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Chapter 14
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2021-11-24 20:14:36
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One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 15
At first, I couldn’t move. Couldn’t respond. I’d spent the last few weeks, obsessing over this woman, driving myself mad with thoughts of her, wanting to please her, and honor her, and learn more about her, and just live my life for nothing but her. But now… Now I stared down at the stranger she still was, numb with shock. There was nothing. All that hopeless longing, the blind devotion, the unbreakable bond I’d felt for her… It was gone.Maybe I should’ve felt free.Except I didn’t.I wanted it back. I wanted to feel as if I belonged to my mate—my one true love—once again. I wanted her in my blood, in my soul, in the very air I breathed.Besides… I glanced toward the crib where the newborn was squalling again, filling its lungs with fear as it demanded to be returned to its mother.Had I cried like that when I’d been born and my mother lay dead a few feet away? I’d never gotten to know the woman who’d borne me; Vienne would not want the same fate for her child.Soren shoved past
Last Updated : 2021-11-24One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 16
“Caulder’s postponed our wedding.”“What?! Why? That’s insane. This is all just insane. I don’t understand why he’s making such a big deal out of this in the first place. People meet their one true love all the time in High Cliff, and no one treats it like some kingdom-wide conspiracy. Urban did nothing wrong!”Allera’s outraged voice from the other side of my chamber irritated my already-pounding headache until I had to gnash my teeth and press my fists to either side of my temples.“It’s because of who he mated himself to,” Brentley tried to explain, his tone more logical and soothing, yet it grated on my nerves as well.Damn. Could they not discuss me in another room?Besides, what was there to discuss? My sister’s outrage was frankly perplexing. She’d begged and pleaded and demanded I keep my bond to Vienne secret because she feared no one would understand. Now, here we were, and no one understood, yet she was shocked and appalled by their reactions as if she’d never thought t
Last Updated : 2021-11-24One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 17
Waking up had never felt so strange before.I swear, my mind had been blanketed with cotton and every sense was working desperately to make its way through the thick fluffy layer. Voices sounded muffled, thoughts felt muffled, even the lights behind my closed eyelids seemed dimmer than usual.But then I heard the cry, the sweet yearning wail of a hungry infant—my infant—and reality slammed back into me with a vengeance.My baby.My baby needed me.I woke wholly, eyes springing open and senses zinging back to full working order with a ferociousness that made me wince, for what had been muffled before, suddenly seemed doubled in intensity. The light from a nearby burning hearth made me wince from how brightly it flamed, and the voices of at least four people hovering around me made my ears want to bleed for peace. A searing pain in my abdomen caused me to gnash my teeth, not to mention, it smelled right foul in here, like blood and human remains.Through it all, the crying child is
Last Updated : 2021-11-24One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 18
The king and I glanced toward the doorway where Nicolette hovered, looking meek for the first time in her life, her eyes huge with worry.Her brother waved her into the room. “Nicolette,” he greeted. “What news have you?”“Vienne woke up again and was lucid enough to talk this time,” Nicolette said, glancing my way when I stepped forward to hear what she had to say. “She sends a message.”Caulder scowled at me with a short frown, then he turned back to his sister and nodded. “And what does she say?”“She had no idea Urban’s mark had chosen her,” Nicolette reported. “At first, she flat-out denied the possibility, insisting she couldn’t be his one true love, and then she was just confused. She said he hadn’t spoken to her once since he and Allera arrived at the castle. And she doesn’t believe he should be punished for simply helping her.” Glancing at me, she smiled slightly. “She said to thank you for what you did.”I opened my mouth to ask how she was, but the king lifted his hand,
Last Updated : 2021-11-24One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 19
My first week of motherhood was frankly a blur. When I wasn’t nursing or changing nappies, I was sleeping, healing, and experiencing the strangest dreams.The two healers who’d been present through the birthing process kept me barely lucid with medicines they constantly poured down my throat. And every other word out of their mouths related to how much of a miracle I was. I shouldn’t have survived what I had. It wasn’t natural, wasn’t anything they’d ever seen or dealt with before. I think they expected me to drop dead again at any given moment.They even had a wet nurse brought in to take over the care of my child. But I wouldn’t let anyone else near her. She was mine. My little Anniston Rose.She was the most precious thing I’d ever experienced. I couldn’t stop stroking her cheek whenever she nursed...or slept...or cooed out her contentment with the world. She was what I considered to be the miracle.I almost wept that first day when my milk didn’t immediately come, and then it f
Last Updated : 2021-11-24One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 20
The strange dreams I’d started having came nightly now.At first, they were simply flashes of scenes, places I’d never been, doing things I’d never done. I stood at a cliff top once, staring out at a violent sea, though instead of being unnerved by the ferocious view, the sight of white-frothed waves crashing against the rocky surf below calmed me. In the dream, it felt as if I were home.Then I was fishing, hollering with delight when I jerked my wriggling catch from the water. I wielded a sword in other dreams. Sometimes, it was just for fun, training, I guess. Other times, the fight was real. My adrenaline would race as I slew an enemy only to turn and save one of my men from being run through. It was all so very perplexing. I’d never even seen a war, much less been in one. And I doubted I’d know how to properly hold a sword if anyone had the insanity to hand me a blade.There were people too—complete strangers—I encountered in these dreams. One was a strict, old king, or at leas
Last Updated : 2021-11-24One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 21
The wedding proceeded without a hitch, two kingdoms became allies, and the royal celebration began afterward in the dining hall.Anniston fell asleep in my arms, so I reluctantly let a maid take her up to her room. Except once she was gone, I felt empty without her. What was worse, Nicolette abandoned me when Soren’s older children appeared, begging her to play with them. Soren stood across the room, hovering around Caulder as a cluster of council members circled them, and Yasmin held her own court with a group of dignified ladies. Meanwhile, Brentley led his new bride around the room, showing her off to whoever seemed willing to accept an introduction, while his new brother-in-law remained a step behind them, like a silent, overprotective bodyguard.I started having those thoughts again, those thoughts about how lonely he looked in a crowded room, but this time, I empathized. Everyone I was comfortable with and usually talked to was busy; the same went for him. If I didn’t think it
Last Updated : 2021-11-24One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 22
But I didn’t sleep well that night. And it was all a certain irritating prince’s fault.Why had he needed to be so nice and understanding? And why had he wanted to stay bound to me? Honestly. His behavior had helped absolutely nothing.He should’ve felt betrayed because I’d asked his sister to have him keep his distance after he’d saved my life. He should’ve been hurt that I hadn’t thanked him in person before tonight for all he’d done. He should’ve been livid that my entire family had treated him like dirt and then beaten him for his actions. He should’ve wanted freedom from me.Yet his first thought was that I not be scared of him, and his last words were meant to reassure me that no matter how awful I treated him, he’d continue to be faithful and devoted.What man did that?It’d done nothing but make me like him and start to feel all soft and tender toward him, which caused the entire situation to grow even more complicated.Because as soon as I checked on Anniston and then la
Last Updated : 2021-11-24
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One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance About the Author
Writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact.Lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a library assistant. Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor...or Hulk (can't decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny. Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with romance reading.Published since 2010. W
One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Behind the Book
Oh, what an adventure learning cartography for a fantasy world was.At first, I just knew I wanted the land in my world to be formed in the basic shape of a semicolon to honor those semicolon tattoos that mean the bearer is a survivor of self-harm/anxiety/depression or things of that sort. This was kind of my symbolism for pushing through, not giving up, and valuing perseverance.Aside from that, I had no clue what to do. So I just started googling fantasy maps and how to make them. I somehow stumbled my way upon freefantasymaps.com where there were these mapmaking competition entries. I fell in love with the style of this one map entry I saw there, called The Land of Mórthyr, created by Warren Godone-Maresca. But yeah…when I tried to emulate his technique, let’s just say it didn’t work out so well. But I fiddled around with one version for four hours before thinking I’d just settle for that, even though I wasn’t completely satisfied with it.The dissatisfaction followed me, and bug
One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Thank You
Much love to my family!! Poor Kurt, Lydia, Sadie, and even Holly the cat have to suffer through every time I go off into my writing mode and I’m not mentally present, even when I’m right there. Thanks for being my foundation and still loving me for who I am.And to the rest of my family: Even though we lost our glue—our matriarch—I love you guys more than I did before, and I feel closer to you than ever. Whenever I get to missing Mom, I just have to see one of you, and there she is. You keep her memory alive.Thanks to the family members who always read the first, roughest drafts of my stories. This time, I believe it was Alaina, Shi, Kayla, Jamie, and maybe even Morgan. Your initial responses are the most important to me! Big hugs.Then there is always Amanda, who is my go-to beta reader. I swear, her feedback is almost as long as the story itself, and I love, love, LOVE that. I enjoy seeing the story from her point of view; it helps me fix and polish more than anything else. Her h
One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Epilogue
The castle’s chapel was full again.But this time, the marriage was not for my sister or even for an arranged union. This time, it was for me. And I was finally being united with my one true love in holy matrimony.The good king Brentley had pardoned Vienne from her spousal mourning period of a year since her first husband had turned out to be a traitor to the throne. So, we decided to have the ceremony as soon as we had the kingdom put to rights again.Which had taken too fucking long, if you wanted my opinion.Honestly.Far Shore hadn’t readily agreed to believe that Soren had been the sole culprit behind their raised clear rock tariffs. They were still bent out of shape over the fact that Donnelly had chosen High Cliff for an alliance, not them. And they were particularly enraged when their only prince, Murdock, ended up dead. They wanted to make us hurt. Badly.So, after receiving word that they’d sent out another round of troops to fight us for annihilating their first wave
One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 43
Dawn was approaching, and the sun had nearly crested over the horizon, when I finished for the night and started for my room. As I neared it, however, I felt Vienne’s presence grow stronger with every step I took, causing a smile of realization to spread across my face.As soon as I opened the door, I saw the lump on my bed under the covers where she lay.I immediately started toward her but a whimper from the corner of the room waylaid me. I turned to blink in surprise, not realizing a crib had been stationed there until the baby inside it started to stir. Shaking my head, I smiled before changing my course to check on the babe.Anniston had kicked off her blanket and lay on her back windmilling her legs with a speed that made me chuckle, while she gurgled, blowing bubbles from her mouth.“Well, hello there.” I picked her up, grinning softly. “It’s nice to see you in such good spirits. Happy to be home again with your mother, I presume?” Then I nodded and shifted her up against my
One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 42
“Who the hell are you?” Allera asked as Vienne’s grandfather stepped into the dining hall, hobbling toward us with his wooden staff in hand.“Wren Mandalay?” Brentley breathed in astonished wonder, gaping at him. Then he shook his head slowly. “I thought you died ages go. How long have you been alive?”Mandalay sent him a quizzical glance. “Since birth, I’d imagine.”Flushing as he realized how ridiculous his question had been, Brentley shook his head and revised, “I mean, why did no one know you were still around?”“Probably because I didn’t wish it to be known.” Mandalay finally reached us, slightly out of breath. “I only came tonight because I heard we’d been invaded and that the king had fallen.” He glanced toward the banquet table and sighed sadly. “My condolences.”“Can you bring him back, sir?” Nicolette asked, moving to her dead brother’s side so she could touch Caulder’s leg mournfully.“What’s that?” Mandalay wheezed out a cough before he shook his head. “Oh, dear child
One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 41
I hurried forward to check on Urban, but Yasmin tsked and pointed at me, freezing me into place.“Oh, no,” she said. “We can’t have you bringing him back to life again. That’s becoming all too tiresome from you two.”Meanwhile, Allera knelt before her brother so she could cup his face in her hands. “Breathe, Urban, breathe.”Behind her, Brentley drew his sword. “Yasmin, stop this. Let Vienne and Urban go, now!”“Or what? You’ll stop me?” Rolling her eyes, Yasmin pointed at him and snapped her fingers. A crack of splintering cartilage followed. Then Brentley’s head tipped drunkenly to the side, his neck broken, before he collapsed to the floor, dead.Allera gasped, abandoning her choking brother to leap to her husband and try to catch him as he fell, gentling his landing.“No!” she sobbed. “No, no, no. Brentley...”Yasmin pointed at her next, immobilizing her in place, just as she had me, making Allera’s body freeze in an awkward position, hunched over Brentley. If she’d been lef
One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 40
Soren jerked his arms from around my weeping sister as soon as my accusative gaze landed on him.“What the hell?” he said, scowling at me, his body tensing and already bracing for a fight.Which was actually pretty smart, as Urban pounced, striding forward and demanding, “Let me see your sword.”Soren gaped at him, lurching backward. “Absolutely not. Why would you—hey!”Urban grasped the hilt of Soren’s sword where it hung from his waist and yanked it free from its scabbard. My husband haughtily shoved him back, but Urban didn’t seem to notice; he was too busy examining the blade.Nicolette covered her mouth in horror, her muffled words shrieking, “Oh God. It’s covered in blood.”Soren sent her a dry scowl. “That’s because I killed at least a dozen Far Shore soldiers .”“And one of them must’ve been wearing the same tunic as Caulder,” Urban announced. “Even though none of them wore tunics. A piece of cloth got caught on your hilt.” Gritting his teeth, Urban tugged at a ragged bl
One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance Chapter 39
“Well, while the boys are outside having all the fun and we’re trapped in here during the battle, is there at least some safe room we can go to?” Allera asked, pacing the Blue Chambers impatiently.“Whatever for?” Yasmin asked with a laugh. “Don’t you have any faith in your darling brother to keep us safe?”“He’s not the one I’m worried about,” Allera muttered under her breath. Then she spun to me, revealing all her vexation as she begged, “Vienne?”I sighed, readjusted the sleeping Anniston in my arms—whom I couldn’t seem to part with after she’d been returned to me—and said, “We could always go down to the wine—”But Yasmin sharply bit out, “No! We have no reason to hide. The men have everything well in hand, I’m sure. Besides, I hate the wine cellar. It’s so dank and cold down there. I wish to stay up here where I can see what’s happening.”“If you want to actually see the battle,” Allera bit out irritably, “then why aren’t we up in the East Salon, watching through all that nif
