the Little Mermaid (2023) [H.S. x J.C.]

Chapter eight

Zayn likes to believe that he is a cool, calm, and collected crab. So he definitely hasn't been hiding on the outskirts of the coral palace, panicking after realizing that he lost sight of Harry again.

One of the royal guards happens upon him and says, "The sea king requests your presence." Nope, Zayn is absolutely, positively fine.

The guard carries Zayn into the throne room. "The crab, Your Majesty." Zayn is ungracefully dropped at the room's entrance.

"Come over here, Zayn," King Michael says, beckoning him. The tone of his voice doesn't give any clues as to how he is feeling, but Michael always looks sort of menacing, which does nothing to help Zayn's nerves. It's that ever-present piercing stare, along with hands that could crush Zayn into fish food.

"Just breathe, Zayn," the crab mutters to himself. He moves toward Michael, trying to remind himself to stay calm. Guilty is as guilty acts.

"Yes," Zayn squeaks as he approaches the throne. He clears his throat. "Yes, Your Majesty?" That's better. He doesn't sound nervous at all.

Michael leans in, eyeing Zayn closely. "Zayn, have you noticed that Harry has been acting peculiar lately?"

Oh, no! Zayn gulps. "Peculiar, sir?"

"Distracted, daydreaming, disappearing for hours . . . You haven't noticed?"

He knows! Abort mission! "Oh, well, I . . . um . . ."

Michael gestures for Zayn to come closer and taps the arm of his throne.

His little heart beats against his shell as he gets nearer to the king. "I actually haven't, you know . . . um, that is to say, I didn't . . ."

"Shh." Michael's lips pull down in mock frown as he leans toward Zayn. "I know you've been keeping something from me."

Zayn nearly faints. He can't stop his voice from hitching up several octaves. "Keeping something?"

"About Harry."

"Harry?"

He knows! He knows, and I'm a dead crab! A chaotic swirl of panicked thoughts races through Zayn. He can barely register what's happening when Michael puts him into his palm and brings him to eye level.

"Is my little one in love?"

Words shoot out of Zayn in rush: "Oh, I tried to stop him, sir! I tried to stop him from going to the surface! I told him to stay away from humans! When I saw him with that statue, I—"

"Humans?" An astonished Michael flings Zayn.
"What about humans?" The sea king rises slowly from his throne, furious lightening crackling in his dark eyes. If possible, the temperature in the throne room drops several degrees.

Uh-oh. Zayn realizes he's made a huge mistake. He looks around, wondering if there's a calm somewhere that can swallow him whole. "Humans? Who said anything about humans?"
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Louis and Harry arrive at the grotto. Harry carrie's an armful of new treasures from the shipwreck. There were so many things he'd never seen before! He can't wait to ask Sabrina about them.

"Let's just drop these off and go back," he says, setting his bounty down in the center of the room.

"Don't we have enough already?" Louis sighs. He's been even more nervous than usual exploring this latest wreck, but nothing can damper Harry's excitement.

"Oh, come on, Louis. We're just getting started—"

"So! You disobeyed me!"

Harry freezes at his father's booming voice. Terror courses through him as he slowly turns around. Michael, his jaw clenched with rage, appears from behind the prince's statue. Harry's mouth suddenly feels dry. He has seen his father mad before, but he never seen the veins burst from his forehead quite like that. His grip on his trident is painfully tight. Louis squeaks and immediately dives for cover. Zayn watches uneasily behind the sea king.