but…" he stretched his hand, his finger brushing against Maris's own. She quickly grasped it and held on tightly. He chuckled at the baby's strength. Who knows? Maybe she would be a great soldier one day.

He swallowed hard at the thought. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself.

"She was by the shore, surrounded by water. As if Poseidon himself was keeping her safe. I couldn't leave her there. The boats were already leaving, so I tucked her in my jacket and left."

"And her parents? Did anyone claim her?"

Raan explained everything, how no one had claimed they had a missing baby, and that the orphaned kids would be taken care of. He knew they would mostly be placed in a temporary home. It would've been better if he took the baby in. After all, wasn't having a child one of their biggest desires?

No, Maris wouldn't be from their flesh and blood, but Raan already felt he loved her.

"So… we keep her until someone comes forward?"

"If they do," he mumbled, their gazes glued to the beautiful baby.

A dead silence fell upon them, and the only thing that could be heard were Maris's happy squeals.

"She has a beauty mark," Saha said, her fingertips brushing over Maris's left cheek, right under her eye. "Kind of like me, look." Saha exclaimed, pointing at the mark on her chin."

Raan chuckled, grabbed Saha's face, and kissed her jaw. "If it wasn't for the blue hair, I would say she is yours already."

Saha's chuckle disappeared. She bit her lower lip and turned away from Maris and Raan. "If they come looking for her, I will be devastated, Raan."

He nodded. He didn't want to admit it, but he would be heartbroken as well. Clutching Saha's waist, he shifted her to face him. He already knew what she felt before she could utter a single word. The bond allowed them to know what the other felt without the need to talk. Sighing, he squeezed her smaller frame to his and pressed his lips to her temples.

"No one will claim her."

"How are you so sure?" she asked, her hands clutching the back of his shirt.

"Because I will not allow anyone to take her away from you. I promise."

Saha pulled away enough to turn towards the baby. With trembling hands, she reached her.

"I named her Maris."

Saha's lips spread into a wide smile as she picked Maris from the table. "Maris Era…" She pronounced the name with pride.

Feeling warmth spread through his chest, Raan sighed in contentment and wrapped his arms around his mate and their new daughter.