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understand that you are unable to be separated, not only because of your nature but because of ours.  When a Centaur finds his mate, only death separates them.  Two of our warriors will join you on the journey, Perseus has his reservations about the palace being a place of safety for you, and I don't disagree.  Whatever this wizard's threat is, Prince Aedan has a reputation of being a ruthless ruler and we consider it good advice to err on the side of caution when it comes to him, always.  Especially considering that your guards seem to think you will be his mate."
    "Have you met the prince?"  I fiddled with a gold braid.
    "Once.  We traveled to the palace to ask for assistance from the royal army to deal with the Vehsi.  He said he had no desire to waste his time with trivial matters of those below his station."
    I shuddered.  First the slavery in Dran and now this.  Just what the hell kind of man was Aedan?
    I'd grown up in a world where the king bear made the decisions for the den based on his experience and knowledge.  I was floundering, trusting strangers to look out for my welfare.  I would have given anything at that moment for a cell phone or a laptop, to seek advice from my family.  Since I had neither of those things, I went with my gut.  From my dreams, I knew that Perseus was meant to be mine.  A male wouldn't harm his mate, or lead her foolishly into danger.  The tentative feelings I had for him would grow into love in time, and although I only knew him for bare minutes, I felt like I'd known him for much, much longer because of the dreams.  No, Perseus wasn't a man to fear that he would lead me astray.  He was my mate and our future lay together with whoever the mysterious Leonemen was who was also meant to be mine.
    Cosmo left the bathroom and Elektra straightened my gown, touching my crown gently once more.  She gave me a light hug, pressing her cheek to mine.  "You are so lovely, Daeton.  A finer bride for my son I could not have hoped for.  I wish you much happiness."
    With a soft kiss to my cheek, she took my hand and we walked out of the bathroom together and then out of the house.  Perseus' brothers stood outside the home, wearing finely embroidered vests, their hair long to their shoulders with braids down each side.  Casper offered his arm to his mother and Abrax offered me his.  I placed the sole of my shoe on his upturned hoof as a step and he pulled me up easily until I was sitting sideways on his back.  He told me to place a hand on his shoulder to steady myself for the ride and that he would be walking slowly.
    It was a tradition for the family of the groom to escort the bride to her new husband, because in most situations, the bride's family was not present.  Because of the need for secrecy, any human females that came from my realm would say goodbye to their old life and remain in the Medes realm for the rest of their lives.  Because Medes was a supernatural realm, when mortal women joined with a Centaur they took on the long-life that the Centaurs and other supernatural beings had, through a blood sharing ceremony.  I was glad that Perseus would age as slowly as I did, one body year for every twelve years that passed.
    While Abrax moved slowly through the throng of Centaur homes, he told me that their herd had sixty-three adult Centaurs, but only twenty-seven were mated.  Because their kind only believed in truemates, they did not marry for love alone but waited for the dreams to lead them to their bride.  Neither he nor his brother had mate-dreams yet, but they were considered quite young, just entering their true age of 20.  I marveled to know that they were already more than twenty years older than me even though they didn't look like it.  Perseus was 20 plus 7.
    When I asked about children, Elektra said that there were only 8 children in the herd under the age of 18.  Only boys were born, which was why the Centaur men had to choose brides from other