Page 84 of Midnightsong
“Yes, and I don’t want to be scared anymore. I have to believe I can do it. That I can help our queendom and make a difference.” Kaden clenched his fingers together, jittery. The prospect of taking the throne was still daunting, overwhelming. But if he didn’t change course, his uncle would drive their queendom into devastation with a renewed war.
Cyrus swam the short distance to Kaden, grimacing as he did so, and put a hand on Kaden’s shoulder.
“You could have asked me to swim to you,” Kaden protested.
“No, no. I wanted to try moving a little bit, since the aches and pains appear to have subsided. And you’re still recovering yourself.” Cyrus unhelpfully pointed to the bandage still around Kaden’s sides. “You might have been let go from our chambers, but you still need to keep those bandages on you for another tide cycle.”
The one around his tail had come off, his dorsal fin patched up, but the deep wounds in his sides were taking their sweet time. “Yes, yes, Father,” Kaden said in a mocking tone, laughing, and Cyrus gave his shoulder a light shove.
“I am impressed with your change of heart. We’ll have to speak with the council about what we can do to get Uncle off the throne. But first, is there anything I can do to build your confidence further?” With a single tail kick, Cyrus drifted back to his hammock, sitting on the edge again, scrunching his face before his features relaxed. “Are you ready for this?”
“No,” Kaden mumbled. “I’m not you. I don’t know a smidge of what you do, and I don’t have your presence that instantly commands respect. You make everybody love you, while most the queendom hates or is indifferent to me.”
Cyrus’ gills flared open as he took in a long swallow of seawater. “I’m going to give you some advice.” He pointed a finger at Kaden. “You must believe yourself worthy or nobody else will. You may not rule with an iron fist, you may not be a disciplinarian, and your mere presence may not command the attention of those around you—”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Kaden grumbled.
“—I wasn’t finished” Cyrus’ gaze pierced Kaden’s, and he waited for his older brother to continue. “But you are kind, you are open of heart and mind, and most importantly, you relate to the people. That will get you far as a monarch.” His smile was encouraging. “You are enough. Always remember that.”
Kaden held those words,you are enough, close to his heart.
“Thank you, brother.” He put a hand on Cyrus’ shoulder. “Then I suppose my next question should be, what did Mother and Father teach you? Could you share some of your lessons with me?”
“That is the question I wished to hear. We could start with diplomatic relations, and afterward, I could go over other lessons in the coming tidesdays, so I don’t overload you.” Cyrus searched Kaden’s features.
Kaden nodded. “Okay.”
“The first thing when working with mer of any station, but especially to those who serve us, is to remember to never feel like you’re so above them that you cannot praise them for a job well done,” Cyrus started. “It is easy to show our respect and our finest sides to other royals, but you cannot let the power get to your head when speaking with citizens and palace staff. You need them as much as they need you. Next...”
Kaden relaxed his tail around the stalactite and turned his full attention to his brother as he continued, committing his lessons to memory.
Cyrus’ lessons continued until his older brother became fatigued and lied in the hammock to rest again before the tides changed.
Kaden hated to admit he had already forgotten half of what Cyrus had said when he left, but he believed it was somewhere in the back of his mind, and the lessons would reveal themselves later.
He stopped by the throne room to seek out Saeryn, but it was empty, with two sentinels outside the doors. Kaden found his uncle leaving his bedchambers with his blue seaflute in hand.
“Uncle, a moment?” He had to act as usual, not inadvertently give away that he was plotting to overthrow him.
“Yes, Kaden?” Saeryn’s forehead was wrinkled, and he twirled his seaflute around in his fingers.
“I met with Washington’s governor with Angie. He seemed committed to restoring human-mer relations and is willing to work with Aunt Cassia and Uncle Varin.” Kaden straightened.
“That’s good news,” Saeryn said evenly. “Is that all you came to tell me?”
“I thought we could try to meet with the Alaskan governor next. She had expressed she would bring the humans who tried to assassinate me to justice.”
Saeryn’s countenance darkened. “You conducted such an important meeting without speaking to me first?”
“The meeting was meant to be with Aunt Cassia, but Cassia cast Angie out of the queendom and refused to meet with the governor,” Kaden replied, tilting his head. He thought Saeryn would be proud of him for taking a step toward diplomacy, but his uncle was acting exactly the opposite.
“So, Cassia did not go.” An undercurrent of impatience rode on Saeryn’s tone.
“Well, no, why are you so upset?” Kaden scratched absently at his cheek.
“Because landwalker leadership is not negotiating through the proper channels. If they wish to circumvent the monarchs, go behind our backs, then I will not cooperate with them.” He turned to leave again, but Kaden followed.
“I’m asking you to meet with the Alaskan governor!”
