The Merry Dog had been towed by her sister vessel the Laughing Dog to a small wooded island northwest of Meridia. As the island was outside the city’s line Waterfolk did not bother any Landwalkers that used it as a rest stop. The crew was settling in for a break at noon when I stepped onto the shore flanked by Vael and four guards.

The Landwalker men froze then placed hands on their weapons when they saw us approach, but none made a move to draw them.

“Sol?” a familiar voice called out. Captain Fidel stood and approached us cautiously. “Sol, is that you?”

“It’s Eminence!” a guard growled lifting his spear. I raised my hand and he lowered it.

“Captain Fidel Lucius, hello,” I said.

“Eminence?” the captain said as he crossed the distance between us and took my hands.

“It’s a title given to members of the royal family,” I said.

“You’re a princess?”

“Something like that, but I’ve only held the title for a day. This is my husband Lord Cadfael of North Hold.”

The captain thrust out his hand and Vael took it gingerly and shook it. “My name is Fidel Lucius, captain of the Merry Dog! It’s nice to meet you Eminence. You can see some of my crew here. The rest are finishing repairs on our ship.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet the man that my wife saved. You do not have to address me as Eminence, only my wife holds that title. Princes rarely bestow such a title on someone who is not of their blood,” Vael said smoothly.

“Sorry, we don’t talk to mermaids much where I’m from,” the captain said while he chuckled. “What brings the two of you here?”

I glanced at Vael then looked back at Fidel. “Sir, we are in need of your assistance. We believe that our waters may be under attack by a demon. We were hoping that you would be able to drop us off at the border of our waters as normal modes of transportation would be much too long.”

The captain frowned. “A demon you say? Where?” I felt nervous as I watched the captain. What if he refused to help us because of Lemuete? I knew it would be much to ask a stranger for assistance in a problem that wasn’t his. He was the only ship captain that I knew and our carriages weren’t fast enough to make the distance in half the time.

“In North Hold near the Forbidden Line, the land you call Illuria,” Vael said carefully.

“We’ve heard rumors about Illuria. Something about a church not being quite right. Hmm… so a demon… that would explain so much. How close do you need to get?”

“Are you familiar with the Kraken’s eye?” Vael asked.

The captain scratched his stubbled chin before answering. “I am. We were told to steer clear of there on account of you mermaids.”

“That rock is the natural boundary marker to my waters of North Hold. As long as I’m aboard your vessel my men and women will not harm you.”

“If they try to, they’ll have to deal with me,” I said laughing. The men shifted away from me.

“My crew is almost done with repairs. We’ll be ready to set sail this afternoon. Will you wait here or do you need supplies?”

“We will return with all that we need. It will only be my wife, me, and some of our guards. The rest of our entourage will take our normal method of transportation.”

“How many in total will that be?”

“Seven.”

“My men will be ready for you.”

“Thank you.”

The two of them shook again then Vael offered his arm to me. As I looped mine in his I gave him a small smile which he returned. Together we walked back toward the sea and slipped beneath the waves.

When we arrived at the palace we were intercepted by a courier who bowed to us quickly before giving his message. “Eminence, Honored husband, I bring news from North Hold. It only arrived just now. Attacks along the Forbidden Line have increased. The Emberlee farm was burned ten days ago and the farmers ashore who weren’t killed were captured. The assailants left a message nailed to a tree. It read ‘Sol’,” the man said.

All the heat in my body fled. I took a deep breath as the room around me tilted to the side. I gripped Vael’s sleeve tightly as I struggled to take another breath. I still remembered the suffocating feel of the demon’s power on my body; how small and powerless I had felt as it filled my cell and choked me.

“Ten days ago?” Vael said coldly. “Thank you for the message. Is that the only news?”

“No, Sir. Bran, the steward of North Hold has requested that you return at your earliest convenience. He fears that without the lord, the people will grow too fearful.”

“Thank you. You are dismissed.”

“What are we going to do?” I whispered. Vael patted my hand.

“Continue with the plan. Pack your things so that we can leave on the ship. Alvern, Lin, please accompany the Eminence to her room,” Vael said.

“Yes, Lord Cadfael,” the pair said in unison.

“Sol, meet me at the palace entrance when you’re finished packing. Only the essentials.”

“Yes, Dear,” I said softly. I hurried away, but spared a glance over my shoulder at Vael. He was pinching the bridge of his nose.

When I arrived at my door I found Neoma standing outside it. I rushed over to her and put my hands on her shoulders. “Have you heard the news about North Hold?” I asked.

“No, what happened?”

“We were attacked by Landwalkers! Lord Cadfael and I are leaving today. I want you to stay behind with my father and take care of him.”

“My Lady, I want to go with you! I’ve sworn to protect you,” she said with a slight edge in her voice.

“I know, but it would bring me peace of mind to know that he is safe with you. Do this for me.” Neoma’s shoulders shook as she knodded. I kissed her forehead. “Thank you, friend now I need to pack.”

I opened the door to my room and immediately went to the dresser. Neoma followed me and began grabbing my practical dresses and throwing them on the bed. I grabbed a brush and comb and added them to the pile. I looked at my small jewelry box and decided to leave it behind. I bit my lip as took another look around the room.

“Is there anything else that you need Eminence?” Neoma asked.

“No, I think I have what I need.” I pulled a small chest out of the dresser and placed my things inside of it. I paused for a moment after I sealed the chest. “Neoma, I’m going to do my best to protect our people, but I don’t know if I can do it.”

“The Gentle God blessed you. I heard about what you did to that Landwalker vessel and If you can do it again I’m sure that our people will be safe. I believe in you.” Neoma placed her hand on mine. Another hand rested on top of hers and I turned to see Alvern standing beside us.

“I believe in you too. I saw how powerful you were when you attacked the pirate ship. I have no doubt that you’ll crush the Landwalkers.”

I turned up my lips into what I hoped was a smile. I didn’t want to crush anyone even the Landwalkers. I still believed that we would one day stop fighting and, while we may not become friends, I hoped that we would no longer be enemies.

I thought of what the prince had said to me about the Landwalkers to the south. Was he really bringing peace to our waters? Were the treaties he spoke of real or was he trying to gain my favor knowing my increasing sympathy for our land bound brethren?

“Thank you both,” I said carefully. “I hope that your faith in me is not wasted.” I lifted the chest and Alvern immediately took it from my hands.

“Let me carry it for you,” he said as he swung it up to rest on his shoulder. “After you.”

I smiled and patted his arm. “Neoma, I hope to see you soon. Stay well.”

Neoma bowed. “I will my Lady. Be safe on your journey.”

Alvern, Lin and I arrived at the palace entrance and found the prince waiting for us. He held his hands behind his back as he watched us approach. His face was solemn and his lips formed a thin line. We stopped a few feet away from him and bowed lowly. “My Prince,” I said.

“Sol, I am sending one of my advisors with you. His purpose is to observe what happens in North Hold while you deal with our demon menace. Please treat him with as much respect as you would myself,” the prince said. He motioned to the wall behind us and we turned to find the familiar face of the nameless courtier. A cocky smile was on his lips as he crossed the distance between us. He lifted my right hand to his lips and kissed it dryly.

“Eminence, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Your wedding was beautiful. It’s a pity that I couldn’t dance with you last night. I do have a bridal gift for you,” the man said.

“Sol, this is my advisor Lord Faxon and my nephew on my mother’s side. My mother, as a widow, married into the royal family so my nephew lacks the title of Eminence.”

“I see,” I said. I wondered why the prince was telling me this. Was it possible that he was trying to make his nephew jealous of the fact that I had been granted the title Eminence while he, as a flesh and blood relative of the prince, only held the title of lord?

“Again,” said the prince. “Treat my nephew as you would me. He will be my acting voice in North Hold.”

I bowed low once more. “Yes, my Prince,” I said carefully. I heard footsteps and looked up to see Vael and his guards arrive. They bowed to the prince as well.

“Lord Cadfael, I was just introducing your wife to my nephew Lord Faxon. He is to accompany you to North Hold and act as my eyes and voice.”

“We are honored to be accompanied by your nephew, my Prince,” Vael said. He then bowed to Lord Faxon. “Lord Faxon I promise that we will keep you safe on our journey.”

Lord Faxon smiled smugly. “Thank you Lord Cadfael. I understand that we are traveling by boat. Can you show me where it is?”

“Yes, if you would follow us,” Vael replied then turned back to the prince. “My Prince, do we have permission to leave?”

The prince nodded. “Go, have safe travels.”

“Thank you, may the gods bless your house.” Vael took me by the arm and we descended the steps into the underwater cavern.

When we reached the small island Captain Fidel was waiting for us on the shore. He smiled broadly at us and took my hands and kissed them. “Eminence Sol we were able to finish the repairs sooner than expected. I don’t know if you want to ride in the dinghy or swim out to our ship, the choice is yours.”

“Thank you Captain, we can swim out to the ship. We have one extra passenger. Will that be a problem?” I asked.

The captain laughed and shook his head. “No, no my dear it won’t be. Most of the crew is already waiting on board the ship for you.”

I turned to face my husband and guards and pointed out to sea where the Merry Dog was anchored off shore. “That is the ship we will be taking. Please follow me,” I said to them. I slipped back into the water and swam swiftly toward the ship. A rope ladder hung over the side of the boat and slapped against its planks as the large ship swayed back and forth. I used my arms to pull my body from the water. As soon as my tail was clear of the water my legs formed and I climbed the rest of the way up.

When my head peeked over the side of the ship the crew paused briefly in their activities to greet me. One of them took me by the hand and helped me climb over the rail and onto the deck. “Thank you,” I said.

“No problem Ma’am. I’m the ship’s first mate if you need anything or if any of the lads give you trouble let me know. Your quarters are prepared below decks if you’d follow me.”

“Let’s wait until we’re all on board,” I said as Alvern’s head cleared the rail. I saw the crew become nervous when they saw his shield and spear strapped to his back while he carried my small chest one-handed. He cleared the rail easily and came to stand beside me. Alvern wasn’t the tallest among the guards, but he stood a head taller than the first mate and was more muscular. “This is Alvern, one of my bodyguards,” I said quickly.

“’Lo,” said the first mate. “What do they feed you down in the water?”

“Fish,” Alvern said with a smirk and flexed his free arm to show his biceps. “Lots of fish.”

Vael, Lord Faxon and the rest of the guards climbed onto the deck. The first mate then beckoned toward me and we all followed him below deck to the first level. “Now, I don’t know what sleeping is like for you below the water, but here you can find feather mattresses. Crews usually sleep four to a room while guests get their own room. These first five rooms are yours to sleep in on our journey. I’m called Catfish by the way.”

“Catfish?” Lord Faxon said with interest.

“Aye, it’s a nickname,” the first mate said. “Make yourselves comfortable. We’ll cast off as soon as the captain arrives.”

The first mate left us in the small hallway. “Check the rooms,” Vael said. Immediately our guards dropped our belongings and searched the five rooms. “Anything?” Vael asked when they returned.

“Nothing that I think are out of the ordinary,” one guard replied.

“I found some religious items, but nothing harmful,” another said.

“Thank you. If you can help Lord Faxon settle in the largest room, Sol and I will take the next largest,” Vael said.

“Why thank you Lord Cadfael,” Lord Faxon said. He took my right hand and kissed the back of it gently. “Eminence, I have some affairs to take care of. I shall see you at dinner?”

“Yes,” I said as I resisted the urge to punch him in the face. For some reason my skin began to crawl when he touched me.

When he smiled his eyes remained emotionless. A chill ran down my spine while I forced my mouth into a smile. Vael must have sensed my distress because he suddenly grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close to his side. He used his right hand to tip my chin up and plant a solid kiss on my lips before looking at the prince’s nephew with hooded eyes.

“Lord Faxon, if you would excuse us. My wife and I have been deprived of our honeymoon. As you understand I only have one heir to my title, but these are troubling times.”

“Is it wise to risk such things when your wife is to slay a demon? I would think the duty of a champion would outweigh the duty of a wife.”

“I’m sure that the gods would protect us.”

Lord Faxon frowned. “Is it wise to test the gods?”

“No, but this is not a test. They have shown the lengths they will take to protect their champion. Have you not heard of the stone statues currently sitting in Middle Hold?”

“I know of them. It was in a report to the Illustrious.”

Vael planted a kiss on my forehead. “They kidnapped and beat her. Do you think their punishment equaled the crime?” He let his words hang like a threat in the air. Lord Faxon shifted on his feet and sighed.

“I wish a fruitful household to you both,” Lord Faxon said. He bowed to me again and went into his room.

Vael led me into the room next door and shut our door behind us. He whipped me around and pressed my back against the door and leaned in close. “I don’t want you left alone with him. He’s dangerous,” he whispered.

“I understand, but there may be a time where that is out of my control.”

“Then make sure you’re armed.” He began to kiss his way down my cheek and to my neck. “I’ve wanted to hold you all day,” he breathed against my skin as he began to peel my robe back exposing my shoulder. I sucked in my breath as he went lower. “Did you miss this?” he asked from between my legs.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and nodded. “Yes,” I said weakly. He straightened and led me to the small bed.