Page 28 of Secrets Among the Tides
My lip twitched into a mocking smile. “Princess.” I bowed low and when I straightened, had the satisfaction of seeing her face go red. My eyes lingered over her modest pink dress and golden clips keeping her long purple tresses back.
Her teeth were biting down hard on her lower lip and I couldn’t help but stare at her mouth. She released her lip and stuck her tongue out to trail over them. There was something different about the shape of her lips, the arch of her throat…
Her words had been more than enough proof that there was no change in her. She was still the same spoiled little Princess she always has been.
Still, I smiled dutifully, pretending as though I hadn’t heard a word as I looked from her to the captain, who was leaning a bit too close to her, instead of trailing behind. When he saw where my gaze lingered, he took a few strokes back and stiffened, his hand going to the hilt of the weapon at his waist. As if I’d be capable of hurting my betrothed. No. Even if I felt nothing for her, I would never harm her. Not when I—mykingdom—relied on this engagement.
“How are you today?” I asked.
She let out a breath. “I’m fine, your Highness.”
“I am glad to hear it.”
An awkward moment of silence stretched out, almost infinitely, before us. One of my advisors coughed, breaking the tension. I turned to them, to their sour faces. My father had insisted they come with me to Thalassar. To begin grooming me on the foreign politics of this kingdom and on the Princess. As if I needed their help to understand her. As if I needed them trailing behind my every move.
“You are dismissed,” I told them firmly. Their eyes widened, but they stayed where they were. They never wanted to obey me. I cleared my throat. “You may take your leave…now.” They looked at me reluctantly, looked at the Princess and I knew what they were thinking. They didn’t think it safe for me to be alone with her before we were wed. It was scandalous, to go around without a chaperone. What century did they think we were in? I had no interest whatsoever in her and her guard was there, besides.
They turned around and swam away slowly. Only when they were gone did I turn back to Princess Odele. “Princess, will you take a swim with me about the palace?” I offered her my arm out of politeness, almost expecting a clever or irritable retort. If she didn’t, there was nothing I had to lose. Taking her around the palace gave me the perfect excuse to get away from my advisors. If she declined, it gave me the perfect excuse to get away fromher.
“That would be lovely.” She smiled widely at me, surprising me entirely as she placed her arm in mine.
We began our swim. It was slow and awkward those first few moments, but then the silence stretched into something far more comfortable as I peeked sideways at her. There was a tentative smile on her lips as she looked around at the high arched ceilings and windows of the castle. Her facial expressions made it seem as though she were seeing the place for the first time.
I was so enthralled in her expressions as she looked around, so lost in the trance of her eyes that I didn’t notice or register the words that came out of her moving mouth.
“Excuse me?” I blinked.
She turned to me then. “I apologize for what you heard. I—I don’t know what came over me—”
“I assure you, it’s alright.”
“It’s not, though. It was cruel of me to say that.”
I blinked at the mer who would be my wife, and inexplicable anger swelled up inside me. I’d never lost my temper around her. I never raised my voice or responded to any of her grievous comments. But this pretending? I could no longer hold back my words. “Really, Odele, there’s no need to pretend. I know our engagement was one of convenience and no love exists between us. I’m not a fool. I know you dislike me. Do not insult me by feigning otherwise.”
Her posture changed in an instant, from being relaxed to tense. Slowly, she pulled her hand from my arm and brought it back to her side. Something in her face fell, completely broke in that instant. And for a moment, the look in her black eyes broke me, too.
I came to a halt, grabbing her arm to stop her, too. She gave a tiny gasp and the captain started forward so I dropped my hand, took a stroke back. I wanted to groan, shout. Instead, I ran a hand through my hair with frustration.
“Princess, forgive me. I haven’t seen you in months. In all that time, whenever I inquired about you with the King and Queen, they told me you were not well enough yet. Now, you are here and…” I trailed off, looking over her lithe form.
“And now I’m different?” she asked with a sad smile on her lips. I nodded and she sighed.
I found myself once again enthralled in her every detail. So different from what it had been. Not weighed down with heavy layers of makeup and jewels. She was no longer rounded in figure, but was thin, muscular. Her nose was a little sharper than usual, the tip of it tilting up ever so slightly. Her eyes were a darker shade of black, her hair a darker shade of purple.
“Maybe the illness has changed me a bit,” she said quietly, but firmly. From the corner of my eye I saw the captain shoot her a warning glance. “Maybe I want a chance now to make things right.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed her or if she was just playing me for a fool. But gods, I wanted to believe her every word. So I found myself smiling at her and offering her my arm once again. “Then shall we continue our swim, Princess?”
“We shall, Prince.”
And she put her hand in my arm, and I felt in that moment, something shift between us.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Maisie
IFELT THE WARMTH ON MY ARMand the tingles running up my skin throughout the night. I felt them the next day when I got up and got ready for the anniversary dinner that would take place late in the afternoon. The Prince’s touch had provoked nerves inside me. It wasn’t just because of his beautiful face or kind, soft voice. I tried to tell myself that I wanted to be kind to him, because I wanted him and the Princess to get along.
