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Jill pulled a plain wooden chair from the corner of the room and said, “Take off your jacket and shirt and sit here.”

Brighton offered Kaerius a hand and hauled him to his feet. The prince unbuttoned and removed his jacket, vest, and shirt in succession, conscious of Brighton’s and Jill’s scrutiny. He had never minded his scars much; they were evidence of his courage in battle against rival Mer clans, sharks, and other dangers of the sea.

But boots? That was mortifying. He ought not to have complained at all.

When Jill pulled out the comb and razor, he recoiled a little, and he couldn’t help how his gaze followed the razor as she put it on the nearby table.

Brighton said, “She’s not going to cut you, you know. Surely you’ve had a haircut before.”

Kaerius’s eyes flicked to him for a moment, and then back to the razor.Not with a blade like that.

Seeing the tension in him, the woman stopped and sighed. “If the princess finds you useful, that’s good enough for me. Stop looking at me like I’m about to slit your throat.”

The prince nodded jerkily.I don’t like knives near my throat. But I will choose to trust you. It took a great deal of self-control to remain still and keep his expression halfway calm when Jill picked up the comb and razor and stepped behind him. He clenched his hands in the fabric of his trousers.

Brighton lingered, apparently deciding that Kaerius did not need to be left alone in this deeply unsettling situation.

The comb through the prince’s golden waves was oddly soothing, but Kaerius could not relax into the sensation. He willed himself to keep his breaths steady as Jill took her time getting the tangles out. She worked carefully around the knot above his ear.

Then, on the other side, she stopped, her fingers hovering just above the faded scar that started beneath his jaw and curved up behind his ear. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice more subdued. “I didn’t realize.”

I was not offended.He motioned for her to continue.

With movements even more careful and gentle than before, she worked out the knots on this side. Finally she said, “I’m going to start cutting now. Just keep still.”

She worked with steady, unhurried competence. The razor made a softsnick, snick, and he tried not to shudder. When Jill stepped back to consider her work, Kaerius signed,Will Her Highness like it?

Brighton smiled a little. “Her Highness will like it. Ralph won’t, though.”

In another ten minutes, Jill said she was finished. He was allowed to go into the private bathing room to wash off the littlebits of golden hair that had stuck to his shoulders. He sank into the waiting tub of warm water with a sense of desperate relief. His feet shot brilliant tongues of pain up his legs at the touch of the water, but he didn’t care. He ran his fingers through his hair and clasped trembling fingers behind his neck.

It would all be worth it if Marin would see him for who he was and who he wanted to be.You are my beloved. I want to be yours.

Loud knocking broughtKaerius to sudden, startled alertness. He stumbled from the bed and tugged on trousers before making his way to the door. He opened it to see Brighton and stood aside to let in the taller man.

“How are your feet this morning?” Brighton asked.

Kaerius nodded.I can dance.His sleep had been restless, and his bare feet felt strangely vulnerable against the cold stone floor. But the sky outside showed the first golden light of morning, and he felt a rush of hope and determination. He coughed, annoyed that the pressure on his chest had not lessened.

“Jill is making you breakfast now. I thought we’d see how the new boots work, so I can get some others if they don’t fit.” He indicated the couch nearby and handed a new pair of boots and a wad of some filmy fabric to Kaerius.

The Mer prince sat on the couch and set the boots down on the floor beside him. He examined the fabric with interest, and then, with a sidelong look at Brighton, he licked the edge. He frowned. Yes, there was a faint hint of the scent of Brighton’s wife. An undertone of soap, not nearly as horrific as the soap he had licked, but noticeable. A very faint hint of Brighton’s sweat.Presumably he’d carried the stockings in his hand much of the walk from his house, or perhaps his hand had been in his pocket with the stocking.

“Did you just lick my wife’s stockings?” Brighton said in shock. “Please don’t lick things!”

Kaerius blinked.Is it offensive? It isn’t a person. It isn’t evenona person.

Brighton ran both hands over his face and through his hair, as if struggling for words. “Were you really raised by fish? People don’t go around licking things!”

My apologies. Kaerius’s hope and determination seemed suddenly as fragile as the fabric in his hands. Without conscious thought, he put the fabric aside and buried his face in his hands for a moment, pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes like the familiar pressure of deep water. With his eyes still closed, he covered his ears, and the muffled silence, full of the rushing of his blood in his veins, was almost like being underwater.

At a sound, he took a deep, bracing breath. The air was cold against his bare skin, and he coughed, wishing for the familiar pressure of water against his skin instead of this strange weight. Although he didn’t feel ready for the human world, he took his hands from his ears and opened his eyes.

Brighton looked deeply troubled, and when Kaerius met his eyes, he said, “I didn’t mean to frighten you, Kai, and I didn’t mean to imply you aren’t human. I’m concerned that we’ve asked too much of you.”

The prince straightened.I should not have shown you my weakness that way. It will not happen again.He pressed his lips together and focused on the stockings, which felt like a thin, dry film. He found the openings and pulled one stocking on each foot, finding that the fabric stretched easily over the new calf muscles he’d barely had a chance to admire. He stretched out hisfeet and studied them with a faintly amused gleam in his eyes. The gauzy fabric covered his many blisters with barely a hint of pressure on the raw spots, and when he pulled on the new wool socks tucked in the boots, the socks barely hurt at all.

He hesitated with one boot in his hand.I’m not human. I told you that. I could hardly be offended by you implying a fact I told you myself. I only look human for now.