“Are you aware of current circumstances?” I asked him as he rounded the large desk of his study and took a seat.
“I am aware that my daughter has returned with two prisoners. Both heirs to their Houses, allies, and in doing so has undoubtedly started a chain reaction of events that will lead to the deadliest war the Borealis Kingdom has seen in centuries,” he answered calmly, but his chest rumbled in irritation.
“Oskar Halvorsen conspired with Valen Ardens to take Percy from me. The Viridis mutt was nothing more than a useful fool that Oskar used to meet his needs. Valen has contacted me and demanded I agree to marry him in return for Percy’s safety. I have agreed.” I told him.
He looked at me as though I was a stranger. His brows knitted together and his frown deepened.
“Am I to understand that you would willingly start a war and marry yourself off to our enemy, all for this pet of yours?” He asked after a long silence.
“Yes,” I answered. I knew then there was nothing I would not do for Percy.
“Why?” He questioned, running his hand over his face and sighing in defeat.
“Start a war, burn the Kingdom to the ground, even forfeit my life; I would do anything to protect her, and I would do anything to get her back.” I paused to gauge his reaction but could not read his expression. “She is my soul match. A bond has formed,” I confessed. I felt lighter with my confession, my admittance. Undoubtedly there was a bond. Without a complete bond, I would not feel so very perilously unbalanced without her.
“Selene,” he said, suddenly looking older, his shoulders lifted with the weight of his heavy sigh, “A soul match and you said nothing?” he asked.
“At first, I wanted nothing to do with her. A half-witch from the outskirt communities, my soul match? I thought it was fate making a mockery of me. Then, Mother was murdered. I told myself that I was only concerned with my safety, that it would be better for me to keep my soul match close. Yet, I think a part of me wanted to find her - to meet her,” I explained. I regretted not having gone to her sooner. I regretted my stubbornness, my grandiosity, that meant I wasted almost a year that I could have had Percy with me. I regretted that my mother would never meet my little pet. She would have loved her.
My father sighed again, slumping in his chair. “My daughter, why do you keep so much to yourself, even from me? Did you tell your mother?” he asked.
“No, I told no one. All that know, apart from yourself, have made blood oaths of secrecy,” I answered.
“Blood oaths.” He laughed. “Your own guard?”
I nodded.
“A soul match,” he spoke lowly. “Halvorsen betrayed Viridis?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“We need to inform Viridis immediately of the situation. Lord Halkias will speak with the prisoners, starting with the boy from Viridis. His masterful spin and diplomacy will, at the very least, delay House Viridis and House Halvorsen from joining together against us. At best, they will destroy each other.” I smiled as my father began to plan a course of action. I had felt paralysed and unable to find a way forward myself.
“Thank you,” I told him.
“Do not thank me,” he instructed. “You have left me with no choice but to clean up your mess, Selene. If you had come to me sooner and told me of your soul match when you became aware, we could have handled the situation.”
“If you had agreed with me when I argued before the council to destroy House Ardens, Valen would never have had the opportunity to take Percy. I would never have had to lower myself to courting a Halvorsen,” I snapped back. The accusation that Percy’s current position was my own doing sparked a knee-jerk defensive response from me. It didn’t help that I agreed with my father. I could think of a thousand different courses of action, that if I had taken, Percy would still be safely by my side.
“That may be,” he agreed mournfully.
“What of Percy?” I asked. Dealing with House Viridis and Halvorsen were my lowest priority.
“You have agreed to Valen’s terms. For the time being, you will continue to do so. Do not provoke him. He must believe himself a master tactician. Valen will assume that our greatest concern will be preventing or preparing for war with the southern Houses. Halkias will see to it that any military action necessary is postponed for as long as possible. We will first locate your soul match. Then General Creel will devise how to extract her safely. Once your soul match is under Borealis control, the stain of House Ardens will be wiped from the map of my kingdom.”
“Percy was last being kept in the main castle keep of House Vouna. I do not know if she has been moved,” I told him.
“How do you know?” he asked me.
“Percy has a Syngeneia friend, a half-witch like herself. Using my blood, she tracked Percy through the night. I will have her sent for so that she can continue to monitor Percy’s location,” I explained.
“Very well, you and the Syngeneia witch will meet with General Creel when she arrives. Selene, I am also informed that you have recently been socialising with Lady Heidi Coactus. A powerful alliance. I am pleased that you have begun to connect with the heirs of the noble Houses,” he said.
My father’s praise was rare and yet I could not accept it. I had made no conscious effort to build relationships for the benefit of Borealis. My recent friendship with Heidi - helping to interrogate a prisoner certainly promoted her from an acquaintance - was a direct result of Percy.
“Thank you, Father. However, my new friendship is due to Percy,” I told him.
“‘Witches attract witches, where there is one soon a coven forms’,” he replied with an old saying.