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“You are my youngest son’s Shíorghrá.” She smiled indulgently. “And if rumors are to be believed, the next queen of Cruinn.”
I barked a laugh before putting my hand over my mouth, wishing to put the sound back between my teeth. “I’m not going to be queen.”
“Oh?” The selkie queen smiled in thanks as a server brought a tray of tea and cakes. She took a moment to set the table and pour me a cup. “Why is that?”
“Women can’t take the High Throne.” My brow furrowed.
“Your mother did.” She added sugar to her tea and stirred it.
“My mother…” I bit my tongue.
“Before that.” The Selkie Queen met my eyes. “Who told you that a woman could not rule? I rule. The Siren Queen rules. Before her folly got her killed, Lady Bloodtide ruled Tarsainn for a hundred years without a crown on her head.”
My tongue buzzed with a dozen arguments. “I don’t want to take the High Throne,” I said plainly, and my words rang with the truth.
The selkie queen kept her eyes on mine as she sipped her tea. “When do you plan on having the wedding?”
My hand paused, my cup halfway to my mouth. “Which wedding?”
“You could have two.” She grinned, hiding her smile behind the cup. “A kelpie ceremony, or a selkie handfast. Either or both. Depending on your desire for pageantry.”
“Did you have two weddings?” I asked, desperate to change the subject.
“Both my mates are selkie. We had one ceremony.” The selkie queen paused and rubbed the top of her belly. “This one enjoys kicking my ribs. They’re going to be a good swimmer.”
“When…” I didn’t know how to phrase the question.
“Soon.” She smiled brightly. “It’s a girl.”
I nodded, my eyes flicking to her belly. “How many girls do you have?” I asked.
“Rainn didn’t tell you?”
“We haven’t really spoken about our families,” I admitted. My cheeks burned when I remembered why. My uncle had done unspeakable things to the selkies. Every time I looked at the Skala Isles, I was reminded of that. “I’m sorry. About…” I waved my hand.
“You shouldn’t throw apologies around so easily.” The selkie queen’s expression softened further. “They imply a bargain. A debt to be collected.”
“I know that—” I stammered.
Her look silenced me.
“But I am sorry.” The words rushed past my lips. “King Irvine—”
“Did horrible things.” The selkie queen’s expression was serene, patient. “But you are not him. That male took Balor into his heart. When you play with the dark and the deep, it doesn’t often let go.”
Balor was the antithesis of Belisama. A God so dark that they weren’t often spoken about. The Selkie Queen was either brave or powerful enough to invoke Balor’s name.
The selkie queen lifted her cup and took a delicate sip. “I have two daughters. Cove, my second child, and Storm. Beautiful and formidable. Like the water.”
My head bobbed in a nod. “They sound lovely.” My voice cracked.
“They can make a male piss themselves with simply a look.” The Selkie Queen smiled as she put her cup back on the tray. “Naturally, I’m very proud.” She paused, taking a moment to study my face. “I don’t mean to make you nervous. I knew this day would come. I have been waiting for it.”
“For Rainn to find his Shíorghrá?”
She shook her head, and her tarnished silver hair rippled. “For you.” She clarified, waving a hand toward me. “Rainn knew who you were the moment he saw you. You were both children. It was the day your uncle was coronated.”
“He said.” I smiled to myself.
