Crown of Coral and Pearl

by Mara Rutherford

  His tone and expression were so earnest I didn’t know how to respond. “That’s never really been my strong suit,” I said, then smiled apologetically. “But I’ll try.”

  I waited for him to smile back, but instead, he ever so gently circled my wrist with his fingers and brought my hand up to his face, laying my palm against his cheek. After a moment, he turned his head and pressed a kiss to my palm, before bowing and disappearing into the dark.

  * * *

  For several minutes, I stood with my back against the wall, trying to catch my breath. What was that? What did it mean? I still didn’t know if Talin recognized me, though the idea that he’d have done such a thing if he believed I was Zadie didn’t feel possible. I stared at the door to Ceren’s study, wishing I could just barge in and rip the hose apart, no matter the consequences. But if Ceren killed me now, sabotaging the device would be for nothing. It wouldn’t do my people any good if I couldn’t warn them of Ceren’s plans.

  I decided Lady Hyacinth could wait, and instead made my way to Lady Melina’s chambers. If Ceren was in his study, he was busy, and while his spies might report my whereabouts, it was a risk I’d just have to take.

  Melina answered the door herself in a long violet robe.

  “What are you wearing?” I asked, admiring the garment. It seemed like it had been ages since I’d seen another person wearing anything bright or colorful.

  “What the king doesn’t know won’t kill him,” she said, ushering me inside. “What are you doing here?”

  “I can’t get into Ceren’s office.”

  “No, I imagine you can’t.”

  I let out an exasperated sigh. “If I can’t get in, I can’t tamper with his device. This was a stupid plan. I don’t know why I ever thought I could be a spy. Sami was right. I spent my entire life trying to be beautiful, not learning anything useful.”

  Lady Melina pointed to a couch. “Sit down. I’ll get you something to drink.” She went to a side table and poured amber liquid into a glass. “Here. It burns going down, but it will help. Now tell me what happened.”

  It did burn, and I nearly spat out the foul liquid. But as I explained what had taken place with Talin, the tension in my limbs began to release. “I don’t know how to stop Ceren,” I said, easing back onto the pillows. “And I don’t want to marry him.”

  She sat down next to me. “Of course you don’t, child. But that’s not why you’re here, is it?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, feeling loose and languid, like I was underwater.

  “You didn’t come here just to marry the prince. I remember what I was like when I was chosen, how honored I felt. I would have gladly married King Lazar, arrogant as he was, if he would have had me. I didn’t even mind being his mistress at first. I thought I could change his mind about me, if I just did everything he asked.” She shook her head. “By the time Talia arrived, I had no more illusions about my life here. She was so young and beautiful and just as desirous to please as I had been. I didn’t have the heart to tell her what it was really like here, so I let her find out for herself. Sometimes I regret that choice.”

  I laid my head on Melina’s soft shoulder, the silk of her robe slippery beneath my skin. “But I’m not like that?”

  She brought one hand up to my hair. “No, child. You aren’t like that. You are curious and wary and shrewd. Even when I told you all the horrible things waiting for you here, you didn’t consider giving up for one moment. Did you?”

  “Maybe for a moment,” I said, yawning.

  Her shoulder shook a little with laughter. “We should get you to bed, child. Sabotage or no sabotage, you’re leaving the castle tomorrow. And I want to hear all about it when you get back.”

  20

  Somehow I made it back to my room that night. I was angry with myself for failing at my task, but I had been lucky. If Talin hadn’t stopped me, I would have been caught breaking into the study by Ceren himself. Fortunately, there was still a chance I could get a note to Sami. I scribbled the quickest explanation I could on a scrap of paper and folded it up in a silk handkerchief before tumbling into bed.

  It felt as if only a few moments had passed when Ebb entered my room to wake me the next morning. “I can’t believe the prince is letting you leave the mountain,” she said as she pulled back my blankets.

  I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “Have you been to the Linrose Lakes before?” I asked.

  She shuddered slightly. “I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never been myself. You won’t go in the water, will you, milady?”

  “No. But not because of the water spirits. Anyway, you’ll be there to keep an eye on me, won’t you?”

  She shook her head. “I’m afraid not.”

  “I realize I’m still new to Ilarean customs, but it seems odd that I wouldn’t be allowed to take my lady’s maid with me.”

  Ebb leaned down to my ear as she helped me out of the bed. “It is odd. But the head maid said something about the need for discretion. Prince Ceren is only taking one servant—the younger brother of the page who died recently.”

  “I see.” Could that be the boy I’d heard in the cave? No wonder he’d been so frightened, if his own brother had died during the experiments.

  “Don’t worry, milady. Just think of how good all that fresh sunshine will feel after days trapped in here.” Her eyes flicked to mine. “Prince Talin will also be there today, I’m told.”

  “You knew he was here last night, didn’t you?” I asked. “Is that why you encouraged me to go to Lady Hyacinth’s rooms?”

  She grinned slyly and walked to my wardrobe. “I was told he’d be attending the gathering.”

  “Well, he did not.” At least, I didn’t think he’d gone there after I saw him. “And anyway, I don’t know why you’d assume I’d want to see Prince Talin when I’m betrothed to his brother.”

  Ebb didn’t even try to look chastened as she changed the subject. “What would you like to wear? It may be warm if it’s a sunny day.”

  I let her choose a deep green silk dress instead of one of the heavier satin or velvet gowns. Though it was cold in the mountain, Ebb insisted summer days in the rest of Ilara were long and warm.

  “When I was little, I would run through the fields on my father’s lands with my brother all summer long,” she said with a faraway look in her pale eyes.

  “What does your father do?” I asked as she helped me into the dress.

  “He was one of the king’s closest advisors, until the king fell ill and Ceren replaced those nobles with his own favorites. My father lost most of his land after that. I send what little money I make home to him.”

  “Are you able to see your brother, at least?”

  She paused for a moment. “Do you have any siblings, milady?”

  Talking about Zadie was a risk, but I couldn’t expect Ebb to confide in me if I wasn’t willing to do the same. “One. A sister.”

  “Then perhaps you’ll understand if I don’t speak about my brother, milady. I would do anything to protect him.”

  I nodded. I couldn’t imagine what danger Ebb needed to shield her brother from, but I knew a thing or two about protecting a beloved sibling.

  When I arrived in the dining hall, Ceren was standing behind his chair, waiting for me. Talin’s place was empty. I glimpsed Lady Melina at the far end of the table, speaking with an Ilarean lord. She didn’t make eye contact with me until a servant presented Ceren with a tray of pastries.

  “Sleep well?” she mouthed with a smile.

  I smirked, only a little embarrassed. I had slept well after the drink she gave me, probably the best I had since coming to Ilara.

  When we’d finished eating, Ceren took my arm and led me toward the massive iron doors. “Are you ready, my dear?”

  My heart fluttered in anticipation. “Yes.”

  The guards pul
led open the smaller door set into the larger doors, creating a bright rectangle of light against the darkness of the hall. Ceren urged me forward, and I stepped through, my eyes half-closed against what I expected would be blinding light after so much time in the dark. But it was like I’d stepped directly into a cloud, all gray swirling mist. Still much brighter than inside the mountain, but not the sunshine I’d been craving.

  Ceren laughed at my expression. “Don’t worry, my lady. Once we descend, you’ll see your beloved sun again. Follow me, please.”

  I had forgotten that leaving the mountain would mean having to climb back up tonight, but I was so happy to be outside, breathing fresh air, that I didn’t care. The descent was much faster than the ascent, and as promised, we broke free of the clouds after just a few minutes. I paused on a stair to look out at the valley before us.

  Soft hills of green and gold, like the rolling waves of the ocean, were spread out below. Here and there I could see the glint of a lake or stream. The sky above us was a clear blue dotted with light, fluffy clouds. But as dazzled as I was to see it all, I also felt something dark and ominous at the edge of my consciousness: the knowledge that this was just for today, and that in a few hours, I would have to return to the darkness behind me.

  “Don’t look so sad,” Ceren said, turning to gaze up at me. He wore a dark hat with a brim so large it shaded his entire face, and I noticed that his hands were gloved, despite the heat. “You should enjoy this moment. Who knows when you’ll see it all again.”

  I had a fleeting desire to nudge him over the edge of the wall, just to see his reaction when he realized someone had stood up to him.

  “Come along,” he said, disrupting my traitorous thoughts.

  When we reached the bottom, a carriage was waiting for us, smaller than the one that had brought me here. The guards mounted their horses as Ceren helped me in. Unlike the last carriage I’d ridden in, there was only one bench. It would just be the two of us inside, and I prayed that the trip was short.

  My skirts were thin enough that I could feel the warmth of his thigh against mine. I kept my hands clasped neatly in my lap so he wouldn’t be tempted to take one of them, but when the carriage went over a large bump, I threw out a hand to steady myself, grabbing the nearest thing available: his forearm.

  I released it immediately, but I could feel Ceren smiling next to me. How he loved to see me squirm, like a worm on a hook.

  “I’m impressed with how quickly you’ve adjusted,” he said. “They say it took Queen Talia nearly six months of sickness before she finally got used to living here. But you’re different than she was. She was so self-aware, and her actions were always calculated, like she was performing in a play all the time. It was as if she’d spent her entire life worrying about how her behavior looked to other people.”

  “She did,” I said, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop myself. “That’s exactly how she spent her life. You have no idea the amount of pressure there is on Varenian women to be beautiful, all so we can be the one chosen to come here.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  I glared at him from the corner of my eye. “It’s all such a waste. You wouldn’t care what I looked like, as long as I can provide you with healthy heirs.”

  He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. “My, aren’t we feisty this morning. Of course your beauty matters to me. If I must marry a wave child, I far prefer a pretty one. But you’re right, it does seem foolish to waste so much time on vanity. My mother was beautiful, too, but what good did it do her?” He shook his head sadly, then added, “At any rate, you’re nothing like Talia.”

  I arched an eyebrow in question.

  “You speak your mind, for one thing. I never heard Talia say anything sharp or angry to my father. She was always the perfect lady, as delicate as a flower.”

  Not so delicate, I thought. A flower could not have survived the journey to Ilara, let alone a life in that horrible mountain.

  “No, you strike me as someone who’s more careless with her beauty,” he continued. “For example, most women with your bone structure would wear their hair pulled back, to show off their cheekbones. But you’ve worn yours down today. Don’t worry, your hair still looks lovely, but it’s not as flattering. I can hardly see that delicate neck of yours.”

  I bit back a growl at the memory of his hands on my throat, but he was right. I never thought about whether or not a particular hairstyle was flattering. Zadie would have.

  “And while I know you’re desperate for color, the green gown was a poor choice. You should have chosen the feathered gown, or the one with the diamond cutout. You have so few chances to display your flesh for my brother, after all.”

  I hated the way he made everything vulgar and ugly. “In Varenia, I wore whatever we could afford. Our pearls don’t buy what they used to,” I told him.

  “See, just one of the many ways you are lucky to have been rescued from poverty. I would wager you have fifty gowns in your wardrobe right now, and I’d order fifty more if you asked for them.”

  I looked out the window, grateful that the curtains had been pulled back today, so I could see out as we rode. “I have no need for one hundred dresses, nor even fifty.”

  “So you don’t like them?”

  I turned back to him. “It’s hard to think about dresses when I know my family could very well be hungry tonight, especially without me there to dive for pearls.” I almost mentioned my injured sister but stopped myself just in time. I had to control my emotions around Ceren, no matter how much he rankled me.

  Before he could answer, the carriage rattled to a stop. I felt it rock as the driver leaped down and came to open our door.

  “We’re here,” Ceren said, handing me out of the carriage. “Lake Elwin, the largest of the Linrose Lakes.”

  Talin and his guards stood off in the distance, some mounted, others holding on to their horses’ leads as they waited for our arrival. Talin was still on his dapple gray stallion, looking as majestic as the day I’d seen him at Old Castle. There was a part of me that wondered if he’d help me if he knew what Ceren had planned for the Varenians. I wanted to believe that he’d helped me last night.

  But he’d also convinced me to dance with him at the ball when he must have known how his brother would react. I couldn’t help thinking that Ceren was right. Talin was a lionfish, beautiful but dangerous, drawing me in even though I knew he could cost me everything.

  When he spotted me crossing the field, he dismounted and walked forward to meet us. He bowed in front of me, his brown hair falling over his brow. “My lady.”

  “Your Highness.” I curtsied, letting my own hair shadow my face, always conscious of my scar around him. I looked away quickly, pretending to take in the landscape. “I didn’t get to fully appreciate Ilara’s beauty during my journey here.”

  I could feel his gaze on me. “I always believed Ilara was the most beautiful thing in the world, until I visited your home.”

  I had promised myself I would avoid eye contact with him today, but my glance betrayed me at his words. Was he referring to Varenia, or Zadie? Or was it somehow possible he meant me?

  Ceren’s hand landed heavily on my shoulder, staking his claim. “Thank you for meeting us, Talin. I know your men are busy, but I think what you’re about to see will impress even you.”

  “Are you so difficult to impress, Prince Talin?” I asked.

  He smirked in response, and something caught in my chest.

  “Only when it comes to me,” Ceren said. “Isn’t that right, brother?”

  Talin ignored him and took my arm. My pulse quickened at the contact. “I am very impressed with your bride-to-be,” he said over his shoulder.

  I could feel the tension rolling off Ceren as he walked on my other side. Along the bank of the river, Ceren’s guards and the young page were inflat
ing the air bag with a pair of large bellows.

  Talin scratched at his hair. “I must say you’ve outdone yourself this time, Ceren. I have absolutely no idea what I’m looking at.”

  Ceren continued on toward the device. “Not to worry. You will soon enough.” He unclasped his coat and handed it to the boy. “I’m afraid I need to undress for this presentation. My lady, please avert your gaze. I wouldn’t want to spoil our wedding night.”

  I scowled and turned away gladly. A few moments later I heard a splash, followed by Ceren gasping at the cold. I turned around to see his head and bare shoulders floating above the water, his hair fanned out around him on the surface.

  “Is it really necessary for you to do this yourself?” Talin asked. “It seems dangerous, and none of my men can remove their armor fast enough to help you should you need it.”

  “I wouldn’t go in there if my life depended on it,” one of the guards muttered.

  “At least let me take my armor off before you go in,” Talin said, but Ceren brushed off his concern.

  “I won’t need help. Boy, hand me the hose and goggles.”

  The waters around Varenia were crystal clear, and we were used to opening our eyes underwater, but this lake was murky and dark. The little page tossed the goggles to Ceren. He looked terrified, but it was hard to say if it was the water, Ceren, or the contraption that was scaring him. Probably all three.

  Ceren placed the end of the hose in his mouth and took a few breaths to test it. Then he removed the hose for a moment and told Talin to time him before diving under the surface of the water.

  One of the guards began to count off the seconds as we watched from the edge of the lake.

  “How deep is it?” I asked Talin.

  “I have no idea. Ten feet at the most, I’d think. You didn’t see it, but he weighted his feet against the buoyancy.” He thought for a moment. “You knew about this, didn’t you?”