Chapter 319

The merfolk royal swam over toward me. I stood very still, continuing to grip on Nicholas’s arm.

The merfolk cleared his throat. I braced myself, unsure if he would speak in a language I would recognize. Despite any potential awkwardness here, I certainly didn’t want to be rude.

“My lady,” the merfolk royal said, eliminating my worry. The merfolk, it seemed, were trained in English better than we were trained in their language. “My name is Prince Ronan. I am the eighth son of our Queen Sonal.”

I placed my hands on either side of my neck, covering my imaginary gills in a shortened form of the traditional greeting, the same form he had just given me.

“An honor to meet you Prince Ronan. My name is Piper.”

“A beautiful name that fights a beautiful woman,” Ronan said. His eyes flashed in the dancing lights of the room. Unlike the hallway that had light fixtures, this room seemed to be lit exclusively by magical means. Orbs of light in various shades floated throughout the room.

Nicholas was still holding my arm, and therefore witness to the entire exchange.

“Prince Ronan,” Nicholas said, apparently in greeting, though he made no further effort beyond those curt words.

“Prince Nicholas,” Ronan replied, though his gaze remained fixed on me. “Your partner this evening is truly enchanting. Such a delightful traditional merfolk dress, Piper. You are a generous soul to gift us with the sight of it this day.”

Blood rushed to my cheeks. What was I supposed to say to that?

“Uh, thanks?” I managed.

Nicholas hardened his gaze. “If you will excuse us, Prince Ronan. We’ve only just arrived. There are many introductions to make.”

Ronan nodded critically, though he continued speaking to me, “Piper, in honor of your arrival, the royalty and nobility have been hard at work turning some of our movements into what your people call dancing. It would honor me if you would grant me your first dance.”

“I must insist on the first dance,” Nicholas said. “As is my right as the man accompanying her this evening.”

I blinked. Was this why he had wanted to hold my arm for the entrance, despite knowing it would be captured on camera? By accompanying me into the banquet hall, was he allotted certain privileges he would have otherwise been denied?

Was this more merfolk custom I was unfamiliar with?

God, I really needed a refresher course.

“Understood,” Ronan said. “Though I shall anticipate a later dance, then.”

Not knowing what else to do, I bowed my head slightly, acquiescing. What was one dance with a handsome merman? I danced many times with other men I wasn’t particularly attracted to during the other balls and events. I could handle this.

“Mommy!” Elva called, waving from farther down in the hall. “Look!” She pointed at a passing merfolk, one who was carrying a tray of exotic-looking foods. Fish, I presumed, and seafood.

“If you will excuse me, Prince Ronan,” I said. “I must attend to my daughter now.”

“Until later, then, Piper.” Ronan smiled at me.

I tugged slightly at Nicholas’s arm, encouraging him to follow me. Together we swam to where Elva was asking the merfolk servant questions about the food.

“And what’s this one?”

“Sea bass,” the woman said.

“And this?” Elva pointed.

“Lobster.”

Elva tried each of them, and soon, I joined her. Seafood like this wasn’t on our usual dining list, so I wanted to take advantage. Nicholas watched us both with an endearing look and a soft smile.

Before long, a group of merfolk children, some wearing narrow crowns of strung together pearls, approached Elva. They swam in small circles around her, until she laughed.

“Play with us!” one of the children said.

“We’re going to race!” said another.

Elva looked at me with doe eyes.

“It’s alright,” Nicholas said. “She is safe while she is here. The merfolk treat all children as if they were their own. Even those of foreign birth.”

With that reassurance, I nodded at Elva. “Enjoy yourself,” I said.

She laughed and immediately began to chase after the other children as she swam away.

The loud excitement of her laughter warmed me from the inside out. It was so rare to hear my little girl having so much fun. I half wanted to stay here forever.

Nicholas moved closer to me. When he was close like this, even in such an otherworldly place, it was easy to forget the rest of the world existed.

So easy was it to forget the many, many merfolk in the room, and the other candidates, and the cameras that were showcasing every moment of this event to the people back home.

I knew we should be doing other things, like introducing ourselves to more of the royal family or making motions of gratitude.

Yet when Nicholas moved his arm slowly around my waist, teasing me with the gentlest touch, all other thoughts were washed away, and I could focus only on him. Only on this moment.

“Dance with me,” he said.

And who was I but to agree?

He took my hand in mine and slowly we descended farther into the massive banquet hall. Down below, a series of musicians played strange instruments I had never seen before, many made of shells or coral and fish bones.

The music was eerie but familiar. Though the sounds themselves individually were like nothing I had ever heard before, when put together, it formed music I recognized, albeit with a haunting tone.

Some of the other merfolk had already taken to their form of dancing. They swam in tight circles around each other, holding each other closely. It was very… sensual, and fluid.

Nicholas led me toward the center of the dancing group, and then held me as the other merfolk held their partners, with one arm around my waist, and the other draped upward across my back.

This pressed our chests hard together. Through our thin swimsuits, I could feel hardness of each of his muscles. He likewise should have been able to feel my curves.

I wasn’t a terribly good swimmer, but I followed Nicholas’s lead.

We swam in tight circles around each other, as the other merfolk did, moving our bodies to the beat of the music. Gravity had little meaning here. At one point, I was certain we were upside down. But that mattered little when I looked into Nicholas’s eyes and saw the heat mirrored there, so like what was growing inside of me.

Moving like this… Touching like this…

I wanted him.

Now wasn’t the time to be fooling around. We were here to build relations between merfolk and werewolf. But I could not help my body from reacting to the feel of the water and Nicholas’s hard body against mine.

“Nick…” I whispered.

His face was so close to mine. His lips near mine. If I dared, I could lean in and kiss him right here, right now. It was only the strangeness of the environment that kept me from totally losing myself.

And that strangeness reminded me of the others nearby. And of the cameras.

“Nick,” I said again, but meant it different this time, like a warning. We couldn’t keep dancing like this, moving like this…

The cameras will see. Everyone will know…

Nicholas pulled back, allowing an inch of space between us. Then two. “Let’s disappear somewhere,” he whispered.

My heart took flight and my body reacted at once, heat growing within me.

“Piper,” said Ronan, approaching us. The heat inside me dimmed at once. “How good of you to start dancing so early. That means we can share our moment next, surely?”

I looked at Nicholas with pleading eyes.

I didn’t want to dance the way I had just done with him, with anyone else!