Tatiana looked upward and an embarrassed flush covered her cheeks. “I want you to return to your station outside the door, Chauncey.”
“Why?” He laughed, standing up and parading past. “The door’s locked. Besides, I think I’d rather sleep out here on this comfy bed.” He moved to her bed and sat down, squeaking the springs. “What about you, Cor?”
“I think I would, too. So much bigger than my tiny cot.”
“No!” Tatiana said adamantly. “I’m serious. I want you out Chauncey. Both of you!”
Chauncey ignored her and slid on the princess’s robe. He inhaled the fabric at the collar. “Smells like roses.”
Coralade giggled nervously, almost fearful, and crawled under the covers next to him.
“I mean it!” Tatiana stamped her foot.
Chauncey threw the pillow he’d used to hide his groin and tossed a blanket a Tatiana’s feet.
“No,
Princess!
You’ll do as I say now. You’re to sleep in the servant quarters where you belong, or we’ll let it slip that Cor knows the truth about your faked pregnancy. And you’ll never see your precious Jacob again.”
Tatiana gritted her teeth for a moment, eyeing them evilly. She had no choice, hijacked from her room and her bed. With fiery disdain, she bent down and clutched the blanket, abandoning the pillow, and turned on her heels. Once inside the servant quarters, she slammed the door behind her.
Outside, the giggling resumed along with what sounded like Coralade bouncing on the bed. Tatiana stuffed the lone pillow over her ears and tried to block out the noise, but Chauncey’s oyster stench had infused everything, making her gag.
36
: : :
Tradition
At the rattle of the lock, Tatiana pried her eyes open.
“Tatiana, this isn’t funny. Open the door,” Coralade said through the wooden panel. “I’m sorry, okay? We’ll let you sleep in your bed tonight. Please.”
Tatiana shook her head, her pulse pounding at her temples, and stood, bleary-eyed.
She unlocked the door and Coralade bounded in, a sheet tied around her torso, and pushed past her. She grabbed Chauncey’s manskirt off the floor and threw it outside, then pawed inside the dresser drawers. She threw on a top and skirt, and pulled her hair back with a tie.
“Come on,” she said, straightening Tatiana’s belly, and placing the robe Chauncey had worn over her shoulders. “Get into bed. Azor’s coming.”
Disgusted by his fishy musk tainting her robe, Tatiana dropped the thing on the floor and took a new robe from the rack just outside the servant quarters. Sheets and pillows lay about the room. She crawled in bed anyway, trying not to think of what they’d done on her sheets. Quick as a flash, Coralade made the bed with Tatiana in it.
She looked apologetic. “I’m sorry. I lost my head last night.”
Tatiana blinked at her, a frown on her face. “You’re horrible, both of you.”
“I know,” she said. “I didn’t mean to get that carried away—” she huffed. “You won’t tell, will you?”
“Tell? You’re worried I’m going to tell?” Tatiana laughed. “Do you realize I’m about to be the queen? That I could make your life a living hell?”
Coralade kept silent, her eyes low and her hands trembling at her sides.
Revolted at her behavior, Tatiana was tempted to make her suffer more, but at this point she needed a bargaining chip. “Where’s Jacob?”
Coralade pressed her eyes shut and swallowed. “I don’t know. I never saw him. But I know he’s not at Bone Island. No one is. There is to be a public execution tomorrow at the ceremony. The rebel leader confessed.”
Tatiana gasped. “Who?”
“I don’t know. That’s all the guards are saying.”
Tatiana cupped her hand over her mouth and turned away, choking back a sob. Who confessed? Surely not Jacob. Was her father here?
Just then the door to her room opened, the visitor unannounced. “Well, look who’s up,” Azor said with amusement playing on his face.
Tatiana couldn’t withhold her grief. She threw back the covers and stood. “Who are you executing tomorrow?” she demanded.
“What?” Azor’s eyes zeroed in on Coralade, who was slowly retreating backward. “What did you tell her?” he said through gritted teeth.
Tatiana interrupted, rushing him and grabbing the front of his breastplate. “There’s to be an execution! Tomorrow! At the ceremony!”
“No, no, no,” Azor said, pulling her off of him and sliding his hands down her arms. “That’s a rumor. I plan to pardon the rebels and end all of this tomorrow. It’s time to show our unity with our…” Azor’s eyes darted to Coralade, “merling.”
“What?” Tatiana wiped away her tears, confused. Did Xirene give birth already? “But someone confessed?”
Azor screwed up his face. “No one confessed.”
Tatiana gasped. “You don’t have my father?”
“Of course not. Calm down.” He landed Coralade a glare. “No one confessed and I’ve decided I’m done with this war. When I take the throne, I want peace, the song again and better food.”
Tatiana’s hands fluttered to her neck. Azor could lie to her and say anything. But tomorrow, he could say Jacob had confessed he let the rebels free from jail, that he’d set up the ambush. Azor could kill him right in front of her to torment her. All because she didn’t want him, didn’t love him.
“Stop.” He rested his hands on her shoulders, leaning in. “We made a deal.”
She peered into his dark eyes, untrusting. But instead of his typical discontent, happiness and joy radiated from within. Had the merling been born? Had he really intended to go through with the deal and let Jacob go free?
“I’ve actually come to fetch you for your fitting. You need a dress for the ceremony to match this…” He walked her over to the mirrored closet doors and snapped his fingers. A servant appeared with a box. Azor pulled out the golden gemmed crown and set it on her head.
Eyes still blurry from the tears, she tried to focus on the sparkling object on her head. Confused at his new behavior, she remained straight-faced, unable to pretend she liked it.
“It’s heavy.”
“Heavy?” Azor trilled his lips. “Underwater it’ll feel fine. You know, it’s been passed down from generations. You should feel honored.”
He quickly removed it and handed it to the servant, who scurried out of the room.
“Come on,” he said, taking Tatiana’s hand. “You’ll feel better after you’ve had your fitting with my mother.”
He entwining his fingers with hers, and led her through the door. They passed Chauncey on the way out and Tatiana bristled, leveling him a glower. His lip curled in a smirk, then he had the audacity to give her a wink.
I’ll deal with you later
, she thought.
Alone, Tatiana let out the breath she’d been holding. “Did the merling come?”
“No, not yet.”
“Is she okay?”
“Uncomfortable, but fine.”
“Do you think today is the day?”
“Most definitely.”
His arm tightened around hers, but not in a possessive way. More like an excited way. Tatiana momentarily peered at his beaming face. He looked ahead, eyes shinning, just like that of a proud father.
: : :
“Tatiana,” the Queen said, rising from a padded chair sitting in front of a vanity. “So good to see you.”
“Yes, my Queen,” she fell into an awkward curtsy.
“Still pregnant, I see.” Desiree’s hand gently caressed the top of her stomach. “No having that merling on stage tomorrow.”
Tatiana chuckled, rubbing her belly protectively. “Oh, let’s hope not.”
“Come. Let’s get you off your feet.”
The Queen gestured to an open chair next to hers. Together, they sat as the maids preened and primped their hair. In the mirror, Tatiana spied a pastel rainbow of colorful gowns they were about to try on. Any other time she’d be thrilled to wear such lovely attire, but Tatiana dreaded the coronation ceremony.
Though Azor seemed like a completely different person, happy even, and he’d suggested he wanted to let the rebel war go, and acted as if he’d still planned to fulfill the deal, she knew better. Like a switch, if it suited him, he could easily change his mind. And unless she found a way to make herself indispensible until she could rescue Jacob, they both could lose their lives shortly thereafter.
Pearleza assisted Tatiana behind the dressing curtain, and finally, after ten dress changes, the Queen decided on a beaded blue dress for Tatiana for the coronation. Then the Queen shooed away the maids and pulled Tatiana aside.
“I have something to show you,” she said, once they were alone.
With a gulp, Tatiana met the Queen’s gaze. Seriousness plied into her from Desiree’s soft blue irises.
“As the new queen, I must share with you a tradition we’ve passed down from generation to generation.” From within the vanity, she pulled a small box with a golden fleur-de-lis on the cover. Inside, two metal fleur-de-lis stamps lay, one an inch in length and the other three inches, next to a vial of brown liquid.
Tatiana’s hand flew to her neckline. “What is this?”
“I think you know.”
She blinked, unbelieving, staring at the two intricate stamps. “The fleur-de-lis mark doesn’t actually appear, does it?”
A giggle sprung from the Queen’s lips as she removed the larger stamp. “It’s a tradition shared only among queens from a tale that dates back to as long as our people have swum these waters, starting with late Queen Esmernda. She had an unsightly birthmark on her hip and tried everything in an attempt to cover it. Her sister, though, had visited land and seduced a man who inked skin with art. He took Esmernda’s blemish and crafted a wonderful fleur-de-lis using this—” She lifted the tool. “And then, magically, her daughter and every royal daughter and queen thereafter has had one since.”
She brushed the end lightly, reminiscent almost. “To think if this could talk, the stories it would tell.” She blinked, pausing for a moment. “So… what you do is heat this end, then pour the liquid on first, then brand the skin to infuse the ink.”
Tatiana gasped, remembering the night she’d dreamt of stinging bees prior to her mark showing up.
“Oh, it doesn’t really hurt. I mean, you don’t remember, right?” The Queen touched Tatiana’s hand. “And since we heal so quickly, the skin locks the color inside. The larger one is for adults and the smaller, for merlings.”
“But why? I mean… everyone thinks the mark appears after the promise or you’re born of royal blood.” Tatiana’s chest heaved, thinking of Xirene. She hadn’t been flawed after all.
“Exactly,” Queen Desiree said with a wink. “Marks appear only on those who are royal and the others cannot claim otherwise.”
Tatiana let out the breath she’d been holding, her mind still on Xirene. “Wow, so you…”
“I tattooed you and all my daughters. And if you have a girl, we’ll tattoo her together.” She leaned forward. “That’s why I’ve insisted, not only myself, but Pearleza to be your midwife.”
Tatiana held her hand over her mouth, not only horrified they’d purposefully burn a merling, but that Pearleza knew, too. And how were they going to fake the delivery if the Queen insisted she be present.
The Queen pressed her hand on Tatiana’s leg, sudden and urgent. “You’ll be forced, in your lifetime, to make tough decisions, Tatiana. Things you might regret, but just know… you must do everything in your power to keep the ways of our people going and keep its secrets. The mers depend on it, like life. Otherwise, we’ll be bound to chaos, and if we’re found out by humans, our punishment will be extinction.”
Tatiana’s eyes grew. She shook her head and mouthed a simple “yes,” finding her voice a bit too late. “Yes, my Queen,”
I know all too well the secrets I must keep.
Queen Desiree sucked in a deep breath, a peaceful smile replaced her concern. “Good. My son loves you and his people. He’s been groomed for this day his entire life. And it’s a shame what’s happened to Phaleon. But, by passing the crown early, he’ll live to see his grand-merlings. Most kings—” she dragged her teeth over her bottom lip, “—
expire
before the crown is passed. But since Phaleon cannot lead in his condition, he’s wisely chosen a permanent sabbatical instead. And Azor’s taken up his duties already, so it seems fitting to give him the crown, too.”
Tatiana wanted to ask if her son was so honorable, why he was spreading rumors the King was dying? Or if she’s even been out of the palace walls lately? Audience should have clued her in that Azor hadn’t lead well at all. His desire for revenge had far outstretched his so-called love for his people. He only loved himself, hence his desire to force her to look pregnant and keep his real mate in the shadows.
Tatiana steeled herself. “What do you mean by expire?”
Desiree’s eyes turned hard again. “Princes have been known to
help
their fathers onto the afterlife for the crown, Tatiana.”
Tatiana’s cupped her hand to her lips, withholding a gasp. The King had predicted he’d die, and she thought him crazy to believe that. But hearing the story, she realized he hadn’t meant his health would take his life, but his own son. Did Azor even know his dad was going to give him the crown early? Azor had merely bragged he’d make the tough decisions, that his father’s days were numbered. Her heart pounded, hoping the Queen hadn’t waited to tell Azor their plans, wanting to surprise him instead on his birthday.
Tatiana grasped her hand, determined to help her see reason, when Queen Desiree clutched her chest and stood. The kit tumbled off her lap and to the floor. With a crack, the vial split, oozing brown ink onto the carpet.
“No!” she screamed, kicking off her beaded flats and running for the door with her new gown on.
“My Queen?” Tatiana reached for her, but Pearleza and her other maids had flung open the door and were at her side.
“No! NO!” Desiree’s voice careened through the halls. She pitched the girls off and ran from them.
Tatiana followed, running behind them when Pearleza took her hand and forced her to slow down. “Act pregnant, Princess,” she warned.
“Phaleon!” Desiree bellowed. “Phaleon!”
Just beyond her, Azor walked out of King Phaleon’s door. Blanchard leaned against the wall, watching on with a curious white bundle in his arms. Azor ran to his mother. Blood covered his hands.