Starus was a true gentleman, or gentlemerman, as it were. He showed Rena the entire town and even offered to send for her for dinner that evening as well as a place to freshen up beforehand. Mozenrath's plan had completely slipped from her mind as she sat in front of a mirror, humming lightly as she ran a coral comb through her hair. That is until she caught his reflection in the mirror.
"Glad you're having fun." He grumbled as he snuck past the curtain and into her dressing area.
She glared at his reflection. "You told me to use my 'feminine wilds' on him. I'm guessing this is what you meant?"
He shrugged, acting nonchalant. "For the most part. You definitely have his complete attention, just don't get carried away. We only have three days."
She adjusted her hair putting a blue flower up to her ear, frowning, and putting it back down. "Don't remind me. He's very kind, I feel bad doing this."
Mozenrath glared, plucking a red flower from a nearby plant and handing it to her. "This one. And don't start getting mushy now. Remember, if you back out now, I'll reverse the spell on you and you'll be left naked and drowned on the ocean floor."
She gave him a shocked look, her brown eyes wide as she stared into his dark ones. "You wouldn't!"
He just smiled wickedly and tucked the flower into her hair, running his gloved fingers around her neck briefly as he stared down her reflection. "In an instant." He moved away from her, heading back to the curtain, giving her one last look. "Never forget who you belong to, Rena."
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He'd been keeping an eye on her since she'd gone off with him, watching to see if this was really that easy. His dark eyes kept vigil as they'd gone through the length of ships that was the underwater equivalent of the market, narrowing his gaze when the prince put his arm around her waist to keep her from getting separated from him in the busy bazaar. Yeah right.
It wasn't until the offer for dinner crept up that his blood really began to boil. That look of delight on her face when he'd kissed her hand again. Was she seriously enjoying this bastards company? Clearly that flirting practice with Salazar had done the trick to really get into this game. If he didn't need that moon's tear he would have turned that fishy boy into a minnow and gotten the hell out of here, or better yet never brought her down here in the first place. He'd tried a disguise with the prince before and that was a bust so now she was his only chance. Damn it, that smug asshole needed to stop looking at her like that. She was HIS property, not some kiss happy prince's!
So when she'd finally be left alone he'd given her a gentle reminder about what would happen if she tried to back out or go soft on the plan. After all she'd looked like she was almost enjoying the attention. Rena didn't need that kind of attention going to her head. She wasn't anything special after all…
While she was busy entertaining the prince he took this opportunity to take a look around. Using the gauntlet had to limited to very minimum spells because they, much like him, had alarms here and there whenever heavy magic was being used, especially around the treasure rooms, not to mention guards galore. He kept to the shadows to the best of his ability and had managed to make it fairly close to the main treasure corridor when familiar voice began to carry his way.
"What is a Moon's tear, anyway?" Rena's voice carried down the hall, her shadow could be seen arms link with another as she moved closer.
"It's a type of gemstone that can only be found here. It's said that hundreds of years ago the spirit of the moon fell in love with the spirit of the ocean. The sun became jealous and banished the moon to hang in the sky and be forever apart from her love. She began to cry and her tears, once they touched the water, turned into stones. This is the only place in all of the seven seas where they've been found. That's one reason why both humans and merfolk come here." Starus's voice chimed, eyes soft as he looked down at her. "Some believe they are magic."
"Magic?" She said, giving him an innocent look, smiling. "How neat! I'd love to see one, or would that get you in trouble?"
Starus paused, his smile wavering slightly. "No trouble, but, you must promise not to tell a soul about me bringing you to see them. Promise?"
Rena nodded, crossing an 'x' over her heart, making Mozenrath roll his eyes. "I promise."
Starus's smile returned full force and he tugged her towards a small treasure room off to the side of main vault. He spoke a few words in a language she didn't understand, possibly Atlantian was her best guess, and the door swung open. They entered one after the other and the door swung shut softly behind them. At first the room was so dark that she couldn't see her hand in front of her face, but slowly glowing lights on the walls began to resonate and illuminate. Inside the room was a single table with a box made of red coral. Starus placed his hand on the top of the box, said a couple more words in Atlantian and the box popped open. Inside glowed dozens of little blue gemstones of various sizes and all in the shape of teardrops.
Rena's eyes widened as she admired them. "They're beautiful, Starus!" She looked from him to the stones and back again. "They look like the color of your eyes!"
Starus just chuckled. "My mother says the same thing, ever since I was little." He took a small stone out of the back and handed it to her. "Here, take a closer look."
The brunette examined the stone, holding up to the light and watching it sparkle before offering it back to him. "They really are beautiful."
"Yes," He moved closer, taking her chin in his finger and lifting it up to have her look at him. "You are."
Rena gulped her inner self beginning to panic slightly. True Starus had been nothing but a complete sweetheart up to this point but his was happening very fast, way too fast for comfort. She'd played the ruse, flirted her little heart out to get in here, now where was Mozenrath? "Starus, I…" She didn't get any farther than that when the prince swooped down and kissed her. It was neither forceful nor gentle. A true and solid kiss, full of want and, dare she say it, love. In comparison to her only other experience with kissing, it was like night and day.
She neither pushed him away, nor encouraged him but simply waited until he pulled away. "Starus, I think you might be going a little too fast here…"
"Marry me." He said solidly, a playful smile on his face.
"What?!" Her eyes went wide. She must have heard him wrong. He couldn't have said…
"Marry me." He repeated, taking her hand. "Make me the happiest merman in the seven seas and become my wife."
She tried to back away but he wouldn't let go. "Starus, I'm flattered, really, but…I…I can't."
His expression faltered, blue eyes filling with sadness. "Why not?"
"You've only just met me, we know next to nothing about each other, this is way too soon!" She rambled out, looking at the door frantically, hoping it would open up if she could only get to it.
"It's alright, royal courtships are well known to be very minimal. My parents didn't first meet in fact until the day before their marriage. Besides, we'll have the rest of our lives to get to know one another." He chimed, fluffing off her reasons.
"That's not all of it though. I…uh…I'm engaged. To another man…merman…" She lied, not meeting his eyes. "In fact I'm sure he's looking for me right now so I should go."
"But it can't be," He said sadly, holding onto her hand, more tightly to the point the moon's tear was starting to dig into her palm painfully. "You are truly the most perfect women I've even known! You must be mine!"
"Starus, let go. You're hurting me hand!" Rena was now starting to get a little frantic. The look in his eyes was desperate, and warning bells were sounding in her head.
"No! I WON'T LET YOU GO!" He bellowed, tightening his grip and she cried out, the stone cutting into her hand till droplets of blood started to float about in the room.
"HEY!" Yelled a third voice that made both of them turn. There in the doorway floated Mozenrath, eyes black and enlarged just like a true shark at the smell of blood. His hands were balled up into fists, teeth gritted and ready to pounce at any given time.
"Mozenrath!" Rena called out; trying to swim to him but Starus still had a grip on her hand, although it had lessened in its vice-like strength.
"This is your intended?" Starus asked calmly, his stance also on edge but by far in more control that the other man's. "This scrawny pup one could barely call a male?"
Rena yelped lightly as Starus raised his hand high, straining her arm as it pulled at an awkward angle. "Yes, he is!"
"Let her go!" Mozenrath ground out. "She's mine and you can't have her!"
Starus let out a growl that sounded more animal than man. He released Rena's hand and she flung herself against Mozenrath's body, cradling her bleeding hand with the other, shaking from both fear and adrenaline. To her surprise, his right arm encircled her, the rough leather of the gauntlet hold firm on her waist, tingling slightly with enraged magic.
Starus's eyes undialated a fraction at the sight of her bleeding hand, reaching out slightly but grimacing as she flinched away. He looked like a little boy who'd just kicked a puppy for eating his favorite toy and now regretted his actions. But as Mozenrath put a second arm around Rena, bringing her close the guilty look vanished, his hand fisted and moved back to his side. "If she is truly yours then you will fight for her."
They both looked at him, one with anger, the other with surprise.
"If you win, you may keep your woman and I'll even throw in the moon tear she has. But if I win, Rena is mine. Now and forever!" Starus declared, turning his gaze to the open door. "Guards! Take these two to one of the guest rooms. Tomorrow he and I will do battle in the arena to settle who will marry the beautiful Rena!"
The pair was suddenly surrounded by several guards, each carrying a spear and several aiming their weapons at them as they were escorted out of the treasure room and away from Starus.