Page 25 of Tangled Sails

She looked at me as if I were daft. “I have every faith that you have the ability to ask her questions and figure out for yourself if she is royalty or not before you fall in love with her. It’s called communication, Son.”

I huffed in annoyance.

“Return the necklace. See what she says about it and go from there. If Saria comes and you truly cannot get along with her, then of course I want better for you. Ruling is difficult enough, and if you can find a lovely partner to rule at your side, it will be one less burden on my heart. So please, don’t ignore the option that is right in front of you.”

My mother’s grief washed over her features. Was I adding to her broken heart by refusing to face the future? “Yes, Mama,” I conceded, wanting more than anything to ease some of her worry.

Chapter eight

TAVRIC

My mother’s words sat heavy on my heart. I hated that she had no confidence in my ability to rule on my own. The idea that my family needed to parade young women in front of me in the hopes that they could help me rule was humiliating. I’d get used to ruling. I didn’t have a choice.

So the very next day, I told myself that I would buckle down and accept my obligations with more grace and less trepidation. I could do this. I didn’t need to rope a young woman into marriage to hide my weaknesses.

But it didn’t matter how long I sat there, listening to advisors and trying to tell myself I was born for this—I didn’t get used to it. It didn’t get easier. My panic and discomfort never ebbed, and instead I felt as if I were crawling out of my own skin, needing to escape the constant chaos and energy of so many people. I wanted to be out on the water by myself, searching for Melody. Or… Was that what I wanted? Yes, I wanted to escape, but was searching for Melody just an excuse?

Once all the petitioning nobles and clerics had been heard, I left the grand hall and retreated to my room, where I took off the stuffy formal robes and sat down. My elbows dug into my knees as I pressed my hands to my face, trying to regain my composure as I forced myself to be honest about Melody. I was immeasurably grateful that my life had been saved that night on the water. I believed a mermaid had been the one to save it, and I would have appreciated the chance to thank her.

But did I actually need to find her?

No.

Did I even want to find her? There was a time when I had, but now I wasn’t certain. I wanted to sate my curiosity, and I wanted to get away from all the noise and people, but there were so many more important things I should be doing.

Either way, I had to do something, something other than sitting with the council like I was supposed to this afternoon. The council would have to wait for another day, another time, and if my lack of tolerance for people and chaos was going to prevent me from being competent at my own duties, then I could at least fulfill a promise to Lyri and make my mother happy. I’d promised Lyrielle I would show her more of the kingdom, and Mama wanted me to get to know her. If I were honest, the idea of escaping out on the water with Lyri was not only strangely welcome, but it would also give me a chance to return her necklace. Was she royalty as I suspected?

I supposed I would find out. Yet even the idea of discovering she was royalty didn’t sound as exciting as simply watching her experience the ocean in daylight.

Less than an hour later, I found her helping a laundress hang clothes on a line, her braid draped over one shoulder. She noticed me approaching and gave a small wave, which was all the encouragement I needed. I walked up to her, nervous energy coursing through me, and blurted the words before I could think better of it.

“Come sailing with me.”

Her mouth fell open into a little O and her eyes widened.

“You want to see the ocean, don’t you?” It was one of the things she’d named that first day when I asked her what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go.

“I…” She looked over at her friend.

The laundress shook her head with a chuckle. “Don’t let me keep you. It’s a fine day for sailing, I’d imagine.”

“Very well.” She finished draping the fabric in her hands over the line and then turned to me.

“Wait,” the laundress called. She grabbed a finely woven shawl from a different line and tossed it to Lyri. “Take that. It’s windy on the water.”

Lyri caught it with a smile and wrapped it around her shoulders as she joined me.

Since I’d sent Harlan ahead to ready and stock my boat, it was only a matter of leaving the palace grounds and walking down the hill on the backside of the palace. A narrow path bent this way and that down the hill, and I had to slow my hurried steps to be certain that Lyri could keep up with me.

I stepped out onto the small dock and leapt onto my one-man skiff, my body adjusting easily to the swaying boat. It was the only vessel I kept in this bay. My other ships, including the galleon I’d been on when I found Lyri, were safely anchored in port. Relieved to finally be free, I reached back a hand to Lyrielle with a pleased smile. I was rarely happier than when I was on the water.

Unfortunately, Lyri didn’t seem to share my enthusiasm. She hadn’t even stepped onto the dock, but still stood on shore, as though uncertain she wanted to get close to the water. Both of her hands were wrapped around her braid, twisting it in agitation.

Fool, I berated myself. She’d nearly drowned last time she was near water. “I’m sorry,” I said, immediately returning to the dock and carefully approaching her. “I wasn’t thinking. You probably have no wish to be on another boat.”

Her nervous eyes darted to me. “No, I do.”

The sincere response surprised me. “You do?”