I didn’t contemplate the brief slash of hurt to cross his features, because I didn’t care, and because I had to go greet the Draconians.
Even if the words he’d muttered had excited me, despite them being a joke, I couldn’t think them over and wish, because I’d made my cousin a promise.
A promise I intended to keep.
~~
THE DAY OF the wedding came.
The day I’d fulfill my promise, and get Thalassar back.
I bathed quickly, and soon, servants were bustling in to my rooms, bringing in the newest dress in for the wedding. They set it on the bed beside the old dress, by Odalaea’s. Fear suddenly gripped my gut as I looked at both garments. With difficulty, I pushed the sensation away and let myself be tended to by the servants.
They slipped the dress onto me, fixing the fluff of the skirts before sitting me before my vanity and brushing out my hair. Before they could begin parting the strands in an intricate braid, I stopped them.
“Leave it down,” I ordered. They looked at me incredulously “No fancy braids. Today, I want simplicity.” It almost hurt to utter those words. Since when did I not like ostentatious hairstyles? Today was different. And it didn’t matter what they thought, anyway.
Once they finished dressing me, I shooed them out, my eyes straying to the dress, and then to my shelf, where the conch, old and chipped, sat. I’d have to leave it here, but Tiberius would take it into the throne room after the wedding to expose my step-mother.
A sudden twist of nervousness spiraled through me. This had been all I’d hoped to accomplish when I’d discovered the truth so many months ago. Perhaps not in the way I’d envisioned it, but vengeance was so close, too close within my grasp that I feared, for the first time, that I’d ruin the plan entirely.
No.
I couldn’t think that way.
I had to get through this.
I had to be strong.
Or else the whole plan could fall to pieces.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Tiberius
I’D NEVER KNOWN nerves quite like I did on the day of the wedding. Probably because I was fervently working with Odele in a plot to usurp the throne, and take down the Queen I’d spent most of my life serving.
The reality of our actions hit me full force, as I realized the full implications of what this meant. If things went well, then Odele would take her throne unscathed. If things went terrible, we could find ourselves thrown to the dungeons or beheaded. Even worse, my family could suffer for my actions.
In my worry for Maisie, I’d agreed to help, to protect the love of my life, no matter the consequences. But she’d left us. I didn’t fully understand why, but maybe it was because of this, because she hadn’t wanted us to get hurt. But we were continuing with the plan, and surely, we’d get hurt anyway.
Truth be told, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to be feeling beneath the tight coiling of my stomach. The past few days had been nothing but a haze of emotion and confusion. I felt Maisie’s loss like the loss of a limb. For a brief moment, I thought I’d catch a flash of her around a corner, but when I chased her down, it was merely Odele, sneering or yelling at some poor servant.
I still couldn’t believe how she had left, when she’d been adamant on taking the throne. We knew being Queen wasn’t the job for Odele. The mer would be terrible at it. Everyone knew it.
But there was nothing I could do.
So the day of, I went to Odele’s chambers to escort her to the royal throne room, where the ceremony would take place.
The guards were on high alert today, just as I’d ordered them to be. We couldn’t afford any attempts on the Princess’s life, especially not today.
When Odele emerged from her room, she was dressed in a gown swathed in white, pinks and blues. Her hair was in smooth, floating tendrils surrounding her face.
I couldn’t help but feel like Maisie would have looked prettier, by far. Yes, they looked alike, but Maisie had a different aura. It was in her smile, and her posture. She wasn’t solemn, or irritable. She was kind. She would have been smiling, instead of glaring.
“What are you staring at?” Odele demanded, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I ignored her snap and bowed deeply. “Are you ready, your Majesty?”
She snorted and shrugged. “I suppose. It’s not like I have a choice, do I?”
My lip twitched with an annoyance that I had to force back. “Then let us leave.”
We swam through the halls, my eyes alert for any and all possible threats. Everything was quiet; it was eerie how quiet it was. I paused, cocking my head to the side, listening. Surely there had to be some noise, servants bustling around in the fray of the day. Not this… absolute silence.
I lifted my fist, and everyone stopped moving. Odele rammed into the back of a guard who swam before her, causing her to let out a sound of surprise and exasperation. “Oof.” She righted herself, straightening out the tendrils of her hair. “Move aside you big oaf.” She pushed him, and in his surprise, he staggered and she swam around him.
“Princess,” I warned, starting forward…
But then all hell broke loose.
Something exploded, though I couldn’t be sure what. All I knew was that one moment, I was staring at Odele, and the next a bright light was blinding me. It encompassed the entire hallway like magic. Debris flew, vases cracked and exploded. Coral pelted us across our bodies, and in the fray, I kept screaming Odele’s name but heard no reply.
My eyes burned in pain, and it felt like forever before I could finally open them. When I did, some of the guards were on the floor, groaning, and rubbing at their eyelids. Others were up, blinking as rapidly as I was. A quick headcount told me everyone was well and accounted for.
Everyone except Odele.
“Princess!” I bellowed.
Her answering groan had me moving fast to find her.
The explosion had blasted her further down the hallway, where she’d hit a wall and was crumpled to the floor.
“Are you alright?” I asked her, reaching down to help her up.
“Do I look alright?” she snapped impatiently, swatting away my hand and getting up herself. She smoothed down her skirts, and fixed her hair. “What was that?”
“A light bomb, most likely. It doesn’t do any real damage but it’s a nuisance.” I snapped my fingers and the guards immediately surrounded Odele, forming a protective circle around her. “Eyes alert!” I commanded. “That bomb could have been a prank by the servants, or it could have been nefarious. Keep your eyes peeled.”
“A prank?” Odele echoed incredulously. “What absolute bullshark. Find who did this!” she snapped at a nearby guard. “See to it they are punished for this! I could have broken my neck and even worse, they could have ruined my dress!”
I pushed away the eye roll that threatened, and placed my hand against her lower back. We started forward again, and I’d placed myself closer to Odele, to protect her and prevent her from bolting. She tensed at my nearness.
“Personal space,” she grumbled unkindly, and went ignored.
I didn’t care what she complained about, not when her safety was at risk. The daft mermaid didn’t even seem to be worried that the whole hall had exploded and blasted her back. She treated it more like a nuisance or an inconvenience at best. I’d never understand her and her way of thinking.
Even if she had no regard for her own safety, that didn’t mean that I would take it lightly.
I had a duty to protect her, and I didn’t mean to fail.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Kai
I KNEW THE moment Odele swam into the royal throne room because the music started, marking the beginning of the ceremony. The guests in attendance floated up to demonstrate their respect for the Princess, and future leader of Thalassar.
I floated near the dais and thrones of Queen Circe and King Xristo, turning when she arrived. A space had been cleared for Odele to swim through, a
n aisle decorated in anemones and sea flowers, lava globes in varying colors of blue, pink, and purple.
The room was full of guards and guests, Captain Saber had strategically placed them near every window and exit, as well as near every important mer who had come from other kingdoms for the nuptials. Reporters had been allowed inside, where they would broadcast the wedding through every one of the seven kingdoms, my marriage to Odele.
Dread curled in my stomach that I tried very hard to mask.
At the end of the aisle, Odele stopped and bent low, allowing Percival to place a crown on her head, the last crown that marked her as Princess of the realm before she ascended the throne.
I barely took her in. I didn’t want to even look at her. The dragon inside roared. This wasn’t my mate, she wasn’t Maisie, and I felt nothing for her. But Maisie was gone. She’d left me alone, abandoned Captain Saber and I to carry on without her. The dragon in me thrashed at this, fighting me every stroke of the way, so hard, that I almost let slip my hold on it more than once. It didn’t want Odele. It wanted Maisie. I wanted Maisie. But she was gone, and this was the sacrifice I’d been expected to make this whole time.
I’d just never expected it to hurt so much.
Percival swam down the aisle first, the slug wearing the mixed colors of Thalassar and Draconi to symbolize the union of the two nations. He took his spot on the dais before me and next to the Thalassarin priest, an old merman in older looking robes.
My eyes scanned the crowd assembled. As the wedding had been a hasty thing, there weren’t thousands of guests in attendance, yet there were still quite a few important ones. Three of my sisters had traveled here to witness my wedding. They’d witness instead the end of the happiness I’d found with my mate. If I’d known it was to be such a fleeting thing, I would have never allowed myself to feel.
The thought felt treacherous as soon as it entered my mind, so I shoved it away and focused. Odele was swimming up the aisle now, her gait perfectly practiced, her expression somber, and her eyes downcast. When she finally made her way up to me, I took her hand in my own stiff one, and bowed lightly over it before guiding her to the table perched in between us, Percival and the priest. Atop it sat a marriage contract, with lines to sign our names, ink and quill, as well as my gift to her.
I released her hand and reached for the gift. The Exchange was a tradition dear to Draconi and happened when couples were married. The males gifted the females with a gift, and because I was a royal, mine was rare, beautiful. I only regretted it would be for Odele, instead of the mer I’d truly meant it for.
The egg was big, the shell as thick as diamonds, and the color of a moonstone. Ridges of scales bumped around it, digging into my palms from the nervous force in which I held it. I turned, and presented Odele with the dragon egg.
“In Draconi, a gift exchange is tradition,” I explained, loud enough for her and the guests assembled to hear. “Among the royals, it is customary…” I placed the dragon egg in her outstretched palms. “When a dragon dies in battle, and leaves behind an egg, it is up to us to care for it and nurture it until it hatches and can be released to its own kind. Let this be a symbol of our union, and Draconi’s acceptance of Thalassar, and of you, Princess.”
I stared at the egg, at the way her fingers curled beneath its heavy weight. “Thank you,” she whispered softly, and turned to set it gently back on the table.
And then the ceremony began.
Music played, our vows were said, she, with excellent precision and a soft, confident voice, and me, rather stiffly. Strips of cloth in our kingdoms’ colors were wrapped around our joined hands, blessed by the priest and declared legitimate. Once it was done, I bent over the page and signed my name quickly, not allowing my hand to tremble. I handed the quill to her, watched as she dipped it in the vial of ink and bent to sign her name. The large flourish of the O… and I had to look away. I couldn’t bear to see my fate sealed so harshly.
When she finished, the priest blessed us one last time, and the table was moved a few strokes aside.
Now, came time for Odele to ascend the throne. She would swim before her step-mother, recite her vows to Thalassar, and then the crown would be placed upon her head, and she’d take her place at the throne.
And our plan would begin.
But before Odele could swim up to continue in the rest of the ceremony, the doors to the royal throne room burst opened. The sound was distracting, and unplanned. We turned sharply to the noise, to see who would dare interrupt a sacred ceremony. A hush fell across the guests, followed by fevered whisperings.
And with good reason.
Because I recognized the merman floating there at the door. Not only because I’d seen him in conches and painted portraits, but because of those eyes. Rounded orbs as rare and as black as obsidian. Eyes that matched his daughter’s like twin jewels.
King Dorian Knoll Genivus of Kappur.
Shock and outrage rang out through the assembled crowds, others merely whispered disbelief. I was frozen in shock myself as I took in the King of Kappur, as I took in Maisie’s father. He was easily recognizable, though he wore no finery save for the golden crown perched on his brow. He wore a black riding habit, dark tunic and leather jacket, the hemmed ends floating down to his tail, the color of green and copper. His dark eyes contrasted the paleness of his skin, and the light hue of his hair. A beard ran along his jaw. Not elaborate and decorated in jewels like King Xristo’s, but a mere shadow forming in haste.
He swam into the royal throne room, flanked by guards both Kappurin and Thalassarin, and found himself an empty seat. His posture was stony, and he stared straight ahead without even twitching a brow.
The Queen slowly got up from her throne, her face marked red with obvious fury. Even King Xristo looked taken aback by the arrival of their oldest enemy.
“How dare you show your face in my kingdom,” the Queen hissed.
Odele, who had been all too quiet up until now turned and smiled at her step-mother. “Do not be angry or alarmed. King Dorian is my guest. I invited him.” Shocked whispers broke through the guests; it even rippled through me. Odele turned to those present and smiled widely. “As Prince Kai exchanges the gift of acceptance to Thalassar, I thought I should do the same. As a new reign begins, I bring with it, an offering of peace between nations.” She gestured at King Dorian, who was stoic as he stared at her. “A new alliance, with Kappur and Thalassar. And…” She clapped her hands, and Captain Saber swam forth, placing a table and a device to play recordings on top of it. When it was settled, he pulled out a conch, chipped and withered with age. My heart began thumping in my chest. “I offer you truth.”
At her words, the captain placed the conch face down on the device and it started. Guests sat forward in their seats, eager and aching with curiosity. I knew what would play before the words even began.
“I, Princess Odessa Malabella Sanitorum, of the mer kingdom of Thalassar, hereby take and accept this mer as my husband, and promise to love and to cherish him, for the rest of my life…”
And then came the answering reply, that shattered everyone into a silence that was eerie.
“And I, Prince Dorian Knoll Genivus, of the mer kingdom of Kappur, hereby take this mer as my wife, and promise to love and to cherish her…”
I watched King Dorian’s reaction. Saw the stony facade slip for but a moment into grievous pain. He’d loved her. He had truly, unconditionally loved her.
“Don’t say that while we’re being recorded!” Laughter flittered from the recording, just before the bubble burst into tiny golden specks.
Everyone was too awestruck to speak.
Until the Queen finally broke the silence, “Odele, what have you done?” It was a voice rife with accusation. She turned to the guests, saw them wide-eyed and begin to whisper with each other. “Ignore my daughter, she is filled with nerves and childish fantasies. Captain Saber, please escort the King of Kappur out of our palace so we can continue this ceremony undi
sturbed.”
“I can assure you, I am not a child filled with fantasies. And neither am I your daughter.” Odele turned to the crowd then, and something in her voice changed, it grew, confident and sure. “It is high time I introduced myself. I am Odalaea Malabella Knoll, daughter of Princess Odessa Malabella and King Dorian Knoll and Heir to the throne of Thalassar.”
Chaos erupted.
Everyone began speaking at once, shouting, whispering, the words became a cacophony inside my head. But I paid it no mind. How could I? I was staring so intently at Odele, my eyes narrowing. She turned to me, and for a brief moment, I caught a glimmer of her eyes. Eyes I had refused to look into since the ceremony had started. Had I looked, had I willed myself to see, I would have realized the truth.
Odele wasn’t Odele at all.
It was Maisie.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Maisie
MY HEART did not stop thundering against my ribcage. Shouts of anger, confusion, acceptance rang all around. As for me, I was staring at my father. At King Dorian and he was staring at me. His expression had been stony, but at my announcement, his whole face changed. Sharp features staring with painful longing up at me. But I didn’t let myself fall into emotion as I took him in.
“Odele, stop this nonsense at once!” the Queen came down from her throne, pushing aside a shocked Percival to come towards me. Kai was there before she could reach, pushing me behind him and assuming a protective stance.
“You will not touch her,” he commanded, menacingly.
The Queen glared at him, and then me. “She is a liar! She is not daughter to Kappur!”
I tilted my chin up and faced the Queen, and for once, I did not feel afraid. “I am.”
“You are Odele, and you are causing a scene and embarrassing our kingdom for your own amusement.”
“Actually, step-mother, if I wanted to cause a scene, I would have done so with much more flourish than this.”
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