Chapter 26

The time of facing the Deity of Waters was getting closer. Her powers gave her a feel of control. For now. But each day that passed made her realize the waters called for her. The tides wanted her to fight him and claim the throne.

One night, Arline was trying to sleep. Enhance the word trying. Her body was tired but her mind wouldn’t shut down. Arline was rolling around the silky sheets of a cold and lonely bed.

Merrick wasn’t around as he had spent the entire day in the Council Room and even missed dinner.

Pelagius allowed the mermaids to fill the Heir’s thoughts with threats and promises. They were inviting and careful. Every time they spoke in the hissing language of tides, Arline remembered the hell he had made her go through.

Even Larsin’s absence made her uneasy. She didn’t know about the conversation nor the deal he had made with Merrick while she slept.

Arline gave up on the idea of trying to sleep and got out of bed. With her robe on, she paced the room as she tried to silence them, her own voices and keeping her powers under control.

Merrick would come any minute now.

He had to come.

But she waited and waited until midnight, looking at the night sky and trying to find constellations in the stars. “

” She thought hugging herself. “

” She claimed.

The Heir began changing quickly but silently. He wasn’t around. It was perfect. She just had to pass the guards, go to the cave, take Zeydar and go to Tessinissit.

But when Arline opened the door, Calix’s face met hers. “He is in the Council Room, Arl-” he stopped himself. And scanned her.

She wasn’t wearing a sleeping gown. In fact, she was wearing loads of leather and knives around her.

Arline’s surprise faded quicker than Calix’s and pushed him away, sneaking into one of the passages and closed the door behind her. Calix snapped out of his shock and headed towards the kitchens while cursing himself and her.

The entire castle was sleeping when they came face to face in the stone kitchens, but Arline escaped through the back door while Calix followed her.

She took the darker streets where less people were enjoying their night. Calix knew every turn she took was to distract him but the warrior knew every alley on the kingdom and understood where Arline was going.

“Arline come back here!” Her friend yelled at her once they were on the beach, far away from curious eyes and ears.

But she was ahead of him by a few meters and only increased her pace. He followed her almost running behind her.

Calix caught her at the entrance of the Ptelea cave, where the dragons were sleeping and woke up at the sound of Calix’s growl of anger that echoed inside the cave.

“Go back to the castle now,” Calix ordered her with his hoarse voice.

“There is no way in hell I am doing such thing,” Arline stated confidently once she released her arm from his grip and began preparing her things. Her sword, the blades and the box with the porcelain armor from the Undersea. “You go back and prevent him from following me. I will kill Pelagius.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Calix yelled at her, letting a growl escape his throat. “You are going back to the castle,” her best friend tried reaching for her body to throw over his shoulder, but she slapped his hand and he backed away.

Arline continued preparing her things, preparing Zeydar, preparing herself. She was shaking either out of nervousness or because of her powers.

When she felt her heart pounding in her ears, a pair of arms slid around her waist and surrounded her in a hug. “Do you believe I am not aware of the way you feel whenever you are in distress?” Merrick whispered in her ear softly, but anger could be perceived in his tone. He turned her around and pinned her back against the rock gently. “Do you really believe Calix could prevent me from finding you?”

“Merrick-”

“I am going with you. Last word, decision made,” he said and began preparing Aska.

Arline stood behind him, with shock written all over her face and unable to move. “Merrick go back, please,” the Heir begged him. “Go back and sleep, just… let me handle this,” tears began invading her vision and the knot tying around her throat was noticeable on her voice. “Return and be a King, find a-”

“Don’t finish that last sentence,” he warned her, turning around. “I am aware it is not my fight and that you will be the one holding the blade that kills him, but if you need my help I will be there,” the King approached her and pulled her closer by her belt. “Because I love you, Arline. Because it is not fair you fight this alone when you have helped me in every way you could.”

Arline allowed the King to clean her tears and to kiss her lips one more time. “I love you, Merrick,” she confessed in a whisper as tears filled with terror were streaming down her cheeks.

Merrick helped Arline get on top of Zeydar and then he mounted Aska. “Go back Calix, inform Aidan and Cadel,” he ordered.

Calix nodded and was heading out of the cave, when he turned around to look at both of them. “Good luck and come back alive… both of you,” he waved to them and both thanked him.

The dragons stretched their wings and slipped out of the cave, heading to the clouds and advancing north to Tessenissit.

It was a long ride and when they arrived the sun was coming out and Tua Nui was waiting for them at the shore. His body in the position of a fighter, looking captivated at the sea.

Both dragons heavily landed on the sand, spreading it everywhere. The Regent couldn’t hide the look of surprise on his face when he saw Merrick, but approached them and greeted them both with open arms.

Arline hugged him tightly and he caressed her back, calming down that feeling of guilt that had been eating her alive for the past weeks. “Hello Tua,” she said with a sort of happiness invading her voice.

“Hello, dear Arline,” he said back with his sweet and respectful tone, and caressed her cheek. “Hello Merrick.”

Merrick approached and the big old warrior wrapped his arms around the young king. He took in Tua’s essence. His scent of sea salt, his voice, his calmness. Tua Nui had worked as Merrick’s protector and mentor since he was born in many ways.

Arline looked around the shore and far in the distance she visualized the shape of a palace. She stood still, admiring it as the sun rose from in the horizon. “The Fortress of Coral,” Tua said approaching her side.

“How did you know we were coming?” Arline asked while trying to move her eyes away from the structure.

“After some years one learns to be intuitive,” he simply said with a smile. “Come, you need food and rest,” Tua guided them to his people.

The people of Tessenissit received them and fed them various kinds of food in a last banquet before her battler. Arline ate slowly, but ate enough that once her skin touched the blankets of her bed, she passed out.

“I didn’t expect you here, young Merrick,” Tua said with a fainted smile while looking at the fortress.

“I wasn’t going to leave her. I know she can hold her ground but-”

“You are scared.”

“I am terrified, Tua,” he confessed, lowering his tone.

“Of what exactly? You trust her powers.”

“I do,” the King sighed and turned around to look at her. “It’s the thought of her injured that haunts me every living minute of every day.”

Tua Nui smiled and nodded at the love these two had for each other. “Pelagius is weak but will fight. And seeing her with the Undersea’s armor will only enrage him more. She certainly knows how to get on people’s nerves.”

Merrick snorted at that last part and looked at her with longing in his eyes. “Are you- Are you ready?” Merrick asked hesitantly.

“I have yearned this moment for the past two centuries, Merrick. Aito enjoyed playing games with his heirs and when Arline showed respect and love for the water around her… she will finish this game he started.”

“I never knew his real name,” he rambled and Tua grabbed him by the shoulder.

“He is human, very deep inside of him,” the Regent said. “Sleep. You too may be a god but you have limitations.”

Merrick sighed. “I know,” the King rubbed his face and headed to the other side of the room where he fell asleep.