Sorry about the changing tenses, I noticed them in the last chapter a little too late... I usually write present tense but for this story I felt better in past. Still messing me up, aha.
Pg. 190 when the Challenge is assigned
Quince could already sense that something was wrong, something wasn't going to be as smooth about this separation as they had originally thought when they first swam into the Hideaway and Lily saw who was seated at the table. Even if she hadn't answered him, those negative feelings swirling around in her chest started to take effect on Quince, too. Something wasn't right. They'd made it through most of the meal, the server clearing the table (a feat that Quince found pretty impressive with a tailfin, but then again, everyone was an expert swimmer except for him in this world) before her father just jumped right into the topic. The topic that Quince still didn't really get.
"It's a matter of protocol. According to Thalassinian law you must prove due diligence in your relationship before you can declare a separation."
Lily wasn't taking it, both palms on the tabletop as she replied. "That's a technicality and you know it. No one has enforced due diligence in decades."
Quince tried to sit up straight for the entire meal, remaining on his best behavior, but it was in that moment he realized he had been slouching and he straightened back up.
The king's voice took on a deeper, more serious tone. "Whatever has happened in the past, I choose to enforce it now. You are a princess of Thalassinia and therefore subject to greater scrutiny than her citizens."
"But Daddy-" she started, but he wasn't having it.
"You are not above the law, daughter. And you are not blessed with a surplus of time."
That mention of time again. The whole intention for Lily to graduate and come right back to the sea. There seemed to be some mer-law about bonding-
"Is that what this is about?" Lily kicked her tailfin up from her seat, placing her palms on the tabletop once again to "stand" tall. (Could you be standing if you're floating? Quince guessed it was more of floating.) "You think I'm going to wind up bondless on my birthday? That's why we have to go through this?"
Ah, the birthday deadline. It made a little more sense. But the rest of it didn't. Finally, Quince spoke up, asking what he felt the most important question was. "Go through what?"
"Partly," the king answered.
"I'll have you know," Lily began, swimming over to his side of the table. Quince admired her for standing up to her father, in front of all of these people he presumed were important relevant in her world, but he still didn't have the slightest clue as to what the hell was happening. "I have a mate picked out. If this blowfish hadn't messed things up by kissing me, then Brody and I might already-"
"Enough!" he interrupted. "Whatever the situation back on land, the fact is, you are bonded to this boy," the king finally nodded, acknowledging him. Quince felt like a child being reprimanded and punished to something mysterious. Which, maybe that was exactly what was going on here. Only he liked to think of himself as more than just a child. "You are subject to the law and my rule. You will go through the Challenge before I grant your separation."
There's a beat pause before he adds, "Assuming you have proven the unsuitability of the match."
Is that what this is? A Challenge of some kind to prove we're incompatible? Quince looked over at Lily, still trying to catch bits of pieces of what was about to happen to the two of them. The mer world had so much magic and uncertainty, relationships were so different under the water. He truly felt like there was no way to know just how severe this was going to be for him.
"What about Quince? He can't just disappear for a weekend. I mean, last weekend was bad enough, that was just a day-"
"I have already sent a messenger gull to Rachel, asking her to give an explanation to his mother. You will not get out of this Challenge."
Quince only had a moment to wonder what lie Ms. Hale was going to select in order to excuse his absence to his mom. Hearing it from her was going to seem at least a little suspicious, probably.
"The Challenge?" he asked, hoping this was a better time than before. "What's the Challenge?"
The woman at the table that Lily had previously identified was the one to answer him. "It's terribly romantic, actually. You and the princess will be sent to a deserted island for the next two days, with only each other and brief visits from friends and family for company."
Picking up on one of those words more than the others, he furrowed his brows. "Deserted? How deserted?"
His gaze jumped back across the table to where Lily was floating, "You, me, a palm tree."
Quinced smiled at her humor, looking directly into her eyes. "Not even an island monkey?"
To his surprise, she even smiled back at his lighthearted humor. "Maybe a seagull or two."
The two both turned to her father when he spoke up once again, "This is serious, Lily. Calliope will visit you two evaluate your situation, as will I."