The Kraken’s Queen (Grym Hollow #3)

20. Erin

Chapter 20

Erin

M y new home is nothing short of magical. Tetria is a vision of beauty and grace. Creatures I once believed only live in dreams and fairytales come to life. Beautiful merpeople and hauntingly alluring sirens. The krakens hold their own majestic charm that I’ve come to appreciate over my week in Tetria.

Most of my time has been spent with Allarick. He’s a busy man but makes time for me. He gives me the choice to go to any meetings with him, and I’ve taken him up on a few, but I’ve mostly been escaping into the music rooms. They’ve been my favorite places in the palace.

“My lady, King Allarick has requested your presence for lunch. Would you like to join him?” my new maid, Iris, asks. I learned recently she’s married to Delmare, Allarick’s favorite guard, who now watches over me when Allarick isn’t around. She’s also one of the few maids who can switch between having legs and having a tail .

I like Iris. She’s kind and a motherly figure. Her job title is maid, but she spends most of her day with me, and I try to keep her from fussing over me—“try” being the key word. Iris swears she enjoys the job, so I need to get used to having someone do things for me.

Admittedly, maids and guards have been the hardest thing to wrap my mind around during this transition. I’m not used to people waiting on me hand and foot and making sure I’m safe. I would almost feel guilty about it if it weren’t for Allarick’s constant reassurance that my safety and comfort are a priority.

Still not sure I fully believe him, but I go along with it, regardless.

“Join him now?” I try to keep my voice as neutral as possible, but judging from Iris’s smirk, I failed spectacularly.

Ever since four days ago when I willingly went into his arms and let him hold me, I haven’t been able to get the feel of his body off my mind. Or the way I kissed his cheek but desperately wanted to feel his lips against mine. I can’t remember the last time I’ve wanted to be kissed or the last time I even had butterflies for someone.

“Yes, my lady. He awaits you. And he wanted me to assure you he isn’t the one cooking,” Iris says.

I laugh, thinking back to the meals Allarick cooked me back at his sister’s cabin. They were edible…but that’s about the only compliment I can give them. I appreciated his efforts, but I don’t think I can stomach more of his food.

“Good to know. I’m ready to go now.” I push off the piano bench, having had another successful day of playing. Like always, I drew another crowd of merpeople, but Iris took care of them a bit ago. A vain part of me loves the way people gravitate to me while I play. The look of pure tranquility that overtakes them is something truly special. Like I can make them forget about their problems for just a little while.

Goodness knows we all need that.

“I’ll escort you, my lady.” Delmare swims next to his wife. Her body instantly molds against his, and Delmare’s shoulders relax. Their love is quiet, yet so evident. Something that feels a lot like jealousy stirs in my chest. I want that. Not with Delmare, of course, but with…somebody.

A certain kraken king, perhaps.

I push all thoughts of my betrothed aside and follow Delmare down the hall. We resurface on the second floor. The moment my clothes hit the air, they instantly dry. Even my hair dries, thanks to a serum I comb through my hair every morning. Tetria has really done everything they can to accommodate humans. I wonder what it was like when more of us walked the castle halls and swam these oceans.

Delmare surfaces behind me, shirtless and only wearing brown pants. Thankfully, I didn’t have to awkwardly look away and pretend I didn’t notice his dangly bits. I’m really starting to like Delmare and Iris, and the last thing I want is to have to pretend I’ve never seen her husband’s penis. So far, so good.

“This way, my lady.” Delmare takes the lead, even though, for the past week, Allarick and I have taken most of our meals in this dining room, so I know how to get there on my own. I’m content with letting him lead, though, because it gives me time to take in the beauty of the palace and the vast ocean that surrounds us. I’m not certain I’ll ever get used to it.

Allarick is already seated by the time we arrive. He’s frowning, tapping his fingers against the table. But the moment he sees me, his whole demeanor changes. He stands, stunning me with his beautiful smile. “Erin. It’s good to see you.”

“You saw me this morning.” I giggle, trying to hide my blush and racing heart.

“And yet, I still managed to miss you.”

Allarick reaches for my hand with a tentacle, bringing it up to his lips and placing a soft kiss to my knuckles. His gaze never strays from mine, and the act appears more intimate than it should. His touch doesn’t scare me. My body no longer tenses up in anticipation like it did when I was around James. My kraken is gentle. I find myself feeling less anxious underwater. I don’t feel the need to constantly look over my shoulder in case danger is following me.

“Thank you, Delmare. You can leave us.” Allarick dismisses the other kraken. Delmare isn’t offended by his abrupt dismissal. He simply bows and takes his leave with Iris at his side. She winks at me before the door closes. I’m both excited and slightly nervous to be alone with my future husband.

A lot has changed between us since the day I ended up here in his care. It’s amazing how much a person can heal from past trauma when put in a safe place and surrounded by people who want them to thrive and succeed. Allarick hasn’t magically cured the last few years of my life, but he’s giving me the strength to move ahead and not look back. Maybe I’ve had it in me all along, but I needed help finding it.

“How was your meeting?” I ask as one of the kitchen staff members brings out our food. I have to do a double take because I expected fish. Just like we eat every meal, which is fine. But the chicken on my plate makes my mouth water.

“I thought we could use something different.” Allarick winks.

“How did you manage to get chicken down here?”

Allarick just laughs at my question. Not cruelly, though. “We do trade with the people of the land. I figured you’d appreciate a change.”

“I do. Very much. Not that the fish hasn’t been good, but chicken is my favorite,” I say and take a bite. It’s juicy and cooked to perfection, bursting with taste. I let out a small moan, eagerly cutting a second piece off.

“I’ll make sure to bring you chicken more often, then,” he muses. I feel his gaze boring into me. My whole body flushes just like it does every time his eyes linger too long.

“My meeting was actually to meet the new recruits,” Allarick says after a moment. “Since the threat of the Leviathan and Nephilim, I’ve opened up the guard ranks for recruitment.”

“Are they really that big of a threat?” I hate that I’m ignorant when it comes to the enemies we face. The enemies I’m supposed to help Allarick and the people of Tetria defeat. I’ve heard Allarick speak of them back at the cabin when we first met and at the meeting he invited me to sit in on, but I can’t wrap my head around the danger they pose.

“The Nephilim are the biggest threats to our world. The Leviathan are the biggest threat to the ocean people. We cannot help our allies on land until we take care of the problem in the sea. If the Leviathan escape and seize control of the ocean, the Nephilim will have full access to ports, making sneaking into territories easier.”

When Allarick finishes talking, a tense quiet envelops the room. Panic threatens to sour my mood because who am I to help Allarick win a war against an enemy I know nothing about? I’m not strong or a leader like him. I’m just a broken girl from Grym Hollow who couldn’t defend myself from a man with a god complex.

A hand covers my own, bringing me back to the present. Back to Allarick. His presence is calming, chasing away the darkness that always seems to linger just out of reach. “Whatever happens, we will face it together,” he says. “There’s no one else I want at my side than you.”

His words are sincere and almost convince me I’m capable of everything he expects of me. I want to be that woman, and maybe she’s inside me somewhere. Deep down, begging to be let free after years of being locked away in a box.

After a moment of deliberation, I nod slowly. I’m agreeing to…trying? Not being afraid? Being with him?

“What do you need of me?” I ask .

Allarick squeezes my hand. “Come with me to the surface tomorrow to check in with my sister. She has sent word she has information for us. I want you to be with me when I hear it.”

That much I can do. So, I agree but secretly wonder just how long I can mask as his brave queen.