Dancing On Ice

Tears in The Sea

~~~ Double Upload Again: Don't miss the chapter before this one ~~~ 

Near midnight, Kazimir knocked gently on the door to Aeralie's rooms and walked in.

Aeralie sat at one of the window seats; candles still alight around her, a book on her lap.

She was turning a page when Kazimir walked in and glanced up as he closed the door.

"You wanted to talk?" he said, his tone unnaturally neutral as he walked across the room and took a seat on the opposite end of the window seat, lifting one foot up to rest on the padded bench and leaning back against the cushions.

"I wanted to discuss with you how you were thinking of pursuing these missing Hearts," Aeralie said, looking back down at her book.

Kazimir looked at her in surprise. That was not the conversation starter he had been expecting.

"I... well as I said, we need to focus on the courtiers and see what jewellery they display," he said, resting his elbow on his knee and threading his fingers into his hair. "I didn't see any this morning but they haven't all arrived yet and such jewels may not come out until a banquet or ball."

"I wonder if we should change tactics," Aeralie said, closing the book gently and resting her head against the window.

"How so?"

"I have no voice but you still do. Someone must have an idea about jewels that are a little different from the norm. Even humans should be able to sense the power in Hearts."

"You want me to work their minds?"

"I think it's something we should consider."

"Why?"

"Because it may lead to faster results," Aeralie said, looking at him. "Our priority is to find those missing Hearts and get back home now. I'm not sure trying to retrieve the Hearts ourselves is a good idea. It's a job best left to your mother and my father."

Kazimir stared at her for a moment, long enough to make her raise an eyebrow.

"You want to go home... soon?" Kazimir said slowly.

"And you don't?"

Kazimir opened his mouth, then stopped, then frowned.

"I don't understand," he finally settled on, "You refused to go home when I wanted to mere weeks ago... and now you just want to leave?"

Aeralie tilted her head to the side. "What is there to stay for?"

"What? What happened to all your fuss over Dalton? For over ten years you've been dreaming of him and watching him and learning all you can about the human world in hopes of being part of it and now... you just want to go home?"

Aeralie gave him a look as if she thought he was being sweetly naive.

"Kaz," she said, "You and I both know nothing was going to come of all that."

"Says the person who was asking me to redirect the emotions of his lady when she first found out about the woman," Kazimir growled.

Aeralie just smiled at him and looked out of the window.

Kazimir did not miss the pain in her eyes however.

"I know... they say merfolk can't honestly love humans and humans cannot honestly love merfolk... and I don't love Dalton, not properly. But I do think I care for him – as much as any mermaid can really care for a human." Her eyes flicked up to look beyond the glass. It was starting to snow again. "Did you see his smile when he saw Princess Daphne?"