The Little Selkie (retail) (22 page)

“Pay attention, little fish, because your fairy tale is about to end. You’re a selkie who can’t sing or swim. Your two most useful traits, your
only
useful traits, are gone. If you don’t do what serves
me
well, I’ll slice your pelt to shreds,” Jarlath spat. “And when I tire of the Summer Palace, we will return to Kingsgrace Castle and you will never again see the light of day.”

Instead of making her feel small and helpless—as he surely meant to—Dylan could feel her fury build.
How dare he!
He thinks because I’m on land I am no match for him? Forget my pelt—I will bear myself with pride when I incapacitate this sea worm.
Dylan glared and considered smacking the lord in the head with her slate.

“Lord Jarlath,” Prince Callan said, his voice icy. “I see you finally separated yourself from your friends long enough to greet your ward. How
kind
of you.”

“Prince Callan, how good it is to see you.” Jarlath’s voice oozed with charm as he turned to the unhappy prince. “I was just telling Dylan how lucky she is that you chose her as your partner tonight.”

Callan laughed. “I believe you have incorrectly interpreted the situation, Lord Jarlath. I am the lucky one.” He moved closer to Dylan.

She pursed her lips, although she didn’t move away.
I’m thankful you arrived, but I could have handled this myself
, she thought, eyeing the handsome prince.
I am not a dewdrop damsel waiting to be saved.

“If you say so, Your Highness,” Jarlath said. “I am so glad my ward has found favor with you.”

“What a surprise,” Callan said. “You certainly did not appear to be glad when you were speaking to her just now.”

“I was merely warning her to mind her manners—she was practically raised by animals, you know,” Jarlath said.

Dylan drew her shoulders back and took a step towards Jarlath, glaring at him with fury.
Why you scum! Throw him in the brig.

“I have often thought it is remarkable how elegant and well-mannered she is, considering who is charged with her care,” Callan said.

Yes! That’s a hit for Callan!

Jarlath’s toothy smile was replaced with a dark scowl. “What?”

“Lord Jarlath, what a pleasure it is to see you!” Dooley said, sliding into the conversation with easy manners and a calm smile.

“Quite so,” Cagney added, smacking into Dooley when she didn’t stop fast enough. The pair breathed heavily, and their clothes were a little askew. They had probably pushed and elbowed their way through the ballroom to arrive.

“This is why I love a good ball—it gives a man a chance to socialize,” Dooley said as he tried to adjust one of Cagney’s mussed sleeves. Cagney smacked his hand away. “Ouch.”

“Balls are also excellent business opportunities—stop that,” Cagney hissed, trying to push Dooley away from her. “By which, I mean to say they allow a person to make good connections.”

Jarlath stared at the pair, utterly lost. Dylan, however, smiled widely at her friends to show her appreciation.
Thank you
, she wrote.

Prince Callan laughed. “Of course, you are both right. If you will excuse us, Lord Jarlath, I believe the dinner is about to start. I hope you enjoy yourself.”

“Yes, of course,” Jarlath said. He shrugged before returning to his almost-groveling manners and bowed. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Prince Callan inclined his head. “Of course,” he echoed, offering his arm.

Dylan took it—if only to get away from Jarlath. Cagney and Dooley followed, relief flashing across their faces.

That was a well-timed entrance
, she wrote when they stopped just outside the doors to the dining hall.

“I do pride myself on my entrances—and my fashion,” Dooley said.

Cagney’s eyebrow twitched with irritation. “I wish you wouldn’t.”

“You seem to be doing well for yourself—before Jarlath’s arrival anyway,” Callan said to Dylan. “I worried about separating you from Dooley and Cagney—although we’re sitting next to them for dinner.”

I enjoyed speaking to the nobles
, she wrote. She was surprised when she realized her words were true. The people she met this evening were kind and affable—which contrasted sharply with Jarlath, Lady Aisling, and Lady Kellah.

“Ocean flower, do you have so little loyalty that any handsome face will move you? Are Cagney and I no longer your bosom friends?” Dooley asked.

“Lord Dooley. Princess Nessa acts with more maturity than you do,” Cagney said, her upper lip curling in disgust.

“How you wound me, gem of my desire. I see how it is. Both of you are on the up and coming.

“I see Mother and Father are in place—we better join them, Dylan, mother wants us to enter as a family. Dooley, Cagney—we’ll see you in just a moment at our seats.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Cagney curtsied.

Dooley winked—all signs of his tragic enactment gone. “Enjoy. We’ll see you soon, Cal, Miss Dylan.”

Callan raised a hand in acknowledgement and led Dylan towards his parents. Although the ballroom was crowded, a path opened up in front of them, and Callan wore his false smile and acknowledged murmured greetings with a nod.

Dylan caught Lady Aisling’s gaze, and the beautiful blonde looked away, her lips pressed tight in anger.

“Is everything alright?” Callan asked when they reached his parents.

Dylan shrugged at Lady Aisling and her petty antics before she smiled at the prince.
I’m fine. I was just thinking Dooley and Cagney care deeply for you
, she wrote.

“They care quite a bit for you as well,” Callan said, taking Dylan’s hand off his arm so he could clasp it.

Before she could respond, Queen Etain approached them. “Are you two ready? Good. We’re all here, let us open the dinner.”

The doors to the dining hall were opened, and King Rory and Queen Etain swept inside, followed by Callan and Dylan. Callan led them to their spots. They were at the head of one table, with Viggo and his partner seated across from them.

“We meet again,” Dooley said, wriggling his eyebrows when he and Cagney rejoined them at their table.

“That reminds me. Dooley, I’m afraid I didn’t see your entrance in the bustle,” Callan said. “What did you do?”

“It was a tame entrance—my pearl wouldn’t come with me if I overdid it.”

“You
still
overdid it,” Cagney scowled. “You made us ride up to the main palace in a cart shaped like a clamshell that was pulled by two white miniature horses.”

“That is because you were to be the pearl of the clamshell. You see? Because you are the pearl of my heart.”

The look Cagney gave him was murderous.

It’s a shame the marina opening is over
, Dylan wrote.
You could have arrived in a boat pulled by a whale.

Dooley lit up. “That is a stupendous idea.”

“It’s terrible. Whales are not domesticated. There’s no way for you to train a whale to pull a boat.
Dooley
, are you listening?” Cagney’s face was white with panic.

Dylan grinned and almost started to write out an offer to get Dooley matched up with a whale—she could communicate with them and ask for their help—before she remembered herself and set her chalk aside.

Dinner was over all too soon. Dylan loved every course, and even
she
was stuffed. In fact, she felt so full she couldn’t have eaten so much as another strawberry. After dinner, there was more dancing—Dooley and Callan danced with her, as did Lord Padriac, Prince Viggo, and even King Rory.

Jarlath never approached her again, and Lady Aisling, Lady Kellah, and their friends stuck to giving Dylan the occasional sour look. It was a perfect night—one free of guards and, even more rare, free of worries.

After all the exercise and the heat of the room, Dylan was almost lightheaded, so she navigated her way outside and gratefully sucked in the cool night air, accented with the salty scent of the ocean.

The particular patio she chose was mostly empty. A few younger women gossiped in one corner, glancing at her with disdain every so often, but that was all. She stood at the railing, watching the moonlight play on the ocean as the sea breeze cooled her off.

She felt almost refreshed enough to return indoors when Lady Aisling found her.

“Miss Dylan, what a
pleasant
surprise,” Lady Aisling said, her hair glowing in the moonlight. Behind her, Dylan could see Lady Kellah, Lady Darra, and some of their other friends.

Dylan made the only noise she could muster—a loud, blasé exhale.
These girls act more like predators than some sharks I’ve seen.
She raised an eyebrow at the lady and tilted her chin up.

“So, you got your way. Prince Callan has escorted not
me
—as he should—but you, the local beggar girl,” Lady Aisling said, her lovely brown eyes narrowed into slits.

“You may think you’ve won, but no one from the royal family would stand to be connected to Lord Jarlath of Kingsgrace Castle—no matter how distant the connection may be,” Lady Aisling continued. “The only reason the queen is allowing this
dalliance
to continue is because you saved Princess Nessa. I said it before, but mark my words: as soon as you are gone, Callan will forget all about you.”

Dylan couldn’t help the grin that twitched across her face. If Aisling thought she still stood a chance when Dylan returned to the sea, she was in for an awkward surprise. Sooner or later, Callan would make his move on that girl from the search party. He told Dylan himself that he loved her. Poor, poor Aisling. She didn’t even know how far out of the running she was.

“And you
smile?
You think this is amusing?”

I think
you
are amusing,
Dylan wrote.

Lady Aisling’s beautiful face twisted, making it ugly. She took the goblet she held and flung it at her. Dylan tried to dodge, but the drink was flung wide and still spattered a part of her skirt. “Oops,” the lady said.

“Dylan? Dylan!” Cagney said from the doorway, she tried to get past the girls, but they wouldn’t let her through.

Dylan stared at Lady Aisling, her face thoughtful. She generally refrained from retaliating—it wasn’t worth the effort—but that was before they ruined her dress. She liked her dress. It was sea-glass green. Callan had ordered this dress for her. As she stared down at her ruined skirt, her rope of patience with the silly lander-girls snapped. She walked to a nearby tide pool and draped herself across a cushion so she could look in at the water.

“You’re not going to cry? That’s disappointing. But we needn’t stop here,” Lady Aisling said as Dylan reached into the tide pool.

“If you touch her again, I will tell Prince Callan myself,” Cagney shouted behind the wall of pastel skirts and dresses that blocked her from Dylan.

Dylan held her arm below the surface of the tide pool and waited.

“This doesn’t involve you, Miss Cagney,” Lady Aisling said, her voice hard. “And unless you want your family accused of stealing, I suggest you stay quiet. You have a sister who is a shop-keeper’s assistant, and your sailor brother is out of work, isn’t he? Perhaps he is turning to banditry like other sailors.”

“It’s not true,” Cagney said, trying to push a girl aside.

“Truth doesn’t matter in the face of money, Miss Cagney. A few coins, and your innocent family members will be jailed for thievery,” Lady Aisling said. “Know your place,
assistant
.”

Cagney fell silent.

Lady Aisling turned to face Dylan—whose hand remained in the water.

“No! Leave Dylan alone!” Cagney shouted, her voice loud and forceful.

Dylan had what she wanted. In one smooth motion, the selkie lifted her soaking arm from the tide pool and flung an object with precise aim.
Smack!
A bright orange starfish hit Lady Aisling in the face. The creature slid down and landed on her dress with a splat, half-disappearing down her bosom.

Lady Aisling shrieked like a seagull, and her friends rushed to help her. When they’d rescued the starfish, the angered girls turned to face Dylan….who had several more starfish lined up on the edge of the tide pool, and another in her hand.

Dylan raised her eyebrows at the girls and motioned for them to come towards her.

No one did. Friends or not, Lady Kellah and her ilk were not going to risk a starfish to the face on behalf of Lady Aisling.

“You vile
beast
!” Lady Aisling spat, her hair coming out of the elaborate hairstyle it was tucked in. “When I tell everyone what you’ve done—!”

“You think they will be appalled that she defended herself and her close friend? Lady Aisling, I fear you have much to learn regarding the justice system, particularly if you believe a few coins can influence it,” At the sound of Prince Callan’s voice, everyone on the patio fell silent.