Marina

Part Three

Even though she knew much of the human world already—mostly from her parents, who used to surface and trade above-sea—Marina still realized that there was more she could learn. She'd picked up a few things since living with Caspian. And she enjoyed each new experience.

For instance, Marina didn't know that human clothes could be so cozy. She'd seen women in peasant blouses and billowy skirts from afar, but she hadn't known how they would feel on her scale-free skin until now. She liked the softness and warmth of the cotton and linen fabrics.

She also liked the soaps she used to wash them. Unlike the slime that merfolk harvested from fish, the stuff that Caspian used for cleansing smelled strongly of many different things, some of them pleasantly unfamiliar. She liked the one that smelled of flowers best, and she loved the bubbles it made.

Now, though, her favorite thing would have to be the village temple.

She liked the arched windows of blue stained glass built into the white, square-shaped building. They went well with the blue tile roof and black double doors out front. The tint of their panes was faint enough that Marina could still see the black, wrought-iron fence that surrounded the entire property.

The inside was charming too.

The stone floors had been scrubbed and polished clean, and fresh garlands hung from the beams beneath the foyer's ceiling. The round altar in the middle of the shrine room had been draped in lace and heaped with all sorts of flower bouquets. A tall candle stood at the center of the arrangement, adding to the gentle light that came from the wall sconces.

She would have liked to watch the way its creamy wax melted and rolled down towards its catchment bowl—if she weren't marrying Caspian at the moment.

"With these bands, your hearts are bound. And with a kiss, your souls are sealed."

Marina returned her attention to Lady Rosa, the village oracle Caspian had told her about. They'd only met today, but she already had a good feeling about the woman. Maybe it's because Lady Rosa exuded authority in the same way as the sorceress, but without being intimidating.

She next shifted her gaze to Caspian.

The man squeezed her hand the moment their eyes met. "Marina?"

He'd explained the ceremony to her 'just in case it was different from the ones where she came from.' She remembered that at this point, they were supposed to kiss. Marina's cheeks flushed, but she soldiered on.

"It's all right," she said, returning his gesture.

Before she knew it, Caspian had leaned towards her until their lips came together. His one arm snaked behind her back to bring her closer, and she complied. It was a soft kiss, and rather brief, but it was more than enough to make Marina realize that she liked it.

Even more than her clothes and soap and the temple, maybe.

"Congratulations, both of you."

Marina was still too tongue-tied after Caspian's kiss to say anything. Luckily, the man hadn't lost his senses the way she had. "Thank you, my lady."

The oracle nodded. "And it was a pleasure to meet your lovely bride."

"You're too kind." Marina said, pleased that Caspian hadn't thought to release her yet. She rather enjoyed having him close to her side.

"Will you be moving into town now that you're married?"

"No," Caspian said. "We're staying by the sea."

"You have a point." Lady Rosa looked Marina's way and winked at her. "All that privacy will be good for your marriage."

This time, both she and Caspian blushed. They'd been living together since her arrival at Cerulean Cove, but they hadn't really talked about it out loud. It was a little embarrassing to hear someone else actually bring it up in their conversation.