Chapter 3
1307 Words
Ryan was bored out of his mind. He felt numb to the core as the event dragged on endlessly.
The sun would set in an hour or two; he wasn’t sure of the exact time. Today, of all days, time had decided to crawl like a snail, and he felt utterly betrayed by it.
He didn’t know why he had been nervous about this event for the past few weeks. He felt like whacking himself for being so stupid as to worry about it.
Ryan could fool people—his parents, even Nora—if he put in enough effort. But how could he fool himself?
Despite the nervousness and annoyance clawing at him, hope still rose in his heart, no matter how hard he tried to crush it.
Hope…
Hope of finding the one, despite teasing Nora about the idea. Secretly, he had been hoping he would find his life partner here, even though he had no idea how to interact with girls.
Ryan hadn’t known hope could be this dangerous. Now it was crushing him, because he hadn’t found anyone suitable. He didn’t know what kind of girl he wanted, but he knew none of them made his heart flutter.
His parents, his sister, and even his closest friend, Nora, failed to understand him sometimes. He ached for someone who would be with him, who would understand him—someone he could talk to without worry, someone to share his dreams and his deepest thoughts with.
He wanted someone. And despite masking it with annoyance and nervousness, he had hoped to find her today.
He had felt nervous when a lady approached him to talk. He had been awkward at first, but soon it turned boring as she began bragging about her beauty and wealth.
He knew he was being unfair; not all of them were awful or boring. But none of them seemed capable of understanding him on a deeper level.
He didn’t want beauty like his mother did—someone who expected her future daughter-in-law to be the most beautiful. Nor did he want wealth like his father did, who wished Ryan’s future wife to have countless political connections. He simply wanted someone open-minded and straightforward.
As he navigated the crowd, his eyes met those of the princess whose arrival had shocked the entire gathering.
The mermaid princess.
She was stunning—he could admit that—but never before had any of the merpeople attended these courting sessions.
The mermaid land had a peace treaty with the human kingdoms, yet they had never participated in meetings like this. None of them wished to interact with humans.
He didn’t understand why she was here, especially since merpeople never married outside their race. Very little was known about mermaid land. Only foreign ambassadors were allowed inside, and even then, only into specific rooms of their palace. No one was allowed to wander freely.
He had never seen a mermaid before. When the announcer paused to read the allocated parchment aloud, the hall fell silent—but it was nothing compared to the shock that followed when the announcement declared the mermaid princess’s entrance.
Ryan glanced at the king afterward. His uncle looked unsurprised. He should have known—no one could enter Avera without the king’s seal.
Like everyone else, Ryan was curious. The mermaid princess looked human, behaved like one too. If not for the announcement, no one would have guessed her true nature.
People couldn’t stop staring at her. None of them had ever seen a merperson before. At least Ryan had the decency to be polite, unlike those who openly gawked.
Why were merpeople attending human gatherings now? Ryan didn’t understand.
From what he had read, merpeople couldn’t remain on land for long. They needed to return to water regularly, and their intimacy rituals happened mostly underwater. Mermaid married merman.
So why was she here?
Perhaps they wanted to reconnect with humans, like their ancestors had centuries ago. He stopped pondering—it was pointless without answers.
Thinking of mermaid land reminded him that, thankfully, there had been no recent attacks from monster land. Beyond mermaid territory lay the lands of werewolves and other monstrous creatures—beings that thirsted for human blood simply to satisfy their violent urges.
Maybe mermaid land needed allies. Human hunters, trained for generations, existed in every kingdom to fight monsters should they cross into human lands.
Nora nudged him, signaling that half an hour had passed since his mother had left the hall. He had been waiting for that moment—to escape.
He nodded and subtly moved toward the door. On the way, his cousin Ivor spotted him, his expression pleading for rescue.
With a heavy heart, Ryan betrayed him and turned away. Slipping out of the hall, ignoring the guards, he headed toward the east wing exit.
Poor Ivor had it worst—but saving him would surely reach the king’s ears.
He had endured this gathering since morning. He quickened his pace, desperate to get away.
“How handsome you are, my lord.”
“What do you do in your free time?”
“Could you show me around the palace tomorrow?”
“Would it be too forward to ask for your time?”
“I dance well, my prince.”
“As a princess of Hetapol, it would benefit both our families if—”
“My lord father owns twenty estates—”
Blah, blah, blah.
They were all awful.
The only exception was Nora’s sister, Tilda Mirabel. Despite Nora’s protests, their father had insisted she attend. Tilda was the same age as Ryan.
He hadn’t seen her since they were fifteen. He couldn’t believe how much she had grown. She was kind, easy to talk to, and didn’t act entitled to his attention.
Nora had glared daggers at him during their conversation. Amused by his overprotectiveness, Ryan ended it quickly and escaped once more.
Lost in thought, his feet carried him to one of his secret hiding places—a place even Nora didn’t know about. He visited it only when he was deeply upset.
It lay near the southern edge of the castle, close to the hills.
The castle relied on wells and cisterns, but its primary water source was an underground stream guarded heavily. Only essential royals knew its location.
At last, he reached a tributary that ran past the hill before joining the stream.
Instead of resting beneath a tree, he felt drawn to the water.
That’s when he noticed women’s clothing spread across rocks and bushes, with clotheslines strung between trees.
He groaned. His sanctuary had become a laundry site.
Still, it made sense. Water spots were assigned to servants of visiting royalty to avoid conflicts.
Deciding to leave, he turned back—
—and heard the rustle of fabric.
A girl stood nearby, hanging clothes, humming softly. He couldn’t see her face.
From her pale blue gown and wimple, he guessed she was a foreign maid.
He wondered why she was alone.
He stepped forward to offer help.
She spun around, gasped, slipped.
Ryan rushed forward and caught her by the waist.
And then—
Turquoise.
His favorite color.
Her eyes stole his breath.
She was beautiful. Magnificent. Far more than anyone he’d met today.
Her pale blue clothes only emphasized her eyes. They demanded attention.
Her hair—ebony black—peeked from beneath her wimple, stark against her pale skin.
His hand at her waist, her warmth against him—the intimacy sent shockwaves through his body.
Unaware, he pulled her closer.
She smelled of lavender and sandalwood.
Her brows arched slightly, eyes widening.
Something ignited inside him.
The world shifted.
He wanted to hold her forever.
God.
What was happening to him?
What the hell was happening to him?
- Writer
