Noree broke off the kiss as her thigh bumped against my manhood. Her eyes flew open as she reached down and wrapped her fingers around my shaft. “Roman! It's growing!”

  I grinned. “My body finds your body very desirable.”

  “It does?” Noree seemed surprised by my words.

  “That shouldn’t surprise you. You are a very beautiful, very desirable woman.”

  “Even though I’m different?” she whispered.

  “Different doesn’t have to be bad. Different can be good. In your case, very good.”

  She released my shaft and pulled my face towards her for a long kiss.

  “We should head back upstairs. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”

  Noree let out a sigh. “But I like being here in my secret place with you, Roman.”

  I gave her a mischievous smile. “I understand. But you need to sleep. Tomorrow will be busy… but tomorrow night will be even busier.”

  Her eyes widened at my words, but she didn’t protest. We climbed out of the pool and used the towels to dry off.

  After we dressed, Noree stood before me and traced her fingers across my chest. “Roman, I think… I think I am going to like being your Royal Consort.”

  I placed my hand over hers and lifted it to my lips. “I can’t promise an easy life. But I promise it will be interesting.”

  Noree nodded. Then she pulled me towards the ancient staircase as we made our way back to our rooms.

  28

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The day of my second wedding was significantly brighter and louder than the first. The wedding to Yvette in Avalon City had been a somber, high-stakes political unification of the crown. The citizens were still reeling from the death of King Harold and the treachery of Baron Malak.

  Port Meralon treated the union like a festival. The city had been festooned with shark themed banners that snapped happily in the salty breeze blowing from the ocean. It was a day of celebration, as a wedding should be.

  I stood on the balcony of the castle, dressed in a formal red-and-gold doublet, staring out at the harbor. In the center of the deep-water basin, a massive, flat platform of white-washed cedar and ironwood bobbed gently on the swells. It was anchored by heavy chains, floating like a pristine white island on the sapphire water.

  "The merfolk kings of old would only marry on the water. The Counts and Countesses of Meralon still uphold that tradition," Yvette said, stepping out onto the balcony behind me. She was radiant in a gown of shimmering gold, her blonde hair woven with delicate pearls. She moved close, resting a hand on my arm. "Are you ready, Roman?"

  Ready? A third woman’s life was being bound to mine. Mersylvan and its people were my responsibility now. I looked at my hands. They were scarred from countless hours of training and fighting. They were steady.

  "Ready as I’ll ever be," I replied, looking down at the docks where thousands had already gathered.

  ***

  The procession to the harbor was a wall of sound. People thronged the streets, cheering and clapping. Mersylvanian soldiers kept the people back so our procession could pass.

  My eighty cavalrymen led the way, their armor polished to a mirror finish. Their red-and-gold banners snapping in the sea breeze, provided a sharp contrast to the blue-and-white shark flags of the city. Yvette and I followed as my dragon riders circled overhead.

  As we reached the water's edge, I saw them. The harbor wasn't just filled with boats; it was filled with people. Hundreds of merfolk bobbed in the gentle swells, their bluish skin glistening like wet slate.

  The Avalonian dragons landed on the sea walls. The two blues and green of the city were already perched there.

  A ceremonial barge took Yvette and I to the floating platform. Countess Sizuna and an elderly merman were already there, waiting for us.

  He had eyes the color of sea-foam and he was wearing an intricately patterned robe. A simple necklace made of sea shells hung around his neck. I guessed that he was some kind of priest. He motioned for me and Yvette to join them in the center of the platform.

  A small brazier filled with glowing coals had been set up in the middle. Next to it was a stand with a bowl of sea water and a small silver dagger resting on it. I stood next to the merman while Yvette and Sizuna stood a few feet away, facing us.

  Yvette caught my eye and gave me a soft, reassuring smile that said, We’ve got this.

  The priest raised his right arm. A sound rose up that made Graxion, who was perched on the sea-wall, tilt his head in curiosity.

  Dozens of merfolk raised massive, spiraled conch shells to their lips. The sound was a deep, haunting drone—low-frequency and powerful enough to vibrate in my chest. It wasn't a song; it was a call of the deep. Soon, a sleek skiff carved from a single piece of dark driftwood approached from the sea-gate.

  Noree stood at the bow, and for a moment, the breath left my lungs. She wore a gown of iridescent scales that shifted from deep sapphire to pale emerald with every movement of the water.

  Her black pixie-cut hair was adorned with a circlet of polished red coral, and she stood barefoot, her webbed feet a proud display of her heritage. Behind her, the sea dragon Kiyomari dived and breached, her serpentine body a shimmering ribbon of blue-green in the wake of the boat.

  As Noree stepped onto the platform, the conch shells fell silent, leaving only the rhythmic lap of the waves against the wood. She approached and took her place next to her mother.

  "By the salt that preserves and the flame that purifies," the priest intoned, his voice deep and echoing. Noree walked forward and faced me. She reached out her hands to me, and I took them in mine. Her skin was cool, still damp from the ocean spray.

  “By the stones of the world,” the priest intoned. “And by the waters of the Deep. Noree of Meralon, Daughter of the Tides, do you pledge to be the anchor and the sail for King Roman?”

  Noree’s sea-green eyes were locked on me. “I do so pledge,” she answered softly.

  “By the stones of the world and by the waters of the Deep. Roman of Avalon, King of Dragons, do you pledge to be the anchor and the sail for Lady Noree?”

  “I do so pledge,” I replied, copying what Noree had said.

  Noree smiled for a moment before her face became serious again. I could tell she was struggling to keep from breaking into another smile.

  “Hold your right hands over the bowl,” the priest directed as he picked up the silver dagger.

  Just as he was about to nick Noree’s palm, a sudden, heavy shadow swept across the platform. Everyone instinctively flinched and turned their attention to the sky.

  High above, a streak of brilliant, blinding gold cut through the blue sky. It was a dragon. A dragon larger than the mighty Graxion. A dragon with two tails trailing behind it as it circled back over the harbor.

  It was Kerrydia, the Ascendant Dragon of Avalon. She didn't land; she simply banked low over the harbor, her massive, golden-scaled wingspan casting a shadow that covered the area from the sea walls to the docks. Many on the docks fell to their knees. Some of the merfolk dove under the waves. The dragons perched on the sea walls bowed their heads.

  As she flew over the platform again, Kerrydia let out a singular, musical note. It was a roar that sounded like a choir of silver trumpets. The Ascendent Dragon flapped her mighty wings as she climbed into the sky. We watched as she disappeared into the clouds to the north.

  “The gods have spoken,” the priest whispered, his eyes wide with awe. “The union is blessed.”

  The priest’s hands trembled as he finished the binding, mingling our blood with the salt water before casting it onto the hot coals. A puff of white steam rose between us, and the roar of the crowd that followed was deafening.

  ***

  The wedding feast was held in the castle’s lower courtyard, which had been transformed into a sprawling garden of culinary delights. The air was a thick tapestry of smells: woodsmoke, roasted garlic, and the sweet, heavy scent of spiced wine.

  We sat at the high table, and the service was a constant parade of the sea’s bounty. First came the giant blue crabs, their shells cracked and piled high on silver platters, the meat succulent and dripping with a warm butter infused with local herbs. Then came the oysters, tasting of seawater and minerals.

  Noree sat beside me, her eyes bright as she showed me how to eat the grilled octopus which was one of her favorite foods. The meat was tender, charred perfectly over applewood fires and glazed with a spicy saffron oil that left a lingering heat on the tongue. To balance the salty bounty of the sea, Baron Clark had provided crates of his famous fruit; we ate tarts filled with warm, honeyed plums and crisp apples that snapped with sweetness.

  After we had eaten, the plates were cleared, and we were given glasses of dessert wine. The wine was a deep, dark blue vintage, aged in oak barrels submerged in the harbor’s cold depths for a decade. It was thick and potent, tasting of dark berries and the sea, and it went down dangerously smooth. Soon the courtyard was buzzing with conversation.

  "My mother is pleased," Noree whispered to me over the rim of her glass, glancing toward Countess Sizuna, who was holding court with Baron Marco and Lady Monica. The countess’s chest was still puffed with pride that Kerrydia had blessed her daughter’s wedding with her presence.

  I caught Yvette’s eye and she gave me a wink. My queen was sitting with Lady Mia and her husband. Kasko was with them and it looked like the bard was entertaining them with a story.

  I looked around and saw the healer, Sarah, sitting with a group of Mersylvanian nobles. She had a faraway look in her eyes. I guessed that she was missing her husband and son back in Barnsby.

  Liam was seated with a group of officers. The rock mage also had a distant look in his eyes. From his severe expression, I knew he was thinking of the goblin raid that destroyed his village.

  “Listen, you can hear the people singing in the city,” Noree’s words brought my attention back to the wedding feast.

  I gave her a smile. “It sounds like the whole city is celebrating.”

  Her aquamarine eyes sparkled in the lantern light. “The food and wine mother has provided certainly helps.”

  “Speaking of wine, here’s to the most beautiful mergirl in all of the world.” I raised my glass to her and then took a drink of the tasty vintage.

  Noree wrinkled her little nose. “Mergirl! I will have you know, Roman, that I am a merwoman who has reached her maturity!”

  I chuckled and took her hand and kissed it. “I don’t doubt it. But in my mind, I think of you as my little mergirl.”

  Underneath her tan skin, I could see her cheeks blush.

  Then she looked around before leaning in and whispering in my ear. “In that case, I will always be your very own mergirl.”

  ***

  As the moons rose over the water, the celebrations shifted toward the docks. The commoners were still dancing to the frantic rhythm of lutes and drums, but for us, the evening was drawing to a quiet close.

  A horse drawn carriage had brought Noree and I to the end of a pier. The countess and Queen Yvette followed in a second carriage.

  Countess Sizuna approached us, her sharp features softened by the wine and the success of the day. She gestured toward the end of the royal pier, where an unusual vessel was moored.

  It was the Royal Yacht of Meralon, an ancient ship that looked more like a living creature than a boat. Its hull was carved from dark wood that had a faint, oily sheen. Two massive figureheads of sea dragons stood guard at the prow. There were no sails or oars that I could see.

  "The yacht is prepared," the Countess said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "Kiyomari will pull the boat into the center of the harbor.”

  I glanced towards the water. The wedding platform had already been removed. As if on cue, Noree’s dragon swam up to the pier.

  “I am ready when you are,” Kiyomari gave us a toothy grin.

  Sizuna kissed my cheek. “Bountiful union.” Then she repeated the kiss and blessing with her daughter. The countess ( I still wasn’t ready to think of her as my mother-in-law) climbed back into the carriage.

  “Bountiful union,” Yvette smiled and gave me a kiss on the lips. Then she wished the same to Noree before kissing her cheek. Yvette then leaned in and whispered something in the mergirl’s ear. Noree smiled and nodded.

  Yvette gave me another smile before climbing into the carriage.

  I looked at the ancient, sleek vessel and then at my new bride. Noree smiled and took my hand, pulling up the ramp onto the yacht. As Kiyomari pulled us into the harbor, the rest of the world seemed to fall away, leaving only the rhythm of the waves and the woman at my side.

  29

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The Royal Yacht moved away from the pier with a silent, predatory grace. Kiyomari swam ahead, her jaws clamped around a thick rope that looped around her like a bridle. As we glided away from the pier, the sounds of the city—the drums, the laughter, the distant cheers—began to fade into the rhythmic shush-shush of the hull cutting through the sapphire swells.

  I stood at the railing, the salt spray cooling my face. Noree was beside me, her hand still tucked firmly in mine. She had changed out of her heavy wedding scales into a sheer, floor-length gown of sea-silk that clung to every curve of her athletic body. In the moonlight, the fabric was nearly transparent, revealing the dark, inviting shadow of her tan lines and the firm, rounded peaks of her breasts.

  "The yacht is an ancient thing," Noree whispered, her voice barely audible over the water. "It is said the Mermen Kings built it from the wood of a forest that drowned a thousand years ago."

  I looked at her, the "mergirl" who was now my wife. Her sea-green eyes were wide, reflecting the moonlight. She looked nervous, a faint tremor in her fingers that reminded me of our conversation in the grotto.

  Kiyomari released the towing rope, and the yacht glided to a stop. To our rear, I could see the lights of Meralon.

  “I will be nearby, Noree. Call me when you are ready to return to the pier.” The sea dragon swam around the yacht once before disappearing under the water.

  “Can you and Kiyomari sense each other’s emotions?” I wondered if the link between them was the same as with other dragons and their bonded riders.

  Noree nodded. “Yes. The same as you and Graxion.”

  My lips curled in a wry smile. “Graxion can sense my emotions. Unfortunately, I can’t sense his.”

  “Are you not bonded?”

  “We are. It is the same with Bakaan. He can also sense my emotions, but I can’t sense his.”

  Noree’s eyebrows knitted together. “What do you mean? Isn’t Lady Monica bonded with the black dragon?”

  “No. I am bonded with Graxion and Bakaan. I just let Monica ride on Bakaan since I can only ride one at a time.”

  My bride’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “You are… twice bonded!”

  I chuckled. “Yeah.”

  “That’s amazing! Why didn’t you tell me? Why can’t you sense the dragon’s? Why–.” Noree’s rush of questions stopped as I placed my finger across her lips.

  “Noree… My bride... My Mergirl,” I smiled. “We have a lifetime together ahead of us. The questions can wait. Right now, I want to focus on our wedding night. I don’t want you to worry about anything else in the world. Just focus on this moment. On us. Okay?”

  Norre’s body relaxed. She nodded. I cupped her chin and gently kissed her lips.

  The muted sound of instruments drifted across the harbor, providing background music for our evening together.

  "Let’s go below," I said softly, "It is time for the real celebration of our marriage to begin."

  ***

  The master cabin was located in the aft of the ship, down a short flight of stairs carved into the dark, oily wood. When I pushed open the door, I stopped. The room didn't have lamps; instead, the walls were inset with rows of large, glowing pearls that emitted a soft, warm amber light.

  The bed was a massive affair, built into the frame of the ship and covered in blankets of down and silk. But the most striking feature was the floor—a thick pane of glass that looked directly down into the water beneath the yacht. We could see the dark shapes of fish darting past, and I caught a glimpse of Kiyomari’s shimmering, serpentine trail as she swam by.

  Noree walked to the center of the room and turned to face me. She looked vulnerable in the amber light, her high cheekbones casting long shadows across her face.

  "Roman," she said as her eyes stared into mine. "I... I remember when I saw you in the grotto. My sister told me the first time would be… painful.”

  I walked to her, closing the distance until the heat from our bodies mingled. I reached out, my hands finding the silk ties at her shoulders. "I haven't forgotten, Noree. I told you I would take my time. Tonight is about us."

  I slowly untied the silk. The gown slid down her tanned skin, pooling around her webbed feet like a wave receding from the shore. She was magnificent. Her breasts were perfect, firm globes with small, dark areolas that were already tightening in the cool air. Her stomach was flat, the subtle definition of her core muscles speaking to her life as a swimmer.

  "You are breathtaking," I whispered.

  I stripped out of my doublet and leggings, feeling her eyes move over my body with a mix of awe and apprehension. When I stood before her, her gaze dropped to my groin. My manhood was already thick and heavy, pulsing with a need that I was fighting to keep in check.

  "It is... very large," she whispered, reaching out a hesitant hand to touch the head of my shaft. Her skin was cool, a sharp contrast to the heat radiating from me.

  I placed my hands on her hips. "We will go slow." I pulled her naked body against mine. Noree tilted her head upwards, and I caught her lips in a deep kiss, my tongue slipping between her lips to caress her tongue. I tasted the sweetness of the wine we’d shared.