Frank scans me from head to foot and snaps his fingers. A giant seahorse swims from the rear of the property. I swallow. Anything horse related doesn’t go well for me.
“No octopus?” I try.
Frank snorts, releasing more of those tiny bubbles into the water. “Octopi are far too important to have fated Ladies ride them.”
“Got it. Octopi are snooty.”
Frank grabs the reins wrapped around the neck of the giant green and gold seahorse. Why is it so big? Did I shrink, or are they feeding them something special down here?
My teeth drag over my bottom lip.Come on, Daphne, you are a Lady now, act like it.I grasp the offered reins and launch myself onto the back of the seahorse, landing with a thud. Upright.Ha. Take that, Idols.
The beast rears, and my heart leaps into my throat as I cling to the reins. I’ve been here before, but back then, I had a quad of knights protecting my ass. Right now, I’m on my own, so I can sink or swim. Wait, I already sank. Guess the only way is up from here.
The damn creature bucks, trying to get rid of me. Frank waves his arms around. “Linda, be still. It is the new Lady of the Lake, your master.”
Ugh, no. I am not happy being anyone’s master. I could barely keep myself alive. Also, who names their giant seahorse Linda? She needs a more fantastical name like Silver Mist or Giant Face-Eating Water Horse of Doom. Either works.
The creature settles and stops trying to jerk me off. Hoping for the best, I lean forward and gently pat the side of her neck. “Good Linda. See? I’m just an innocent maiden turned Lady riding your back.”
She twists her neck, staring at me with her beady, black eye. “I am aware of who you are.”
Oh my Idols, she speaks. At least my annus is looking less and less lonely if I’m indeed stuck here. “Great. So, bucking?”
She swivels her head in a weird S shape. “I was testing your mettle. Only the worthy can sit on me.”
They really have a worthiness complex down here. Knights have to be worthy to get the sword, and maidens have to be worthy to ride giant sea creatures. Maybe if everyone was a little less judgy, the realm would be a happier place.
Frank rolls his eyes and swims off ahead of us while Linda, my judgy seahorse, keeps pace. The ocean is a rainbow of life. Fish of every color dart around, going about their diurnal. The sandy floor is awash with coral in pretty shades of pastel. If I didn’t have people I love on land, I could easily get lost down here.
“So, do you live with me?” I ask. I’ve never lived on my own. It’s never really appealed to me. Who would I tell all my thoughts to?
“No, I live with my mate nearby, so you can call upon me when you need to get around.”
Handy. Like a live-in horse, except no eating of my face. Always a bonus. I’m a little sad that my transportation has a better love life than me, though.
“Who is your mate?”
“Steve.” What a name for a seahorse. “He will help with your needs once he gives birth.”
Excuse me, what? “Like he’s got tiny seahorses inside of him? He’s growing lifeforms?”
“That’s right.”
Linda might be confused. “Does that make Steve female?”
“No. Don’t be so narrow-minded.”
I’m literally the least judgy Burgher in the realm. But as far as I am aware, males can’t yet get pregnant. There was a rumor about a Belle that didn’t want to “ruin” her figure, so she had the witch cast a spell on the Beast so he would carry their children. It backfired from what I heard and added a new spin on that fairy tale, where all the castle staff got turned into household items. Her moment of vanity cursed multiple people.
“Forgive me. I meant no disrespect. Where I am from, it is only the females that get pregnant.”
“I make the eggs and implant them in his sack. He incubates them and later gives birth.”
Oh, that is clever. “Wow.”
“We are unique in the sea, and envied by many.”
“I understand why.”
