Guardian of the sea

Message in a Bottle      Knock! Knock! Knock!   Prince Lucas and his parents had just sat down for breakfast. Stefan, one of King Caleb's men, stepped into the dining room and bowed.   "Your Majesties," announced Stefan. "You have a visitor with an urgent message."   King Caleb set down his fork.   "Bring in the visitor," the king answered.   Stefan motioned to the doorway. A fisherman stepped into the room. Seawater dripped from his hair and seaweed hung from his clothes.   Lucas fidgeted in his seat. This smelled like an adventure!   The fisherman bowed before the king and queen.   The queen raised an eyebrow. "What may we do for you?" she asked.        "A beautiful mermaid arose from the sea while I was fishing," the fisherman explained. "I was so startled, I fell overboard!"   Lucas dropped his fork in shock. Mermaids never approached people!   In fact, Lucas had only met a mermaid once. Her name was Princess Avalon. He never saw her again, though, because the Mermaid Kingdom was off-limits to the people of Wrenly.   "The mermaid asked me to deliver this to you," the fisherman continued. He pulled a shimmering glass bottle from his dripping wet tunic. Then he handed the bottle to the king.     The king opened the bottle and pulled out a piece of seaweed parchment. It had been stamped with the Mermaid Kingdom's golden seal.   As his father unrolled the scroll, Lucas leaned closer to read it:        Lucas leaped from his chair.   "They are welcoming visitors BACK into the Mermaid Kingdom!" he cheered. "We get to visit the mermaids!"   King Caleb smiled.   "This is welcome news," he agreed. "Preparations shall begin at once!" Excerpted from Guardian of the Sea by Jordan Quinn All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.