Roxy was tempted to say yes, but she bit her inner lip and refrained, shaking her head meekly.
Queen Nerissa's question hung in the heavy water like a blade waiting to drop. Her black eyes bored into Roxy, searching for a flinch, a lie, or a reason to turn Caspian into sashimi.
Roxy's heart hammered against her ribs. She looked at Caspian, who was pale as a ghost, his fins clamped tight against his head in sheer terror.
She couldn't say yes. If she said yes, Nerissa might actually hurt him. And despite everything, the kidnapping, the singing, the questionable gift-giving, Roxy didn't want him dead.
She shook her head violently, her black hair swirling around her face.
"No!" Roxy squeaked. "No, Your Majesty. He... he has been... perfect. A model King."
Nerissa stared at her for a second longer, the pressure in the room suffocating.
Then, the Queen grinned, a wide, terrifying grin that showed far too many teeth.
