"We couldn't complete the bond."
Zarek's voice cut through the throne room like a blade.
Maelina froze. Aldric looked up instantly.
"What?" Maelina asked. "What do you mean… couldn't?"
Zarek stood near the windows, his back to them. His shoulders were tense, his posture wrong.
He didn't look like the beast king told in stories to scare children to sleep. He looked… shaken.
"I mean exactly that," Zarek said. "We tried."
Aldric frowned. "Tried how?"
Zarek turned suddenly, his eyes were still red from yesterday. "We tried to mate."
Maelina stared at him. "That makes no sense. You're sure she was ready?"
"She was," Zarek snapped. Then he dragged a hand through his hair and turned away again. "At least… she said she was."
He started pacing. As he passed one of the wall torches, the flame blinked out, then flared back to life.
Maelina noticed. "Your Majesty…"
Another torch went dark. Then another. Fire continued to react to him without command.
