Page 52 of Mermaid on Heels
Liriya was surprised she was nervous at all. She was unaccustomed to such feelings, especially amidst an audience. She had faced crowds before with the grace of a crown princess, never faltering.
However, not in a kingdom of human realm. Not as a candidate for the title of elect.
She was an outsider drawn into the heart of Lectoria’s most significant event andthiswas the last thing she wanted or expected when she first arrived. Standing with the elites, she wondered if she would ever belong here. All that these people saw when they looked at her was a perfect human being. Would they cheer all the same if they realized who she truly was—a mermaid who had found her way to the surface?
Liriya’s eyes darted over the unfamiliar faces across the room.No, they will not.
She even wondered the people knew that their former queen was a mermaid, and noted to ask Luke about it later.
Then, her eyes locked with Bianca’s infectiously smiling face again. Her best friend was all aglow for her. Remembering the bond they shared that had brought her here, of hope, resilience, and sisterhood, Liriya straightened her posture.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Luke’s gaze upon her. She turned. One look at his ocean-blue eyes and suddenly, all that mattered was whathethought of her. And he thought she was his answer, a miracle, and nothing short of herself.
Besides, she wasn’t standing here expecting to be the next queen of Lectoria, so it didn’t matter what theywouldthink of her. She was here because Luke had requested she give him a chance to get to know her. And all she could hope was that her heart wouldn’t be at risk by the end of the next two weeks when he would announce his bride and she would go back to where she began.
Why did her stomach just sink at the thought?
Cedric approached from Luke’s left and asked the elites to follow him towards the right exit of the dais. Wondering where he was taking them, Liriya followed the elites, sparing a glance back at Luke.
The crowd’s applause reverberated through the ballroom and spilled out into the hallway. Liriya noticed a group of maidservants awaiting their arrival in the corridor. Six young maidens, all in uniform with white fabric veils adorning their hair, stood in formation. And a matronly older woman with graying dark hair, who appeared to be their leader, stood a step ahead of them at the center.
Cedric stopped in front of her and graciously introduced the princesses and noblewomen. He then introduced the matronly older woman to the group as Mrs. Philomena, the king’s head housekeeper.
Mrs. Philomena gracefully assigned each maid as a lady-in-waiting to the elites. Liriya’s own lady-in-waiting, Susie, was a brunette with soft features and clearly older than she was by a few years.
Wasting no time, Mrs. Philomena informed the group that they would be taken to their rooms for the night, assuring them that everything they needed was prepared. With a clap of her hands, she signaled the start of their journey to their rooms.
It didn’t click with Liriya until then. If she were to stay here, what would become of her sisters? Not that Bianca wouldn’t look after them—of course she would—but Liriya couldn’t leave them.
“Wait,” she blurted out.
Mrs. Philomena turned and arched an eyebrow with a tilt of her head. “Yes, Your Highness?”
Liriya’s gaze darted from the older woman to Cedric anxiously, ignoring the raised eyebrows of her fellow elites. “I need to speak with the king.”
She gave him a meaningful look and tried to convey the urgency of her need through it. Something like a realization flickered in Cedric’s eyes and he opened his mouth to speak when, out of the corner of her eyes, Liriya saw Luke step into the hallway. She turned to him, her shoulders slumping in relief at the sight of him.
Luke strode towards her as though he realized she needed to speak with him. When he reached her, the words tumbled out of her mouth in haste.
“I cannot stay, Luke… My sisters…”
“I’ve got it. Don’t worry,” Luke assured her and glanced at the maidservants and the elites. “Please, ladies, you may take your leave. Have a good night. Princess Liriya will join you tomorrow morning.”
Mrs. Philomena led the others away, leaving Liriya, Luke, and Cedric alone in the hallway.
Once the group was out of sight, Luke turned to Cedric and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Can you arrange the—no, I’ll ask Gregory—”
Cedric arched an eyebrow at him, skeptically. “And what’s the problem with asking me—”
“Seriously, you’ve done a lot for me today and you’re probably exhausted. I’ll just ask—”
“Just spit it out already.” Cedric rolled his eyes.
“If you insist.” Luke sighed, but with a smile, and dropped his hand from his cousin’s shoulder. “Can you arrange a carriage and take Liriya and her friend back to her friend’s house? You’ll also need to pick her and her sisters up in the morning tomorrow, so ask the footman to take note of the route.”
Liriya’s lips parted as she stared at Luke. Did she hear him right?
“Bring my sisters to stay here with me?”