Grom’s eyes widen, but he allows Galen to speak. “You have not only broken the law by your treasonous tribunal. You’re breaking the law right now, sitting here in a structure made by human hands and clothes made for humans to wear. Tell me why you break the law right now.”

Tandel is getting flustered. “You yourself requested our presence here, Highness.”

“And you agreed. Why did you agree?”

“We came to address an issue that affects our kind.”

“So you overlooked the law to make this concession. For the greater good of all Syrena.”

Tandel nods reluctantly. “That is one way of putting it, Highness.”

Galen leans forward, folds his hands on the table carefully. He takes care to look into the eyes of each Archive. He takes care to let them know he is talking to each of them, and all of them as a council. “I will ask you to do it again.”

“I beg your pardon, Majesty?” Tandel says.

“I will ask you to break the law once again, for the greater good of all Syrena.” The words are out of his mouth but he can’t tell if they made their mark.

Especially because of the outbreak of gasps—not the least of which is from Grom. But Grom should have seen this coming. He was so quick to look out for his own desires, that he forgot what Galen wanted. The only thing Galen wanted. When things quiet down, Galen continues. “You have made the acquaintance of Emma, Half-Breed daughter of Nalia. All of you witnessed that she has the true Gift of Poseidon, that she is a direct descendant of the General himself. And you should know that I intend to take her as my mate.”

Galen allows the room to transfer the shock among themselves. Across the table, Antonis nods to him in approval from the comfort of his purple polka-dot bathrobe. The act seems to empower Galen, to infuse him with boldness. He waits for Tandel to resume eye contact with him.

“Prince Galen, this is a surprise to us all. We expected you to request that we allow her to live, though she is a Half-Breed. In view of her efforts to save the fingerling Jasa from humans, we were prepared to concede to that.”

I’d almost forgotten that. And so far, Emma hasn’t come forward and confessed that she was in the water when he’d asked her not to be. That she allowed herself to be seen by a stranger, even if just a fingerling.

Galen whips his glare to Emma. Her face is red, painted with guilt. “Did you forget to mention something to me?” he hisses.

“Oh. Yeah. About that. We have a lot to talk about later, don’t we?” she whispers.

Tandel clears his throat. “What you are suggesting, what you are asking, is not conceivable, Highness. Because of Nalia’s reappearance and Grom’s recent mating ceremony to Paca, you do realize you are in line to mate with the Poseidon heir. You are a Royal, Prince Galen. A Royal has no business mating with a Half-Breed.”

Galen was afraid this would happen. That he really would be forced to choose. Before, when they had wronged him and the rest of the Royals, it was an easy decision to make. Now the Archives seek reconciliation. They seek negotiations. Will Galen be the one to reopen the closing chasm between the Royals and the Archives?

Galen is about to respond, but Grom beats him to it. “Just like a Royal has no business mating with a Common, Tandel? It seems my brother is right. The Archives are willing to negotiate the rules when it suits them. Thus far, the Royals have not negotiated. Every third generation for as long as can be remembered, the Royals have sacrificed their own desires and joined the two houses, just as the law requires. We have given much, and you have rewarded our sacrifice with disloyalty. Betrayal.” Grom holds his hand when it looks like Tandel might interrupt. Or apologize again. “No, let me speak. You yourselves saw the Gift Emma possesses. I would think you would want to keep that Gift within the bloodlines. Can you imagine what their fingerlings could do, coming from parents who each have a Gift of the generals? Aside from that, I was under the impression that you were asking for Emma’s help with the humans as well? If so, this is not the way to go about it, friends. It seems to me that as far as Half-Breeds go, this is one you’d want to become an ally of. Not to mention, this would very much go against my own wishes. You know my reasoning for wanting to unseal my mating with Paca. To have my brother mate with Nalia instead would hardly encourage affection among the Royals.”

Galen can’t think of anything else he would add to Grom’s argument. In fact, he probably wouldn’t have been as eloquent; he was about to call the entire thing off and send them back to where they came from. Which is why it is a very good thing that Grom is king instead of Galen.

More scattered whispers echo off the walls and the bamboo flooring. Galen wonders that they get anything accomplished at all, if they handle all affairs with such disorganization. After a while, Tandel calls for silence and stands. “If it pleases the Royals, the council would like to convene outside in private. These are not small requests we are taking into consideration, and they are more than we had anticipated.”

Grom nods. “Of course. But keep in mind that while you deliberate, humans have two of our kind. That is not a small thing, either.”

When the Archives file out of the room, Galen turns to Emma. She’s ready for him. She holds up her shushing finger. “Don’t even,” she says. “I was going to tell you, but I just didn’t have a chance.”

“Tell me now,” he says. “Since it seems I’m the last to know.” He isn’t the last to know, of course. But he’d really hoped she would come to him with it. Before now. Before it became an issue for other people.