When I reach the palace, I find Father and Toren waiting for me. Toren’s eyes flash with warning as I swim up to them.
Father narrows his eyes. “Where have you been?”
I could try to convince him I was hunting again, but it’s an excuse I’ve already used too many times. Sighing heavily, I offer him a half-truth instead. “I was meeting with someone.”
He blinks several times, obviously stunned by my answer. “Who?”
Toren’s eyes go wide and he shakes his head softly behind Father, trying to warn me against telling him.
“A female,” I reply, intentionally vague.
Father’s brow furrows deeply. “Who?”
I shrug. “She is not from here. Her people live along the coast.” It’s not a complete lie. Halla does live on the coastline.
Father studies me a moment, considering. “You are a prince, Errik. The heir to our kingdom.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “If this were not so, I would not care who you choose to bond with. But as the future leader of our people, you have… other things to consider.”
“Father, I—”
He raises his hands in a bid to allow him to continue. “An alliance with the kingdom of Itlana would help ensure peace among our people for generations to come.”
“We already have peace with them, Father. We have a treaty.”
“Yes, but not one tied by blood. Their kingdom is strong, like ours. An alliance strengthened through a bonding would ensure our kingdom is protected against any enemies.” He pauses. “Princess Luriel will be here soon to meet with you.”
His gaze drops to my tail. “If you are blessed, perhaps your fate markings will begin to glow the moment you meet her. That is what happened shortly after I met your mother. My tail did not glow right away, mind you. But before it did, I knew, Errik. I knew your mother was my fated one.”
He claps one hand on my shoulder and another on Toren’s. “I pray that it will be so with you and your brother as well.” His gaze slides to mine. “Princess Luriel is intelligent, beautiful, and beloved by her people. Even without the fate markings, I believe she would make an excellent match for you.”
My thoughts turn to Halla. I wish desperately that she could be mine. But she is human. It would never work between us. Even so, I cannot stop the longing in my heart as I think of her.
When morning comes, I make my way back to the surface. I cannot stop thinking of my father’s words. I will have to meet with Princess Luriel soon. The thought fills me with dread.
I want Halla as my mate. No one else. I glance at my tail, praying it will light with the fate markings when I see Halla. But it’s impossible.
As soon as I reach the shoreline, I notice her empty chair already on the beach. Panic stills my heart as my gaze scans the water and I do not see her.
“Halla!” I call out.
“Over here,” she replies, and I realize her voice is coming from the small island rock formation we often sunbathe on.
I immediately swim toward it, surprised when I find her sitting up on the beach, her gaze fixed on the water with a faraway look. “Halla?”
Her eyes meet mine, full of tears.
I drag myself up onto the sand, and move to her side. I take her hand in my own. “What’s wrong?”
“King Henrick of Arnafell has asked for my hand.”
My heart stutters and stops in my chest.
“He’s on his way here even now to propose.”
“Do you want to bond with him?” I ask, both anxious and fearful of her answer.
She shrugs. “I… do not know.”
I search her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Our kingdom has run out of money. The rebuilding has nearly emptied our treasury. Arnafell is a wealthy kingdom, and King Henrick has offered to help us in exchange for my hand.” She looks down at her legs. “He knows about my injury and he does not care. More than that though… he might be my only chance at having children—a family.”
A deep ache settles in my chest. I cannot bear to think of her with another male. “Have you ever even met him?”
“No. But I’ve heard that he is brave and very handsome.”
With great difficulty, I manage to suppress the snarl rumbling my chest.
She turns to me, her blue eyes searching mine. “What do you think I should do?”
I don’t want her to bond with King Henrick. I want her to be mine. However, I cannot tell her this. She is human and I am… not. It would never work. So, instead, I force a platitude past my lips. “You should do whatever you believe will make you happy.”
She lowers her gaze, and her expression is one I recognize as disappointment, but I do not understand why.
“Errik, I—”
“Errik!” Toren calls out, startling us both.
I whip my head toward my brother, and so does Halla. He swims closer, and I notice she moves behind me, her hands on my shoulders.
I glance back at her. “It is only my brother, Toren.”
Her cheeks flush deep red. “But I’m half-naked, Errik.”
Her words make me wonder. She’s never had a problem undressing in front of me. Why now my brother? “Nudity is not—”
“Frowned upon among your people. I know. But it is for mine.”
My heart stutters and stops. She is reacting this way because she trusts me and only me to see her partially clothed. My chest swells with pride at the thought. I tip my chin up high as my brother approaches.
His eyes widen when he notices her behind me.
“Toren,” I begin. “This is Halla. Halla, this is my younger brother, Toren.”
“It is nice to meet you.” He dips his chin in greeting.
“You too,” she replies.
He shifts his gaze to me pointedly. “Father is looking for you.”
“I will be there shortly. First, I must escort Halla back to shore.”
He purses his lips. “Do not take long. If he discovers you here, he’ll be angry.”
I nod, and Toren swims away.
Halla places a hand on my forearm, drawing my attention to her. “I’ll be fine, Errik. You should go before you get in trouble.”
I don’t want to leave her, but I also know I must speak with Father. If I do not go to him now, he might find me here. He’ll be furious if he does.
Hearing Halla speak of King Henrick made me realize something. I cannot bond with Princess Luriel. I cannot offer myself to her when my heart already belongs to Halla. I love Halla. Even if she can never be mine, I cannot bind myself to another.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” she asks.
“Yes.” I take both her hands in mine as I stare deep into her lovely blue eyes. “I will be here.”
She nods, and I watch her return to shore. I curl my hands into fists at my side as devastation and jealousy war within me. She should be mine, not King Henrick’s. Why was I cursed to be Mer? Why could I not have been human like her? I could have asked her to bond with me then. To be my mate and remain by her side forever.
Arnafell lies across the sea. Thick islands of floating ice surround the kingdom most of the year, making travel and even swimming treacherous. If she marries King Henrick, I’ll never see her again.
As I make my way home, I cannot stop thinking of her words. She wants a family—children. Even if she somehow wished to be with me, I do not think I could give her this. We are two different species. I’ve never heard of a Mer having a child with a human. Yes, there are rumors and myths, but that is all they are. I doubt such a pairing is even possible. If it were, could it result in healthy children?
I look down at my mating pouch. I’ve seen enough human men to know our male anatomy is similar. Theirs is always protruding however, whereas ours only protrudes from our body when we are ready to mate. My stav is a bit larger and thicker than a human’s, but that does not mean—
“Errik,” a familiar voice calls, startling me.
I turn to find Dorin—father’s advisor—swimming toward me. He places a hand on my arm, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiles at me. “Princess Luriel is here. She is anxious to meet you.”
I lower my gaze. “I have decided that I cannot—”
He raises his hands in a placating gesture. “Before you do anything rash, Errik… This is merely a meeting. I’m sure she’s curious to know if you may be a fated match. That is all.”
I sigh heavily. I want Halla and no other. But I do not know how it could possibly work between us. Deep down, part of me hopes that Luriel and I are fated. Then I would know for certain that Halla is not meant to be mine, even though every instinct insists otherwise. My stubborn heart refuses to give up despite that we are different species.
“All right. Take me to her.”
Besides, my fate marks have not glowed since I’ve met Halla.
I turn to Dorin. “The fate marks… Father said his did not appear for my mother right away. Is it common for there to be a delay?”
He nods. “Most often, the bond starts with a knowing deep within. Your soul recognizes its other half before the fate marks appear.”
Hope fills me. “Has this ever happened with someone… outside of our species?”
He stops and turns to me with a wary expression. “Why do you ask this?”
I’m not ready to tell him the truth just yet. “I’m simply curious. I’ve heard rumors all my life and wondered.”
He clenches his jaw. “The last pairing I heard of happened many years ago. It was… terrible. The man killed himself not long after the child was born.”
Last pairing? Child? My heart stutters. “Tell me what happened.”
“You must tell no one.” He narrows his eyes. “I’m not entirely sure how you even heard rumors, but you must not repeat them. We hide such stories to discourage others from following this path. Do you understand?”
Numbly, I nod.
“Many years ago, a Merman fell in love with a human woman. He claimed that they were fated. They had a child born with human legs.”
“And the child was healthy?” I demand anxiously.
He nods. “However, neither the child nor the mother could be with the Merman. After a time, they grew apart, and… the woman moved on, taking the child with her. The man killed himself not long after. He could not bear being parted from his mate and his daughter.”
“What happened to the child?”
“We do not know. She may not even know what she is,” he explains. “That is why we do not speak of this, Errik. Humans are not like us. They do not mate for life. We do not want to encourage any Mer to follow this example.”
I understand why he and my father have kept this secret. However, instead of discouraging me, the story has had the opposite effect. It has given me hope where I had none before.
Now, I no longer dread my meeting with Luriel, for I already know in my heart that she is not my fated one. Halla is.
When I swim into the throne room, I find her floating before my father. She turns to me with a charming smile. Her golden hair fans around her head like a glowing halo and her lavender eyes appraise me. I greet her warmly but feel nothing. No attraction, nor pull of my soul to hers in any way.
Our meeting has only deepened my conviction. Halla is meant to be mine. I am certain of it. Now, I just need to find out if she feels the same way.
