Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguié

parents , she thought, laughing.
    “It’s not every day they see me walk in carrying a gorgeous woman ” He laughed.
    An older man approached them. “Highness, may I be of assistance?”
    “Yes, Peter. This is the young woman who saved my life. She’s the survivor of a shipwreck. Can you see that she is taken care of?”
    Peter glanced at her, taking in her disheveled appearance. He looked like a kind man, and Faye smiled at him. The ghost of a smile touched his lips in return. “I’ll see to it that she is presentable by dinnertime.”
    “Sooner, if you can. She and I have a lot to discuss. She seems to have sprained her ankles and she’s lost her voice.”
    “Then you’ll be doing all the talking and she’ll be doing all the listening. That sounds familiar” Peter remarked dryly.
    James laughed. “I listen to you.”
    Peter snapped his fingers, and a large woman with a merry face scurried forward. “Sarah, help me get the lady to her room.”
    James gently set Faye down on her feet. She began to sway, but Peter and Sarah caught her. They urged her to drape her arms around their shoulders and walk between them. She did as she was bid.
    Each step was less painful than the one before it, and by the time they reached the end of the room she wasn’t wobbling half so much. Once they got her upstairs and into a room, they lowered her down onto a piece of furniture that seemed made for sitting upon.
    She sighed in relief and rubbed her feet.
    “My lady, I will be leaving you in Sarah’s care. She can see to anything you require,” Peter said.
    She nodded that she understood. He bowed deeply and left the room.
    Sarah gazed cheerfully at her. “Well, my lady, let’s get you cleaned up, shall we?”
    Before she knew what was happening, she had been dumped into a large tub of hot water. She laughed silently. Looks like I’m back in the water again! The water was different from what she was used to, though. It felt different on her skin and it smelled and tasted different as well.
    She could tell that Sarah was laughing at her, but she didn’t care, it just made her laugh harder. By the time she made it out of the bathtub she was exhausted.
    Next, Sarah tried to dress her in yards and yards of fabric. They both had the giggles by the time it was done. At last Sarah stood back. “Well, you’re looking like a lady now, and a beautiful one at that,” she asserted.
    Faye blushed, pleased by the compliment.
    “Now, let’s not keep the prince waiting any longer,” Sarah gushed. She led Faye from the room and downstairs to the main floor. Off the great hall was a chamber with a roaring fire and several chairs and couches.
    Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized James pacing before the fire. He turned to see her, and a huge smile wreathed his face. He strode forward and clasped her hands. “You look radiant.” He turned to Sarah, “Thank you, Mrs. Goodman. I appreciate your efforts.”
    It was Sarah’s turn to blush as she curtsied deeply. She excused herself and hurried out, leaving them alone.
    James led her to a seat and she accepted it gratefully. Her legs seemed to be getting stronger by the minute, but they were still sore and a little weak.
    “I want to know everything about you,” he told her, sitting beside her. “Is your voice any better?”
    She tried to speak even though she knew she would not be able to. No sound came out, and she shook her head.
    “It’s no matter. I’ve had an idea,” he told her. His enthusiasm was contagious, and she couldn’t help but smile.
    “I have parchment, a quill, and some ink. You can draw the answers.”
    He showed her a large, flat piece of paper. He pulled an ornately carved wooden table over in front of her and placed the parchment on top of it. He also put down a bottle of dark liquid that made her think of the ink an octopus would spit at an enemy. Mer-kin had learned to use that ink to make markings upon rocks and shells. Lastly he handed her a