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When the boat bobbed in front of them, Kaerius beamed at Marin. “King of Eleria and King of the Mer, see what the Lord of the Deep has done for us! Your Highness Marin, please sit upon the edge of the boat and dip your feet in the water.”

She shifted to the edge of the boat, slipped off her shoes, and carefully swung her feet over the edge. When her toes touched the frigid water, she sucked in a sharp breath.

“It is cold. I am sorry for it.” Kaerius looked up at her and offered a hand. “Think of your tail, and the magic will give it to you. Come to me.”

She put her small, warm hand in his cold one, her eyes locked on his. Then, with a deep breath, she closed her eyes and slid off the edge of the boat into the water.

Kaerius ducked with her under the water, so he was able to see the precise moment her eyes opened in shock. She opened her mouth and looked down at her tail.

The Mer prince laughed in delight, both at the magical wonder that the kraken had wrought and at Marin’s surprised expression. “You are so beautiful, my love,” he said.

She blinked at him, her mouth closed and her eyes wide.

“You can breathe underwater, you know. The Lord of the Deep promised.”

Deliberately inhaling water was undoubtedly terrifying, but after a moment’s hesitation, the princess let out a cloud of bubbles and took a breath of water.

“I’m not drowning,” she said, her voice high and astonished.

Kaerius beamed at her.

Still underwater, she turned to face the Mer king, whose silver hair formed a cloud around his chiseled face. She ducked her head for a moment, as if in a curtsey, and then straightened with her tail waving softly to keep her in position before him. “Your Majesty,” she said. “It is an honor to meet you.”

The Mer king’s piercing eyes swept over her, lingering on her tail for a moment before he met her gaze again. “You are still human?” he said doubtfully.

“I think so,” she said. She took a deep breath of water, still looking rather surprised. “I am Princess Marin de Gracey. My father is His Majesty Aubert de Gracey, king of Eleria.”

“Did you know my son was a prince when you began to love him?”

Marin shook her head, and her dark hair waved in the sunlit water. “No, Your Majesty. He won my heart with his courage and honor, not his title.”

The Mer king eyed her. “You speak well. I will parley with your father.” He swam up to the boat, and when his head emerged from the water, he shook his wet hair from his eyes and smiled toothily at the humans. “King of Eleria, I greet you,” he said, his deep voice smooth and commanding. “It has been long since your people and mine have spoken at all, much less considered an alliance.”

The human king replied, “King of the Mer, I greet you.” His voice was weak and rough compared to that of the Mer king.“Prince Kaerius has shown courage and nobility among our people.” He lost his breath and took a moment to gather his strength, his hands gripping his knees tightly. “In recent years, my daughter has shouldered more of the weight of the crown than I would have wished. My greatest wish for her marriage is her happiness.”

The Mer king asked about the human king’s ill health, about the political pressures in the human world, and how exactly Kaerius had won the princess’s heart. The human king asked about the world of the Mer, the power of Mer singing, and the dangers which Marin might face as Kaerius’s bride.

Both kings consented to the marriage, but they agreed that there ought to be a period of time in which Kaerius introduced Marin to the Mer as his betrothed, and in which Marin reintroduced Prince Kai the silent prince as Prince Kaerius the Mer prince. Both Mer and Elerian societies would be shocked, and the kings thought it wise to give them time to accept the idea and to show that the decision to marry the two royals and ally the two kingdoms was fully considered.

Thus the wedding was set for some six months later, in midsummer. Marin gripped her father’s hands and told him about her tail and how she could breathe underwater, while the Mer king was introduced to Brighton and heard a brief account of how Kaerius had earned Brighton’s respect and saved his life twice over.

Soon they agreed that the Mer king and his chosen advisors would meet the humans in three days in the Elerian harbor. Marin was invited to return with Kaerius to the Mer people at that time, to spend a week with the Mer learning to swim, hunt, and sing to the dawn.

Kaerius imagined introducing her to Kali and his other cousins, and to the Mer warriors who had fought with him. How she would smile to hear of his triumphs! But he would be evenmore delighted to tell of her heroism and the nobility of her love for her people. His warriors would respect her as he did.

“Would you like to swim with me back to the harbor?” Kaerius said quietly. “Just us, following the ship?”

Marin smiled at him. “I would like that.”

The Mer king eyed his son, his eyes bright and knowing. Then, to Kaerius’s shock, he said, “Take your time, Kaerius. I will expect you at midnight at the harbor entrance. The time before that is yours, to spend with your betrothed as you will.”

Kaerius beamed at him. “Thank you, Father.”

So when the boat was hauled up to let the king, Brighton, and the young guard board again, Marin stayed in the water.

They swam back to the little beach slowly, following the shadow of the ship. Marin said, “A tail is so hard to control! How do you move so quickly and so gracefully?”

Kaerius swam backwards in front of her, the subtle movements of his tail enough to keep him ahead of her. He grinned. “A tail is no more difficult than legs and feet! It is more difficult to learn the currents and the scent of prey two miles away and the sound of a shark.”