I could feel her eyes on me as I swam away.
“You are excused from afternoon lessons to prepare for the ball,” Kayvar said at the end of Foreign History class. I stopped mid-stroke, confused. Until Annaruth swept in and took my arm.
“I heard you were up late last night,” she teased. I stared at her, aghast. Had Dane told her we were up all night kissing?
“Oh, relax. I plucked it from his mind by accident. You do need your rest, though.” She gave me a dark look, escorting me firmly toward the Royal wing. Dane was swimming in the same direction, not far behind. “You need to be on your guard, especially tonight.”
I grumbled but allowed myself to be shuffled off for a nap.
“I’ll be back in a few hours to collect you,” she singsonged before shooing Dane out of the open doorway. “You need your beauty rest too, Your Highness.”
The door closed and locked with a heavy thud. The ball. I dreaded the thought of letting Mers fawn over me, all the while knowing any of them might be planning to hurt the Prince. The thrill of fancy clothes and delicious food had quickly faded in the face of treason.
But I hadn’t missed that little wave Annaruth had done as she left. I knew she had cast a sleeping spell. I floated onto my bed and sank into sleep.
Chapter 17
“Put this on.”
I stared at the dress in Annaruth’s hands. It was a frothy pink concoction with a fitted bodice, fluttery sleeves, and light as air ruffles that fell to the floor.
It was fit for a Princess, fancier than any other gown I’d worn yet.
Beautiful. Youthful.
But. So. Not. Me.
“It’s so . . . pink.”
“Is it? Look again.”
I tilted my head and saw that the colors were opalescent, shifting in the light to a pale yellow, green, and blue. But yes, mostly pink.
“Nonthreatening, isn’t it? Plus” —she leaned in conspiratorially— “I spelled it with protection and luck.”
I cocked a brow at her, then took the dress out of her hand.
“Thank you, Annaruth,” I said with a sigh, slipping the gown over my head. It fell all the way to my fins and beyond, making me look almost, but not quite, Royal.
And that was only because I had wild red curls and no crown.
It was also a bit more . . . low cut than I’d initially thought.
I stared in the mirror then back over my shoulder at Annaruth floating behind me.
“It’s . . . more revealing than I realized.”
“A hint of flesh . . . or is it an illusion?”
“Yes, hmm, well . . .”
“You look lovely. And I’m sure Dane won’t mind,” she added teasingly.
I groaned and covered my face with my hands.
“He should stay away from me for his own good. But he won’t,” I moaned.
“No, he won’t,” she agreed. “Now sit down so I can do your face and hair.”
She pretty much just waved her hands over me and I was transformed. She actually did apply some actual lip stain and kohl as well. Not much makeup, but it made a difference. A little darkness around my eyes and a glossy pink lip that she assured me would not have to be reapplied until morning. I looked . . . almost sultry, I realized in alarm.
What will she do with the Fisherman’s nest on my head? I wondered with a sigh. In a few minutes, my hair was piled high on my head with loose curls and tendrils that looked as if they had ‘accidentally’ escaped to hang just so in a way that framed my face.
“This is far too flirtatious-looking. Everyone will think—”
“That you are the Prince’s pretty little plaything. Harmless. Not a threat.”
I stared at her.
“What does Dane have to say about that?”
“The Prince agrees with me that it is the safest course of action for you. Other than dropping out of the Academy, of course.”
“Which I will never do.”
She looked at me with a hint of sadness. For a moment, I thought she might . . . pity me. But she just patted my hand and the moment was gone.
“Which you will never do.”
She smiled at me brightly and offered me her arm. Her gown was even more resplendent than mine. Her hair was piled even higher, with emeralds and pearls woven through it. I glanced back and saw that her train was at least one Mer length longer than mine. I felt slightly better about that as we made our way to the ballroom.
That is, until we swam in and people turned to look at us. Everyone in the chamber was a Nobel, foreign dignitary, servant, or a Royal. And they were all staring at us.
One Royal person in particular.
Dane looked more than taken with me. He was openly staring in a way that made him look . . . smitten. Besotted, even.
I told myself it was part of the act. I was to act like an eager and somewhat vapid girl and he was to act like a man obsessed with his latest plaything. He ignored all the protocols, swimming right for me. He stared at me as he came close.
“Katriana.”
I was panicking as he offered me his arm. He was overdoing it. This was too much.
“May I have this dance?”
I swam into his arms as the first song of the evening started. I focused on the dance, hopefully appearing less terrified than I was and doing my best to observe the guests as they observed, well, me.
I glanced up and saw that the Prince was staring at me with utter devotion and fascination, as if I were an unusual but valuable specimen.
“You are laying it on a little thick, aren’t you?”
“What?” he asked distractedly, like he was jerking himself out of a trance.
“This whole ’lovesick Royal’ thing.”
“Thing?”
“The act? Annaruth’s plan to make us seem less threatening. And more . . .”
“Ridiculous. Right,” he said, but it was clear that he hadn’t been thinking about the plan at all. At that moment, I knew I was in trouble.
Dane wasn’t acting. He was that besotted. I knew he liked me, maybe even loved me a little, but I’d never imagined the depth of it.
“You’re staring again.”
“Sorry,” he said with a wide smile. But he didn’t look away. “I wish we were back in the stables right now,” he whispered, making me blush.
“How romantic,” I said dryly to cover how embarrassed I was. “Do you say that to all the Mers?”
“You know I don’t,” he said, ignoring my joke. I risked a look at his face and had trouble tearing my eyes away. I was probably the stiffest Mer on the dance floor as the song finally wound to a close.
“Hungry?” Dane took my hand without waiting for an answer and led me toward the buffet. My eyes were wide as I stared hungrily at the spread. The food at these events was almost as good as Batte’s cooking. And a bit more opulent.
Actually, I was pretty sure she’d had a hand in the food for the party. She was the head Royal Chef, after all. And if that was the case, no way was I letting a little case of nerves stop me from eating my fill.
I reached for a seaweed roll full of lobster meat and glanced back at him.
“Is it safe?”
He nodded.
“Everything has been tested. The ballroom has extra enchantments as well. Plus, I don’t think anyone is willing to poison an entire roomful of Mers to get to us,” he said with a grin.
I was happily munching on my second lobster roll when I felt someone take my elbow.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
I turned to see Prince Waverly waiting at my shoulder. He was floating awfully close. I flapped my fins, subtly sending myself back toward Dane.
“These events are so stuffy,” he complained, looking like a spoiled and pampered Mer in his pale blue suit. I looked at Dane and back at Waverly. Both handsome, both Royal, but Dane was a lot more rugged. He risked his life for his kingdom in the Trials. Just like he was risking it now.
“Prince Pollux,
” he said, bowing slightly. “Katriana Spark.”
“Waverly,” Dane said with a suspicious tone. “How are your studies?”
“Boring, like everything else. Well, nearly everything else,” he added, his eyes sliding over me in a way that reminded me of sea slime. “I was hoping for a dance.”
Dane opened his mouth, and I knew, I knew he was about to cause a scene that would not help our cause. I swam between them with a titter, putting my hand on Waverly’s arm.
“I’d love to,” I said, looking over my shoulder at Dane and trying to communicate with my eyes to be as cool as arctic water.
“Ooh, a fast one,” I said, clapping my hands together as we took our places in the middle of the dance floor.
Waverly frowned.
“I was hoping for a slower one,” he grumbled. I ignored him completely, doing my best not to look awkward as I moved through the choreographed dance number. There were a number of traditional dances I’d had to learn as well as some newer variations, like this one.
I was . . . not a good dancer. But I was okay at faking it. I was mentally counting steps as I tried to smile, hoping that whatever Annaruth had done to pretty me up would mask the stupid face I was making.
The dance seemed to go on forever, but I was ready when it ended. I bowed to Waverly and then dashed off, hoping to find a corner to hide in. Hopefully near the buffet.
The area near the food was crowded, I noticed with a frown. If I swam over there, I would be forced to talk to people, I realized with a shudder. Thankfully, a servant passed by with some sort of seaweed salad on crackers, another two-legger invention I’d come to appreciate. I grabbed four.
“Why did you dance with him?”
Triton, Dane had found me. I forgot what a fast swimmer he was sometimes. I turned to look at him, refusing to feel bad for averting disaster. Besides, I was the one who’d had to dance with the cretin!
“We want people to think I’m angling for advancement, don’t we?” I asked, frowning right back at him. “A smart Mer would have a backup Royal. Besides, you were about to start a fight. If Mers saw you fighting, they would know you were more of a danger than you appear.”
“A backup . . .” he stared at me with wide, absurdly beautiful eyes. Then he bent over, making a strange sound. And another. And another. For a moment, I was afraid he was choking.
“Are you okay? Did we miss a piece of that blade?”
I reached for him, ready to scream for help. I gripped his shoulder as he straightened up. Then I let go, scowling at him.
Dane was laughing his tail off.
“Oh, Tri, you really are one of a kind,” he said as his laughter finally faded.
“I thought you were choking!”
I glared at him, crossing my arms. He mumbled a halfhearted apology. I threw my hands up and went in search of food. Mers were driving me mad tonight! At least my stomach could be satisfied, if nothing else good came of the ball.
I skirted the room, trying not to attract any more attention. Instead, I swam right into a curtain covering the bank of windows.
And through it.
There was another room back here.
I closed my eyes and made myself invisible as I fell forward into a . . . library of sorts.
There were only males in here, I realized. It was a good thing they couldn’t see me. With my pink dress and red hair, I would have looked completely out of place in this masculine room. There were scrolls lining one wall and a fireplace with a massive map of the Seas above it, as well as a private buffet and bar. I eyed it hungrily but decided it was too risky.
Floating crab-stuffed pastry puffs that disappeared into thin air would be sure to attract attention.
Triton, I hope they are serving them in the main ballroom, I wished fervently. I swam into a corner, hoping I might overhear something useful. The General was in here, along with some Royals I vaguely recognized and some pale blue Mers that I assumed were from the north.
“Tri?” A soft voice whispered. I glanced over and realized Dane had also used transformation to make himself invisible. I said ‘shh,’ as softly as I could. I felt him brush against me and let him take my hand.
“I don’t see why he won’t be agreeable. If we can pry him away from his pretty friend,” the delegate from Gundorth said.
“Don’t be fooled by her appearance. She’s dangerous,” the General said flatly. I felt a quick burst of pride at his words, even though he clearly didn’t like me. “She won the Trials, even against far superior fighters.”
“That vapid little girl? How?”
“Speed. Her father was the fastest Messenger our kind has ever seen. And she has the sort of instinctual intelligence you only see in animals.”
Animals? How rude!
“She looks like such a fluffy little thing.”
The General made a rude noise. I had to agree with him there. I was not, nor would I ever be, fluffy.
“So we get rid of her,” the stranger said. “How hard can that be?”
“She’s hard to kill. I’ve seen Mers try. She has friends in high places, which doesn’t help.”
“So, we let him keep her for his amusement. I will make sure our Princess understands, so long as he is discreet.”
I gasped quietly, realizing they were not trying to overthrow the government so much as arrange a marriage. And what they suggested . . . that I be Dane’s . . . mistress, or something like that . . . gross!
I’d heard enough. I let go of Dane’s hand and swam silently to the curtain, slipping through it sideways. I made myself visible only when I was far from the secret room, swimming behind a wall of living, woven seaweed.
I emerged, seeing a tray of the pastries not far away. But I didn’t chase them down like I usually did.
For the first time in my life, my appetite was gone.
I sulked around, avoiding talking to anyone, just wondering if it was too early for me to disappear and go visit my shark. Even if he was sleeping, he’d be better company than this batch of Mers!
“The Queen would like to speak to you,” a servant said by my elbow, making me blink. I’d barely even noticed her come up beside me. “Please come this way, Spark.”
Triton, how did they find me so fast?
I swam slowly toward the raised dais where the throne was situated. I saw that the Prince had beaten me to it and was sitting on the smaller throne by his mother’s side. He was staring at me with an intense look on his face. I looked away, still reeling from what I’d heard.
I knew he would want to talk about it. But I just . . . couldn’t.
The truth was, I just wanted to be left alone. The Prince could marry whoever he wanted to marry. I would be on land, anyway, trying to stop the two-leggers from destroying our world.
I was not going to be anyone’s ‘amusement’!
“Your Highness,” I said softly, folding my body in a curtsy. My tail slid to the side as I tugged at the skirt of my dress.
“Rise, child. Tell me, how are you enjoying the ball?”
“It’s lovely, Your Highness.”
She looked at me, then at her son. She sighed.
“I should let you young people get your rest. You may leave when you wish.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
She nodded, and I swam backward before turning away. Annaruth gestured me over and created a bubble around us with a quick wave of her hand.
She handed me a glass of Champagne.
“Drink. You are giving off some very . . . interesting vibrations.”
I gulped down the fizzy alcoholic drink, not giving a jellyfish’s stingers about decorum. The bubble protected us from being heard, not from being seen. I did not care anymore who saw me swilling two-legger drinks.
“The plan is working.”
“The plan sucks, and I hate it.”
Annaruth looked at me, her eyes going wide with alarm.
“What in water happened?”
“I heard your Gene
ral plotting with the delegate from Gundorth.”
“And?”
“They want Dane to marry their Princess.”
“Oh, dear.”
“They were debating whether it was better to kill me or to allow the Prince to . . . keep me on the side.”
“Oh, my sweet girl, you must know he would never do that.”
“Why shouldn’t he marry a Princess? He’s the Prince. I have a different path.”
“But he’s in love with you.”
I was silent. I had no answer to that. I was too busy trying to erect an ice wall around my heart. I was tired of being hurt. I was tired of everything.
“You can’t blame him for this. They are power hungry old Mers. They don’t understand your purity of heart. Or Dane’s.”
I sighed, closing my eyes.
“I don’t blame him. Not exactly. But I wish things could go back to the way they were.”
“When you were an unloved orphan forced to work in your stepmother’s mansion?”
“Yes. Sometimes, I wish I could go back that far.”
“All right, my dear. It’s definitely time for you to go to bed.”
I nodded wearily and let Annaruth lead me back through the castle to the private Royal wing. I didn’t even wonder what my doppelganger was up to.
She gave me a potion and put me to bed.
“This will help you sleep until your heart is healed.”
“My heart.”
“It’s broken, isn’t it?”
“How did you know?” I asked as I sipped the liquid. It swirled in my mouth, giving my limbs a deliciously heavy feeling. If Annaruth answered, I didn’t hear her.
I didn’t wake up for two days.
Chapter 18
“You missed so much! We learned about the weird rituals they enact in Asbezouth. Did you know they used to deliberately drown two-leggers? Like, as a sport? Though now they just reenact it as part of celebrations,” Starla singsonged, practically dancing around me in her excitement.
I nodded, looking around nervously. I’d narrowly avoided my wraith as I swam toward my first class of the day. Students were milling and talking after breakfast, which I’d skipped.
I was hungry and I’d still skipped breakfast. Ravenous, really. After all, I’d slept for two days.
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