With my face turned to the late morning sky, I concentrate on the babbling brook Nortus and Leif's horse drink from. The sharp edges of a boulder I'm perched upon dig into my palms and the back of my thighs. My boots and leather pants lay discarded next to the water, leaving me in a flimsy pair of lace undergarments and my tunic. The sharp end of a knife nicks just below my hip and I jump with a whimper.

"Hold still," Leif demands, placing a hand on my knee.

"I will if you quit stabbing me."

"If you didn't feel compelled to take on outlanders, I wouldn't be trying to remove thorns from your ass." Leif catches a thorn between the edge of the blade and his thumb and rips it out. "Tell me you're not following me back to Basecamp, Elle. You know they're going to send you home the minute they find out who you are."

I dig my fingernails into the stone, curl my toes in the tall green grass, and squeeze my eyes shut. We fall silent for minutes, and as he pulls each jagged point from my skin, I breathe in through my nose and out my mouth. The rhythmic intake of air helps to calm my nerves and restore my resolve.

"Don't tell them who I am," I say through gritted teeth as he pries another thorn from my flesh.

"You can't be seri—"

"I am. Let me find my father's regiment and tell them who I am on my own terms."

"You've lost your mind," Leif mumbles, running his hand over the side of my leg.

I cringe when he pats the bizarre scar on my outer thigh. The flower-shaped skin has always made me feel self-conscious. It shimmers like an opal in the sun and is rough to the touch. I cover the damaged skin with my palm and cross my legs.

Leif sits back in the grass across from me. "Your father's soldiers have spent every waking moment trying to devise a plan which will not compromise his safety. They want him back as badly as you do."

"I don't want to lead them; I just want to help rescue him."

"That's good to know because their loyalty to his second in command won't be swayed."

"Perfect. I'll need the new general's help too."

I'm in no position to lead an army, but I want to help. They need to see that their general has a family who misses him and will do anything to get him back. I want to motivate them and be a part of the forces who bring him home. My father would go to the ends of the five kingdoms for me, and I will do the same for him.

With a puff of air that sends his hair fluttering from his forehead, he says, "I should take you home."

"You wouldn't do it against my will."

He quirks his lips and says, "I'm your future husband."

"I'm your future queen. I win."

Our predestined futures feel easier to accept when we can laugh at them. The heaviness of what is to come is more bearable when accompanied by humor and quick wit. We have a way of keeping each other grounded while giving the other space to be who they are instead of who others expect them to be.

A warm chuckle drifts along with the breeze, and I glance up to find Leif shaking his head. "How the hell did we get to this place, Elle?"

I lift my brows and say, "Promised to marry each other?"

"Yeah. Have you ever looked at Micah and Borin and felt sad you will never have a bond like theirs? Maybe you have a parah out there."

"No. I never had a reason to dwell on the bond when I knew who I would marry."

As kids, we bragged about our betrothal; we were marrying our best friend. I couldn't imagine a bond stronger than mine and Leif's, even one anointed by the Statera. Besides, who cared if I have a parah when I would spend every day with the person I liked most? It was a perfect match for two kids, but the complexities of adulthood have cast a dark cloud over what was once so simple.

Since we've come of age, neither of us has spoken in depth about our pending union, or the things we could miss out on. We've dabbled in relationships; Leif more than me. My handful of futile attempts were nothing more than experiments to calm raging hormones. Responsibility and my predestined future made it impossible to fully give myself to someone.

"Honestly, I spend more time wondering what we'll do if we're not compatible...physically," I say.

Leif runs his palm over the back of his neck, his hazel eyes darting to the horses. "We'll figure it out, and you know I would never stop you from finding that kind of happiness with someone else."

"Everyone is expecting us to create an heir...a new line to inherit the throne," I say, repeating the words I've heard from Borin countless times. Our child will be a new beginning—a ruler who will not know a world which judges Cyffreds and Khiros based on their gifts. For the first time in our history, all will be equal.

Leif shifts, propping himself up with an arm behind him while the other rest atop his knee. "We could..."

"Try?" My lips pull up on one side and I furrow my brows.

"It's the only way to know for sure. Maybe we're worrying about nothing."

This moment is long overdue, but it doesn't make the quaking of my legs any less as I move toward Leif. I stop between his bent knees and pull at the hem of my tunic before kneeling.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asks.

"Yes. Are you?" I curl my fingers around the back of his neck, hoping he doesn't feel them trembling.

"Yeah." He cups my cheek and runs a shaky thumb over my skin as he guides me closer.

The warmth of his breath blankets my mouth, and every muscle in my body tightens. Beads of sweat trail down the back of my neck as his lips brush over mine. I swallow against the queasy feeling in my stomach, and my eyes flutter shut. His mouth is soft, warm, and experienced in the art of kissing. I've never kissed someone who emanates such confidence in the movement of his lips. He glides his tongue over my bottom lip in a request for entrance, and I open to him, tasting him for the first time.

I feel nothing but the movements of our mouths.

Beating wings don't flutter in my stomach, and my skin doesn't rise in goosebumps. My toes don't curl, and my heart doesn't race. His skillful kiss evokes no desire within me; it's just a pleasant kiss.

I release his neck and we part.

"Nothing," we whisper at the same time.

Leif runs his fingers through his hair and blows out a puff of air, rattling his lips. I put some much-needed space between us and fetch my pants. As much as we love one another, we're not in love. It was a silly, romantic notion to think a kiss would change what we already knew. But we both hoped there could be something more; that our marriage wouldn't strictly be for the sake of duty.

"There are ways to get pregnant that won't require us to..."

"I know," I reply, wiggling into my tight leather pants. "It could be worse, right?"

Leif brushes the grass from his trousers. "Yeah."

I yank on my boots until the tops rest just under my knees. When I'm done tucking in my shirt, I find Leif standing in front of me. "I'll be a good husband to you, Elle. You'll always have your best friend and biggest ally by your side."

"I know."

He hunches down, bringing us eye to eye. "Always."

I fight the tears begging to trail down my cheeks. It's hard to deny the romantic daydreamer who lives within me. The girl who wanted someone to sweep her off her feet and get lost in the throes of passion. But if I must let her go, at least I'll have my best friend with me.

"Always," I say, throwing my arms around him.

I cling to Leif for several minutes, soaking in the sweet smell of his cologne and finding peace in the strength of his arms. This may not be the love I dreamed of, but it is powerful in its own way. I'll stand tall with him by my side. He will encourage and support me through the tough times to come, and I'll do the same for him. We may not be in love, but our love for each other runs deep.

My hold on him loosens, and Leif steps back. "Let's enlist you in the Lucent army and find a way to get your father back."

I nod and grasp Nortus' reins. "Thank you, Leif."

"Don't thank me yet; you still have to charm your way in with the most intimidating band of soldiers I've ever met."

I turn to him with wide eyes; I hadn't even considered what my father's soldiers would be like. They have always remained on the front lines of the war. Those who fight for our kingdom are a society of their own, battling for the ones left within the walls of Lucent. It stands to reason he would have chosen the best to fight under his direction. They would be strong and steadfast in their resolve, and apparently intimidating."

"Charm my way in?" I repeat.

"More like fight."

I swallow to wet my dry mouth. "Fight?"

Leif mounts his horse and cocks an eyebrow. "Come on, Raelle Mansi, you didn't think life was going to get easy now, did you?"

I thought a lot of complicated things would happen once I set off on this journey. I just never though proving myself as a true soldier would be one of them.