A Princess of Wind and Wave: A Retelling of The Little Mermaid (Beyond the Four Kingdoms Book 6) by Melanie Cellier

Author:Melanie Cellier [Cellier, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Luminant Publications
Published: 2019-12-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

“But Father,” Teddy said through gritted teeth, “this whole operation is under our command. We can’t let everyone else bear all the risk for us.”

“Yes, it’s your command,” King Edward said calmly, “and part of command is knowing when your job is to issue orders and when it is to get involved. This is most definitely an issuing orders situation.”

Teddy looked away, clearly still displeased, and the king sighed.

“I’m not doubting your capability,” he said. “But if you take part in the actual attack, then you’re making yourself a target—one the rest of the guards will have to protect. And that will just distract them from their real job—and might end up getting people killed.”

“But while it might not be wise for us to attend the attack on the main camp of raiders, it’s different with the hostages, surely?” Millie asked cautiously. “We’ll need clear and strong leadership with so many innocent lives at stake, and we’ll need to take supplies and doctors beyond the guards’ own medics in case some of the hostages are injured or ill. Perhaps we can wait with them back behind the fighting?”

King Edward surveyed her for a moment. “That sounds like a sensible suggestion.”

Teddy opened his mouth, but Millie moved slightly, and Teddy jerked before falling silent, no doubt the recipient of a swift kick under the table. Millie’s study of both people and politics were clearly telling her they didn’t have a hope of winning this one. She’d done well to negotiate a compromise—I only wished I had shown as much sense with my own father.

We all retired to our beds shortly after to get a good sleep before the early morning raid, but I, for one, struggled to sleep. My skin felt stretched and dry—parched, although I had drunk three glasses of water at dinner, earning myself some strange looks from Millie. Tonight wasn’t a night for staying up late and talking or dreaming, but this time it was the ocean itself that called me.

When I reached the steps leading down into the water, I was alone. I told myself I would just dip my toes in, but I couldn’t resist sliding a step lower, and then another one. The moonlight glinted on the constantly shifting surface of the water, and in a moment of madness, with a single glance over my shoulder to check I was still alone, I abandoned my wrap and let myself slip all the way in.

The water enveloped me, not deep, but cool and refreshing. The tingle swept down my body, transforming the long skirt of my nightgown into scales and giving me breath and vision again. The night no longer looked dim and dark, and the whole of the lagoon opened up before me.

I twirled and spun, letting the water rush past me before stopping suddenly and floating, suspended weightless above the sand. Here, in the shallow water, I didn’t feel the pressure of the deep sea, the subtle reminder that the ocean could be a heavy weight.

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