Kai's obsidian eyes are the focus of my nightmare that night. He's holding my hand as we swim down a long hallway with a door at the end. When we finally reach the end, he opens the door to reveal several rows of pews leading up to an altar. My heart jumps into my throat as I halt inches from the steps.

"W-what is this? Where are we?" I breathe. That's when I notice the dark-haired merman behind us, dressed in all-black. He has a solemn expression on his face as he bows to me.

"Beltmare. This is my home." His voice is cold as he responded. The door at the front of the room suddenly opens, revealing dozens of mermaids and mermen clad in dresses with gold trim and crimson suits. They swim in and head for a pew. Once every pew is full, they all turn their attention to us at the front.

A sob jerked free as I opened my eyes, breathing heavily. It was just a dream, I repeated over and over as I got dressed. However, the words weren't enough to quell my anxiety over possibly seeing him again today.

I was so focused on not having an anxiety attack that I didn't notice the slip of paper in my dresser drawer until I was halfway out the door. When I swam back inside, I slowly sank into the chair beside the dresser.

From where I was sitting, I could see almost every inch of my suite. My four-poster bed was pushed up against the wall, covered in cozy blankets and pillows. A large bookcase that was mostly for show occupied the space beside my bed. Beside that was the door to the bathing room and closet. I also had a sitting room that was adjacent to the closet.

My hands shook as I swam back and grabbed it, scanning the paper. Like the aforementioned letter, it was in a thick, heavy script. But this wasn't from Kai.

Princess, the letter began. While it was generally meant to be harmless, a shiver ran down my spine as I realized who the sender was. Kai's father. I turned my attention back to the letter. When I heard rumors that the king and queen of Aegrem had welcomed a child—a girl—I was ecstatic. A few weeks ago, a mermaid claiming to be your aunt approached me. After she introduced herself, she told me the story of your mother and father—how the orphaned king married a broken queen.

The wording was a slap in the face, but I shook it off and continued reading. I'll admit, I was puzzled at first. But then she came to me with a trade—your hand in marriage to my son in exchange for something called the Loyalty Pendant. Which brings me to the purpose of this letter. Join me and my family for dinner tonight at Beltmare's palace. I would be delighted to get to know the mermaid my son has talked so much about. Yours, King Drake

Confusion and apprehension swirled around inside of me. I vaguely remembered hearing about Beltmare in passing; it was a town right near Pelathas's borders. On the one hand, it could be a trap; on the other hand, it could just as easily be genuine. After warring about it for a few more seconds, I made my decision.

I swam to my closet, pulling on two shirts and a cloak. I'd never paid much attention to the weather above the surface, but today was stormy. If you looked upwards, you could see the sky obscured by black clouds.

Rain pelted the water, making it hard to see past the surface. Apparently, everyone was dressed for the weather; I saw cloaks everywhere as I swam. The cloak I was wearing was purple with a gray trim. My curls were pinned back from my head, secured by a crimson clip.

It took most of the day to reach Beltmare. Twilight gleamed on the surface as I arrived, staining the edges of the buildings. I felt eyes on me, but paid them no heed. The whispers, however, were harder to ignore. "What's she doing here?" "Has the royal family in Aegrem finally noticed we exist?"

Though I kept any trace of emotion off my face, there was no denying that the latter comment stung. Before I had any time to dwell on it, however, I realized I had arrived at the palace. It was built similarly to ours, except they had their royal colours on full display.

The guards at the front, adorned in jackets of gold and crimson, straightened as they saw me approach. With more confidence than I felt, I spoke, trying to keep any trace of emotion from my voice. "I'm here to see Prince Kai and King Drake. They're expecting me."

The first guard swam inside, presumably to verify my story. I was shocked when the door opened several minutes later, revealing not a merman, but a mermaid. She, too, was dressed in a pretty crimson gown with gold trim, complimenting her copper skin. Her charcoal gray hair was pulled back in a neat bun, every strand tucked away.

I immediately bowed, my curls falling into my face as I did so. She inclined her head. "You must be Princess Isadora. I am Queen Katrina." She gently took my hand, permitting me to rise. I met her topaz eyes, a shy smile finding its way onto my face.

"Your Majesty. You have a lovely home," I said. Even as I complimented the queen, the letter resurfaced in my head, its content bringing a fresh layer of dread.

She gave me a soft smile in return, her eyes kind. "Kai has been so excited about this dinner. It's all he's spoken about for the last few days."

I nodded, but truthfully, I was only half-there. The dread had transformed into full-fledged anxiety, and to my horror, I realized that my hands had started to tremble. I tried to hide them behind my back before she noticed, but it was too late.

Her forehead creased in concern. "Are you alright? Should I call for—"

The words were out before I could stop them. "No!" At her startled glance, I quickly backtracked. "I mean, I don't want to trouble anyone. I'm fine, really."

With every word, it felt like an anchor was crushing my chest, squeezing the water from my lungs. We continued toward the dining room, passing various servants, who all eyed me curiously. We had no sooner reached the dining room than the doors opened, revealing a merman about Dad's height with brown eyes and black hair.

I swallowed hard, a thin smile appearing on my face as I bowed. "Your Majesty. As I was just telling the queen, it is a great honor to be able to dine with you this evening."

Obviously, this was Kai's father, King Drake. While he wasn't smiling, there was a faint hint of humor in his eyes that I was certain he very rarely let show. When his face broke out into a smile, I almost flinched.

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, his grip firm. "Finally! I've been telling and telling Kai that we need to meet this 'mystery girl' that he's talked nonstop about. Come in, please. We're delighted to have you."

We swam into the dining hall, which, like the rest of the castle, was covered in gold and crimson. Even the table and its decorations were adorned in the royal colors. As I swam to my seat beside Kai, I felt my heartbeat start to race.

He gave me a gentle smile, his obsidian eyes fixed on mine. Concern shone in them, but before he had time to open his mouth, King Drake suddenly rose from his chair, a goblet of what I assumed was bubble tea in his hand. "A toast," he said, his gaze passing over his son, his wife, and landing on my face.

One by one, they each raised their goblets and I followed suit, trying to mask my trembling hands. "To my son and his future wife. May their union be one of love and happiness and may Merais and Antia guide them in their future endeavors." Invoking the blessing of both the god of the sea and the goddess of fertility was a serious matter. It meant that the union was truly meant to be.

We drank in silence, my heart pounding so loud I was amazed no one else could hear it. When King Drake spoke up, it took everything in me not to flinch. "So," he began, training his gaze on me. "Your aunt mentioned The Loyalty Pendant when we last spoke. She explained how it was a..." he trailed off, taking a breath. "Sensitive matter for your family, and how it is imperative that it be found at all costs, lest it fall into the wrong hands. Your parents wouldn't happen know anything about that, would they?"

I froze, my eyes widening. Kai put a hand over mine. "It's late. Isadora has traveled far today to meet with us and is probably exhausted. How about we retire and adjourn in the morning?"

His words prompted me to glance outside, finally noticing the night-dark waters. How had so much time passed? Mom and Dad were probably wondering where I was.

I rose, hiding my trembling hands behind my back. "I should be getting home. Thank you both for your hospitality. I look forward to when we will meet again." I bowed to both of them before turning to Kai.

He took my hand, leading me out of the dining room. As soon as we were out of earshot, he glanced at me. "How was that? I noticed your apprehension when Dad mentioned that pendant. A sensitive subject for you?"

I nodded, my heartbeat finally slowing. "You could say that. Mom and Dad both have had... unpleasant experiences with it. Things they don't even talk to me about. And in the letter, he said—"

Kai cut me off, frowning. "What letter?"

Guilt grew in my stomach, tightening into a knot. "Early this morning, I found a letter in my room. At first glance, I thought it was from you. But it was from your father. He used some..." I trailed off, anger creating a bite in my tone. "Choice words to describe my parents. Apparently my aunt—my mother's sister—came to him and explained the history of the Loyalty Pendant to him."

I shook my head, suddenly exhausted. "I can't talk about this anymore. I've got to get home. Tell your parents I had a lovely time tonight." After a moment's hesitation, I leaned in and kissed his cheek.

I sped home, the tears flowing freely now. The guards at the palace bowed as I swam inside. Mom and Dad were still up, but I was exhausted. I swam to my room, not even changing into a sleeping gown. I managed to make it to my bed before my eyes closed.

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