Page 42 of Secrets Among the Tides
“Lilies are my favorite.” The Prince stopped and broke away from me. He bent over the bright pink water lilies and picked one. When he turned back, he was handing it to me shyly. “I wanted to apologize,” he said as I took the water lily, face heating brightly as I did. “I did not mean to offend you or hurt you the other day. Your captain implied that I only cared about your well being because my kingdom needs you. While that may be true, I’ve found in the past few days that you aren’t entirely what I thought you were at first. Something…something seems different about you. You have something in you that I didn’t see before.”
I was at a loss for words, not knowing how to reply or what I could say that wouldn’t ruin this moment. My eyes darted quickly over to the soldiers behind us. They had stopped at a respectable distance, the majority of them looking around the waters for any possible threat. Captain Saber was looking at me with narrowed eyes. For a brief second, I wondered if he was chastising me with his gaze, if he didn’t approve.
My fingers tightened against the water lily and I brought it to my nose to sniff. I was here to make a change in any way possible. Why not start then, with Prince Kai? Just because I pretended to be her didn’t mean that I had to be as mean, flippant and daft as her, right?
I was here to make a change.
“I felt it was time for a change,” I said slowly, lowering the lily from my face. “And I was hoping that maybe we could start over. Get to know each other?”
I was sure Captain Saber was shooting daggers in my direction from disapproval but I avoided his gaze. It would do no good to dwell on what the Princess would or would not do in this situation. I didn’t have it in me to be rude or indifferent to Prince Kai. Not when my heart beat faster when he was near. Not when my fingers tingled at the touch of his lips.
“I’d like that, Princess.” He smiled down at me.
“Please, call me M—” I cut off, sucked in a sharp breath, and then breathlessly added, “Call me Odele.”
He took the lily from my hands and tucked it behind my ear. “Then call me Kai.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Kai
IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVEthat anyone could change within such a short amount of time. Princess Odele had gone and proven me wrong.
She was far different from the mermaid I had first met all those months ago. Gone was the selfish demeanor, gone was the judgement, the looking down on servants, on looking down atme.It was like a different mer entirely swam next to me. Her laughter, her actions were different from what they’d been before.
She spoke softly, almost hesitantly and when she laughed, she laughed freely, genuinely. And I couldn’t help but smile along to her words, with her happiness. There was so much I hadn’t known about my betrothed. If we could have gone back in time, and she would have been this way from the start, I was sure that by now, I’d have loved her.
“You didnot!” she nearly squealed with laughter.
I chuckled. “In my defense, I was a child.”
“Sixteen is hardly a child. I can’t believe you snuck a box of puffer fish into the royal hall during a state dinner.” She began shaking her head, the smile lighting up her eyes and face.
“My elder sister, Ting, convinced me to do it.” Rather, she had manipulated me into doing that. But she didn’t need to know how manipulative and insane my sisters could be yet.
“I would have liked to see your advisors faces!” She snorted and had to stop as she bent over laughing. When she laughed, there was a slight snort that she gave through her nose. Something about her changed entirely. It took my breath away.
“They were furious,” I admitted. “But not as furious as the Emperor. I still have the scars from the lashing he gave me.” The remembrance stung. One day, she’d see the slight silver marks criss-crossing my arms. Would she cringe away from them? Or would she press her lips against the ridges of them? The thought froze my insides, it made me, for the first time since meeting her,desireher.
“That seems rather cruel,” she pointed out quietly.
I brushed it off. “It’s rather normal in royal life.” I was sure she was familiar with lashings. How else would they learn everything they needed to know if not through that method of discipline? Or so I’d been told. I thought it rather cruel and heartless myself. I’d vowed that our children would not be educated that way…
“I think royal life should change.”
I blinked at her words. “Change in what way, Odele?” It felt odd, saying her name without the respective ‘Princess’ in front of it. It was pleasant, though.
“There’s a lot that needs to be changed, don’t you think?” She gestured around the gardens with her hands. “I mean, royalty doesn’t really think of anyone but of themselves, don’t they?”
“I’m sure that’s not true—” she shot me a look that had my lips clamping shut.
“Look around you, Kai. We have such lavish lives, while there are people beyond these walls dying of hunger and being murdered for trying to swim away from a war they want no part in. How is that fair?”
“In Draconi, it is considered an honor to fight alongside your Emperor and soldiers.”
She sighed. Though I didn’t miss the passion burning deep in the depths of her black eyes. “But your royals fight by your people. They defend them in battle.”
They did. All royals, advisors and mer of my kingdom were skilled in combat. When there were disputes or wars, even my sisters followed our father out into battle, no fear and with ferocity. The mer in Thalassar were obviously much more delicate in their upbringing. My people would never swim away from a fight, not when it could bring honor to their family for generations to come. And my Emperor and the Princesses would never think of sitting with their arms crossed in the palace while soldiers risked their lives. They were always at the front lines.
