Fen
I held my breath as Zale tied a cravat around my neck. "Sorry," I said again when he was done. He kept telling me not to, but I couldn't seem to stop apologizing for getting us into this situation.
"It's okay, Fen."
I just didn't see how that could be true. Because of me, Zale was going to see his father tonight. I was pretty sure they had never met before, but I didn't want to make Zale feel worse by asking.
It started when Kyra came for lunch and I traced her soul bond to somewhere far away, but definitely underwater. There were so many reasons I couldn't just grab Kyra and follow the bond to her soul mate. First, there was a chance we would land in the water instead of in an enchanted castle like this one, and that would mean a fairly immediate death for me. Second, Kyra wouldn't understand what we were doing and I couldn't tell where we were going or why. And then there was the more political reason. Even if we landed somewhere safe enough for me and even if Kyra didn't mind being teleported somewhere random without explanation, we might end up causing some kind of diplomatic incident by trespassing in a kingdom where we didn't belong.
So, yeah. I couldn't just grab Kyra and go. But I wasn't sure how else to find her soul mate. That's why when Kyra mentioned a party her father was throwing to help her find a suitable match and said "I wish you could come" to Zale, I asked, "Why can't we?"
Zale froze up and Kyra said she would love if we did, and then everything moved really quickly from there. I think Zale just didn't want to disappoint his sister, but I'm sure she would have understood if he refused to go. Heck, even I understood why this was a terrible idea once I spent a few seconds thinking about it.
"I can pretend to be sick and you can stay home to take care of me," I offered, even though I knew Zale would never agree even before his head started shaking no.
"If Kyra's soul mate is mer, this is our best chance to find him for her," Zale sighed. "It's that, or I throw one of these events, myself, and invite her along. And I'm not doing that."
Wouldn't it be better than confronting his father? I didn't ask.
Someone knocked on the door and Astrea called, "Open up!"
Zale obeyed, and she cast a critical gaze over him and then me. "You're dressed right, but I'm not sure how much good that'll do you," she said.
"Why?" I asked.
She cast me a droll stare. "You're fae, Fen. It's weird."
My chest tightened and I knew my cheeks were flushed. As if I wouldn't have been different enough already, attending a party for royals and nobility when I didn't know the first thing about proper deportment. I knew I stood out. Mer tended to be pale, probably from the lack of sunlight in their natural habitat, and my skin was dark. My hair shone like metal and my eyes were freakishly gold, and my ears were too pointy. And even though fae were tall, compared to merfolk I was short. It made me feel uncomfortable and far less capable, like a child.
I already stuck out enough in Zale's home. After hearing how disparaging Astrea could be about hers, I knew it would be even worse in Vidonia.
"Astrea, apologize," Zale snapped.
"Sorry, Fen," she muttered. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant, they'll all think it's weird. We don't normally date interspecies."
"That's not better," Zale grumbled. He pulled me into his side and hooked an arm around my shoulders. "You're going to be fine," he promised. "It doesn't matter what anyone there thinks."
Shouldn't I be the one reassuring him? And didn't it matter what these people thought? If Zale wanted to be a successful leader, he would need allies. Pointing these things out would have only made the situation worse, so I nodded and said, "Okay," and hoped that would be the end of it.
Astrea seemed happy to change the subject. She launched herself onto Zale's bed and said, "I can't believe you're going to a party in Vidonia and I'm not. I wonder what Dad will think." There was a vindictive smile on her face as she said this, like she wanted him to be upset with her.
"Hopefully, he won't think much of it one way or another," Zale said.
Astrea looked down at her hands, which were twisted together. "I just want him to care that I'm gone," she said.
That melted away Zale's irritation in an instant. My chest ached at how young she sounded. I forgot, sometimes, that Astrea was still so young. "He cares," Zale said.
Astrea scoffed. "You don't know him." Her eyes filled with horror and she stuttered apologies until Zale held up his hands.
"It's okay. I don't know him, but I know he cares about appearances. You're a crack in the façade of his happy family, so I know he cares you're gone."
It was a far cry from reassuring her that her father must miss her, like I wanted to. The only thing staying my tongue was the fact that their dad sounded like a real buttface, and there didn't seem to be any indication that he loved his children at all.
Astrea shrugged. "I guess. I'll get out of your hair. I just wanted to make sure you looked the part so you don't get roasted alive."
Her words rekindled my nerves and guilt flared again that we were even going at all. Zale seemed completely unbothered. He let go of me so he could press a kiss to his sister's temple and give her a quick hug. "I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay. And bring me back some shrimp puffs, would you? Our chef makes the best shrimp puffs, and I miss them."
I wrinkled my nose. I had tried shrimp a few weeks ago and it was nasty. The idea of eating an entire living being in one bite was disturbing enough; then add in how cold and slimy it was, and I wanted to gag just thinking about it.
Once Astrea was gone, Zale checked the computer in his room. "Kyra says we're all set to arrive," he said. Since I couldn't swim there with him, Zale and Kyra had arranged for us to teleport directly to her once she sent the okay.
"Are you sure I'm not sick? I feel like I could come down with something any second," I pleaded.
Zale's lips twitched toward a smile. "I'm sure."
When I didn't budge after he slipped his hand into mine, he lifted an eyebrow lightly. "I can do this alone, if you prefer. We can let Kyra handle her own love life and you can just give me a lift, then come right back here and spend the evening with Astrea."
The offer gave me back my courage. No way would I do any of that. Zale deserved better from me... and I wanted to offer better to his sister, too. "Ready?" I asked, finally gripping his hand.
"Ready," he confirmed.
Before I could think any more about it, I took us to Kyra.
She was in an opulent bedroom that looked like something out of a magazine instead of like anything someone might actually live in. She sighed when she saw us and pressed one hand to her chest. "Thank goodness. I couldn't stay here much longer and it's better for everyone if we don't showcase your teleportation trick. It's an uncomfortable thing for our security. I'm sure you understand."
"Sorry," I said.
She shook her head at me with a kind smile. "Think no more of it."
Kyra started walking toward the door. "I hope you'll forgive me for not offering a tour. Guests are starting to arrive and I should be there to greet them."
"It's not a problem," Zale assured her. We were flanked by guards as soon as we left Kyra's room, and I had to try hard to ignore their stares. When they got too obvious, Zale glared at them to no avail, until Kyra stopped and shot them a look.
"You will offer my brother and his betrothed the respect they are due," she said in a tone that left no room for argument.
They didn't apologize, but they did stop staring. It might have made me feel better, but nothing could cut through my nerves right now, or through the discomfort that came every time someone called me Zale's betrothed. It was still something that didn't really feel settled, even though I had agreed not to withdraw the betrothal announcement.
It only got worse once we arrived in the party hall, which was massive and which was full of people who weren't subtle about staring my way. Was this what my whole life with Zale would be like?
Kyra led us toward a couple standing at the front of the hall. The woman wore a dress that looked more like it belonged in a museum than on a living, breathing body. Her hair was twisted back in a neat chignon, and her expression was perfectly smooth. The man, on the other hand...
Oh, he was impeccably dressed, too. His hair was also neatly pulled back, and his expression was just as blank as the woman's. The startling thing was, I could see Zale in his features. Just a bit. Something in the angle of the jaw and in the tilt of his nose. Then his eyes flashed toward me and I gasped. They were identical.
There was no doubting who this was, then. This had to be Zale's father.
Kyra stopped when we were in front of her parents and her eyes darted nervously between them and Zale, whose expression was just as smooth as theirs. I needed to learn that trick.
"Mother, Father. I'd like you to meet my brother, Zale, crown prince of Rell. And his betrothed, Fen," Kyra said a voice that only slightly betrayed her nerves.
Zale inclined his head regally toward his father and dipped a small bow toward Kyra's mother. I bit my lip to keep from gasping as I stood back out of the spotlight. Astrea had been very specific about this. Her mother was queen and Euripides was the king consort, which meant that this was the proper way to greet them; however, in practice, it was expected that everyone show Euripides more deference. Zale knew that, which meant he either made a mistake or he had done it on purpose.
The glint in his eyes when he glanced my way told me it wasn't a mistake.
However, any ground Zale might have gained in refusing to bow to Euripides disappeared in the next moment when Euripides stepped forward and clapped Zale on the shoulder. "It's good to see you, my son," he proclaimed in a booming voice. "What a momentous occasion, having my eldest here with us. If only Adras were here, our family would be complete."
Zale's arm around mine went rigid and I felt him leaning back toward me, even as his father prevented a retreat with an ironclad grip on his shoulder.
"Father-" Kyra started, but Euripides didn't let her get a word in.
"Come, there are people I want you to meet," Euripides said. He turned and started striding away, obviously expecting that Zale would follow along.
"I could kill him," Zale growled so quietly only I could hear him.
"We're here for Kyra," I reminded him, even though I fully supported the sentiment, if not the action.
Zale's eyes flashed to where she stood with her shoulders pulled only the slightest amount inward against her rigid, upright posture. She looked horribly uncomfortable. I didn't dare look at the queen, whose name I had never even gotten.
"We can leave whenever you want," I reminded Zale. "You say the word, and we're gone in an instant."
He smiled a little at that. "I'm holding you to that."
We walked after Euripides and I could have sworn I saw Kyra breathe a sigh of relief before she, too, trailed after Euripides.
What followed was an agonizing half hour during which Euripides dragged Zale and Kyra (and by extension, myself) through conversation after conversation as he greeted his guests. They all followed the same pattern:
"Ah, Murdoch, it's good to see you! I know you're well acquainted with my daughter, but have you met my eldest? He's set to take the Rellian throne before year-end. Zale, come meet my advisor."
And so on. And on and on, as Euripides found ways to brag about the two of his children who trailed after him, both in line to rule their respective nations. I was largely ignored, but I preferred it that way and Zale seemed to understand that, since he offered me encouraging smiles whenever I stepped back and let him meet everyone without drawing attention to myself.
How had we not seen this coming? We had been so sure Euripides would continue to ignore Zale, just like he had been doing for Zale's whole life. But of course, it made a horrible sense. Zale's presence at this party could be spun in two ways. Either Zale was Euripides' dirty secret from a past affair, something the gossips could have a field day with... or he was a feather in Euripides' cap. By bragging on and on about Zale, Euripides was doing a lot to squash any rumor mill fodder outright. It's hard to knock someone down for a secret they wear proudly, and it was honestly intimidating to think this man's children would soon rule two separate nations. If he had a lot of influence over both children, that could put a man in an impressive position of power. With the way he was carrying on, I was sure this was the impression his guests were getting.
I watched as poor Zale grew stiffer and more distant-looking with each introduction. He reminded me of when we first met, when he was all vitriol and snappishness. The only softness I ever saw was when he glanced my way with an apology in his eyes for dragging me around like this or when he looked to Kyra with sympathy for what she must have endured, being raised by this man.
I almost forgot that we were here with a mission until I absentmindedly tapped into Kyra's soul bond and, with a jolt, realized the person on the other end of it was here. In fact, it was pulled so taut, they had to be in the same room. My eyes traced automatically over the crowd until I found a group of people in the right vicinity. To pinpoint exactly who her soul mate was, I would need to get her closer to them, but there were a couple of likely-looking candidates. There were two men standing with a young girl and an older couple. The five of them looked so alike, they had to be related.
I would bet money that one of those two men was the person we were looking for.
And didn't it mean something wonderful, that they were here? Being invited to a party like this had to mean they held some kind of station. And they were certainly guests, rather than servants. Though the staff wore crisp clothes of good quality, they were nothing compared to the finery this family wore.
I pulled Zale aside, regardless of Euripides, who was leading the way to the next introduction. "Zale!" I hissed excitedly. "Zale, Kyra's soul mate is right over there!"
His eyes lit up and he looked in the direction I nodded my head. Then, to my astonishment, he laughed. "Well, fuck me."