Gustave hadn’t considered this.
“I don’t know enough about them to say. Lina might.”
“Yes, the mysterious Evangelina Shadow-Storm does seem to know something about all this. You believe her story?”
“He offered evidence for her in the Council of Kings,” Prince Edric said. “I should hope that he does.”
It sounded almost like an accusation.
“I have no reason not to believe her.”
Gustave couldn’t help sounding defensive. He bristled at the implication that he would promote lies to the Council.
“My father thinks it was an excuse,” Edric said. “A way for Prince Alaric to marry the commoner he loved but still maintain his claim to the throne.
Gustave laughed. He couldn’t help it. That preposterous theory reminded him of the King of Santelle, who had refused to believe in magic or kraken until he saw them firsthand.
“The older generation does seem strangely resistant to the idea of magic,” Prince Leonardo said. “But is it really that far-fetched? What about the witch who enchanted King Noam? Or all the historical accounts of powerful magicians? Or even enchanted objects like your ring, King Gustave? Magic may be increasingly rare, but it certainly does exist.”
“Increasingly common may be a better description,” Gustave said. “Do you have historical accounts of magic in your library? We have a few texts, but nothing that has proved useful in dealing with mermaids or kraken or curses.”
He added the bit about curses hoping to lead the conversation away from mermaids to magic in general.
“We might,” Leonardo said. “Perhaps an exchange of information would be helpful. If these magical attacks spread inland, I want Darluna to be as prepared as possible. What about you, Prince Edric?”
“What’s that?”
“Does Eldria have any magical texts in their library that they would be willing to share in an exchange of information?”
Prince Edric stiffened.
“I don’t know. I haven’t spent much time in the library.”
They reached the castle and dismounted. Gustave pulled a groom aside and asked him to check on Lady Mer and report back, then led the princes to his study.
A table spread with breakfast food had been set by the window. A boy dressed in a naval uniform sat at the table. He had piled his plate high with food and already worked his way through half of it.
“Oh good, you’re back!”
He stood and gave a crisp salute. Then he seemed to remember he wasn’t on a ship and bowed as well.
Gustave, Leonardo, and Edric stared at him.
“Let’s eat!” the boy said.
He sat down and bit into a strip of bacon.
After a moment of blinking at him in surprise, Gustave sat as well.
“King Gustave of Montaigne at your service,” he said, trying to stay polite and hoping this wasn’t one of Marquis Corbeau’s ridiculous schemes.
The boy swallowed his bacon and grinned.
“Prince Massimo of Santelle at yours. Sorry I started eating without you. Marquis Corbeau said you would be riding for a few hours and told me to wait here. Our ship arrived a few minutes ago.”
“Prince Leonardo of Darluna at your service. Who else came from Santelle?”
“My sister Serafina and our crew. King Gustave, why is there a wedding dress in your study?”
Massimo gestured to the mannequin in the wedding dress, which still stood where Marquis Corbeau had placed it. Gustave grimaced. With everything else that had happened, he had forgotten about Marquis Corbeau’s ridiculous scheme to prepare everything for his wedding in advance.
“You’ve found a bride?” Prince Edric said. “I had not heard that news. Congratulations.”
“I have not found a bride. Marquis Corbeau just wants to be very ready when I do.”
“Is it because he planned for you to marry Carina?” Massimo asked.
Gustave pressed his lips together. Weren’t the royal children of Santelle supposed to be disciplined and tight-lipped? Serafina certainly was.
Apparently Massimo was more similar to Carina than his eldest sister.
“You had an understanding with Carina?” Edric asked.
Massimo chimed in before Gustave could answer.
“No, Carina fell in love with a frog and moved to Aeonia. Well, she was technically banished, but I think she would have gone with him anyway.”
Prince Leonardo dropped his bacon and stared at Massimo. The young prince beamed.
“Serafina said I might find my time here boring, but you all aren’t boring at all.”
“There was a curse,” Gustave said.
This was as good an opportunity as any to bring up curses and gather information.
“Prince Stefan of Aeonia was cursed and became a frog. Princess Carina saved him. Have you all heard of anything similar? I’ve been reading as much as I can about the subject in case it happens again.”
“Turned into a frog? How is that possible?” Leonardo asked.
He sounded more curious than disbelieving, but he didn’t sound like a promising source of information.
Prince Edric was so surprised by the story that he choked on his juice. He coughed, trying to regain his composure. His face had gone pale.
So much for promising sources of information. The only person at the table who knew more about curses than Gustave wasn’t old enough to shave.
A servant entered the room and bowed.
“Your Majesty will be happy to know that Lady Mer is perfectly well and has suffered no ill effects from the earthquake.”
Massimo grinned.
“Who’s Lady Mer? Is she the reason you didn’t want to marry Carina?”
Gustave closed his eyes and wished it was acceptable for a king to hide under the table. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait for the gala.
53
“Oh, Lady Mer. You look beautiful!”
Fiora blinked at her reflection. Collette stood beside her and grinned in the mirror. Fiora hesitated only a moment before smiling back.
Because she did look beautiful. Dowager Queen Bernadine’s dress suited her perfectly. The seamstress had tailored the gown to fit her figure and shortened the hem so the golden heels peeked out from beneath the skirt when Fiora moved.
“Let me see.”
Fiora turned in a slow circle so the dowager queen could study her from every angle. Bernadine’s eyes twinkled with approval.
“Excellent. Now what should we do with your hair?”
Fiora’s heart skipped a beat. It was a perfectly innocent question, but Bernadine’s tone seemed to carry extra meaning. Fortunately, the dowager queen did not comment on squid ink dye again.
“I could braid it if you want,” Princess Serafina offered.
The crown princess of Santelle studied Fiora with eyes every bit as intense as Bernadine’s. Fiora swallowed. She had never met Serafina before today. There was no reason for the princess to recognize her or be suspicious.
So why did Fiora feel like Serafina was sizing her up and looking for weaknesses?
“Um, I’m not sure a braid would complement the dress?” Fiora signed to Collette.
She didn’t want to get on Serafina’s bad side, but the tightly pulled back hairstyle that Serafina called her “dress braid” was too severe for a formal event. She needed to look her best so she could win Gustave’s heart.
“That’s very generous, Princess Serafina, but we have a hairdresser on staff that will see to Lady Mer’s hair,” Collette said. “You should focus on getting ready yourself first.”
“I am ready.”
Fiora and Collette blinked at Serafina, who met their surprise with a steady gaze. The crown princess of Santelle wore a naval uniform. Granted it was clean and perfectly starched, but it was still a uniform.
“This is my dress uniform. I wear it to all formal events.”
“Oh, of course,” Collette said. “Forgive me. It’s just that Carina never wore
a uniform, so I didn’t think-”
“Carina isn’t in the navy.”
“Yes, of course.”
Fiora wished she could sign something to Collette that showed she was surprised as well. Carina and Serafina were about as unalike as sisters could be. Even more so than Fiora and Elspeth.
But Lady Mer didn’t know Carina, so Fiora kept the thought to herself. So far, her luck was holding. She couldn’t let a careless comment ruin her disguise.
“It seems you all still have a lot to do before the gala,” Serafina said. “Would you mind if I slipped away? There’s something I’d like to discuss with King Gustave.”
“Not at all,” Collette said.
Fiora tried not to let her concern show on her face. The question hadn’t been addressed to her, and she had no reason to worry.
But what if Serafina and Gustave had formed an attachment while he was in Santelle? What if-
Fiora took a deep breath and pushed the thought away. Serafina was unlikely to complicate her status as crown princess by marrying a king from another country.
And if he liked her, Gustave would have asked to escort Serafina to the gala.
Instead, he had asked Lady Mer.
Fiora looked back to her reflection. Beauty was far from the most important factor in a relationship, but looking this good certainly couldn’t hurt matters. Perhaps seeing how beautiful she was would further convince Gustave of her worth and capture the rest of his heart.
Someone knocked, and a maid opened the door. Princess Lenora, Elaine, and Lady Annabelle entered.
“Oh, Lady Mer, you look beautiful!” Elaine said.
Princess Lenora nodded her agreement. Lady Annabelle looked like she wanted to murder Fiora, which was as close to a compliment as she was likely to get.
“Our maids said it would be easier for the hairdresser if we all came to your chambers, Dowager Queen,” Princess Lenora said. “I hope that was correct?”
“Certainly. Please, make yourselves at home.”
Princess Lenora took the queen at her word and placed an enormous bouquet of flowers on a nearby table.
“For my hair,” she said, answering Fiora’s questioning look.
She wore another butterfly inspired gown. This one had a long lace train embroidered with a butterfly motif.
“Please ask Princess Lenora if I may take a closer look at the embroidery on her gown,” Fiora signed to Thomas.
The translator repeated the question, and Princess Lenora nodded.
“Of course! I didn’t do the stitching, but I did help design it. It’s based on my sketches of all the butterfly species that live in our garden.”
She held up the train for Fiora to inspect.
“I don’t know enough about butterflies to know the different species, but the needlework is exquisite.”
Lenora beamed after Thomas translated.
“I’m glad to hear it! I appreciate good sewing, but I’m hopeless with a needle myself. It’s always my weakest skill at the Princess Tests.”
Fiora raised her hands to sign that embroidery was her favorite skill at the Princess Tests, but remembered just in time that she was Lady Mer. And a lady pulled from the sea shouldn’t know anything about Princess Tests.
“I’m sure it’s not so bad,” she signed instead.
“Oh, I’m sure it is! Would you like some flowers for your hair, Lady Mer? The hyacinth would match your dress beautifully.”
Fiora blinked in surprise. Was Princess Lenora really offering to share flowers with her? She looked to Collette, who was considering the offer and studying the bouquet.
“We’ll ask the hairdresser what she thinks, but I believe it would look nice. Plus the blue would complement her eyes.”
“Of course you may have some as well if you want, Princess Collette. I brought enough to share. Perhaps the camellias?”
Fiora shared a look of amusement with Dowager Queen Bernadine.
“We’ll all be covered in flowers and butterflies by the end of the evening,” Fiora signed.
The dowager queen winked.
Fiora joined the ladies at the table while they sorted through the flowers and picked out their favorites. Everyone laughed and chatted, and Collette translated whenever Fiora had anything to say.
A huff behind her interrupted Fiora’s thoughts. She turned and saw Lady Annabelle standing in the corner of the room with her arms crossed.
It was such a familiar scene that it made Fiora’s heart ache. How often had she stood in a similar position, either alone or with other bitter girls gathered around her? When you viewed every woman in the room as competition, it was impossible to see them as friends.
Was that how she saw these women now?
She was still trying to win Gustave’s heart, but Fiora’s perspective had shifted. Somehow, she had become friends with the ladies gathered around the table. They had become like human sisters.
With surprise, Fiora realized that she had been enjoying herself for the past few hours. Not pretending. Not competing. Simply having fun with friends.
She looked back to Lady Annabelle, who met her gaze with a haughty glare. Fiora tapped Collette on the shoulder.
“Perhaps we should offer flowers to Annabelle?”
Collette glanced at Annabelle, who stiffened when she realized they were talking about her.
“Are you sure?”
Fiora nodded. She knew how it felt to stand in the corner, but perhaps it was unnecessary. Perhaps they could all get along.
“Would you like some flowers for your hair, Lady Annabelle?” Collette said.
Annabelle’s eyes widened with surprise. Then they narrowed with suspicion.
“Certainly not.”
Collette gave Fiora a look that said “I told you so” and returned to sorting the flowers. Fiora looked at Lady Annabelle, who had moved to a mirror across the room and was brushing imaginary wrinkles out of her skirt.
Perhaps getting along with everyone was too much to hope for.
54
“Tired of your guests already, Your Majesty?”
Gustave quickly looked away from the statue and bowed to Princess Serafina. He had thought he could escape for a few moments alone while everyone prepared for the gala, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
Serafina winked.
“I don’t blame you for hiding. Massimo has that effect on people.”
“No, he’s been fine.”
Her mouth quirked into a smile that said she didn’t believe him. Gustave laughed.
“He’s simply young and overeager.”
“Something like that.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the gala?”
Serafina gave him a look, and Gustave’s face burned. What had possessed him to ask such a question? The last thing he needed was to insult the Crown Princess of Santelle. His time with Lady Mer had loosened his tongue, but that wasn’t always a good thing when you were a king.
He opened his mouth to apologize, but Serafina spoke before he could.
“Military dress takes a lot less effort than civilian formal wear. I can get ready quickly and make better use of my time.”
She gestured to her clean-cut uniform, and Gustave nodded. He didn’t know much about lady’s fashion, but her outfit looked easier to manage than the elaborate gowns most women wore.
“I heard you had another encounter with a kraken.”
Of course news of that incident had traveled to Santelle already. Gustave wouldn’t be surprised if the neighboring country had planted spies somewhere in Montaigne.
“Two, actually. It seems giving the Kraken Heart to the mermaids didn’t solve all our problems after all.”
“That’s a shame. I’d hate to think Carina was banished for nothing.”
A hint of bitterness crept into Serafina’s normally stoic voice. Gustave hurried to reassure her.
“I’m sure the Aeonians will take good care of her.”
“Oh, Carina can take
care of herself. I’m more worried about the kraken. May I be frank, Your Majesty?”
Gustave nodded, not sure what else he could do under the circumstances.
“Carina trusted you, so I’m going to trust you as well. My father would probably consider this treason, but he won’t always be king. I have to think of our future, and one day we will be neighboring monarchs.”
She seemed to expect some kind of response, so Gustave nodded again. Serafina continued.
“I think we’re missing something. Dark magic is waking up across Myora, and the methods that worked to stop it in the past are no longer effective. There must be a cause.”
“You think this is part of a larger plot?”
“It would be foolish not to consider the possibility.”
“Prince Leonardo suggested something similar. He thinks the mermaids are responsible because only coastal cities have been attacked.”
“And what do you think? You have more experience with mermaids than I do.”
“Not much more, and I still find them confusing. In the latest kraken attack, one tried to kill me and two tried to save me. I have no idea what they hope to accomplish.”
“It’s certainly possible that mermaids are responsible, although I have reason to believe humans are involved as well.”
She paused a moment, studying Gustave with a stern expression before continuing in a hushed voice.
“I’ve been sent on a mission to hunt pirates. They’re taking our ships, and even our most experienced captains can’t stop them. Father is still reluctant to admit magical interference, but at this point no other explanation makes sense.”
“You’re chasing magical pirates in that ship?”
Serafina scowled, and Gustave mentally kicked himself for speaking so freely. He had noticed the Sea Frog docked in the harbor while riding back to the castle. It was the ugliest ship he had ever seen, but that didn’t mean he should insult it to its captain’s face.
“This statue is my father.”
He blurted it out, trying to distract the princess from his blunder. Serafina raised an eyebrow, as if to say she knew what he was doing, but played along and turned her attention to the statue.
Princess of Mermaids Page 30
