The Exiled Princess

In Sickness & Health

Raiden had heard of mates before, from his mother before her passing. She had told him that he would feel the mating bond snap into place as soon as he accepted his wolf. He still refused to do so, preferring to see the wolf inside him as a tool rather than an extension of himself.

And yet he began to wonder, as he finally halted the horses and gathered Astrid into his arms, calling for a healer amidst the torrential rainstorm. There was no reason for him to care, nothing to keep him from taking the Seal and moving forward. She was destined to die; there had never been an individual who survived the infection without transforming into a Fiend.

But Raiden was going to try anyway. He knew that the moment he looked down at her pale, unconscious face. If he was being honest, there was a part of him that had known the moment he laid eyes on her, whether he was willing to admit it or not.

An elderly woman stepped out of her home and waved him over. "This town isn't safe!" she yelled over the storm. "The Fiends attacked Greyfair and we're all moving out once the storm clears."

"Please!" Raiden called. "She's hurt."

The woman hesitated, then sighed and opened her door wider, motioning for him to come inside. "My boy will stable your horses in the yard," she said as he stepped inside. The house was small, barely able to hold a small family. "You can take the girl down the hall, to the main bedroom. I'll take a look at her."

Raiden nodded and obeyed, laying Astrid's shaking body on the bed and gently wrapping the blankets around her. "She was attacked by a Fiend," he said softly as the woman stepped inside the room, her sharp gray eyes studying Astrid's face.

The woman's face darkened. "I can't stop the infection," she said. "She'll die or transform. There's nothing I can do."

Raiden hesitated, then said, "I have an idea that might help." At her raised eyebrow, he slowly continued. "I'm a Shadow Guard, immune to the infection. Is there a way that you can...link us somehow?"

The woman studied him somberly, taking in his torn clothing and ragged cloak. "I can try," she said at last. "But that Seal around her neck...we'll need to take that off of her, or it will retaliate against my magic, regardless of any good intentions I might have."

Raiden nodded and reached out to Astrid. All Shadow Guard could thankfully handle the magical crystals without burning up, but he wouldn't be able to use it. It flashed with a small thread of violet light before dulling and lying lifeless in his palm. "What do you need me to do?" he asked, placing the Seal inside his satchel.

The woman handed him a small bone knife and knelt beside the bed, brushing the hair from Astrid's face. "Cut your left palm," she said quietly.

He obeyed without hesitation, running the blade along his hand in one quick motion. The woman took the bloodied hand and studied it for a moment, then narrowed her eyes. "You're Fiendish," she said.

Raiden stared at her. His blood looked just like a human's, not black or green like any Fiends he'd come across. There shouldn't be any way for her to tell. "I'm a werewolf," he said evenly, tensing for her reaction.

"Hm," she said. "Alright, right palm then."

He blinked. "What?"

"Right palm," she repeated patiently. "Fiends and werewolves have different anatomy than humans. Your heart is slightly to the right. We need the heartline."

Slightly confused by her unusual reaction, Raiden obeyed once more, cutting a thin line down his right hand. This time, the woman didn't hesitate. She took the bone knife and sliced Astrid's left palm. She motioned for Raiden to grab the hand with his right.

The moment he did so, the woman began to whisper a prayer. "Lady Shiara," she said. "Lend me thine strength." A soft golden light shimmered to life in the woman's palms and she placed both over Raiden's hand. "In sickness and health, bind these individuals so that they might continue bringing good to the world. Let one heart beat for both."

The golden light flared, twisting around Astrid's left arm and Raiden's right. He immediately felt a warmth spread through his body. Resisting the urge to pull away, he instead focused on Astrid's bloodless face. The light was beginning to make his eyes water, but he refused to look away.

Astrid's breathing slowed, evening out, and Raiden let a rare smile cross his face. The light faded.

The woman leaned back on her heels, breathing heavily. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, but she deftly bandaged the wounds before standing. She motioned for Raiden to follow her. "Let the girl rest," she said. "We need to talk."