I’m devastated, but I push down my emotions as Henrick and I give Gerold the good news. Henrick will help us if we need assistance, which I suppose we will since I am likely never to see Errik again.
He offered us treasure from the sea, but I won’t hold him to that promise, and I doubt I could bear to speak to him or even see his face now. Not after his betrayal.
Especially not after what happened between us.
Before Henrick leaves, he drops to one knee before me. “If I offended you, know that I meant none. I simply know no other way to express myself.”
I smile. “I see that now, Henrick. I’m glad we understand one another.”
He nods. “If you change your mind, I think you’d make a fine mother to our cubs.”
“Cubs?” I blink, confused.
“Did I not tell you?” he smiles. “I’m a polar bear shifter.”
Gerold and I exchange a look, and my brother’s expression tells me this is news to him, as well.
Henrick bows to me then nods at Gerold. “I’ll have my men unload the trunks that were meant to buy your hand. You have warranted my help for free, it seems.”
Gerold bows as well. “Thank you, King Henrick.”
“My people will be upset that I’ve returned without a mate but happy we have gained some friends and allies.”
With that, King Henrick leaves. Gerold turns to me then motions to the door. “Are you sure you do not want him? He turned out to be a rather decent fellow after all.”
“Yes, but he would not love me.” I sigh. “At least… not in the way I want to be loved.”
Gerold nods. “I believe you are right. You would have devotion, care, and faithfulness, but probably not love.” He arches a brow. “Though I must admit, now that I know what he is, I would have had some interesting nieces and nephews to look forward to if you two had married.”
I laugh for a moment before my expression sobers as my thoughts turn to Errik.
“What is wrong, my dear sister?”
I lift my gaze to Gerold and see the worry in his eyes. We’ve always been close, and he is skilled at reading me. I do not want to lie to him when I’ve already kept secrets for weeks now. “There is something I must tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I was… in love with someone. And—” My breath hitches. “I found out that he lied to me, Gerold. He said he loved me, too, but he already belonged to someone else.”
My brother turns a murderous gaze toward the doors. “Who is it? One of the guards?”
I stop short of rolling my eyes. Of course, he would suspect them first. Who else have I been around that he knows of? I can only imagine him questioning the poor men if I do not tell him everything now. “No, it was not one of the guards.”
His expression morphs into confusion. “Well, who then? Certainly not Henrick.”
I shake my head even as the first tear drips from my lashes.
Althea appears in the doorway. “It was the Merman, wasn’t it?”
My eyes snap up to her. “How did you know?”
“The Merman that rescued you?” Gerold’s wide eyes shift to Althea then narrow.
She approaches and takes my hand. “I tried to shield you from him, my dear. The day I found you on the beach after the dragon attack, I lied. I saw him with you and knew you remembered him in your dreams, but I did not want to tell you.”
“Why?”
“Yes,” Gerold growls. “Why would you keep secrets from us, Althea?”
Her eyes brighten with tears. “Because I wanted to spare you the pain my parents suffered, Halla. You do not know how terrible it is to be a child of two worlds.”
I don’t understand. “What do you mean, Althea?”
She lowers her head, and a tear slips down her cheek. She quickly brushes it away as she turns her green eyes to us both. “My father was a Merman, and my mother was human.”
We gasp in unison.
“My mother grew tired of living separate lives. She fell out of love with my father and took me away when I was only seven years old.” A broken sob shakes her. “I loved my father and missed him so much, but she insisted we never see him again. It was”—her voice hitches—“terrible, and I wanted to spare you that, Halla. To keep you from having a child with a man who can never share your world, just as you can never truly share his. If a child were born of your union, you could lose them as well if it was born with a Mer tail instead of human legs.”
Gerold and I stare in stunned silence. I had no idea about Althea’s parentage.
She squeezes my hand. “Please, Halla, do not give your heart to him. One of you will break eventually. That is the only future a Mer and a human can have: despair and heartbreak.” Her voice quavers. “It cost my father his life.”
I tug her into an embrace. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Althea, but you don’t have to protect me. I… found out that he does not truly love me after all. He is already betrothed to another.” I wipe the tears from my face. “So, you do not have to worry about me. I’m done with the sea and her Mer.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Gerold gaping. “When were you planning to tell me you were in love with Merman?”
I sigh heavily. “Oh, Gerold. Do not be angry with me; I cannot bear it today, my dear brother. My heart is broken, and I—”
He walks over to me and embraces me warmly. He pulls Althea into the hug as well, just like we used to embrace when we were children.
“Of course, I’m not angry with you. You know I never could be. I love you both.” He levels a stern gaze at us. “But no more secrets. All right?”
Althea and I nod.
As Gerold takes me back to my room, I fight back my miserable tears. I refuse to break down in front of my brother or anyone else.
When the doors close behind him, I change into my nightdress. I sit in my chair and wheel myself onto the balcony, staring up at the stars. Tears spring to my eyes unbidden even as I try to push my sadness down.
I don’t want to cry over Errik—not after he betrayed me—but I cannot help it. My heart is broken, and I fear it will never be whole again. How could I allow myself to fall in love with a Mer? It never would have worked.
He must have believed the same, or he wouldn’t have professed to love me while betrothed to a Mermaid. I cross my arms over my chest. Maybe he did love me… just not enough. Not as much as I loved him.
I would have given him everything. My body, mind, heart, and soul. Althea was right to try to keep me from him. Even knowing what happened to her parents, I still would have taken a chance and chosen Errik—if he had wanted me. That’s how much I loved him.
I lift my gaze to the moon as sobs wrack my body. I love him still.
