He felt a trident poke him in the back, and he abruptly stopped gawking. They started toward the staircase on the left, passing by a woman of extraordinary beauty who was standing before the viewports with two small children. Aurelius caught the woman giving him an overly-friendly smile, and his gaze lingered on her until he felt the trident in his back again. The two children gaped at the newcomers, and the little girl pointed.
Their beautiful host led them up the set of stairs on the left. At the top of the staircase, they proceeded into a transparalloy corridor that crossed out over open water, giving a magnificent view of their surroundings. Aurelius found himself gawking again. Outside, the water was brightly lit by the phosphorescent flora and fauna, but all around them, high above the reef-crusted city, and beyond the glowing fields of seaweed, the water disappeared into blackness, as though they were really somewhere above ground on a starless night. The illusion was quickly dispelled by a large, glowing orange fish which swam in a lazy circle overhead.
They emerged on the other side of the tunnel in another large antechamber where they passed several more stunning women clothed in little more than a few strands of that strange, ropy fabric. Children ran through the city laughing and playing, seemingly unattended by their parents. And still, Aurelius noted the curious absence of any men. They passed ancient, weathered signs which pointed the way to different sections of the city. Just now those signs indicated that they were entering the Crystal Palace. From the look of it, it had been a hotel, but the foyer had long since passed into disrepair. The concierge's desk was unattended, but a quiet shuffle of footsteps alerted Aurelius to the pair of trident-bearing men standing just inside the entrance of the hotel. The foyer was dusty and scattered bits of rubble lay in the gloomy shadows cast by the phosphorescent growths. Cracked crystal pillars and shattered chandeliers still glittered in the dim blue-green light.
The woman leading them cut across the foyer to another stairwell, this one located beside a pair of open elevators with broken doors and rubble-strewn depths. They ascended floor after floor until Aurelius was panting with exertion. By his count they'd ascended fully twenty flights of stairs before they were led out of the stairwell and into a broad, deeply-shadowed corridor. Along the corridor they passed door after door, some of them still numbered with faded gold numerals.
Hotel rooms,
Aurelius thought.
At last they stopped before a broad double set of faded gold doors, guarded by a pair of tall, muscular men bearing tridents. The men crossed their tridents across the door, then turned to the woman leading them, waiting for her to explain her presence.
“I come to present these new arrivals to the queen for approval.”
Without a word of reply, the men guarding the doors raised their tridents and opened the doors.
As they walked through, Aurelius whispered to Gabrian, “
Approval?
”
“Quiet,” Gabrian hissed. “Do not speak unless spoken to.”
Aurelius was about to object when he caught a deadly scowl from the woman leading them. He supposed that silence was a part of the protocol they had to follow in the queen's chambers. As they walked inside, Aurelius recognized the decaying remains of a very luxurious hotel suite. More of the crystal pillars and fixtures bedecked the room. Old furniture that was in surprisingly good condition lay scattered through the wide open spaces of the hotel suite. A broad bank of viewports looked down upon a waving blue field of seaweed.
They were escorted through to another set of doors where another two trident-bearing guards barred the entrance. Yet again their escort explained her presence and they were admitted to the room. Inside, a woman of incredible beauty lay reclining on a king-size bed, looking out on a startling view of the underwater city. Her back was propped up by old, plush pillows, while nearly a dozen equally stunning men attended her. One was slowly brushing her long brown hair, another stood by her side, holding a golden goblet in one hand and a plate of strange appetizers in the other; a third kneeled at the foot of the bed, massaging her feet, and two more lay one on either side of her, seeming to serve no purpose other than to gaze adoringly at her.
If the elaborate, sparkling crown of pearls on the woman's head was anything to go by, this was the queen. Reinforcing that image, the woman leading them stopped at the foot of the bed and bowed deeply.
“Oh most beauteous queen, I have brought to you these fine, eligible men. They are new to our fair city.”
“So many all at once? Do you presume to take them all for yourself?” There was a note of incredulity in the queen's silken voice.
“With humble apology, no. I presume nothing. I did not capture these men. They came conveyed to us by their vessel.”
“A vessel?” The queen sat up straight, impatiently brushing her attendants away. They took the hint and dispersed to the sides of the room. “How could they? No vessel has ever survived to reach our city.”
“Theirs has, my queen, though they tell me that it will not suffer a return trip.”
The queen frowned pensively, and then made a shooing gesture to the woman standing before her. The woman stepped aside, revealing Gabrian. At the sight of him, the queen did a double take, her eyes widening suddenly. Seeing the queen's surprise, the woman who had led them to her asked, “Is everything all right, my queen?”
For a long moment the queen gave no reply, but then she beckoned to Gabrian. “What is your name?”
Gabrian stepped forward and bowed to the queen. “I am the one they call Gabrian, oh stunning queen.”
Her eyebrows elevated slowly. “Gabrian? Yes . . . I suppose you are. How rare to find a man who knows how to properly address a mermaid.”
“I have lived to learn many things.”
“So I see, well, perhaps you will not be totally useless, then.”
“I live to make myself of service.”
“As you should. Why have you come to Meria?”
“We come in search of a great evil, a powerful gremlin king who came to you recently, bearing an ancient relic of great power. It was entrusted to my care, but he stole it from me.” Seeing the doubtful look written on the queen's face, Gabrian thought to add, “He may have come disguised as a handsome youth.”
The queen's faintly glowing blue eyes narrowed, and a look of mild confusion passed across her face. “You are the first to come to our city in more than a week. Whomever you are seeking, he is not here.”
“That cannot be!”
The delicate curve of the queen's brow dropped sharply and she rose from the bed. “How dare you contradict me!” she said. “There are no gremlins here, I can assure you of that. They are far too ugly to be welcome in Meria.”
“I beg your pardon, beauteous one.”
“Silence! Let me have a look at the rest of you.” The queen walked gracefully up to them, her hips swaying seductively. Even she was scantily clad, though her clothes were the purest white and made of some type of lustrous cloth rather than the ropy fabric of the others. The queen's gaze flickered briefly over each of the men, and they stared back at her in silent, dreamy awe. She spent no more than a second studying each of them, her gaze passing over them contemptuously, even sneering once or twice. Until she reached Aurelius. Here she stopped walking and they stood face to face for a long moment. Aurelius felt cowed and stupefied by the queen's beauty. A hazy warmth grew in his mind, sweeping away his every rational thought until he was conscious of only one thing.
Her.
The queen looked him up and down slowly, her eyes seeming to crawl over him. A vague sense of unease wormed into his gut, and a slow smile sprang to her red lips. She took a step closer. “What is your name, human?”
“Au-Aurelius.” He frowned at his involuntary stutter and shook his head in an attempt to clear away the dreamy feeling of ease and contentment spreading through his body.
“Aurelius . . .” the queen repeated slowly. Her hand came up and softly caressed his cheek. “Yes . . . you are
most
welcome here.”
Then she withdrew, walking back to the foot of the bed, and Aurelius felt a sudden pang of loss. His gaze longingly followed the queen. She stopped before their guide and said. “Maiden, you will take these men to the vestal quarters to await selection.”
“As you command, my queen,” the woman said, bowing once more. With that, the queen returned to her bed. Aurelius and the others were turned and shoved from the room by their escorts.
Only when they were marching down the hall back to the stairwell, could Aurelius feel his faculties slowly returning. It was as though his brain had been dipped in molasses. Who were these women that they had such an effect on him? He'd been around beautiful women before and not completely lost his wits. Moreover, how could any of these people live so far beneath the water without the know-how to either supply or maintain that city? It made no sense.
Suddenly, Aurelius remembered something the queen had said to Gabrian:
“How rare to find a man who knows how to properly address a mermaid.”
A
mermaid
. . . Aurelius's mind seized on the word belatedly. These were all mermaids, then, living here in their ancient underwater city. . . .
Aurelius shook his head. It didn't matter who or what they were. If Malgore wasn't here, then they had to leave and find him. He turned to Gabrian and whispered, “What now? Malgore isn't here. We should leave,” even as he said it, Aurelius felt a pang of regret. He didn't
want
to leave. . . .
Gabrian shook his head. “Malgore
is
here.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I can sense him. He's been using magic. Perhaps to conceal his presence among the mermaids.”
“Then the queen was lying,” Aurelius said.
“Yes.”
“Why would she lie?”
Gabrian sent him a bland look. “She’s suspicious of us.”
“Suspicious? Why should she be suspicious?” Aurelius asked as they started back down the long staircase to the hotel lobby.
“Because Malgore arrived before we did, and he has already found a way to turn the queen against us.”
Aurelius's voice dropped to an even softer whisper: “Are we in danger?”
Gabrian pursed his lips and shook his head. “No . . . I don't think so. Not yet. But we must be on our guard against treachery.”
Aurelius considered that a moment before he thought to ask his next question. “What are the vestal quarters?”
Gabrian turned to him, his pale blue eyes glittering in amusement. “That is where the mermaids keep their male captives until they are selected to be mermates.”
Malgore stopped at the foot of the queen's bed and bowed deeply. His shoulder-length white hair wrapped around his face like a cowl until he straightened, revealing a thoroughly wrinkled countenance with pale, watery blue eyes. “You summoned me, my queen?”
“Yes,
Gabrian.
It would seem that you were right. A man followed you here, but he is no gremlin.”
“Then is using magic to disguise himself.”
“Yes, then he has chosen his disguise well, for he looks exactly like you!”
Malgore blinked slowly. The queen went on, “He claims that
he
is Gabrian and
you
are the gremlin!”
“But he is not!” Malgore roared.
“Silence!” The queen rose from her bed and glided across the room toward him. “He claims all of the same things that you claim. You both come to us with the same story, and the same face, so whom shall we believe?”
Malgore looked ready to speak once more, but this time he held himself back with a visible effort.
“You both came to us with the same story, but for one minor difference.” The queen raised a finger. “
He
claims that you have come with a powerful relic, while
you
claim to have come with nothing of value save your ugly self. Should we find you to be a liar, it will prove that he is the real Gabrian and you are the gremlin. At which point we will throw you into the ring for a few seconds of amusement—assuming you last that long.”
“My queen, surely you have seen the company this man keeps. He travels with a troll, a wolf, and an elder. These are not the companions of a—”
“An elder?” The queen cut him off sharply.
“Your pardon, my queen, I mean a man.”
“No . . . you mean an elder,” she purred. “How is that possible? The Elders have been dead for millennia. Tell me the truth, or I will have my guards cut out your tongue.”
“Magic can do strange and mighty things, my queen.”
“A clever answer that is not an answer. Which of those men is the elder?”
“The one called Aurelius.”
The queen's eyes widened and a smile sprang to her ruby lips. “Indeed? The handsome one, then. What luck! He would make a worthy mate, even for a queen, and with the knowledge that he posesses . . .” The queen turned and walked to the bank of viewports along the far wall of her room. She stood there a long moment, gazing down upon the glowing cerulean fields of seaweed. “He could resurrect Meria to its former glory.”
“Perhaps,” Malgore answered carefully. “What will you do with him and his companions, then?”
“They will live here with us—as will you.”
“And if they wish to leave?”
“They won't.”
“But if they wish to?”
The queen turned from the viewports with a smile. “You presume to ask me many questions, Gabrian. Or is it Malgore? You would do well to mind your place.”
“A thousand apologies, oh stunning queen, but I pray that you will allow me just one more question. What of Malgore? Will you allow him to walk freely among your people?”
The queen turned from the viewports with a scowl. “We have not yet determined who is who, and until we do, you will both be under suspicion and heavy guard. Rest assured, we will discover the truth of these matters. You are dismissed. Guards?” The queen nodded to the two trident-bearing men who stood just inside the door to her bedroom. “Escort this man back to his quarters. Search him and his room. If you find
anything
unusual, bring it to me and send him to the ringmaster for
training
.”
Malgore was turned and roughly shoved from the room, but he managed to catch the queen's eye as he was leaving. “I hope that you do not regret this, my queen.”
She smiled broadly. “I've never had any regrets; I do not plan to change that by having one now.”
* * *
Lashyla stopped before the queen and gave a shallow bow. “You summoned me, mother?
“Yes, daughter, I have a job for you, but first, tell me, was your trip to Telan successful? Have you found a new mate?”
“I did, but he found the strength to resist me.”
The queen inclined her head incredulously as though waiting for the punch line of a bad joke.
Lashyla hung her head. “He began to follow me, but when next I looked he was walking the other way.”
The queen gave a sudden huff. “He must fancy men rather. Well, do not despair, my child, there are more than enough eligible mates for us all. In fact, we have nearly a dozen newly arrived to Meria.”
Lashyla looked up quickly, her blue eyes dark and hungry. She licked her lips. “Are they handsome?”
The queen's smooth features wrinkled briefly in disgust. “No.”
Lashyla's shoulders hunched. “Then, they will be sent into the ring.”
“Yes. Well, no, not all of them. That is in fact why I summoned you. One of these men, is indeed handsome.”
Lashyla's eyes widened with sudden interest, but the queen held up a hand to forestall her daughter. “I did not want to mention it, but it cannot be helped now. He will be my next mate, though he does not yet know it.”
“But you already have seven mates!”
“Yes,” the queen smiled, “and now I shall have an eighth.”
“Can you not share?”
The queen huffed again and turned away with a dismissive wave of her hand. “A queen does not have to share.”
“She does if she wishes to stay queen,” Lashyla whispered, but not softly enough.
Her mother whirled. “And who shall challenge me? You? You haven't even
one
mate to fight on your behalf!”
Lashyla met her mother's glare boldly. “I did not say that
I
would challenge you, only that you need to be more careful. You have taken all of the most handsome men for yourself, and now you will take another? You cannot hope to defeat your challengers forever.”
The queen waved her hand once more and her ire abated. “No, dear daughter, you are wrong. Besides, it is our mates who fight, not us, and who can beat my dear Thorin? He is undefeated.”
Lashyla's nose wrinkled. “And ugly.”
“Beauty is not the only virtue.”
Lashyla's face went blank with shock. Upon seeing her daughter's reaction the queen laughed melodiously. “It
is,
however,
the most desirable virtue, but let us stop bickering. I have an important assignment for you. The man I will marry next, his name is Aurelius. I need you to be a guide for him and his companions.”
“Why me?”
“Because I can trust no other not to try to steal him from me. Aurelius and his companions will be afforded every hospitality we have to offer, and their freedom will remain unrestricted.”
“Unrestricted?” Lashyla asked, an incredulous note in her voice.
“Within reason. So long as they are with you or another maiden, yes, they will be allowed to go where they please and do what they please, but Lashyla,” the queen held up a warning finger, “the other maidens must not be allowed to get too close to Aurelius. Give them the impression that you are courting him to ward them off. As you are still under my protection, no one will want to try to steal your consort.”
“Why treat these men any differently from the rest?”
“Many reasons. First, they came here aboard a ship.”
“A ship?” There was no concealing Lashyla's shock. “One of ours?”
The queen shook her head. “No, it is much more primitive.”
“Then others will come here. They have finally found a way to reach Meria.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. It would seem their vessel suffered grave damage during the trip and will not be able to return to the surface.”
“Ah,” Lashyla nodded. “Then we are in no danger.”
“For now,” the queen replied. “The second reason I would treat this Aurelius so well, is that I have reason to believe he may be the last surviving elder.” The queen paused a moment to let that revelation sink in.
Lashyla's mouth opened for a reply, but she was speechless.
“Yes, my daughter,” the queen said, nodding. “Now you understand. It is not merely that he is handsome, but that he may possess the keys to unraveling the secrets of our city. You will draw close to this man, make him confide in you, and discover the truth of his identity. If he is indeed an elder, he will be the only man in all Meria with any power, and that is a fact we must work hard to conceal, from him and all who would seek to use him.”
Lashyla nodded. “I understand, mother.”
The queen gave a predatory smile. “If you wish to capture a shark, you must take care to mind his teeth.”
* * *
“Someone will come to tend to you soon,” The maiden said as she swept out of the room. The guards shut the door behind them with a rusty groan.
“Hey!” Aurelius shouted. “Come back!”
“Ay, save yer breath,” Captain Dagrell said. “It be no use.”
Aurelius whirled on the captain. “Where are we?” He gestured to the stark appointments of their room. The floor was crowded with old bunk-style beds and not much else. It was a dormitory of some type, but it looked more like a prison. Aurelius, his companions, Dagrell and all his crew had just been locked inside an old bunk room. “They can't leave us here!”
“They can, elder,” Gabrian said, sitting down with a tired sigh on the nearest bunk. A cloud of glittering dust rose into the dim blue-green light.
“Are we prisoners, then?”
“Ay, near enough,” Dagrell replied.
Aurelius watched the captain limp over to one of the small circular viewports set between the bunks. “We be mates, now.
Mer-
mates.”
A murmur of rising argument rose among the captain's crew where they stood huddled to one side of the room. The captain turned an angry look over his shoulder. “Quiet ye maggots!”
“What is a
mermaid?
” Aurelius asked.
“They be the most beautiful women ye've ever seen, but they be devils the lot of 'em. It be said that they grow on ye like barnacles, suckin' the life outa ya until yer old and useless, and then they feed ye to the sharks. Ay, they be devils. Lure a man with their beauty and the promise of a long, pleasure-filled life, but they be lies. Don't ye believe it. They be lies from the deepest, darkest depths of the sea.”
Aurelius turned from the captain with a shiver. He caught a glimpse of Reven sniffing around curiously by the door, testing the handle, yanking on it, and then banging loudly on the door when that didn't work. Aurelius was just about to tell him to give it up when the door handle turned with a rusty screech.
Reven bounced back from the door with a yelp of surprise, and then the door swung wide to admit an extraordinarily beautiful woman.
Aurelius felt a sharp jolt of recognition: that exotically angular face, the seductive curve of her hips, her long dark hair . . . she was impossible to forget. Her startling blue eyes widened as they met his. Her gaze lingered far too long for it to be his imagination. This woman was the one he'd seen and briefly followed in marketplace outside Telan, the one whom Gabrian had warned could be a gremlin witch waiting to suck the life out of him. But she was no witch.