He told me, every single day, that I had no right to live — no right to be loved. So I sold him: ten gold coins, no regrets. And I traded him in for a real merman. A silver-haired stranger labeled Defective, who called me Master, laid my hand against his heart, and swore, "I will be loyal to you forever." Everyone said a girl like me deserved nothing more than a fish like him. Then the sea itself bowed — and I finally understood. The creature I brought home was the King of the Sea.
