Page 66 of The Nymph Prince
“Remember what I said about your mother?” Father continued, moving his steel-blue eyes to me. “Before building Avalontis, we swam the seas, going anywhere we wished. Doing whatever we desired. The war between the humans and mages reached us even below the sea, but I told the merfolk not to get involved. It was not our fight. Your mother fought against me, of course, arguing that we could not stand by and do nothing.”
I smiled, feeling as though I’d gotten a lot of my attitude from her.
“She wished to help the humans, and I refused,” he continued. “The human king at the time even came to me. Begged me. We had a treaty in place that brought peace between the land and sea, and he called upon me to help him win against the dark mages who were slaughtering so many of his people. Not because it was stated in the treaty that we were allies in times of war, but because he was desperate and hoped our alliance of peace would make me want to help.”
“And did you?”
“No.” Father’s eyes darkened. “The humans eventually received aid from the mages who hadn’t sided with the darkness and they won the war a year later by capturing and killing Haman, but many lives were lost in the process. Lives that could’ve been spared had I offered my aid when he’d asked for it.”
“You just let them die?” I asked, appalled.
His jaw tightened. “As I told your mother, it was not our fight. Not our concern. Why risk my own people for another man’s war?”
“That’s selfish,” I snapped at him.
The corners of Father’s eyes wrinkled. “You remind me so much of your mother. You have her fire. Her spirit.” The tenderness then faded, and his expression became stern once more. “My suspicion is King James wishes to attack out of spite. He’s been arrogant since he took the throne years ago, and I suspect he wishes to conquer all of our world; land and sea.”
“You think he wants a war because you refused to help a hundred years ago, a time when he was not even an existing thought?”
“Yes.”
Father walked over to the table and grabbed his goblet. He finished the wine before calling for Zander to fill his glass. Although I’d never say it aloud, I saw the tightness around his eyes as he drank and the unsteady way he held the glass.
I only wondered if it was due to worry or anger.
“There is no creature that holds a grudge quite like a human,” he continued. “Such a war hungry species. Starting wars over anything; women, riches, power. It’s the only explanation I can form as to the why of his actions.” Piercing blue eyes flashed to mine, and within them I saw signs of the ruthless god the stories made him out to be. “Let him attack. It’s been much too long since I felt a man’s blood drip through my fingers.”
***
Salvatore was an insufferable male. Old, irritable, and with a personality that was dryer than a sea sponge left out in the sun. As head of the king’s council, he carried himself with an air of superiority everywhere he went and felt it was his place to order me around. Since I was but achildin his eyes.
I snarled as I headed for the council’s chamber. A meeting had been called for that midday, and as crowned prince I was required to appear, since Father wouldn’t be in attendance.
No, the king had more important matters to attend to, like bedding his manservant. Zander might’ve been a timid male, but he knew how to pour wine and was beautiful. That was all Father cared for.
The only good thing in that moment was the ache in my ass. It was a wonderful reminder of the night I spent with Alek and the delicious morning that’d followed. He’d nipped at my neck with his teeth, smoothed his hands along my sides, and groaned as he moved inside me. I hadn’t even washed that morning, wanting to instead smell his warm scent all over me as I was forced to suffer the meeting between cantankerous old men who’d argue over politics and wealth.
“Your Highness,” Salvatore greeted once I’d entered the council’s chamber. “How kind of you to join us.”
“Kindness plays no part in it, I assure you.” I walked to the head of the long rectangular table and sat down, skewing my lips at the peeved expression from Salvatore. His false sense of entitlement made him believe he deserved the seat at the head of the table, as if he were more powerful than the prince. “Let us begin.”
The meetings were common, mostly to discuss matters of finances, trading, and the general status of the people. The army was also a topic of discussion; items needing to be procured, such as more armor and weapons. Also, housing and wellbeing of the soldiers. Some had families they chose to live with, but many of the men—and women—had no partners and instead lived with members of their military unit.
“Now we come to our final order of business,” Salvatore announced once it was agreed to extend the soldier housing to include their own hot spring and relaxation area to help with morale. My idea. “King Triton has informed me of the human king’s plans for war. The army needs to begin training at once. Longer drills and a stricter regimen. Any soldier who doesn’t meet the standard will be punished until he can fall in line with the rest.”
“You cannot expect them to perform like your puppets,” I said, narrowing my eyes at the older man. “The soldiers work hard every day. Increasing their training will do nothing but wear them down. I say they need to train more as one unit, as is the way in battle, instead of separately as they do now, but their hours will not be increased. I will not have the brave men and women who fight for Avalontis treated like animals.”
The other members of the council averted their eyes from the red-faced Salvatore.
“You think to question me, child?” Salvatore spat, finally losing his composure. His graying hair looked brittle like the rest of him.
“Yes, I do.” I pinned him with a stare. “Childor not, I am your prince, and you’d do well to obey my command so as not to have your defiant tongue ripped from your mouth.”
Malik, who I’d told to join me in the chamber, stood against the wall and had a smug expression as his orange eyes moved to Salvatore.
“Send for Captain Orta at once,” I continued. “I wish to speak with her myself. And I’ll give her orders to detain you should you ever interfere with her or my command. Do I make myself clear?”
“Y-yes, Your Highness,” Salvatore stuttered. Sweat beaded on his brow and he wiped at it with shaking hands. Such a spineless worm.
