Page 19

LUCY

T he pearls pinched my skin as Naia pressed them into my hair.

A cool sting followed each one, the adhesive binding them to me for the ceremony.

“Hold still,” she muttered, her scaled fingers deft despite their size.

“These are from the deep caves. Each one signifies a virtue of queenship.”

The memory pearl at my throat translated her words with a subtle pulse against my skin.

I’d worn it for only days, yet already the foreign language slipped into my mind with greater ease.

“This one,” Elder Veda said, holding up an opalescent sphere, “represents wisdom in judgment.” She handed it to Naia, who wove it into my crown of pearls.

“Another for fertility,” Maris added with a sly smile, passing a pearl with a faint pink glow.

My face flushed.

“Is that really necessary?”

“Very,” all three women answered in unison, then laughed at my discomfort.

I caught my reflection in the polished shell mirror.

The traditional attire transformed me into someone I barely recognized --- flowing robes of blue-green silk that shifted from turquoise to emerald with every movement, shimmering like the surface of water hit by sunlight.

Embroidered with golden thread in patterns that mirrored Thalassar’s scaled markings.

“Something missing,” I murmured, eyeing the elaborate getup.

The gown draped my curves in a way that would certainly please Thalassar, but lacked a personal touch.

“Can I add one thing?”

Elder Veda’s silver scaled brow rose.

“What did you have in mind?”

I reached for my crumpled Earth uniform, folded on a nearby bench.

From its pocket, I withdrew the small insignia of our mission --- the Earth and Sanos, two spheres intertwined.

“This.” I pinned it over my heart.

“To remember why I’m here.”

“And why are you here?” Veda asked, her black eyes studying me.

“Not just for our king, I think.”

I touched the pin.

“I came to find a home for my people. I’m staying because I found a home for myself.”

Naia smiled as she made the final adjustments to my gown.

“It is good. The symbol links what was and what will be.”

The memory of Thalassar’s proposal flooded back to me --- his black eyes filled with vulnerability as he’d asked me to stay, not as his guest, but as his queen.

The moment I realized I couldn’t leave, that the mission had become secondary to the pull I felt toward him.

“Are you ready?” Maris asked, breaking into my thoughts.

My stomach knotted.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Then let us begin,” Elder Veda said, her voice solemn.

“The kingdom awaits its new queen.”

The clearing around the sacred tree left me speechless.

In the days since Thalassar had first shown it to me, the space had been transformed.

Glowing flowers and woven strands of pearls hung from the golden vines, casting shifting glimmers of light across the gathered crowd.

The massive trunk glowed softly from within, as if the tree itself had awakened for the occasion, its energy pulsing in gentle waves that I could almost feel in the air.

Hundreds of Thalassar’s people lined the natural pathways formed by the ancient roots, their scales creating a living mosaic of colors that shifted as they moved.

The air held hints of salt and sweet floral notes---the same scent I’d noticed on my first visit here, but stronger now, more vibrant.

But I saw only him.

Thalassar stood beneath the widest branch of the tree, tall and powerful.

His ceremonial attire accentuated every inch of his imposing frame --- deep blue robes embroidered with gold, leaving his scaled arms bare.

Ancient symbols painted across his bronze skin in luminous pigment gleamed in the tree’s golden light.

His black hair flowed free, reaching past his shoulders.

When our eyes met, his face transformed.

The stern, regal expression melted into naked adoration.

I walked toward him, each step bringing me closer to a future I never imagined.

The pearl translator at my throat whispered the significance of each element I passed --- small pools of sacred water representing life, glowing crystals symbolizing eternity, the ancient roots beneath my feet connecting us to the past and future of his kingdom.

“You’re beautiful,” Thalassar said when I reached him, the words too low for anyone else to hear.

“So are you,” I answered, reaching for his hand.

Elder Veda stepped between us, her formal robes billowing around her diminutive form.

“We gather beneath the heart of our kingdom to witness the bond between Thalassar, lord of these waters, and Stewart of Earth.”

The ceremony proceeded in a blur of ancient words and symbolic gestures.

We shared water from a ceremonial cup drawn from the pools at the tree’s roots.

We exchanged woven bracelets of seaweed and pearl.

Together, we pressed our palms against the tree’s trunk, and I gasped as energy flowed between us --- a warmth that traveled up my arm and settled in my chest, as if the tree's ancient energy blessed our union.

When the time came for vows, Thalassar spoke first in his language, the words flowing like water. Then, he repeated them in careful English:

“I bind myself to you, not as ruler to subject, but as equal to equal. My strength is yours. My kingdom is yours. My heart is yours. As the tides return to shore, I will return to you, always.”

I swallowed hard, fighting tears. I’d memorized the traditional response, but added my own words:

“I bind myself to you, across oceans and stars. I will stand beside you in peace and in war. My loyalty is yours. My future is yours. My heart is yours. As the rivers find the sea, I have found my home in you.”

Elder Veda nodded, satisfied, and presented Thalassar with a gleaming object --- his mother’s royal emblem. A crescent of pearl and gold, inlaid with tiny blue stones.

“With this, I name you Queen,” Thalassar said, his deep voice carrying through the chamber as he placed it around my neck. “Bound to me and to our kingdom.”

He kissed me then, a gentle press of lips that sealed our bond. Around us, the gathered crowd raised their voices in a harmonic chant that vibrated through the water, through the stone, through my very bones.

I belonged here. For the first time in my life, I belonged.

The celebration swirled around us in a whirlwind of color, music, and delicacies I couldn’t name. Thalassar’s hand rarely left mine as we moved among his people --- now my people, too. The emblem at my throat felt both strange and right, its weight a reminder of all I’d accepted.

“My queen prefers the red kelp wine,” Thalassar told a server who offered us drinks, his possessive tone sending warmth through me.

“You know me so well already,” I teased.

“I intend to know everything about you.” His black eyes held promise. “Every preference, every dream, every inch---“

A guard rushed toward us, cutting off what promised to be an interesting declaration. “My lord, my lady,” he said, bowing quickly. “There’s been a signal.”

My heart raced. “From where?”

“Your device, my lady. The one you modified.”

I exchanged a look with Thalassar. Without a word, we followed the guard, weaving through the crowd and down a corridor to the communications room. My pulse pounded in my ears. After weeks of silence, could it really be...?

The room hummed with equipment, both familiar Earth tech and alien devices that I couldn’t identify. My modified communicator sat on a central console, its indicator light flashing.

“It started receiving twenty minutes ago,” a technician explained. “We’ve been trying to clean up the signal.”

I lunged for the controls, adjusting frequencies with practiced hands. Thalassar hovered behind me, close enough that I felt his warmth.

“Come on,” I muttered, fine-tuning the receiver. Static crackled, then cleared briefly.

“---anyone, if you can hear this, we’re alive.” A woman’s voice broke through, distorted but unmistakably human. I couldn’t tell which of my teammates it was. “We’ve found something incredible about the connection between our people and---“

The signal died in a burst of static.

“No!” I slammed my hand on the console. “Get it back!”

The technicians scrambled, but the transmission was gone.

“They’re alive,” I whispered, turning to Thalassar. “My team is alive.”

His face showed complex emotions --- joy for me, concern about what this might mean, determination.

“We’ll find them,” he promised, taking my hands in his. “Together.”

I nodded, fighting back tears. “And what did she mean about a connection between our peoples?”

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But perhaps Elder Veda’s prophecies weren’t merely legends after all.”

We stood in silence as the technicians continued their work, trying to reestablish contact. Eventually, Thalassar led me away, up through winding corridors until we emerged onto a balcony overlooking the kingdom.

Below us spread the luminous city, its buildings crafted from coral and pearl, streets winding like rivers between them. Beyond, the vast ocean stretched to the horizon, where twin moons had risen, casting dual silver paths across the water.

“Beautiful,” I breathed.

“Yes,” Thalassar agreed, though he looked only at me.

His arm encircled my waist, pulling me against his side. I touched the royal emblem at my neck, still marveling at how much had changed in so little time.

For a fleeting moment, I thought of Sarah. She would have loved this---a completely new world, a fantastic adventure, finding love across the stars. I could almost hear her whisper, “Sometimes magic is more important than rules.” And she would have been right.

“When I came to your world,” I said, “I thought I was just seeking resources, a temporary alliance.”

“And now?”

“Now I’ve found something I never expected. A home. A purpose.” I met his gaze directly. “You.”

“And I found you, when I believed I would rule alone forever.” His fingers traced my cheek with gentle reverence. “Whatever comes next, whatever truths lie ahead, this bond we share will guide us.”

“Always,” I agreed, feeling the weight of the royal emblem against my neck. “My king.”

He smiled, pulling me closer as we gazed out at the horizon. The storm wall that had once served as a barrier now seemed different---not a division between worlds, but a protective embrace around the home we would build together. It reminded me how far we’d both come---me falling from the stars, him opening his heart after years of isolation.

“My queen,” he answered, lowering his mouth to mine as the moons cast their silver light across our kingdom.