Emily awoke the next morning in a peaceful forest glade. She stretched and sat up, yawning and brushing blades of grass from the skin of her back. Her cloak and boots were long gone, but she still felt the reassuring weight of the Stoneshell around her neck. She glanced around and soon caught the stone gaze of Aria, standing to one side, ever watchful.

"Good morning," Aria said. "The ocean is not far from here."

A salty tinge in the air confirmed Aria's words. Emily took a deep breath in and out and rose to her bare feet. Her stomach growled.

"There is a goldapple tree right here," Aria said, pointing out the slender tree with green and yellow leaves she was standing next to. She elbowed the tree and three large, golden fruits fell to the ground.

Emily picked up one of the fruits, which was almost too big for her hand, and took a bite. Then she took another bite. "Sho ghood," she said between mouthfuls, goldapple juice dripping down her chin. The fruit had a rich, wholesome taste that made her feel warm inside.

"Be careful of the sap," Aria warned, pointing to a large patch where it spilled out of the tree's trunk. "It's extremely sticky."

"Is it now?" Emily asked, taking a break from her meal to glance up at the tree's leaves and then down at her body. "That gives me an idea."

After five minutes of fiddling with sticky sap and different-sized leaves, Emily presented herself to Aria. "What do you think of my new beach outfit?" Goldapple leaves were now firmly affixed to her breasts and crotch with sap, affording her the slightest amount of modesty.

"The wood elves dress entirely in leaves, and make the most elaborate outfits with them," Aria said. "I'm not sure your design would be up quite up to their standards, but you look lovely, Emily."

"Thank you," Emily said, blushing slightly. "But I've never worn such a skimpy swimsuit to the beach before. I ran out of sap before I could do the back." Emily glanced nervously over her shoulder. "Though with some of the fashions these days..." Back on Earth, she had never been comfortable with bikini bottoms that exposed a lot of cheek.

Following a brief digression on Earth swimsuit fashions, Emily asked Aria a question she'd been pondering since the previous night. "Do you really think I can turn you back, Aria?"

"I do," Aria said firmly. "The bearer of the Stoneshell is master over all its enchantments, and the curse on Castle Elid is merely one such enchantment. Merely by accepting your place as the Stoneshell's bearer, you all but destroyed the curse. As your power grows, you will be able to lift it fully."

Emily bit her lip. "If I manged to lift the curse, will you be okay? After all, you're hundreds of years old. If I turn you back to flesh, will—will you die?"

Aria was silent as she gazed off into the distance, and she stood still as an ordinary statue. Then she said, "I may. Or I may not. I have lived, as you say, many centuries, but it was a half-life, bound in stone and trapped in an abandoned castle. I was still young when I was transformed, and I feel that the rest of my natural life is owing to me. Lifting the curse shall restore me to what I was."

Emily thought of the painting in House Odonata. "Then I will do my best to lift your curse, Aria."

"I know you will, Emily. Come, if you have finished your breakfast, let us go to the sea."

Emily took a final, delicious bite of goldapple and wiped the juices from her mouth. She looked down at her very daring leaf bikini—after everything, it made her feel quite well covered. "I'm beach ready," she said, following Aria out of the glade.

The forest gave way to grassy plain, which itself gave way to sand, and the blue, blue ocean expanded before them. Emily bounded down a sandy slope that led to a small beach, eyes taking in the rolling waves, lungs filled with the fresh sea air. The sand was warm against her bare soles. Aria followed behind her, appreciating the ocean's majesty but unable to experience the sensations of touch or smell in her marble body.

The wind whipped up Emily's chestnut hair as she gazed out to sea and she felt it across her skin, covered only in a few spots by goldapple leaves. She found herself wondering what had happened to Stuart, back at House Odonata. He had gotten into a lot of trouble to create a distraction for her. She hoped he hadn't suffered too much on her account. Perhaps they should have found him and brought him with, had there been time. He might have given Emily his tunic.

Since stepping out of her bathtub and into Castle Elid, she had wanted little more than to find a dress, or trousers and a tunic, or even one of those chainmail bikinis so often featured in fantasy art. This had proven surprisingly elusive, and her journey through Thessolan had so far been marked by near-constant nudity. She had read plenty of books about people who were transported to fantasy worlds, and none of them seemed to have this problem. If only the magic hadn't caught her bathing!

But she had been given a full outfit by Lady Elara, complete with undergarments and a bonnet. Of course, it turned out to be imbued with a powerful enchantment that enslaved her mind and body, forcing her to give up the Stoneshell and serve at Elara's pleasure. The constricting, controlling fabric of the dress had moved her arms and legs and the tightness of the bonnet had suppressed her thoughts. Compared to that, there was a certain freedom in her current, unencumbered state. The leaves didn't leave much to the imagination, and Emily still felt the need to dive behind Aria at the slightest unexpected sound, but it was better than losing her free will.

Perhaps if she found another tree, she could get some more leaves for her butt. Or if she encountered the wood elves Aria had spoken of, perhaps they could help her to create a dress from the leaves. That could look quite good, she thought, glancing down at the vibrant green-yellow of her coverings.

Emily strode across the sand, towards the sea. The tide lapped at her feet, a refreshing feeling after hours of walking barefoot. She continued forward, enjoying the sea's cool touch. When the water was knee-deep, Emily stopped at the sight of a yellow flash on the horizon. "Did you see that?" she asked Aria. "What was it?"

"I believe we shall know shortly." Aria remained some distance behind Emily, eyes focused on the ocean.

There was a disturbance in the calm sea some way ahead of them, and then, with a massive splash, the torso of a man emerged from the water, whipping back a mane of long blond hair. He smiled winningly at Emily and Aria and said in a booming voice, "Hello there!"

Emily blushed and fidgetted with her fingers. Facing the man, she was covered in the essential places, but there was still a whole lot of skin on display. He didn't seem to react, though, maintaining an easy smile and holding steady eye contact with an icy blue gaze. His torso was bare and quite muscular, and the lower half of his face was covered by a well-trimmed blond beard. Wet hair hung down to his shoulders.

"Hail, fair damsels, I am Caelum," he continued, edging slightly closer to where Emily stood. "May I have the pleasure of your acquaintance?"

"My name's Emily," said Emily, and then, gesturing behind herself, "and she's Aria."

"Beautiful names, fitting for beautiful women," said Caelum, reaching out a hand. He had now come close enough for Emily to smell the saltwater on him. "Well-met, Lady Emily and Lady Aria."

"Just Emily is fine." Almost automatically, Emily gave him her own hand, which he took and kissed. The water was now up to her mid-thigh, but she still had to look down to make eye contact with Caelum. Was he really so short?

"Hail and well-met, Caelum Merman," Aria called from the shore, her voice loud and resonant. "As the land greets the sea, so we greet you." Here she curtsied.

A merman! Of course! Emily glanced down at where Caelum's torso met the water, and caught a glimpse of shimmering blue just beneath his chiseled abs, before quickly bringing her eyes back up. Several questions occured to her.

"Well-met, Lady Aria," Caelum replied. Then, to Emily, he asked, "Why does she remain behind?"

The statues at the bottom of the the Labyrinthian Pool flashed through Emily's mind. "Aria is too heavy to swim. A curse turned her to stone. So she keeps a safe distance from bodies of water."

"Ah," said Caelum, with a sad nod. "I did think she appeared unnaturally pallid."

"We're trying to lift the curse, actually," Emily continued. "It's related to the... Stoneshell."

Even before the words left her lips, Caelum's eyes had caught sight of the stone seashell pendant hanging from Emily's neck and were staring fixedly at it. Emily blushed and bit her lip in the renewed consciousness of her outfit's inadequacy.

"Th-the Stoneshell?" Caelum repeated, unable to take his eyes off Emily's chest. "Do you mean the Stoneshell which belonged to Evangeline? Carved by King Irontail's own hand? Is this... is this it?"

"Yes," said Emily, glancing down at the necklace.

Caelum let out a low whistle. "It is an inestimable honor to meet the bearer of the Stoneshell, the heir of Evangeline, the Queen Who Never Was. After all these years! My people have not set eyes on the King Irontail's greatest work for generations!"

"Thank you," said Emily, though she certainly didn't feel like the heir of a legendary queen, or any other such highly esteemed personage. She was just a lost girl from another world with severe wardrobe challenges.

"Please do not be insulted by my fixation on the Stoneshell," said Caelum, finally redirecting his gaze to Emily's eyes. "It is a legendary artifact for my people. I still can scarcely believe my luck in meeting its bearer by chance upon this remote shore!"

"That's okay," said Emily.

"Do not think that I do not also notice and appreciate the gentle hills which hide the Stoneshell in their valley. You have beautiful breasts, Emily."

Emily's eyes widened and she blushed furiously, at a loss for words. The merman was quite handsome, but she did not expect to be complimented on an intimate part of her body by a man she'd just met.

Aria, clearly having witnessed the scene, spoke up at once "There are many differences between our people, physical and cultural, but I hope that the Stoneshell may inform our common purpose."

Cultural differences. Perhaps merpeople complimented each others' bodies the way humans compliment each others' faces. Once Emily recovered her composure, she recalled the mission. "Aria and I were hoping to meet a merperson who could help us learn more about the Stoneshell. We're trying to lift her curse."

Caelum brows furoughed in thought. "The scholars of Aquius could help you. I will take you to them. The city is not far from here." He gestured out to sea with an index finger.

"Underwater?" asked Emily.

"But of course!"

"I can't hold my breath that long!"

Caelum tossed his head back and laughed. "Yes, that would present a difficulty for any ordinary human, but you are an heir of Evangeline. The Stoneshell's magic will allow you to breath the water, just as we do. It was intended, after all, to bind a merman and a human woman in lifelong companionship."

Emily glanced back at Aria, who nodded, and then down at the Stoneshell. "So I just... follow you?"

Caelum reached out a hand. "If you would do me the honor."

Emily looked down at the expanse of water below her, feeling giddy with fear and excitement. Was she really about to do this? Dive down into the ocean and visit a magical undersea kingdom with a handsome merman? This was even better than being an heiress who took the fancy of a roguish pirate captain!

The only trouble was that Aria would not be able to accompany her. She glanced back at the shore and caught her friend's sad gaze. "Wait," she said to Caelum. "I must talk to my companion first."

"Take as long as you need."

Emily smiled at Caelum and turned around to walk back to shore. Only belatedly did she realize that she was giving him a full view of her exposed backside. She blushed and hurried her pace towards Aria, but then found herself uncertain about what mermen thought about legs and butts anyway.

"You must go," Aria said to her. "If I am to have any hope of becoming flesh again, we must know all we can about the Stoneshell. And perhaps such knowledge will also shed light on the reasons you were plucked from your world, and the method for your return. I will wait for you here, as I waited before."

Emily smiled and wrapped her arms around Aria's smooth marble form. "I'll miss you, Aria." To be separated again so soon after House Odonata was heartbreaking.

"And I, you," Aria said, gently touching the skin of Emily's back with her marble arms. "We will be reunited soon. Remember, the Stoneshell binds us to each other."

"And I'll lift the curse," said Emily, resolute. "After all, you still owe me a turn in that gown."

Aria chuckled. "I have not forgotten. It will be nice to feel the sun on my skin again."

"I'm glad you think so."

After saying their goodbyes, Emily parted from Aria and returned to the ocean, wading until the water reached her waist. Caelum awaited her, his hand still outstretched. "Ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," Emily replied, taking his hand.

Caelum squeezed her hand, smiled again, and immediately vanished underwater.

Emily barely had time to hold her breath before her whole body was submerged and shooting down and forward through the water. Years of swimming practise kicked in and she propelled herself through the water with her legs, keeping pace with the merman just ahead of her. She marveled at sight of the strong, cobalt blue tail, which met his torso just below the belly.

"Emily," he said, glancing back at her. "Try to breathe." Bubbles escaped from Caelum's mouth as he spoke, but he was just as audible down here as he had been above the waves.

The pressure on Emily's lungs was becoming quite intense, as she hadn't taken a very deep breath before diving down. Panic surged at the thought of opening her mouth so far underwater, but a warmth against her chest reassured her. And so she released her breath with a deep sigh. Then she breathed in.

The sensation was almost indescribable. Emily could feel water filling her mouth, but it seemed gentle, almost imperceptible. Breathing felt natural, no different from how it had moments before. She took a few more experimental breaths in and out, and felt just fine. "This is incredible," she said, watching the bubbles rise from her mouth. "Oh wow!"

"Welcome to my world, Emily," Caelum said, looking her intently in the eyes. "There's just one thing. Your leaves appear to have dislodged in the dive. You may want to recall them."

"My... oh!" Looking down, Emily noticed that she was no longer adorned with goldapple leaves. She glanced around frantically, seeing nothing but empty ocean. "W-where did they..."

"I'll wait for you to recall them," Caelum said, turning his back to her.

But the leaves where truly gone, leaving only a swiftly dissolving residue on Emily's nipples and crotch. Realistically, there had been little chance the sap would stay sticky underwater. "Th-they're gone," Emily stammered.

"What do you mean? Just recall them."

Emily frowned. The way Caelum kept repeating the word "recall" was very confusing to her. "I–I don't know what you mean. They're just leaves, and they're gone now."

Caelum was silent for a moment. "Are you saying that those leaves were not your alkayi?"

Emily made a face. "What's an alkayi?"

Caelum gasped. "Do human women not have alkayi?"

"This is the first I've heard of it," said Emily. "Although I'm, well, not really from around here."

Caelum took a moment to gather his thoughts. Then he said, "When a mermaid comes of age, she takes a three-day journey into the kelp forests. While there, she experiences many visions and revelations. She also discovers, and is discovered by, her alkayi. The nature of the alkayi is different for every mermaid—some wear seashells, some starfish, some intricately woven strands of kelp, patterned coral or living sand. But each mermaid finds and bonds with an alkayi which will accompany and clothe her all the rest of her life. She can summon this alkayi at will, and it will always protect her."

Emily drew her arms across her breasts. "Sounds nice. Wish I had something like that, but I don't."

"I see," said Caelum. "And those leaves were all you had?"

"Y-yes."

Caelum slowly turned to face Emily, unsure where to let his eyes settle. "It is highly unusual for a grown woman to have no alkayi, but it is not unheard of. Hopefully my people will be understanding."

"Maybe I can borrow something," Emily said hopefully.

Caelum's eyes widened in shock. "Borrow an alkayi! Do not say such things, Emily! Using another's alkayi is a grave insult, an unpardonable offense. No, each woman's alkayi must choose her."

Emily bit her lip. "Sheesh, I really didn't think mermaids would be hung up about clothes. Surely someone can give me something to wear in this Aquius place. It doesn't have to be one of these alkayi things. Or even real clothes. I'll settle for a bedsheet!"

Caelum fidgetted and avoided Emily's eyes. It looked like he was about to say something, but then thought better of it. Finally, he reached his hand out once more. "Come, let us continue. Aquius is not far."

Emily tentatively took Caelum's hand, angling her crotch away from him and keeping her other arm across her breasts. His story about alkayi had been thoroughly depressing. After meeting this bare-chested merman, Emily had hoped that nudity would be common and unremarkable among the merpeople, but now that appeared not to be the case. Even in this magical undersea kingdom, she would be thoroughly underdressed.

"I suppose mermen don't have anything like an alkayi," said Emily, casting her eyes down Caelum's bare back and tail. Technically, he was just as naked as she was, but it didn't feel like it. Emily decided it would be impolite to ask the question about merman anatomy that had just jumped to the front of her mind.

"No, it is not part of our initiation. We are called to fight and kill a beast when we come of age. That is the source of the scar across my right shoulder." The scar in question was a large, white slash, mostly visible from the back.

As they swam, Emily tried to put thoughts of her discomfort out of mind by enjoying her surroundings. They were going quite deep, but could still see where shafts of the sunlight pierced the deep blue water to illuminate a cross-section of the ocean floor. Emily marveled at the multi-colored coral reefs around them and giggled as fish swam around her, sometimes lightly tickling her skin. The Labyrinthian Pool had had some wonders, but it had also felt dark and artificial, and at times very menacing. The open ocean, by contrast, gave her a deep sense of freedom.

"Not long now," said Caelum, indicating the crest of a coral cliff up ahead.

As they crested the cliff, Emily gasped, releasing a watery breath. The city of Aquius lay nestled in a large valley, protected on all sides by high coral cliffs, and it was like nothing she'd ever seen or imagined.

It was a true city, with tall and densely packed buildings carved from luminescent coral and mother-of-pearl. Rather than boxy modern skyscrapers, the buildings were smooth towers that tapered towards their tops, some of them bending in shapes that looked almost organic. Below the buildings, the streets of Aquius were alive with the hustle and bustle of merfolk. The people of Aquius transformed from colorful specks into real half-human, half-fish people as Caelum led Emily by the hand, down from the cliffs, down from the tops of the buildings, into the heart of the city.

Streets and pathways were lined with flowering sea plants swaying rhythmically in the current, and the ambient glow from bioluminescent algae painted the city in hues of blues, greens, and purples. Schools of fish darted between the buildings and people. Emily could see a few dolphins and manta rays with mermen and mermaid mounted atop them, moving smoothly and purposefully through the city streets.

Emily's feet touched the cobbled stone floor of what appeared to be a large plaze in the center of the city. Her eyes were drawn to an enormous structure, larger, grander and more intricate than the buildings around it, which dominated the plaza. From a wide base, it spiraled upwards, and was crowned by a dome of translucent sea-green glass. The whole building shimmered, with different parts pulsing through the whole spectrum of colors as Emily watched.

"That's the Coral Palace," said Caelum. "The one-time residence of Thurseus Irontail. Welcome, Emily Stoneshell Bearer, to Aquius."

While Emily had been standing looking up at the Coral Palace, a crowd of interested merfolk had started to form around her, and were whispering to each other animatedly. The mermen, like Caelum, had bare torsos, and the mermaids were bedecked by a variety of what Emily took to be alkayi. These ranged from a couple of seashells clinging to one woman's breasts to an intricate wrapping of kelp that had the appearance and coverage of a poloneck sweater. Emily could see another woman wearing two thick pieces of coral on each of her sides, which left an expanse of skin from the neck to the navel. All were dressed quite differently, but all were dressed, with nipples covered. All except Emily.

"A human! Can it be?"

"Ah, so that's what legs look like..."

"Where's her alkayi? Do humans not have those?"

"She's a little old to parading around like that, I think."

"Is that necklace...? No, surely not..."

Blushing and squirming to cover herself with her arms, Emily cast a desperate glance at Caelum. As frequently as she'd been naked since arriving in Thessolan, she'd managed to mostly avoid these kinds of extremely public scenes, and so it was a new and unwelcome experience to have her unclothed body at the center of so much attention.

Caelum acknowledged her glance with a curt nod and cast a foul look at the crowd surrounding them. Then, almost before Emily knew what was happening, he hoisted her into his arms and swam upwards with a powerful thrust, leaving the cacophanous crowd to choke on his trail of bubbles.

"Sorry about that, Emily," he said, looking her in the eyes. "I should have taken you straight to the palace to begin with. As the first human visitor to our city in generations, and the current bearer of the Stoneshell, you must have an audience with King Trilato as soon as possible."

Emily was grateful to have been rescued from the crowd, but the notion of appearing naked before the King of the Merfolk didn't seem a whole lot better. "Please find me something to wear first. I'll settle for a few strands of kelp!"

Caelum looked embarrassed again, and avoided eye contact. "I have told you of the grave crime of taking another's alkayi, have I not?"

Emily nodded.

"A less severe, but still grave crime, is the use of a false alkayi. Appearing before the king in such a manner would be a grave insult."

Emily was stunned. "What are you trying to tell me, Caelum? That I'm not allowed to wear clothes?"

"Well, when you put it like that... yes. Anything from Aquius that clothes would be considered a false alkayi. This... is not usually a problem. Most visitors to our realm arrive with their own clothing."

Emily curse the goldapple tree. If only its sap had been stickier!

"We're here," Caelum said, swimming over the railing of a balcony set into a high part of the Coral Palace's spires and gently releasing Emily from his cradling hold. "I will seek the king at once."

Emily's feet touched the smooth floor, and her eyes took in the opulent palace interior, walls carved with intricate scenes featuring merfolk and fish. Caelum waved to her and then vanished through an archway with a single flick of his tail.

Alone now, Emily turned to look at the city beyond the balcony. At times, she would almost forget she was underwater, but the stillness of this current moment brought her focus to the way the water enveloped her and carressed her skin. Every inch of exposed skin, which would seemingly need to remain so for the duration of her stay. She allowed her arms to fall at her sides, and tried to accept it.

Emily's eyes scanned across the spires of the city and came to rest on a kelp forest at its borders. That must be the place where young mermaids found their alkayis. What if she were to go there? Would she find a perfect, magical outfit, which would fit and suit her better than any other? Something indestructible, that could be called to cover her whenever she was parted from it. Emily imagined a shimmering dress made of turquious fish scales, enveloping her in a silky embrace from neck to mid-thigh, producing an effect not unlike a mermaid's tail. She sighed at the mental image, passing a hand down her bare hip.

"Emily!" cried Caelum, making her turn her head to the archway in surprise. "My gravest apologies, I had forgotten that today is the day of the Coral Gala, and that our king and all his noble subjects are deeply esconced in preparations. There will be no opportunity for your audience before then."

Emily let out a relieved sigh. She hadn't precisely been looking forward to meeting royalty in her birthday suit.

"We shall have to seek an audience during the Gala. I have informed the palace officials of your attendance and received their assurance that you shall be an honored guest." Here, Caelum looked a little unsure of himself, but only for a moment. "Please, grant me the honor of accompanying you." Caelum closed his eyes and bowed his head following this request.

Emily blushed. "A gala! But I don't have anything to wear! Literally!"

Reopening his eyes, Caelum waved a hand nonchalantly. "Do not worry, that shall all be taken care of. The palace servants will be only too happy to attend to your toilette."

Did that mean... clothes? Could there be a loophole in the alkayi rules after all? Emily's heart jumped into her throat. "Yes!" she shouted, surprising herself with her own enthusiasm. "I'll go with you to the gala, Caelum!"

Caelum's face lit up, beaming, as he held eye contact with Emily. "Then I shall call the servants at once! Coraline! Pearla! Nerissa!"

Caelum swam back into the depths of the palace, calling out the three names, and Emily felt her whole body relax. She was about to be dolled up for a gala in a magical palace, attended to by servants like an honest-to-goodness princess. Perhaps that shimmering gown would become a reality.

In a few moments, three mermaids appeared from the archway Caelum had disappeared behind. Their eyes widened initially at Emily's appearance, but each one quickly calibrated her expression to a professional pleasantness as they introduced themselves. Emily smiled back at them sheepishly, hovering her arms in front of her body.

Nerissa was the tallest one, with a turquoise tail and long hair done up in a thick braid of blue and purple. She wore a couple of large white seashells across her breasts. "Nerissa, hairdresser, at your service."

Next was Pearla, with a silver white tail and pale blonde hair to match. She wore a cleavage-enhancing corset that appeared to be made of red and pink living coral, ending just above her navel. "Pearla, jeweler, at your service."

Finally, Coraline's tail was red and gold, and her head was topped with a mass of curly red hair. Her torso was loosely wrapped with green seaweed, exposing her milky, pink-tipped left breast. "Coraline, perfumer, at your service."

The servants led Emily to a dressing room not far from the balcony and sat her down on a plush stool in front of a coral-framed mother-of-pearl mirror. All around her hung jewelery pieces, ornate bottles containing multi-colored liquids and a wide variety of brushes and combs. The servants set to work at once, chattering pleasantly.

Nerissa took Emily's chestnut hair in her hands and began to comb it out. Pearla glanced between Emily and the various jewelery pieces on the walls, picking up and putting down different ones. Coraline began fussing with perfume bottles, picking different ones and spraying them in front of Emily's nose, asking her which she would prefer. She chose one in a green-blue that smelled of ocean blooms.

Emily's hair was long and tangled in places, and Nerissa had to brush it quite vigorously to straighten it all out, using her whole body. As she fought with a particularly knotty tangle, her breasts bounced so violently that one of the seashells adorning them popped off and started to float away, leaving a brown nipple exposed. Nerissa cursed and her companions giggled.

"We match now," quipped Coraline.

"Yes, yes," said Nerissa, staring intently at the floating white shell. As she stared, it came to a stop and then reversed course, returning to her. Emily watched in amazement as the white shell drifted back to Nerissa and pressed itself firmly over her breast. "Sorry ma'am," she said, returning to her brushing.

Nerissa combed and coaxed Emily's hair into a sophiscated updo, adorned with strands of jewels and capped with a small tiara. Pearla chose a set of bracelets, armbands and necklaces and rings to adorn Emily with. The mermaids expressed a keen curiousity over Emily's legs and feet, asking her to move her toes and giggling to each other manically. Pearla placed some of the rings on Emily's toes and repurposed a few braclets as anklets. There were obviously no shoes to be found in the merfolk kingdom.

Makeup was a collaborative affair, though Coraline took charge. Emily's lips were reddened, her eyelids coated with a purple eyeshadow and dark mascara used to enhance her lashes. After much fussing, the mermaids declared themselves finished and asked Emily to survey the results.

"Wow," said Emily, staring at an almost unrecognizably flawless face in the mirror. "I—thank you, this is really good. I can't wait to see the dress you have for me!"

The mermaids exchanged glances of confusion. "Begging your pardon ma'am," said Nerissa, "but we're finished now. Is there anything we should change? Do you not like your hair?"

"I can give you different bracelets!" Pearla exclaimed, frantically grabbing for more jewelery.

"Maybe another fragrance?" asked Coraline, folding her arms across her chest, nonplussed.

Emily bit her lip. "No, no, please, this is all wonderful. I love everything you've done so far, really I do. And I understand that you don't have shoes for me, that makes sense, but surely I must have a dress, a ballgown, or something, to wear for this very formal and prestigious Coral Gala and to meet the king!"

The three mermaids frowned and stared hard at Emily. "If you summon your alkayi, we can help you to polish, press or decorate it," Coraline said.

Emily's heart sank. "I... don't have one of those," she said meekly.

A shocked gasp escaped from Pearla's lips, before she swiftly clapped both hands in front of her mouth. Coraline exchanged wide-eyed glances with the other mermaids, and all three retreated slightly. "A nokal at the Coral Gala..." whispered Nerissa.

"Nokal?" Emily ask, feeling the heat under her cheeks.

"But she's human!" said Coraline to Nerissa. "Maybe humans don't have alkayis."

"Evangeline did," Pearla chimed in. "At least... in the portraits..."

Coraline turned to Emily. "Do humans have alkayis? Or do you go about naked like children all your lives?"

Emily bit her lip. "Well... no. We don't have alkayis, but we also don't generally walk around naked. We wear clothes, made out of fabric. There's nothing special or magical about them, you don't have to find them in a magic forest, you just buy them."

"And where are your clothes?" asked Nerissa.

Emily let out a deep, frustrated sigh. "I've been asking myself that same question for weeks now. It just... uh, it's complicated. Suffice to say, I kinda don't have any right now. They're not things we can just summon like your alkayis." She looked around the room nervously. "Can't I have some more jewelery at least? A few more necklaces, something for my waist... I can't just go the the Gala naked!"

Pearla and Nerissa exchanged shocked whispers, and Coraline's frown deepened. "Begging your pardon, ma'am, but please try to understand and respect our traditions. We cannot be accused of giving you a false alkayi, and there is nothing we could provide that would allay that suspicion." Here Coraline gestured to her left side. "My kelp does not deign to cover this breast, and so I display it proudly. You must do the same with both of yours."

Emily looked at herself in the mirror. The picture was breathtaking, but to be seen in public like this, as the honored guest at a royal ball... it was shameless. The necklaces augmenting the Stoneshell only called attention to her bare breasts. And below that, her only adornments were the light jewelery on her arms, hands and feet. Emily pressed her thighs together and nervously glanced down at the strands of chestnut hair protruding between them.

"When a mermaid does not discover an alkayi during her time in the forest, we call her a nokal," Coraline said. "We do not shun nokals, but most prefer to isolate themselves and live quiet lives away from our cities. They are usually too ashamed to be seen."

"I, uh, totally get why," said Emily, hugging herself. "Thank you, ladies, for all your help. I love it all, I really do."

"Sir Caelum will hardly believe his eyes," said Pearla slyly. "One look and he will fall even deeper in love with you."

Emily gasped. A red flush appeared across her pale skin. "Oh no, he's just being hospitable..."

"There is much more than that in the way he looks at you," Nerissa added, with a knowing smile. "Of course, it would make sense for him to..."

"Hush!" snapped Coraline. "We must not subject our guest to idle gossip. Emily, the gala shall begin soon. Caelum will meet you at the balcony shortly. Let us proceed there at once."

Emily stood up, slightly unsteady, and took a last glance over her shoulder at the mirror. An expanse of pale skin, from her neck to her thighs, stared back at her. She had dreamed, in childhood, of attending royal balls, but never like this. And though she had already wandered naked for many days, the makeup and jewelery and the prospect of being an honored guest at a royal gala made it all new again. There would be no ballgown for her.

Accompanied by her retinue of mermaid attendants, Emily returned to the balcony where Caelum had first left her. He was waiting there for her. As their eyes met, she could see his expanding, taking in all of her. She couldn't help but blush and squirm, but refrained from covering herself. There would be no point, really. This was to be her outfit for the Coral Gala, where she would be the center of attention, as both a human among merfolk and the bearer of the Stoneshell.

"You look radiant, Emily," said Caelum, taking her hand in his and softly pressing his lips to it.

Oohs, aahs and fitful giggling erupted from the mermaid retinue and Emily bit her lower lip. A small voice in her head told her that Caelum would not have been quite so enthralled by her in a ballgown.

The next half-hour passed in a haze, and before she knew it Emily was standing beside Caelum before the grand doors to the palace's ballroom. The doors swung open, revealing the enormous and splendid interior bathed in the soft, iridescent glow of bioluminescent corals. Like many other public areas of the palace, it was partially open to the ocean, allowing fish and other sea creatures to swim in and out as they pleased.

Caelum's beard and hair had been combed, and he wore as his only clothing a thin purple sash from one shoulder to base of his tail. He offered his arm to Emily, and she took it gratefully.

"Announcing Emily Stoneshell Bearer of the surface world, heiress to the legacy of Evangeline, and Sir Caelum, Vanquisher of the Leviathan."

As they entered the hall, a hush fell over the crowd. All eyes turned to gaze upon the pair and whispers rippled through the gathering. A few of the younger merfolk appeared to pay close attention to the movement of Emily's legs, pointing and nudging each other. The older merfolk appeared more interested in the Stoneshell, which they gestured and squinted at. Emily began to shake under the weight of so many curious gazes taking in her naked form.

Sensing Emily's unease, Caelum pulled her closer, pressing her against his side, and increased the speed of his swimming. He pulled up, lifting Emily's feet from the marble floor, and swept her to the back of the hall. "The King has not yet arrived," he whispered in her ear. "But there's someone else I'd like you to meet first."

Caelum carried Emily past the chattering crowds towards a table in a corner of the hall, which was set apart from the others. A single mermaid sat at this table. Her hair was completely white and her face lined with age, but she was fit and strong as all merfolk were. She had a green tail and smiled as Emily and Caelum approached her. Unlike the rest of the mermaids and merman, she had not put much effort into her appearance for the gala.

But the first thing Emily had noticed about the mermaid, who took her hand and introduced herself as Zephyr, was that she was just as naked as Emily was. It was slightly surreal, seeing a pair of bare breasts that weren't her own reflected back in a mirror.

"Please, sit," said Zephyr, gesturing at a seat next to her. "It is an honor to meet the heiress of Evangline. I can only hope I am as much help to you as Sir Caelum believes I can be."

"Don't undersell yourself," Caelum said to Zephyr. Then, to Emily, "With your leave, I must make my rounds. I will return shortly to your side."

Emily waved to Caelum and then sat down as instructed, grateful for the opportunity to hide herself slightly from the crowd. "A—are you a nokal?" she asked, before wondering if that was a rude thing to say and blushing in embarrassment.

But rather than taking offense, Zephyr let out a musical laugh. "Ah, how much you have learned about our culture in such a short time," she said. "Yes, I am what is commonly called a nokal, a mermaid who was not gifted with an alkayi, one who was passed over for the symbiotic pairing with a true covering. But I like to think it keeps these firm." At this, she cupped her right breast and winked at Emily.

"W—why are you seated so far away from everyone else?" Emily thought back to what the mermaids had told her about nokals. "Are they scared of you?"

"Oh no, nothing of the sort," replied Zephyr. "People feel sorry for me, sometimes, but I am quite welcome here in Aquius. I spend most of my time in the city library, researching, and nobody gives me any trouble."

Emily nodded. The presence of another naked woman, and one who seemed considerably more at ease than she was, made her feel a little better.

"Of course it was quite embarrassing at first," mused Zephyr. "They blamed me for quite a few dolphin collisions, but really it was the mermen's fault for not keeping their eyes in front of them. And when all your friends get alkayis and you know you'll never have one, well... that does hurt. I adjusted after a few years though."

"A few... years..." Emily repeated. Here was a woman, a mermaid, who had endured for years—no, decades—what Emily had lived with for only a few weeks. And all without any hope of having clothes... ever! A wave of pity mixed with admiration washed over her, and she put her hand on Zephyr's. "I know exactly how you must have felt."

Zephyr's brows crinkled with confusion. "But how could you? You have the rarest and most powerful alkayi of them all."

"What?" Emily asked, mouth hanging agape. "I— do you mean—"

"The Stoneshell," said Zephyr. "Forged in lava by Thurseus Irontail as a betrothal gift for Evangeline, the Queen-Who-Wasn't, to join her, a surface dweller, to the merfolk. A powerful magic talisman and the only alkayi ever deliberately forged by merfolk hands."

Emily glanced down at the Stoneshell, hanging from its chain between her other necklaces. She noticed that Zephyr's eyes were also fixed on it and had been staring at it the whole time they'd been sitting together.

"You can understand why I'd be interested in such a thing, I suppose," Zephyr said, still staring at the Stoneshell. "I never had an alkayi of my own, and I supposed that's part of what drives my fascination with them. I've pored over every book about the subject multiple times, and books about the Stoneshell even more often than that. When I was younger, I even tried to emulate King Irontail's methods to craft my own alkayi. Unsuccessfully, of course." Here, she made a face and gestured at her bare torso. "But in the process, I became Aquius's foremost scholar on ocean magic."

Emily glanced down at the Stoneshell and then back at Zephyr. "But aren't alkayis supposed to... uh... cover a bit more?" A horrible sensation churned in the base of her stomach as she recalled Coraline's words about what her alkayi did not deign to cover. Had the Stoneshell condemned her to constant nudity? It made a certain amount of sense.

"Not always," said Zephyr. "There are plenty of mermaids whose alkayis never cover their stomachs or their backs, and some that leave one breast exposed. I once heard of a mermaid whose alkayi was a single tiny shell worn over her left nipple. Certainly, such small alkayis are unusual, but the Stoneshell was made for a human, and humans have their own clothing customs. Or at least, they did in Evangeline's time."

Emily folded her arms across her breasts. "They—we still do. I don't, uh, normally walk around like this. Well, at least, I didn't used to."

Zephyr gasped. "I thought you looked uncomfortable! Oh Emily... you didn't need to follow our alkayi rules so closely! Evangeline always wore a dress from the surface." Here she gestured to an abstract mural on a nearby wall, which depicted a merman with a gray tail and a crown holding hands with a woman in long black dress. A gray shell hung suspended from her neck.

Emily stared at the mural for some time, reassuring herself that constant nudity was not, after all, a condition for being the Stoneshell bearer, but merely a result of her absolutely rotten luck.

"I am sure, though, that the king will appreciate this deference to our traditions," Zephyr mused. "Oh, look, here he is now."

A hush came over the ballroom and the all eyes turned towards the closed entrance doors. Emily spotted Caelum hastily swimming towards their table, where he took his place at her side. Two lines of mermen and mermaids assembled on either side of the ballroom entrance, holding large spiraling conches ready to blow. For a moment, all was silent, frozen in anticipation.

The doors swung open and the conches began to play a triumphant, slightly pompous melody. A small, bald merman standing among the conch-blowers proclaimed in a high, clear voice, "Presenting His Majesty, Trilato, King of the Western Mer!"

A powerfully built man with flowing white hair appeared in the frame of the doorway. His tail was shimmering green, and in his right hand he held an enormous white trident. He was adorned by ornate jewelery and a crown of coral and pearl. His expression was hard, and there was a suspicious look in his eyes, as though he was entering a battlefield rather than a ballroom.

King Trilato glided to the other side of the ballroom, where a stone throne had been set up for him. Upon reaching it, he turned and sat down. His narrowed eyes scanned the ballroom, briefly locking on Emily's. If he was surprised to see a human in his palace, his expression did not betray it.

"The king is in ill temper tonight," Caelum whispered to Emily. "Choose your words to him carefully."

Emily shuddered. Meeting a king in her birthday suit would be difficult enough without that additional complication.

After surveying the room a few more times, King Trilato raised his right hand, a signal for the bald herald to make a further announcement. "By order of King Trilato, let this Coral Gala, the thirteenth of his reign, commence!"

A cheer went up from the crowd, and music began to play, dissipating the tense atmosphere at once. "Eat, drink and be merry!" the herald continued, shouting to be heard over the music.

Caelum and Zephyr both smiled at Emily, and she had almost begun to relax when the bald herald suddenly materialized in front of her. "King Trilato gives you leave to approach the throne, Emily Stoneshell Bearer," the herald said, speaking at a normal volume that somehow retained all the pomp of his louder pronouncements, and staring fixedly at the Stoneshell.

"Oh-okay, I'll be right there," Emily replied. She was finding it difficult to tell exactly how much of the herald's attention was being held by the Stoneshell versus her breasts.

"Don't keep him waiting," said Zephyr. "It was wonderful to meet you, Emily."

"And you! I have so much more to ask you about the Stoneshell."

"And I look forward to telling you all I know."

Caelum held out an arm for Emily and led her swiftly through the throng of merfolk towards the throne. "You'll have to present yourself to King Trilato on your own, I can't stay by your side for that, but I'll be right behind you in the crowd."

Emily gulped nervously.

"Don't worry, this is just a formality. Be polite, convey the surface's warm greetings, and thank the king for his hospitality. He won't be in the mood for long conversations tonight." Caelum gave Emily's hand a reassuring squeeze.

A wide berth had been cleared in front of the king's throne. At Caelum's prompting, Emily walked from the crowd to the middle of the open space, legs shaking. She stood before the king in all her naked glory, wearing naught but borrowed jewelery. After a beat, she remembered to curtsy.

King Trilato sat in a slump on his throne, cradling his chin in one hand. A curious expression came over his face as his eyes flicked over Emily's form.

"So it is true, then," he said. "Human women move across the ground on legs, just as human men do. None of the paintings of Evangeline show this—her legs were always covered by her false alkayi."

"Y—yes, your majesty," Emily stammered, feeling the muscles in her butt clench. It seemed as though everyone she talked to had a different idea about what kind of attire was appropriate for a visitor to Aquius.

"Move them for me, would you?" asked the king. "I have not seen a human before, and it would give me great pleasure to watch you... 'walk'."

Caelum had told her in no uncertain terms to do anything the king asked of her. She obeyed him at once, taking a few shaky steps forward.

The king's eyes sparkled as he watched her. Once she had walked ten steps forward, he had her turn her side to him, so he could watch her walk in profile for another ten steps, and then he had her walk away from him, so he could watch the movement of her legs from behind. "Very interesting," he mused.

It would have been kind of weird to do this if she was clothed. Doing it naked was so much worse. Emily winced at the motion of her hips and tried to walk as stiffly as possible. She felt like a piece of meat. In asking her to parade before him, King Trilato was surely motivated by more than a scientific interest in human anatomy.

Once Emily had returned to her original spot, she curtsied again and smiled as winningly as she was able, hoping the king would not ask her to do anything else.

"Fascinating," said King Trilato. "Though quite lacking in grace. King Irontail was a strange man."

An expression of annoyance flashed across Emily's countenance, but she quickly suppressed it.

"I have been told you bear the Stoneshell," King Trilato said. He gestured towards Emily's chest. "Is that it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Emily replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Approach, let me see it."

With trembling legs, Emily stepped closer to the throne, the mosaic of shells and corals under her feet glimmering faintly. King Trilato beckoned her nearer until she stood within an arm's length, the weight of his gaze heavy upon her.

He extended a hand, and Emily fought the urge to recoil as his fingers grazed her skin, finally closing around the Stoneshell. His eyes narrowed in scrutiny, making Emily's heart throb painfully in her chest.

"It was Sir Caelum who brought you to us, is that correct?"

"Yes, your majesty."

The king rubbed the Stoneshell absently between his thumb and forefinger. "Sir Caelum is one of my finest knights. He fought and defeated a leviathan when he was little more than a boy. A tale he must have shared with you."

An image of the white scar on Caelum's back flashed through Emily's mind.

"Sir Caelum is also a great admirer of Thurseus Irontail," the king continued. "Irontail united the squabbling merfolk tribes into a single kingdom, a feat that has not been repeated since his death. He was a great king, but had some strange proclivities." As he spoke, Trilato's fingers moved from the Stoneshell to Emily's chin, tilting her face up to meet his eyes. "A beautiful woman often leads even the strongest of men to folly."

Emily held Trilato's cold gaze, willing her face to display no emotion.

Suddenly, the king released her chin and gripped the Stoneshell again. In a swift, violent motion, he yanked the necklace, sending Emily staggering forward. A gasp escaped her lips as she felt the Stoneshell slip from her neck.

A cruel shout of triumph erupted from Trilato's lips and he seized the trident which had been resting at the side of the throne. Eyes blazing, he raised the weapon high and, with a mighty roar, brought down it on Stoneshell.

Emily turned to watch the trident strike. A brilliant flash of white light filled her vision and she felt a momentary constriction in her chest. The water around them rippled violently, dislodging strands of her hair from Nerissa's intricate styling.

But the Stoneshell was unharmed. The king's laughter died in his throat as he stared at the shell sitting on the armrest of his throne, looking entirely undisturbed. Emily followed his gaze to the middle spike of his trident, which had been bent by the impact.

Emily's mind was still reeling from the shock of seeing her most cherished possession nearly destroyed. She focused on the Stoneshell and called it back to herself, just as she had done in Elara's study. The Stoneshell leaped at once from its resting place and shot through the water. Once again, Emily felt its comforting weight and warmth against her chest.

"What?!" King Trilato bellowed, eyes narrowing on Emily. "Guards! Seize her!"

The music and chatter in the ballroom had ceased, and all the mermaids and mermen had turned to watch the scene unfold between their king and the human woman. Mermen and mermaids with hard faces and sharp swords advanced on them from all sides. "Spy! Traitor! Enemy! Usurper!" shouted the king.

Emily glared defiantly at the king, her hand outstretched. Drawing upon the Stoneshell's power, she attempted to conjure a massive fireball. The shell glowed with a fierce orange light, heat building within her. When she could contain it no longer, she unleashed the energy with a primal scream.

But instead of a fireball, only a puff of black smoke appeared. King Trilato's laughter echoed mockingly around the room. "Foolish girl! You cannot light a fire at the bottom of the ocean!"

Emily's cheeks glowed with embarrassment and her heart sank. How could she have been so stupid? Of course the Stoneshell's fire power was useless underwater! She had expended her strength for nothing.

Trilato lifted his damaged trident once more and advanced toward Emily at a frightful speed. The king and his guards were closing in on her. Emily's legs trembled as she stared at the powerful tails of the merfolk advancing on her. No matter how strong a swimmer she might be, she would be no match for these beings in their native habitat.

Just then, a familiarly scarred back atop a familiar blue tail appeared in front of her. "Please do not do this, your majesty," said Caelum, a slight waver in his voice as he addressed his king.

"It is as I suspected," Trilato said, his voice tired and heavy. "The star knight seeks to follow the path of Irontail—to usurp his king and unite the Mer, side-by-side with the heiress of Evangeline."

Shocked gasps rippled across the ballroom. "Grab hold of me," Caelum whispered to Emily. "We may need to make a swift exit."

Doing as she was told, Emily slipped her arms around Caelum's waist and pressed up against his back.

"Fool!" Trilato bellowed. "Do you truly believe that sharing Irontail's unnatural predilections gives you the right to rule?"

Emily furrowed her brows.

Caelum took a moment to gather his thoughts before saying, "No, I do not, your majesty. But tell me, do you believe that the right to rule is due to he who shies from battle as his brothers are murders? Or to he who poisons his sisters and cousins? Or him who imprisons or executes his knights and nobles at the merest whiff of challenge?"

The ballroom was alive with murmurs, and the king was becoming angry. His face had turned completely red and veins were bulging from his forehead.

"The truth is, your majesty," Caelum continued, "I would have happily served you and your house all the days of my life, had I not reason to fear your paranoia. As soon as I arrived in Aquius with the Stoneshell Bearer, I was advised that you would take it as a challenge to your authority. I took such advisories as slander against my king, but I would have been wiser to heed them. Such is the way of King Trilato Thinskin, as he will be known to the history books."

Another shocked gasp rippled through the ballroom. Trilato sputtered incoherently and gestured wildly with his trident. The palace guards resumed their advance on Emily and Caelum.

"Time to go," Caelum whispered. "Hold tight." With a powerful flick of his tail, Caelum rocketed up to the ceiling of the ballroom and shot through one of the numerous open skylights. Emily clung to him desperately, her arms locked around his midsection.

The rush of the ocean currents hit Emily as they left the confines of the palace, entering the vast open sea. Her hair billowed out below them, free from the last of Nerissa's ministrations.

The open sea was too exposed, and the king's guards approached from all sides. Caelum made at once for the outskirts of Aquius and a particularly dense section of kelp forest. But their pursuers were relentless; the king's guards, skilled and swift in the water, followed close behind. Emily could hear the muffled sounds of their shouts and the rush of water as they gained on them.

"Caelum, they're catching up!" Emily cried out, her voice laced with panic.

"I know a place where we can hide," Caelum replied.

In a swift, evasive maneuver, Caelum led them into a narrow, winding canyon lined with sea anemones and sponges. The canyon split into multiple forking paths, which Caelum took at random, pulling Emily deeper into the labyrinth. The sound of the kings' guards grew fainter as they descended further into the canyon's depths.

In a dark, hidden alcove, Caelum stopped to rest, setting Emily down on the sandy ocean floor. Then he turned to her and she saw that he held a small book in his right hand. "Zephyr wanted you to have this," he said, handing it to Emily. "It contains her notes about the Stoneshell. When it became clear to us that Trilato would try to destroy it and capture you, she entrusted it to me."

Emily took the book from Caelum and flicked through it. The cover was made of a substance very similar to leather, but smoother and slicker. The pages were faintly green, as though made from algae. The ink, she imagined, came from a squid. "Thank you, Caelum," she said, hugging the book to her chest.

"Zephyr only regrets that she will not be able to tell you these things personally."

Once he had regained his breath, Caelum took Emily in his arms and swam out of the alcove. There was no sign of the kings' guards, and they had left the city of Aquius far behind them. For a time, they swam in silence. The water around them grew lighter as they approached the surface.

"I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble," said Emily. The chaotic events at the ball had sunk in and she was beginning to realize the magnitude of what Caelum had sacrificed for her. "What will you do now?"

"King Trilato is an unpopular ruler," Caelum said flatly. "Everything I accused him of is true. He has made many enemies through his paranoia and insecurity. The moment I met you on that beach and discovered you were the Stoneshell Bearer, I knew that to bring you to Aquius would enrage him."

Emily frowned. "Wait, so you knowingly put me in danger?"

Caelum locked his eyes on Emily's, his face a solemn mask. "It was a danger you willingly accepted the moment you donned the Stoneshell, Emily. To wield such a powerful and ancient artifact is to choose an auspicious destiny."

"Well, you could have at least warned me," Emily said morosely. She glanced down at where the Stoneshell lay, nestled between her bare breasts. It was the source of a lot of conflicted feelings lately and she couldn't help but wonder how things might have gone if she asked a few more questions before putting it on back in Castle Elid. The fire powers were awesome, of course, but it seemed to entangle her in a lot of dangerous quests, while making it very difficult to keep a proper outfit intact.

"I had hoped I was wrong about Trilato," Caelum replied. "One always tries to think well of one's ruler. But in the back of my mind, I suppose I always knew I was destined to defy him. Meeting you just confirmed it."

"What are you saying, Caelum?"

Caelum's voice seemed caught in his throat as he gazed into Emily's eyes. "I must go into hiding for a time. But I have many friends and supporters in Aquius and the surrounding Mer dominions. I will gather my armies and meet King Trilato on the field of battle, just as Thurseus Irontail defeated Amegnon Graybeard. It is my destiny. Will you accompany me, Emily Stoneshell Bearer?"

Before Emily could think of a reply, the water around them jolted violently as something from the surface plunged into its depths. Thick ropes descended around them, and Emily felt herself being pulled away from Caelum's grasp.

A fishing net, cast by a surface vessel, had ensnared her, dragging her upwards towards the light of the sun. The more she writhed and attempted to break free, the more tangled she became in the net's criss-crossing ropes.

"Caelum!" Emily screamed, reaching out towards him.

"Emily!" Caelum cried out, his face a mask of horror and desperation. He tried to follow, but the net pulled her away too quickly.

"Caelum!" Emily shouted until she was hoarse, but the net was moving too fast.

Caelum made a valiant effort to catch up to her, but his progress was impeded by the sudden reappearance of the king's guards, along with a host of animal mounts and companions. Two strong mermen grabbed hold of Caelum's arms and he struggled against them in vain.

Emily could only watch helplessly as she was pulled higher and higher, the pressure of the water changing rapidly around her. She clutched Zephyr's book tight against her chest. Its contents could hardly make Caelum's sacrifice worthwhile, but this was all she had.

The net breached the surface of the water, and Emily was breathing air again. Her lungs took it in in great, shocked gasps. While the Stoneshell had allowed her to breath underwater, it was nothing like the sensation of breathing fresh air.

The great net was soon hoisted up to the ship that cast it, spilling its contents out across the wooden deck. Emily tumbled out, surrounded by writhing fish and algae, Zephyr's book still firmly wrapped in her arms. Laying on her front, Emily took a series of deep breaths, still adjusting to her sudden return to the surface.

A low whistle met her ears. "Well, aren't you a pretty little thing," said a grizzled voice.

"That's good fishing!" said another voice.

Emily raised her head to the source of the voices. Various men stood around her, all a slightly different flavor of rough, hairy and disheveled, and all wide-eyed and gawping at the naked woman their fishing net had just brought in. Eye-patches, peg-legs and hook-hands were in plentiful supply.

It appeared that, much like the heiress in that book she had never gotten to finish, Emily had been captured by pirates.