Chapter 23: The Pull of the Bond
Nadeira woke up with her face stuck to the edge of her bed.
She didn't even remember how she got there. Maybe she had run so fast last night, and then later on, she threw herself face-first into the blankets and passed out like a dead log.
The first thing she noticed was the silence. No sound of walking or Caspian outside her door. No Nyxmaris laughing like a madman or Orrisian reading his boring scrolls.
She breathed in, and her chest tightened, though she didn't know why.
"Maribel?" she called.
The door opened at once, and Maribel popped her head in. Her golden hair sparkled, like it had been dipped in sunlight. "Yes, my lady?"
"Where are the fish?"
Maribel blinked. "The… princes?"
"Yeah, them." Nadeira sat up, rubbing her forehead. "I don't hear them. Did they all die, and no one told me?"
Maribel giggled. "No. They were summoned."
Nadeira stopped moving her hand."Summoned?"
"Yes," Maribel stepped inside. "The sea called them."
Nadeira stared. "The sea called them. What does that even mean? Like, what, the ocean grew a mouth and shouted their names?"
Maribel pressed her lips together to hide a laugh. "Something like that."
Nadeira groaned, dragging her hands down her face. "Of course…it must be some fish business. I knew it..."
But the more she tried to joke, the worse the ache in her chest became. It was hazy, like someone was pulling a string tied around her ribs. She pressed her hand against it.
Maribel lifted her chin. "You feel it?"
"Feel what?" Nadeira asked, though she knew.
"The bond," Maribel replied. "It's stretching. Because he is far."
Nadeira's throat went dry. She tried to laugh it off again, but it came out weak. "Stretching? Great. So now I'm a fishing net…"
She stood up too quickly, but her knees wobbled. Maribel hurried to help her. "Careful!"
"I'm fine," Nadeira muttered, though her legs betrayed her, almost giving out. She gritted her teeth. "What is happening to me, Maribel?"
"The bond reacts to distance," Maribel explained gently. "Your body knows when he's not near. It warns you."
"Warns me? More like tortures me!" Nadeira snapped. "If I wanted chest pain, I would've married Levius."
Maribel covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
But Nadeira didn't laugh. She felt the pull this time. It was as if Caspian's heart had stumbled inside his chest, and the echo of it hit her own. She gasped, grabbing her shirt.
Maribel's eyes widened. "It's stronger than I thought. Something happened."
Nadeira looked at her immediately. "What do you mean?"
Maribel hesitated, as if unsure if she should speak. "I think… he strengthened it."
Nadeira blinked. "Strengthened what?"
"The bond," Maribel whispered. "He tied it tighter. Too tight. Now you feel more of what he feels."
Nadeira's face turned hot, and not from anger. "He did what?"
Maribel nodded nervously.
"That stupid….fish!" Nadeira shouted, throwing a pillow across the room. It hit the wall and slid down slowly. "How dare he go around tying things without asking! Who does he think he is? My shoelace?!"
It was an ignorant move from Nadeira…she knew she helped him to mate and make their bond stronger…but blaming the fish was her personal escape.
Maribel bit her lip, but her shoulders shook with laughter.
Nadeira spun on her. "You think this is funny?"
"A little," Maribel admitted softly.
Nadeira growled. "Well, it's not. Because now I'm stuck with some glowing fish tattoo on me and most likely him too, and if he drowns, apparently I drown too!"
Her voice cracked a little at the end. She didn't mean it to. The truth was, she was scared.
Nadeira dropped onto the bed again, hugging her knees. "What if something happened to him, Maribel?" she murmured.
Maribel's smile faded. She came closer, kneeling by the bed. "Then you will feel it first. And you will know. But I don't think he will fall so easily. He is still a prince of the sea."
Nadeira stared at her hands. "I don't like this. I don't like… caring. It makes me weak…and I promised myself that I won't care about him or them."
"No," Maribel raised her eyebrows. "It makes you strong."
Nadeira didn't answer since she didn't believe that yet.
Before Nadeira could say more, the door slammed.
Both of them jumped. A palace servant rushed in, panting. His eyes darted nervously between them.
"My lady Nadeira," he said quickly. "You are summoned to the castle. At once."
Nadeira blinked. "What? Again? Why? I didn't even insult anyone today."
The servant bowed lower. "The king requests your presence. Immediately."
Nadeira threw her hands in the air. "Wonderful. First my mates disappear, now the king wants to yell at me. Perfect day."
She stood up, grumbling the whole way. "You know what, Maribel? If I don't come back, tell Caspian he owes me. For everything. Especially this headache."
Maribel followed, biting back a smile. "Yes, my lady."
But as Nadeira marched out of the room, she still felt that tug in her chest.
Something was wrong with Caspian. She didn't know what, but she knew.
And if the king thought he was going to scold her today, he was about to meet a storm.
"This mate bond is hard…I don't wanna care about men ever again…but why…why do I care about them?"