Dark Depths

Chapter Eight: The Passage of Days

Chapter Eight:

The Passage of Days

1

"I made a promise, and it is my wish to fulfill that promise."

Days upon days passed after that. Not many of those had gone by before Nathan had become Crown Prince Ellister's most trusted attendant. He was tossed in with the likes of such stuffy old bags as Mr. Browning and Mr. Swingler, but he was very much set apart from the rest of them. Nathan was a breath of fresh sea air. He didn't nag the royal one day and night, and only two forms of business concerned him: the business of mermaids and the business of keeping himself pleased. Thus far, he had not neglected either.

Nathan had taken on Ellister's former job of sailing about, checking nets and examining wreckage. After the two instances that Nathan had been part of, they'd found no evidence of the nymphs' existence at all. Ellister had told him as much; however, he'd thought that after their last failed attempt, the nymphs would try again. Now it appeared he had been wrong. Even though the creatures' plans had been thwarted, they had not tried to feed again—at least to the men's knowledge. This made Nathan's job much more pleasant, for all he truly had to do was make sure the nets stayed in place and see if any of them ever caught a prize.

Life was good—like life had never been before. He'd led a privileged life in his youth, as far as having material possessions, but it had never been with freedoms such as these. Nathan called the palace home and had access to all its luxuries. Thaddeus's siblings were away—his sisters all married to princes by now, and his brothers off in foreign countries despite their father being ill—so Nathan went about as he wished. There were servants to see to his every need. He spoiled himself.

He wore expensive clothes, and while he was dressed as a steward, he did not feel like one. He was young and handsome—far from being one of those old men who couldn't smile. Ellister did not insist that Nathan speak to him as royalty, and though there was still a large gap between their stations, they'd become like friends. Nathan couldn't say he cared much for the man on a personal level, but they could talk amiably together, and their closeness did great things for his immunity.

Nathan walked around daily with a short smile on his face—not of happiness, but of arrogance. He did what he pleased, hardly even feeling the need to cause trouble. He'd nearly forgotten all the terrible things that had happened to him so many nights ago. He did not forget, however, for the deep sea nymphs were nearly all that Ellister spoke of.

That night on the ship, after he'd been rescued for the second time by the crown prince, Ellister had told Nathan of the infamous shipwreck that everyone whispered about, even years later. He had confirmed that it was true.

"I was five years old, and to this day, I do not remember what had led me to topple overboard. It seems like something I should recall, since it is such an important moment in my life, but I cannot remember it at all."

A mermaid had saved him and looked after him for two days on an island before he could tell her who he was and where he belonged.

"She was beautiful—perfect. Even at such a young age, I realized it. Being close to her was like nothing else, and like no woman since. I was enchanted by her. I think she knew."

According to him, she'd looked into his eyes and told him that one day he would be a king of the human world. She wanted a favor.

"She saved my life. How could I deny her?"

She'd asked him, as the human king, to promise that he would purge the sea of the monsters of her kind, for they had kept her as a slave. He'd promised that he would, and he'd not forgotten it.