Twin

Orm was drifting through the doors of the royal stables, where light filtered in through the green glass roof. He approached his sea dragon's stall. Its name was etched into a silver plaque hanging above the stall: Dorci. Orm gestured for a servant to fetch his saddle. As the servant placed the saddle over the creature's back, Orm patted its snout. Its dark scales reflected a pearlescent sea-green in the stable light. It yawned, flashing two long rows of black fangs as leathery lids closed over pearl-white eyes. As Orm drifted towards its back and lowered himself into the saddle, it made a small and hollow clicking sound in the back of its throat. With a gentle tap to its side, he prompted the creature to glide out into the courtyard.

For once, Orm was leaving the palace grounds during the daytime—but he felt more dread than excitement. Orvax had requested his presence for a ride. This was a rare occasion, and Orm feared some displeasure on his father's part. Deeper than his fear of disappointment, the young man stifled his even more intense fear of exposure. If Orvax had any suspicion of the truth, Orm knew that he would stop at nothing to ferret it out. So he rose slowly, reluctantly, towards the dark silhouette of his father above. He knew he was going to be late, and still could not bring himself to greater haste.

"You're late. Is that old bag getting too tired to swim properly?" Orvax sneered as Orm approached, gesturing to the sea dragon with a sharp flick of his wrist.

Orvax himself was seated on a gigantic white shark, its sides traced with innumerable scars and gashes, marbled with little pink ravines. The behemoth was missing an eye, and several teeth, and had lived just as long as its tyrant master. Orm's skin crawled if he looked at it for too long. The beast lacked even a name; there was no need to distinguish it. It was the only steed Orvax had ever used, and it was as unmistakably ghoulish as the marred soul of its keeper. But the monster was not the current topic of conversation.

"No, Your Highness, Dorci is in good health. The delay was my own fault." His fathers sunken eyes blazed in response, glowing amber in the typical Atlantean fashion for just a moment. Orm winced. He had been instructed never to accept the burden of fault, never to put himself in a situation where he might have to, and yet…something had troubled him in Orvax' accusatory nature towards his sea dragon. Something had prompted him to shield the creature from criticism it had not deserved, even at the expense of his own image—the fragile image that Orvax dangled before him at all times. Dorci had never shown a trace of stubbornness; the creature could even be trusted to drift on her own during his nocturnal visits to shore. He knew she would always return to him. She had been trained well.

While Orm had been stewing over his thoughts, his father led them in a wide arc around the palace grounds. Attendants and servants hustled about the courtyards below them, as small as Orm's thumb when viewed from such a height. He had been this high many times, when ascending to approach the surface, but had never dared to rise within city limits—not in a place where he could be so easily detected. The white spires pointed up towards him like daggers.

"You have been confined to the palace for too long," Orvax's voice was no more than a rumble in the ambient rush of the ocean. "Your training here is rapidly approaching its limit. I am exploring possibilities for you to expand your horizons somewhat."

"Thank you, father," Orm responded, after catching his breath for a moment—was he hearing this correctly? It was hard to imagine Orvax willingly loosening his grip on Orms' agency, even for the future good of the kingdom. Despite his deep curiosity, he knew better than to voice his curiosity. He knew better than to question the tyrant.

"You do well to thank me. If you do as I say, this will aid your ascent to Oceanmaster," Orvax continued.

"Yes, father." Immeasurable relief had flooded through him. Orvax was serious—not only was he still unaware of his son's secret wanderings, but he was ready to allot some extra freedoms. The reality that this travel would come with new responsibility was not lost on Orm, but this was to be expected. His burdens would only increase as he rose to power. He had been trained for this.

"I'm sure you desire more information. You've always wanted details," Orvax continued. "but I am testing your patience. I will tell you more as I find more suitable tasks for you. For now, expect new challenges. Prepare yourself accordingly."

The pair had made its way back towards the palace, and Orvax led them back to the stable. As he dismounted from his white shark, he bid Orm a cold farewell and disappeared back into the nearest portico. Orm brought Dorci back to her stall, scooping some extra feed into her trough before he left. Guilt struck him for overworking her so much lately. She needed the night to rest, but he needed tonight to go back to shore. His time with (Y/N) now felt even more jeopardized, but without any details of where Orvax would be sending him, or when, all he could do was spend more time with her in the present.