I searched her face. “Do you mean that?”
A small, rare smile was the only confirmation she would offer me. “Speaking of which,” she said, tilting her head to where Tarben sat at the edge of the crowd with Amalie, Hugo and Filip, shooting me not-so-subtle glances. “The boy looks most eager to talk to you.” Her eyebrows lifted sternly, but a trace of amusement crossed her features. “I must speak with the healer.”
She placed a hand on my cheek and looked at me as though she wanted to say something more. Deciding against it, she dropped her hand and made her way towards the healer, who was tending to Hugo’s leg, a ball of magic light hovering above his shoulder. With a flick of my grandmother’s hand, all the trees in the clearing became illuminated with orbs of magic light.
Amalie gaped up at them in awe.
Tarben stood and dusted himself off. He gave his brother an affectionate squeeze of the shoulder, then headed towards me, but not before my grandmother stopped him in his tracks.
“So, you are the mortal who claims to love my granddaughter?” She fixed him with a stare that would make a lesser man quiver.
He stole a quick glance at me then returned his gaze to her. “I am. Prince Tarben, Your Majesty,” he said with a bow.
“Well, Prince Tarben of Solvardunn, just know that I have a number of shape shifters in my court who will not hesitate tofeast on your mortal flesh if you harm her in any way.”
He blanched at the threat. “Understood, Your Majesty.”
“Good.” Her smile was all teeth. “Now, don’t keep her waiting.”
I cringed and shook my head apologetically as he approached. “Sorry about that. She’s…”
“Possibly the most terrifying being I’ve encountered all evening,” he finished for me.
“I was going to say ‘overbearing’, but I think you’ve summed it up.”
He huffed a laugh. “Scary grandmother, mermaid princess, impressive powers… I’ve learned a lot about you tonight.” His eyes met mine as he interlaced our fingers. “I’m sorry for how I reacted when I found out you were Velcarin. I think I was in shock. But when the witch tried to take you, I realized it doesn’t matter—I still want to be with you.”
My heart jumped, then fell. His words were only going to make this harder. I took a deep breath and looked up at him. With great difficulty, I met his eyes. “Actually, there’s more you should know.”
***
I supposed I could have lied. Up until quite recently that’s exactly what I would have done, and I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. But the idea of continuing to lie to Tarben left me with a sickening feeling I could only identify as guilt. Something inside me insisted that, if I truly cared about Tarben, it was time I told the truth, even if it meant losing him. So, ignoring the fear constricting my chest, I led him behind the cottage, with no one but the surrounding trees to bear witness, and told him everything.
As expected, Tarben was upset when I confessed that myplan to break the curse involved tricking him into falling in love with me and breaking his heart.
“So none of this was real for you? It was all just a means to an end?” he asked. The disbelief on his face morphed into devastation.
It pained me to see him in pain. I needed to make him understand it wasn’t just a means to an end for me. Not anymore. He’d reduced my plans to ruins and instead of feeling outraged, I found myself wanting to make new plans. With him. “That’s how it started, but Tarben, I swear to you, it was real—itisreal for me,” I said, my voice pleading.
He dragged a hand through his hair. “You said you’d only tell me the truth, but all you’ve done is lie. I’ve been nothing but open with you, I even told you I—it doesn’t matter…” He trailed off, avoiding my eye.
“It does matter,” I insisted, reaching for his hand. “Everything you said and did matters to me very much. And everything you felt about me, I feel about you too.”
He pulled his hand away. “It doesn’t matter, because you were always planning on leaving. You never had any intention of staying with me.”
Cheers erupted from the other side of the cottage, the sound of celebration so at odds with the sober cloud that had settled between us. “Tarben, please… Things are different now. The curse is broken. My grandmother has given us her blessing.” Taking a fortifying breath, I voiced the truth. “I want to be with you.”
Crossing his arms, he said nothing, focusing on the decaying foliage at his feet.
“Do you no longer want that? To be together?” I asked, my voice catching.
Addressing the space above my shoulder, he said, “I’m not sure what I want anymore, but I know that I can’t be around youright now.”
My eyes burned. “I understand,” I breathed.
With that, he turned and walked away. After a few steps, he paused. His voice was hollow as he said, “Congratulations on breaking your curse.” Then, he disappeared around the corner.
Tears ran down my face. I banished them with the heels of my hands. I deserved every angry word he directed at me. I had deceived him—plotted to bring him nothing but misery. My actions were driven by my own self-interest, and, because of that, I’d hurt the male I had truly come to care about. I’d gotten exactly what I wanted, yet I’d never felt so devastated.
