Page 30 of Mermaid on Heels
“Beloved citizens of Lectoria,” the king began, holding a blue crystal to his throat that amplified his voice. The crowd’s chanting died out slowly. Once the hush settled, he continued, with his genuine, radiant smile.
“Today, as I stand before you as your newly crowned king, my heart is filled with gratitude and hope. This moment marks not only the beginning of my journey as your ruler but also a continuation of the legacy left by my beloved father, the late King Lucien, who held and still holds a special place in the hearts of all Lectorians.”
As though the sound his voice breathed air into the space, Liriya’s lungs rested, going back to its even breathing. Until, amid his speech, King Luke’s eyes met hers.
The air was sucked out of her lungs all over again. She froze.
Could he see her amongst the crowd? It was an impossible thought, yet their eyes locked. Liriya didn’t know if he could see her ocean blue-green eyes as she did his, but he froze equivalently. The magnetic pull between them grew intense. The connection, however fleeting, sent a tingle down her spine.
King Luke blinked, but composed himself almost immediately, though not entirely. He carried on with his speech, his gaze often traveling in her direction.
Liriya’s heart sped as though she was being chased by a shark, though the comparison barely matched the situation. She wasn’t scared, her heart wasn’t beating in horror but in an unfamiliar rhythm that caused her stomach to flutter. Sliding a hand down her abdomen and clutching a handful of the fabric of her dress, Liriya listened to every word of the king.
Despite being so young, his deep voice exuded such confidence, authority, and warmth, in a way that no one would doubt his capability of being the king.
“As we embark on this journey, let’s not forget to give glory to the Creator, who has bestowed upon us this land and its blessings. May we continue to seek His guidance and His light in all that we do. I’m also excited to invite you to a grand celebration that will take place in this very palace tomorrow evening. A ball where the people of Lectoria, both young that of age and old, can come together to share in the joy and festivity of our land.”
His eyes found their way to Liriya’s direction once again, before he continued, slowly averting his eyes.
“Thank you once again for your presence here today. May the future of Lectoria be bright, united, and full of promise. Long live Lectoria!”
“Long live Lectoria!” the crowd echoed after him and began chanting, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
Liriya’s heart sped up again, but this time she smiled and chanted along, eyes fixated on the young king on the balcony who lifted both his hands half in the air in acknowledgement. As he turned to walk back to the door, his eyes latched onto hers once again. He stared, longer than the last few times, the smile replacing with an unreadable look on his still-alight face.
Liriya’s own smile faded and her chanting paused as she stared back.
Her cheeks flushed under his unspoken attention and the thrill of it coursed through her veins. With one last wave at the people, his lingering gaze averted from her, and he turned his back and strode towards the balcony doors.
The crowd kept chanting even louder, their fists in the air, until the guards began to beckon them back to the gate.
“That was fantastic!” Liriya heard Sessa say, and looked down at her, tearing her gaze away from the balcony vacant of the king’s presence, forgetting until then that her sisters stood on either side, hand in hand.
“Yes, and I wonder if Liriya’s coronation inourrealm would be anything like this,” Ella added, with a hand on her heart, truly consumed by the event. Then, her face dropped into a frown and she looked up at Liriya. “That is,ifwe can break the enchantment and overthrow Faelina.”
Bianca overheard that. As they moved along the crowd towards the gate, she spoke in an undertone among the loud buzz of the crowd’s murmurs, knowing well of their mer-hearing power. “And that’s why we’re going to help your sister meet the king. He could help in a way a kingpossiblycan.”
Her words still hinted at the doubt that a human, king or not, could help a mer-kingdom overthrow their siren usurper. It wasn’t like he could send his troops down beneath the sea like a king would help an allying kingdom in need.
Heaven knew what transpired in the last few moments. Liriya no longer felt the desire to meet with the young king with her political need. She couldn’t register what the desire was either. She looked back at the balcony one last time, her gaze latching onto the glassed window on the balcony wall, behind which she saw a standing figure with a gleaming crown.
Then, Liriya realized one thing.
Meeting King Luke wouldn’t be challenging after all, as it seemed she wasn’t the only one looking forward to it.
Chapter 8
“Liriya?”
Ella’s hushed voice broke through the silence of the night, distracting Liriya from listening to the story—of a princess named Snow White, an evil step-mother, a huntsman, seven dwarfs, and a prince—Kitty was murmuring in Sessa’s ear on the other side of the wall that separated their rooms.
“Liriya, are you awake?” Ella asked again, this time in a whisper, as she didn’t respond quickly.
“Yes,” Liriya said and heaved a deep sigh, staring at the ceiling above them.
“King Luke was looking our way, at you, was he not?”
Liriya immediately rolled on her side to face her. “You saw that, too?”