The Mermaids Madness

I can’t really blame him for that.”
    “I’m not thrilled about the danger either,” Danielle said. “But I can’t—”
    “I know. Armand knows too.” He sat down and patted the step for Danielle to join him. “Beatrice and I had been married less than a year when I realized she was sneaking away from the palace. I was furious. I tried to follow her once, believing—” He bowed his head. “Well, what any man might suspect.”
    Danielle tried not to stare. She had never seen the king blush before.
    “At that time, I was working to settle an inheritance dispute between twin brothers, both of whom believed they should rule South Haven. Their father’s body was still warm, and already they were at each others’ throats.” He shook his head. “After holding court for two days with these spoiled brats, I was ready to throw them both from the cliffs. I’m afraid I took my frustrations out on Beatrice that night, shouting at her and accusing her of various infidelities.”
    He chuckled. “She walked away in the middle of my rant, slamming the door in my face.”
    “What did you do?” Danielle tried and failed to imagine the king shouting at Beatrice.
    “Nobody had ever turned her back on me before. I stood there for quite a while. Long enough to realize I might have made a mistake. I was too proud to follow her, though. Eventually I retired to bed.
    “A noise woke me later that night. I sat up, thinking she had finally returned. Instead, a man swathed in black stood over my bed. He held a knife in one hand, and a mask hid all but his eyes. He took a single step, then flopped onto my legs, a single arrow protruding from his back.
    “Beatrice stood in the doorway. She lowered her bow and stepped inside to apologize for interrupting my sleep. There had been a second assassin, and stopping him had taken longer than she expected.”
    “What about your guards?” Danielle asked.
    “Stunned,” said the king. “Charles, one of the twins, had planned well. He hoped to frame his brother for my death, earning South Haven for his own and moving himself one step closer to the throne. I never suspected—” He turned to look in the direction of the chapel, and his voice softened. “I didn’t, but Beatrice did. Things were far easier between us after that night.”
    Danielle tried to smile. “I did help rescue Armand from my stepsisters. Does that count, or do I need to stop actual assassins?”
    That earned another chuckle. “He’s prince of Lorindar. He’s not used to feeling powerless.” He climbed to his feet. “There are things Beatrice has done which I don’t know about. Things I can’t know. I have no doubt she’s saved my life more than once. Perhaps the kingdom as well. But it was never without danger.”
    He looked at the wall, as if he were trying to peer through the stone to the chapel where Beatrice lay. “She chose that risk. I hope you don’t feel forced to make that same choice or to accept those same risks.”
    “Beatrice has been like a mother to me,” Danielle said.
    The king’s face was hard to read. Hope and fear and sadness all battled behind his furrowed brow and shadowed eyes. “The Phillipa will be ready to depart at sunrise.”

    Danielle spent a fitful night, between the rain pounding against the palace and the warning peal of the hurricane bells. The sky was still dark when Talia knocked on the door. It had to be Talia. Anyone else would have hesitated to awaken the prince and princess so early.
    Danielle sighed, kissed Armand, and climbed out of bed to get dressed.
    Armand rolled over, watching her through the silk curtains. “I talked to my father last night after you went to bed. He’s arranged to have a small chest of gold brought to the Phillipa . If the undine do attack, you might be able to buy your freedom. Let Captain Hephyra do the talking, and don’t let them find out who you are.”
    “I thought we had decided not to pay.” Danielle sat on the edge of the bed to lace her boots.
    “We had.” He sat up and pushed a curtain aside, then kissed the back of her neck. “However, that decision was made before you insisted on sailing out alone.” He kissed her again, moving to the side of the neck, then to her ear. His beard tickled the skin along her cheekbone.
    Danielle closed her eyes as her blood pounded harder. She placed a hand on his thigh. “You’ll try anything to keep me safe, won’t you?”
    “Mm . . . is it working?”
    She laughed and