After a light lunch, we returned to the throne room. Our suitors switched, and I was relieved to see Etan take Sitario’s spot.
“This shall be exciting.” He scooted back in the seat. “The best way to learn about your citizens is to listen to them. Ready?”
I nodded and turned to face the new round of complaints. To my surprise, it went smoothly. When someone came up, he listened attentively and then asked my opinion and stated his. Sometimes we bumped tails, but most of our decisions were made together.
A couple came forward. A portly man and a thin woman with long golden hair and light green skin. “My wife denies my affection,” the man whined. “It has been many weeks since I have felt the warmth of her body.” The woman looked like she would die of embarrassment. “How can she expect me to live without—"
“Ma'am,” Etan smoothly interrupted, “what say have you?” The ghost of a smile pulled on his lips.
“I would like a formal separation, Your Highness.” The wife raised her chin. “My husband is worthless.”
Oh, goddess. Was this what I was supposed to look forward to?
“I see.” Etan sat back and cupped his chin. “Sir, what do you have to say in your defense?”
“She does not like when I touch her, Your Highness. She claims that she feels uncomfortable with the way she looks.” He turned to look at her. “I don’t mind none of that.” He swooped in and kissed her neck. “She is perfect no matter how many barnacles attach themselves to her skin. I cannot let her go.”
“Well, my dear, what do you think?” Etan looked at me with a serious expression.
“I-I...” I looked away. I had no experience with relationships. What happened between a couple had never been explained to me. The furthest I’d gone was a stolen kiss between me and a prince I never spoke to again.
I had caught plenty of servants down dark halls, and many merladies spoke about their adventures when they thought I couldn’t hear. I couldn’t put myself in their tails, but I could speak from a place of insecurity. I used to struggle with the way I looked, especially when I compared myself to my eldest sisters.
“A broken marriage means the breaking of vows performed before the goddess. Before doing something so drastic, I believe you should try talking to each other.” I looked at the woman. “Your husband finds you beautiful, which is grand, but you have to love yourself before anyone can. I think you should take some time and work on your inner self so that you can see the beauty on the outside too.” I then looked at the husband. “And you should be patient with her while she finds herself.”
Etan stared at me with pride. A small, teasing smile slid onto his face.
“Mhmm.” An advisor cleared their throat.
“Very well. My princess has spoken.” Etan’s voice rang out. “Bring in the next.”
His princess?
“That was the last of the line, Your Highness.” The scribe bowed. “Your father asks that you join your sisters in the receiving room.”
“Very well. Sarai, you did an amazing job, and I put in my fair share of work. I believe I have earned a kiss.” Etan rose and stretched his arms.
“My company was your prize.” I smiled and dipped my head. “Have a good evening.”
He was bold for making such a request. He acted as if a few hours in his company would make me want him. What he didn’t realize was that he was right there on the list beside Sitario. He wasn’t crude, but sometimes when he thought I wasn’t watching, a strange look would creep into his eyes. I could tell the positive attitude he portrayed was an act.
I joined my sisters at our table where they were whispering.
Gia spoke first. “How did it go?”
“Boring,” I said stiffly.
“Which suitor did you resonate well with?” Akello placed her hand on mine.
“None.” I shook her off and grabbed a slice of sea cucumber.
“Brat,” Calethea huffed.
We didn’t say anything else. What was there to say? They knew I wasn’t interested in any of this. I wasn’t going to pretend I was happy just to be included.
When Grandmother arrived, she smiled down at us like one smiles at someone they had to tolerate. “We have picked the winners of the contest.” She turned to Calethea. “Your winner is Arowark. He showed outstanding leadership.”
She placed a small shell in the hands of a man with long, silver hair and steady green eyes. He bowed deeply.
“Princess Caressa.” She moved down the line. “You showed great drive beside Calathean. When needed, you opened your mind and pushed yourself to see from a different angle. Calathean, you win this round. You have the right to petition for the princess's hand.”
He straightened and pounded his fist against his chest, pride clear on his face. The other males in the room returned the gesture in congratulations.
Caressa looked as if she would float from her throne with happiness. He was the one who’d had her attention on the ride yesterday, and it was obvious she liked him.
Joy filled my heart. I was truly happy for my sister, even if I felt like wrapping my fingers around her throat at times.
“And last but certainly not least, Sitario, you showed great patience with the princess and allowed her to see her potential to lead. Congratulations.”
Hushed whispers filled the hall. I rose from my seat. Sitario? We argued the entire time. Our animosity toward each other was obvious, the tension thick enough to cut with a rusted blade.
My eyes met Etan’s, and a range of emotion crossed his face. Something wasn’t right here. Grandmother must have had a say in the selection. Her opinion must have swayed the others.
That conniving old hag! How could she? Grandmother had never been the loving type. She put duty before love, the kingdom before her family, but I never thought she would do me like this.
She was never a loving mermaid. She’d never liked Mother, and she tolerated and cared for us because she had to. She taught us because we had to be aware of the world around us, but I never thought she would treat me like this.
“Grandmother—”
“Not now, Sarai. I have to prepare for the dinner party tonight.” She dismissed me with a wave of her tail.
I hoped every single scale fell off.
“You cannot ignore greatness.” Sitario smiled from ear to ear. His blue eyes danced with satisfaction.
He had won this time, and my grandmother had a hand in it. What had he promised her? What did she have to gain? Was it really soldiers and gold, or was it something else?
Time was running out. I would have to confront Etan and ask him for help. If not, I would be stuck with Sitario and his archaic beliefs. I would be miserable for the rest of my life.
Chapter Seven
Sarai
The day after Grandmother’s announcement, I was up and waiting for Xiomara before the sun rose. “I found this locket in the garden. Do you think it could be cleaned?” I handed her the rusty moon.
“I’m sure it can, Princess. I can check with the jeweler if you would like.”
“Yes, please be careful with it.” I had grown attached to the thing. It brought me a sense of comfort when I held it.
She nodded and wrapped it in kelp. I watched with hesitation as she slid it into her bag. “I will guard it with my life.”
I knew she would. Xiomara had been very attentive and made sure her work was impeccable.
“What do you have planned for this day?” She brushed down the unruly edges of my hair and molded them into spirals against my forehead. “Your grandmother asked that I pick what you will wear to the final dinner. Maybe the locket will be ready by then.”
“Xio,” I turned to look at her, “we haven’t known each other long, but I feel like I can trust you.”
Her eyes hardened. “Are you in trouble? Have you been hurt?”
“No, no. It isn’t anything like that. I need you to find out if Sitario and Grandmother are planning something. She is pushing for me to
marry him, but he is a brute.”
Her eyes darkened. “I will do my best. I will ask the other servants and see if they have heard anything strange.”
Relief rushed through me. “Thank you.”
“There is no need for thanks, Princess. I have seen how he treats the servants. He demands that a different maiden come to his room every night. When they leave, the poor things are not the same. He breaks them and enjoys their pain. I would never want that for anyone, especially not you.”
∞∞∞
I decided to spend the morning and afternoon in bed. I didn’t want to risk bumping into either Grandmother or Sitario. The first made me nervous; the latter filled me with disgust. Both made me uncomfortable.
Instead, I spent my time thinking of ways I could confront Etan about his true identity. In a way, I understood his need for secrecy. If someone found out he had power like that, they would try to either control or dispose of him. They would see him as a weapon, the same way they saw me.
A soft tap echoed through the room. I rose from my bed and adjusted my twisted top. When I opened the door, I found a pretty servant with warm amber eyes holding a small wooden chest in her hands.
“What is this?” I took the box.
“The prince sent it as a courting gift,” she gushed. “He asked that you open it alone.”
“Did he now?” The whimsical box was both foreign and delightful. The wood was still polished without a hint of damage from the sea’s salt, which meant it had recently been brought down from the surface.
I admired the intricate carvings engraved on the lid. Small creatures I couldn’t recognize danced among tall slender pillars. A woman holding a vase stared up at a jagged-edged moon. Silver tears spilled from her pupilless eyes.
I ran my finger along the curves and froze when I spotted a small frizzy beast with four short legs and a tail. It was the beast from the garden, the one who had caught me spying.
“Thank you.” I quickly dismissed the servant and swam to my desk. “Etan. You are reckless,” I murmured.
He should have known better than to send something like this. If Grandmother or Father had intercepted it, they would have disqualified him, or worse.
As soon as I opened the chest, my hand flew to my mouth. Inside, on a soft blue pillow, was a golden comb with a matching mirror. The comb’s handle was expertly designed to resemble an octopus, its wide teeth shaped like tentacles. The mirror’s handle was shaped like a jellyfish with small crystals on its delicate tendrils. The two items were the most beautiful things I had ever been given by anyone.
My eyes pricked, and I found myself smiling like a child on her moonday. I picked up my gifts and went to my vanity.
It was as if the comb had been specially made for hair like mine. Its teeth were wide enough to allow my curls to slide through without breaking. The mirror’s surface was so clear I could see every brown freckle on my face. Even the chest was useful. It would be perfect for my jewels when I moved.
I stopped combing, picked up my mirror, and held it up to my face. Worried eyes stared back at me. Heavy bags weighed them down and made me look older than I was.
“I won’t go with Sitario,” I reaffirmed. “I will not be broken and hidden away from the world. I will leave the ocean before I leave with him.”
The handle grew warm, and silver eyes flashed on the surface. Pressure seemed to push down on my chest as if a great weight had settled on my ribs. I dropped the mirror and backed away from the vanity.
A cursed mirror? Etan wouldn’t have given me something that could hurt me, would he?
I made my way back to the vanity and mustered the bravery to pick it back up. There was nothing on its surface, not even my own reflection.
∞∞∞
Xiomara returned later that afternoon with lunch and news. “I sat near the servant ladies who tend to your grandmother today. They were all excited about some gown.”
“It must have been Caressa's.” Her wedding would be held here, where we could all witness the marriage. “Did they say anything interesting?”
“No, Princess. Well, actually—" She paused and looked at the ground. “It’s nothing.”
“What is it?” I grabbed her hands. “What did you hear?”
“They say Prince Etan has been venturing into the kelp forest. Some believe he visits the old maiden.”
“The sea hag?” She had to be the one helping him, but why? What was she getting in return?
She nodded. “I also heard the stable boy telling Chef that he heard singing coming from a sunken ship when he took a mare out for a swim this morning. He said it sounded like a man, but it was as lovely as a maiden.”
My mouth felt like it was filled with sand. Stupid man. Why would he go back to his own ship? “Maybe it was whale song.”
“Maybe. Boys have wild imaginations.” Her face contradicted her words.
“In any case, if anything is in the ship, it has no reason to bother us.” I smiled. “But I do enjoy a good ghost story.”
Her shoulders relaxed a bit. “So do I.” She chuckled. “Imagine a male with the ability of a siren!”
“That would be terrifying.” I smiled stiffly. “I have something I want you to look at.” I directed the topic to safer waters and led her to my vanity. “Look at my new gifts.”
She looked past the mirror and comb and studied the chest. “These are animals. I don’t know what the others are, but that one is a fox.” She pointed at the tailed creature.
“A fox?” I took a closer look. “Do walkers keep them as pets?”
“I don’t know, Princess. I have only seen painted images.”
“It is like they live in an entirely different world.” So many things I had never seen—that I would never see if I didn’t leave. “I can’t fathom the wonders that call the land home.”
Father was wrong. It wasn’t the lack of a soul that had me longing for a new world. It was the need for adventure, the thrill of seeing something new. How was I supposed to live my life in the sea while wondering about the oddities on land?
“Yes, the surface is a strange place,” she said uneasily. “And dangerous.”
“Why do you say that?” I frowned. I hoped she wasn’t going to try and persuade me to give the chest back.
She clasped her hands together. “History tells it. That is why the goddess separated the land and the sea and gave her children the ability to live in the water. It was to protect us.”
“I didn’t know that. Grandmother told us that the walkers once lived in the ocean. They rebelled against the gods and were banished from the sea, cursed to work beneath the sun for their short lives.”
“I have also heard that.” She nodded. “Oh, before I forget!” she exclaimed. “The necklace will be ready later this afternoon. The jeweler said he had the perfect chain for it.”
“I can’t wait.” I tried to smile and miserably failed. “Xio, I have a question.” Her shoulders tensed, and her eyes became guarded. “Have you ever been in love?”
She relaxed and let out a sigh. “Love? I have loved and have been loved.” She shook her head. “But I don’t believe that I have been in love.”
“How do you know?”
“I feel like I would know if I had felt something so strong—" She gasped.
I turned and looked in the direction she was staring. On my balcony, wearing a ripped and tattered gown, was a woman with long matted hair. Pieces of her skin were rotted as if nibbled on by bottom-feeders. Her ribs were gone, and where her heart should have been, there was nothing but a gaping cavity.
“Mo-Mother?” I tried to rise but Xiomara firmly held me in place.
“That is not the queen,” she hissed.
“Let me go,” I ordered. “Release me!”
Who did Xio believe herself to be? How could she stand there and do nothing? I had to help Mother. I had to find Father.
Her grip remained firm. “Return to where you came from. You have no business here.” He
r voice was the bass of a drum.
Mother’s gown fell into pieces. A piercing scream filled the room, and what remained of her body crumpled to the ground.
“Mother?” I pulled on my hair and fell to the ground. “What did you do?”
Xiomara went to the balcony and stood over the remains. “Kelp.” She bent down and dug through the pile. “And this.” She lifted a small silver ring from the weeds. “Someone is using dark magic. This was a xandi, a creature made by trapping a spirit.”
“Why would someone do something like this?” My stomach turned at the thought of someone using Mother to hurt me. I couldn't think of one person who was heartless enough to pull such a stunt.
“I don’t know, Princess.” She collected the kelp. “And I am sorry you had to witness that. It cannot harm you now.”
“How did you know what it was? How did you make it go away like that?” I stared at the weeds in her arms. She knew too much about magic and the surface to be a simple servant. “Who are you? And do not dare lie to me.”
She stared at me with weary eyes before taking a deep breath. “I come from a long line of passionate scholars. My family survives on information. We learn it, trade it, teach it, and sometimes we are asked to get rid of it.”
“That includes magic?”
Her jaw clenched. “Yes.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” I swam to her side and pulled on a piece of the kelp. “What brought you here? Did you come with one of the royal families?”
“I cannot disclose that information,” she said softly.
“So you are a spy.” I felt myself close off. She was another pawn in this tiring game. Someone else sent to watch over me and report every move I made or word I said. “Why do you watch me?”
“I was sent here to study someone, but it was not you, Princess.” She stared at me. “There is someone else who has drawn one of my patrons’ attention.”
Etan. It had to be him. I couldn’t be the only one who noticed the sea he claimed to rule didn’t exist. He had to know it would only be a matter of time before his lies crumbled around him.
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