Chapter1

I was the lowest of the low in the royal palace beneath the sea: a half-blood mermaid who cleaned the prince's chambers.

Then the prince's Blood Tide took him, and he pinned me down in a coral cave.

Afterward, he remembered nothing. I was left carrying his child.

The moment I worked up the courage to tell him, glowing words began drifting across my vision, as if a crowd of invisible people were reading my story and leaving comments underneath:

[She doesn't actually think getting knocked up by the prince makes her a princess, right?]

[Mermaids lay a whole clutch of eggs. Once his fiancée's back, they're all getting turned into caviar~]

[If the prince hadn't lost control during the Blood Tide, a half-blood maid would never have stood a chance.]

My tail was shaking. So was my voice.

"Your Highness, when you find the person from that night... what will you do to them?"

He was polishing his trident. His smile was ice.

"Feed them to the sharks."

At those words.

Every scale on my body stood on end.

His deep blue eyes rested on me.

He'd said it so casually.

And yet I could already feel the sharks' teeth closing on my tail.

The comments drifted past.

[LOL she's scared stiff.]

[Run, babe. He means it.]

[Relax, he's all bark. He'll be a total softie with his own kid.]

I froze where I was, too scared to even flick my tail.

Kaelan noticed something was off and looked down at me.

"Coral, are you feeling all right?"

I shook my head hard.

More words floated by.

[She's such a little coward and I love her.]

[Prince: I haven't even done anything yet, why are you trembling?]

[Wait till he finds out it was her. Let's see if he's still smiling then.]

I read the comments.

A shiver ran through me.

I couldn't float beside him like nothing was wrong anymore.

I scrambled back three strokes.

And stammered out:

"Your Highness, it's... it's not that big a deal, is it? The person from that night... you'd really feed them to the sharks?"

"Not that big a deal?"

Kaelan slowly turned around.

His tall frame bore down on me, sending ripples through the water around us.

"Someone crawled into my bed while I was out of my mind with the Blood Tide, hoping to trade a royal baby for a crown. And you call that not a big deal?"

I flinched and shook my head fast.

I'd served him for almost five years.

I'd never seen him this angry.

"No, Your Highness, that's not what I meant!"

Kaelan swam up close.

He sounded almost disbelieving.

"Coral, are you defending them?"

My tail flailed in panic.

"No! No, I'm not!"

But he caught my wrist and pulled me against his chest.

Then, out of nowhere, he changed the subject.

"Coral, during the Blood Tide, where were you?"

I hung my head and avoided his eyes.

"I... I was hiding in the anemones..."

"Hiding, were you?"

Kaelan looked thoughtful. The corner of his mouth curved, just barely.

"Funny. I remember you cleaning my chambers every single day of it."

Cold sweat soaked through my thin scales.

I rushed to explain.

"Your Highness, a current swept me in that night, I swear I didn't see anything!"

Kaelan narrowed his eyes at me.

After a long moment, he let go and patted my head.

"My little fish is adorable. Look how scared you are. You're more timid than a shrimp. You'd never dare break into my rooms. It's fine. Go play."

I stared at him blankly, not quite following.

He... believed me?

I didn't dare ask. I spun around and swam for my life.

But the second my tail cleared the doorway.

His icy voice rang out behind me.

"Guards, seal off these waters. Go through the kingdom's registry, every last mermaid! If you haven't found whoever broke into my chambers that night within seven days..."

He paused, his voice like a deep-sea undertow.

"None of you will like what happens next!"