Queen of Blood
Chapter 22

Another gush of water hit her side, making her stumble. Tua Nui was the one directing an attack on her, which she barely managed to avoid and counter attack. But her exhaustion was notable. As soon as her body could breath she went behind a rock and threw up.

“It is not your fault, dear,” Tua said from the distance while Cadel held her hair back. Her body shivered while the poison wore off her system, allowing a stinging pain to invade her guts.

The Regent had decided to stay in the kingdom for a few more days to help Arline train her powers. She wanted and needed as much help as she could get. And Cadel was also there to keep them company while Merrick continued to care for Reiska.

“The poison of the snake should’ve killed you, take it easy on yourself,” Cadel reminded her. “I am very impressed by the way.”

“About my ability to throw up or to use water?” Arline asked while taking deep breaths in and releasing the air slowly through her nose. At her comment both men laughed.

“Young Merrick is a very good teacher,” Tua mentioned as he approached. He remembered that time back in Tessenissit when he had told Merrick should be the one in charge to teach her.

“He wanted me to be great. I’ ll give him that,” Arline said going next to Tua.

When she was about to take her initial stance to begin using her powers once again, the Regent stopped her. “Rest. You deserve it, dear,” he reasoned with her.

“Did it change?” Her throat wobbled as she asked. “How I am. Do you think the Queen altered something in me?” Arline stoodstill in front of both men, playing with her nails and looked at her boots.

Both of them looked at her confused but the Heir of Depths looked like a child who didn’t want to disturb her parents after having a nightmare.

“Arline,” Cadel stood in front of her and cupped her cheeks on his palm. “You can’t doubt who you are now.”

“Merrick told me who I would become once I-” as soon she had began spitting this words she stopped. “Once I kill him and kill Tua Nui.” Even at that thought, Tua knew what was going through her head.

“Once you kill him, you will inherit the Throne of Depths and his title,” Tua completed the sentence for her.

Her throat closed at the images of her against the Deity of Waters. “I- I can’t be that. I am not a goddess, I could never be such thing,” Arline’s voice came out tight as she walked back and forth. “Everyone sees me as one. And I am terrified of it,” She sat down on a rock in front of them, throwing her head down. “I am an idiot if I believe I could ever beat him.”

“Arline, stop,” Cadel said to her as he knelt in front of her figure, holding her shoulders. Her eyes met the ones of his Majesty. “You are allowed to be afraid and ramble about catastrophe.”

“That is far away from happening,” Merrick said from the shadows in the cave. “The Queen did change part of your power, you feel out of yourself because there is darkness within you, Arline,” the King held out his hand for her to take but she passed by it. “Understand that your ability goes beyond what we thought could reach and hold you head high.”

Her back faced him. “Why?” She enquired.

“Because one way or another a crown will sit on your head, Arline,” he said to her in front of both Tua and Cadel and only then she turned around, crossing her arms in an attempt to stop her fidgeting hands.

She sent a pair water ropes to tie around his ankles but his darkness was quicker and yanked them away from him, sending it back to where it belonged. “Don’t be a brat.”

“Merrick,” Cadel reprimanded his son.

“Or what?”

He sighed with a side smile adorning his handsome face and sent her sword. The gift from Tessenissit, from Tua. “Lets work on that blind spot of yours,” Merrick said taking off his coat, allowing his body to be embraced by the cold weather. “No powers allowed, not after that little tantrum,” he clarified.

Cadel and Tua sat on the edge of the rocks, as if they were judges of a show. They wanted the best seats for this display of talent. “Is this their way of courting?” Cadel whispered at Tua who held in a laugh and shrugged at his friend.

Once again, she was facing Merrick Dortamus in a duel.

Both iron swords clashed at the same time, the metal rattling echoing inside the cave. Merrick was determined to hit her weaker side as Arline blocked him as best as she could and tried moving his blade to the right one. While also throwing some slashes back herself.

Merrick was getting on her nerves every time he approached her left arm. Until she sent his sword flying with hers, leaving both of them bare handed. To her surprise, Merrick pulled out a dagger.

He grabbed her and locked her, pointing the end of the dagger on the angle of her jaw. “Careful what you chose to do,” Merrick purred the warning in her ear.

Arline waited and rolled her eyes. With swift and ease, her hands travelled around his waist. She knew he held a second knife and pulled it out. Trusting the old move of cutting the back of his hand to release her.

The judges were having the time of their lives watching them duel and laughing at how they could predict each others moves.

“Who do you place your bets on?” Tua secretly whispered to Cadel.

His old friend scanned both of them. “Arline,” Cadel said loud enough for them to hear.

“What a shame,” Merrick said with a fake hurt ego and a smile.

Close range combat was their favorite way of fighting. That was obvious for them as they watched Arline and Merrick smiling as they kicked the living crap out off each other.

Arline kicked his hand, sending the dagger to fly away from him. Pulled him down to the ground by hitting him on the weak spot on the back of his knee and finally kicked him on his chest. His body was thrown back and hit the ground and she placed her body on top of his arms.

His hands couldn’t reach for her and it was making him anxious. “I prefer you this way,” admiration drowned his eyes at the sight of her.

“What way?” Arline giggled still on top of him, her knees still pressing his elbows.

“Showing me how powerful and better than me you are,” a grunt escaped from his lips as he finished saying this.

“We have an audience, your Majesty,” Arline hid her face with her hair.

His shadows made her weight shift and placed her on his lap. And he sat down to be on her eye level.

Merrick brushed the hair off her face and whispered only for her to hear. “I love you,” he pulled her into a kiss from the back of her neck. Arline dropped the dagger and pulled him closer by his shirt.

The elder men watched with tender eyes as the younglings gave into each other’s love.

Their eyes met as their lips separated. And Arline giggled like a little girl, hiding her face on his neck and he hugged her closer to him.

He was ready to kiss her again, when the Heir stood from his lap and escaped his grip, leaving him seating on the cold rock and sat next to Cadel.

“Odd way to court but effective,” Tua Nui said and looked at Merrick, who grinned at him and quickly stared at Arline.

“Shouldn’t you be attending your duties?” She asked him. “You proved my point,” her tone changed after he stayed silent.

“I didn’t prove anything.”

“I am a distraction to you.”

“No, you are not,” Cadel interfered with surprise on his eyes. “Thank the gods for you. Since he has confessed his love to you, I’ve never seen him more focused on his duties.”

“Get used to my undivided attention Arline, you will be having it for a while,” Merrick said getting to her side and twirling her around, hugging her waist.

The King admired her beauty. His eyes filled with love stared into hers. “Do you accept it Tua?” Merrick asked without looking away from her and intertwining their fingers.

With only a soft smile and a gentle nod, the Regent gave his approval to the God of Light and Shadow. “Accept what?” Arline asked curiously.

“The unity of a Daughter of Water and a Son of Light,” Cadel referenced to her.

“Shouldn’t your father participate in this at all?” She asked again.

Cadel let out a laugh. “Oh my dear, I accepted you since the day you decided to go to that voyage with him.”

Merrick and Arline snorted at the memory of that adventure. “Explain it for me,” Arline invited him to use his words.

“It means that when the time comes… when the time is right… I ask for your hand in marriage,” Merrick said to her as he brushed his nose against hers and kissed her lips as she stared at him with a smile.

To break them apart a voice sang inside the cave and her attention went to the Red Menace and the wyvern who were hissing at the shore.

They all followed the voice and found a beautiful, young mermaid. Too beautiful to be one of Pelagius’ soldiers. She had periwinkle skin and black, silk like hair with every strand braided with black sea pearls. It covered her naked torso and part of her face.

Her beautiful and melodic singing disturbed the dragons. But when she saw them approaching, she didn’t try to attack but bowed her head in presence of them.

“Who are you?” Arline asked stepping in front of Merrick, who grabbed her by her wrist to keep her close.

“Seraphelle, Princess of the Undersea,” Seraphelle introduced herself bowing for them again. “My mother, Queen Verena, sends her regards to you,” she said with a silvery voice.

“Why would the Undersea send their regards to the Heir of Pelagius?” Arline asked trying to catch the trap.

The Undersea and Pelagius weren’t fond of one another since the Deity of Waters had threaten to destroy the entirety of the Undersea if they ever stepped inside his waters. Since then, Queen Verena made it her mission to protect her people by trying to kill as many heirs of Pelagius as possible.

“Because we want to be on your side when you defeat him at last,” Seraphelle said to Arline. “I was sent to try and make an alliance with the future Goddess of Tides. To try to emend what he destroyed.”

Arline shivered at that. Loyalty with the Undersea. Powerful allies that Pelagius lacked and lost thanks to his arrogance.

“Where’s the trick?” The Heir asked at last and got closer to admire the Princess.

Seraphelle let out a beautiful laugh. “There is no trick,” as Arline approached, Merrick was by her side, not trusting to leave her alone on a very close distance to a mermaid of the Undersea. “I would never hurt the person who can free us from a creature like him, your Greatness.”

Arline knew how dangerous the creatures of the Undersea were deemed to be, so she approached and kept a respectful distance between her and the Princess. She could properly admire the periwinkle of her skin that was due to iridescent scales. Seraphelle had four eyes, colored green with a yellow halo around them. And her mouth was full of sharp, grey teeth.

Despite how terrifying she looked, Seraphelle was kind-hearted, honest and beautiful. Arline smiled at her softly with a genuine look on her face and sat on the rock. The Princess returned the smile and properly took a seat next to the Heir, placing her silver tail with almost transparent fins on the surface.

“I don’t think Pelagius ever had an heir whose power matched their beauty,” Seraphelle complimented her and Arline laughed. “And humble,” she said to her own surprise. “My mother sends this.”

An octopus came out of the water pulling a big box and placed it in front of Arline. It was a coral box, wrapped in seaweed. Arline was taking it and the creature began approaching her, wrapping its tentacles around her wrist.

It made it difficult to unwrap the gift, but the Heir didn’t dare moving the animal. Octopuses are signs of wisdom for their intelligence, she couldn’t disrespect it. An armor was waiting for her once she opened the box. An armor made of the porcelain of the Undersea by their smiths.

The Undersea had some of the most talented smiths through the entire earth and worked the porcelain they had from their caves so efficiently they made practically indestructible armors. Arline understood it, Queen Verena was sending her a peace offering.

“To fight and conquer the sea you must wear it, my mother said,” Seraphelle smiled at Arline as she saw how the Heir admired the work of her people.

“Thank you,” Arline managed to say, as she continued to appreciate the beauty and work displayed in front of her. “I will not let you down. I am not him.”

“I am glad we both think the same way. Best of luck on the battle to come, your Greatness. I hope to see you again soon,” the Princess said as she was preparing to dive back into the sea and return to her home.

“The same goes to you, your Highness. Have a safe trip and send your mother my regards,” Seraphelle’s muscles clenched onto the rock. She was surprised at the way Arline had addressed her so politely, so not forced.

Blush invaded her periwinkle cheeks and bowed to her goddess before going back into the water and disappeared. Without splashing a drop of it and being guided by the currents.

“Your first ally is the Undersea? You are more powerful than anybody could know,” Cadel said.

“The people of the sea know,” Tua Nui said with a proud smile as he looked at Arline.