The Waters Read online

  I was no siren--they were assholes--but I'd say my voice was pretty easy on the ears. His eye twitch was a result of the earl’s dislike of me. It was just another reason not to become a Salamon.

  "I'd like to speak with Aiden," I said. My mother made a go ahead gesture, so I clarified--"Alone." Aiden's mother made a small noise of frustration which I ignored. I liked Aria, but she'd also blindsided me with this. She had always treated me like a second child. Now I couldn't help but wonder if she'd known about the arrangement our whole lives.

  "Is this really necessary?" the queen asked. Annoyance flashed across her face.

  I didn't respond. I was beyond angry. I was livid. She’d kept this from me. Aiden had kept this from me. I knew this day would come eventually, but why hadn't anyone warned me, or at least mentioned the possibility of Aiden and me ever becoming more than friends? I would've been a bit more demure, left a little mystery between us. But he knew everything. He had laughed and held my hair back while I vomited after drinking alcohol for the first time when I became of age. Nothing kills romance quite like vomit.

  "A minute wouldn't hurt," he said. Of course, now he wanted to talk. He stood and offered his arm to me. I turned from the table, ignoring the proffered arm and went into the larger dining room. It was empty so it would be safe to talk here.

  "What are you thinking?" I asked, poking his head. He swatted my hand away and gave me the look. The one which told me he thought I was being ridiculous.

  "Think about it," he said. "We're best friends. We won't have to marry some random person and try to get to know them."

  "Marriage, Aiden. This isn't some simple matter. It's the rest of our lives."

  "I thought we were friends till the end?" His mouth twitched upward.

  "Joking won't save you from this discussion. We can't get married, Aiden. It's an awful idea." His frown made me regret my words.

  "You could do a lot worse," he said.

  "Aiden," I beseeched him. "We've been friends forever."

  "How is that a problem?" he shot back. Oh man, my awful idea comment had pissed him off.

  "It isn't, not really. It's just we won't love each other."

  "I already love you," he said.

  "I mean romantic love. I love you too, but I haven't exactly daydreamed about our merbabies."

  He didn't speak for a moment, making me wonder if he had thought about having merbabies with me. Did Aiden like me? How had I missed this?

  "You haven't even given me the chance to be the man you could love."

  "Do you want to be him or are you just doing this for the title?" Where was my foot when I needed it? That was a low blow. His jaw dropped open and his face turned red.

  "It's never been about the title!" he shouted at me. I cringed, knowing our parents could hear him shouting. "I'm doing this because you're the only person I can think of spending the rest of my life with!"

  "Aiden--"

  "No, Ezme. It's my turn to talk. I let you throw your little princess fit but you are going to listen to me now. I love you. You are my best friend. We may not have any of the romance stuff yet, but can't we try? I'm not ugly and you are all right. I'm willing to make sacrifices to make this work. No one would be as fun as you."

  I socked his arm.

  "I'm all right? I'm freaking gorgeous and if, that is a BIG if, I even consider marrying you, you better not forget it. You receive all the benefits of this little arrangement."

  "You'd have me?" he offered. His eyes were hopeful.

  I ground my teeth together.

  "At least they told you."

  "I only found out three days ago," he said. That explained his absence over the past few days. "I wanted to tell you, but my father forbade it. As for the queen…"

  "Yeah, yeah." I waved my hand. "We all know she does whatever she wants."

  "You can too, someday.”

  I had a feeling that day was far away. My mother was healthy and heirs couldn’t ascend to the throne until thirty. I blinked back tears and Aiden sighed before pulling me into a hug. He smoothed my hair down, something he'd done before, but now, with our impending marriage, every touch held a different meaning.

  "What if I still don't want it?"

  He loosed a breath. "Then you have to convince your mom."

  I laugh-cried at the suggestion. She might be Queen of the Blue Waters, but she was immovable as the mountains on the land.

  "Are we still friends?" I worried I'd said too much. Aiden was right. I could do worse than him, but I had no idea what else was out there. Why rush into things?

  "Of course." He squeezed me before letting me go. "You are more than all right, Ezme, you take my breath away. You shine brighter than the sun on the Blue Waters and the thought of being your husband terrifies me. I know I'm not worthy."

  He left me speechless, standing in the dining room like an idiot. He'd never spoken to me like that. He was wrong, though; of all the men in the Blue Waters, he was the only one worthy. But what about all the men on the Lands? a little voice in the back of my mind pressed.

  The Lands. Of course, why hadn't I thought of it sooner? I needed a plan, but I'd have to get through breakfast and the meeting with the baroness before I could figure it all out.

  Chapter 2

  Breakfast ended with promises to discuss the ceremony and dates for the wedding. I refused to agree but stayed quiet so as not to make the queen any angrier. We walked in silence to the royal meeting room. She glided to her throne and graciously picked up her azure dress, sitting before artfully spreading it around her. I came to stand behind her and tensed when she turned and gave me a pointed look.

  "The way you behaved today was unacceptable." She sighed. "I know it was a surprise, but this is for the best. You have to trust me."

  I did trust her, to an extent, at least. For all her political maneuvering and secrecy, she had her redeeming moments. Those moments were scarce, at best, but I savored them. The times when we were just mother and daughter rather than the royal family. Like when she'd taken me to the Great Reef for my birthday last year. There were no politics involved with that trip. This marriage with Aiden? It was all political. She likely owed the earl a favor and had promised me for her son, assuming I'd be happy with the arrangement.

  "I don't mean to be difficult, but you have to understand, Aiden is my friend. He isn't boyfriend material."

  "Have you ever tried?"

  I balked at the question. Even if we had, I wouldn't tell her. She'd be furious.

  "I have an idea..." I trailed off, trying to think of the right way to word it. Before I could verbalize my request, the door attendant announced Baroness Charlotte. The baroness came to stand in front of my mother and curtsied low until the queen waved her hand, giving her leave to rise. Baroness Charlotte wasn't a beautiful woman; she was pretty in a simple way. Her blond hair lacked luster and her ivory skin didn't glow with health but instead paled with sickness. Up close, I could tell she wasn't just thin, she was gaunt.

  "My Queen," her voice shook when she spoke, "I've come to request aid for my people. Our reef no longer flourishes. We are starving."

  Baroness Charlotte of the Great Reef? Now I was curious.

  "I was there but a year ago. I saw no signs of decline," my mother countered. I tried not to frown; impassive was the name of the game.

  "A lot can happen in a year, Your Highness. Disease has swept across the reef and already it’s killed half the plants."

  Impassive. Don't look surprised. I stared at the bottom of her dress, trying not to show my concern. Disease was unheard of. At least, the Blue Waters hadn't seen catastrophic diseases, or really any kind, since my mother took the throne. In my tutoring sessions, I’d learned the goddess blessed the Blue Waters when the right monarch ruled and cursed them when the wrong one did. If what the baroness said was true--it was a bad sign. Our waters had been at peace for so long.

  "And the people?" the queen asked.

  "Most have been unaffected, but the children and elderly haven't fared as well."

  My cool façade slipped, and a deep frown marred my face.

  "I will send two healers with you. If what you say is true, I will consider lending more resources to finding a cure." A diplomatic response, but only two healers? The reef was huge. It was the Great Reef. Two healers wouldn't be enough. Baroness Charlotte's face fell. Not one to bite the hand that fed, she curtsied even lower than she did the first time and thanked the queen for her kindness. I struggled to stay quiet. I wanted to help the baroness, but I'd chosen my fight. A dying reef wasn't it. The baroness left the chamber without fainting, thank the goddess for small miracles. I wondered if the disease had affected her more than she let on.

  My mother dismissed me for the day and I eagerly escaped the meeting room. I would have plenty of royal meetings when I ascended to the throne. I didn't want to practice more than necessary. I made it all the way to my room before I realized I hadn't asked her about the Land Institute. Tomorrow, I promised myself. Tomorrow I would ask her.

  Mia opened my doors just as I arrived. I scowled at her.

  "We need to talk."

  Mia’s smile morphed into a paralyzed look of terror. Oh yeah, we were going to have words.

  Try as I might, I couldn't have it out with Mia. After all, it wasn't her fault the queen had used magickal binding on her. I ended up telling her about breakfast and we spent a good amount of time analyzing what Aiden had said to me. I know I'm not worthy.

  Oh Aiden, my heart clenched for him. I'd always dreaded the day when someone would break his heart, but I hadn't thought I'd be the one holding it when it happened. Though all was not lost, we hadn't moved past friendship yet. If I could just weasel my mother into deferring the wedding a few years to let me attend the Land Institute, maybe Aiden would find a lover and realize how stupid this arrangement was.

  "I don't know, Ezme." Mia shook her head. "The queen will see through the request."

  We’d spent the day holed up in my room, plotting different ways to avoid the arranged marriage. After hours of contemplation, the institute had been the only plausible idea.

  "So, what if she does? I'll use my age to sway her. Does she really want me married so young? Education has always been important to her. If I agree to the marriage, under the condition of finishing my education first, she will let me go." I paced the bedroom as I spoke. Her head tracked my movements, back and forth, back and forth.

  "Are you so sure Aiden will find someone else?"

  I didn't know if he would, but I could only hope for the best. Aiden deserved more than friendship. I wasn't sure I could fulfill his needs. Until today, I had not paid much attention to Aiden as a man. He had shaggy blond hair and blue eyes sure to make any woman swoon. He already had plenty of admirers. It was just a matter of time before one caught his eye. With me out of the picture, it was only a matter of time before he found a woman more suitable to become his wife.

  "He will," I said.

  A swift knock on the door had Mia standing and adjusting her dress. It was time for dinner and because she understood me, she had it delivered. I hated attending formal feasts with the entire castle. The cooks over-delivered as always, and I invited Mia to enjoy the spoils. We ate in my small dining room, and after polishing off the marinated fish, we eyed the cover on the dessert plate. Mia whipped it off and we both gasped.

  "Is that--" I asked.

  Mia nodded eagerly. "The chef's famous Blue Waters chocolate pie."

  Pie, I sighed the word to myself, or at least I thought I did, but when Mia snorted, I realized I’d said it out loud. Never stand between a woman and her chocolate pie. We lifted our forks and clinked them together before demolishing it. The chef had sent an extra-large piece, so we didn't have to fight over the last bites. We both groaned with a mix of pleasure and pain when we reached the end of the slice. The pie was so sweet, it was almost overwhelming, but the pain was worth it. I dreamed about it occasionally.

  "Keep eating like that and Aiden won't want to marry you," Mia teased when I went back for one more bite. I opened my mouth, letting her get a good long look at the half-chewed pie before I focused on the mission at hand.

  "Your elegance always surprises me, Princess."

  "Better watch it, Mia. Next time, I won't share with you." I quirked a brow at her.

  "Are you really threatening the person who turns your bed down? Never know when an eel, or worse, might sneak between the sheets."

  "You wouldn't dare." I pointed my fork at her threateningly.

  "Oh?"

  "I know where you sleep," I warned her.

  "Princess," she laughed, "why, if I didn't know better, I'd say you are threatening me. What would mommy dearest say about that?"

  "I could have you reassigned…” I trailed off, twirling my fork in my hand and suppressing a smirk.

  "You're an asshole."

  "I learn from the best," I quipped.

  "Yeah, well, tell your mother I said hello." The sugar rush got the better of us and we fell into a fit of laughter. My side ached, and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. I reined it in before asking, "You promise to keep my plans to yourself?"

  "I'll do my best." She worried her lip. "I don't know if the queen can force the truth from me. She's only used her magic to keep me from speaking it."

  "Well, she has no reason to suspect you of keeping anything from her, so I think you're safe from any truth compulsions." I'd seen her use one before, but I wasn't about to tell Mia that. No sense in scaring her more than she already was. Before she left for the night, I helped her tidy up, ignoring her constant reminders that I was a princess and princesses didn't clean. I hated that Mia was responsible for my messes. I had hands, I could help.

  After she left, I feared my plan wouldn’t work. If I couldn't get my mother to see reason, I wasn't sure how I would get out of the marriage. Maybe I could pay sirens to seduce Aiden. The idea wasn't half bad, aside from the fact that sirens were crazy and they'd kill him when they were done with him. Goddess, I couldn't send the sirens to Aiden. What was I thinking? The Land Institute had to work out.

  "No." The two-letter word shattered my plans and halted my words.

  "No?" I asked.

  "No." My mother nodded, her lips pulled down into a frown. "I understand you are concerned, but the Land Institute? There is no need. We can bring the professors to you."

  "I don't want them to come here. I want to go there. I've never been to the Lands."

  "All the more reason for you to stay here. You won't know what to expect. Trust me, mother knows best."

  "But I will learn." I begged her, "Mother, please. Just give me two years."

  "No."

  "A year and a half?" I countered.

  "No," she said, exasperated.

  "Just one year. Mom," my voice broke, "I'm not ready to get married." My words hung in the air as she considered my request. Any bit of hope I managed to grasp onto fell away when her blue eyes turned cold.

  "I really am sorry, Ezme, but I can't allow you to go to the Land Institute. Perhaps, after you’re married, Aiden could take you on a trip to the Lands." My body trembled with anger, tears pricked my eyes, and my breathing was ragged. She wasn't going to let me go. There was no way to escape the marriage. Would she really force me into this?

  "You can't stop me." I crossed my arms in defiance. Maybe if she realized how much I rebelled against her decision she would let it go.

  "You will not leave the Blue Waters without my permission." Venom laced her words and I flinched when they lashed across me. I stared at the woman before me, reassessing our relationship. Was I just another subject to her?

  "Are you going to bind me to silence too? Maybe if you magicked me like you do Mia, I could be known as the Silent Princess. Maybe Aiden can take over the royal duties while you bind me into submission."

  "Ezmeralda, you would do well to remember your place.” Her face grew red with ire.

  I started to retort but she magicked me. Her silence binding squeezed me. The more I tried to fight the swirling magic, the more it felt like the Blue Waters were drowning me. Filling my lungs until they burned. I closed my mouth in submission. My green magic flickered across my fingers with a weak defensive spell, my hands shook with fury. She magicked me.

  She held up one deadly finger, blue magic tinted black with a death spell crackled over it. The message was clear. She was stronger, more advanced in her magic; one finger was all she needed to end me. My magic sputtered out as I fell to my knees and tears began streaming down my cheeks. I didn't think she would kill me, but could I be sure? We'd never been so at odds. My rebellious attitude threatened to shatter the fragile control she had over her magic. It whispered over her skin, begging to be used. I dropped my head in defeat. Satisfied she’d managed to break me, she relented, and the binding lifted.

  "Mother?" I sobbed as she swept away in a flurry of blue skirts and slammed the door. I buried my shaking hands into my dress. What just happened? I hiccupped, fresh tears brimmed my eyes, leaking out and leaving little water stains on my dress.

  Mia found me a while later and gasped at the sight of me. Her concern brought fresh tears. Did she care for me more than my own mother did? She helped me stand, fixed my hair, and wiped the tears away while I gazed at a spot across the room. She shook me, and my watery green eyes met her gentle blue ones.

  "Are you okay?" She stared at my hands. My green magic had flared with my emotions. I gasped and stifled them. The only people who knew about my green magic were Mia, my mother, and my tutors. When my mother saw my green magic, she made me promise to keep it hidden from our people. Even Aiden didn't know about it.

  Mia's pale hands closed over my shaky brown ones and squeezed.

  "It will be okay, Ezme," she said. Her brow furrowed with concern.

  For the first time in my life, I wasn't sure it would be.

  Chapter 3

  Days came and went. I hadn't seen the queen since our argument, but her fury lingered, chasing me like a cruel shadow. Her silence scared me more than any yelling match ever could. I'd received word from a messenger that my schooling was suspended for the time being. The queen using her mighty powers to keep me in seclusion. A punishment.