A Thousand Salt Kisses Later (Book 2 of Salt Kiss series)

The Gold Fish

I allowed myself to be swept through the arch where I was able to cling onto a pale yellow column.

I steadied myself, not wanting to be pushed in any further, and gazed up at the column which judging from its gleam, was made from a quartz. Once I felt secure enough, I surveyed my surroundings, my mouth agape.

The walls were of a smooth cloudy amethyst, but the surface had been chiseled in places to let the underlying sparkle shine through.

I looked up at the back wall and after a while I realized that the rock here had been chiseled to create the portrait of a giant sparkling mermaid. I wondered who she was, to have earned such a prestigious spot.

As my eyes continued to roam upwards, I saw that the hall was like a cathedral, its roof a huge glistening dome, which was so high it seemed miles away. It was a place of pure wonder. No wonder the mer went so dreamy when they spoke of it.

My eyes ventured back down from the ceiling, traveling over the crowds, and over to the dancing mers and drummers. The procession was now making its way down the middle towards a platform which sat just below the portrait of the mermaid.

My eyes widened. There on the platform was Ri, Llyr's father sitting on an enormous amethyst chair. Its tall back was decorated with chunky details reminiscent of the outside palace walls.

I watched him for a moment. His long black hair was settled around his shoulders before it swelled upwards from the movement of the dancers. His thick eyebrows rose as he watched the maids before him. He looked the same physically, and not a day over thirty, but at the same time, there was something very different about him. It was his expression, I realized. He looked happy. He looked proud.

My eyes darted to his right, and suddenly my heart ceased to beat. There he was, finally. My great love.

Llyr sat next to his father smiling and laughing at the procession. He looked the same, but if possible, even more handsome than I had remembered. His hair was tied back, and his hot upper body covered in blue and white dots – the markings of his tribe, the Seuds. Asides from these dots, he wore only dark gold bands around his neck and wrists.

As I watched him, I realized that like his father, he too looked happy. He looked relaxed, almost excited, and I knew just from one glance that he had not been suffering the same relentless heartache as me.

One dancing maid wiggled right up to him, and he raised an eyebrow appreciatively. I instantly felt a stab of jealousy; I could never dance like that.

I watched on forlorn, as the procession continued to pour into the hall. There were more droves of the dancers, and now jugglers joined them, only hurling their balls beneath their waists, and allowing them to float quickly upwards again into their skilled hands. And then there was a huge school of deep red fish. The crowd gasped and applauded as they swished about to form many shapes and symbols. Next, tiny blue and white fish were unleashed, and they darted about performing all kinds of little tricks, before joining the larger redder ones and whizzing around in a huge cyclone, disappearing right up into the top of the hall.

The crowd broke into applause, and I frowned wondering what all this was about.

Precious-looking metallic rocks were carried into the hall by mermen and laid at the foot of Ri's throne. Ri eyed them up before giving a stern nod, and then came more fish - larger, more exotic ones - followed by more dancers and more jugglers.

It went on and on, and I watched speechless, hugging my column. I glanced back at Llyr; he was sitting up straight now, and I too felt my body tighten. It was like he was waiting for something.

Suddenly, I heard the distinctive clash of the stones again, and I realized that the crowds were parting once more. Something even bigger was entering.