Page 26 of The Nymph Prince
Malik tensed, and the hand around his dagger tightened. I got the impression he didn’t like anyone behind him. Not that I could blame him.
Instead of taking the road through the marketplace, we walked a path that took us around the busier part of the city and more in the outskirts.
The vision I’d had of the underwater kingdom was nothing compared to the reality of it. I would’ve never imagined there’d be trees and fluorescent plants that glowed brighter when touched. That people wandered the streets, selling goods and trinkets, just like they did in the world above. There was a blacksmith shop, a bakery, and places to purchase silks and other materials for clothing. I wasn’t sure how it was possible for me to breathe so far below the surface.
Magic.
As we approached the golden palace, my first thought was of Fletcher, of how excited he’d be if he was there. He’d told numerous tales about mermaids, and once the story was told, we’d toss around theories of where the merfolk lived.
I had always said they lived in a large underwater cave, but he’d insisted that they lived in a kingdom and that a golden palace stretched above all the trees and buildings.
I smiled as I realized he’d been right.
I miss him.
When we walked into the entrance hall, my jaw hit the floor.
I’d thought the palace had been stunning from the outside. It was even more so within the walls. The tiled floor was littered with gems and colorful stones, the columns were lined with gold, and jeweled chandeliers hung from the high ceiling.
“Ridiculous, is it not?” Lorcan asked me, motioning to the surrounding luxury. “Father fancies riches and displays all he’s found. Blinding and unnecessary if you ask me.”
I pressed my lips into a line to keep from smiling, not sure if it’d be considered an insult to the king for me to agree with the nymph.
“This way, Your Highness,” the leader of the guard said.
He went to touch Lorcan’s arm, but Malik slapped his hand on the guard’s shoulder and pushed him back a few inches.
“Keep your hands to yourself or lose them,” Malik growled.
The guard straightened his stance and gave a quick nod of his head. “Yes, sir.”
Lorcan rolled his eyes.
I understood where Malik was coming from. Assassinations were often times orchestrated by an enemy, but sometimes it was from a corruption within the ranks. It made sense for Malik to be cautious. It seemed odd, though, that he felt that way about his own men. The guards wouldn’t hurt Lorcan.
Would they?
After moving down a long corridor, we turned left and were met with two massive wooden doors. At our approach, the men standing guard outside the doors stepped forward to open them. One of them eyed me.
I sighed. Merfolk didn’t trust anyone, did they? I had other guards around me and would be struck dead in a mere second if I tried anything.
The throne room wasn’t as flashy as the entrance hall. Although still lavish, it was dulled in comparison.
The spiked throne looked to be made of bone with fishermen’s net interwoven between the various points. Jewels were tangled in the net, but that was the extent of the luxury. A smaller throne sat beside it, made of what looked to be ebony and decorated with gold and gemstones.
I was sure that was Lorcan’s seat.
Behind the throne, there was a wall of glass that showed the sea on the other side. The light caught the reflection of the water, causing a rippling effect on the walls and floor. Blue banners were draped on the walls, each having an emblem of a golden trident in the center. It must’ve been the crest for Lorcan’s bloodline.
The guards positioned themselves at the doors while Lorcan walked forward. I stayed behind and stood beside Malik. The nymph prince moved casually toward the intimidating throne where his father sat.
It was then that I looked upon the king.
Triton was not what I’d expected. He was hundreds of years old and I’d expected him to look the part, maybe with a long white beard, wrinkly skin, and scars from all his times in battle.
Instead, he didn’t appear any older than thirty years of age. His silver hair was the same shade as Lorcan’s and flowed past his shoulders and to the middle of his chest, like soft waves of moonlight. A white shell that faintly glowed dangled from the center of the necklace he wore.
Seeing the shell nearly made my heart stop. Kellan had been in search of the lost heart of Triton, which was said to be the conch that Triton used to control the tides. The shell around the king’s neck seemed too small to be such an important item.
