Tel in swims after me. “And a trio of old acquaintances with whom to share your news?”

My mood brightens by about a mil ion percent. I hadn’t thought of that. Astria is total y going to have to eat her words. Seeing the jealousy in her and her look-alikes’ eyes wil be so gratifying.

“Maybe I could play up my enthusiasm,” I say, swimming up to Quince and slipping my arm around his. “Just a bit.”

“Not too much,” Quince says. “A guy needs to protect his image.”

Tel in laughs, grabbing Quince’s other arm. Though often masked by duty and responsibility, Tel in is stil very much the merboy I remember. As we swim down to the bal room, I can imagine far worse things than ruling with these two at my side.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mangrove announces with the biggest smile I have ever seen on his face, “Crown Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia, Crown Prince Tel in of Acropora, and Master Quince Fletcher.”

This time, the room erupts in whispers, as the realization that I am stil Thalassinia’s princess makes its way through the crowd. Far preferable to a stunned silence.

Quince, Tel in, and I swim through the doors, three abreast. I am in the middle, holding Quince’s hand, our fingers laced tightly together. The message wil be clear.

Tel in and I are al ies, not mermates.

“Subjects of Thalassinia,” Daddy says, raising a glass of sparkling gelatin—the mer equivalent of champagne—as the waitstaff scurries through the crowd with trays of the stuff. “Please raise your glasses in toast to my daughter.

Thalassinia’s future queen.”

“Long live Princess Waterlily” echoes throughout the room as everyone in attendance lifts a glass in my honor.

It’s a little overwhelming, the thought that sometime in the (hopeful y very) distant future, I wil be responsible for leading al the merfolk in this room and beyond. No, it’s not overwhelming. It’s terrifying.

Tel in grabs a pair of glasses from a passing waitress and hands them to me and Quince. At the same time, Mangrove appears with another pair.

“I’l take those,” Doe says, grabbing the glasses from Mangrove and handing one to Tel in.

Mangrove looks like he wants to throttle her—welcome to my world—but then turns and swims quietly away.

“To Lily,” Quince says, raising his glass.

Doe and Tel in echo, “To Lily.”

I barely hear them. Al I can focus on is the look of pride in Quince’s eyes as he looks at me.

Can a mergirl get any luckier? I have the boy I love—and he has been restored to aquarespire— and my future as queen of Thalassinia. Of course there wil be details to work out. Where we wil live and when? Do I stil want to go to col ege? What about Quince’s plans for the future? How can I—and Thalassinia and the other kingdoms—help Tel in and the people of Acropora?

Sure, those are a lot of questions. But the best part is there’s no longer a ticking clock. No eighteenth birthday looming over me like a time bomb.

We have time to figure it al out.

Together.

In the meantime, there are three girls who I am sure are just dying for an introduction to my boyfriend. Ever the dutiful public servant, I grab him by the wrist and head off for a little show-and-tel .

It’s good to be the princess.