She raises a hesitant brow.

“Please,” he grates out.

She sighs in a gust. “I still don’t think it’s important at the moment, but when Rayna took off for the Arena, I hopped on one of the jet skis and tried to follow. But,” she amends, “I did not intend to get in the water. I swear I didn’t. It’s just that Goliath wanted to play, and he tipped over the”—she must sense all his patience oozing out—“anyway, so I come across this Syrena, Jasa, and she’s been caught in a net and two men are pulling her aboard. So me and Goliath helped her.”

“Where are the fishermen now?”

“Um. Unless Rachel did something drastic, they’re probably at home telling their kids crazy stories about mermaids.”

Galen feels a sense of control slipping, but of what he’s not sure. For centuries, the Syrena have remained unnoticed by humans. Now within the span of a week, they’ve allowed themselves to be captured twice. He hopes this does not become a pattern.

Toraf must have mistaken his long pause for brooding. “Don’t be too hard on her, Galen,” he says. “I told you, Emma helped her and then went straight home.”

“Stay out of this,” Galen says pleasantly.

“I knew you told him.” Emma crosses her arms at Toraf. “You really are a snitch.”

“You had enough to worry about. And so did I.” Toraf shrugs, unperturbed. “It’s over now.”

Nalia pinches the bridge of her nose. “This is where I ground you for life,” she tells Emma. “All three hundred years of it.”

It looks like Emma might be about to correct her mother, to tell her what Dr. Milligan told them about the reduced life span of a Half-Breed. Galen shakes his head at her amid the sick feeling he always gets when he remembers he will outlive her. There’s no reason to bring this up now. There will be plenty of time to sort out all the details of the past few months soon enough.

Which is what Emma is trying to tell me about helping Jasa. “Fine,” Galen says. “It’s fine. You did what you had to do.”

The rest of their wait is spent in silence. Galen tries to read his brother’s expression, but as usual, Grom has his emotions hidden away under the layers of nonchalance. Toraf and Rayna seem to be playing some sort of game with each other under the table and Antonis appears utterly bored. Emma stares thoughtfully at the wall behind her mother, at the painting of a lighthouse on a windy day. Galen wonders what she’s thinking. But since this could be the calm before the tempest, depending on what the Archives decide, he lets her daydream and have her peace.

“Excuse me, Highness,” Tandel calls from the doorway. “But we have come to a conclusion.”

Galen notices that the other Archives did not rejoin their speaker, which means they’re all in agreement about their decision. They did not debate very long at all. Which could be good or bad.

“So that we are of the same mind, King Grom, I would like to take the time to restate the terms of your return to power, and your assistance in helping us retrieve our lost.”

“Please do.”

Tandel bows. “Thank you, Majesty. Now, it is our understanding that his Majesty Grom is requesting an unsealing from his mating with the Common Paca?”

“That is correct,” Antonis says, rolling his eyes. “Poseidon’s beard, but this is repetitive.”

Tandel ignores the elder king’s bluster. “It is also our understanding that Prince Galen requests, in exchange for his help, and the help of Emma the Half-Breed, that he is permitted to mate with Emma as if she were full-blooded Syrena.”

“You have that correct,” Galen answers gruffly.

Tandel pauses. “And do the Royals have any more requests at this time?”

“Yes,” Emma says, to Galen’s surprise. She’s never held back from speaking what’s on her mind. But she never acknowledged herself as a Royal until now. “Because of my Half-Breed status, and the fact that I’ve lived on land all my life, I would like for the Royals to be able to visit me here whenever they like. I know that under the current laws, that’s not allowed, but I want that changed.”

“You might as well agree to that, Tandel,” Antonis says. “Or else you’ll be holding another tribunal for the Royals, because all of us intend to be visiting land more often I think.”

“Actually, I won’t be visiting land,” Galen says. He turns to Emma. “I’ll be living here.” Tears pool in her eyes. He catches one sliding down her cheek and kisses it away. Her reaction just confirms what he’d suspected all along. That she’s been worried about it. How it would work out between them, where would they live. Emma had said before that she wanted the best of both worlds. Prom, graduation, college. Swimming with dolphins, visiting the Titanic, searching for Amelia Earhart’s plane. He intends to make sure she has it all.

Tandel sighs. “I had a feeling you might say that, Prince Galen. I did not really see it working any other way. So, I already proposed the possibility of that request to the council as well.” Galen wasn’t requesting it, he was simply informing Tandel of what he was going to do. But he decides not to correct the old Archive. Being overly stubborn on matters would only leave a sour taste in the council’s mouth. Not only against him, but against all the Royals. If the council perceives their requests as burdensome, it will only be a matter of time before another conflict arises.