Once seated inside, Bae felt suddenly bereft. Saying goodbye to him was getting harder. She desperately wanted to pull him into the carriage and take him with her but she knew that she couldn't. The knowledge that this would be their last goodbye was little consolidation.

There was an order to everything, and the time had not yet come for her to claim her Nunman mate.

The small group within the first carriage were waiting impatiently. Armel and Caspet were both aware of the ...