Page 20 of Midnightsong
The palace was full of activity, but he didn’t recognize a good half of the sentinels and sentries patrolling about. When did they get there?
Kaden waited outside until a small family of mer left, their merling waving to him as they passed, the parents paying him no attention. He thinned his lips and swam through the open door.
Only Saeryn was present, not a sentinel to be found in the vicinity, or Cassia.
Then it hit him, a shudder vibrating beneath his skin. He had grown used to not seeing his father on the throne, but now, he would never see his mother on it, either. A sense of despondency struck his core.
“Uncle Saeryn.” Kaden floated upright and clasped his hands behind his back, straightening his posture. He thought about what he said during his mother’s funeral. “You said I should have asked about bringing Angie here.”
Saeryn turned with a jolt, as if Kaden caught him off guard. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in. I was taking a rest.” He gathered himself. “I did say that.”
“This is my asking if you would make an exception for her. She’s not here because you banned humans.” Kaden’s skin tightened, recalling Saeryn’s snipe toward Angie. “Not because she didn’t want to support me or pay her respects to my mother.”
Saeryn wrinkled his brow. “Now what kind of example would I be setting if I allowed your lover here, but barred other landwalkers?”
“But you said–”
“Yes, and I thought about it. I’ve decided to uphold my current ban.”
Kaden’s head flinched back. “I–I don’t understand, why can’t she–”
“Don’t you want to talk about anything else? My answer to your question remains no.” He turned his back to Kaden.
Kaden balled his hands into fists at his sides. “Where’s Aunt Cassia?”
Saeryn faced him. “Your aunt is resting in her chambers before she and her sentinels return to her queendom at high suntide.”
“Ah.” Kaden relaxed his hands and made a note to visit her before she left. “Where are our sentinels? Should you not be here alone?”
“I dismissed some of them and will be bringing in my own staff. My most trusted sentinels are on their way,” his uncle said the words nonchalantly, as if he were merely talking about the sea’s routine ebb and flow.
“You just—dismissed them?” Kaden blinked, dumbfounded. “How many?”
“Only the ones who weren’t doing their jobs to protect my sister from harm. Serapha was killed under their watch.” Saeryn shrugged. “I have hundreds of estate staff who will come work for me here. They are reliable, steadfast, and loyal, and will ensure no harm comes to me, or the Crown Prince. Or to you, for that matter. They are on their way here as we speak.”
Kaden’s shoulders shook with disbelief, his tail and muscles contracting in response. “They have been with us for most of my life and have spoken their vows to us. You left them all in the trenches?”
“I didnotleave them in the trenches, and frankly, I’m offended you would suggest such a thing.” Saeryn’s tone was sharp, his eyebrows slanted downward, and Kaden inadvertently flinched.
“They and their families will be well taken care of and will worry for nothing.” Before Kaden could ask him to elaborate, Saeryn brightened and cut him off before he could say a word. “I did want to talk to you, though, because I want to help you.”
“Help me? How?”
“You know our people’s sentiments toward you are mixed at best since Serapha was killed, yes? Once the rumors started about your involvement with a landwalker being the cause of her death, they were hard to stop.” Saeryn’s gills flared, and he blew out a long stream of bubbles.
Kaden swatted away a large bubble and cringed. “Unfortunately, yes. But how did the rumors start? I thought it wasn’t confirmed that my mother was killed by humans until before her funeral.”
“There were always suspicions. With you being away, our citizens were free to make their judgments of you.” Saeryn leaned against his throne and shook his head, frowning. “Need to salvage your reputation with our people. I haven’t thought of how just yet.”
“I appreciate your help.” To have his uncle, the king, on his side would be a boon to Kaden’s image. Truly, it would be ideal to be here without listening to his people’s disdain or coolness toward him.
“We’re family. We look out for each other.” Saeryn gave him a comforting smile and looked over Kaden’s head, raising an arm to usher the next group of mer citizens in.
Kaden took that as his cue to leave for Cyrus and Adrielle’s bedchambers, twenty tail kicks away from the throne room.
To his pleasant surprise, Cyrus was sitting upright with his back to the wall, nestled into a smooth, stone seat with a flat protrusion over his lap to keep him in place. Libbi sat on his lap, and he played a game with her, while Hadrien followed Adrielle from their sizable hammock to their stone cabinets, swimming overhead. The weariness on Cyrus’ face wasn’t lost on him.
The four of them stopped what they were doing when Kaden arrived and Cyrus waved to him. “I thought you would be here earlier.”
