Sagan
We were shown the room and handed menus as we sat down, our three servers clearly taking the chance just to get to meet me. I was polite but also glad when my guards moved them along.
One acted like she might sit down and join us for the love of the gods.
I tried to hide my annoyance when I opened the menu and saw their main special, but I must not have curbed it… Which was odd because the media said I was a statue. Completely emotionless was what most said even.
So how had Zev busted me so easily?
“What’s wrong?” he worried.
“Nothing.” I swallowed a sigh when he was tense and clearly wouldn’t let it go. “I hate they are crass and call them ‘mermaid tails.’ They’re a certain species of lobsters, not another species of people.”
“It’s just for fun,” he chuckled, giving a half shrug. “It’s not that deep.”
I gave a noncommittal grunt and kept looking while deciding to make my point how I normally did with people who irked me. I talked about a bit of this and that, mostly my schooling, and then rounded to how much fun it was to ride a dragon bike when I was abroad.
“I hate that they call it that,” he cut in, annoyance thick around him. “An electric scooter isn’t the same as flying like a powerful and large dragon. It’s ridiculous and demeaning.”
I set down my menu and folded my hands in front of me with a smirk. “It’s just for fun. It’s not that deep.”
It took him a few moments longer than it should have, but then understanding lit up his face. He clearly didn’t like being called out, but then slowly his expression seemed to melt into understanding.
“Thank you,” he said quietly after a few more moments. “I’ve never had it framed like that for me.” He let out a slow breath. “Really, thank you for taking the time to make me see I was being—thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” I nodded when he seemed hesitant.
“I learned that perspective studying abroad. A lot of dragons never leave Thovudin because they think only Thovudin matters. It doesn’t.
There’s a whole world out there and it seriously upsets the mermaids just as it does us. And they don’t eat their scooters.”
I felt better when he winced.
Yeah, it was crass.
Beyond crass, but there wasn’t anything I could… Well, I could now. I’d not had the power before to do anything about it. Now I was the boss.
I figured out what I wanted and we put in our orders before I decided to show Zev exactly how upsetting it was to others. I apologized to him and made a call, leaving it on speaker.
“I’m shocked you have time to talk to little ol’ me with all your piles of drama because like holy shit, Sagan,” Princess Orchid, the second princess of the mermaid royal family, greeted.
“Yes, it’s been fun. Sorry you’re on speaker, and I would have warned you, but you never answer like that.”
“I’ve had a few glasses of wine and just got done reading through all the texts with my younger sister—are you okay?” she worried, her voice truly concerned.
“I didn’t see all of them, but—I’m fine. We’re members of the royal family and always fine.”
“Sure, we are,” she drawled. “What can I do for you then? You always call with purpose.”
“You especially love your time being wasted,” I teased, glad when she snorted. “I’m on a date with one of my prospective mating candidates and—”
“And hopefully this one doesn’t drug you?” she seethed. “The fact it wasn’t called off after that is despicable. No, it was always despicable they forced seventeen men into your home and declared you will mate several of them like—don’t get me started. I will rant all night.”
“I know, and your support in the media has honestly meant a lot,” I said genuinely. “Thank you for saying so much publicly. I know your sister likes to keep a lower profile than that.”
She sighed. Heavily. “I understand she will be queen one day, but she isn’t yet and she’s not my mother—whatever. We have to speak up when it’s not right even if someone smacks us later. You showed me that.”
I had. I’d spoken up against her and other mermaids being unfairly graded because of a professor’s bias and it had gotten me in “trouble.” Mostly with my parents, but I’d never regretted it.
Having power meant using it to help… And not just dragons.
“So I have an idea,” I hedged.
“Oh crap, your ideas are always lots of trouble,” she grumbled.
“You’re not wrong, but they normally have a high payout too,” I countered. “Olwen is currently enjoying the PR from my last idea.”
She was quiet a moment. “That was you? I had to put on sunglasses to deal with the way he’s glowing even all the way over here.”
I chuckled. “Yes, that was me. Long story, but I got him the info and helped. Want some glow too?” I knew the answer without even needing to ask.
Mostly because Orchid didn’t plan on being second princess… She was going to take the throne.
Not by killing her sister or anything heinous. She was going to win it by merit since it didn’t automatically go to the firstborn in their monarchy.
And she was the much, much better candidate.
Without a doubt.
“Back to my date,” I said. “The restaurant’s main special is ‘mermaid tail—’”
Orchid just growled and then I knew I was on mute. I tried not to laugh, but when it dragged on long enough that the server came back with part of our order, I started chuckling. But then I frowned because it wasn’t just our drinks—checked by my security—and a basket of bread.
It was a whole lot of extras I wasn’t ready for. Huh?
“You only ordered your boil, but a lot of their apps and other combos are amazing,” he explained. “Most get them as apps since these are quick, but the boils take a while.”
Cool.
“I’m back and calm enough to talk about your country’s sick fantasies about eating my people,” she said, her tone hostile.
I nodded when Zev frowned. “Most truly don’t think of it that way, but we know that’s where a lot of it started and the history. The elders and older dragons especially mocking that the best way to deal with a mermaid or siren is to gulp it down while flying.”
“I seriously never knew that. I just thought—okay, gross,” Zev said with a groan. “Yup, now I get it.”
“Glad you’re educating the uneducated,” Orchid mocked, Zev not liking that, but… He deserved it.
“I think now that you’re done with your schooling too and working for your mother’s government, you should propose a resolution across several nations.
One of understanding and putting to rest old resentments,” I told her.
“In exchange for my making a decree that places stop being gross and putting mermaid tails on menus or referring to lobsters that way—”
“We ban using dragon as cringe ploys to sell stupid scooters,” she drawled. “The sirens would love that. That whole new perfume line from one of your influencers basically lying that they have essence of a siren in it has pissed them off beyond belief.”
“I don’t know about that, and even without the deal, I will shut that down. That’s—no, that’s too much,” I grumbled. “I’ll look into that. Disgusting. They’re people, not animals to—seriously, it’s a miracle we don’t all finish our days with bottles of wine.”
She snorted. “I heard someone leaked you like Khirriln wine and now your media did a story trying to talk to classmates if you have a drinking problem.”
“For the love of the gods,” I grumbled. “Well, I want to get to my food that smells really good. Are you in?”
She was quite a moment. “Yes, I’m in, and not just because of why you think. I agree with the sentiment and your position on this. We’re all just people and—enough is enough.”
“Good. Let me know what you draw up and if you want any help. Treena would have some input on—who has the wolfskin jackets?” I nodded when she groaned.
Yup, every country had some such bullshit that was grotesque and demeaning to a different species. We finished the call and I let out a slow breath, meeting Zev’s gaze and waiting for his response.
“I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t ready for that and even my dragons were confused. “For?”
“I was one of the people who said I thought you studying abroad was stupid and a way for you to have fun instead of learning about Thovudin like our future ruler should,” he admitted as he started serving me food I didn’t ask for.
It was clearly because he was nervous, so I let it go.
“I didn’t think you were broken or a freak your parents were hiding.
“It was clear how much they loved and valued you every time they spoke of you.” I was glad when he went on and didn’t catch my reaction to that.
“But I thought you were messing around and—I thought it was valid when I grew up a bit. Like you were getting a chance to live life before you lived for Thovudin.”
He cleared his throat and focused on his food.
“Who did you hear that from?” I asked, understanding what was going on better.
“My mother,” he admitted, and I liked him better for being honest. “She was defending you when my father was on one of his tirades about you being the future and—”
“Your father is one of the most sexist Alphas and men in the country even if he keeps his mouth shut publicly. Mostly,” I told him.
“And if you share a fraction of his views, this won’t work, much less us having a friendship.
It’s not a threat, but a warning. Plus, I’m not stupid of how your father especially would expect things to be. ”
He swallowed loudly and kept his gaze down. “Mother thought it was fair for you to experience life as Sagan before you were an adult heir and then queen. I agreed with her view instead of Father’s when I got a bit older. I’m sorry I didn’t understand the truth of it.”
I had a feeling that would be my biggest problem with Zev… He didn’t have opinions of his own.
Except food apparently. He was a total foodie and moved past the awkward, detailing everything in front of us from the areas the seafood had been caught to the batter and oils it was fried in.