Page 45 of Taken By the Storm King

She smiled sleepily, the events of the day catching up with her. Her eyes drifted closed. “I’m glad I fell.” Her voice was soft. “I’m glad you caught me.”

I watched as her breathing deepened and evened out, her face relaxing into peaceful slumber. Tomorrow, she would become my queen, binding our lives and fates together. Tomorrow, my kingdom would truly enter a new era.

In the quiet of her chamber, with only the gentle sound of her breathing and the distant song of the deep currents, I allowed myself to fully acknowledge how dramatically my life had changed since her arrival. From solitary king to besotted mate, from isolated ruler to bridge between worlds.

I traced the scales on my forearm, following the newly applied patterns that told our story. Lucy’s steady breathing filled the room, a rhythm I hoped to fall asleep and wake to for the rest of my days.

LUCY

The pearls pinched my skin as Naia pressed them into my hair. A cool sting followed each one, the adhesive binding them to me for the ceremony.

“Hold still,” she muttered, her scaled fingers deft despite their size. “These are from the deep caves. Each one signifies a virtue of queenship.”

The memory pearl at my throat translated her words with a subtle pulse against my skin. I’d worn it for only days, yet already the foreign language slipped into my mind with greater ease.

“This one,” Elder Veda said, holding up an opalescent sphere, “represents wisdom in judgment.” She handed it to Naia, who wove it into my crown of pearls.

“Another for fertility,” Maris added with a sly smile, passing a pearl with a faint pink glow.

My face flushed. “Is that really necessary?”

“Very,” all three women answered in unison, then laughed at my discomfort.

I caught my reflection in the polished shell mirror. The traditional attire transformed me into someone I barely recognized --- flowing robes of blue-green silk that shifted fromturquoise to emerald with every movement, shimmering like the surface of water hit by sunlight. Embroidered with golden thread in patterns that mirrored Thalassar’s scaled markings.

“Something missing,” I murmured, eyeing the elaborate getup. The gown draped my curves in a way that would certainly please Thalassar, but lacked a personal touch. “Can I add one thing?”

Elder Veda’s silver scaled brow rose. “What did you have in mind?”

I reached for my crumpled Earth uniform, folded on a nearby bench. From its pocket, I withdrew the small insignia of our mission --- the Earth and Sanos, two spheres intertwined.

“This.” I pinned it over my heart. “To remember why I’m here.”

“And why are you here?” Veda asked, her black eyes studying me. “Not just for our king, I think.”

I touched the pin. “I came to find a home for my people. I’m staying because I found a home for myself.”

Naia smiled as she made the final adjustments to my gown. “It is good. The symbol links what was and what will be.”

The memory of Thalassar’s proposal flooded back to me --- his black eyes filled with vulnerability as he’d asked me to stay, not as his guest, but as his queen. The moment I realized I couldn’t leave, that the mission had become secondary to the pull I felt toward him.

“Are you ready?” Maris asked, breaking into my thoughts.

My stomach knotted. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Then let us begin,” Elder Veda said, her voice solemn. “The kingdom awaits its new queen.”

The clearing around the sacred tree left me speechless. In the days since Thalassar had first shown it to me, the space had been transformed. Glowing flowers and woven strands of pearls hung from the golden vines, casting shifting glimmers oflight across the gathered crowd. The massive trunk glowed softly from within, as if the tree itself had awakened for the occasion, its energy pulsing in gentle waves that I could almost feel in the air.

Hundreds of Thalassar’s people lined the natural pathways formed by the ancient roots, their scales creating a living mosaic of colors that shifted as they moved. The air held hints of salt and sweet floral notes---the same scent I’d noticed on my first visit here, but stronger now, more vibrant.

But I saw only him.

Thalassar stood beneath the widest branch of the tree, tall and powerful. His ceremonial attire accentuated every inch of his imposing frame --- deep blue robes embroidered with gold, leaving his scaled arms bare. Ancient symbols painted across his bronze skin in luminous pigment gleamed in the tree’s golden light. His black hair flowed free, reaching past his shoulders.

When our eyes met, his face transformed. The stern, regal expression melted into naked adoration.

I walked toward him, each step bringing me closer to a future I never imagined. The pearl translator at my throat whispered the significance of each element I passed --- small pools of sacred water representing life, glowing crystals symbolizing eternity, the ancient roots beneath my feet connecting us to the past and future of his kingdom.

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