Chapter 20: : Chapter 19

ERIC SLEPT strangely that night. He dreamed of drowning and not being saved, sinking into the quiet depths of darkness that lurked beneath the sea. He wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t see the others being dragged down with him. Flashes of red in the gloom and cold hands slipping from his fingers interrupted his descent. He tried to swim and grasp at them. Panic pounded in his chest.

Eric jerked away.

“Good morning, sweetling.” Vanessa’s voice washed over him like the sea and dragged him from his dreams. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” he said, but there was something wrong with his voice. Did he always sound so flat? “What are you doing here?”

Vanessa, already dressed in a light day dress of pale blue and white, was perched on a chair beside his bed. Her dark hair was twisted into a crown atop her head, and one of the family rings rested on her hand.

“I couldn’t sleep a wink,” she said and smiled. “I’m far too excited for the wedding.”

Max growled at her, and Eric nudged him with his foot.

“Yes, the wedding. Of course,” said Eric. He could hear the words coming from his mouth, but he had no control over them. It was as if he was still drowning like he had been in his dream, and his emotions were muffled beneath the waves. His heart beat faster, but it could have been joy or fear. He could neither. “We need to start preparations.”

“Let the staff worry about that,” Vanessa said, and patted the top of his head. “Get dressed quickly so that we can go speak with Grimes about the marriage contract.”

“Grimsby,” he corrected on instinct, and nodded. “Of course. I’ll get dressed now.”

He must have been sore from his recent trips, because moving was exhausting. Max whined the whole time he was getting dressed. There was a dull ache in the back of Eric’s head, as if someone had sewn a string into his mind and was tugging it every few minutes, and he couldn’t hold back his groan when Vanessa sent him back into his quarters to put on something more befitting of his station. She was right, of course, but the jingle of the gold buttons and insignia on his coat made his headache worse. Max wasn’t behaving, either.

“Get off!” Vanessa shrieked as Eric emerged from changing.

Max was raised on his hind legs, front paws on Vanessa’s shoulders. He nipped at her necklace, and she twisted away from him. One hand smacked his snout.

“Eric!” She stumbled away and climbed onto a desk, barely out of Max’s reach. “Get him away from me!”

Eric whistled twice, and Max dropped to all fours. He kept barking at Vanessa. The sound pierced Eric’s brain. He rubbed his head.

“Max, quiet, please,” he muttered.

Max let out a soft woof and padded over to Eric, twisting around his legs. He nosed Eric’s side.

“You can come down now,” Eric said to Vanessa.

She sniffed. “I will not. Lock him in your room.”

He laughed.

“Eric,” she hissed, and the glint of her shell necklace caught his eye. “Take that little monster and lock him in your bedroom.”

Pain clouded Eric’s mind. He’d meant to say something, but he couldn’t think of it now.

“Come on, buddy,” he muttered to Max, and led the dog away. “I’ll come see you later, all right?”

His headache only eased once the door to his bedroom clicked shut.

“Much better. Now, let’s go find your man and draw up the proper papers,” Vanessa said, brushing her dress off and looping her arm through his. “I had one of the servants go find him and tell him to meet us in the entry hall. After that, I’m getting a dress fitted and will be on the wedding ship, so I’m depending on you to take care of everything else.”

“I will,” Eric said. “Whatever you want.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

Vanessa led him to the entry hall. Grimsby was already there, straight-backed and curious. The castle was bustling with activity, people carrying flowers to and fro and seamstresses carting fabric down the halls. Vanessa had been busy while he slept.

“Eric,” said Grimsby, meeting them near the bottom of the stairs. “What is going on?”

“Grimsby, it is my great pleasure to introduce to you Vanessa, my true love.” Eric presented her left hand to him, and there was no missing the ring on her finger. “I found her, and she agreed to marry me.”

“Yes, you mentioned it last night,” said Grimsby, looking no worse for wear despite the early hour at which Eric had woken him up to confess to finding Vanessa and their planned matrimony. It had been too late for proper introductions, of course, but Vanessa had helped Eric practice exactly what to say. Grimsby inclined his head to Vanessa and looked her over. “It was quite the surprise.”

“It’s so wonderful to meet you, too,” Vanessa said, holding out her hand. “Eric and I can’t wait to be married.”

“So he said.” Grimsby brushed his lips against the back of her hand and glanced at Eric. “Thank you for rescuing Eric the other day on the beach, but I must ask: why did you leave?”

“I was so overwhelmed by it all, and I didn’t know who he was.” Vanessa pressed herself more closely against his side and laid her hand on his arm. “I wasn’t even aware he was my true love until last night, but we get on so well. It’s only natural.”

“She saved my life, Grimsby,” Eric said. The man’s full name felt odd on Eric’s tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to call him by any other name. “She is my true love.”

The words hurt in a way he couldn’t understand.

“Well, Eric…” Grimsby gave them both a slight bow, and Eric thought he saw a frown. “It appears I was mistaken. This mystery maiden of yours does, in fact, exist, and she is lovely. Congratulations, my dear.”

Vanessa squeezed Eric’s arm.

“We wish to be married as soon as possible,” said Eric.

Grimsby fiddled with his cravat and said, “Oh, yes, of course, Eric, but these things do take time, you know.”

“This afternoon, Grimsby.” Eric hadn’t meant for it to come across so harsh, but the words were already out and he didn’t know what else to say.

Grimsby opened his mouth as if about to protest, but seemed to stop himself.

“Oh, very well, Eric,” said Grimsby, narrowed gaze dropping to Vanessa’s grip on the prince’s arm. “If you’re sure this is what you want.”

A flash of red caught his eye on the stairwell above them. Ariel had overheard their conversation. The moment he heard her sharp gasp and fleeing footfalls, Eric lurched forward, but he couldn’t discern why.

“I want Ari—”

The ache in his chest snapped. Eric jerked, opening his mouth to yell for her. Vanessa’s fingers tightened on his arm, and she hummed the same song she had sung when she saved him. It drowned out his thoughts and washed them away. He couldn’t move from her.

Vanessa interrupted him with another low hum. “We want to ensure Vellona is in good hands as quickly as possible.”

Ah, yes. That was what he wanted.

Grimsby leveled a look at Vanessa. “Is there anyone we should invite to the wedding for you? Family or friends, perhaps? And where should we send our congratulations?”

“I’ll take care of that,” she said, staring right back at him.

“Well, you must allow me to help in some way.” Grimsby gestured for one of the servants waiting by the door. “Be a good lad and deliver any messages Lady Vanessa needs to send as quickly as you can today.”

The boy nodded and waited next to Vanessa expectantly.

“Thank you,” she said through gritted teeth, and Eric was sure he had missed something, but had no idea what it could be.

“Perfect,” said Grimsby with a bow. “If you need assistance, you only need ask.”

“Now, Eric, sweetling, work on the marriage announcements and make sure you sign the wedding contract,” Vanessa said. “I’ll see you again on the ship.”

“Yes, Vanessa,” Eric said, still trying to remember what he had meant to say before she interrupted him.

She slipped from Eric’s grasp and down the hall, and Eric couldn’t pull his gaze from her until she was out of sight. Grimsby watched her with barely contained suspicion.

“How fortunate for us that she appears now,” muttered the man. “A quick marriage is not something I would have ever associated with you.”

“Her voice is perfect, you know, and her soul is just as spotless. She risked her life to save me—a stranger—from a storm. Exactly as the curse described.” Eric’s hand shot out and gripped Grimsby’s wrist. “Help me with the announcements to the rest of my family and court?”

Grimsby took Eric’s hand and pried it off him. “Of course, Eric, but what’s gotten into you?”

“I found my true love, Grimsby,” said Eric. “Is that not reason enough to be excited?”

Grimsby only frowned, showing no enthusiasm, but Eric paid him no mind. He needed to get everything done just as Vanessa had asked. Her explanation last night had made perfect sense, but Eric couldn’t quite recall all the details now. So long as he wrote out the announcements and made sure he was ready, she should be pleased, though. All he wanted was to please her.

They walked in silence. Grimsby’s quiet anger unsettled Eric, leaving him unsure and on edge. Grimsby took in the odd disarray of Eric’s study with little more than a flare of his nostrils, and Eric sat at his desk with a sigh. He pulled a sheaf of papers from a drawer. Announcements were easy enough. All he really needed to do was draft a few letters to the different lords and then use those as a basic template for the others.

Grimsby paced before Eric’s desk and watched him work through the first letter before he asked, “Does your Vanessa have a family name?”

“Of course she does,” said Eric, setting aside the first letter. It was to Brackenridge and was hopefully contrite enough, all things considered. So long as he ensured they wouldn’t protest Vanessa as Vellona’s ruler if anything happened to him…

“What is it?”

“What’s what?” Eric asked.

“Eric.” Grimsby groaned and pulled a chair up to Eric’s desk. They were sitting next to each other, but Eric still felt seas away. “Eric, you’ve spent months trying to convince me that a quick marriage is neither the answer to our problems nor what you want. Did you not say that there were more important issues facing Vellona? Was Ursula not on her way here yesterday?”

“All the better to get married as soon as possible, make sure I cannot be killed by a kiss, and secure the support of the court members upset at my lack of betrothal so close to my coronation.” Eric signed his name on a letter for Glowerhaven and let his quill rest away from the paper. “She’s the one, Grimsby. Wait until you hear her voice. I’d know it anywhere.”

“Then get betrothed!” Grimsby threw up his hands. “Kiss her and get it over with, but marrying her this quickly?”

“She wants our first kiss to be at the wedding,” said Eric. “It will be more romantic like that.”

Grimsby narrowed his eyes. “What are we to do about the Isle of Serein?”

Eric startled. “What?”

“The Isle of Serein. Your mother. The ghost ship. What will you do about them?” Grimsby crossed his arms over his chest. “You do remember that Vanessa can’t solve all of the problems threatening you, don’t you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Eric. “Of course she can. Vanessa knows what she’s doing.”

“How? Who is she?” Grimsby narrowed his beady eyes further. “And what about Ariel?”

“What about Ariel?” Eric, vision suddenly spotty, rubbed his eyes and frowned at the tears smeared on his hands. He wiped them on his trousers.

Grimsby dragged his chair closer to Eric and pressed the back of his hand to Eric’s forehead. “Are you well? Just last night you were ready to court her.”

Eric pulled away. “It doesn’t matter if I was taken with Ariel. She’s not my true love. Vanessa is.”

Eric tried to smile at Grimsby to reassure him that he knew what he was doing, but from Grimsby’s answering frown, Eric wasn’t sure it had worked. He turned back to the rest of the letters, ignoring Grimsby’s hemming and hawing. The man would come to terms with it all eventually. Vanessa would sort him out.

The door to his study slammed open, and Eric spilled a bottle of ink across his desk. Grimsby yelped and leapt to his feet. Vanni stood in the doorway.

“Wedding?” he practically screamed, cheeks pink, and pointed at Eric. “You’re getting married?”

Gabriella poked her head over Vanni’s shoulder and nodded at Eric. “We heard about it through the bay’s rumor mill, and we’re upset we didn’t know first.”

Eric mopped up the spilled ink with the ruined blank pieces of paper and glared at Nora, who entered the room behind Vanni and Gabriella. “Have you come to be angry at me, too?”

“No, she started running,” muttered Nora, and gestured to Gabriella, “so I followed. Figured it was something interesting and not wedding stuff.”

Vanni waved her comment off. “The most important part is why today? You and Ariel just met.”

Another headache bloomed in the back of Eric’s head.

“What does Ariel have to do with it?” Eric asked.

“He’s not marrying Ariel,” Grimsby said, and gathered up the letters Eric had been working on. “He’s marrying Vanessa.”

“Who?” asked Gabriella.

“Yes, that was my question last night when he told me,” said Grimsby. He read over the letters Eric had written and blanched. He cleared his throat and then handed them to Gabriella with shaking hands. “Vanessa is Eric’s true love, whom he found on the beach last night.”

“You make it sound like some sort of nefarious plot,” murmured Eric. “She was on a walk.”

“I would hate to imply anything untoward,” said Grimsby. His lips were pursed, and an unhappy furrow split his forehead. He gave Gabriella and Vanni an imploring look. “Vanessa is quite .”

Next to Grimsby, Gabriella tensed as she read the letters, her fingers clenching the pages far too tight. Nora read over her shoulder and glanced at Eric. Gabriella handed the letters to Vanni.

“I trust that each of you will help us with this wedding in any way you can,” Grimsby said, looking at them each in turn. “That is what Eric wants, isn’t it, Eric?”

Vanni stared down at the letters, raised his eyes to Eric once, and handed them back to Gabriella. “Of course. Whatever you need.”

Eric laughed. “Are the announcements really so bad that everyone needs to read them?”

“No,” said Gabriella with a tight smile. “We’re just all amazed you’re doing paperwork.”

“Save your wit for the dinner speeches,” said Eric. “We will need food and musicians, and anyone in the bay who should be invited will have to be informed.”

“Vanni and I will take care of the food and alerting the guests.” Gabriella passed the letters back to Grimsby. “Let us know if you need anything else.”

“We will. There will be quite a few political aspects to deal with,” said Grimsby. He turned his attention to Nora. “I am certain your captain would be very interested to know that once Eric is married, Vanessa will be set to inherit Vellona, along with any contracts he has with pirates or the like, should anything happen to him.”

“They would,” Nora said, and stuck out her hand to Grimsby. “I’ll pass on the message and find you a crew for the wedding ship.”

“Why would she even want any of this?” whispered Vanni.

Nora snorted. “Decadence? Pleasure? If you’re going to poison a man’s dinner, no reason not to enjoy your own.”

“Please keep your upsetting metaphors to yourself,” Grimsby said, the letters flapping in his hands. Eric couldn’t figure out what they could be talking about.

Someone rapped sharply on the door, silencing the others, and Eric leaned back in his chair. He would get nothing done this morning. The door creaked open, and Ariel slipped inside. Her eyes were bloodshot and watery. Eric gripped the edge of his desk.

“Ariel. Lovely,” said Grimsby, shooing the others out the door. “Come in. Eric has something to talk to you about.”

Eric stared at Grimsby in a panic. He had nothing to say to Ariel. He looked at her and his mind went blank. His chest felt empty.

“Eric,” Grimsby said, the letters dangling from his hands. “Talk.”

But Eric was too distracted by the announcements in Grimsby’s hands, where he could see his messy handwriting. There were only two words on the page.

.

Eric couldn’t remember writing that. It wasn’t what Vanessa had asked him to do at all, but Grimsby darted out the door before Eric could look closer.

Ariel approached Eric’s desk cautiously. The hesitation hurt, but he couldn’t bring himself to comfort her. It was like the need to do it was there but buried under all his other responsibilities. Vanessa would be furious if he didn’t get everything done, and thoughts of her potential displeasure clouded everything else.

Ariel let the silence stand. She rocked on her heels before his desk, twisting her hands before her. Her nervousness seeped into him.

“I want you,” he said, and his jaw clenched shut. His exhaustion and excitement mixing, surely. Eric rubbed his face. Where had that come from? “I mean, I want you at the wedding. Please. It would mean a lot to me.”

Ariel took a deep breath, a look of pain flickering across her face, and she tapped twice against the table.

Eric flinched at that answer. “Ariel, you don’t understand. I was going to talk to you, and I found…”

His throat cinched, as if a hand had curled around his neck, and Eric gritted his teeth. His headache surged.

“She was singing,” he said, and tried to describe how enchanting her song had been. He needed to explain how compelling Vanessa was. He needed…

Ariel raised both of her hands to stop him. She motioned at him, made the gesture for “want,” and then waved to the world around them. Eric swallowed.

Speaking was like swallowing glass.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with my true love,” he said in answer to her question, and his voice broke. His skin was too tight, too hot, as if there were suddenly two Erics sharing his flesh and neither was pleased about it. The pain pitched, and Eric mumbled, “I heard Vanessa. She’s my true love. She’s all I can think about.”

Ariel worked her mouth as if trying to speak and nodded. She pointed toward the sun.

“Time?” Eric asked and smiled when she nodded. “We’re getting married at dusk.”

She paused at the words, seemingly deep in thought. Then she pointed to herself and then at him, letting one hand drift up from his chest to his face. Gently, she curled his lips into a smile.

“You want me to be happy?” he asked.

She nodded.

He tried to say he wasn’t. He tried to peel his tongue from the back of his teeth and force out, Only a strangled gasp escaped.

Singing echoed outside in the hallway, and Ariel’s brows pinched together. Everything Eric meant to say vanished.

“I am happy,” he said. “More than you can imagine, and I would like you there to celebrate with me.”

Ariel inhaled sharply, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Eric reached out to brush them away, and his thumb touched her skin, and—

A school of memories—red hair like dawn spilling across pale shoulders, strong hands tight around his wrists as they tugged him from harm’s way, and the shuffle of unsteady feet through warm sand—flickered beneath the surface of his mind. They had nearly kissed in the lagoon, and he hadn’t been afraid at all. He had been so certain that—

The door to his study crashed open.

“Eric!” Vanessa glided into the room, coming between him and Ariel. “There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

The fog in his head cleared at the sight of Vanessa. Eric took her hand as she made her way next to him. The world was sharp and clear, and the uncertain haze that hung about Ariel was completely gone. She wasn’t important. She wasn’t anything.

“I was working on the announcements and informing my friends of the wedding,” he said, his full attention on Vanessa.

He wasn’t sure how it had ever been anywhere else. It was as if there were a string tangling her with him, and if he turned away, it would strangle him.

“Very good, sweetling.” Vanessa glanced over her shoulder at Ariel. “Run along… I’m sorry, who are you?”

Ariel fled the room, and every remaining thought Eric had of her vanished with her.