Unfortunately, that mermaid was Althea.
“My Lady, I wonder if I could trouble you to help me find something I lost at the bottom of the ocean? You see, a kraken attacked my ship, and-”
Althea gave him a look so fierce that Dale grew pale and turned away.
“Were you able to subdue the kraken?” Gustave signed to Fiora.
It wasn’t what he actually wanted to ask her, but there were too many people at the table who knew sign language for their conversation to be truly private.
Not to mention Zoe was recording his every move with that blasted golden ball.
Fiora gave him a small smile, and Gustave had the feeling that she understood his hesitation.
“Perhaps we should begin the negotiations now, Your Majesty,” Madame Isla signed. “This enchantment takes a lot of magic to sustain, and our queen will be eager to hear the results.”
Thomas spoke her words out loud for everyone.
The head waiter returned with a parcel and handed it to Gustave with a bow.
“First, a gesture of goodwill,” Gustave said. “I would like to give you a present.”
He bowed to Zoe and handed her the box. Her eyes widened with delight as she pulled the sweater out. The colors were even brighter than Gustave remembered, and the jeweled seagulls were unbelievably gaudy in the sunlight.
“You wear it,” Fiora said. “Like this.”
She helped Zoe slip the sweater over her head and arms.
“Magnificent,” Madame Isla signed.
“It’s so soft!” Zoe signed.
The mermaids stared at the garish stripes with delight. The humans gathered around the table looked both relieved that Zoe was covered and horrified by the sweater.
“But- You can’t-” Marquis Corbeau stammered.
“He already has,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “It looks lovely on you, dear.”
She seemed delighted by the chaos that had descended over breakfast.
“I believe King Gustave has something to say,” Althea signed.
She glared at Thomas, who quickly spoke her message out loud.
Everyone turned to Gustave.
He took a deep breath and pushed away his nerves. He had planned to make this announcement privately first. To discuss it with his family and make sure they understood his reasons. But he had already made up his mind. Perhaps it would be better simply to proceed and see what happened.
He stood and nodded at everyone assembled at the table.
“Please forgive me for interrupting your meal, but I have an announcement I must make before negotiations begin. It will only take a moment.”
He signed the words as well. Thomas was an excellent translator, but Gustave didn’t want his grandmother to hear this from a secondhand source.
She gave him a piercing look, and Gustave had the strange feeling that she already knew what he was going to say.
But that was impossible, wasn’t it? He himself hardly knew where to begin.
“As you all may have noticed, I-”
He stopped. That wasn’t quite the right place to start.
Then again, he had to start somewhere.
“As you all may have noticed, I got married last night under magical coercion. I normally would not do something so important in such haste. Especially not when my heart belongs to another.”
He looked at Fiora, who met his gaze with wide blue eyes.
“I knew her first as Lady Mer, and I still feel like a fool for not recognizing her true identity sooner. Princess Fiora came to us under a curse, but to me that curse was a blessing because it gave me a chance to know her.”
“Do you think this infatuation is the result of further magical coercion?” Marquis Corbeau whispered to Marchioness Rouge. “Perhaps the skill runs in the family.”
“You’re the one who helped him get married so quickly last night,” she replied. “They’re too polite to say it, but that wedding was largely your fault.”
Marquis Corbeau turned red and stood to his feet.
“The marchioness makes an excellent point. In my haste to see King Gustave suitably married, I ignored the signs that something was wrong. I most humbly apologize for that.”
He sounded genuinely sorry. Gustave couldn’t remember the marquis ever apologizing before.
“That’s quite alright-”
“And I think there is a lesson to be learned from last night. No matter how strong your feelings, it does no good to be hasty when making decisions. Especially about matters of the heart.”
He cast a significant look at Fiora, who returned it with a scowl.
Gustave sighed. He had been trying to build a solid case and explain his reasons. But perhaps in this instance, it was best to be blunt and simply say what he meant.
“I am abdicating the throne to be with Fiora. Madame Isla and the other mermaids will negotiate with my sister Collette and my father to arrange the treaty.”
Lady Anabelle let out an enraged squeak. Everyone else stared at him in stunned silence. Their expressions varied. His grandmother looked a little surprised, but Gustave guessed it was more from his bold manner of speaking than the content of his announcement. Leonardo, Lenora, and Edric looked bewildered. As did his council members.
Collette jumped to her feet.
“Gustave, that isn’t necessary. Fiora is a princess. You can marry her and still be king.”
“What did I just say about being hasty?” Marquis Corbeau said. “You were hasty last night and look where that got you!”
“You’re sure, Gustave?” Bernadine signed.
“I’m sure.”
“I know I missed a lot,” King Francois said, “But apparently I missed even more than I realized. Gustave, what is this about?”
Gustave looked at Fiora. She seemed almost as confused as everyone else in the room. Blast, he was not handling this as well as he had hoped.
“Princess Fiora is half mermaid,” Gustave began.
He paused, searching for the right words.
“Fiora’s mother was a mermaid who fell in love with King Fergal of Kell. Her sisters made her a ring that would let her use the love of a human man to share his life and transform herself into a human. But when his brother died, Fergal’s responsibilities as king pulled him away from Nyssa. He chose his duties to his kingdom over his love, and that caused Nyssa’s death.
“Fiora still has the ring, and it will allow her to remain human through my love. But she must have me completely. I must value her above my other responsibilities, and I cannot do that if I am serving as king. Not to mention this country deserves better than a conflicted monarch. That is why I must abdicate. As much as I love Montaigne, I cannot risk Fiora’s life for my country. Besides, Collette will make an excellent queen. After only a few days, she has already-”
Gustave had been so caught up in his speech that he didn’t realize Fiora had moved until she threw her arms around him and kissed him.
76
Fiora kissed Gustave thoroughly before pulling away. After all her time without her voice, she had realized that sometimes actions were more efficient than words.
“Are you sure?” she whispered. “I didn’t ask this of you.”
“You didn’t have to.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist, and they faced the table together.
Fiora met Dowager Queen Bernadine’s gaze first. The queen looked rather pleased with this turn of events.
“You knew,” Fiora signed.
“I guessed.”
Fiora didn’t ask how. Bernadine probably wouldn’t explain anyway.
“Your Majesty, your abdication is completely unnecessary,” Marquis Corbeau said. “Princess Fiora may be a bit brash, but Kell has a respectable lineage. There is no reason she couldn’t make a suitable queen with a proper education. And many monarchs maintain a balance between ruling and loving their family.”
“He’s already abdicated,” Fiora said. “He doesn’t have to listen to
you anymore.”
“I liked you better when you couldn’t speak.”
“No, you didn’t.”
The marquis shrugged in agreement.
“Gustave, I-” Collette’s voice failed her.
“I don’t know what to say,” she signed. “I never planned to rule this country. I’m not sure I can.”
“Of course you can,” Gustave said. “And you won’t be alone.”
“I still don’t think this is necessary.”
“There is more to the story,” Althea signed.
Fiora looked at her in surprise. Thomas translated, and the conversations around the table quieted.
“When Fiora sacrificed herself to save Gustave last night, she changed the enchantment by sharing her life with him. They are bound to each other through that ring.”
Fiora looked at the ring with surprise.
“Is that why there are strands of copper in the pearl?”
Her aunt nodded.
“You hold Gustave’s life as much as he holds yours. If you abandon him for another, he will die as Nyssa did.”
Fiora swallowed as a strange weight of responsibility settled over her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, squeezing Gustave’s arm. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Don’t you dare apologize for saving my life.”
He winked at her, and Fiora laughed.
“But even that doesn’t mean that Gustave needs to abdicate,” Collette said. “They can rule together. Gustave, you’ve prepared your whole life for this. I-”
“You’re capable and strong,” Fiora said. “And you’re not alone.”
She gestured to everyone at the table. To Dowager Queen Bernadine and King Francois. To Marquis Corbeau and Marchioness Rouge.
“You are more than capable, my dear,” King Francois said. “And I’m here to help now. If Gustave truly wants to do this, then I support him.”
“You’ll be an excellent queen,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “I’ll teach you everything I know.”
“And I’ll teach you everything that you actually need to know,” Marchioness Rouge said.
Dowager Queen Bernadine turned to Thomas for a translation. He swallowed nervously before signing the words, but Bernadine just laughed.
“I’ll still be available to answer questions if you need me,” Gustave said.
“Yes, we’ll help as we can,” Fiora said, surprising herself. “You’re my friend. I won’t abandon you so easily.”
She had definitely spent too much time in Montaigne.
But perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing.
“Tell them the rest, Gustave,” Althea signed.
He nodded.
“Last night, the merfolk offered me a position as a liaison between them and the human world, and I accepted.”
“And as a royal sister, Fiora will serve as an ambassador for the mermaids on land,” Madame Isla signed. “As a princess of mermaids and humans, she is uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between us.”
Fiora blinked, too surprised to speak. Thomas spoke the words out loud so for everyone.
“We recommended this to Queen Gallerus last night, and she agreed with us,” Kathelin signed. “This responsibility is different than ruling a country and should not interfere with the enchantment. Of course this means you’ll have to visit often. Turn Gustave into a frog, and he can come with you.”
Fiora felt Gustave shudder. She interlaced her fingers with his.
“Perhaps it would be fun to be a frog?”
He laughed and squeezed her hand.
“So you’ve abdicated your throne and become engaged to a mermaid princess serving as an ambassador for the queen of the sea.” Marchioness Rouge said. “This may actually be a very strategic match. An alliance with the ocean will be very beneficial for Montaigne.”
She shared a look with Marquis Corbeau, who nodded reluctantly.
“Given the events of the past few weeks, improving relations with the merfolk does seem wise.”
“Engaged? I- That is-” Gustave stammered.
Fiora nudged him with her shoulder and winked at him. He was adorable when he was flustered, but there was no need to rush. They had time now. All the time they needed.
“I hope the merfolk will consider an offer of friendship from Darluna as well,” Prince Leonardo said. “We would be honored to form an alliance with our friends in the sea.”
He smiled at Fiora and each of the mermaids in turn.
“And you must come visit us when you are able, Fiora,” Princess Lenora said. “I would be honored to give you a tour of our gardens.”
A butterfly flew through an open window and landed on her head.
Fiora blinked in surprise. After everything that had happened, Lenora still wanted to be friends?
“Eldria would also like to be part of any treaty negotiations,” Prince Edric said.
He sounded more like he was reciting a memorized speech for a school assignment than genuinely offering friendship.
“We are only authorized to negotiate with the humans of Montaigne, but we will bring your good wishes to our queen,” Madame Isla signed.
Lady Annabelle sniffed in disgust, and Fiora fought the urge to laugh.
“I’d like to know more about mixed magic,” Elaine said. “I’ve never heard of such a thing, but perhaps it was a common practice when magic was more prevalent.”
She looked, not to Fiora, but to Madame Isla.
“I’ve read that mermaids can live to be three hundred years old. Is that true?”
Everyone looked from Elaine to Madame Isla with wide eyes. Fiora waited for the mermaid to deny it, but instead she merely looked thoughtful.
“We’ll talk later,” Madame Isla signed to Elaine. “For now, I agree that we should discover more about mixed magic. It has never been practiced amongst mermaids, and I haven’t encountered it in my research. Is there a human who would know the answer to such things?”
Thomas translated out loud, and Fiora and Gustave shared a look.
“Please, no,” Fiora signed. “Not her.”
“Lina might know,” Collette said when no one else answered. “We should ask her.”
Fiora’s heart sank. Lina was the last person on earth she wanted to talk to.
“How would you feel about trying out that frog enchantment sooner rather than later?” Fiora signed to Gustave. “We could hide in the ocean.”
She expected Gustave to reject the idea, but he seemed to be considering it.
“Visiting Lina will mean visiting Aeonia,” he whispered. “Stefan and Carina.”
He shuddered a little, and Fiora laughed.
“So we hide?”
“I have a feeling your aunts would find us rather quickly. Perhaps it won’t be so bad if we’re together.
Fiora smiled. That would help a little.
A very little.
“If that’s settled, perhaps we should finish eating,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “I believe some of our guests are planning to leave after breakfast. I wouldn’t want to delay them.”
She cast a significant look at Prince Edric. The prince bowed.
“Yes, I’m afraid I must be going soon. In fact, I think I should leave now since this meal has gone on rather longer than planned. Merchant Dale, are you still interested in sailing to Eldria with me?”
Dale looked from the prince to the mermaids, clearly torn between his desire to return home and his desire to retrieve his forks from the bottom of the ocean.
Althea glared at him again, and that settled the matter.
“I would be honored, Your Highness. I should return to my daughters as soon as possible.”
“Then please excuse us. It has been an honor.”
Prince Edric bowed. His gaze lingered on Lady Annabelle for a few moments before he turned and walked away. Dale expressed his fervent thanks to the royal family and hurried after the prince.
“Good riddance,” Dowager Queen Bernadine signed to
Fiora.
Fiora laughed out loud, not caring that her voice filled the room. Gustave smiled at her.
“Will you join me for breakfast, Princess Fiora?”
“Of course, King Gustave.”
“Just Gustave now.”
Fiora smirked.
“You’ll be a prince of merfolk when we’re married.”
Gustave flushed, and Fiora winked at him.
“There’s plenty of time to work all that out.”
“So we agree that Gustave and Fiora should go to Aeonia and see what Lina knows about mixed magic?” Collette asked Madame Isla.
The mermaid nodded.
“I don’t know this Lina, but if she is knowledgeable about magic, then Fiora must speak with her.”
“Sit by me,” Gustave whispered, pulling a chair next to his.
Fiora sat and stared at her plate. It looked delicious, as the food in Montaigne always did, but she felt too nervous about traveling to Aeonia to eat anything. It might as well have been mermaid mush.
“And what about Princess Elspeth?” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “Should we send a message to Kell to inform King Fergal what happened? Do you think he was involved?”
Everyone looked to Fiora.
“I have no idea,” she said. “Kell has had some problems lately, but my father never told me about them in detail. He only stressed that it was essential that I marry a prince so Kell could have an ally.”
That seemed a world and a lifetime ago.
“That does seem curious,” Prince Leonardo said.
“The sudden demise of Prince Darian of Eldria also seems suspicious,” Bernadine said.
“Demise? He isn’t dead,” Collette said.
“But he doesn’t seem the sort to give up the throne easily,” Gustave said. “I wonder what happened.”
“I’m sure it was nothing untoward,” Lady Annabelle said.
Everyone ignored her.
“I don’t know anything of this Darian either,” Madame Isla signed. “What happened to him?”
“It seems I have missed even more than I thought,” King Francois said. “I agree we should discuss these matters, but perhaps we should negotiate with the mermaids while they are here since their time on shore is limited.”
“Finally, someone with sense,” Althea signed. “Your Majesty, before we begin the negotiations, I would be interested to know what you remember about your enchantment.”
Princess of Mermaids Page 40
