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Kaerius said, “With your blessing, I would like to introduce Her Highness Marin to my father and my people. I wish to wed as soon as she is ready.” He turned his brilliant smile on Marin and added, “I have loved you for so long that every minute we are not wed feels like a year. May we set sail soon, please?”

Marin blushed and laughed. “May we eat breakfast first? Father, will you accompany us on the ship?”

“I will.”

So they ate a quick breakfast, and Kaerius was delighted to be served a plate of slices of raw fish. “Don’t you want anything else?” Marin asked.

“The other foods are interesting, but this is most delicious.” Kaerius felt a rush of pleasure at being asked, and his delight increased at Marin’s answering smile.

Two hours later, they stood on the deck of the royal ship, which Marin called a cutter. Kaerius watched the sailors in fascination as they worked the sails and ropes. When the ship reached the mouth of the bay, the prince said to Brighton,“I never thought about how much humans had to know and understand to make these ridiculous contraptions work.”

While not exactly healed, Brighton had benefited greatly from a very long, very restful sleep, and the headache that had so tormented him had entirely disappeared. He took a deep breath of the salty breeze, and said to Kaerius, “You said you have no healing magic, but I think you give yourself too little credit. I feel almost normal, but for a bit of dizziness.”

Kaerius beamed. “I am glad of it.”

The captain had been told to head into the open ocean, and he did so. Marin turned to look behind them. “The land seems so far away,” she murmured. “Is it silly to be a little frightened by that? What if we lose sight of land and can’t find our way back?”

Kaerius said, “I’ll teach you Mer ways, and you will be a princess among my people too.” Then, reluctantly, he said, “Perhaps I ought to go first, in case my father is angry with me.”

“Is he dangerous?” Marin’s teeth worried her lower lip.

“Extremely, but not to you.” Kaerius grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”

He stripped off his shirt and trousers, belatedly reminded that humans seemed to be shy about such things. He leapt overboard, and his tail formed as quick as thought before he entered the water.

“Father!” he sang. “Your Majesty!”

Much faster than he had anticipated, and before he had time to brace himself, his father’s arms were wrapped around him in a crushing embrace. “Idiot Kaerius,” his father’s deep voice rumbled. “What were you thinking?”

The king’s voice shook, and his arms tightened around Kaerius’s shoulders. His silver hair made a cloud that obscured the prince’s view, mingling with his own pale gold.

“You’re alive.” The king did not pull away.

Kaerius said breathlessly, “You’re nearly as strong as the Lord of the Deep, Father. Let me breathe.”

The king relaxed his grip and withdrew just enough to look Kaerius in the face, his grimace somewhere between a scowl and a grin. “What were you thinking? Are you entirely healed?”

“I’m fine. I wanted… did you know where I was?” Kaerius felt the questions swirling in his mind and couldn’t decide what to ask first.

“Not until this morning. The Lord of the Deep told me he had met you and healed you of many hurts, and in so doing had won a bargain he made with you. I have been searching for you.” The king’s ocean-blue eyes searched Kaerius’s face and then swept over his body, looking for any injury. “Are you truly healed? What bargain have you made with the humans?”

“I have given the human princess my heart, and I have won hers in return. We wish to marry. Her father the human king wishes to make a treaty with you.” Kaerius stopped. “The kraken said he won the bargain?”

“Yes. I wondered what it had cost you.” The Mer king took a great, shuddering breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He gripped Kaerius’s shoulders more tightly. “He was entirely too pleased with himself, too smug, and he would not tell me the terms of the bargain. He said you would have to tell me yourself, and that reassured me that at least you were still alive while I searched for you. What is this about a treaty with the humans?”

“Come. I wish to introduce you to the human king and the princess, Marin de Gracey, as well as a friend, Captain Derek Brighton. You will like him. The Lord of the Deep did something unique for us, and I wish for you to see it.”

The Mer king followed Kaerius to the surface.

“Lower a skiff!” Kaerius called.

Soon a boat was lowered holding the human king, Marin, Brighton, and a young sailor to man the oars. As it descended,the Mer king murmured, “It is bold indeed of a human, even a princess, to aspire to your hand, Kaerius. Why would you honor her so?”

“I feel entirely the opposite, Father; I am honored by her regard far more than she is by mine. I will tell you in more detail when we speak later. For now, I will consider it a personal affront if you are rude to them, and an act of honor and love if you show them the generosity of character which you have always shown me, even when I did not deserve it.”

The Mer king turned to face him, his eyes glittering with surprise and pride. “What a strange transformation you have made.” Then his gaze flicked upward and he said, “I wish to hear the whole story tonight.”

“Yes, Father.”