The Mermaids Madness

much such a request would mean. Talia tried to hide her misery, but it was clear she still blamed herself for what had happened. Knowing Talia, she would continue to carry that blame until Beatrice recovered. Danielle didn’t think about what would happen if Beatrice never awakened.
    Anchor chains vibrated the deck as they clanked into the water, dragging the ship to a halt a short distance from shore. Hoffman had already moved the queen into one of the longboats. She lay on two padded boards set lengthwise in the boat. Danielle winced as she watched Hoffman strap Beatrice down, securing first her legs, then her waist.
    Lowering the longboat into the water was a complicated affair. The crew had emptied the boat of any excess weight, including oars. Others had reinforced the yards with extra lines. The yards were rotated inward, and ropes were run from them down to the longboat. Armand circled the boat, double-checking every knot himself before climbing inside. He rested his hands on his mother’s shoulders, then nodded to Danielle.
    This was the largest of the four boats on the Glass Slipper . Danielle climbed in with Talia’s assistance and sat on a bench beside the queen. Talia settled on the opposite side. Snow took up a position near the back.
    “Hold tight,” Armand whispered, before turning to shout, “Hoist away!”
    Danielle held her breath as the ropes pulled taut. Wood creaked and pulleys squealed, and the yardarms bowed as the longboat swung into the air. Danielle fought to ignore the lurching in her stomach. She should have asked Snow for more tea at breakfast.
    “Couldn’t we just bring the Glass Slipper into the docks?” she asked.
    “Not until the tide comes in,” said Snow. The breeze caught her hair, tossing strands of black in front of her face. “They’ve dredged the docks to allow the larger ships to come in, but you don’t want to risk it at low tide. Not without a shallower draft than this ship has.” She smiled and added, “I’m afraid your bottom is just too—”
    “Don’t make me throw you overboard,” Talia said.
    The yards turned slowly, moving the longboat past the edge of the ship until it hung suspended over the water. Danielle took one of the queen’s hands in hers. Beatrice’s skin was cold, like that of a child who had been swimming too long in the chilly water. Danielle removed her cloak and spread it over the queen.
    The crew set the longboat down so gently there was barely a splash. The presence of queen, prince, and princess no doubt contributed to their care. Four more sailors climbed down a rope ladder to join them in the boat. They removed the ropes, then stood to receive the oars passed down from the ship.
    As soon as the men began to row, Armand turned to Danielle. “My father taught me to see the kingdom as a whole. My mother had a different upbringing. She cares for Lorindar, but she sees individuals first, regardless of their nation. She’s a good deal like you, actually.”
    He glanced at Talia and Snow. “She also kept many secrets over the years. I’ve seen her ruin dukes and settle wars when all the military might of Lorindar wouldn’t have accomplished the same thing.”
    “She’s a good queen,” said Danielle.
    “Yes.” Armand looked down, gently brushing his mother’s hair from her face. “Taking in one of Posannes’ daughters does sound like something she might do, if he asked her. Both as queen of Lorindar and as a friend to Posannes and his family. They’ve known each other for many years.”
    “Beatrice never would have taken us to see the undine if she thought something like this could happen,” Danielle said.
    “No,” Armand agreed. “She was good at recognizing danger. Some believed it was a gift from God.”
    “She might have relied too strongly on that gift,” Snow said, speaking for the first time since leaving the ship. “Even the strongest seer is often blind to his or her own fate. That blindness could have given her a false sense of safety.”
    Armand stared at her, then nodded.
    At the dock, King Theodore stood waiting with a small crowd of guards and bystanders. The cliffs made him appear small, almost fragile to Danielle’s eye. The mist from the waves had darkened his jacket and pasted his gray-brown hair to his head.
    “I doubt he’s slept at all since receiving word,” Armand said.
    “Have you?” Danielle took his hand. Not that she was any better rested. When she finally drifted off last night,