Page 102 of To Fight and To Fold

Aaryn drew in a deep breath, Vaelen's eyes on her like a weight.

"I wish I could spare you the heartache that comes from something like this."

Aaryn shook her head. "No. I don't want to live in this limbo anymore. I don't want to guess. I just want to know the truth."

Vaelen waved a hand out. "Even if it directly challenges everything you know now?"

Aaryn sighed. "Thea has already been doing that since I met her."

Vaelen's lips twitched, and she turned away, hiding her smile by looking elsewhere. "Thea tends to do that."

Together they watched the dragon and his Awakened practice. Every time he went into the air, Aaryn's breath caught and she didn't release it until they were both safely on the ground once more. They observed in silence until Vaelen spoke again.

"There was another Tethered. Before you. Before Carissa."

"I know," Aaryn said simply. "And there was one before her, too." She cast her gaze on Vaelen. The first.

Who smiled, and glanced off to the side. "Ah, yes, pray tell, what does the prince say of me?"

Aaryn winced. "I don't think that's very important."

"Oh, come on. I'm curious." Vaelen nudged her elbow into Aaryn's side.

"It's not nice," Aaryn warned.

"I'd be disappointed if it was," Vaelen drawled.

"He didn't give me much detail, honestly. But he spoke with… if not disdain, then outright bitterness, anger."

Vaelen nodded, accepting, as if she'd expected it.

"He spoke as if you had changed Astrid for the worse. As if you'd done something to her."

Vaelen stiffened at the name—a minuscule tightening of her jaw.

Aaryn now knew it was Astrid who'd done it to herself, slashed through her brand in order to awaken her power with her dragon.

"Does the prince know what interrupting the brand does?" Aaryn wondered aloud. Would the prince really mourn something that was inhibiting his own sister? Disconnecting her from magic that inherently belonged to her?

"I think he must," Vaelen answered, "because he was there when mine was burned away." She wiggled her fingers. "An unfortunate accident that ended up showing me the light. But he would've learned eventually. I would think the king would share such information with the one who would inherit the throne, if only so it became a tighter-kept secret."

Aaryn let that information seep in. Once upon a time, Astrid would have been the one inheriting the throne.

Vaelen smiled wistfully. "I think if Astrid became queen, she would've learned about the brand. And I think she would've awakened the other Tethered."

Aaryn gasped at the possibility, the difference it would have made. Her eyes widened. "Was that the plan?"

Vaelen nodded. "Yes. Originally."

And instead…

"She left to be with you?" Aaryn guessed.

Vaelen blinked, and smiled. It was both longing, and full of guilt. "Yes. I tried to leave without telling her. She—the Tethered were offered much more freedom then, you see, and the circle hadn't been created yet." Vaelen waved a hand. "I'm getting caught up in the details. She found me. She learned the true purpose of the rune. And for a while we thought we could do it, await her turn on the throne, wait for real change. But somewhere along the way, something changed. She came for me, and we started this place together after she awakened her magic."

Aaryn wanted to press, wanted to know how they'd gotten here. With Astrid dead and Vaelen here, alone.

Her heart seized in empathy.