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“This is Prince Kai,” Brighton said to the others, who bowed and curtseyed. He introduced them each to Kaerius, who nodded to them.

It is an honor to meet friends of Brighton and his wife.

Soon the food arrived. Kaerius was delighted to find that the raw fish bites he had so enjoyed at lunch were among the dishesserved. One of the other officers passed Kaerius his plate, which the Mer prince accepted with surprise and gratitude.

“You really like that?” the man asked. “It’s popular, but I’ve never cared for it.”

It is a taste of home.

“Galbraith arrives tomorrow,” said Brighton.

From the following conversation, Kaerius understood that one of the officers had once observed the Severtian court and believed that the Severtian lord, while of course undeserving of the princess, was probably a better option both politically and personally. He was significantly older than the princess and neither beautiful nor kind, but he was honest. That much could not be said for Ralph.

I am the best option. Kaerius tapped the table to get the man’s attention.I am beautiful, and I will delight in making her happy.

Brighton raised his eyebrows. “We all want her to be happy,” he said.

Lila sighed. “Poor girl. Everyone thinks a crown is something to be desired until they realize the burdens that come with it. I grieve for her.”

Chapter 14

Kaerius was left alone for much of the following morning, though he was provided with a breakfast of roasted fish, fried potatoes, and an arrangement of strange green leaves and reddish orange vegetables cut into neat slices. Brighton had told him that Jill would bring him meals and someone would fetch him when it was time for dinner with the Severtian envoy.

The Mer prince spent the morning hours investigating his suite, which he had not fully explored earlier. Since he was alone, he gave many of the items an exploratory lick. Brighton thought it strange, but for Kaerius, it was an efficient way to learn a little more about this strange human world. The soft towels in the bath were fuzzy and vaguely floral, though he didn’t know enough about land vegetation to identify the species. They tasted clean and fresh, despite the fluff that dried his tongue. The tabletop had been oiled at some point, which gave the wood a rich gleam. There were books upon a small shelf against one wall, an extravagance that was entirely lost upon him. He did learn that the covers tasted of leather and the paper inside was thin and crinkly and tasted like dust and wood gum. The words were incomprehensible, but he studied them with interest,noting the repetition of letters between words and on different pages.

One book caught his attention. He didn’t recognize the subject, but he did see that it contained a series of rough maps of the Elerian coastline. He recognized the coastline immediately, for he had a mental map far more detailed than this, and the sight was like the shock of lightning in the water, electrifying him to his core.

The humans understood their world through maps on paper! The Mer conveyed this information through song, which created a map in the listener’s mind. If he could show Marin his home, she might understand who and what he was and what he could offer.

In the meantime, he would prepare himself to defend her against the threat posed by the Boravians and Severtians. Barefoot, he darted back and forth across the sitting room, practicing moving his feet quickly and keeping his balance in this world of oppressive gravity and no water resistance. He felt fast and light but perpetually off-balance without the water to oppose his movements. His ability to attack from all angles was grievously limited by the press of gravity upon him, so that he could not dart upward or downward at will, protecting his face with his tail.

He rolled his shoulders, imagining some foreign opponent attacking Marin directly and how he would gallantly defend her. Perhaps it was a little silly, but he would rather be prepared to demonstrate his courage and love than unready for whatever might threaten her.

When the sun was overhead, there was a knock on his door. He opened it, barefoot and naked above the waist, to see Jill standing there with a tray of food.

She blinked at him. “Put on a shirt,” she said flatly. “I won’t be seen with some half-clothed foreign lord.”

Kaerius retreated and put on the shirt he’d been wearing earlier. He’d taken it off in the hours alone; the fabric felt strangely dry against his skin, and it was easier to tolerate being chilled than that constant, scratching reminder of how alien he was in this world.

“Aren’t you cold?” Jill set the tray down on the table, and Kaerius deduced from the single plate and cup that he was to dine alone for this meal, too.

He nodded.

She tilted her head. “Your fire is out. Don’t you know how to light it?”

Kaerius shook his head.

Her stern face softened. “I’ll show you. Come.”

So he received a lesson on how to start a fire with the matches on the hearth and instructions on how to keep the fire going once it was lit. He put his hand out to touch the tiny flame, but drew back at Jill’s startled admonition not to burn himself. The heat and light that emanated from the fire enchanted him, and he stared at it in awestruck wonder.

He had seen fire before, but only from a distance, aside from his first night on land, when he had been nearly insensible and hardly able to appreciate its beauty.

“Don’t burn yourself,” Jill said again. “One of Brighton’s young guards will come fetch you for dinner.” She had put yet another new jacket in a great wooden thing she called a wardrobe, and he would wear that for dinner.

Thank you. He felt gracious and dignified to be so polite to a servant. The pleasure in being gracious startled him. Did he enjoy this so much because he wanted to be gracious in general, or because he appreciated her kindness? He decided that both reasons applied.

“Was that a thank you?” She raised her eyebrows.