Chapter 80: I Can't Tell If You're Joking Or Not

Zale was still adjusting to being the merking. It had been his goal for over a century but there was much more to do than he had anticipated. His mermen were helping him a lot—especially Beck—but he was busier than he had ever been. 

He felt like he spent all of his time in meetings. He barely got to see Talori anymore but he had to carve time out for her or he would lose his mind with how much he had to do. 

Seeing her so happy reminded him of why he was doing all this. It helped keep him going when he had to deal with annoyances such as King Ren's advisors being difficult or nobles giving him a hard time to test his capabilities. 

But he noticed after a while that the novelty of having her dream job had worn off and that she seemed to have something on her mind. Then the surface-dwellers came and her usual spark was back. 

He was willing to bet it had to do with them. When he found out she was giving English lessons to most of his mermen and insisted that they should call her by name because they were friends that confirmed it for him. 

Talori missed them. She had grown used to the way things were up there. 

For most of her life, her primary contact had been with Zale but when she was on the surface she was involved with all sorts of fae. Going back to her old isolation was difficult for her. 

He felt terrible for not realizing she was struggling sooner. She had never said anything and she had always been so bright and cheerful. 

Had his little sister always been lonely and he simply never noticed? She probably had. 

Zale hadn't meant for that to happen. He should have realized that a personality like hers wouldn't have been satisfied being treated with deference. She liked being involved in the action. 

His mermen had always called him by name but had always called her Princess. She hadn't liked that based on what he heard from Nerio. But if she had disliked it all this time, why hadn't she ever said anything? He would have gotten them to address her by her name much sooner if that was what she wanted. 

It was impossible for him to read her mind. She may be very open with her affection or excitement but she rarely showed when she was upset. He had thought it was because she didn't GET upset but now he realized that was stupid. Everyone got upset. 

Talori clearly missed her surface friends. She had been so happy when they were here. 

When she came back from her early morning excursion showing Brennan around the kingdom she had been happier than Zale had seen her in years. Now that he was gone, she spent an awful lot of time holed up in the room with the long-range communication device in the evenings according to his mermen. 

She needed to make more friends here. He saw that now. 

At least she seemed to like Aila. She talked about her frequently when the two of them were together. 

Talori had been the one who said he needed to pay more attention to his wife. She had scolded him rather thoroughly for it yesterday, which was why he had bothered to summon Aila today to see how she was doing. 

Zale wasn't sure how well it went. That was one hard to read mermaid. She hid everything she may or may not be feeling behind her noble manners. 

"Do you think that went alright?" he asked Beck once she left. 

"I know even less about mermaids than you do."

He had a point. Neither of them had spent much time around mermaids aside from servants and Talori. Parties didn't count because Beck said nothing and Zale had acted like an idiot. He hadn't actually gotten to know any of those noble mermaids. 

Zale sighed. He hadn't wanted a wife but he had needed one. There had never been a merking on the throne who didn't have a merqueen. 

He had absolutely no intention of filling up his harem unless he absolutely had to. He would give Aila a century or so and if things still weren't working, he would have to bring someone else in. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. 

Harem politics had killed his mother and taken away his and his sister's childhoods. It was why he had to be something he wasn't for so long. He didn't want to inflict that on his own children. 

"I don't want her to be miserable here. She did help me gain the throne in the end," Zale said as he rubbed his temples. 

He hadn't thought there was anything wrong until Talori brought it up. She said she thought Aila was lonely since she didn't know anyone here and he hardly gave her the time of day. It wouldn't have even occurred to him. 

"Maybe you should find out what she likes," Beck suggested. "I can't think of any other way to make a mermaid happy." 

That might work. Talori was happiest when she was doing things related to what she liked. She was fairly easily satisfied though. He didn't know what Aila's true temperament was. 

You are reading story MerMade For Each Other at novel35.com

"I can try," Zale said wearily. 

Beck clapped him on the shoulder. "I am sure you can figure it out." 

He appreciated the vote of confidence but wasn't sure he would be able to do this properly. He knew nothing about romantic relationships. The only meaningful relationships he ever had were familial in nature. 

His mother. Talori. Beck. 

Zale had largely been treating Aila like one of his mermen. They were friendly and occasionally teased each other but for the most part they stuck to business. Minus the friendly, teasing part. He had been all business with his wife because he didn't know her very well. 

Marrying her had been impulsive but he had been killing two birds with one stone, as Talori would say. Procuring himself a merqueen and rewarding her for her help at the same time. Not to mention being able to keep an eye on her and her father more easily since they knew the truth about how he became merking. 

"I certainly hope so," Zale muttered. 

He wasn't good with relationships. Almost everyone in his life was only there because he had made it so they felt like they owed him. 

He genuinely cared about very few. Only two, really. The rest of his mermen were different from Beck since he was basically family. They were replaceable while Beck was not. 

Zale likely would never have any real feelings for his wife. But he could at the very least try to foster some sort of relationship with her beyond the physical. That would make her less likely to turn on him later, wouldn't it?

"Are you ever going to get married, Beck?" he asked randomly. 

His friend had never shown any interest in mermaids. The only thing he cared about was Zale accomplishing his goal so he and Talori could be happy because their happiness was what made Beck happy.

"Forgive me, but that sounds like a fate worse than death," Beck deadpanned. 

Zale couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. 

That was such a Beck answer that he should have seen it coming but didn't, which made it that much funnier. He didn't even like talking to his comrades much. Trying to keep a mermaid satisfied may very well be beyond his considerable skill set. 

"There isn't anyone you have your eye on? You could have the pick of the bunch. Anyone would be happy to marry their daughter off to the merking's closest advisor," he teased. 

Beck shook his head. "I already have one mermaid to worry about and don't need another."

He had to be talking about Talori. She was his concern because she was Zale's. He had always looked out for her despite the two of them not talking much. He cared about her well-being even though they weren't close. 

"You could solve that problem by marrying Tali but you would have to woo her first," Zale said with a laugh. 

He would never marry his sister off without her consent but there was no one better he could entrust her to. If Beck was interested, he would support him going for it. 

"I can't tell if you're joking or not," Beck said with slightly narrowed eyes.

"I'm not. I only laughed because you'd have an interesting time trying to win her over if that was what you wanted to do. As far as I'm aware, she has never been romantically interested in anyone." 

"That does not mean she would be interested in me." 

Zale raised an eyebrow. "Beck, do you actually like her? You never said anything!" 

"Talori is someone I have to protect. I have never entertained such thoughts. I care about her but not in the way you are implying." 

Right. He must have been crazy to think that someone so serious could ever be interested in a mermaid like Talori that way. She probably wouldn't be happy with anyone who couldn't handle her rather intense personality anyway. 

A pity. There was no one he would be able to trust more with his sister's heart. Any potential suitors she had would have to go through an extensive vetting process to make sure they had her best interests in mind.. It would be a lot easier if it was someone Zale already trusted.

You can find story with these keywords: MerMade For Each Other, Read MerMade For Each Other, MerMade For Each Other novel, MerMade For Each Other book, MerMade For Each Other story, MerMade For Each Other full, MerMade For Each Other Latest Chapter