“We can conquer the Sea Kingdom tomorrow, if that is your wish, my siren. But right now, you need to heal.”
The water rippled as Eric slid into the pool beside her. His body was warm, solid, grounding. He cradled her close, his arms strong but careful, mindful of the wound at her side.
“Rest,” he murmured against her temple. “I've got you. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
She should argue. Should tell him she didn’t need his protection. She didn't need anything from anyone. But the exhaustion tugged at her bones, the ache deep in her muscles too heavy to fight. And so, for once, she did as she was told.
She let herself sink into his hold. Her fingers drifted along his forearm, tracing the lines of muscle, the ridges of scars.
“Are you hurt?” she said.
“Yes, I am. Very hurt. You should have told me the truth.”
Which truth was he referring to? She'd told so many lies. But only one to him, and that was a lie of omission.
“You wouldn’t have married me if you knew who I was.”
“Yes, I would have. If you had told me that you were the woman who saved me from the wreck, the one I fell for before I even opened my eyes… I was out looking for you when I was supposed to be meeting your niece.”
Hope fluttered in her chest, unexpected and unwelcome. Still, doubt gnawed at her. “If you knew you were marrying the sea witch instead, would you have hesitated?”
“If I knew I was marrying my true love, I wouldn’t have wasted a moment clothing and feeding you.” His voice was iron and certainty, cutting through the doubts in her chest like a blade. "I would've dragged you to the temple first."
“You're not angry with me?”
“I'm going to be angry for as long as the bruise on your tail fin lasts. But I'm no longer angrywith you. Our fight is over.” His lips brushed against hers, slow, reverent, full of heat. “Now it’s time to make up.”
He kissed her. Not like before—not with restraint or hesitation—but like a man who’d nearly lost everything. His mouth claimed hers with aching precision, his hand rising to cradle her cheek, his thumb brushing along her jaw.
"Wait. You're admitting that you were wrong?"
"No, you are very much at fault for this one, siren. You rigged the game. But you also saved the day."
Ursula curled into his heat. “That's something you should know about me. I don’t play fair—I play to win. A good queen doesn’t wait for the rules to favor her… she maneuvers the board until they do.”
“The queen is the most powerful piece on the board, but even she needs her king to clear a few pawns now and then. Speaking of pawns, two eel fellows requested to be employed here at the castle. They said they'd serviced you before."
"Two eels, you say?"
Eric nodded.
“Who serviced me? I have no idea who that could be."
Her husband slid his hand along her waist, fingers curling at her hip.
“I’ll always back your play, Ursula. Just promise me one thing.”
She would promise this man anything, everything. But she wouldn't tell him that. Not just yet. “What’s that?”
“That we stop playing on opposite sides.” His voice dropped, more vow than jest. “You and me—same team. Always. Let the rest of the world play catch-up.”
"Deal."
He kissed her again. Their mouths moved in rhythm, a dance like the tides. It was apology and promise. Anger and forgiveness. A war they both won and lost in equal measure.
Their lips parted, the taste of salt and something sweeter lingering between them. Ursula held his gaze. She traced a fingertip along his jaw, feeling the roughness of stubble against her touch, the warmth of him soaking into her skin.
“Were you serious?”
