Page 94 of Mermaid on Heels
That was when Liriya noticed the rain had dissipated. She let him pull her to her feet, and before she could move, he pulled her into his arms. She slumped into his embrace and held onto him, more tears cramming into her eyes and streaming down.
Oh, she loved him so much. Despite his lie, despite how important that piece of information was to her.
She meant her words; it would take more than this or a hurricane to make her stop loving him. In fact, Liriya realized that there was trulynothingin the world that would take away her love—nothing was more powerful than love. Love conquered all.
Luke led Liriya inside the castle and escorted her to her room. She turned to him after opening her door and standing at the doorway, hand on the knob. Luke closed the distance between them, pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, and stepped back hesitantly.
“Good night, little mermaid.”
“Goodnight, Luke.”
Luke made no sign of walking away and Liriya had no choice but to close the door hesitantly. She sagged against it and squeezed her eyes shut, letting the tears she had been holding back fall free. She listened to the sound of his breathing on the other side of the door; he was still there. A moment later, she heard him take a sharp intake of breath and his footsteps were leaving.
How was it possible that things were the most beautiful one moment and all wrong in the other?
Faelina.
Liriya clenched her fists and pushed herself off the door determinedly, wiping at her tears angrily as she marched towards her bed. She didn’t make it to the middle of the room when her ears caught Luke’s retreating footsteps stopping and making it back to her door.
Liriya’s heart stopped for a moment and she turned towards the door, holding her breath. Why wasn’t he leaving?
“Liriya, I know you can hear me, so I wanted you to know this.” His voice reached her through the closed door. “My word stands; I will do anything you ask of me, whatever it is that I can do to make amends, I will do. If you want to go to the Garbian Ocean and find Oceantuna, I will go with you. And no, that’s not part of the amendment, it’s my own decision, it’s what Iwantto do. Whatever we might come across, we will face it together; I will be there with you, right beside you no matter what you say. If we go, we go together. There’s no way in this world I’m ever letting you go from my arms.
“And,” he paused and took a deep breath. “That also means, if we succeed to save your kingdom and overthrow your sister—Creator help us—and you want to be your people’s queen, Liriya my love, I shall be your king. I’m willing to give up my crown for you if it means I could be with you, becauseyoumatter—matter tome,more than anything. You are worth it, ourloveis worth it. For all I know, I cannot imagine living without you, not breathing the same air—or water—as you. So say it, little mermaid, say the word and I shall do it. I just want you.”
Liriya stared at the door, hand pressed against her heaving chest, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move; she was frozen like the statue of the mermaid at the fountain, in utter astonishment and disbelief.
“I will leave now and give you time. Come to me once you have… thought things over. I love you more than anything that has ever existed in my life.”
With that, Luke’s footsteps walked away.
Liriya listened to the sound of his footsteps until she could no longer hear them, and sank to the floor.
Those words… She couldn’t believe them—acceptthem. Was she truly that worthy?
No, she wasn’t. Liriya decided immediately. She didn’t deserve this kind of love.
Then, Cedric’s words from the past week came to her mind.When he loves, he would love you like he’d leave his throne behind for you. That’s Luke, selfless and devoted to the core.
Liriya closed her eyes, overwhelmed by every possible emotion. She felt undeserving of his love, but she wanted tobedeserving because she couldn’t imagine another girl in his arms just as she couldn’t think of another man in his place, in her heart.
I want only you.
The rain poured outside once again. Liriya sat on the floor, listening to the pattering rhythm. Then and there, she decided what she must do.
She wouldn’t let Luke give up his throne because of her; he was the perfect ruler for his people. Not even Cedric, second in line to the throne—as much as she adored him—would come close to being the ruler Luke was. If one of them had to make a sacrifice, it had to be her, though when it came down to love it was barely a sacrifice.
Liriya had already decided what she wanted for herself, shortly after the Bridal Selection Period had started; she wanted Luke and wanted to pass her throne to her sister.
Now, she would go to the Garbian Ocean and find her way back to Pearltuna. If Luke’s haunch about Faelina taking over all four Tuna kingdoms was right and she couldn’t find a way to defeat Faelina, then Liriya would at least try sneaking in with a disguise and get their mother out of there. They could get her to the land and keep her safe here in the Lestoshire Castle. However, if theycouldfind help to defeat Faelina, Ella could rise to the throne.
Satisfaction washed over Liriya.Perfect.That was what she was going to do.
She inhaled deeply and ran her hands through her wet hair. Pulling herself to her feet, she decided that she must find Luke and tell him what she wanted—now. She wanted to tell him that he mattered to her more than anything else did too, and then soothe things between them back to the way they were before this revelation.
Liriya spun on her heels without getting her feet tangled and moved towards the door in purposeful strides. She couldn’t go to bed while he was hurting and restless about her just as she was about him.
The sound of footsteps reached her ears from the other side of the door and her heart leaped.