He smiled. “Adra said you liked books.”
Evan turned to look at Adra but realized she and Calix were alone. The doors had been closed behind them without her noticing.
“Don’t worry, Evannia. I simply wanted to spend a little time with you without all the pretense required when you’re being watched. It can get so tiresome.”
She nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. She stepped further into the room. Being in the library at home put her at ease; but this place, despite—or perhaps because of—the splendor of it all, left her feeling vulnerable.
“What do you want to talk about?” she asked.
He quirked one eyebrow at her as he moved closer. “Honestly? I hoped we wouldn’t do much talking at all.”
He traced a finger down her cheek and it took every ounce of grace she possessed not to squirm away. Calix must’ve sensed her discomfort, for he dropped his hand and took a step back.
“I didn’t realize your distaste for me was so strong. That does put a damper on things, since they expect us to marry.”
And there it was. The words from his lips, confirming what Adra and Queen Astraea had already said. “I thought you were having the Thrice Day celebrations to choose your bride, Your Royal Highness.”
Calix ran his tongue over his teeth, sucking in air through the tiny gap. “I expected you to know the way this would work. We rarely get a choice in anything, Evannia, even in choosing who we spend our lives with.”
She heard a hint of agitation in his words, felt a tiny crack in the armor surrounding his emotions. “But you don’t like that.”
“It doesn’t matter what I like. I’ve been given the list, and your name is at the top.”
“But we barely know each other,” Evan said.
Calix nodded. “That’s why I wanted some alone time. I thought we could test our…compatibility.”
Evan felt her stomach churn. “I already know where my feelings stand, thank you.”
Calix smiled, but his eyes were dark, dangerous. “Very well, Princess.”
He walked to the door and knocked twice. Two guards pulled the heavy door open, and Evan was suddenly struck with how much worse the situation could’ve been if Calix had been less gentlemanly.
They stepped into the hallway where Calix advised one of the guards to take her to her room. Without another word to her, Calix headed off in the other direction.
When she reached the room, she dismissed the guard and locked the door. She sat on the floor, her back against the door, taking in deep breaths as she tried to calm her growing panic. The air felt thin going into her lungs, as if it wasn’t enough to sustain her. The Protean castle was much closer to the surface than her home, and she found the drastic change in pressure made her lightheaded.
Compounded with her anxiety was the fact that his wasn’t her home, she wasn’t safe here; even the guards stationed outside were Protean and did not relieve the sense of danger she’d been carrying around.
When her body was mostly back to normal, Evan stood and surveyed the room. It was massive, easily double the size of her bedroom at home. A large clam-shaped bed sat in the middle of the room, with rich gold blankets, smoothed to perfection. The floor was made of wood, a rarity in the ocean kingdoms, while the walls were decorated with row upon row of tiny pearls. The perfection nauseated her.
She lay on the bed, happy to put some creases on the pristine sheets. When she looked up, she saw a transparent ceiling high above. It was not dark waters that greeted her, but a beautiful azure with streaks of light shining through. There were layers of coral stacked in a way to hide the castle from anyone passing overhead. Tiny fish darted in and out of the coral; they caught the sunlight from above and cast a multitude of colors through the makeshift tunnels, reflecting dancing hues across the pearl walls of her room.
The enchantment of the colorful coral combined with the emotional exhaustion of the morning left Evan feeling drowsy. She drifted on the clam-shaped bed, letting the tides of sleep take her away.
After too short a time, Evan heard a knock at the door and opened it to find Adra. She was radiant in an off-the-shoulder red gown. It hugged her body at the bust and hips, accentuating her curves. Her golden locks were twisted into an intricate braid at the side of her head. Before Evan could compliment her, Adra shook her head in frustration.
“Again? You’ve had plenty of time.”
“What?” Evan asked.
“You’re supposed to be dressed for afternoon tea.”
“I didn’t realize it was already time for that.”
“I knew you’d do this, so I came early,” Adra said.
She pushed her way into the room and threw open Evan’s suitcase. With a disgusted look she asked, “Is this really what you brought? Who chose these gowns?”
Evan’s face reddened. “You helped me.”
“No, no, no. You’re not putting this on me. I just finished zipping up your mess.” With a frustrated sigh, Adra searched through Evan’s suitcase, pulling out dresses and tossing them on the floor. She threw five gowns to the side before lifting out an indigo piece and handing it to Evan. “Put that on.”
Evan lifted it up against herself and grimaced. “If I wear this, he’ll see everything but my gills.”
“He’s a man. He’ll still have plenty of things to imagine. Besides, if you didn’t want to wear it, why did you pack it?”
Evan knew there was no point in arguing. She may have given no thought to what she packed, but as far as Adra was concerned, the conversation was over. Evan slipped the dress on over her head and tugged it down over her body.
“It’s too tight,” Evan complained.
Adra eyed her critically before saying, “It works.”
Evan shook her head. “I’ll be uncomfortable through the entirety of dinner.”
Adra rolled her eyes. “You’ll be changing again before dinner.”
“It kinda hurts, too,” she said, trying to stretch the fabric away from her ribs.
“Beauty is pain,” Adra said with a shrug.
“I don’t feel beautiful in this,” Evan said.
She walked to the floor-length mirror and stared at her reflection. The dress was both low-cut and short, a combination she wasn’t sure worked for anyone. It clung to her body in a way that made her feel self-conscious.
“You don’t need to feel beautiful. Calix knows you can be beautiful. You need to look sexy.”
Evan shook her head. “I don’t want the prince to look at me like that.”
“Yes, you do,” Adra said, the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.
“Ugh, Adra,” she said, smacking her cousin’s arm. “Exactly how well do you know this guy?”
Adra smiled. She pulled out her makeup and touched up the work she’d done on Evan earlier. Finally she said, “Trust me. I know him well.”
Evan raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t give me that look. I come with father to diplomatic meetings between our kingdoms. He’s training me to be an advisor to the future queen, just as father helps guide your mother’s decisions. Better to have someone at your side that you can trust. And you shall have me.”
Evan dismissed the sudden shift in conversation and instead asked, “The delegation meets, what, four times a year?”
“Correct.”
“That’s hardly enough time spent with Calix to say you know him.”
Adra’s cheeks took on a rosy tint as she said, “Sometimes I visit him as a friend. We have quite a bit in common. So believe me when I say he’ll like the dress.”
Adra headed for the door. Declan and two other guards met them in the hallway. They escorted the girls down two floors to a large, ornate room filled with swirling gold designs on the ceiling. There was a round table in the middle of the room covered in towers of cookies and candy, crackers and biscuits, bite-sized slivers of fish and thick chunks of cheese. Waiters greeted them and offered flutes of champagne and glasses of vibrant red wine.
“Tea is boring.”
Evan turned towards the voice to see Calix’s blond friend walking towards them, his mouth curled in a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“We weren’t formally introduced,” Evan said, putting on her most courteous tone. “I am Princess Evannia Zeidae, daughter of King Nicodemus and Queen Astraea, heir to the Triton throne.”
“Yes, Princess, I know who you are,” he said, pursing his lips. “And you know who I am.”
Evan blinked, surprised by his curt behavior. He stared with obvious distaste, though she couldn’t understand how she had offended him. In fact, it seemed as if it bothered him to be forced to converse with her, although he initiated the conversation.
She reached for his emotions, but he was guarded like Calix, and she felt nothing. “Lostone,” she heard herself saying. “That is not a surname I recognize.”
“I’m shocked,” he said, feigning surprise.
“Excuse us,” Adra said. She grabbed Evan by the elbow and pulled her away.
“What are you doing?” Evan asked.
“Trying to get you away from that foul cretin,” she replied.
“Yeah, I don’t understand what happened,” Evan said.
“Me either. I mean, I know you aren’t big on formality, but there is a certain way one should behave when meeting royalty.”
Evan waved her words away. “I don’t care about that. I don’t understand why he seemed so hostile. It was as if I’d affronted him somehow.”
“Maybe he’s had a bad experience with another royal.”
“But he’s friends with Calix.”
Adra chuckled. “Maybe that’s the problem. Calix has a tendency to rub people the wrong way until you get to know him.”
Adra guided Evan to the corner of the room opposite Jove and grabbed two glasses of champagne as a waiter passed. Evan shook her head; she was determined to keep her wits while in the Protean Palace.
She looked around the room while they waited for the prince to arrive, and it quickly became clear that Adra’s clothing advice had been correct. There were dozens of scantily clad women there, rocking amazing dresses and showing off their bodies with confidence. She felt more comfortable knowing she was dressed as they were, despite not knowing most of the women. One, however, she immediately recognized.
“Phemie?”
The girl spun around, her gold dress shimmering as she did. Her dark skin looked flawless against the dress, which accented the tiny gold flecks in her brown eyes. A smile quickly spread across her face when she saw Evan.
“Evannia, I wondered when I’d see you,” she said. “When did you arrive?”
“Only a couple hours ago. Long enough to receive the grand tour from Prince Calix, but not long enough to find trouble on my own.”
Phemie laughed, a soft tinkling sound that made Evan smile. “Lucky girl. The tour from the prince himself? When I arrived last night, they stuck me with the little brother. Truthfully, though, I think it was by design.”
“Why is that?” Evan asked.
“My little sister,” Phemie said, pointing across the room. “She and Hadrian are practically inseparable.”
Phemie’s sister, Seraphinza, laughed at something the young prince whispered into her ear.
“Goodness, I didn’t realize how long it has been since I’ve seen you. Seraphinza is taller than you now.”
“And twice as mean,” Phemie said.
“I find that difficult to believe,” Evan said with a smile. “I remember exactly how mean young Phemie was.”
“Now magnify that and take away the filter I keep on my tongue. Sera says whatever she pleases, to anyone she dares, and still somehow has mother and father wrapped around her fingers.”
“Your attention please,” a voice called. As everyone turned towards him, the servant said, “Please welcome our beloved future king, Prince Calix.”
Evan watched Calix enter the room to a barrage of applause. As she surveyed the room, it was clear that while she might not be interested, there were plenty of girls who were. Even Phemie and Adra seemed to swoon as he made his rounds.
Evan had to concede, the prince was handsome, and there was something to say for someone who could command a room so easily. But after their conversation in the library, there was nothing that could cause her to see him the way the other women did.
Although normal conversation had returned, there were now several girls clinging to every word the prince spoke as they trailed him around the room. When he reached Evan, he lifted her hand and kissed it lightly, maintaining eye contact the entire time.
“Lovely to see you again, Princess.”
She nodded. “And you.”
“I greatly admire your dress,” Calix said, a small smile turning up the corner of his mouth. “It does make me wonder if perhaps you’ve changed your mind about some quality time?”
Evan sneered. “Adra chose it.”
“Well done, Addy,” Calix said.
He turned and greeted Phemie, whose smile seemed to grow larger with every word. Evan turned to Adra and mouthed, “Addy?”
Adra shrugged and whispered, “Just a nickname.”
“You hate nicknames.”
“Not when he says it.”
Evan raised her brows but didn’t reply. The only person more formal than Adra was her father. Yet from the time they’d arrived, Adra’s interaction with Calix was at odds with her normal behavior. Finding out that Prince Calix knew her well enough to use a nickname was jarring.
After an hour of chitchat, the Crown Prince excused himself from the gathering. The remaining crowd soon dispersed in small groups of two and three. Evan excused herself to her room, but not before being warned by Adra to be dressed and ready for dinner in two hours.
Several of the other women had stated they expected tonight’s dinner to be the first opportunity for Prince Calix to highlight the women he wanted to pursue. If Calix’s words were true, he had no choice in the matter and would simply decide from a list his parents gave him. For her own sake, she hoped it wasn’t true, that he could decide on his own, and that her name was far from his thoughts.
Seven
True to her word, Evan was dressed and had just finished styling her hair when there was a knock on her door. She answered, expecting Adra, but finding Jove Lostone outside her door instead.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her frustration from their previous conversation filling her tone.
His face was a mask of stone, impassive and hard. “Only what I’m asked to do.”
He held out his arm, but his expression soured. When she didn’t immediately take his arm, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Come, Princess. I can’t just stand here and wait until your whim decides to move you.”
“My whim?” she asked indignantly. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
Jove waved his hand. “You’re all the same. Frilly girls in costumes, pretending to be better than the rest of us, while in reality your words and deeds are frivolous in the grand scheme of things. Your ‘royal’ status means little to nothing, as far as I’m concerned.”
“You pompous ass,” she breathed, her anger mounting with each passing second. “You don’t know the first thing about me.”
“Don’t get yourself worked up, Princess; you’re ugly when you’re angry.”
Evan felt her jaw drop and willed herself to close her mouth. She refused to let this man get the better of her.
The sudden realization hit her in the gut: she hadn’t felt any emotions from Jove, but her own ran high when he was around. She’d heard of Mer having gifts—she and her sister were proof of that—but what good was it to have the gift of angering people at your very presence?
And why couldn’t she read him, or Calix for that matter. Was it something about them or this place? There was only one way to find out.
Evan smoothed down her dress and put on
an exaggerated smile. She took Jove’s arm and allowed him to lead her to dinner.
When they entered the dining room, she was surprised to find an intimate setting. Instead of hundreds of guests, there was one table made of black stone. There were three girls seated at the table, half-hidden by towers of glowing corals intermingled with candles.
Evan smiled at the girls as Jove showed her to a seat. Their accusing eyes didn’t leave her until the door opened again and they transferred to Phemie, entering the room on Hadrian’s arm.
“Thank you, Prince Hadrian,” Phemie said as he pulled out her chair.
Hadrian’s cheeks colored, and his voice cracked as he said, “My pleasure, Princess.”
Once Evan and Phemie were seated, Jove and Hadrian left the room, closing the doors behind them. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Phemie finally asked, “Where is everyone?”
“This is everyone,” the blonde at the end of the table said with a smirk. “At least, it’s everyone who matters. Congrats for making the list.”
The silence that followed was worse than before, and this time, it was clear that each girl was sizing up her competition. Evan looked around the room at the girls who were there. She’d spent time with Phemie every year when her family made diplomatic visits to the Glaucan kingdom and she recognized the red-haired Benkes across from her as one of the last remaining sea-dwellers of her line. There was another girl with thick, curly hair and dusky skin akin to Phemie’s, though Evan didn’t know her.
It was the girl who had spoken who was the biggest mystery to Evan. Her blonde hair was a rarity to the Tritons and her pale skin unheard of with the Glaucans. She didn’t think any of the smaller noble families had sent a representative, so Evan decided she must be Protean. She mentally cycled through the nobles she’d memorized, but still couldn’t place her.
When Calix entered the room, the girl smiled, revealing deep dimples in her cheeks. All at once her resemblance to Jove became clear, though Evan still wasn’t sure who the Lostones were or why they were embedded with Calix.
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