Chapter 18: Chief Indra

Talori didn't like the way those deep-sea merfolk were looking at her. Not one bit.

"Aeces, is it just me or are those strangers staring at me?" she whispered to her companion nervously.

"They are definitely staring at you, Princess."

Great. Having that confirmed by someone with sharper eyes than her was not at all comforting. She desperately wished she could talk to Zale but he was too busy playing his part as a fool.

He had to have seen them though. His eyes were the sharpest of all his mermen's. There was no way he would have missed them even if he wasn't currently paying attention to how they were currently eying his little sister.

"What do I do?" Talori hissed.

"There is nothing we can do currently," Aeces replied. "Rest assured, I won't let anything happen to you on my watch."

It wasn't as if she was worried about those strange merfolk attacking her! They simply set her on edge because their presence itself was threatening. She didn't know why they were here and that bothered her.

"I know you won't," Talori sighed, unable to explain herself properly.

She was just going to have to deal with it. In the meantime she should go find some nobles to bother with her 'crazy talk.' The whole point of being here tonight was to strengthen her cover as someone unworthy of notice and she wasn't about to let her brother down.

Which was exactly what she did until it was time for everyone to eat. The seating arrangements were always done by hierarchy so she found herself between Zale and a deep sea merman. The one that had the strange appendage with the light attached sticking out of his head.

These visitors must be of great importance where they came from since they were seated closest to the royal family. She couldn't tell whether or not Zale was worried about them because he was the consummate actor. He was making banal remarks about the food in the false, affected tone he used when he was acting stupid.

Merrick was rolling his eyes but seemed smug that he was embarrassing himself in front of their guests. Not that Talori thought the deep sea merfolk even noticed her brother's strange behavior. They were looking at the food like they had never seen any before.

Talori couldn't help but wonder if that was true. Deep sea merfolk might have to eat different things if sea vegetables didn't grow in their part of the ocean.

They didn't seem to have any table manners either. They stuffed their faces, confirming her belief that they didn't have food like this. They ate like they were starving and it was entirely possible they were.

She couldn't deny she was curious and felt a little sorry for them but that wasn't enough to temper her unease at them being here. What was the merking planning?

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Talori didn't find out until everyone had finished eating and the merking stood at the end of the table to make an announcement. Her insides twisted in anticipation. Whatever he had to say…it couldn't be good. She did her best to keep her face blank and not let her nerves show.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to welcome our special guests to our kingdom. They have traveled all the way here from much deeper waters in order to make an alliance," the merking boomed.

"Their chief Indra has agreed to share the secrets and treasures of the deep with us in exchange for my daughter's hand in marriage. This banquet is a celebration of the future union between our kingdoms! So everyone enjoy yourselves!"

There was a lot of clapping and excited chatter after that announcement but Talori felt like the world was ending. Her worst fear had come to pass!

She had spent all of this time hoping to avoid being married off so she didn't have to be separated from Zale but this was much worse than any of her half-sisters' prospects. They were allowed to continue living in the light. The kingdoms they had married into were very similar to their own.

Talori didn't want to go into the dark! She didn't have night vision so she had a hard enough time sneaking out at night using a small light source. She wasn't even sure they had anything like that down there.

If she stayed down there long enough…would her eyes look like theirs? Would she become mostly blind and afraid of the light too?

The very thought seized her with panic. She was about to hyperventilate right here.

Zale reached out under the table where no one could see and squeezed her hand tightly though his expression remained the same. He was letting her know it would be okay. He probably had half a plan formed already.

Talori began to breathe normally again. Her brother wouldn't let this happen to her. Everything was going to be fine.

She just needed to get through the rest of this banquet and then he would be able to tell her the plan. She could hold out that long. Then she would be able to panic all she wanted.

After everyone was excused from the table to mingle among themselves or go dance to the music that was being played the red-tentacled merman who had been across the table stopped her. "Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I was a bit distracted by the food. I am Indra, chief of my tribe and your future husband."

This merman was the chief? No wonder he had gotten the best spot at the table after her kingdom's royal family. He had been sitting next to Merrick so she should have guessed.

He wouldn't be her future husband if she had anything to say about it. But she needed to play nice for now since she didn't know what Zale was planning.

"It is an honor to meet you, Chief Indra.. I am Talori," she said as respectfully as she could muster.

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