The Coral Crown

Chapter eighteen

I was so happy. I also felt a little guilty. I had accused the boy I loved of murder, and he just sat and took it. I couldn't believe myself. I hoped he would forgive me. I got to the beach, and just like Kayla said, there he was. He was sitting on a rock and staring at my ring. I reached in my bag and pulled out the ring Maria had stolen from him. I had kept it after finding it in my father's body.

"Ethan!" I called

He looked up, and when he saw my smile, he swam out to meet me.

"Hey," he said when we got together.

"Hey," I said returning his out of breath tone, "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. It was Maria, she stole your ring and planted it by my father to make everyone think you had done it."

"Don't worry about it," he said as he slipped the ring back on my finger.

"But I --"

He cut me off with a kiss that I hadn't realized I'd wanted until he was there. He made me remember that we were meant for each other, and I knew that now. I would never let him go again.

I felt someone tap my shoulder and sighed. We had been interrupted yet again. I turned and smiled at Haley, who was blushing bright red.

"And what do you want?" I asked as I reached down and pulled her up onto my hip.

"You should do what ever your momma brought you here to do" she said like she knew what it meant.

I knew she didn't though. I set her back down and told her to wait for one second. I turned back to Ethan, reached inside my bag, pulled out his ring, and slipped it on his finger. "You know why people wear wedding rings on their left hand ring finger?" I asked him. He shook his head and I smiled. "It's said that there is an artery that goes directly from that finger to the heart." (A/n that's actually true. I read that people used to believe that, and that's why we wear rings on that specific finger.)

Before he could do anything, I turned back and took Haley's hand. Together, we swam down to Alexis, where I left her and went to see the sharks.

I got to the sharks palace and went inside, directly to the new leader who had taken my fathers place.

'I am sorry about your father. He was a good man' the lead shark thought to me.

'Thank you' I replied.

'Now, why are you here exactly?'

This shark didn't beat around the bush, and I liked that.

'I am the rightful heir to my father's throne. Being their only child, my mother's too. I intend to claim both their thrones and bring the kingdoms together. So I am here to formally ask you to step down.' I thought without a hint of doubt in my voice.

The shark looked at me for a while and then thought the answer.

'As you wish, my queen' I smiled and returned the bow he was giving me. I was ready for this and I knew that I could handle it. I had done it. I had completed the prophecy and we would all be together for good.