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Brighton closed the door, leaving Kaerius alone.

For a moment, Kaerius merely stood there, looking about the room again. He hadn’t taken a nap in years! It felt foolish and weak to even consider sleeping in the middle of the day. But when he bent to take off his boots, his head spun and he nearly fell on his face.

He crawled beneath the covers and fell into an exhausted sleep.

He dreamed of the Lord of the Deep, of tentacles wrapped around his throat, and of pain and terror to fracture the mind. But his voice was gone. He could scream until his throat was raw, but no one would hear him.

Chapter 10

The prince of the Mer woke slowly. He opened his eyes to see the strange human room bright with golden afternoon sunlight. His shirt and trousers felt like layers of netting that pulled him into the deeps, and he fought free of the blankets with frustration edging on panic.

Free at last, he stood in the middle of the room and caught his breath. He ran his hands through his hair and straightened his clothes, for humans liked things to be neat. There was a large looking glass in a wooden frame propped against one wall, and he stared at it in fascination. He had seen reflections before, both of himself and of the world around him, but never with such clarity of color and form. He had seen watery, undulating reflections with the green tinge of seawater.

He knew his hair was pale blond, but it looked even brighter and stranger in the glass, like an unruly mop of spun gold. His fingers brushed it away from his eyes, and he felt the bruised knot near his ear. He examined his eyes, noting the deep sea tones in his irises with satisfaction. The sea was beautiful and powerful, and he was proud that his eyes showed his similarity to the ocean.

He bared his teeth, and a hot flush crept to his cheeks. Were humans not ashamed of their dull teeth? At least his interaction with the physician had proven that his jaws were still capable of exerting force. Not to mention how strange it was that his embarrassment produced heat and pinkness in his cheeks.

The Mer prince stepped back and looked himself up and down. His pale, chiseled features and golden hair had been considered quite handsome among the Mer, and his skill in combat and enchanting voice had guaranteed him respect from everyone, even those unimpressed by his looks. But here in Eleria, his looks were just enough different to mark him as foreign. Would the princess see that difference as handsome and desirable, or was it merely a useful tool for her?

He smiled fiercely at the looking glass, noting how the expression made his eyes glitter dangerously. He did not mind being used, as long as she saw his desire and affection in his service. He, a true prince, not a sham or imposter, would serve her in her time of need, and she would recognize his nobility and undeniable charm as he did so.

Kaerius lamented that he could not sing to her of his love, but perhaps that was not such a great setback after all. His voice could sing ships to their doom, could make sailors and pirates and princesses and fisherwomen and humans of all varieties throw themselves into the waters to seek the singer. If he wanted to be sure of her love, he would have to show her himself, not merely the captivating beauty of his voice.

He looked out the window to the courtyard he had only briefly noted earlier. The walls around it appeared to be part of the house, for there were several windows with boxes of flowers beneath them. Several wooden chairs clustered around a wooden table, and there was a round pit with a few pieces of blackened wood in it with more wooden benches around it. Around the edges of the courtyard and in artistic little clusterswere ceramic pots filled with numerous varieties of plants. Protected from the wind and passersby, it was a peaceful, secluded retreat, and even at this late afternoon hour, sunlight gilded the space.

Kaerius pulled the boots on again, lamenting their clomping heaviness. Then he opened the door and peeked into the hallway.

Seeing no one, he turned away from the front door and followed the sound of voices until he found Brighton and Lila sitting at a little table in a room filled with strange human things.

Brighton looked up and smiled at him, and Kaerius smiled back, feeling suddenly grateful for the big guard’s kindness.

Why did you soften toward me?

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean.” Brighton stood. “Are you ready?”

The next three hours were filled with a thousand silent questions. Kaerius pointed at unfamiliar things and looked inquiringly at Brighton, who grew increasingly confused by the pattern of the prince’s questions. He was familiar with rope but not with thread, with no articles of clothing at all, no kitchen implements, and no furniture, but the substance of wood he knew. He pointed at the buttons on his shirt and the laces on his borrowed boots, at the onions in the drawer and the little pots of herbs lined up on the window sill, basil and oregano and cilantro and thyme.

“I thought you knew our language. Why don’t you know these things?” the guard said at last.

For what reason would a Mer wear a shirt? Where would we obtain thewoolandcottonandlinenyou seem to think so ordinary? I don’t even know what a sheep looks like. Besides, Mer do not suffer in the cold as you humans do, so we have no need for clothing. And for what purpose would we want sofasor beds or plates? The caress of the water supports and soothes us.

At Brighton’s baffled look, Kaerius made a swimming motion again.

“You lived underwater,” Brighton said, with a sigh of skepticism.

Yes.Kaerius nodded firmly.

Brighton clearly did not entirely believe him, but he did not argue further. They spent the afternoon expanding Kaerius’s vocabulary of human things and explaining the uses of items like a quill pen, sheets of paper, a handkerchief, and the oven. The Mer prince pointed at his feet, his knees, and his ankles, took off his shoes and pointed at his socks. Then he pulled those off, pointed at his foot-fingers, and received the word “toes.” These new appendages required their own names and articles of clothing.

They ate a simple meal of roasted chicken and carrots beside mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream. Kaerius found it all quite strange, but he felt himself better able to handle the disconcerting textures and overpowering flavors of this human food after his much-needed nap.

During dinner, Brighton instructed him on the proper use of each utensil, not only those he saw, but the multitudinous forks, spoons, and knives used at a royal dinner. He must hold each utensil a certain way, use each one only for the prescribed course of food, hold his glass with his fingers just so, and otherwise assume the part of a human prince at least passingly familiar with Elerian customs.

After dinner, when the prince’s mind was already swirling with a thousand new words and rules of etiquette, Brighton said, “Now we will teach you to dance.”

The guard explained that there were several rhythms most commonly used in dancing songs. He clapped each rhythm, andthen had Kaerius clap them while he and Lila demonstrated the foot movements.

Brighton smiled at his wife as they danced, and Kaerius felt a strange, unfamiliar longing in his heart. Not for Lila, though she was pretty enough, but for that warmth and familiarity, the comfort they had with each other. The Mer admired, respected, and desired Kaerius, but he could not recall the last time anyone looked at him with sweet affection. His father was frustrated by him, the ladies wished he would look their direction, the warriors argued with him, obeyed him, and fought beside him. Most revered him for his heroism in battle.