Chapter 30

He called her name and cleared the hair falling all over her face. “My love…wake up,” Merrick said and kissed her forehead. “Lunch.”

Arline blinked a few times before rising from her position and stretched her arms, letting out a whimper. A maid brushed her hair and put it on a braid.

“Thank you,” the Goddess said in a sweet tone with a smile and the young girl curtsied, letting blush invade her cheeks and left the room. “Hello, Dark Prince.”

“Hello, Goddess of Tides,” he responded and threw his head back at the sight of her in those silks that hugged her body. “I hope you know we have unfinished business, my love.”

“Such an avid man I have,” she laughed. “Let me eat first, I am starving,”Arline said and grabbed the first thing she saw to put in her mouth and began eating.

After the Goddess filled her stomach, the Dark Prince continued with his duty of satisfying her as much as she wanted. While they were catching their breaths, she began sliding her hands down his abdomen until she could feel him, but he grabbed her small wrists.

“Take those hands away.”

“It’s my turn,” Arline said.

“No. You sleep and if you continue to want me in this beautiful way, I fade the power away,” Merrick clarified. “And please you. This is your Fortress.”

Arline sighed and Merrick kissed her cheek. Even with the amount of power she still had raging inside of her, she let the Dark Prince rest and decided to change into a dark blue gown.

Myriam followed her as she paced around the Palace. The Counselor guided her through the rooms and the Goddess looked startled at each single one of them.

“Your Greatness, I don’t mean to be intrusive,” Myriam began and Arline looked at her innocently. “But is the God of Light and Shadow a lover or something more?” Some might think of the question as something improper to ask the Goddess of Tides and she asked this very carefully.

But Arline blushed in a second and smiled for herself. “Merrick is beyond a lover, Myriam. Before all of this, he was my first ally, first mentor and now… well he is my first and only love,” Myriam looked at her with tender eyes.

Her Counselor returned back to herself and began entering a room known as. “The Council of the Sea,” Myriam introduced. “Here you will survey everything regarding the waters, your Greatness.”

Immense. Very dark compared to the rest of the Palace of Tides, despite the tall windows that covered most of the walls. Where she was supposed to seat, her armor and weapons hanged above her head.

They continued through the Palace and Arline asked. “Myriam, how loud-”

“No one hears a thing if you don’t want it… but you were loud,” Myriam sent a soft smile to her master as Arline blushed uncontrollably. “It is normal. With such power, this type of release is far more convenient than training,” she said in hopes of fading the embarrassment out her.

Arline stayed in front of the window in her room and yawned. She took another bath and placed her body to rest next to Merrick.

No voices.

No threats.

No singing.

Now Merrick was who was wide awake and chose to take his time, strolling around the Palace and letting Arline rest. He found himself wandering around the halls and staring at the walls when a presence in the shadows made him snap out of his trance.

“Good afternoon, Myriam,” he said, turning around.

“Good afternoon, your Greatness,” she greeted him, stepping out from the shadowy corner. “Anything you need?”

“There is in fact one thing I want to know. The smith of the Palace,” Merrick said, taking the Counselor by surprise. Myriam didn’t hesitate to lead him through the lower floors.

“I will ask Arline to become my wife…eventually. And I want the smith to do the ring,” Merrick let her Counselor know. She was shocked and stopped. “I have known Arline for longer than a few days, and we’ve been through thick and thin.”

As they walked, they came across very dark rooms and then, she opened a door. It revealed the working tables and a man, slouching over a piece of work.

“She saved you. Her dragon-” began Myriam.

“I hated what she did. I would’ve sacrificed myself for her but Arline didn’t want my help,” Merrick said for her.

“Is it the voice of the Dark Prince?” An old voice came from the distance of the working table where the man was working. “You’ve certainly grown, boy.”

Merrick let out a chuckle at the realization of who owned the voice. “Brendan,” his Majesty said happily. “Long time, no see.”

“It certainly has been some time,” the smith stood and greeted Merrick with a tight hug, scandalizing Myriam. “What brings you here?”

“Here to the Fortress? My beloved Goddess of Tides is sleeping. But if you mean here to see you? I have a request,” Merrick specified.

“Ask what you want boy,” Brendan invited him to seat down and ask.

“An engagement ring,” the Dark Prince requested.

Brendan stroke his beard with a thin smile drawing on his face and nodded. “I never thought I’d be the one in charge to make such thing for you. Myriam, take him to see the Royal jewels.”

Myriam scuffed at the tone in his voice but directed Merrick towards the vault, guarded by a pair of doors that opened when she approached. Despite having caves filled with jewels in Reiska, the King was in shock to see so many crowns, tiaras, swords and more all embellished in the most glimmering stones he had ever seen.

“No pearls,” he mumbled as they approached a chest with many different drawers that held loose jewels. Merrick began looking until a perfectly rounded sapphire caught his eyes.

“Is beautiful, isn’t it?” Myriam admired it too and placed it on a cushion, followed by smaller versions of the same gem. “I believe diamonds will suit her,” she recommended and Merrick nodded with a smile.

When they went back to the smith, Brendan was already working on the band. And looked at the stones carefully. Sparks, fire and smoke were drowning the place as Merrick sat next to Myriam to watch him work.

“May I ask how do you know each other?” Miriam wondered, making cups appear out of air and filled them with whatever liquid the guests desired.

“His grandfather assigned me the job to remake the Iron Crown and before I left I made his father’s war medals.”

“And I was a pain in the ass during those times,” Merrick laughed and took a sip of his cup.

Brendan roared in laughter as his hands carefully placed the jewels on the designated places. “He certainly was,” the smith said and Myriam gave him a look worth a slash in the throat. “Here it is, my King,” he handed him the ring.

“Wonderful work as always, thank you.”

As Merrick and Myriam headed back to the Royal bedrooms, she said. “I am sorry for his manners, your Greatness.”

“Oh don’t worry, Myriam. Brendan was my grandfather’s best friend in the army and we treated him as family. And believe me, I was a pain in the ass for the poor man.” Merrick giggled. “Thank you for your help. And please keep this a secret.”

Merrick requested to her and Myriam nodded lightly, leaving the God of Light and Shadow to join the Goddess of Tides on her rest.

He hid the ring amongst his clothes to leave her no chance to find out about it. He wanted to wait until she was ready, until her powers settled on her. And nerves grew on his stomach every time he thought of the right way to do it.

“Can’t sleep?” Arline asked him with a sweet voice, filled with softness and love.

“Just thinking,” he replied caressing her naked silhouette.

“About?”

“Nothing important, busybody. Go rest, my love,” Merrick answered with a funny tone at her curiosity.

Arline woke up fully and sat on his lap, hugging his neck and playing with the hair on the back of it. “If you can’t sleep is important…and I’m rested.” She said back.

“Do I need to tire you down?” Merrick asked, nibbling her earlobe but she shook her head and looked back at him. Her round eyes were overflown with love. Merrick took a deep breath and threw his head back with a smile on his face, as his hands grabbed her waist, pulling her closer to hug her.

“What?” She smiled at his reaction.

“Your eyes drive me insane,” he said looking at them again. “I love you.”

Arline giggled. “Oh Merrick, I adore you,” she kissed him and gently began tracing his golden scars on his body. “You said you like the Fortress of Coral, what about your fortress?”

Merrick scuffed at her question and focused on her as he answered. “I’ve never visited it nor do I want to. And I won’t take you to a place where the least dangerous things are specters and wraiths.”

They stared into each other as the night passed by with fresh gusts of wind. Growing in each others essence. As Arline traced his muscles and scars, Merrick felt a sort of worry on her. On the way she looked at her hands, how she touched him, even her breathing.

“Arline,” he whispered and grabbed her hands.

“When are we supposed to leave?” Arline whispered back.

“Fairly speaking, I thought we were staying for a while,” he confessed to her surprise.

“You have a kingdom to rule,” Arline chuckled. “It’s just- I don’t feel it’s safe for Reiska that I’m there. Not for now at least.”

“I understand, my love. But the lack of control you are feeling is an illusion, I promise you. That power you feel it overflows you, is just the pure state of your element. I can’t turn again you,” Merrick explained for her as he traced her back with his fingers. “You should meet your people. Allow them to see you and know you.”

“Unsure of herself and scared to death?”

“Smart, powerful, beautiful and kind-hearted,” Merrick corrected her and gently held her cheek, kissing her lips.

“How do you do it?” Arline asked for his advice once again.

But he only shrugged as she drew his muscles. “You listen and thank them. You are kind and gentle, Arline. And you have the natural traits a queen and leader should have. Traits that courts try to implant and fail to do so.”

Her stomach dropped a bit and her hands turned cold. His skin was boiling hot compared to hers. “I’m sorry,” she said and removed her hands from his body.

“I’ll be there, hiding in the shadows if you need me,” Merrick kissed her shoulders and grabbed her hands. “I was scared too, the day they crowned me King. Aidan laughed the entire ceremony but I knew everyone there supported me. They will love you, and I promise you that after the second person talks to you, it becomes much easier.”

“How do I approach them?” Arline wondered again.

“You are their Goddess. Don’t try to be like them. Understand them, see them as who they are and don’t try to change what they are or what they do.”

“Obviously, nobody is perfect.”

“I have my exception to that rule,” Merrick held her closer and she only rolled her eyes as he kissed her again. “We leave when your powers settle.”

“Merrick, your kingdom-”

“Will be fine in the hands of Cadel Dortamus for some days. He was king not so long ago,” he said with calmness in his voice.

“You sound relaxed,” Arline said with tenderness on her eyes as she watched him.

He hummed with his eyes closed as she kissed his cheek and pressed their chests together. “The effect of the woman that I love touching me."

“Can I do my part?”

“No. Now come to sleep. You and your very dangerous hands.”