Page 18 of Beacon

And although I wasn’t sure how he could possibly fulfill such a vow, I wanted to believe it was possible. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation, the prince didn’t seem deterred; if anything, the challenge seemed to excite him. His faith helped quell some of my despair in order to stoke the hope lying dormant within me, and for the first time since learning of Father, I felt some semblance of peace.

Without the specific map he required, we were forced to return to the palace and peruse the ones contained in the royal library. Eventually, the prince was able to find one whose shape seemed to match the island I’d taken him to, but even with this map we unfortunately made little progress.

For the next hour we busied ourselves looking through the atlas until a servant arrived to announce dinner, signifying the end of my time with the prince. Despite my initial reluctance to accompany him to the palace, I now found myself not wanting to leave. By his frown I hoped he might share my silly sentiments.

“We didn’t have nearly as much time as I’d hoped.” He tapped the latest map we’d been perusing with his fingers, considering the matter, and soon, one of his frequent smiles appeared. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

I stiffened.Stay for dinner? As reluctant as I was to part from his company, the thought of dining in such opulence with the rest of the royal family sounded akin to torture. I adamantly shook my head, but he talked over my show of protest.

“I’d love to introduce you to my family, and after dinner we can look for more information about your father. Please, Marisa.”

I nibbled my lip, considering. By the time we finished, it’d be long after dark. The thought of being away from the lighthouse at night only increased my anxiety; I was desperate to be there to guide any ship that might need our light, anything to atone for my past mistakes.

But my desires were impossible with Uncle’s arrival depriving me of my usual duties, leaving me without my usual purpose. Other than the uncertainty of Father’s fate, there was no feeling more helpless than being at the lighthouse while being forced to remain uninvolved. Spending the evening at the palace would offer me a rare reprieve from my hopelessness.

I weighed my options with my desires. In the end, the thought that additional research with the prince might help us obtain the information needed to help Father compelled me to push aside my nerves at the thought of dining with him, and I agreed.

If only I knew what a simple agreement would entangle me in. If I had, I’d have done all in my power to find the courage to express my adamant refusal. But by the time I realized the outcome of this meal with the royal family, it would be too late.

CHAPTER7

My heart pounded in an unrelenting tempo against my ribs as we waited in the dining room for the arrival of the royal family. My nerves were taut as I took in the glitter and grandeur of the palace’s dining room. It was large and spacious, decorated in gilded gold and seashell accents. Lacy drapes outlined floor-length windows, which offered a majestic view of the ocean where the sun was just beginning to set, bathing the waves in hues of rose and gold. A crystal chandelier cast glistening light across the elegant dishes lining the table, a cheery effect in such contrast to my escalating anxiety.

I felt entirely out of place being surrounded by such opulence while dressed in my common attire about to meet our kingdom’s sovereigns; I didn’t even know how to properly curtsy, considering it was a skill an insignificant daughter of a lighthouse keeper had never had any need to know.

I wrung my hands as my nerves escalated, only stilling when Prince Owen rested a reassuring hand over them, his touch gentle. “There’s no need to worry. My family is very kind.”

I took a steadying breath in an effort to calm myself…only to stiffen as the wide doors swung open. It wasn’t Their Majesties who entered but one of the princes escorting a dark-haired beauty on his arm. He slowed when he noticed me sitting beside Prince Owen.

“Forgive me, I didn’t realize we had a guest.”

Prince Owen’s grin didn’t falter as he rose to perform the proper introductions. “Ronan, Seren, this is Marisa. Marisa, this is my brother and his wife, Crown Prince Ronan and Crown Princess Seren.”

I shakily stood to bob a sloppy curtsy that didn’t go at all like I’d painstakingly rehearsed in my mind. Princess Seren nodded in greeting while Prince Ronan’s polite bow was marred by his lifted eyebrows. “Are you the same Marisa, the mermaid who rescued my brother?”

Heat prickled my cheeks even as Prince Owen’s ears turned bright red. “She’s not a mermaid. You know I was only joking when I told you that.”

“With the way you recited the story, I expected you were sincere in believing some mystical creature to be responsible. Forgive me for misunderstanding.” Despite Prince Ronan’s solemn apology, his eyes glistened with silent laughter at his younger brother’s expense. Prince Owen scowled.

Princess Seren rested a light hand on her husband’s arm. “Dear, perhaps you can hold back on your usual brotherly teasing; we must do our best to make our guest feel welcome.” It was as gentle a scolding as she could have given considering the circumstances. Prince Ronan was immediately repentant.

“You’re right. Forgive me, Miss Marisa, for teasing my brother at your expense. I’m most certainly pleased to welcome you.”

He bowed again before helping his wife into her seat, which she lowered herself into rather slowly considering she was round with child. Prince Ronan gave her an affectionate smile before settling in the seat beside her and taking her hand. He turned back to his brother.

“Are Mother and Father aware we have a guest?”

Prince Owen shifted a bit guiltily. “I thought it’d make for a nice a surprise.” As if he hadn’t invited me spontaneously on the spot.

Prince Ronan’s responding smile was tight. “They’ll certainly be surprised.”

Prince Owen frowned. “What do you mean? They’ve never had a problem with unexpected guests. Are you aware of something I’m not?”

Prince Ronan and Princess Seren exchanged a wary look before the crown prince offered his brother a rather forced smile. “They’ll undoubtedly be pleased to meet the woman who rescued you…and that she’s actually real. The more you recounted the story, the less plausible it seemed.”

The crimson lining Prince Owen’s ears darkened, but before he could retort, the doors opened once more. Again I stiffened, but as before, it wasn’t the king and queen but the last two princes—one entered with a confident stride and an air of self-importance while the other shuffled in behind him with his nose burrowed in a book, which he didn’t look up from even as he settled at the table.

The other prince didn’t immediately sit but swept into a formal bow upon noticing me. “I didn’t realize we had the pleasure of entertaining a guest.”

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