Ursula's Beginning

23. Look at this trove (continued)

Voices erupted throughout the grand room. Cries, protests, excited whispers. The Councilor from Pacifica raised both hands to silence the crowd.

"Alphon is alone in believing this," Triton declared loudly. "Otherwise Ursula would not be among free merfolk today, much less still living in our kingdom. What an insult to our mother, the sovereign of Atlantica, to say she would ignore the murder of her husband and allow the perpetrator to swim free."

Heads were nodding. The buzz of voices was rising once again.

"Our mother trusted this cunning creature. And cunning she is. Father rallied shortly after the spell, then just as suddenly, died in the middle of the night with no witnesses besides Ursula herself. It seems strange to me, but then again, I don't know enough about witchcraft to account for all that happened." Alphon shrugged exaggeratedly as delivered this line, one obviously practiced beforehand.

If the stakes weren't so high, Ursula would have laughed aloud at his poor acting. But nothing seemed funny at the moment. Her heart raced as the tentacled temple folk in the room objected this mischaracterization of their services. This kind of fear mongering had forced so many of them to flee their homes in the other kingdoms and seek refuge in Atlantica; to hear such prejudice spouted by a potential Atlantican ruler was maddening.

"While I know nothing about witchcraft, I do know something about my father!" Alphon roared above the din. "And it's this! If he felt strongly about who should succeed him, he would have told his own wife at some point. Before his illness, or sometime during the long ordeal! Surely!"

Triton argued against this line of reasoning, but his voice was hardly audible above the growing chatter.

"Silence!" intoned the Elder, glaring at the rows of spectators. "Is Ursula present at this hearing? Have her come forward."

Ursula patted her adopted father's hand; Dismas let his arm fall away. A channel opened up before her as animals and merfolk made way for her passage to the center of the hall. She drew herself up to her full height and moved slowly to conceal the panic welling up inside her. She thought this would go differently—that Triton would call her as a witness and she could do her show-and-tell, but why had she thought so?

Of course Alphon would attempt a character assassination. Ganeon was right. Again.

She reached the Council and bowed before them.

"Ursula, regarding the events being discussed at present, has there been anything dishonest or dishonorable in your conduct or speech?" the Pacifican Councilor asked.

"No, Respected Council."

Alphon snorted.

"Is there any reason you would interfere with the normal line of succession?"

"My only reason for any kind of involvement is that I feel duty bound to honor King Nepp's final wishes, which were stated so clearly before he died. I had to let those wishes be known. Before I was asked to care for His Highness, I'd had no contact with the royal family, and certainly no opinions regarding the princes."

"And now? Are you saying you have an opinion on who is fit to rule?" the Pacifican Elder's voice was laced with contempt.

"I do."

The elders began muttering among themselves.

Ursula lifted her chin. "I know Prince Alphon to be unreasonable and violent, because he attacked me. It was punishment for conveying King Nepp's parting wish, and also an effort to break me for some future use. At least, that's how he put it. I lost two of my tentacles in the attack."