“I thought I would find you here,” Kapian said, walking out of the water.

“I sent a message,” Orion grunted, refocusing his attention on the rope he was weaving.

“You said ‘I won’t be back for a few days. Don’t worry and don’t come. Tell the boys to behave until I get back.’ That is hardly a message. It is very cryptic,” Kapian dryly stated.

Orion glanced up again with a frown. “What have they done now?”

“Who? Oh, the boys? Nothing. Well, almost nothing. Juno has been driving Kelia crazy with questions about the baby, like what color his baby sister’s room should be and whether she should stay in his and Dolph’s room so they can protect her better. Other than that, they have been surprisingly mellow for a change,” Kapian replied.

Orion grunted again when Kapian sat down beside him. It would appear his anti-social behavior was not going to drive off his friend. Glancing over his shoulder, Orion hoped that Jenny was aware that they were no longer alone. The last few days had been blissful—and relatively clothes-free.

He had pulled on a pair of trousers earlier so he could take care of Sea Fire and harvest more food. He’d been heading back when he felt Kapian’s approach and decided it would be best to wait for his friend. A deep sigh escaped him. It would appear life and responsibilities were about to intrude on their ‘honeymoon’ as she called their time alone.

“If the boys have not destroyed the kingdom, disappeared, or created some other type of havoc, what could possibly be so dire that you couldn’t wait a few more days?” Orion asked.

Kapian chuckled before he grew serious. “The Queen of the Isle of Magic wishes to speak with you—in person,” he said.

Orion frowned. “I can meet with her at the palace on the surface,” he said, rising to his feet.

Kapian shook his head. “She has asked that you journey to Magic. She says it is imperative that she remain on the isle,” he said.

“What is going on? First the Elementals disappear, then the Queen of Magic wishes for me to present myself to her. I have not seen either in almost a decade. I have enough on my hands with my own kingdom!” Orion retorted, standing.

Kapian looked back at him with a grim expression. “I fear it has to do with your cousin,” he admitted with a grimace of distaste.

“Magna. My father should have struck her dead instead of just banishing her. It would have prevented the continuing misery that she unleashes!” Orion bit out in frustration.

Kapian nodded in agreement. Staring out at the ocean, Orion couldn’t help but think of his cousin. The three of them had spent many a day—and night—on this beach dreaming of their plans for the future and plotting ways to change Orion’s. The last time they’d been here was the night he and Magna had seen the meteorite flashing through the night. They had raced out to retrieve it.

Orion didn’t remember much of that night. Something had spooked his sea dragon, and he had struck his head. It wasn’t long after that night that he’d noticed a change in Magna and an end to the friendship that had been created out of love, laughter, and dreams.

“We will return within the hour. Prepare to leave later this afternoon,” Orion stated.

“I’ll ready the members of the elite guard,” Kapian said, walking back toward the water.

Orion nodded. “Kapian….”

Kapian turned. “Yes, my friend?”

“I want you to know the shower idea was a good one,” Orion replied with a wry grin.

Kapian groaned and shook his head. “Now I will have an image of you stuck in my head that I never wanted to see,” he groaned.

Orion’s laughter followed Kapian as he dove back into the water and swam over to where his stag was playing with Sea Fire. Orion didn’t move until he knew Kapian was gone. With a sigh, he turned back toward the hut. It looked like the honeymoon was over.

* * *

“Listen carefully to what Kelia tells you and don’t give her any trouble. Promise?” Jenny asked.

“We promise. When you come back, will you please bring our sister with you?” Juno asked.

Jenny resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Juno was one of the most single-minded, persistent little boys she had ever met—and she had met a lot of them! When he’d heard that they had returned, he had come running out with a yell of excitement. He had swept past his dad’s open arms and straight to her.

“So, do you have her? Is she still in your stomach?” he had asked, pressing his ear against her. “I don’t hear anything.”

Jenny choked back her laughter even as everyone around them chuckled and started ribbing Orion. Juno had been heartbroken when Jenny carefully explained that even if she had a baby sister in the oven, it would take months before the baby would be ready to visit. That would have been fine except for Juno’s precious response when he turned his determined gaze to his father.

“You need to keep father busy if it is going to take months to make her,” Juno informed her.

Jenny didn’t correct Juno’s misunderstanding of how his baby sister would be made. Instead, she leaned forward, pressed a kiss to Juno’s cheek, and told him she would do her very best to make sure that she kept his dad busy. She had to admit, the idea was beginning to grow on her—especially the part about keeping Orion busy. She glanced up at Orion to see how he was handling her conversation with Juno. The heated look in his eyes made her think of other things that turned her cheeks a nice rosy shade of red.

* * *

They had been on their journey for nearly two hours before Orion reined in Sea Fire to swim near Jenny who was riding her new sea dragon, Sea Star. She hadn’t minded. Orion and Kapian were discussing a wide range of issues, most of which she didn’t understand. Before long, one of the guards named York had struck up a conversation with her, answering the questions she had about her sea dragon, the Isle of Magic, and how long it would take.

“York,” Orion nodded, dismissing the guard with a curt nod of his head.

“Your Majesty,” York politely replied, reining his sea stag in behind them a fair distance to give them privacy.

“Ouch,” she said in a quiet voice.

Orion turned his head to look at her with a frown. “You are hurt?” he asked.

Jenny shook her head. “No, but I think York is feeling the effects of the freezer burn you just gave him,” she reflected.

Orion turned to face forward. Jenny could see the muscle twitching in his jaw. Reining Sea Star closer, she reached out and touched Orion’s arm.

“What is it?” she asked.

She could feel the muscles tense before they relaxed under her concerned touch. It was obvious that there was a history between the two men, but she couldn’t fathom what it could be to have upset Orion so badly. Every time she had seen the guard at the palace, he had been very polite and attentive.

“York was Shamill’s personal guard,” Orion stated in a tight voice.

“Oh,” Jenny replied, unsure of what else to say.

“It would appear he was very personal,” Orion added.

“Oh! I… Kelia said that Shamill died after Juno was born,” Jenny said.

“Kapian and I had been out at sea when we felt a minor earthquake. Concerned, we hurriedly returned to the Isle of the Sea Serpent. There had been some minor damage to the older buildings, but nothing serious—or so I thought. York approached me to tell me that Shamill had been injured. She had been in poor health off and on throughout her pregnancy with Juno. That and her fear of heights made it highly unlikely that she would have been walking along the upper paths near the cliffs. Shamill was deathly afraid of heights to the point where she would not even climb the stairs to the second floor,” he told her.

“Oh my god, she didn’t fall off the cliff did she?” Jenny asked in horror.

Orion shook his head. “No, part of the wall along the path collapsed. Her injuries thrust her into early labor. The injuries, her already weakened health, and giving birth to Juno were too much. She died shortly after the birth,” he shared.

“How did you know…? Are you sure they were, you know, friendly?” she asked.

Orion glanced at her and nodded. “Shamill was on her way to see York. I found copies of letters among Shamill’s belongings. She was trying to find a way to break off their affair. It would appear her love for her children outweighed her love for him,” he bitterly retorted.

“I can’t imagine loving someone and finding out they had betrayed me like that. It is especially difficult if there is no closure for understanding why,” she said.

“I didn’t love her, nor she me. At least not the way I love you. We were friends. Our marriage was arranged by our parents out of fear of what Magna might do next,” he admitted.

“An arranged marriage? Okay, I’m putting my foot down, here and now, so that we are on the same page—our kids get to make their own choices. If they screw up, that is up to them to live and learn,” she said with a wave of her hand.

Orion chuckled and nodded. “I think I have done the live and learn lesson. Our children will make their own choices,” he agreed.

“You bet your ass they will,” she giggled when he grabbed her hand and pulled her off of Sea Star and onto his lap.

There were some serious advantages to living under the water, she thought as he bent his head to kiss her.