I took my time walking back to the manor, praying it would be empty when I arrived. Mom often went swimming in the evenings, and Ridley disliked being inside. Finfolk did not care for human trappings–that's what he called houses and bikes and beds. They believed the human form served no other purpose than furthering the species. If not for that, they would never rise from the depths of the ocean.

Luck did not favor me today, and when I walked inside the manor, my mother and the Finfolk prince waited for me in the dining room, twin expressions of foreboding plastered on their faces. With a sigh, I slid into the seat next to my mother and folded my hands in front of me, my expression hardening to one of long suffering. Too bad Kieran wasn't here to lend me some of his patience.

Ridley blinked as he watched me. His extended stay on land had softened some of his strangeness, and while he would never grace the cover of magazines, once the shock wore off, I had to admit there was something handsome about him.

The green tinge was all but gone from his skin, and his eyes had settled further into his skull, giving him a more human appearance. The color remained a vivid blue that he could brighten and dim at will–a feature to help them hide and see better below. But that nose... I tried to ignore it whenever I spoke to him. The flatness and slender slits unsettled everyone who met him.

"Isla," Mom began, tapping her talon length fingernails on the aged wood surface of the dining room table. "Where were you?"

"Swimming."

Ridley nodded, a grin pulling at his lips and exposing sharp teeth. "Excellent. The more time you spend in the ocean, the better."

Mom frowned. The problem she had with my absence wasn't about the where. It was about the who.

"You should have asked Prince Ridley to accompany you. You know he enjoys spending time with you, especially in the water."

Ridley and I swam together once. At first, it was exciting. He was nothing like the other Merrow. Scales in an array of dark colors–black, blue, green, and brown–covered him from head to toe like armor, and along his arms and down his back, spikes protruded, making him a less than appealing meal for any hungry deep-sea creatures. His sinuous black hair remained tied back at all times to keep it from tangling or falling into his face.

The excitement wore off quickly when I noticed every fish and crab and dolphin kept their distance, and it vanished all together when he tried to wrap his tail around mine while we lounged on a sandbar. I might have dismissed the attempt as a mistake created by a culture barrier, but the predatory hunger in his face told me he knew precisely what he was doing.

"I am eager to swim with you again, Isla. Your beauty is beyond anything I have ever seen. Your tail is fit for a queen. You will be a gleaming jewel in our kingdom."

"If I ever visit the Finfolk kingdom, I'll be sure to keep your compliment in mind." How many ways could I tell these two no?

"Isla, not this again."

"Mom, yes. This again. And again. And again. No will always be my answer because I don't wish to live ten thousand leagues under the sea, nor do I wish to marry Ridley. Or anyone right now. I'm seventeen!"

Ridley tilted his head. "We will wait until your eighteenth birthday."

"Yeah, no."

Chair legs scraped on the floor as my mother pushed back in her chair. She left the room and returned a few minutes later with a scroll in her hand. Lips pursed together, she unrolled it and set it in front of me.

"This isn't in English," I said after several seconds of trying to make out the words. The only thing I understood was Halloran and Merrow. Both words were repeated multiple times.

"It's the Common Tongue," Ridley explained without getting up. His lack of curiosity about the scroll meant he knew what it was already. "Many centuries ago, Merrow and Finfolk spoke the same language because we were one people."

"Oh," I said, aiming for nonchalant and failing. I might not want to marry Ridley and live with the Finfolk, but that didn't mean I didn't find our shared history fascinating. "I'm guessing you're going to tell me what this says."

Mom nodded. "This was written and signed the night your ancestor, Jamie Halloran–"

I held up my hand. "I already know nothing good can come of this."

"The night Jamie married Niamh. She was the daughter of the Finfolk King, and their marriage was the first step toward unity between Finfolk and Merrow."

"We all know how that went down," I muttered. Something tickled in the back of my mind. Something I'd forgotten.

"Niamh and Jamie promised they would send the eldest daughter of their line to live with the Finfolk the same way Niamh was sent to live with the Merrow. She would be an ambassador, and when she turned eighteen, she would marry the Finfolk heir."

Holding my head in my hands, I cursed my ancestors. "But you don't need an ambassador. The Finfolk and Merrow are not on the brink of war. It's been centuries. I think we're fine."

"Isla, it's not so simple," my mother implored. "This accord is magic. It has to be followed or the consequences for the Merrow will be catastrophic."

"B-but... it's still a contract. If Ridley releases us, then I'm free. No consequences, right? So, it is simple."

Mother sat down and massaged her temples. Ridley rose and walked to the window, his webbed fingers stretching over panes as rain tapped against the glass. Droplets came together and formed silver rivulets that sped downward.

"A storm... magic..." I snapped my fingers. How on earth had I forgotten such a big detail? In all the chaos, I forgot about the bargain I'd tried to make with Agnes. "The Finfolk have a queen. A powerful witch. She can break the contract because she doesn't want me to be a queen anymore than I want to be one."

Ridley and my mother shared a long, hard look, and though I didn't think it was possible, the prince turned more pale than usual. His tone was grave when he finally spoke.

"Agnes is why I am here, Isla. She murdered my father and took the throne. I barely escaped with my life, and for years, I have been hiding with a group of rebels, your mother included. When I heard that Merrow Island was free from the curse, I came here at once. You are the only one who can challenge Agnes for the throne, and it's for that reason that I will not accept no for an answer. The accord holds."