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“It’s soap! You wash with it! You don’t eat it,” the guard groaned. “Were you raised by wolves?”

The prince gave him a hard look, and, disgruntled and thoroughly disgusted by the taste that filled his mouth and throat, waved a hand through the air in a swimming motion to indicate a Mer tail.

“What?” Brighton frowned at him, then said in jest, “You were raised by fish?”

Kaerius stared at him and nodded once.

“It was a joke. Get cleaned up. The princess shouldn’t have to wait for you to figure out soap tastes bad.” Brighton’s voice had a frustrated edge, and he turned toward the door. “Soap every inch and rinse well. Don’t take forever.”

Kaerius sighed.

He bathed quickly, trying to ignore the soap taste that would not fade. If soap was meant for washing, he used it correctly, washing every sand-crusted crevice and salt-stiff strand of hair. When he stepped from the water again, having rinsed as well as he could, it was the least-salty he had ever been.

The whole experience was disorienting; the basin was so small he could not stretch out both arms and legs at the same time, and when he stood up, the water came only just over his knees. What a strange, sad little puddle of water!

Still, his human body had enjoyed the warmth. He shivered in the cold air as he dried; he felt that this human body should go into his new clean clothes dry rather than wet. When he stepped into the hallway, Brighton turned to him with a relieved look. “Oh, good. You’re decent. Tuck in your shirt.”

Kaerius raised one questioning eyebrow, and the man reached forward and began to do it for him. The prince raised his arms out of the way, letting himself be turned out as the humans thought appropriate. Brighton tucked the prince’s shirt into his trousers and straightened the cloth over the prince’sbroad shoulders. He straightened the prince’s cuffs and collar, then stepped back. “Are shirts new to you?” he muttered.

The prince nodded his head, amused at the man’s startled look. Hehadattempted to communicate this. It wasn’t his fault the guard had thought he was joking.

“Really?” Brighton frowned thoughtfully. “Hm.” He produced a comb from his pocket and handed it to the prince.

Though the design of the comb was different than Kaerius had seen before, the concept was not unfamiliar to him, and he combed his hair without protest. It took some time, for his hair was thoroughly tangled and came down to his shoulders, but he did not hurry. He wanted to be pleasing to the princess. He was then presented with things called socks and boots, which befuddled him for a moment before the guard said, “Put them on your feet.”

At last, Brighton led the way down the hall. “Her Royal Highness is not obligated to see you at all; she does so out of the goodness of her heart. I’m sure you understand that if you offer her any violence, your life is forfeit in the most unpleasant way you care to imagine.”

Kaerius thought, with a grim smile, that the guard severely underestimated Kaerius’s imagination if he thought humans could match the threat of the Lord of the Deep. But he made the sign for acknowledgment and agreement, as if it would be understood.

He followed Brighton up another flight of stairs. Then another.

By the top of the third flight, Kaerius’s blood was pounding in his ears, and his leg muscles burned. The boots felt heavy and unwieldy on his unfamiliar feet, and he found it even more difficult to walk in these strange coverings than he had barefoot. He flared his nostrils and kept his breathing steady; no human would see him struggling at something so mundane as climbingstairs, now that he was at least somewhat recovered. Then, partway up the next flight of stairs, he doubled over and coughed until the world spun. His chest felt like the entire ocean was crushing him, and he tasted saltwater as he gasped for breath afterwards.

He felt absolutely wretched.

Brighton eyed him with what Kaerius took to be concern, and the prince straightened his shoulders and persevered.

Much to his relief, at the top of the fourth flight of stairs they turned down a short hall, passed through a door, and then entered a larger room with a vaulted stone ceiling and enormous windows that looked out over a valley below. Cool sunlight spilled over the stone floor and mingled with the dust motes dancing in the air. Far, far in the distance green hills lurked behind a haze of fog. At the opposite end of the room, the princess sat in one of two golden chairs upon a dais.

“Bow,” prompted Brighton.

Kaerius shot him a glance, and when the guard bowed, Kaerius imitated this gesture. Then, without waiting for permission from Brighton, the prince strode up the long green carpet towards the princess with his shoulders back and his head high.

“I see you are alive and well,” said the princess.

The prince drank her in with new appreciation. She was lovely indeed, with her hair the color of shadows. Her dress was a deep blue that set off her golden skin, smooth and soft, and her dark hair fell in waves over one shoulder.

“Can you talk yet?” asked the princess.

Kaerius shook his head once, his eyes fixed upon her face. It would be easier to woo her if he could speak, of course, but he was not entirely without ideas that did not require singing. He signedI am Kaerius, Prince of the Northern Mer, and I have come to honor you with my hand in marriage. After a briefcourtship, you will understand that I am not only beautiful, but strong, intelligent, fierce, and honorable, and you will adore me as I have adored you.

The princess bit her lip in an expression of confusion that Kaerius found unexpectedly charming. He had known she was beautiful, but he had not expected her to be so endearing.

I understand this must seem precipitous to you. As a start, I would be honored to eat the next meal with you.She would not understand any of his introduction, of course, but it was an appropriate thing to say, and the intricate signs would at least convey that he was not entirely stupid.

“What does that mean?” The princess’s eyes flicked to Brighton, who had followed the prince closer.

“I don’t know,” the guard said.