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I dropped my hands from Faraall’s chest. “Who cares?” My response came out a little quicker than I’d hoped, ruining my attempt to diffuse the tension. “Let him be, brother.”
“That’s Charm,” said my sister, either unaware of the jealousy raging inside Faraall, or purposefully stoking his fires.
Whatever the case, I wished she wouldn’t encourage him.
“He has three older brothers, all just as handsome as he is.”
Sea god! Shut up, Nimian, you fool.
Faraall’s pale features blazed red. “Where does he live?”
“Down by the Tritonian Rim,” replied Nimian.
By now, I wanted to knock her on the back of the head. Was she really stupid enough to fall into his trap and divulge those details?
Faraall’s eyes sparkled with the promise of pain. “Tell him to stay away from Nyssa, or I’ll squash him like a crab.”
With that he streaked away in a furious haze of bubbles.
A silent terror squeezed my lungs. Faraall’s jealousy and possessiveness worsened by the day. Taura’s mother, my aunt, had counseled me to discourage the commander’s affections. But that wasn’t working. I was at a loss as to how to control the situation. Faraall was a very large and dangerous predator. Even worse than a shark. His unpredictability and rage frightened me to the core.
“Slimy slug,” my sister hissed, her gaze on the retreating commander. “He makes my scales crawl!”
Mine, too. The tension Faraall had left behind tightened around me like an octopus’s tentacles.
I grabbed my sister by the arm. “Why’d you tell Faraall where the noble lives?”
Nimian let out a mocking laugh and rubbed my arm gently. “Oh, don’t worry, big sister. I sent that sniveling Dugong on a wild seaweed chase.”
Thank Poseidon.
The water cleared of Faraall’s nasty energy, and my body relaxed.
My sister swept a loose strand of hair from my eyes. Any interaction with Faraall left me drained and jittery. Irritatingsand grains scratched inside my stomach. My tongue felt numb, and I was unable to string two words together.
“Let’s not be late for Father’s announcement.”
Nimian linked arms with me, tugging me forward, and we flowed into the main hall.
Father’s announcement. I’d forgotten all about it. The dread in my stomach thickened at Faraall’s smug warning of the wonderful news concerning my future. Whatever pleased the commander was bound to do the opposite for me. Father had best not be planning to put me on duty supervising sniveling, snotty young nobles for a charity initiative. I’d rather do all the work alone than deal with their whining.
A crowd of important merfolk—government officials, top soldiers in the king’s army, and all the other noble ranks of court, both male and female—were assembled in the declaration hall. The kingdom of Tritonia respected both sexes equally…unlike some of our human counterparts.
Per mercustom, my sister nodded at the nobles we passed.
Me? I grabbed two pouches full of seagrass wine from a passing servant and downed them both. This earned me condemning glares from the nobles. Screw them. When they leaned in toward each other, nodding, I knew the judgments flowed between them. So, I snatched a few crabsticks, stuffed them in my mouth, and chewed with it wide open. Offended by my mortal sins, the nobles huffed and slithered off.
Good. I didn’t care for formality and couldn’t tolerate snobs.
Many of the guests floated around the long rows of pews. Servants skittered about, carrying platters of oysters, caviar, seaweed rolls, and more, offering them to the assembled guests. Crystals glowed from the ceiling, casting soft light upon the room. Big bouquets of sea blooms brightened the room. A band played soft orchestra music and drums in the background. Curtains of sea vines draped between the columns.
Janial, one of the servants, held out a platter of caviar for me. “An appetizer, Princess?”
At events like this, my mouth usually watered. But the incident with Faraall had left me hollow and scratchy, like sand had deposited in my gut. I’d only eaten the last starter to piss off the nobles.
“No thank you, Janial,” I replied.
The servant smiled and went about her duties. I’d always had a soft spot in my heart for Janial. She’d been in my father’s service for fifteen years. Worked harder than a sea lion trying to score its next meal. Always going above and beyond her duties. When I was a child, Janial had always served me less seaweed because she’d known I hated it, but my mother had insisted I eat it.
