Page 101 of Mermaid on Heels

“Umm, my queen… Not my wife?” Luke teased her, tilting his head a little.

“Your everything,” she replied, her eyes softening again. “Oh, Luke. I cannot wait for tomorrow’s announcement!”

“I can barely wait myself, my love,” he agreed, his own eyes softening. “But, what about your kingdom? I thought, perhaps, you might not be present for the announcement tomorrow and that it would be awkward to declare my bride when she was not present. I thought you might go without me since I couldn’t leave yet, at least not until after tomorrow’s ceremony and that you couldn’t wait till then.”

Liriya frowned. “I may have thought like that, but… not after what you told me before you departed last night. Then I decided—no, Irealized, you mattered the most. Yes, I love my mother and my kingdom, but I love you the most. You come first. And… I realized that, with someone as powerful and power hungry as Faelina, she might have taken all the Tuna kingdoms by now. Perhaps the entire ocean is under her control. We would not stand a chance against her, we shall definitely not make it out alive if she ever finds out I have returned, even if it is just for my mother. I would never risk yours or my sisters’ lives. You three are all I have and I would never let that monster take you from me. I could not, Luke…”

Tears streamed down Liriya’s face and Luke drew her into his embrace without hesitation. Her words made him recall his nightmare. Perhaps it was a warning about the future, about what would happen if they went to the Garbian Ocean. He felt somehow relieved despite feeling sorry about her mother; they could avoid the nightmare from happening.

“You’ll never lose me or your sisters, love. We won’t go to the ocean then, as much as it pains me about your mother.” Luke stroked her hair in comfort, kissing it.

“I know. It kills me too. But I cannot risk any of your lives—since you three would not let me go alone—in the process of trying to save our mother. It will be easier to pretend that our mother is dead.”

Luke stiffened a little at her words. A part of himwantedto risk finding her mother because he knew what he would have done to save his own mother’s life if he could. To pretend that her mother was dead when she wasn’t—if Faelina hadn’t killed her yet—sounded heartbreaking.

However, another part of him agreed with her, along with the reminder of his nightmare. If this was what Liriya wanted, that was what he would give her. And he would make sure never to let her frown in her life again.

Luke held her close, his heart racing like every other time he did this. “Whatever you wish, my love.”

“Just… do not tell the girls about this, alright? It is for the best.” Liriya mumbled against his chest, her cries calmed now.

“Let me guess, this would be the first thing you have ever kept from them, is it not?” Luke asked as he rested his chin atop her head, swaying them side to side. “But certainly, you’re going to tell them about our kiss and the secret engagement?”

Liriya’s response took a little too long for his comfort. “Certainly, of course.”

Luke pulled her away from his chest and his fingers brushed beneath her chin, making her look at him. Her ocean-depth eyes sucked the oxygen from his lungs. Nevertheless, he asked, “Are you happy with me, my little mermaid?”

“As I shall ever be,” Liriya whispered and grabbed the collar of his nightshirt, bringing his lips to hers.

Luke kissed her tenderly, despite the urge to go hard and make her forget her name. He didn’t want to push it when she was feeling vulnerable, she wasn’t kissing him like she was last night, equaling his passion and hunger. Instead, she moved her lips rather hesitantly, almost unfamiliarly.

She was in pain for her mother. What did he expect? She was trying to convince herself that her only remaining parent was dead. He wanted to make her forget the pain, but she needed time to grieve. He respected her as much as he loved her, so his desires could wait.

Luke pulled away and touched their foreheads together, their breaths mingling. “We should get ready for the day.”

“You are right,” Liriya agreed and climbed out of his lap all too fast for his taste. She probably didn’t realize the time passing and wanted to leave before anyone found them together in his chambers—Luke thought. “I shall see you at breakfast, right? Since meals with the elites concluded yesterday?”

“Yes, right.” Luke climbed out of his bed to hold her again, but she was already moving to the door. He didn’t expect her to run off like that, and watched her slip out after checking the corridor. With a shake of his head and an amused smile, he walked behind the screen to freshen up and get ready for his day, not bothering to ring for his manservant.

Within an hour, he was walking towards the dining hall for breakfast with Cedric. His cousin clapped him on the back after Luke told him about his and Liriya’s secret engagement—sparing the part where he confessed lying to her.

“So, you meant to say, you finally had your first kiss?”

Luke groaned inwardly. He had spared the kiss too, to avoid this very much expectedhumor-torturefrom his cousin. Now he was caught right where he thought was his escape hole.

“Yes.”

“And what’s that disgruntledyessupposed to mean?”

“It means,” Luke drew out as they rounded the corner to the corridor where the dining room was. “The topic is not up for discussion.”

Cedric snorted a laugh and Luke glared at him, barely fighting his smile. “Right then, I’ll ask Liriya.”

Cedric knew all possible ways to get under Luke’s skin and get away with it—which, apparently, was a perk of being his favorite and only cousin. If Luke knew his cousin any better, that was exactly what he was doing right now.

Luke shook his head. “I wonder how Liriya isevergoing to put up with you being her new brother-in-law.”

Cedric smiled cheekily. “She likes me, man.”

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