Chapter 4

Talia nearly tripped over her fancy skirt as she stumbled up the steps.

She didn't even try to maintain the poise expected of a new countess. She brushed past me and handed the paper in her fist straight to Kael.

Talia's voice shook. "Your Highness, we received word from the northern sea trade route. The merfolk there refuse to recognize my authority. They've seized our merchant ships and injured our officials."

Her eyes flicked toward me as she complained, "Those fish don't take me seriously at all..."

Kael's brows drew together. The arrogance from his talk with me hadn't faded yet.

Seeing Talia panic, he said gently, "Calm down. You're a countess of the kingdom now. One stretch of sea isn't worth getting this upset over."

Kael skimmed the paper, and his face darkened.

I imitated Talia and leaned close to her cheek.

"Talia, it's time to show what you can do. Don't let His Highness down. Good luck."

Leaving her with that sour look on her face, I walked away smiling.

Sooner or later, they'd learn that on the open sea, the power behind that royal seal meant nothing. It was just a pretty stone.

At first, Talia forced herself to keep going to prove she was worth something.

She sailed out to negotiate with the other merfolk and even considered using force to keep the deep sea in line.

She stood on the deck of the flagship and sang her alluring siren song, trying to take control of their minds.

But she hadn't expected to find herself with no one she could rely on.

Everyone there had come up from the deep just to watch her fail.

Two days later, Talia returned to the royal city in disgrace.

More than half her soldiers were dead or wounded, and the grand fleet was down to a few battered little boats.

Talia looked worn and weather-beaten.

Back in the royal city, Kael was in trouble too.

The trade deals had fallen through, and the kingdom owed a fortune in damages.

But Kael didn't come to me.

He paid it all from his own treasury.

Talia cried, "Kael, you're so good to me."

Kael comforted her helplessly, then turned to look at me with an expression I couldn't read.

I walked away without hesitating.

Nothing and no one in the royal city mattered to me anymore.

I gathered my people and prepared to leave.

Just then, even worse news came from the sea.

Talia had sent people to harvest pearls without permission. They'd crossed into merfolk territory, been treated as pirates, and all been killed.

The kingdom and the deep sea had an agreement: crossing that boundary meant declaring war, no matter which side did it.

Talia is unbelievably stupid!

The waves surged, and once again, merfolk began attacking ordinary people who went out to sea.

Kael finally panicked and came to me for help.

"Maren, the kingdom finally had three years of peace. We can't just stand by and watch it all fall apart!

"You're my wife. We both have a duty to protect the peace between the kingdom and the deep sea."

His eyes pleaded with me.

But I pulled out the divorce decree with his royal seal on it and laughed in his face.

"Kael, we were already divorced the day you went off touring with that siren.

"From now on, land and sea go their separate ways, and you and I are nothing to each other!"