3000 years after the war

Anna was just strolling through Camelot as she normally did when she had a free day. No mage training with Merlin, her mentor, and no keeping an eye over Arthur, her dearest friend; it was just a day for her to relax in the pond at the nearby forest. Since she held a title of holy knight, it was a requirement for her to go around with a full armor, but today was a day for herself, so it took everyone a couple of extra seconds to recognize her without her silver garments, thing she was grateful for from the bottom of her heart; everybody knew she was the king's bodyguard, so they would start to tick her off about a favor or two if she wasn't clear enough about the motive of her visit. Usually, the path that led to the forest was full of people thriving to enter the rising kingdom to sell their products, but for her luck, today were only passing a few people who seemed not to be merchants, due to their good manners. This made reaching the forest a nice and peaceful trip for her; once the path seemed long lost, Anna got down from her horse and started guiding it deep into the forest, until they reached their destination. This was the only pond in the forest, and was hidden deep into bushes and trees that, aside from an only opening right above the pond, made it difficult to reach or even see. As soon as she secured her horse to a branch, Anna got rid of her cape, boots and dress so she could stay in the garments that covered her both while in mermaid and human form: a top and a skirt.

As soon as she started walking towards the middle of the lake she recited her incantation Aquarius, return my scales and leaped forward, letting her body transform into her real appearance, the first seen mermaid in over 3000 years and member of the merfolk clan, at the time she got in contact with her element. She truly became another woman when she transformed, since her auburn hair turned sky blue, the hazel eyes turned violet and both legs were replaced by a beautiful deep blue - almost black - fish tail. Once she was fully immersed and fully enjoying being herself again, the realization of the lack of sea salt was enough make her feel utter repulsion, but when she remembers the lack of a nearby coast it's enough to let her settle for a small pond every once in a while to stretch her fins; after all, staying in human form took a fair amount of magical energy that resulted tiresome after a couple of days. She yearned the ocean, and even though Merlin sometimes took her to a beach with the pretext that she needed to train with the source of her own magic power, both their work in Camelot was far too great to leave it for a whole afternoon with the recurrence it needed to be done for a full master of the ocean's magic.

At the castle

- Anna! Anna! Where are you? - shouted the young king Arthur as he walked down the corridors of his castle, catching every nearby person's attention.

- Lady Anna went to the forest your Highness; she said she wanted to train there by herself - said a maid gently as she approached Arthur.

- Oh...I see, thank you very much! Please tell Merlin that I'm going to be with Anna for a while, and that I'll return later with her - shouted Arthur, for he was already running towards the stables.

Arthur hated with all his might to feel like he was locked down in the palace for being the king, so whenever the maids and guards told him that Anna was in the forest, he was sure to follow her there; even if she was his personal bodyguard, they could innocently enjoy her free day as friends, unlike how everybody else liked to point out due to appearances and the fact that he should be looking to wed a girl worth of the title of queen.

Back at the forest

Anna was just sitting in the muddy and disgusting bottom of the pond, admiring her nautilus necklace and wondering how Merlin found it in the first place if it was supposed to be in the depths of the ocean. It was said that the archangel Tarmiel gave this necklace containing a powerful spirit of the ocean, Aquarius, to the chief of the merfolk so that he or she could be the protector of the seven seas, but after the war between the goddess and demon clan wiped almost completely the merfolk from Britannia, it was deemed lost and the ocean was left with no guardian, leaving it's mysterious and feral magic power unprotected. Merlin said she found it while looking for magical artifacts for her collection, and when she found her unconscious on a beach and took her in, she found it right to give it to her. This resulted in Anna to having so many unresolved questions of herself, her own race, the source of her magic and so, that she didn't pay attention to the human that was lurking outside, waiting for the exact moment to jump into the water to look after her.

When she heard a loud splash into the water she froze. Did somebody find me? I'm fucked if anybody knows I'm not human. She was ready to summon just a bit of her magic to repel the intruder, just a water-made serpent would be enough to scare someone and she strived for that person to start some gossip about how that pond was enchanted or something, until she recognized the boy with amber locks, fully submerged into the water and eagerly trying to find her. The fear suddenly disappeared and she could only just laugh at the futile tries of her friend to actually be able to see her underneath the water with human eyes; however, the fright wouldn't go unnoticed, so it was time to scare Arthur. Anna carefully swam until she was positioned underneath the king's feet so she could just grab them and unexpectedly pull him to her level. She blushed a little when she noticed he was only in his underwear, and even in the water it would cling to his body in a very eyeing-worthy image, but for his bad luck it wasn't enough to distract her from her mischievous plan.

Arthur was sure that this was the pond that both he and Anna discovered in of their little adventures when they were younger so the mermaid could freely swim without fear of being exposed, so why wasn't she there? Of course he couldn't see deeper into the pond due to all the dirt and plants, so it always made him uneasy to swim without Anna in circumstances like that one. He was so concentrated looking for his favorite mermaid that he didn't notice the pair of hands that grabbed his ankles, of course, until he was pulled into the water. He didn't breathe before the pull, so he ended up swallowing water, which when he managed to return to the surface made him cough it up, and gained a loud laughter from his supposed bodyguard.

- Are you crazy? You could have killed me! What kind of bodyguard tries to kill her boss? -

- Hahaha oh please, don't be such a crybaby! That serves you right for scaring the crap out of me when you jumped into the water -

Both friends laughed it off and enjoyed their time together. Ever since he pulled out Excalibur and became king of Camelot he could hardly ever be with Anna like they used to when they were younger, he missed that, and even looking at her felt like something out of place now; every "royal manners" professor told him that he should mind himself around Anna because princesses wouldn't like her around, but some time ago he used to only look at her like both an asexual and genderless being that was his most precious friend in the entire world; however, now he had to recognize her as the woman she was, not only because he was told to do so, but because it was something inevitable. Soft lips, incredibly delicate skin for a holy knight, big and deep eyes that could pierce through your soul, the slight hourglass figure with toned legs and harmonically waving hips due to the fish tail...it was impossible to not acknowledge her beauty both as a mermaid and as a human.

The same sensation pierced through Anna's mind as if they were both connected. It wasn't until a year or so that she started looking at Arthur with eyes that went beyond the friendship line, something that got her quite the speech from the handmaids about the proper behavior of a lady; it really did a number on her attention range when she focused on the tangled yet stylish way that his amber hair wouldn't keep in place, the gleam over those dazzling violet eyes that transmitted honesty and optimism and, of course, the very toned and exercised body of a king worthy enough of the holy sword Excalibur itself, from the abs, to the back, to his arms, and everything down below that she has seen while being in the pond. The fact that he was just in his underwear wasn't a problem about five years ago, but now it was awfully distracting and a big curiosity detonator. Thankfully, the sunset was enough to pull out both of them out of the other's charm to realize they were running late for their return to the castle.

- It's getting late, we should return before Merlin sends some guards to look for us -

- Don't worry, I asked a maid to tell her that I would be here with you and that we will be returning together - said Arthur, with a little hope that Anna would like to stay just a bit more.

- We are leaving anyway, I'm sure that everyone is thinking how outrageous it is for the king to be mingling with his female bodyguard. Aquarius, lend me a human form - the mermaid, a little annoyed, recited her incantation and filled with awe the face of his friend as he observed, astonished, how the blackish scales along with the fins disappeared to let the skin and a pair of legs take place, the blue hair turned auburn and the violet eyes returned to a hazel color. He blushed a little at the sight of a little top and skirt that were barely covering the necessary parts of Anna's body.

Both stepped outside of the pond and took a different path so each could change into their clothes. It was hard for both of them to not peek at the other, but they found it disrespectful since Anna was a woman (in Arthur's POV) and Arthur was her king (in Anna's POV). Later on, the short trip to Camelot was quite the same as it has always been when those two went together on horse rides: calm and full of chatter, jokes and casual flirt that, while neither of them believed it to be sincere, it was as serious as it could get. When they arrived, they were greeted by a pair of guards who took their horses to the stable and a maid who told them that Lady Merlin was asking for the king and his bodyguard in her royal laboratory. Since it was none other that their mentor, especially in Anna's case, they decided it was for the best to just go and let her bear with the stench of muddy water instead of making her wait any longer so that she could transport them there with magic when she pleased in what could possibly be a bad moment.

- Come in - called the mage as she heard a gentle knocking on the door of her magical research facility, or "laboratory" as the people used to call it for short.

- Hey Merlin, what did you need us for? - asked casually the king as he freely made his way into the room that no one but him and Anna dared to enter.

- Nice seeing you both, and...ugh, what is that smell? - asked the mage with a notorious dislike.

- Pond water with mud, I was in the forest until his majesty here decided to join me and...let's just say that he got dragged into a stinky situation for it -

- Please go and bathe when I finish...Anyway, I believe you have heard that Liones' king, Bartra, has fallen ill - both Anna and Arthur nodded - Well, I don't trust a lot the version that are proclaiming their holy knights, so us three are leaving to Liones tomorrow morning -

- Don't you think is a little risky if their holy knights are as suspicious as you think they are? - asked Anna, letting her pure preoccupation for Arthur's safety to slip away.

- That's exactly why we need to go, but don't worry, I have full confidence that both you and Arthur can take care of yourselves -

- And weren't you considered a criminal in Liones? You know, for the whole Seven Deadly Sin's Boar of Gluttony thing - naively asked Arthur.

- Yet again, don't worry, I have thought of everything. I'll go with a disguise and you two will distract the two Great Holy Knights so I can check on the king, I just hope that we make it in time if he is as sick as I've heard -

Both teens were left with no more option than to nod and step outside of the laboratory so they could retreat to their own chambers, until Merlin called for Anna.

- Anna! Wait, come quick! - whispered the mage, clearly being careful to not call for the attention of any living being in the proximities and signaling her apprentice to quietly hurry.

- What is it? -

- I know you have been a holy knight for a while now, and I'm sorry that you have been reduced to use a common sword for protecting Arthur, but I'm proud to say that those days are over - claimed Merlin as she took out of a shelf a black box and opened it - from today onwards, this is your own...let's call it...sacred treasure -

- No way...you are totally kidding me - Anna muttered, she couldn't believe her eyes as Merlin handed her the opened box with a beautiful golden lasso that had a handle that resembled a giant sea snake with sapphires as it's eyes - How did you even got this done? I thought they only made them in Liones and for the sole purpose to be wielded by the Seven Deadly Sins -

- Yes, they were, but since you are no ordinary holy knight, I thought it would be best for you to have a weapon that could draw out your magical and physical power both as a mermaid and a human. It's not a sacred treasure like Diane's Guideon, King's Chastiefol or the rest of the originals, but I think it's the perfect title for a weapon so especially made -

Anna could barely hear the words that her master was speaking, she was totally amazed by the beauty of her weapon and the thoughtfulness of the gift itself since nobody but Merlin has ever done something like that for her. Without even thinking, she reached out to grab it, until the sapphires started gleaming and the lasso took life; it startled Anna, but still she let it move towards her right arm in a backwards motion as it embraced her whole forearm and settled the head over her hand. After it stopped moving, Anna could just lift her arm in fascination as she admired how it also doubled as a fancy bracelet. Merlin just chuckled at how her apprentice hugged her with all her love, appreciation and might for a gift so personal.

- It is called Kraken, and it will not only cause great damage, but it will also let you channel your magic while in human form so you can also physically hit with it - explained Merlin softly while tracing her finger over the weapon.

- And what about my mermaid form? You said that I could also use it while being myself -

- You will see it when the time comes, now go to bed Anna, tomorrow will be quite the day -

Anna was beaming with happiness at the sight of her weapon. Finally she was getting rid of big swords that were nothing more than a burden and obtaining something more of her taste; she was really hoping that tomorrow would bring her a fight with an opponent who could make her explore her weapon at it's fullest, but she was also worried about it having another form that corresponded to her actual being. Nobody, except Merlin and Arthur, knew about her true identity, so how could she even start to imagine exposing herself to an actual enemy if the time were to come? Wasn't her human-self strong enough to prevent it? Those were the kind of thoughts that clouded her mind as she bathed.

The hot water from the tub was making her dizzy at this point, but she has always liked to stay a little too long. The scent of the vanilla bathing oil that Arthur so generously got her as a present was the only thing that could easily bring her to a calm state, well, that and singing. When she and Merlin were on their own she used to sing freely because her mentor was not caught in the charms of the merfolk's voice, but ever since Arthur joined them she has kept it to a minimum to spare him of doing something either utterly ridiculous or dangerous; and the little habit only got more reprimanded once the trio moved into de castle. But tonight was different because Anna needed to feel herself, to feel that she wasn't ignoring her roots, so without a second of doubt, she started humming a lullaby that Merlin sang for her every once in a while.

Humming escalated to whispers, and soon enough, the song could be heard through the bathroom windows. Guards and maids nearby started to fall in peaceful sleep, and a particular boy was smiling as he remembered the days when his best friend would sing to herself as a mermaid and how he loved to spy on the girl when she did that; even if it meant the possibility of drowning, he was sure she would be there to pull him back to the surface. Arthur was sure that Anna didn't transform in the tub because he was only getting sleepy and not actually sleepwalking, and thought about how grateful he felt that her bedroom was right next to his due to all the bodyguard situation. He didn't remember when he fell asleep, but when he woke up, he couldn't go back to that peaceful state, so he decided that the best course of action was looking for the source of the singing.

Anna was just laying over her bed while staring at Kraken, until she heard a familiar knock on her door. She was sure that it was Merlin to give her a sermon about how careless it is for her to sing in a crowded place, so she walked towards her door practicing her puppy eyes in hope that she could let her get away with just this one, but the one that appeared on her door was none other than Arthur.

- What are you doing here? Do you have any idea about what time is it, and the problem that we are going to get into if somebody sees you? -

- You were singing and that's how I could manage to sleep, but I woke up and don't feel like it unless you sing again - Arthur casually smirked while leaning forward, as if asking permission to enter the girl's room.

- Look, you are acting like a spoiled child. I shouldn't have done it in the first place and there's no way that I'll do it again, so start counting sheep or something Arthur - angrily whispered Anna as she was closing the door, until a firm hand stopped her from doing so to let the boy slip into the chamber quickly - Are you insane?! I'm not having it from the maids if anybody manages to find you here. GET OUT -

- Please, I'm begging you. When was the last moment we got to spend like this? I barely even see you or Merlin without the obligation of being king...and I really need to be just us sometimes - whispered Arthur while using the puppy-eyes technique to disguise the sadness behind his words.

Anna couldn't bear it, he was annoyingly cute. She reluctantly agreed to Arthur's petition, so while the boy approached the bed, Anna proceeded to lock the door so that the maids could be kept outside of her room in the morning. Since they met while in their preteen age and with Merlin as the only responsible adult, they were quite used to sharing blankets and even beds, but now it was seen as offensive to Arthur's possible wives and not the "proper lady thing to do" for Anna, even if she was a holy knight and not your usual princess-like lady. As soon as she sat on the bed, Arthur's head made it to her lap as he hugged her waist; it was with the intention to make Anna run her hand through his hair in the way that would make him drowsy, but it actually made her blush madly due to the view he was giving her: a toned back and a perfectly shaped butt. The only common response was to chuckle at this, how is it that somebody can be so cute and yet so hot? Damn you Arthur. Anna started singing her favorite lullaby in a low voice so that less people around her bedroom could fall asleep, and at the same time she started stroking Arthur's hair the way he liked it; by the time that she was done singing, she noticed that her friend was soundly sleeping while still hugging her from the waist. It would have been a crime to transport him to his room while looking so peaceful and happy in his dreams, so Anna let it slide this time and let Arthur spend the night with her.

- Goodnight Arthur, have sweet dreams - whispered Anna before planting a soft kiss on Arthur's forehead.

So this is how it feels to love someone...I wish it wasn't like this...