castle.
“I told you the salad greens should be absolutely fresh!” Princess Winona’s high-pitched wail drifted from the kitchen windows and carried into the garden as she reprimanded the kitchen servants. Even though Winona had been the first-born child, her younger brother Koios had inherited the throne after the death of their father.
Winona was not born with the Mark of Poseidon upon her. Instead of Queen of the Aequoreans, Winona would forever remain an aging Princess. “You’d think she’d get over it after a few hundred years,” Kae whispered to herself with a shake of her head.
“There you are!” Princess Winona cried. Kae looked up, eyes wide, frightened to be caught spying. She saw she was still alone in her hedgerow, and let out a small sigh of relief. On the other side of the barrier, Winona was saying, “I’ve been looking all over for you, Brynneliana!”
“I’m sorry, Auntie,” Brynn answered. “Did you need me for something?”
“I need you to come with me to plan the Solstice ceremony. It’s your engagement party, after all,” said Winona.
“I’m giving you and father the rest of my life, into a marriage I do not want, to my six-year-old cousin. Can I not have a few more days for myself?”
“Soon you’ll be a Queen,” Winona said. “You must start acting like one, not like some…some…some petulant lovesick guppy!”
Kae gasped and quickly covered her mouth again.
“It is obvious you still miss your drylander…friend,” Winona added, lowering her voice. “Tales of your affair have even reached the Adluo courts. The delegates asked about a drylander child? I assured them that no such abomination exists, nor would an Aequorean princess ever swim to such depths. Now, come with me to meet the representatives, and make your own reassurances. And perhaps, my dear, you should finally take off that ring.”
“I’ll come with you and play nice with the delegation,” Brynn said, her voice devoid of emotion. “But my choice of jewelry is none of your business.”
Kae watched the two Aequorean princesses swim slowly toward the castle. Kae lowered her hand from her face, and took in a deep breath of the salty water. “How can she stand it all?” she muttered to herself, seeing the slump of Princess Brynn’s shoulders, thinking of the sad tone of her voice. “I could never marry a merman I didn’t love. To think, she always has to sacrifice her own happiness. For politics!”
From behind Kae, a deep voice said, “It’s lucky you’re not a Princess then.”
Kae whirled around to see her father hovering there on the path beside her. “Father! I… I was just…”
“Spare me whatever tale you’re trying to weave,” Lybio said with a dismissive gesture. His face looked stern, and Kae felt her cheeks burning under his gaze. “How long were you spying on the Princess?”
“I’m not spying,” Kae protested, crossing her arms against her stomach, making sure to keep one hand over her wounded elbow. “I was tending the gardens when the royal family decided to argue in the next hedgerow. I didn’t know what to do, so I hid.”
“Oh really,” said Lybio, raising one eyebrow. “And what know you of Princess Brynn’s son?”
Kae felt the color drain from her face. The rumors were true? The Princess has a son who’s half drylander? “Nothing. I know nothing about drylander babies.”
Lybio chuckled. “He’s no longer a babe in arms, my child. He was born in the same lunar cycle as you.” He took her elbow with his large hand and steered her down the garden row, toward the castle.
“So there is a child,” Kae whispered as she swam beside her father, eyes widening. “Is he in danger? I heard that Demyan killed his own uncle and aunt in order to claim the title of Regent to his young cousin.” She glanced up at her father, seeing the grim expression on his face.
“I have heard that told as well, and fear it is no rumor.” Lybio exhaled sharply.
“I told you the salad greens should be absolutely fresh!” Princess Winona’s high-pitched wail drifted from the kitchen windows and carried into the garden as she reprimanded the kitchen servants. Even though Winona had been the first-born child, her younger brother Koios had inherited the throne after the death of their father.
Winona was not born with the Mark of Poseidon upon her. Instead of Queen of the Aequoreans, Winona would forever remain an aging Princess. “You’d think she’d get over it after a few hundred years,” Kae whispered to herself with a shake of her head.
“There you are!” Princess Winona cried. Kae looked up, eyes wide, frightened to be caught spying. She saw she was still alone in her hedgerow, and let out a small sigh of relief. On the other side of the barrier, Winona was saying, “I’ve been looking all over for you, Brynneliana!”
“I’m sorry, Auntie,” Brynn answered. “Did you need me for something?”
“I need you to come with me to plan the Solstice ceremony. It’s your engagement party, after all,” said Winona.
“I’m giving you and father the rest of my life, into a marriage I do not want, to my six-year-old cousin. Can I not have a few more days for myself?”
“Soon you’ll be a Queen,” Winona said. “You must start acting like one, not like some…some…some petulant lovesick guppy!”
Kae gasped and quickly covered her mouth again.
“It is obvious you still miss your drylander…friend,” Winona added, lowering her voice. “Tales of your affair have even reached the Adluo courts. The delegates asked about a drylander child? I assured them that no such abomination exists, nor would an Aequorean princess ever swim to such depths. Now, come with me to meet the representatives, and make your own reassurances. And perhaps, my dear, you should finally take off that ring.”
“I’ll come with you and play nice with the delegation,” Brynn said, her voice devoid of emotion. “But my choice of jewelry is none of your business.”
Kae watched the two Aequorean princesses swim slowly toward the castle. Kae lowered her hand from her face, and took in a deep breath of the salty water. “How can she stand it all?” she muttered to herself, seeing the slump of Princess Brynn’s shoulders, thinking of the sad tone of her voice. “I could never marry a merman I didn’t love. To think, she always has to sacrifice her own happiness. For politics!”
From behind Kae, a deep voice said, “It’s lucky you’re not a Princess then.”
Kae whirled around to see her father hovering there on the path beside her. “Father! I… I was just…”
“Spare me whatever tale you’re trying to weave,” Lybio said with a dismissive gesture. His face looked stern, and Kae felt her cheeks burning under his gaze. “How long were you spying on the Princess?”
“I’m not spying,” Kae protested, crossing her arms against her stomach, making sure to keep one hand over her wounded elbow. “I was tending the gardens when the royal family decided to argue in the next hedgerow. I didn’t know what to do, so I hid.”
“Oh really,” said Lybio, raising one eyebrow. “And what know you of Princess Brynn’s son?”
Kae felt the color drain from her face. The rumors were true? The Princess has a son who’s half drylander? “Nothing. I know nothing about drylander babies.”
Lybio chuckled. “He’s no longer a babe in arms, my child. He was born in the same lunar cycle as you.” He took her elbow with his large hand and steered her down the garden row, toward the castle.
“So there is a child,” Kae whispered as she swam beside her father, eyes widening. “Is he in danger? I heard that Demyan killed his own uncle and aunt in order to claim the title of Regent to his young cousin.” She glanced up at her father, seeing the grim expression on his face.
“I have heard that told as well, and fear it is no rumor.” Lybio exhaled sharply.
Similar Books
