Chapter 26
Kai
Ceriwyn had her way, of course. Despite his protests, she would attend the Faire. Just as she had ignored his pleading letters and waltzed right into the palace courtyard, forcing him to tell Adeline the truth – though he wasn’t sure he regretted that.
“I don’t know why you’re so cross,”Ceri had written in her most recent letter.“A charming little sister could only endear you to Princess Adeline – and I’m not stupid, I know that’s what you want.”
His sister was far from stupid, but she was stubborn and troublesome. Ceri had also taken it upon herself to arrange a Merrow gathering at the Faire, and it was far too late for Kai to call it off. They would reunite in a nearby clearing adjacent to the main festivities, to drink and dance and share stories of their new lives as land dwellers. Attracting mass attention and separating themselves from the citizens of Eisalaan; an altogether disastrous idea.
“Invite your Princess,”Ceri wrote, underlining the words several times.“She’ll love us, and then maybe she’ll love you.”
He’d crumpled up her letter in frustration - and then immediately retrieved it from where he’d tossed it across the room, smoothing it out guiltily. Ceri was lonely, and she worried that he was, too. She wasn’t being malicious.
He knew that.
On the morning of the Faire he rose early, giving up on a poor night’s sleep spent jolting awake to find his body tensed and thrumming. He would face the surviving Merrow today with nothing tangible to offer for their comfort while they waited for him to make things right. Of course he had made no promises, told no one the truth that might save them all – not a soul knew about the pendant, not even Ceri. Not even Os, or Al.
But even so, he was their King. They would look to him for answers and assurances that his strange land was truly the same Kingdom they’d left behind. That its citizens didn’t truly hate them for breaking free of their eternal ice prison.
Kai knew it was unlikely that he would find Avette’s pendant in the few hours before the Faire began, but he couldn’t stand to wait idly in his room. He passed Simon in the hallway with his breakfast tray, and stopped to pluck up a warm scone and cup of tea, then thanked the valet and continued on his way to the archives.
He never made it that far. As he strode by aisle after aisle of bookshelves, sipping his tea, he heard a little voice call out after him.
“Is that the Prince?” The voice was a yell with the cadence of a whisper. “Just like in the book?”
He doubled back, turning toward the gentle ripple of Adeline’s laughter. It spilled like a warm spring from the end of the aisle where she was seated in a cosy armchair, a little red-haired girl perched in her lap. She looked up as he peered around the nearest shelf, and her smile spread, curving under the apples of her cheeks.
His heart gave an odd twitch mid-beat.
“Good morning, Adeline,” he said. “And I presume this is Princess Iseult?”
Adeline nodded, and he swept into a bow. “Good morning, Princess.”
“Izzy, this is His Majesty,KingKai Cumhaill, of the Merrow.”
“Hullo,” Iseult said, muffling the word against her sister’s shoulder. Then, seeming to remember something, she hopped off Adeline’s lap and knelt in a rather graceful curtsey. “I’ve been practicing at school,” she told him, sticking her chin up proudly.
“I can tell. That was an excellent curtsey. Best I’ve seen in all my years as King.”
She nodded importantly. “I’ve been practicing dancing too. Ade says I’m a natural dancer. Would you like to see?”
She held her arms aloft and rose up on her toes, poised to leap towards him. Adeline grabbed her arm, lips pressed and curling. “Not in the library, love.”
“Are you going to the Faire?” Iseult called boldly down the aisle, her momentary shyness forgotten.
Kai moved toward them, hiding his smile behind a sip of tea.
“I am.”
“Well I’ll show you then. You can come ice skating with us, can’t he Ade?”
“Er, maybe,” Adeline edged, put on the spot. “If he wants to, Iz. He might have plans, or people to see.”
“Merrow people?” Iseult’s eyes flashed excitedly. “Can I meet the Merrow people too?”
“Well I suppose if you wanted to join us –”
“Can you all breathe underwater? Do you have a house under the lake? Can you talk to fish?”
