The room for the formal dinner was every bit as elaborate, sophisticated, and predictable as Husky had expected. As expected, it took place in a huge ballroom probably about the size of a wealthy merchant's house, with a central dance floor surrounded on three sides by beautifully laid tables and the fourth with only one large table, far more elaborately decorated and clearly for the royal family and selected invitees. Which naturally included himself, seeing as it was the Crown Prince Lee that invited him and the Second Prince Miki that was his escort.
Husky sat at the head table in the enormous room, empty except for himself, Miki, a handful of waiters, a group of musicians, and one nobleman from a visiting country. So far, the only thing that caught him by surprise was that hosts of fish-man parties, including royalty, were expected to be the first ones at the party in order to greet guests as they arrived. Though perhaps that worked in Husky's favor, as with so few fish-people here, Miki had no problem with Husky sitting at the head table and listening to music while he went off to discuss what he called "boring political issues" with the visiting noble who had arrived only a couple minutes after them.
The beautiful child settled himself down to wait. The music was nice, at least. No wind instruments, of course, but the percussion and strings carried well under water.
"Ah, Miki," began the young noble as the blond second-prince approached. "Before…" He glanced around and lowered his voice. "Before the rest of your guests arrive, how goes the negotiations?"
"Hello, Derik. And my brother is as stubborn as ever. Can't say I blame him though. That sister of yours is a nag."
Derik laughed and smoothed back his curly black hair, blue eyes sparkling in good humor. His fins and tail were a coal gray. "That she is, Miki, but the fact remains she's the only princess we've got. She needs a husband, Lee needs a wife, our kingdoms need some sort of alliance – everyone wins."
Miki smirked. "Except Sandra and Lee, of course." He rolled his eyes. "Lee insists the very idea is old fashioned and even crude."
"You do know the only thing keeping my father back from declaring war on your kingdom is the promise your father made to him of a royal son to join his household?"
"I am well aware of that, Derik. Don't take me for an idiot."
"Don't even bother offering yourself. Sandra tolerates Lee, but she absolutely hates you. And, I swear, my father's terrified of your intelligence."
Derik laughed and Miki grinned. Then the black-haired Derik sighed.
"I don't want to fight you, Miki. We have to convince Lee to accept the marriage."
"Or provide your father with an acceptable substitute addition to his household…" began Miki.
"The fool has his mind set on Lee," said Derik warningly.
"Just let me introduce you to someone. My brother seems quite taken with the child." His smirk grew and he gestured slightly with his head towards the silver-haired child on the other side of the huge room.
"A child, Miki? Don't be foolish. How can a child substitute a prince?"
"Ah, just wait until you see this child up close. I haven't seen anyone as beautiful in my lifetime."
"Whatever."
"Just come."
Miki started walking back towards Husky, his friend Prince Derik from a neighboring kingdom at his side. He watched the black-haired fish-man out of the corner of his eye as they approached the head table.
At first Derik looked resigned and even irritated, seeing only a silver-tailed, silver-haired fish-child from across the large room. As they crossed the dance floor and Husky came into better view, Derik's eyes widened slightly in disbelief and admiration.
Husky was leaning with his elbows on the table, his head resting in his hands, not even glancing their way as he listened to the music, staring off into nowhere with a relaxed appreciative smile on his lips. Sapphires and diamonds glittered in the lighting, and the pearls in his hair and sewn into his clothing seemed to glow. He was completely oblivious as Derik's eyes swept him from head to tail, lingering over that delicate face, unusual eyes, the gorgeous flowing scales and fins of his fish form, wonderfully highlighted by the filmy outfit clearly designed by the royal tailor sisters.
"He insists he's a boy," whispered Miki. "But who knows for sure? And even if he is, with looks like that, even Sandra won't be able to complain once he grows up a little."
Derik suddenly grabbed Miki's arm and spun around, pulling his friend so that they faced away from the child, who thankfully didn't notice.
"Where is that child from?" demanded Derik in an insistent whisper. "Originally? Where was he born?"
"Why should that matter, Derik?" asked Miki, frowning in confusion.
"My father has a painting of a land-walker princess that looks exactly like an older, female version of that child! He lost track of the woman when she was given to the King of Sailand as a concubine!"
"Are you sure?" asked Miki, stunned.
"They are practically identical! That hair color, those incredible eyes – there is no way they're not related!"
Miki was struck dumb, but quickly recovered. It made perfect sense! The child was royalty! That was why he wasn't impressed with the tailors or the jewels or the castle!
Derik met his friend's eyes earnestly. "If that child is that woman's son, this could actually work!"
"Let's find out for sure," said Miki. "Do you remember the woman's name?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Just drop it casually into the conversation and see how he reacts. From what I've witnessed of the child, he's not one who can lie convincingly to your face, so it should be fairly obvious."
They turned back around and swam over to the child. Husky looked up, only noticing them when they were right in front of him.
"I'd like to introduce you to someone, Husky," began Miki. "This is Crown Prince Derik of a neighboring kingdom. He's a good friend of mine."
Husky bowed his head slightly. "Pleased to meet you," he said, out of habit more than any attempt at politeness.
"Likewise," answered Derik. "You are quite a beautiful child. Almost…"
Husky's eyes narrowed. "I'm a boy."
"Oh, that's not what I meant. You just look familiar to me."
The beautiful child's eyes widened in alarm. If there was one thing Husky knew for certain, it was that his looks were far from common. The only people who ever said anything like that…
"Are you perhaps related to the Silver Princess Marein, the twenty-second queen of Sailand?"
Husky froze for a good two seconds, his eyes wide in panic and his expression full of anxiety and fear.
"I – I… I don't know what you mean," said Husky, though he looked away and inwardly cursed himself for speaking in such a shaky voice.
Miki patted his shoulder. "Now, now, don't worry about it, Husky. We won't pry."
Across the room, a few noble families entered, clad in elaborate clothing and sparkling with jewels. The conversation and laughter carried across the room to the head table. Seeing a chance to distract the child, who looked close to running off, he took Husky's arm and pulled him out of the chair and towards the newcomers.
"Come, Husky, I'll introduce you," the prince said easily, doing quite well at convincing the child that their earlier conversation was nothing more than small talk. Prince Derik bowed slightly in farewell and drifted off to speak with a different group.
Very soon, Husky was bored out of his mind. Every conversation went the exact same way.
Good evening, Second-Prince Miki. How have you been? (Miki greets.) Beautiful party – and how is Prince Lee? I noticed he wasn't able to attend. (Miki comments that Lee was unable to attend.) And who is this? (Miki introduces; I greet.) Wonderful to meet you, Husky. Are you a cross? (Miki laughs and denies before I say anything.) So you're moving here? (I reply that I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. They laugh.) We'll see about that. (Gossip with Miki about noble goings-on.) Oh, there's (insert name) – I have to go say hi. I'll be seeing you, Second-Prince Miki. Husky, it's a pleasure to meet such a beautiful fish-child. Have a wonderful time.
Could they be any more predictable? After at least thirty of the exact same conversations, it no longer even bothered him how they all assumed he was a cross or that they laughed when he mentioned leaving. And they completely ignored him during their gossip. Husky was pretty sure at this point that he was just a tag-along pretty face, with no more purpose than any of the necklaces around Miki's neck or jewels in his hair.
Husky spent the entire time until the formal dinner was announced being dragged around by Second-Prince Miki. The blond-haired and yellow-tailed fish-man had long since lost the attention of the beautiful fish-child, which was exactly what he wanted. The child had clearly forgotten any reason to be suspicious or alarmed, and actually looked quite fetching with that bored, detached look on his face.
The beautiful child was clearly the center of attention, and everyone's eyes drifted to him at some point or other, most often lingering for quite a while. A few noblewoman and pretty fish-girls looked quite jealous, though it seemed to appease them to learn Husky was a boy, and their jealously mostly shifted to admiration, and even looks of deep contemplation as they no doubt weighed either their own or a daughter's chances with a future Husky, who they already saw as a member of Prince Lee's household.
The formal dinner was announced and everyone took their seats. It was an elaborate meal, with seven courses of vegetables and fish and finishing off with some sort of hard candies. Husky silently wished for some fresh bread or hot soup, but the meals made sense for living underwater, and were not just delicious but beautifully presented.
Miki introduced him to everyone at the head table, not that anyone there made any more impact than any of the other people he'd been introduced to already, and honestly he couldn't care less about their rank and status. There were a couple princesses, who were really just cousins of Miki and Lee's and held no real political status, two or three lords with various titles and positions, a handful of advisors of various sorts, and some guardsmen who Husky figured must be commanders or of the elite. Prince Derik sat with them as well.
The conversation was well beyond anything Husky could comprehend or would even be interested in if he could understand it. They spoke of territorial squabbles, nobles claiming a bit too much authority, merchants hiking their prices while trying to dodge taxes, different varieties of crops and growing conditions, a couple notorious thieves and rabble-rousers, and more gossip about who married who and why sort of stuff.
It was all terribly familiar and incredibly boring. The few times as a child that he and his half-brothers had been allowed to dine with their father, the King of Sailand, had gone much the same way. Well, at least it beat them asking him uncomfortable questions, though from the occasional eager and appraising glances shot his way he had a feeling it would just be a matter of time.
After the dinner was dancing, which Husky flat out refused to join Miki for. The second-prince laughed and instead escorted Husky around the room to speak with the hundred or so fish-people he hadn't been able to speak with before the dinner.
"Are you tired, Husky?" Miki asked politely, after a couple hours of walking around and talking to miscellaneous fish-men and women. The child looked sleepy, so the prince was heading back to the head table. He gestured for a waiter, who scurried over with two glasses of some sort of syrupy drink similar to punch.
"A little," replied the silver-haired child, covering a yawn, not even caring that Miki was again treating him like a girl when the prince pulled out the chair for him. The second-prince gracefully took the punch glasses and set one in front of the child, keeping the other for himself.
"Understandable. It is quite late. I have a few more fish-men to speak with, then I'll escort you to your room. Is that alright?"
"Yeah. Thanks," mumbled Husky, fighting back another yawn. In an effort to stay awake, he lifted the glass and sipped at the tangy sweet beverage, though how anyone found something that was basically liquid candy refreshing was beyond him. Actually, as he thought about it, Cooro and Senri would probably like it. Nana wouldn't though – she preferred baked sweets to candies.
That black-haired friend of Miki's saw Husky alone at the table and immediately dismissed himself from a group of nobles and approached the child.
"What do you think so far, Husky?" he asked, taking a seat beside the beautiful fish-boy, so very like that painting his father idolized.
The expression on Husky's face clearly announced that he was bored, but he felt obligated to answer the only person to try to speak with him at this party. "It's fine. Everything is quite beautiful, and the food was delicious," replied Husky.
"Especially you," said the fish-man, leaning forward and setting a hand on top of Husky's and leaning towards him flirtatiously.
Husky frowned and immediately snatched his hand away. "Don't you dare treat me like that," growled the boy, the bored expression evaporating to one of irritation and insult. A flush of pink colored his face, which could be interpreted as a blush of embarrassment from further away but when coupled with those flashing eyes was clearly a sign of anger.
"Or what?" mocked Derik, though he retreated from invading Husky's personal space.
"You would be insulting Lee and Miki," said Husky after a moment's deliberation. "I'm their guest."
Derik grinned. "I think you're more than that. Though, yes, they would be rather upset if I moved in prematurely on a cross."
Husky scowled. "I'm not a cross! And in what way am I more than a guest? I'm leaving in two days."
"You haven't noticed that no one takes you seriously every time you say that?"
That comment silenced Husky, and he glared at Miki's friend. He had noticed, but as no one had seemed threatening or dangerous he hadn't allowed himself to worry about it.
"Lee has no intention of letting you go back to wherever you came from. Beautiful fish-children are precious commodities, after all."
"What would be the point?" demanded Husky. "I'm going back to my friends in two days, regardless of what anyone says or does. Just try to stop me!"
"So the cute little cross thinks he'll be able to get away when the time comes?" teased Derik.
Husky blushed bright red and pulled his arm back, fully intending to punch the fish-man in the face, but someone grabbed his fist. He looked up in irritation and saw Miki glaring at the black-haired prince.
"What are you doing, Derik?"
"Nothing much. Teasing a cute cross."
"More like flirting, which I don't recall giving you permission for."
"I'm not a cross!" insisted Husky. "Lee said so! He said I could just tell whoever was bothering me that my source is from a koi and they'd leave me alone!"
Miki took it in stride, but Derik turned a mocking smirk towards him.
"I think I know something else that you don't," said the neighboring prince. Miki glared at him even more fiercely than the pretty fish-child. "But it'll have to wait. I'll see you later." He gave a jaunty wave and swam off.
Second-Prince Miki watched his friend suspiciously. Friend, yes, someone he wouldn't want to fight, absolutely, but an open person he could trust implicitly? Not a chance. Derik was probably planning on jumping the gun on claiming the fish-child.
The question was whether Miki would let him.
Miki glanced down at the child next to him, still bright red from the teasing. "Do you wish to go to your room, Husky?" he asked politely.
"Yes, please, Miki," answer the child, clearly fighting with himself not to lose control. His small hands were fisted at his sides and he stared at the ground with hot eyes.
What could he know? thought Husky, as Miki escorted him back to his room, a large suite no different from any other palace's, except for being underwater.
Was he right? Maybe I should leave, run back to Cooro and Nana and Senri before things get out of hand. Or maybe that guy was just trying to hit a nerve? But it does explain the way everyone was acting…
His mind drifted back to the repetitive conversations earlier, back to the tailor sisters, back to meeting Miki, then to Lee's smooth persuasion, and finally back to saying goodbye to Nana and the looks on Cooro and Senri's faces when he told them he was leaving the group for a couple days. Nana's voice had been so strained after their fight, and Cooro and Senri's faces had been filled with suspicion over Lee's intentions and worry over Husky's safety.
I'll leave. Tonight. If Lee shows up in town later I'll apologize and say someone was hassling me and I really missed my friends. There's nothing here for me anyway.
"What are you planning?" Miki demanded, finally finding Derik wandering the halls near the ballroom.
"Right now? I was waiting for you."
"For tonight."
"Kidnapping that pretty little cross."
"He may not be a cross."
"And if he is?"
Miki frowned. "Lee seems to think otherwise. Unless this has to do with your parting words to Husky earlier? What is that thing he doesn't know?"
"Ah, that," chuckled Derik, and looked around to be sure they were alone.
"There are no koi in Sailand."
Miki had been wondering just that earlier, actually. But in truth he didn't really care if Husky was a cross or not, as with his beauty he was useful either way.
"Are you going to get in my way?" Derik asked.
"If you kidnap him from within this castle, Lee will blame me. And such an act would certainly not be a decent prelude to peace between our kingdoms."
"What if we say you gave him to me? You were planning on doing so anyway. If we wait for Lee's permission, this could drag on as long as this blasted debate over his engagement to Sandra!"
Miki frowned. "Fine. I'll handle Lee when he returns."
Surely such a brief acquaintanceship is not worth nearly as much as the prevention of a war, thought Miki, reaffirming his own determination. I'll make Lee see reason. He gets out of marrying a fish-woman he doesn't love, Derik's father gets a member of Lee's household and the child of a woman he was apparently obsessed with, and Husky gets to live the pampered life of a spoiled prince among his fellow fish-men. Everyone wins.
Author's note: Credit to Om3ga's Z3r0 for the idea of Lee being forced into a political marriage, and thanks to her as well for being such a great springboard for ideas! As always, I love love love reviews and will happily consider any and all ideas/questions/comments/observations!