Page 100 of Waves
And the kingdom of Okeanos cheered, “All hail Queen Avia!”
Then, with a flick of my love’s fingers, the sea soared up overhead in a spiraling column of water that pierced the clouds, a tower so tall it could be seen from every kingdom in Kenmare. My queen’s heart vaulted upward, gliding and soaring with those waves.
So did mine.
Two Days Later
AVIA
The days after the wedding were some of the most blissful of my life.
First of all, Bloss lingered for two days afterward, and it was absolutely wonderful to spend time with her, particularly once I’d briefed Lizza never to disclose what had happened with my heart and then made a wish that the old witch would forget on top of that.
Sharing meals and laughing with Bloss brought back so many good memories. That was, until she subtly suggested she should sit in on one of my council meetings.
It was unclear if she'd originally intended to lecture, but a streak of pride ran through me after she started nodding along. At the end, once all my courtiers had filed out and we were alone at the long table, she tilted her head and said, "Well, you clearly have this under control."
I wasn't able to stop myself. As the younger sister, I had so few opportunities to say it. I couldn't resist a delightfully fulfilling, "I told you so."
Her eye roll and indulgent smile brought me back to childhood, since that was probably the expression she'd used most on me. With a gesture toward the door, she stood andsmoothed her burnt orange silk dress as she said, "Fine then. Tell me more about these new husbands of yours."
Setting aside the quill I'd used to sign a new trade agreement, I followed her, linking our arms and suggesting, "Why don't we do that as we walk through the sculpture garden we're building?"
We walked down gravel paths among the sound of chisels as thirty local artists carved the figures of Okeanos heroes and legends. Bits of stone floated through the water around us, though Bloss was protected by the enchanted bubble that surrounded her silhouette and gave her face a beautiful iridescent sheen. Her fascination with Okeanos and its foreign customs were clear as we made our way from one coral arch to the next.
She paused at one of the sand squares where an artisan was hard at work. "What's this one going to be?" she asked the siren as he worked.
"Sea dragon named Tatzel. Old legend." he responded gruffly, focused on checking the angle of the curve he'd just chiseled into a massive hunk of stone that was taller than I was. The man grabbed a parrot fish and set it across the surface of his stone. Immediately, the fish set to work and gobbled all the floating bits of rock so that the man could keep smoothing out a section of his serpent.
Undeterred by his reticence, Bloss also asked the next artist we came across, who was much farther along in her project—perhaps because her subject was so eager.
Keelan stood near the woman, posing grandly as Mr. Whelk floated lazily above him. My new husband broke his pose to wave at us, but then quickly resumed it because he took the work at hand very seriously.
"He's a good catch." My sister gave me a pointed look as we left Keelan behind.
"Yes. He keeps the rest of us from getting too serious," I replied, "which is why I gave him that statue as a wedding present."
Her chuckle floated out lightly along the current, which picked up and began playing with the strands of our hair, the sea singing gently in my ears. "And how do your other husbands feel about that?"
"Well, I gave them each a gift," I replied.
"Really? What did the others get?"
"Mateo got a ship so that his father could sail out to meet us. Lizza enchanted the anchor to link it to a bracelet Mateo now wears. Any time his father lowers the anchor, the jewel on it glows so that he can swim up to visit."
"I want a ship! Don't I get a sister gift?" she pretended indignation and pushed playfully at my shoulder before her expression softened. "That's sweet of you."
"It was the least I could do. He's given up so much for me." My throat narrowed, once again lined with thick, soft feelings. Today, I appeared to be full of them.
"And what about that handsome guard? The one with the wagon wheel tattoo on his chest? He's delicious. Reminds me a bit of my Ryan. So grumpy and demanding."
Her comment sent my cheeks warm scarlet, but they only burned warmer as I tried to phrase my gift to Felipe in a delicate way. My teeth bit down on my lower lip and nibbled lightly.
"Oh no. Did you give him something naughty?"
"No!" My hands flew up to my throat, nervously rubbing, but I decided then and there to just spit it out. It was only odd to say because she was my sister. "He's older than the others—" I didn't count Raj since he was immortal. "I told him... I wanted to have his child first." Felipe deserved to have every moment a man dreamt of when he thought about becoming a father, to gather up every precious memory and tuck them close to his heart. Icouldn't wait to see my hulking guard soften and melt—he would be the perfect combination of stern and tender.
My sister stopped walking and turned to stare at me. "And that didn't lead to an all-out brawl between them?"
