Fiora raised her hands to ask Althea what she should do about Leander and the attacks, but the mermaid was already gone.
“I’ll check on you as soon as I can,” Zoe said. “And I’ll find some ways to help you win the man’s heart so you can return to the ocean.”
She hummed the song of healing, and the pain from Fiora’s bruises faded away. Then she disappeared before Fiora could tell Zoe that she definitely didn’t want the mermaids’ help courting King Gustave.
32
“Lady Mer? Are you there?”
Gustave hurried through the garden searching for her. Perhaps he should have checked her room first, but every time Lady Mer disappeared, she ended up by the sea.
She wasn’t on the bench where he had found her before. Gustave scanned the shoreline. His heart stopped when he saw a woman with long dark hair sitting in the water.
“Lady Mer!”
He ran towards her. How had she fallen into the ocean? Was she hurt further?
What if she had drowned?
Lady Mer turned to look at him, and Gustave’s heart began to beat again. She was alive.
Her feet and legs were completely submerged in the water. Waves lapped at her waist, soaking the fabric of her robe. She turned away from Gustave and slipped a ring onto her finger.
“Are you well?”
He stood at the edge of the water panting for breath. It wasn’t the question he really wanted to ask, but he had a feeling that Lady Mer would not appreciate being asked why she was sitting in the water.
Why was she sitting in the water? Why did she always end up by the ocean?
Perhaps it was part of the curse.
Gustave blinked. He had kissed her. If Lady Mer was under a curse, that kiss might have broken it. For a moment, he thought perhaps it had. Perhaps she had come down here to gather her thoughts and decide what to say now that she had a voice.
But Lady Mer didn’t speak when she finally looked up at him. Her eyes were as sad as ever. Possibly even more haunted than they had been before. Gustave didn’t know what to say, so he simply reached down and offered his hand. Lady Mer took it without hesitation and let him pull her out of the water.
Her wet robe clung to her legs, and she shivered in the ocean wind. Gustave pulled off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. It wasn’t long enough to cover her legs, but at least it would give her a little warmth.
The sun rose, casting a warm glow over the garden as they walked back to the castle. Lady Mer stopped for a moment to retrieve a large conch shell that sat on the shore. This was a strange time to collect seashells, but Gustave didn’t comment. If it made her feel better, he would search the beach and fill her room with shells.
He almost said that, but he didn’t want to sound overbearing.
“Doctor Batiste will tend to your cuts and bruises,” Gustave said instead. “Do you have any other injuries he should look at?”
Lady Mer shook her head. It seemed impossible for her to come out of such an accident uninjured, but apparently she had been very lucky. The cut on her forehead had stopped bleeding. In fact, it had almost disappeared. Gustave had thought the bruise on her cheek looked rather serious when he saw it in the library, but it was faint now and would probably fade by tomorrow.
Maybe he would have been more observant if he had focused on helping her instead of kissing her.
Blast it all.
They walked through the garden in silence. She may not be bruised, but Lady Mer was limping worse than before. Gustave would tell the doctor to check her feet thoroughly. Perhaps there was something that could ease her pain.
“I am sorry. I-”
He meant to apologize for the kiss again, but she silenced him with a fierce look from her brilliant blue eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, and Gustave fought the urge to kiss her again. The rising sun shone behind them, bathing Lady Mer in a warm glow that made her look more beautiful than ever.
What in the world was wrong with him? He had never behaved so rashly before. Gustave turned away before he did something he would regret.
Marchioness Rouge met them at the castle door. Her expression was carefully neutral as she looked from Gustave to Lady Mer.
“I’ll escort Lady Mer to her room so Doctor Batiste can attend to her, Your Majesty.”
Gustave started to protest. He didn’t want to let Lady Mer out of his sight, but Marchioness Rouge shook her head.
“She needs to rest, Your Majesty. Come with me, Lady Mer.”
The marchioness held out her hand. Was it Gustave’s imagination, or did Lady Mer tighten her grip on his arm a little before she released it? She met his gaze, then pulled the conch shell to her chest and limped after the marchioness.
Yes, her limping was definitely worse than before. Was it from the accident? Had it aggravated a previous injury?
He would check in with Doctor Batiste later to get his opinion. But for now, Marchioness Rouge was right. Lady Mer needed rest more than his company.
Gustave paced the hallway for a bit, then decided he was being ridiculous and should do something productive. Perhaps he could check in with Captain Whist to see if any of the incoming merchant ships had brought news of mermaids. He peeked through the doorway of the captain’s office and grimaced when he saw Dale was there studying shipping charts. Captain Whist noticed his expression and shrugged in amusement. Gustave couldn’t blame the merchant for trying to locate his lost ship, but there was unlikely to be new information after a single day.
He took a deep breath and entered the room.
“No luck,” Captain Whist said. “I submitted a request, but the council refused. And now-”
“Tidal waves?” Gustave said.
The captain nodded.
“All unnecessary voyages will be postponed until we can assess the effect the earthquake will have on the sea. We’re clearing the harbor just in case.”
“But surely it won’t be that bad,” Dale said. “The last word we received about my ship-”
He looked hopefully at Gustave.
“I haven’t heard any news of your ship,” Gustave said.
He backed into the hallway and closed the door before Dale could ask more questions. Captain Whist was far more qualified to give news on ships and sailing routes. Why did everyone expect Gustave to have all the answers simply because he was king?
His head pounded, reminding him that he had not slept much that night. Or the previous few nights.
Or the past few months.
Gustave stepped aside to let a servant pass, but the young man stopped and bowed.
“Your Majesty, Marquis Corbeau asked me to remind you that royal guests are arriving today. You will be responsible for greeting them.”
The servant cast a significant look at Gustave. He took the hint. He looked nowhere near ready to receive royalty.
“I understand.”
“And there are still gifts to open. It would be best to finish that before the gala so you can thank everyone in person. The marquis is supervising the cleanup in the library and looks forward to seeing you there when you are presentable.”
Gustave swallowed his frustration and bowed instead.
“I will get dressed and meet the marquis as soon as possible.”
“I will relay the message.”
The servant hurried away, and Gustave walked slowly to his room. Doubtless these were important parts of his duties as king, but right now they felt like a waste of time. He should be out looking for his father and trying to contact mermaids.
Or making sure Lady Mer was well.
He shook his head. Doctor Batiste was far more qualified to take care of Lady Mer. Gustave needed to pull himself together and fulfill his duties as king.
33
“You’re sure you have no other injuries?” Doctor Batiste asked.
Fiora nodded. The doctor looked skeptical, but he couldn’t deny the evidence in front of him. Thanks to Zoe’s song of healing, Fiora was fine
.
Other than the curse that would kill her in two days if she didn’t win a man’s love, but that didn’t seem like something the doctor would know how to heal.
Unless he was desperately looking for love and willing to give up everything for her?
Unlikely.
Fiora realized she was scowling at Doctor Batiste and looked away. This wasn’t his fault.
“Truly, I’m fine. Just a few minor bruises.”
Thomas, who had been sent by Dowager Queen Bernadine to assist, translated this for the doctor.
“You were very lucky, then. I saw the aftermath of the earthquake in the library. That was a sizable stack of presents.”
Fiora shrugged.
“Even if you haven’t sustained any injuries, I think some rest would do you good.”
“Dowager Queen Bernadine invited you to join her sewing circle again today,” Thomas said, “But I can convey your regrets.”
“I would like to attend.”
If she only had two days left to live, she might as well spend them doing something she enjoyed. And she couldn’t spend time with Gustave and win his love if she was stuck in her room. Thomas translated, and Doctor Batiste shook his head.
“I must insist that you rest, Lady Mer. Dowager Queen Bernadine will understand.”
Fiora resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the doctor and nodded instead. She just wanted him to go away and leave her alone.
Doctor Batiste smiled.
“You’ll feel better after you get some sleep. Ring this bell if you need anything. I’ll instruct the servants to listen for it.”
He set a brass bell beside the conch shell on her nightstand. Both he and Thomas had cast curious glances at the shell throughout the visit, but neither had commented.
Fiora nodded, doing her best to look sweet and compliant. Doctor Batiste and Thomas bowed and left the room. As soon as the door closed, she collapsed into bed and grabbed the conch shell.
It would be disastrous to transform into a mermaid while lying on a human bed, but Fiora tried anyway. She read the notes of the counter-charm and screamed them in her head as loudly as she could.
Nothing happened. She remained as human as ever.
As cursed as ever.
Fiora set the shell back on the nightstand. Three days, and she was already well into the second. She sighed in silent frustration.
Blast it all.
She twisted the ring on her finger and watched the pearly streak dance across the otherwise dull gem. She had spent years trying to win a man’s love so she could use the pearl to stay human. It had seemed simple enough.
Now it seemed even that had been in vain. Based on Althea’s story, she needed someone to love her completely. Not just enough to marry her for political gain.
And even if she somehow managed to win a man’s heart, it wasn’t a guarantee. She would dissolve into sea foam if that man ever found himself conflicted about his love for her and his duty to something else.
If he abandoned her, as her father had abandoned her mother, she would meet the same fate.
Fiora gritted her teeth How could she have been foolish enough to trust her father? To run away from the merfolk and put her faith in him and the human world?
Perhaps it was a family trait. Her mother had made the same mistake and paid for it with her life.
Would that be her fate as well?
Fiora squeezed her eyes shut and let tears run down her cheeks. Her heart ached worse than her feet. Her mother was dead, and her father had betrayed both of them.
And she had separated herself from the sea and the only family that still cared about her. Possibly forever.
Unless she could win a man’s love and break the curse.
The mermaids would do what they could to save her. Fiora had no doubt of that now. But would it be enough? They must not have much faith in their ability to find a solution if they wanted her to use the forbidden magic that had killed her mother.
Based on what Althea had told her, Fiora had never had a chance of becoming permanently human. All her years spent training for the Princess Tests had been in vain.
And yet, that stubborn streak of color on the pearl said otherwise. Somehow, she had begun to win someone’s affection.
Had it appeared when Gustave kissed her?
Fiora squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. Why had he kissed her if he was going to regret it and make things so awkward between them? Why did he look at her with love in his eyes then apologize for doing so?
It was even further proof that human hearts were fickle. Men could not be trusted.
Fiora sighed again, wishing she was underwater so the sigh would send bubbles streaming up towards the surface. It made the gesture so much more satisfying.
She stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all. As ceilings went, it was a nice one. The light blue plaster was decorated with swirling silver vines around the edges. Leave it to Montaigne to turn a ceiling into a work of art.
The vines blurred as tears filled Fiora’s eyes again.
She didn’t want to die. She had felt a moment of panic when the boxes crashed down on her. That was as close to dying as she wanted to get any time soon.
She thought of Gustave’s face when he had uncovered her. His gentle kiss.
And then his regret.
Blast it all!
She stared at the ring again. Even if he regretted kissing her, he felt something. He cared a little, if the streak of pink and blue was any indication.
Maybe the ring was mistaken. Maybe Gustave was not in love with her, but with the woman who saved his life. He had admitted that much when he was half asleep and willing to speak more freely.
And he didn’t know they were the same person. How could he? He only remembered the song from that day on the beach, and Fiora was currently mute.
What if Gustave only loved the woman on the beach because she had saved his life? What if that love faded when he learned that woman was Fiora and came to know her better?
Fiora wiped away her tears. This whole situation had a lot of uncertainty, but it was her best hope of survival. If she could win Gustave’s love, she would live.
And she didn’t need to keep his affection. She only needed to capture it long enough to regain her voice and break the transformation enchantment. Then she could return to the sea and live the rest of her life as a mermaid.
The thought made her feel a little guilty. Could she really make Gustave love her then abandon him? It seemed unfair.
Fiora pushed the guilt away. This was a matter of life and death. She had fought for love in the Princess Tests.
She could do it again.
Fiora closed her eyes so the silver vines on the ceiling would stop blurring with tears and she could pretend she wasn’t crying.
It was hopeless. A tangled mess of feelings and identities unlikely to end well.
And her life depended on it.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to die.
Fiora wiped the tears from her eyes and glared at the ceiling as if it had personally made the suggestion. Whatever else happened, she was not giving up.
Fiora never gave up.
And she certainly didn’t have time to follow the doctor’s orders to rest. She needed to win Gustave’s love, and she couldn’t do that by staying in bed.
Fiora pulled herself to her feet. She ignored the pain and limped over to the wardrobe. The servants had likely been instructed to leave her alone so she could sleep. She couldn’t risk asking for help and having them report her to Doctor Batiste.
She studied the gowns and selected the most elaborate one that she would be able to put on without help. It was light blue silk with decorative pearl buttons down the front. Fiora slipped into it and fastened the tiny buttons with shaking hands. She breathed deeply, telling herself to calm down.
It was just like a Princess Test. She simply needed to be proper and play her part.
It had never worked befor
e, but she had an advantage now. Gustave already liked her a little.
Hopefully that would be enough.
Fiora picked up a hairbrush and moved to the mirror. The blue dress matched her eyes. She smiled a little, enjoying the effect. Then she brushed the tangles out of her black hair and pulled it back into a demure braid.
There. She was looking more and more like a proper lady.
The dress had tiny golden flowers embroidered around the sleeves. It was beautiful work. An understated but masterful embellishment. If she studied the stitches long enough, perhaps she could recreate them.
If she lived long enough to embroider again.
Fiora pushed away the thought and looked at herself in the mirror. She was only missing one thing.
Shoes.
A proper lady would wear shoes.
Fiora checked the wardrobe and selected a pair of golden heels trimmed with tiny pearls. They were stylish and proper and complemented the dress perfectly.
And they would be torture to wear with her curse.
But if she wanted to win Gustave’s affection and save her life, she needed to look her best.
She needed to actually try.
Fiora slipped her feet into the shoes and ignored the searing pain that accompanied walking in the stylish heels. She needed all the help she could get in this fight. She would show the King of Montaigne that she was a proper lady. Not some wild thing drawn from the sea.
She hobbled to the door, taking tiny steps that she hoped looked dainty rather than tortured, and peeked into the hallway.
Empty, thank goodness.
Fiora slipped out of her room and closed the door behind her as quietly as she could. Then she hurried towards the sewing room, using the art on the walls as her guide to navigate through the castle.
34
Gustave walked quickly through the hallways, trying to avoid people without looking like he was doing so. He wanted to catch Doctor Batiste after he finished examining Lady Mer, and he couldn’t do that if he got caught up in a conversation with Marquis Corbeau.
Or Lady Annabelle.
Or Kara.
Princess of Mermaids Page 20