The great doors of coral and pearl closed behind them with a resonant boom, shutting out the murmurs of Submareth's court.
For the first time since being paraded before hundreds of hostile eyes, Caedrion was alone with her.
Alone in the sense that it was just the two of them… and the endless pressure of the ocean around them.
Thalassaria coiled languidly across a bed of woven kelp and silk, her teal glow softening now that the performance was over.
She pulled him into her coils again as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Caedrion cleared his throat, acutely aware of his state. His cheeks burned. "I… uh… I'd like some pants."
Her head tilted, scales catching the glow. "Pants?" she repeated, as though he'd asked for a square moon.
"Yes," he said, fighting not to wince. "Clothing. For my legs."
