Ocean Song Beneath the Waves
Chapter 15: Dark Secrets

Got more interested people this week so here’s a bonus chapter for you!

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“My Lady it is time you awaken,” Aaralyn says quickly as she bustles about the room opening curtains. Serena groans as she pulls her covers farther over her head but a huff of frustration follows at the lack of gravity in the ocean. Her covers form something of a bubble as they slowly settle around her and by then Aaralyn has robbed her of that comfort in which she’d been awaiting.

“Why is it so important that I get up so early all of a sudden?!” She whines as she’s pulled out of bed and prepped for the day.

“The King wishes for you to be present at breakfast this morning.” At this Serena’s eyes go as wide as saucers with her mouth hanging agape in shock.

“W-why?” She asks as she struggles to reel in her demeanor after hearing the startling announcement.

“I know not Lady Serena but in any event, you must not be late!” Aaralyn says in a hurry as she pulls a brush through her charge’s soft locks. Serena finally decides to bite her tongue as her mind flies into thoughts of how she should act and what she should say. She’s never had to dine with royalty before! She’s just gotten used to the fact that she’s within the same vicinity as them with the added bonus of the princess hanging around her all of the time. She would’ve been perfectly content with just dining in her room as always or alone with her brother as she’s started to do since his arrival. Her thoughts come to a sudden halt due to the interruption of Aaralyn pushing her out the doors and down the hall.

“W-wait!” Serena cries out but it is in vain as it falls upon deaf ears.

“Now, now my Lady. We are already behind schedule so we cannot afford for you to be late!” Aaralyn warns but to Serena it sounds as though she’s saying it more to herself rather than her. All too quickly does the doors to the dining hall come into view as it is the only door with a pair of guards stationed there. The guards nod their head in acknowledgement of Serena as they pull open the doors and Aaralyn forces her inside. All is silent as seven sets of eyes fall upon her. Four of those seated are the faces she recognizes quite well with one of them being her very own older brother but it is the last two faces that baffle her. She’s never seen these people before but her bewilderment doesn’t go unnoticed as one of the two new merpeople smiles radiantly.

“You must be Serena! I have heard quite a bit about you!” The mermaid says cheerfully as Aaralyn guides Serena to a seat across from her brother. “My how lovely you are! I never knew humans could be so beautiful! Then again, it has been quite some time since I last saw a human!” She laughs and Serena replaces herself relaxing at the exuberant energy she emits.

“Dear child, I see that you are confused. Allow me to introduce you,” King Neptune says with a hearty laugh. “First I would present you my mother, Queen Salacia.” Serena struggles to keep her body from jolting out of surprise as she stares upon the mother of the King. She doesn’t even look like she’s past her twenties! Her youthful appearance makes it difficult to believe that she’s the King’s mother, not to mention the grandmother of the Prince and Princess.

“Oh dear, you have shocked the poor girl!” Queen Salacia says in a chiding manner as Serena sneaks a gaze over to her poker-faced brother but clearly he’s just as shocked going by the barely noticeable twitch of his brow. “Allow me to dispel the cloud of confusion around you little one. Merpeople are not at all like humans when it comes to aging. We have been granted the gift of long life going on into eternity and with it we are given eternal youth so by the time a merperson reaches their twentieth year they cease aging,” she says softly but then even more questions pop into Serena’s head. If this is the case then just how old is she? She muses as she listens to the Queen’s explanation. “And in the event that you are no doubt wondering, I am close to a millennia now,” she says thoughtfully as the shocked girl’s eyes fly wide open once again. A thousand years of age and she still doesn’t look a day over twenty! This is what she considers to be the perks of having a tail and living underwater.

“Explanations aside, I would also like to introduce to you Lord Hallmar Aqilus and his daughter, the Lady Delmara Aqilus.” Serena’s gaze replaces the aforementioned faces and stares at them for a brief second before moving her gaze away so as to not seem rude.

“Prince Oceanus’s fiancee and future Queen of Aquaria!” Lady Delmara adds as she turns a smile over to the Prince who doesn’t seem concerned in the least. He was more concerned with the childish glaring contest he was having with her brother, as usual, rather than concerning himself with what is happening around him, that or he’s just ignoring it which wouldn’t surprise her in the least.

“And with that let breakfast commence!” King Neptune says jovially as the servants bring forth the food but Serena replaces that she has little appetite with the presence of such varying personalities. This is going to be a long morning... She thinks with an inaudible sigh as Prince Oceanus finally turns away from his glaring contest to scrutinize her briefly before turning his attention to what is being laid out on the table. This is why she prefers to have her meals in the comforts of her own room...

Breakfast hadn’t been as uncomfortable as she originally thought it was going to be. In fact, she’d even go as far as to say it was pleasant. Putting aside the consistent sharp looks she received from the Prince, she found his grandmother to be of more pleasant company. King Neptune engaged her in conversation from time to time but seemed content with questioning her elder brother who was silent for most of the meal. Though Serena can’t help but think about one annoying thing that happened during the meal-an occurrence that is hardly a stranger to her. Lady Delmara would often glance over in Rodion’s direction with a fascination similar to that of the human girls. It made her greatly uncomfortable because of how often her brothers would attract attention. In instances like those she shrank into obscurity as to hide from those judgmental eyes. It made her think back to a time where she also drew such attention but that ceased when that incident occurred.

Mid-way through her musings she suddenly bumps into a wall causing her to go shooting backwards through the water. However, before she could make impact with the pillar behind her, a hand seizes her wrist in a steel grip that stops her impending contact with the marble structure.

“Has anyone ever told you to look where you are going? You humans are such clumsy creatures. It makes me question as to how your species has made it this far.” She doesn’t even need to look up to know who her ‘savior’ is. His cold tone and arrogant attitude is all the confirmation she needs. Once she’s upright again she removes her arm from his grip and looks up at him with a challenging gaze.

“Forgive me for my obliviousness, Your Highness," she says mockingly as Prince Oceanus stares her down with a cold gaze that causes a shudder to run up her spine.

“I possess no patience to deal with you right now. I shall leave you to your childish nonsense and be on my way,” he says dismissively before swimming off but not without an offended mermaid hot on his fins.

“What problem do you have to detest humans so much?!” She asks angrily as she picks up speed as to keep up with him. He says nothing even as she follows him down unknown corridors until she reaches a part of the palace that she’s never been to before. Her anger forgotten, she now stares about her as she notices how dark this hallway is compared to the others.

“...Your feeble mind could not even begin to comprehend my hatred of your species,” he finally says with a melancholic tone replacing his usual icy one.

“What would I not understand?” She asks angrily whilst inwardly cursing herself. Dammit! Clearly I have been down here for too long! I am already beginning to talk like them! She thinks as she briefly goes over the weeks that she’s been here which is slowly turning into months.

“You wish to know what justification I have for hating your putrid species?” He asks with a growl as she backs up a little from the sudden aggression but she steels her nerves and wills herself to remain in place as she gives him a firm nod.

“Tell me so that I may understand,” she says calmly as she waits for him to speak. He stares at her as if he’s evaluating her before releasing a sigh and pushing back the black tendrils of hair that float into his face.

“Have you not wondered as to the whereabouts of the Queen? You have met my father, my sister, and my grandmother but did you once wonder where my mother was?” He asks slowly, almost in a deathly calm manner but his gaze is solemn and his eyes stare at something beyond these dark corridors. His words spark something within her mind as she goes over each and every face she’s seen and met over the course of the weeks. Not once did she even see a mermaid resembling either the Prince or Princess.

“It never crossed my mind,” she admits quietly as she turns her gaze back to him but now he’s staring at something else upon the wall. She follows his gaze to a painting-a portrait of a beautiful mermaid with lovely black hair and sparkling silver eyes. Upon her head is a tiara comprised of shells and jewels alike. “Is this her?” She asks in awe as she replaces herself amazed at the sheer beauty of the woman in the portrait.

“Yes. My mother was far lovelier than any mermaid in the kingdom and she was greatly loved by the people,” he says nostalgically but his expression appears sad and it only takes a minute for Serena to repeat his words in her head before her mind zeroes in on the word ‘was.’

“You say it in the past tense.” She stares at him with a suspicion in her eyes and sorrow in her heart. “What happened to her?” She asks knowing what a sensitive topic this is due to her own experiences. She can’t help herself, she understands full well the pain of losing a mother but this pain has touched him in a way that it never has her.

“...She was killed by humans twenty years ago. I was but eighty at the time and still undergoing studies in preparation for when I take the throne.” Her eyes fly wide open but she says nothing because of the atmosphere that settles around them. Wait if he was eighty twenty years ago... He is a hundred years old?! Her mind reels as she tries to come to terms with this method of aging she but recently learned about but still she can’t even begin to fathom such a thing even with the revelation of Queen Salacia being their grandmother! “My mother never liked staying within the veil. She would always say that this ocean is her home and she should be able to go wherever she pleases. It was rather endearing until those humans dove into the ocean.” His expression darkens as he stares at the portrait. “They wanted to capture her and make a profit from using her as a beast for their shows but she made it difficult and you humans developed such strange weapons. Strange but dangerous and it proved deadly to my mother when that metal ball suddenly flew forth from the strange contraption.” Serena pales as she finally understands what this ‘strange weapon’ was.

“A gun...” She trails off with wide eyes as Prince Oceanus glances at her briefly.

“So that is the name of that accursed thing. Why would humans even create such an object?” He asks exasperatedly with a tired tone. His whole demeanor has changed as if they hadn’t been talking about what happened to his mother only moments before.

“Not all humans are bad,” Serena murmurs quietly as Prince Oceanus stares at her with a blank expression.

“I replace that difficult to believe,” he replies flatly as a pout forms on Serena’s lips.

“Then what do you think of me and my brother?” She asks after a moment of glaring. Prince Oceanus stares at her with a thoughtful gaze before deciding to answer her question.

“Your brother is an irritable man with an unpleasant personality,” he spits as his brows furrow and a scowl appears on his lips. Serena doesn’t even say anything as she releases a tired sigh. Neither male had a good opinion of the other and she could only imagine how her other brothers would interact with this colder than ice Prince.

“And me?”