You’re not like your grandfather. Not one bit. Arianna pressed so hard into the parchment that it nearly tore.
Michael placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed, leaving Arianna momentarily short of breath once again. “Thank you,” he said, staring out at the waves. But he wore no smile this time. “If there is one thing in this world that I refuse to be, it’s my grandfather.”
What else did he do?
“Well, aside from making deals with pirates, my grandfather was determined to fight a war that no one could win. Five years after it had begun, he took a ride on his horse one day. He left because he was annoyed that Master Russo told him that the Destinians were refusing to lend him more money. I only know this because he asked me to accompany him. I think that was the first day he realized what a hole he had dug us into. Our people had nothing to eat, our trade had vanished, and now those who had lent us money wanted it back.”
This troubled Arianna. I thought King Everard was neutral.
“He was. He only sent money to help purchase food for the people. But when he found out that his aid to the merpeople was also stolen by my grandfather, he cut off all funds.” Michael sighed. “Really, King Everard was the least of our worries. The Tumenians were the ones my grandfather really got involved with. The day after our ride, they sent word that they expected payment, and soon. My grandfather simply climbed into bed and swallowed an entire bottle of foxglove nectar.”
Michael shrugged and turned his hazel eyes on Arianna. “I swore on that day that I would never let my heart lead my head. My grandfather chased pleasure and personal delight until it killed him. It was more comfortable to die of poison than to face the mess he’d created.”
Is that why you don’t want to marry? Arianna regretted the words as soon as she’d written them, but she could tell from the change in his expression that he had already seen. Her face burned as she hurried to scratch them out, but Michael placed his hand firmly on hers, making it impossible to hold the quill. Then he tipped her chin up to look at her eyes.
“Believe me, it’s not the wife I object to,” he said softly. He dropped his hand and turned to look up at the Sun Palace, its blue windows gleaming in the setting sun. “My mother insists I marry a woman with a title. And saddling a woman and her kingdom with this shipwreck wouldn’t be fair. Not until I’ve been able to make my kingdom worth something again.”
I would ask nothing of you, Arianna wanted to write, but she didn’t. Instead, she kept her quill off the paper, and instead wondered when she had truly fallen in love with the prince. All of her girlish fantasies were being lived out right now. Except she still had no voice, and the prince wasn’t looking for a wife. But he was suddenly looking at her with the gentlest expression she’d ever seen.
“Of course,” he gave her a crooked smile, “from the way things are looking now, it will be years before that happens.” He traced the bottom of her lip with his thumb, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you think any woman will still have me when I’m turning gray?”
While she was still lost in his eyes, a shriek sounded from farther up the shore. Michael was on his feet in an instant, with Arianna right behind him.
The girls. Where were the girls? Every possibility of death and pain filled Arianna’s imagination and threatened to drive her mad until they crested one of the sand dunes and found the girls alive and huddling together.
“Lucy! Claire!” Michael half-ran, half-slid down the dune and grabbed both girls by an arm, turning them toward him. “I told you to stay near!”
But Arianna didn’t hear anything else that he said. She was too busy staring at the tide pool the girls had been looking into. Instead of the little circles of anemones, urchins, and sea stars that always inhabited the pools at low tide, the whole pool was filled with dying fish and other sea creatures. There was even a full-grown male seal. And every single one had been touched by the Sorthileige.
Arianna turned back to Michael, who was still scolding the girls, and shook his shoulder. He glanced at the water once, then turned to stare at it with wide eyes. Arianna made a few frantic motions, but Michael just shook his head as he continued staring at the creatures. They all had black eyes and black veins that bulged out from their scales and skin. Nearly beside herself, Arianna whipped the parchment out and wrote on it so fast her writing was almost illegible.
Did the girls touch? If they had, she had no idea as to what she would do.
“Did either of you touch anything?” Michael gripped the girls’ arms more tightly, but this time, his face was taut and his words desperate.
Lucy and Claire just shook their heads, tears still falling down their faces. Michael drew them closer. “You’re absolutely sure?”
They nodded and began to sob. Michael pulled them into his chest and held them there as he looked up at the sky and thanked the Maker. Still clutching the girls, he finally turned to Arianna. “What does it mean?” he asked.
My people have retreated to Gemmaqua, where my grandfather lives. Without our Protectors to guard the Deeps, the creatures must be moving in and out unhindered. That’s why your fishermen are stuck fishing in the bay. Only now I fear it’s getting worse.
“How do we stop it?”
We don’t. Not without my people.
The words weighed heavy on Arianna’s heart as they left the deathly tide pool behind and began the walk back to the palace. As they did, Arianna racked her memory for some way, any way to contact her family. Surely someone would come eventually. Then they wouldn’t be able to ignore her cry for help. Her grandfather couldn’t be so hardhearted as to refuse peace with the new prince. Not when he saw what a different king Michael would be.
To her surprise, Arianna found that her excitement was beginning to build even as Michael accompanied the girls back to their room. Perhaps she couldn’t sing. But she could write.
“I’m afraid Lucas and I will be leaving tomorrow for a few days. We have some business with the Tumenians that I’m anxious to see finished,” Michael said, pulling her aside in the hall after the girls were in their room. “But don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. And after that,” he surprised her by grabbing her hand and spinning her in a circle, “we’re going to celebrate what you’ve done for this kingdom.” He let go of her hand and bowed. “With a dance.”
Arianna clapped her hands. After such a day, she should have been devastated that he was leaving her with Drina. But having seen the tide pools, she knew she couldn’t leave the ocean unattended any longer. She might look like a human, but deep down, she was still a mermaid, and guarding the ocean was her duty. And now Arianna had an idea, and a few days alone was just enough time to perfect it.
26
Stirrings
“If I may have your attention.” Michael stood and held his goblet in the air. Everyone around the table hushed, even Lucas.
Michael wore an outfit Arianna had never seen before, a uniform identical to Lucas’s, with the exception of the gold braid trim winding around the black buttons, as opposed to Lucas’s silver trim. The coats were the same shade of green as the ocean on a stormy day, so dark it was nearly blue. The color brought out the green in Michael’s hazel eyes, and though Arianna had seen the uniform on Lucas several times and had found it quite fetching, there was something about seeing it on Michael that made her breath leave her. But then again, she wondered, could it be the light in his eyes that was so alluring? Or that he had cut his hair closer, like many of Lucas’s military men? Or perhaps the way he was smiling?
“Tonight should have been a night of mourning,” Michael said, breaking her trance. “A week ago, I was contacted by the king of Tumen, who informed me that under no circumstances was he going to allow any further delay of the payment of our debts. If all had gone as it should have, I would not be wearing this uniform tonight.” With that, he fixed his eyes on Arianna.
Was it possible for a mermaid to melt? Because Arianna was sure she just might.
“When ou
r newest family member found out about our predicament, however, she did something that, had I known about it, I certainly would have forbidden her from attempting.”
Arianna glanced around at the faces surrounding her, her cheeks suddenly burning.
“Many of you have asked me where the bag of pearls came from. I’m telling you now that Arianna took it upon herself to venture out into the ocean,” Michael continued.
A few people gasped, and even Queen Drina’s jaw dropped. She turned to peer at Arianna, who dropped her eyes to the floor, not entirely convinced the queen wouldn’t burst of indignation.
“She nearly died bringing us these.” Michael held up a sack, slightly smaller than the one Arianna had filled. Setting it on the table where it landed with a gentle clunk, he allowed several pearls to roll out. The others gasped again, and Cook held up his spectacles to examine the cherry-sized pearls. Arianna smiled a little in spite of herself. With no one to faithfully tend the pearl farms in five years, the oysters had grown far larger than they were ever allowed under proper circumstances.
“Due to the merpeople withdrawal, the pearls fetched a price more than ten times their usual worth. I was able to pay back the Tumenian king with less than a third of the pearls, including the interest he suddenly decided to charge us. We will be hearing no more from them.”
Arianna nearly missed it, the flex of his jaw and the way his eyes tightened just slightly, despite the smile on his face. But then his eyes returned to her.
“So I give this toast in honor of you, Arianna,” he said in a voice that was suddenly tender, holding his goblet in her direction. “Our kingdom will never be able to repay you for your bravery or your goodness. But we hope that somehow,” his voice dropped even lower, “we can find a way to make you happy.”
Their little party burst into applause and shouts as their goblets clinked. Then the room exploded into loud, cheerful conversation as Arianna tried to shake the blush and the ridiculous grin from her face as Michael left his seat and walked over to her.
“Do you like the dress?”
Arianna had to laugh. His expression was much like that of a hopeful puppy. She nodded quickly and put her goblet down to stand and spin a few times before him. No matter how many times she spun, she couldn’t get over how the many layers of pink flared out when she moved. The gown itself looked a bit like a flower, with petals that draped delicately down her waist and off her hips. A thin layer of the gauzy material was draped all the way around the top of the gown, revealing just the tops of her shoulders and her collarbones. She looked back up from the exquisite gown to see Michael studying the dress as well, though his gaze took a bit longer to reach her eyes again.
“I was informed by the merchant that this is the latest style in Ashland, and that Queen Isabelle from Destin has one just like it, with jewels sewn into the back instead of buttons.” He shook his head and took another sip of wine. “Not that I have any idea as to what that means, but,” he cleared his throat twice, “you certainly look fine in it. I mean, it looks fine on you. Or rather—”
“I think you had better eat a little and thin that wine out, son.” Queen Drina swept up to Michael’s shoulder and gave him an indulgent look. “I would like to have a word with our Arianna here myself.”
Arianna felt her stomach drop, and Michael fixed his mother with a suspicious frown, but Drina just shook her head. “I swear I only mean to apologize.”
Arianna was convinced that Drina was the one who’d imbibed too much wine. And by the expression on Michael’s face, he seemed to be thinking the same thing. Still, when his mother gave him another contrite nod, he glanced at Arianna. Reluctantly, she nodded as well. There was little Drina could do to her in this public setting, so close to her sons.
Arianna hoped.
“Truly,” Drina said as Michael walked away, “I know that I have been . . . less than fair to you since you arrived. But you must understand,” the queen continued in a sudden rush, “after my husband, father, and daughter died before and during the war, I couldn’t bear to look at you.”
You also have two granddaughters who aren’t mermaids, and they get about as much of your attention as I do, Arianna thought, but she let the woman continue.
“I know it will not make up for the way I’ve treated you, but,” she finally met Arianna’s gaze, her brown eyes glittering strangely in the light of the summer sunset as it filtered through the glass walls, “I hope that perhaps we may . . . start again.”
Drina was drunk. She had to be to make an apology like that. And yet, Arianna found herself smiling shyly and curtseying to the older woman. Did she really mean it? Arianna found herself greatly wishing she did.
Supper continued in a more lively tone. As the meal went on, few actually stayed seated, but began to mingle, carrying their dishes with them. Jokes were cracked, stories of Michael and Lucas as boys were shared, and the food was more plentiful and varied than any Arianna had tasted since coming to the palace. Instead of the thin chowder and bland bread she had grown accustomed to, there were bowls of fresh fruit, brown sugar bread, dried papaya strips, two kinds of cheese, sardines, thin crackers, and date cakes, which made the girls squeal. Arianna had just heaped a thick spread of cheese atop a sardine and cracker when she found Lucas suddenly at her side.
“Sardines, huh?” He took a swig from his goblet and eyed her with a wicked gleam in his eye. “Isn’t that kind of dark? I mean, aren’t you half—”
Arianna elbowed him and glanced around to see that no one had heard.
He only laughed though, almost giddy like a boy as he leaned closer. “Don’t worry about that. Everyone knows. I mean, not everyone knows, but everyone has their suspicions. And you know what? No one cares.”
Arianna stared at him, not sure whether or not she should set him straight that her people were in fact, not related to fish in the least bit, or whether she should be shocked that the others were so close to the truth. Of course, Master Russo had hinted before that they knew she wasn’t native to them. But . . . was it possible that they could know her true origins and still love her?
“In all seriousness though,” Lucas’s face was suddenly somber, “I truly cannot thank you enough for what you did for my brother and for all of us.”
Arianna felt the blush rise to her cheeks again and shrugged as she studied her goblet.
“I mean it,” Lucas continued, his brow furrowing. “It wasn’t just the kingdom that you saved. Michael was going to die.”
Arianna froze, but Lucas continued.
“Much to my shame, the old sailor, the one that assaulted you, wasn’t silent after all. It seems that a tradesman from the south heard him going on about a mermaid before we were able to get him into the dungeon. The tradesman then took the old man’s word to the Tumenian king, who immediately demanded that you be included in the kingdom’s payment as well.”
Arianna stared at him in horror, unable to move.
“Fool that my brother is, he agreed to hand his throne over to fulfill our grandfather’s agreement. But he had fully resolved to fight the king to the death before he handed you over. He was furious. You were never part of the agreement. But the king insisted on having the mermaid.”
Arianna looked down at her legs, incredulous. But I’m not a mermaid anymore, she wanted to protest.
Lucas dropped his voice further and leaned over to whisper in Arianna’s ear. “You have no idea what a mermaid is worth in this world we live in. Even one who seems to be dormant. Just the whisper of one will send kings scrambling to their treasuries.” He leaned back, but his face did not lose its solemnity. “The war took my father, my sister, and her husband. I know I complain about him and like to poke fun, but we can’t lose Michael. I can’t lose him. So . . . thank you.”
In that moment, Arianna finally saw Lucas for who he really was. Past the square jaw covered in stubble, the brawny arms and ever-flirtatious smile, there was a young boy who adored his big brother. Her chest constricted as
she gave him a sad smile. She knew exactly how that felt.
Even more importantly, however, she had glimpsed a glorious, weighty truth. Before she had planned to risk her life bringing him the pearls, Michael had already chosen to risk his life for her.
“Stop hogging the girl and go find your own.” Without waiting for Lucas to even look up, Michael shoved his brother out of the way and grabbed Arianna by the waist. “It may not be a proper ball, but the least I can do is ask you to dance.” He leaned in to breathe in her ear, “You’re too pretty not to be dancing tonight.”
Arianna’s arms and legs suddenly felt like they were made of jellyfish. But she grinned and nodded and let him lead her out to the same balcony where she had watched him dance with the beautiful girl so many years before.
“Master Russo,” he called over her shoulder, “would you do us the honor?”
Arianna looked back to see Master Russo lift a strange object to his lips and take a deep breath. The music it produced was shrill and strange, but not at all unpleasant. Michael took her hand in one of his own, and wrapped his other arm firmly around her waist. Slowly, he began to turn them in circles, whispering what she should do with her feet as they moved in time to the music. And though she wasn’t at all as graceful as the young girl at the ball had been, Arianna couldn’t remember a time when she had ever been so happy.
Even in the ocean.
It wasn’t long before the others were dancing, too. Bithiah and Rolf, Mario and Noemi, and Lucas and Lucy twirled around them. Laughter rang in the air, and even Queen Drina smiled once before heading back inside the palace.
After a few quick, light-hearted songs, Master Russo switched to one that was slow and melancholy. Cook’s daughter, Nan, joined in, plucking some kind of stringed instrument in harmony.
Silent Mermaid: A Retelling of The Little Mermaid (The Classical Kingdoms Collection Book 5) Page 17