“It is not,” Tatiana said.
A chill ran down Iris’s spine.
Oh, no.
That meant it was someoneworsethan Osiren. Which shouldn’t have been possible, and yet, here they were.
But for the life of her, Iris couldn’t think of a single councilman who was anywhere near her own age. The prospect of being forced into marriage with a man old enough to be her own father made her heart sink.
Sure, she knew that no matter how much her heart ached for a real, genuine love connection, she was always meant for an arranged marriage designed to further a political agenda. The best she could hope for was to learn to care for her spouse.
“Who is it?” Iris asked, sounding like a sea urchin was caught in her throat.
“Finn Westrock,” the queen announced.
Finn Westrock?
Iris blinked.
“I’m sorry—who?”
That wasn’t a name; it sounded like a brand.
Was he one of the mysterious, brooding finfolk? Or, perhaps, one of the deeply emotional selkies?
Iris might not mind a marriage with one of them if a union between sea creatures was what her mother was seeking.
“What is he, then? Selkie? Finfolk? Siren with a tragic backstory?”
“He is a human.”
Iris stared. “Ahumanhuman?”
“Yes. A land-dweller. Bipeds. You’ve seen their trash.”
Iris couldn’t stop the laugh from bubbling up and bursting out.
“Oh, thank you, Mother. I was in desperate need of a laugh.”
“I assure you, this is no laughing matter.”
Iris’s heart sank. “You want me to marry ahuman? Onland?”
“Yes, darling. That is where the humans live.”
“But that’s not where I live! I sunbathe on rocks; I don’t collect husbands from them!”
“You know just as well as I do that you are more than capable of living on land.”
Capable? Yes. Willing? Absolutely not.
“Mother …”
This could not be happening. She loved the ocean. It was her home. It was all she ever knew. She’d never technically even been on land. The closest she got was sunning herself on a rock. But she always panicked when she dried too much and started to see skin replace her lovely scales.
“I’m afraid this is non-negotiable, Iris.”
“Why can’t Shelly marry this Finn man?”
