But Prince Edric smiled.
“You have not missed a royal announcement, Your Majesty, and I apologize for not sending word ahead of my arrival. My older brother recently became unable to fulfill his royal duties and abdicated the throne to me. This is my first time attending a royal event as crown prince, and I do beg pardon in advance if I get anything wrong.”
Prince Edric did not look particularly upset about whatever misfortune had caused his brother to be unsuitable for his duties. Either it was nothing serious, or he was rather pleased to have inherited the throne.
Possibly both.
Gustave looked around the room. The servants were waiting to put food on the table until the guests sat.
All three of them.
A footman entered the room and handed Gustave a note from Collette. She apologized for missing dinner and said she had paperwork to complete. For once, Gustave wished he was the one doing the paperwork. It would be better than trying to smooth over the awkwardness with Prince Edric.
The door burst open, and Thomas pushed Dowager Queen Bernadine into the dining room.
“I was afraid I was late, but apparently that was an unfounded concern.”
She gave Prince Edric a questioning glance.
“Grandmother, this is Crown Prince Edric of Eldria,” Gustave said.
She raised an eyebrow as she studied the prince.
“The younger son,” Gustave signed. “Apparently Darian is unable to carry out his duties and has abdicated.”
“Interesting.”
Her expression said she found the whole thing suspicious. Marquis Corbeau burst into the room before the dowager queen could comment further.
“Your Majesty, please forgive my tardiness. I have just received word that another royal guest will be joining us tomorrow, and I-”
“Are you sure we have enough room?” Dowager Queen Bernadine said.
Marquis Corbeau glowered at her and shut his mouth with a snap. Lady Annabelle and Elaine entered with Marchioness Rouge. Lady Annabelle rushed over to Gustave.
“Oh, Your Majesty, I heard about your misfortune on the beach today. I am so glad you are well!”
“Misfortune?” Prince Edric said.
Lady Annabelle glanced at Prince Edric and smiled when she saw his crown.
“King Gustave has had the most interesting times on the beach lately. Would you believe he found a woman-”
“Shall we sit down to dinner?” Gustave said. “The food will get cold if we wait.”
Lady Annabelle huffed a little, but brightened when Prince Edric offered his arm to escort her to the table. Since Lady Mer was absent, Gustave offered his to Elaine.
“I’ve had no luck,” she whispered as they walked. “I only agreed to take a break because they refused to bring me a tray in the library. Something about the food damaging the books. I’ll return to my research as soon as we finish dinner.”
“Oh, Your Majesty, what are you whispering about over there?” Lady Annabelle said. “He is so terrible, Prince Edric. Always having private conversations and ignoring the rest of his guests.”
“Well, perhaps we can show him how it feels to be left out,” Prince Edric said.
He leaned over and whispered something to Lady Annabelle. She giggled.
Gustave raised an eyebrow. The former crown prince of Eldria had claimed that no woman was good enough for him. Apparently the new one was not so picky.
Why had they not notified him in advance? Eldria could hardly blame him for reacting with surprise when they swapped crown princes without warning. Whatever misfortune had befallen Prince Darian must have been very sudden indeed.
Gustave stared at the door, wishing Lady Mer would arrive so he could discuss it with her.
47
Fiora and Collette shared a look before entering the reception room. Collette seemed nearly as nervous as Fiora felt. Apparently Prince Darian had made a bad impression on everyone at his Princess Test.
But Collette was only nervous about a few minutes of unpleasant conversation. Fiora risked discovery if the prince recognized her.
She searched the parlor when she entered and breathed a sigh of relief.
He wasn’t there.
Collette relaxed a little as well. She walked to the other side of the room, where Gustave was speaking with Lady Annabelle and a man with dark hair that Fiora didn’t recognize.
Gustave smiled brightly when he saw Fiora. She smiled back and resisted the urge to look at her ring to see if she had completely won his heart yet.
It seemed the gift had worked. Not quite as intended, since the statue was apparently Gustave’s father, but that was better in a way. She had caught his attention and given him something of value. If she could keep her identity a secret, she may be able to win his heart after all.
Now where was Prince Darian?
“Princess Collette, what a pleasure to see you again.”
The young man beside Gustave bowed and reached up to keep his crown from falling off his head. Fiora hadn’t noticed the crown before. Both she and Collette cast a questioning glance at Gustave.
“Please, allow me to introduce His Royal Highness Crown Prince Edric of Eldria.”
“Oh.”
Collette’s small exclamation of surprise seemed involuntary. Fiora raised an eyebrow. Gustave seemed surprised by her surprise.
“Were you acquainted with Prince Darian?” he signed.
Fiora shook her head, cursing herself for reacting. Lady Mer should not know either prince of Eldria, much less which one was supposed to inherit the crown.
“He isn’t the crown prince,” Collette signed.
“Apparently he is now,” Gustave answered. “He said his older brother was suddenly incapacitated.”
“I see what you mean about secret conversations,” Prince Edric said to Lady Annabelle. “I recognize Princess Collette, of course, but who is this lady?”
He turned his attention to Fiora. She felt her face flush under his scrutiny.
“That’s Lady Mer,” Lady Annabelle said. “It’s a nickname, and she isn’t really a lady. She’s a mute that King Gustave found naked on the beach and adopted.”
“How generous.”
Prince Edric’s searching gaze dropped lower as he studied Fiora from head to toe. Fiora wished she had her voice so she could tell him to go swim in a moat. She had to settle for glaring, but he was no longer looking at her face, so he didn’t notice.
If he didn’t stop looking at her like that, she might slap him to get his attention.
Gustave stepped between Fiora and Edric, cutting her off from his gaze.
“Lady Annabelle, didn’t you agree to sing for us this evening?”
“Yes, of course! I believe Thomas is going to accompany me.”
She waved to the translator. Thomas nodded and left the dowager queen to take his place at the piano in the corner.
“Charming,” Prince Edric said. “I look forward to hearing you sing, Lady Annabelle. I have a great fondness for music.”
And other things, apparently. Fiora rolled her eyes as Prince Edric followed Lady Annabelle across the room. At least she didn’t have to worry about being recognized and exposed by the former crown prince. Prince Edric had not been involved in the Princess Test in Eldria and didn’t know her. Her disguise remained safe for the time being.
“King Gustave is also very fond of music,” Lady Annabelle said. “He has declared himself to be in love with a mysterious lady with a fine voice.”
She nudged Prince Edric’s shoulder and gave Gustave a meaningful look.
“She’s trying to make you jealous,” Fiora signed.
“They can have each other. Do you know Prince Darian? You seemed surprised to see Edric instead.”
“No, I don’t know him. I only noticed Collette’s confusion.”
Gustave turned to Collette for confirmation, but she had taken over translating for Dowager Queen Bernadine while Thomas played for Annabelle.
/> “I believe you promised me a dance?” Gustave said.
He offered his hand. Fiora took it, and Thomas began to play. Other couples followed the king’s example and made their way to the dance floor.
Pain shot through Fiora’s feet as she matched Gustave’s steps. She ignored it and focused on his eyes instead. There was something in his gaze that she couldn’t quite name. Something she hadn’t seen when anyone looked at her before.
Lady Annabelle began to sing. Her voice was clear and sweet and didn’t match her personality at all.
Fiora wanted to say this to Gustave, but she couldn’t sign while they were dancing. She sighed in frustration and met his gaze instead, willing the words to communicate themselves to him.
“Dancing isn’t the best place for conversation, is it?”
Fiora grinned in spite of her frustrations. How was it that he always seemed to understand her?
“I must admit, I have a lot of questions after today. But mostly, I want to say thank you. You saved me from the kraken. Also, I can’t shake the feeling that you had a hand in bringing my father back to me.”
It wasn’t really a question, so Fiora didn’t answer. Any conversation about the statue was bound to come around to mermaids and the sea, and she wasn’t ready for that yet. Prince Darian’s absence had bought her more time.
“I don’t know when or how, but I hope someday you will trust me with your story.”
Perhaps someday. She would have said that if she had her voice. Instead, she shrugged. That seemed to be enough for Gustave, and he didn’t press further.
The song ended, and Lady Annabelle bowed as the assembled company clapped. She refused Prince Edric’s request that she sing another song and set her gaze on Gustave. She wore a predatory smile as she stalked towards him.
There was no question about it. Lady Annabelle wanted a dance. Fiora loosened her grip on Gustave’s hand and prepared to step back. He probably didn’t want to dance with Lady Annabelle, but it would be impolite to refuse. And Gustave was always polite.
“Lady Mer, would you do me the honor of letting me escort you to the gala tomorrow?”
Fiora’s eyes widened as Gustave kept hold of her hand and pulled her back towards him. He had spoken loud enough for the whole room to hear, and everyone fell silent and stared. She studied his face and found only steady regard in his eyes.
She nodded, not trusting her hands to be steady enough to answer with sign language.
Silent, secret conversations were one thing. A declaration this public was quite another. Lady Annabelle stood frozen in her tracks, too surprised to claim her dance.
Gustave smiled at Fiora, and something in her heart melted a little. Something buried so deep that she hadn’t realized it was frozen.
The statue plan had worked better than anticipated. Gustave was well on his way to loving Lady Mer. The magical glow spread further over the pearl as they began another dance.
48
Gustave nodded to Thomas, who took his cue and began to play a slow waltz. Lady Mer fell into step with him again, watching him with her enormous blue eyes.
Gustave’s heart beat faster than the slow dance justified. He hadn’t planned to ask her to accompany him to the gala. The words had been as spontaneous as the kiss. A way to banish the insecurity that haunted her eyes.
But he didn’t regret it. Being with Lady Mer felt right in a way that Gustave couldn’t articulate. She was surrounded by mystery. He didn’t even know her real name.
But he knew her.
Was that enough?
Lady Annabelle danced past in Prince Edric’s arms. She laughed a little too loudly at whatever the prince said. Lady Mer rolled her eyes, and Gustave smiled.
No, he didn’t regret it.
Lady Mer stumbled, and Gustave supported her weight while she caught her balance.
“You’re injured.”
She shook her head, looking fierce in spite of the tears welling in her eyes.
“Lady Mer, we can stop dancing. I would be happy to sit with you while you recover.”
She shook her head again and pressed her lips together in a stubborn expression. Gustave placed a little more pressure on her waist, wishing he could hold her upright and heal whatever was hurting her.
“We’ll have to open the gala with a dance while everyone watches. I’m sorry. I should have asked you in private first. I didn’t mean to put you in a difficult position.”
Lady Mer smirked, managing to look both amused and annoyed. Gustave had no doubt she would have plenty to say if she had a voice or use of her hands. But her expression seemed to say that it was fine, and he should stop apologizing.
At least, he hoped that was what she was saying.
“You don’t mind?”
She shook her head. Gustave relaxed a little and focused on the dance. In spite of the pained look in her eyes, Lady Mer danced beautifully. Dowager Queen Bernadine nodded in approval from the side of the room. Even Collette looked pleased.
Marquis Corbeau looked annoyed, but that was nothing new.
The music ended far too soon. Lady Mer slid her hand off Gustave’s shoulder and gave a wobbly curtsy. Gustave bowed low.
“My lady.”
“My king.”
She looked mischievous as she signed. Her attitude was nowhere near as respectful as her words. Gustave grinned.
“I think perhaps we should all save our energy for dancing at the gala,” Marquis Corbeau said. “Tomorrow will be a full day, and today has been quite trying as well.”
He glared at Gustave as if everything that had happened today was the king’s fault. Gustave considered protesting. The reception had just started.
But he wouldn’t mind ending it early. Lady Mer looked like she needed rest, and Gustave wanted to check on his father.
He turned to Dowager Queen Bernadine.
“Is it unspeakably rude to end things so soon?”
“Possibly, but I don’t think anyone will mind.”
Gustave turned to Prince Edric, who was still holding Lady Annabelle’s hand even though the dance had ended.
“Do you mind an early night, Your Highness? We have all been rather busy with gala preparations. Marquis Corbeau may have a point.”
“Not at all. I must confess, I am rather tired from my sea voyage.”
The prince kissed Lady Annabelle’s hand and crossed the room to say goodnight to the dowager queen. Collette excused herself from the conversation as soon as Thomas resumed his translating duties. She hurried over to Lady Mer.
“Would you like to walk with me back to our rooms, Lady Mer? I’m sure you must be exhausted after today.”
Lady Mer looked to Gustave before nodding her head. Collette followed the gesture and signed to her brother.
“Don’t stay up all night researching magic, Gustave. It took months to find Father. It may take as long to free him.”
Gustave shrugged, not willing to promise anything. Collette raised an eyebrow but didn’t press the matter. Gustave watched Collette and Lady Mer leave, then turned his attention to wishing everyone a good night so he could go to the library to check on the statue.
His father was just as they had left him. King Francois looked peaceful in the moonlight. Gustave stared at him as if wishful thinking alone could break the curse. Then he turned to the books Elaine had spread on the table.
She had already gone to bed, but had left notes highlighting pages that might be helpful. Gustave skimmed through them. The book with the most notes was one about curses. He had read it after his father disappeared.
Elaine had marked information about curses that transformed humans into beasts or put people to sleep for a hundred years. Magic that could be triggered with words or enchanted objects.
On one page, she had lightly underlined a passage.
“The best way to break a curse is always connected to the casting of the curse. Some curses can best be dissolved by specific actions or objects that are woven into
the design of the magic. Others bind the casting and the breaking together, so that only the same kind of magic that made the curse can reverse it.”
Gustave wished he understood magic well enough to know exactly what that meant. The key to breaking Stefan’s curse had been a kiss. A specific action. But a kiss had not freed his father.
So either King Francois’s curse was designed to be broken by a different action, or it would require the same type of magic that had cast it. Which meant that even if Gustave could discover what magic had been used to turn his father into a statue, he would need to find someone who knew that particular kind of magic to undo it.
How many kinds of magic were there? Lina worked shadow magic, and Elaine had described enchanted objects. Was mermaid magic similar or something else entirely?
Gustave dropped his head into his hands, suddenly feeling very tired. He had thought finding his father would fix everything, but it had only brought more confusion.
He read the passages again, trying to make sense of the text. It was no good. He may be king, but he was completely useless here.
“Find King Francois.”
Gustave studied the red light as it pointed at the statue. Without it, he might have assumed his father was dead and given up hope. But the ring only tracked people who were alive. So somehow, his father was still alive under that stone.
The light faded, and Gustave sighed. As much as he wanted to keep searching, he didn’t know where to turn next. He needed sleep so he could be king tomorrow and stay awake for the gala. Perhaps rest would help him unravel the mystery.
Gustave walked slowly through the castle, realizing for the first time that the encounter with the kraken had left him with several large bruises on his legs. He didn’t bother to change when he reached his room. He collapsed onto his bed fully clothed and let himself sink into oblivion.
49
Fiora awoke with the distinct feeling that something was wrong.
She lay still and took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves. Of course something was wrong. She was cursed and dying and need to flirt her way to survival.
Princess of Mermaids Page 27