Crown of Coral and Pearl

My mother had never even thanked me for saving Zadie. She’d made me believe the scar was a source of shame, an imperfection that would define the rest of my life. I’d always thought it was a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. Without it, I wouldn’t have been permitted to dive as much as I had, to become a strong enough swimmer to save a grown man. Zadie wouldn’t have been able to do what I’d done today. And yet I knew that my mother would be more upset that I had exposed my scar than proud of me for saving Ceren.

I ran my finger over the slightly raised skin on my cheek, then down to the crook of my neck, remembering the feel of Talin’s hands—how delicate they’d been against my back, how strong and sure they’d felt on my waist. He may have guessed before, but I was sure Talin knew who I really was now. Would he feel compelled to tell his brother? Ceren had made his concerns clear, and they revolved around my ability to produce a healthy heir, not my beauty. But after today, it was clear Talin felt more loyalty to his brother than I’d originally believed. My only hope was that Ceren’s gratitude was greater than his anger would be if he ever learned the truth.

I dabbed the stain on my cheek and said nothing when Ebb returned to dress me in another beautiful gown. As she arranged my hair, I remembered the handkerchief with the note for Sami inside. In all the commotion, I had lost the handkerchief and completely forgotten my mission. Some spy I’d turned out to be.

I was late for the evening meal by the time I reached the dining hall, and every eye in the room turned on me as I entered. I feared the rumors might have already circulated without Ebb’s help, and sure enough, there were murmurs of “she saved his life” and “some kind of magic.”

I wanted to shout at them that it had nothing to do with magic, that I’d merely breathed air into his lungs, but I went quietly to my place. Talin and Ceren were nowhere to be seen. I ate as slowly and methodically as I could, unwilling to allow the other lords and ladies to see me ruffled.

When dinner was finished, Lady Hyacinth approached. “You’ve created quite the stir,” she said as she took my arm. “Everyone is talking about the accident.”

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. Whatever I said now would quickly make its way through the castle. “Are they?” I asked.

She grinned and patted my hand. “Discretion. I can appreciate that. Will the prince be all right?”

“Yes, I think so. What exactly did you hear?”

She guided me to a bench in an alcove where we could speak more privately. “We heard he was swimming in the lake and a water spirit disguised as a giant snake pulled him under. But you dived in and killed it with your bare hands.”

I laughed. “Please don’t tell me you believe that.”

“No, of course not,” she said. “But you did save him, didn’t you?”

If everyone knew that I’d saved Ceren, perhaps he’d feel more pressure to be kind to me, even if Talin told him the truth about who I was. “I did. He was drowning, and I pulled him out of the water and breathed air into his lungs because he didn’t have any.”

“Where did you learn to do it? No one has ever heard of such a thing.”

“I spent my entire life in and on the sea. My people risk their lives every day diving for the pearls your people seem so obsessed with.” I gestured to the pink pearl pendant hanging from her neck, unable to keep the edge from my voice. The Ilareans treated me like a child, but they were as ignorant as I was when it came to anything outside their own experience. They probably had no idea where the pearls even came from.

“I heard another rumor,” she said, lifting her fan to cover her entire face except for her eyes, which sparkled with what could either be mirth or mischief. It was hard to read her expression with her mouth covered.

When I didn’t respond, she went on, undeterred. “I heard you rode on the same horse as Prince Talin, in nothing but your undergarments.”

I rolled my eyes. Who started these rumors, I wondered. One of the guards? “Your crown prince almost died. He needed a guard in the carriage with him, and there was only room for two people. So yes, I rode on Talin’s horse. I was also soaking wet and smelling of lake water. And I was clothed, for what it’s worth.”

She laughed lightly. “You’re very brave, you know. It must have been so frightening for everyone.”

“It was.” I knew no one else would understand how close Ilara had come to losing Prince Ceren today. Had I done the right thing by saving him? Not just for me, but for the kingdom? Would he rule fairly and wisely, or had I done nothing but spare a tyrant’s life to the peril of many others?

When Talin entered the room, the murmurs started again. He strode toward me, ignoring the looks of the lords and ladies, and I felt Hyacinth straighten up beside me.

Talin’s bow was short and perfunctory as he quietly asked, “Can I see you for a moment?”

He hadn’t even addressed me properly. I rose and curtsied. “Of course, Your Highness.”

He didn’t take my arm or slow his stride to wait for me, and I did my best to keep up with him down the corridors leading to Ceren’s rooms. His features were tight; I’d never seen him so agitated. Had something happened to Ceren since we returned? Would I be blamed for it?

The guards opened the door to let us in, and Talin marched over to Ceren’s bed. He was still pallid, his lips tinged blue, but he was very much alive.

“What is it?” I asked, not understanding the concern on Talin’s face. “Is everything all right?”

“He won’t talk to anyone but you,” Talin explained. “He insisted on having his ‘bride’ here.”

Talin had not yet spoken with his brother about my true identity, it seemed. Ceren stretched out his hand to me, and I felt compelled to take it.

“My dear Zadie. Thank you for coming.”

I curtsied. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”

He smiled at me, then turned to Talin. “The rest of you may leave. I need to speak to her alone.”

Talin clenched his jaw but ordered the men out. He glanced at me over his shoulder once before slipping through the door, as well.

“Is everything all right?” I asked, trying not to sound nervous.

“I need to ask you what happened, without you feeling threatened by Talin and his guards.”

I cocked my head. “Why would I feel threatened?”

“I know now that you are the only one I can trust. You were the only person who tried to save me, even though you could have easily let me drown. I need to know—who was it?”

“I don’t understand. Who was what?”

He pulled so hard on my arm that I was now inches from his face. “Who was it who tried to kill me?” he hissed.

Dread washed over me. Thalos, he knew. “No one tried to kill you. It was a terrible accident, perhaps a kink in the hose that limited your air supply. The water was much colder than we could have anticipated, and you’re not used to it.”

“I was breathing perfectly well for the first seven minutes or so. This was no mistake. Who else touched the device while I was down there?”

“No one. I swear it.”

“You were watching the whole time?”

I lowered my eyes, remembering the moment I’d shared with Talin, his finger brushing against mine. “Almost the whole time. The only person near the device was your page.”

He dropped my hand and fixed his gaze on the ceiling. “I knew it.”

“But he didn’t touch it,” I said, realizing what a horrible mistake I’d made. “We all would have seen if he’d tried to tamper with it. He was several feet away from it at all times.”

“You can’t say that for sure if you were only watching ‘most’ of the time. That boy blames me for his brother’s death, so he tried to take his revenge.”

“He’s just a child. It couldn’t have been him.”

Ceren sat up, still holding me in place so that his face was just inches from mine. “Why did you save me?”

I blinked. “What?”

“Why didn’t you just let me drown? Everyone else would have been pleased, I’m sure. Talin would have been king. You could have married him if you’d wanted to. I doubt even my own father would have cared. So why did you save me?”

I could have tried to explain about the customs of my people, but I was tired and frustrated. I let out a long sigh. “Because I cared. Because I couldn’t just stand there and let you die.” I could never forgive Ceren for what he was doing to the Varenians, but his life wasn’t mine to take.

He closed his eyes, and for a moment I thought he’d gone to sleep. “I’m sorry I haven’t treated you better. What is it you wish from me?”

“I don’t understand,” I said, my brow furrowed in confusion.

“What do you want? What will it take to make you happy here?”

My heart stuttered in my chest. I had failed to get my message to Sami, but now Ceren was offering me another chance. “My freedom.”

His eyes flashed open. “I can’t let you leave Ilara.”

“I know. I don’t expect you to let me go. But I would like to be able to leave the castle. Not every day, but every now and again. I need fresh air and sunlight to survive, Ceren.”

I had forgotten to use his proper title, but he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he reached up and brushed a strand of hair from my face. “Just like a flower,” he said. “Very well. You may leave the castle once a week. My guards will escort you.”

It was such a small thing, and I shouldn’t have had to ask, but I smiled in relief. “Thank you.”