Page 8 of Depths
Hidden, I didn’t bother to answer. I focused on wiggling out of the tight coin monstrosity. By the time I got it off, I was panting and pretty certain that if I’d been on land, I would have wanted to burn the thing. I didn’t know how they handled such things under the sea. Was there a volcanic cleft somewhere I could toss the torture device and watch it melt?
I wanted to kick it aside, but doing so would probably break my toe. Instead, I stood and listened as Sahar tried to smooth things over. “King Declan, please take a seat. Would you like something to drink? We’ve got a wonderful collection of fermented seaweed bubbles you could sip on while Her Majesty gets ready.”
“No, thank you kindly. I’d rather just wait—”
“It might be an hour!” I called out, just to rankle him. I didn’t expect changing to take that long, but it could if I needed it to …
“That’s an hour where you can listen while I talk sense into you,” he countered.
“Sahar, get the man a drink. Or five.”
Declan’s chuckle drifted over to me. “You’re not getting out of this.”
I rolled my eyes and reached for a robe that hung on a nearby hook. I tossed it on backward. It was easier to tie loosely at my waist and leave space for my fins. I didn’t walk back out, because that would have been awkward.
Instead, I peered around the screen. “I don’t need a nanny.”
“How about a tutor?”
I glared at him and then glanced over at Felipe, who stood solemnly by the door, which was once again shut to maintain my privacy, because my guard, unlike my brother-in-law, was thoughtful. “Would it start a war if you stabbed him?”
“Definitely,” Declan declared.
“Nope,” Felipe’s curt response came at the same time.
“Maybe,” Sahar replied.
I laughed when Declan’s head jerked back toward Felipe. “Excuse me!” he grumbled at the guard. “I’m a foreign king!”
Felipe shrugged nonchalantly despite his armor. “Underwater breathing spells wear off all the time.”
“Ha ha!” I crowed. “See that, Dec? Better not mess with me! No more bossing.”
Felipe gave me a smug grin, and I couldn’t help the tiny little bubble that rose in my stomach before I ducked back behind the screen. I should have switched him out for an uglier guard. But he was good at his job and proud of it. I swallowed that bubble down and tried to pop it. I didn’t have time for girlish crushes anymore. I was due to select my mates via an old Okeanos tradition. I was bound to choose only from men who completed the tournament. But then a thought occurred to me. I hadn’t really been able to see the competitors in the parade. What if all my people hated me? What if they’d chosen the rejects of their families? What if they’d chosen the sons who wouldn’t work or couldn’t work? The ones who still lived in the hayloft in their parents’ barn? Wait … I didn’t know the underwater equivalent. But suddenly I was a bit nervous about what I’d signed myself up for.
“No hiding!” Declan demanded.
“I’m not hiding, I’m naked back here! I’m showing decorum.”
“Ew. You just made it awkward,” Declan chided.
“You’re the one who barged in here after I told Bloss I didn’t need any help.”
“You know I can taste your fear?” Dec said softly after a moment.
Dammit. How dare he go and say something like that again! I regretted immediately that I hadn’t used our time alone to threaten his life for doing it.
“Stop that at once!” I commanded.
Sahar swooped in with more courtesy chatter to break up our impending fight.
I focused on taking a calming breath so that Declan couldn’t taste anything else. The bastard could magically taste emotions now, and that was nearly as annoying as his personality. I couldn’t hide anything. I was relieved when Gita returned, and I concentrated on ignoring Declan and watching her. She bustled about, swimming here and there to set out rags and creams and makeup so that she could clean me up. Declan was drawn into conversation with Sahar about tradition and left me in peace as my maid bounced about getting me ready.
She slid a new gown over my head, this time a soft golden lace with only an under layer of silk running over my torso and thighs for modesty because I’d insisted upon it. I was not wearing lace alone without any kind of undergarment whatsoever. The seamstress and I had a very heated discussion over it. She’d won the color battle though. Gold again, because apparently, that was to be my royal color. I straightened the long lace sleeves and pulled a loop over each of my middle fingers to secure them.
“Oh no, the seamstress ruined it!” Gita straightened from where she’d been fixing my train and started tugging at my plunging neckline. “She’s covered your breasts!”
I heard Declan have a coughing fit behind the screen. My maid tried to shove the neckline aside, forcing my breasts to fall out. I yelped and turned, covering myself.
