“They aren’t doing a great job if they let you in,” Evan mumbled.
“They’re doing a fine job. But they’re also afraid of bringing down the wrath of my father. Using Arturo’s name gets me where I need to go.”
Evan scoffed. “They wouldn’t move for me, their future Queen, but they’ll step aside because you’ll tell your father if they don’t?”
Adra said, “He isn’t known for his kindness. Besides, we both know I would have gotten in regardless. I’m very charming, and several of the guards are already fond of me.”
Evan raised her eyebrows in surprise, but Adra didn’t continue. Instead, she stepped into the closet and looked around. Her chiffon skirt ruffled against the dresses sticking out from the racks. She tilted her head and looked at Evan, her brows knit together in disapproval.
“Why aren’t you ready? We’re leaving soon.”
Evan shrugged. “After last night, I didn’t think I’d be going.”
“Because some little Siren boy went for a run through the castle?” Adra scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Nothing can deter your mother’s plans for you to marry Prince Calix.”
Adra tapped her foot. “Are you going to take off the robe so I can help you or not?”
Evan dropped her robe, revealing her barely-there nightgown. Adra’s brows raised and her mouth quirked up as she mumbled, “Well, well, well.”
Evan felt heat rising through her body. “It’s the first thing I grabbed.”
“Don’t be sensitive, cousin. I simply wasn’t aware you owned anything so revealing.”
Evan moved her arms to cover herself, but Adra swatted them away. “Don’t be silly. You look amazing. You’ve been hiding a woman’s body under those frilly dresses of yours. You should show it off more.”
Adra handed Evan a dress while she went to work on her suitcase. Evan didn’t pay attention to what Adra chose; it was all for a man she had no interest in. Her dresses hardly mattered.
Evan’s thoughts settled on Calix and she said, “I’ve already told her I will not marry him.”
“Of course you will marry him,” Adra said, her tone matter-of-fact. “Who else could you marry that would be as good a match?”
“We don’t like each other.”
“I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
Evan looked at her in disbelief. “I’d like to be able to talk to my husband, if I should so desire.”
“Why? There will be plenty of people for you to talk to without bothering Calix. But I’m not sure that should really be a concern. I’ve spoken with him many times and find him quite affable.”
Evan looked at her cousin with unmasked revulsion. “Adra, have you forgotten the way he tormented the servants when we were children? Or the nasty little things he would whisper when the adults weren’t around? He was horrible to both of us.”
“We were kids, Evan. He’s had years to change.”
“Poseidon’s beard,” Evan cursed. “You sound just like my mother.”
“The queen is wise, cousin. Prince Calix is a smart match.”
“If you like him so much, why don’t you marry him?”
“I would, if I were you.”
Evan felt her jaw drop at the admission. Adra was known to be friendly with some of the noblemen, more than friendly with a couple of the noblewomen, but she’d never before spoken of an interest in marriage. “If you like him, just get his attention at the ball.”
“Do you really believe this ball is for the rest of us?” Adra asked, her clipped words ringing with a bitterness Evan wasn’t expecting. “You will end this week betrothed to Prince Calix. Your families decided it long before now.”
Evan shook her head. “Not all royal marriages are arranged. Mother said father chose her himself.”
“Your mother was on the shortlist, along with four other eligible noblewomen. Your father chose her, but only after his parents gave him the list to choose from.”
“That can’t be right. Mother said there were many women there.”
“I’m sure it was a massive affair,” Adra said. “Just as the Protean Ball will be. But only five women were suitable for the future king and your mother was one.”
“How do you know this?”
“Father told me. They gave him the same list as your father and told him to choose from those your father dismissed. He chose my mother because she was the one your father liked least. He thought if his brother changed his mind about Astraea, he would still have three other women to choose before he got to my mother.”
Evan winced. “That’s an awful way to choose a mate.”
Adra shrugged and said, “It’s practical though.”
“Why can’t we choose for love?”
Adra looked at her as if she’d just sprouted a second head. “Are you daft? We’d lose the line to Poseidon if we did that. You know that”
Evan sighed. “We’re all descended from Poseidon. What does it matter if you’re from a pure line or one a little harder to trace? His blood runs through us all.”
“You really would marry some poor Mer with no wealth or connections, as long as you could talk to him,” Adra said as she rolled her eyes. “Thank the gods your life is already arranged and you can’t throw it away for nothing.”
“Even if the story about my parents is true, there is no reason to believe they do every Thrice Day that way. Eventually people would get upset about being forced to marry people they didn’t like.”
Adra shrugged. She moved to Evan’s vanity and chose a perfume, lifting the bottle to her nose. She winced and put it down as she said, “Believe what you want, but you’re the one for Prince Calix.”
“There are dozens of noblewomen between our kingdom and the Proteans who would love to be his wife, and Mother said the Glaucans are desperate for a match because their line is fading. He could choose any of them.”
Adra pulled a necklace of blue akoya pearls from Evan’s jewelry box as she shook her head. “You’re a smart girl, cousin. How are you so oblivious to the things right in front of you?”
There was a knock on the door, followed by a young guard sticking his head around the corner. Evan heard someone yelling behind him, and he ducked back out, closing the door behind him. Almost immediately there was another knock. Evan walked to the door and opened it to see the young guard with blood-red cheeks, standing next to Declan.
“Princess,” Declan said, “I apologize for Edric’s impropriety. He has been with the guard for several years, but is new to the castle and its customs. With the events of last night, I was certain he would do better.”
Declan nudged the boy, who took a step forward and stared at his feet. “My apologies, Princess.”
“It’s fine, truly,” she replied.
Declan jerked his head towards the door and Edric bolted through as fast as he could. Evan laughed, making Declan’s face sour even more.
She smiled at him and said, “Declan, you scared that poor boy half to death.”
Declan grunted a response as he walked inside and surveyed the room. He nodded towards Adra when they caught eyes, but said nothing.
“I saw you added more guards since last night,” Evan said.
Declan pursed his lips. “It seemed appropriate.”
“It should have been done long before last night,” Adra said, her tone cool.
“Adra, please,” Evan replied. “There’s never been a need for it before last night.”
Declan shook his head. “She’s right, Princess. We’ve become lax. It’s been so long since we were under attack that most of our guard has grown up and trained in peace. Even the older guards are rusty.”
“One rogue Siren shouldn’t send us into a frenzy,” Evan said.
Declan frowned. “We aren’t sure what to expect at this point. We don’t know if he works for someone or is acting alone.”
“What do you know?” Adra asked, rolling her eyes. “Perhaps father should begin searching for your replacement. Ma
ybe someone else would be able to tell us something.”
“He can do as he wishes,” Declan said, grinding his teeth. “But I serve the Queen, not your father. And as of now, she still sees me fit for duty.”
“For now,” Adra said.
Declan pressed his lips into a thin line, but turned to Evan instead of responding. “It’s time to leave. Your carriage is waiting.”
He led them into the hall where four guards flanked them on each side before ushering them down the hall towards the port. Evan had hoped to check on Orielle this morning, but the security around her made it impossible. As they passed her room, Evan saw that it was sealed shut with a tetrad of guards positioned outside.
The noble’s port was filled with guards standing at attention as they faced the large glass window. The long metal carriage ran parallel with the wall-sized window, lighting up the dark sea with its multi-colored lights.
“I wish we could swim,” Evan said absently, watching the water swirl around the copper ship’s headlights.
“Ugh, are you crazy?” Adra asked. “That water is freezing, and it would take us two days to swim the distance between here and the Protean Palace.”
Evan sighed. “I know it’s impractical, but I miss the water. I haven’t been out for ages.”
“Go to the pool,” Adra said with a wave of her hand.
“It's not the same as open water.”
Evan thought back to her swims around the castle when her father was still alive. Unlike most Mer, he loved being in the water and had passed on that love to his children. Evan’s tutors had tried to explain that most Mer preferred living in waterless homes due to their evolution after Poseidon disappeared. It was said that he once warmed the sea and brought the light to them no matter how deep they lived; when Poseidon left, the waters grew cold and dark, sending the Mer inside for shelter.
Evan had a hard time believing the tale, or believing in Poseidon at all. She dared not speak such treason aloud, especially when she had no other explanation. She had always felt that the water was their heritage and their denial of it was a betrayal, but she had learned long ago that she was on the losing side of that argument.
After checking that the carriage was secure, Declan waved them towards the stairs where the ship connected to the airlock. Evan and Adra took seats opposite each other, waiting in silence as the guards shuffled into the compartment behind them. The guards took several minutes to get situated; the carriage normally carried a squad of guards for royal excursions, but today they were trying to fit a whole platoon.
Within minutes they were off, darting through the ocean as quick as a fish. As much as Evan loved swimming, she had to admit that the carriage was a better way to travel. When she was younger, she begged to go on trips with her parents, just for the chance to sit by the window and watch the sea life zoom by. Normally she could see dolphins, whales, and hundreds of fish on a trip like this; but today the carriage was lower than normal, and the black void swished around her windows just like at home.
The sweet sound of Adra humming pulled Evan back into the carriage. Her cousin rummaged through a small bag she had pulled from the folds of her gown. She pulled out several objects, then moved to the empty seat beside Evan.
“Just keep looking out the window,” Adra said.
“What are you doing?”
“Making you presentable. Your mother would kill me if I let you enter the Protean Palace like this.”
Evan moved her hands to her face. “What’s wrong with how I look?”
“You just got out of bed,” Adra sighed. “You didn’t even comb your hair before we left.”
“Oh, right,” Evan said.
“Don’t fret, cousin, I can still make you gorgeous.”
After combing Evan’s long locks, Adra swooped her hair up and pinned it so it was mostly off her neck with only a few cascading curls. Once she was satisfied with her work, she turned Evan towards her and applied makeup. Evan normally didn’t wear much makeup, but Adra insisted this was an occasion when she should.
When Adra finished with her, she handed Evan a small mirror to look at her work. Evan stared at her reflection in silence for several seconds, barely recognizing the girl in front of her.
When Adra cleared her throat, Evan looked up and met her eyes. She forced her lips into a smile, plastering on the diplomatic face her mother had taught her. “Thank you. I couldn’t have managed on my own.”
Adra moved back into her seat, taking her many tools with her. Minutes later, Declan stepped out of the cockpit to announce that they would arrive at the palace shortly. Adra used the time to smooth down her dress and touch up her own makeup while Evan fidgeted nervously. When the ship docked and they waited for the airlock to seal, Adra reached over and put her hand over Evan’s jumpy fingers.
“Calm down,” she soothed. “You’ll be fine. The prince will love you.”
Evan winced. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Six
Evan surveyed her guards lining the landing area outside the airlock. They were pristine in their navy scale-suits, each looking like the next. Evan hadn’t thought to check for Rafe. As much as her aching heart hoped she would have a few days without seeing him, another part of her prayed he would be there.
She and Adra walked towards the three young men waiting for them. Evan hadn’t seen the princes for years. She had been imagining them as the little boys they were, but now she stared at men. Handsome men, at that.
She recognized Prince Calix in the middle of the group, and his younger brother, Hadrian, to his right, but the third man was a mystery.
“Who is that with the princes?” she whispered to Adra as they moved to greet the men.
“No idea,” Adra murmured.
“Princess Zeidae,” Calix said as he stepped forward and bowed low. He pressed his forehead to her hand, a gesture the Tritons once used to swear fealty.
“You may address me in friendship, by my first name, as I hope our kingdoms have a vibrant friendship when I leave your beautiful home.”
“I hope for the same,” he said with a smile. Turning to Adra he inclined his head and said, “Lady Zeidae.”
She wrapped her arms around him, dismissing all formality. Evan raised her brows, surprised by Adra’s unusually familiar interaction with the prince. Evan had witnessed her cousin remain the picture of decorum in the public eye, even with those she was known to be very familiar with. But this…this was not the Adra she knew.
Calix pulled back from Adra and said, “It’s so lovely to see you.”
“And you,” she replied, her lips curling in genuine delight. “Please, introduce your entourage.”
“You know my brother, Hadrian,” he said, indicating the younger boy.
Hadrian bowed, clumsier that Evan would’ve thought for a prince. She immediately liked him.
Side-by-side the princes were a study in differences: Hadrian’s dark hair was wild, curling around his ears, the opposite of Calix’s precisely parted black. His gray-green eyes danced with mischief, while Calix’s brown eyes were sharp and focused. Both wore navy blue suits, but while Calix’s was perfectly tailored to accentuate his physique, Hadrian’s was slightly large and crumpled at the elbows.
“And this, dear Adra, is the friend I spoke of when last we talked. May I present Lord Jove Lostone.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Lord Lostone.”
The man took Adra’s hand first, and were Evan inclined to do so, she could’ve taken it as a slight to her station. Instead she assumed he must be unaccustomed with meeting royalty and the established protocol. She watched as he bowed and kissed her cousin’s hand.
“The pleasure is mine, Lady Zeidae. I’ve heard wonderful things about you.”
He was older than the princes, early twenties perhaps, with blond hair and blue eyes. His smile revealed deep dimples on both cheeks. His black tux was crisp, but the clothing somehow seemed at odds with the rest of him.
Calix held h
is arm out for Evan to take as the others formed a procession behind them. As they began to walk Calix said, “I am truly honored with your presence, Princess.”
“I do not recall that sentiment from our last encounter,” Evan said coolly.
Calix chuckled. “I was a foolish boy, Evannia, and I’m sorry you had to see that side of me. That is not the impression I wish you to retain. I’m a different man now.”
Evan nodded. “I appreciate your candor. I must admit that I was hesitant to greet you today, and I’m grateful you took a moment to clear the air between us.”
Calix smiled. “Wonderful. Let us focus on the future and what are kingdoms can become together.”
Evannia forced a smile, but his words left her cold inside. This version of Calix was polite and cordial, but it was also fake. She couldn’t feel any emotion from him when he spoke; even searching for his feelings left her finding only void, and she was overcome with the uneasy sense that he was purposely hiding himself from her.
“…and this is the Hall of Kings,” Calix said, drawing Evan’s attention.
He named a few pictures as they passed, when Evan suddenly stopped and asked, “Way of Kings? No Queens?”
Calix frowned. “Protea is not as relaxed as Triton in ascension laws. We believe the right to rule should be passed to the male heir.”
Evan bristled. “You don’t find that practice a bit outdated?”
“I do not,” Calix said. He paused for a moment, staring up at a whiskered man with a deep crease between his brow. Finally, he looked to her and said, “Then again, I’ve never given it much thought. Were I to have a daughter and not a son, perhaps my opinion would change.”
Evan nodded. “I’m glad you can at least consider it from another viewpoint. Some of the elder nobles are a bit rigid when I speak of change.”
He led her further down the hall and through a paid of gilded doors. Stacked in front of her were row upon row of books as far as she could see.
“Our library,” he said.
She let go of his arm and stepped into the room, her shoes clicking on the marble floor. “It’s magnificent,” she said.
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