Free Fish Out of Water by MaryJanice Davidson

offered.

“Never mind . Suffice it to say I lead a stupidly complicated life.”

The front door slammed open hard enough to shake part of the house, and a furious Prince Artur stood in the doorway.

“Case in point.” Fred sighed as the prince stomped toward them. “You know, surface dwellers do this thing called knocking. If you’re going to hang out on top of the planet as opposed to beneath the waves, you might want to—”

“So it is true,” Artur hissed, eyeing Farrem the way you’d look at a cockroach in your cereal bowl. “I would never have believed it to be had I not seen it myself.”

Farrem turned slowly. “My prince,” he said calmly.

“You will remove yourself from the home of she-who-will-be-my-mate at once.”

“How can he?” Fred asked. “He’s staying in one of the guest rooms upstairs. His stuff’s probably all over the bathroom.”

Artur actually clutched his head. “I had heard that as well, but put it down to uninformed rumor.”

“And that’s quite enough of telling my houseguests what to do. That’s my job.”

“Fredrika, I insist this man leave your home at once.”

“ This man is my father, so tough nuts.”

“I do not wish to be the cause of strife between you and the prince,” Farrem said. “I shall go.”

“Sit your ass back down,” Fred ordered. Farrem arched his eyebrows but obeyed.

Then she turned to Artur. “And you! Don’t come barging into my house without knocking and then start ordering people around. In case you haven’t noticed, Prince , this isn’t your domain. It’s mine!”

Sam cleared his throat. “Technically, that’s not—”

“You want to boss people around in the Mariana Trench, fine. Don’t pull that shit in my house.”

Artur blinked, scowled, and blinked harder. Farrem brought a hand up to cover his mouth; his eyes were wide and Fred suspected he was hiding a smile.

“Rika, this man is—”

“My father. Whom I’ve never met. Whom I’m getting to know. Who is a guest in my house.”

“I think you might like him,” Moon piped up, “if you gave him a chance, Artur.”

“He tried to kill my father, good lady.”

“Oh. Well, that’s harder to forgive,” Moon admitted. “But he said himself, he was just a kid when—”

“—he committed treason.”

“I will go,” Farrem said.

“Freeze,” Fred ordered. Thinking, Why am I fighting so hard for this? Because it’s going to stick in Artur’s craw? So my mom can get to know my dad? So I can? Why? “I suppose Tennian practically broke a leg getting to you to blab.”

“Tennian did her duty.”

“Yeah, she’s not biased or anything.”

“Fredrika,” Farrem said quietly. “The royal family has every reason to distrust my motivations.”

“I get it, I get it. Listen, Artur, it was thirty years ago, okay? He was just a kid. Your dad banished him. Banished him. For three decades he hasn’t seen another member of his own species. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

Scowling silence.

“Besides, all this high-handed stuff is no way to get me to agree to marry you,” she teased, hoping he’d lighten up.

Farrem’s green eyes opened wide. “ Marry? By the king, of course!” He literally slapped himself on the forehead. “When you came in, you called her she-who—but I admit I was much more occupied watching your hands than listening—so you’ll be my princess, and one day my queen?” He shook his head so hard, green strands flew. “Astonishing! O irony, how she makes slaves of us all!”

“That’s beautiful, Farrem,” Moon breathed.

“I haven’t said yes yet, so calm down. And you!” She turned back to Artur, who was looking sulky as well as annoyed. “I can read you like a book, Artur. You’re thinking now that my dad has turned up alive and well, even more of the Undersea Folk won’t like me. It was one thing when everyone assumed he was dead. But him showing up . . . it might make marrying me a bit trickier, especially if