"Adiiinaaaaa! …..Adinnna? Are you awake?! Open up!"
Adina heard Noah calling to her through the door, and she bolted upright out of bed, rushing to answer the door.
Boys weren't allowed in her hallway in the Resting Period without a guardian present, so if anyone spotted him, he'd get into big trouble.
"What are you doing here?" Adina whispered as Noah darted into her room, looking stressed and panicked. She closed the door firmly behind her and saw him swimming around in anxious circles near the ceiling.
"Did you know?!" Noah cried, his hair floating around him in a puff as he slowly sank to the ground. "That they're letting me stay here for a year, and you're gonna study on land for a year?!"
"Yes, of course," Adina said sweetly, sitting prettily on her bed with her fins tucked neatly underneath her. "Papa told me while we were getting dressed together. I'm super excited. Don't worry, I won't touch your things. You'll have your own room here too."
"That's not what I'm worried about!" Noah whispered, folding his fins underneath him too, trying to copy how regal she looked. "What if I can't do your job?!"
"You can't do my job," Adina replied proudly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I'm a soon-to-be-queen. You're a prince. My rank is higher than yours, and I'm prettier than you. Our jobs are different."
"But…" Noah's voice caught in his throat, and he composed himself enough to try again. "But Seto said I had to do all the same stuff you do, like, greet people, go to school and do tutoring, and do Visitations—whatever that is, and do the same lessons again, but in Merspeak!"
Adina blinked at him and nodded, shrugging. "I do all that stuff and more," she said, wondering what the panic was all about. "I follow Papa around and attend his royal meetings sometimes too. Then I also follow Uncle Seth around and help him arrange training practice for the military in Daddy's colony. I also do the same lessons, but in Japanese and English. Oh, and I read the human storybooks when I'm awake during our Resting Periods, like now, when I'm bored."
Noah stared at Adina, dumbfounded.
What the heck?! He'd always thought Adina's job was to look cute and order people around to get food and stuff! She was a tiny genius! Doing lessons in both English and Japanese?
He could barely pass English right now!
"W-What if I can't…do all that too?" Noah choked, knowing for sure that he couldn't. Uncle Seto had created a freakishly full schedule for him to follow, and it was starting to all sound terrifying.
"You're gonna have to," Adina said, frowning thoughtfully. "You're a prince. Daddy, Papa, and Uncle Seth all do those things. If you can't…then you'll have to figure out how else to help, like become a warrior or something, but no royals are allowed to be warriors, so that's off limits."
"Great," Noah said glumly, stabbing his fingers in the sand.
He'd been looking forward to throwing a spear with Warrior Mahad.
That was going to be a far-away dream if he was expected to be glued to a desk to learn Merspeak and English and do mer-school at the same time.
"Don't disturb my sand!" Adina cried, diving forward to grab his wrist, gazing worriedly into his face. "I'll talk to Daddy about it?"
"No, don't." Noah said stiffly, already feeling like a huge burden. All of this terrifying news came with the fact that their Procession was tomorrow too, so it was too late to back out of it. He was going to be introduced to the 'people of the kingdom', and his job as Prince was going to start for real.
"Changed your mind about staying?" Adina asked softly, curling her fins underneath her to sit beside Noah, patting his back sympathetically. "It's really hard to be a royal. People in our kingdom have jobs too, like egg-raising, making the utensils we eat with, or making cups, vases, jars, or discarding human litter, and taking turns gathering kelp from other shores. Everyone has a job…otherwise we would…die."
Noah said nothing and stared down at his green fins, trying his best not to cry as he briefly enjoyed the way they shone under the soft lights of Adina's room.
"Well, tell me more about your job on land," Adina said, trying to make Noah feel better. "Daddy told me a little bit, but he said he's still waiting for Uncle Moki to 'finalize'."
Noah squared his shoulders back and said, "you'd have to keep your royal status a secret first of all—"
"I know that," Adina replied haughtily, her blue eyes flashing. "I'm not stupid, stupid."
"Well, then land is pretty great and you're gonna enjoy yourself," Noah said in a rush, his eyes heating up with tears again. "There's TV, and chocolate, and those fizzy drinks that you like. It's gonna be like a vacation for you. School is gonna be easy for you since you already speak Japanese so well."
"But what's hard about it? You're saying only the good things," Adina protested, really worried that Noah was going to cry now, and thankfully, her cousin pulled himself together after talking more about shore.
"Fine. You have to fit in, and you can't be weird," Noah said roughly, remembering the smashed chocolate pies bullies would leave on his desk. "You have to have a close circle of friends to protect you. People might be mean to you because our family has money."
"That's it?" Adina asked, her eyes wide, so Noah decided to add, "and we own a jewelry company named after you, so you're going to have to learn how to run a business. Its super hard, you have to work long hours, just like my dad."
"Oh…" Adina nodded, filing this information away to ask her Daddy later. "Cool."
Noah pouted and looked down at his fins again, his chest swirling with anxiety.
It was fine.
He could do this.
What was the worst thing that could happen?
Uncle Seto said he needed to learn all this stuff 'until it sinks in'.
"Feel better now?" Adina asked hopefully, eyeing the door and wondering if she should privately call for Warrior Mahad to come fetch Noah and take him back to the men's wing.
"Yeah, kinda. I'm just not as smart as you," Noah said glumly, floating up from the ground and brushing sand off his fins.
"You don't hafta be smart," Adina said, repeating Papa Atem's quotes back at Noah. "You just gotta work hard and show everyone your best side. Take example from Warrior Jounouchi."
"Joey?" Noah perked up, his spirits lifting slowly.
Yeah, Joey was kinda weird…too smiley and always eating something.
"Yes, him," Adina nodded, grabbing Noah by the arm and leading him to the door. "Did you know he failed all his written exams? But he helped Papa break his pact, and he escorted Papa to and from land safely. Also, he's a commander now. He has a pod of 50 men under his control! And he's not very smart, is he?"
"Wow, really?" Noah felt as if a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Uncle Atem kept saying Warrior Joey was his best friend and best warrior next to Mahad, and if he failed all his exams and was still that cool, then there was hope after all.
"Good, now swim back before anyone sees you," Adina whispered, shoving Noah out the door and giving him a warm smile. "Bye! Love you!"
The door was shut in his face and Noah called back in his mind, "love you too…!" before darting off down the darkened hallways back to the men's wing, feeling much better about everything.
Kaiba curled his fins around Atem's lower body, enjoying his warmth, and he slowly crept a hand across the king's chest, enjoying the curved muscles dipping underneath his palm.
Atem shifted in his sleep, frowning at the warm hand sliding across the front of his chest and he cracked an eye open, seeing Kaiba hovering mischievously over him, his fangs glinting handsomely in the low light of the bedroom, causing his head to spin.
He closed his eyes, exhausted.
Kaiba wanted to play, but they couldn't…because Adina and Noah's Procession…was tomorrow… and he was…so… incredibly… tired….
Kaiba ran his fingertips over Atem's pectoral muscles and gave it a teasing squeeze, silently wishing the king would wake up and look at him, but to his extreme dismay, Atem had fallen back asleep.
His chest was rising and falling rhythmically.
Ah dammit, Kaiba growled, curling back underneath the covers, hating how his boner kept poking out in front of him. It was hard to ignore, and he'd tried initiating several times in the past week, thinking their work was over because the planning was done, but Atem was burnt out.
He shut his eyes and tried to sleep too, knowing that if he didn't, he wouldn't look as fresh as he normally did because he'd already been awake for the past two weeks.
It was the day of the Procession.
Adina floated gracefully between her two fathers, decked out in all her finery, even wearing sunflowers from shore in her hair and carrying a mixed bouquet of pink coral, red peonies, and green leaves…also from shore, courtesy of Daddy. He'd even managed to put some glowing lights into the flowers, making the bouquet the highlight of her entire outfit.
Her hair had been twisted off into a side-braid, draping elegantly down one side of her face to help hide the one un-formed ear while her other, pretty ear, was on full display. Papa Atem even had some hanging-jewelry custom made for her, so that no piercing had to be done.
Atem was glowing as people fawned over Adina the moment they laid eyes on her, and his mind was filled with their startled shouts and ecstatic cries.
The Princess of Muran! At last! She's beautiful!
A double-princess! She's also from Helios, was it? Incredible, look at that hair!
Fully-formed ears already?! The Royal Family is blessed….
She looks so breathtaking! The prettiest child I've ever seen in all my years!
Kaiba on the other hand, was developing a slight headache from all the praise, also hearing people talking about him too.
Is that Prince Seto? I'm so glad I'm finally seeing him with my own eyes. I thought he was a myth.
What interesting ear jewelry! A bit excessive, but he's a handsome prince….
THE FAMED DEAD PRINCE! This is his daughter? Incredible! Royal genetics are something to behold….
Short hair on such a high-ranking royal?! I suppose as twins, they don't want to be confused…
Now this makes me want to resort in Helios…to catch another glimpse of these handsome Princes….
The princess looks stunning! They even gave her flowers from shore. Their reach knows no bounds.
Noah hung onto his father's hand, staring intently at Warrior Mahad's back as he led the way for them, protecting them from any hostile members of the crowd. Uncle Seth was beside him, waving at people, while Mokuba and Ayame trailed behind Noah almost fearfully, unsure of how to behave with all the attention.
"This is Prince Noah of Helios! Make way for Prince Noah," Mahad announced, and people bowed respectfully before straightening up to gawk at him.
Noah swallowed thinly and raised his hand to wave just as Uncle Seth had taught him and caught a few startled glances from people in the crowds, hearing their thoughts echoing sharply his mind
Another one! From Helios?! They're really back on the map!
Can't wait to book my vacation with them, thank Suijin! What a cute boy!
Awwww another infant! Look at his unformed ears… I remember when my baby had those….
Two royal babies?! And this one's a boy! WOW! Helios here I come.
Now I just want a vacation….
Best day ever! An adorable queen-to-be and king-to-be! I love them both!
They look so healthy, must be nice living so close to the sun!
Noah kept the smile plastered on his face, thinking this wasn't any different when the paparazzi tried to catch him off guard at the school gates, but usually there'd be a teacher or a bodyguard there to shield him. Here, he was on full display for everyone to see his face, and he'd been asked to pick jewelry to wear on both his arms, his head, neck, and his waist.
He opted out of rings, earrings, and the weird golden net that Adina wanted to wear at the end of her fins. It was like a fishnet sock, so…no thanks.
They were approaching the palace gates after swimming a loop around the Royal Village, and they were bowed in by the guards wearing helmets. To Noah's surprise, people began flooding in through the gates after them, carrying baskets of gifts and others singing sweet songs over their heads, tossing shells over them as they swam forward.
It was…all so weird.
He was used to hiding from crowds of people who would call him 'Noah Kaiba' spitefully, but here, everyone seemed to genuinely love him, even though they didn't know him at all.
They stopped in the Royal Banquet Hall, and Seto's voice echoed loudly in his head, making him wince.
"Please enjoy yourselves. Form a line along the pillars and we will receive you warmly… Thanks."
Adina floated regally over to the largest chair set up at the head of the table, just as she'd practiced many times, and sat down in it after Papa pulled it aside for her.
People carrying the largest gifts swam forward first to place them in a row along the table. They bowed and approached her with their heads lowered respectfully, each openly saying their requests.
"I am Kiva, from the Outer Hemisphere of Muran. Please ensure that Volcanic Visitations for Warriors are lessened in the oncoming centuries. Thank you." And the mermaid with dark brown hair bowed deeply and swam away, making room for the man behind her who also bowed and said slowly, "I am Thijis the metalsmith, residing in the Royal Village. Please make it so that my apprentices will have enough materials to work with in the oncoming moons. Any form of mixed metal found on shore will be appreciated. Thank you, Princess."
Adina nodded, filing this all away in her mind, wondering if Noah ought to be here too to listen to this because she was going away to shore for a year.
"Daddy? Can Noah be here with us?" She whispered, looking up at her father, and Kaiba gave her a tight nod, seeing another family of merpeople hovering hopefully in line, eyeing them with wide eyes of admiration.
"Noah, come here!" Atem called, waving the tiny boy. He was being accosted by a group of children who were asking him to play with them later, and to his rising anxiety, Warrior Mahad led him away from the boys and made him float beside Seto, right behind Adina's throne-like chair, which he had helped decorate earlier with flowers.
The merperson next in line set his gift down on the table and rushed forward with his family in tow. Three mer-babies and a wife, all of them bowing in unison as the man spoke for them, "Dearest Princess, Your Highness King Atem, and Esteemed Princes. Please make it so that there are safer play structures for my children in this Hemisphere. Might I suggest the Outer City fields for the space. Thank you."
Noah swallowed thinly, barely understanding every other word, and when he finally pieced it together in his head, he realized they only had one playground here, and it was the giant sunken ship. That couldn't be good, could it?
Just as that thought left his mind, a pair of pretty mermaids floated forwards and bowed deeply, their shell jewelry floating up from their necks as they spoke, "We are sisters Pru and Zen. Please make it so that we will have enough dyed kelp for the coming winter. Thank you. As a gift, we've hand-woven several baskets for Your Majesties."
They floated away, their tails swishing in sync.
Noah gaped. These all sounded like…stuff to do. Crap.
There really was a lot of stuff to do down here, including study.
All these people relied on them to make stuff like this happen. Wow, it was a lot.
Kaiba tapped his fingers against the back of Adina's throne, biting back a yawn. If these people could just send him an email about this, he could set up a filter and fulfill requests en masse, but no, he had to stand here, see and remember every face, and be…personable about it.
Adina was a better human than him in this sense.
She had Atem's patience for people and a heart of gold, only slightly mixed in with a dash of his cynicism. Dammit. Well thank god this was all going to be her problem later on, but in the meantime, it was all his problem.
She was only sitting there as a pretty figurehead, waiting to come-of-age when he and Atem were the ones rushing around to fulfill these requests. She knew that, and tried to help when she could, but he insisted she play with kids her own age in order to remain grounded.
This shore schooling couldn't have come at a better time.
After a few more groups of merpeople approached the table, the crowd thinned as food was served, and people stopped approaching them, giving them a much-needed break.
Adina let out a tiny sigh of relief.
Noah sagged against Seto's arm and saw his father swimming towards him with a sympathetic grimace.
My hero! Noah thought gratefully, darting over to his father to give him a crushing hug, ranting to him non-stop. Dad, guess what? These mermaids need a new playground! And-And they want us to stop making whales our royal pets! Did you know we could have a whale as a pet?
Wow…cool, Mokuba replied noncommittally, seeing Seto rub his forehead tiredly, and he felt a rush of sympathy for his older brother too. He was so glad he wasn't sticking around to deal with all of this. Running two companies was stressful enough.
"These people need internet," Kaiba growled, and Atem threw him a small smile, giving him a gentle caress on his forearm that made his body heat up gratefully.
"These people want to say it to your face, so that they're heard," Atem explained patiently, and Adina chimed in, "Yeah, Daddy. Hear them."
"Yeah, but all of them?!" Kaiba whispered, gesturing at the crowded dining hall full of people. He'd never seen this many merpeople before in his life and he was starting to freak out a little. He thought there'd be maybe five, ten, or hell, twenty community leaders coming forward with demands, but everyone and their grandma was coming up here to ask for stuff like, "more tinned fruit please, but only if you can find them, My Majesties!"
Hmm…sucks to be you, Mokuba floated away quickly, eager to be out of earshot, and Noah followed his father anxiously, throwing Seto a half-smile over his shoulder.
Thankfully, Uncle Seth had reassured him before the Procession that he was being declared as a Prince, from Helios.
That meant that the Kingdom of Muran's demands were second to the resort colony's needs. This news helped him relax a bit more too, because it meant he could take his time learning Mer, and even have some fun throwing spears with Uncle Seth instead of being crazy busy like Adina.
"Now let's swim around and make sure to greet the Elders," Atem instructed, already seeing his grandfather floating towards them with a group of white-haired merpeople surrounding him.
Kaiba tensed and felt the air grow cold as silence fell in the entire hall.
All eyes were now on them.
Each of Elders wore a thin, golden circlet with a tiny Greek letter in their silky white hair, and the one wearing the Epsilon symbol approached Kaiba first with a stiff bow.
"Prince Seto of Helios. Congratulations on your return from shore. Thank you for your service, we are eternally grateful."
Kaiba swallowed thinly and nodded, feeling the hairs rising on the back of his neck.
Sure, but he didn't really do anything other than come extremely close to killing himself while waiting for Atem to surface…so…you're welcome?
Another Elder turned to address Atem, her eyes glittering as she spoke so clearly, her voice echoed in the quiet hall, "King Atem, you've made a wonderful decision lifting the ban on Human Artifacts. Because of you, we will now educate our children with better tools."
A light smattering of applause echoed in the hall, and Kaiba felt like screaming. Sure… It was totally his idea, but Atem could take allll the credit for it. Awesome.
"Princess, we are expecting great things from you," the Elder wearing the Gamma circlet said with a kind smile, and Adina straightened up and nodded. "Please make it so that we have an era of peace under your rule. There have been too many wars these past few centuries. My old heart can't take it anymore."
"And nettings, but those we can't prevent those as much, my darling. Don't worry, Granddaddy will take care of that for you when it happens," Solomon added, and Kaiba had to force himself not to roll his eyes.
Could he die now?
This was agonizing.
"Grandfather, there is something about Adina's schooling we'd like to discuss with you in private," Atem said carefully, and Kaiba grit his teeth, shaking his head frantically. No. No, NO! Bad time! Not in front of the Council of Assholes.
Seriously?! He knew Atem was just doing this to 'be polite' and 'follow procedure', but could they please keep it in the family and not involve the stuck-up strangers?! These were the old farts in charge of the whiny dolphins who patrolled his shore.
"Maybe another time…" One of the Elders in the back spoke up, and Kaiba nodded vehemently, thanking the man furiously in his head. Yes. Fuck. Please. Now could they exit stage left and never come back?!
"Anything you can say to me you can say in front of our Elders," Solomon said seriously, and Atem, feeling Kaiba radiating hostile energy, quickly changed his mind and said, "Yes, perhaps later then," but Adina piped up, hoping to help.
"Daddy and Papa are sending me to shore for one solar year of education. There, I will learn the ways of human school and how to run a business."
There was a stunned silence and Kaiba cursed fluently inside his head, wondering who the hell taught her how to say shit like that. Probably had to be Noah.
Thankfully, the Elders seemed unfazed by this, but Atems' grandfather's face changed colors four times, going from pink, to red, to purple, and then grey.
"That is incredible. You will have the most rewarding experience," Elder Gamma said warmly, bowing at the princess, and another Elder chimed in. "Yes, seeing as how your father was so successful on land, we have no doubt you will receive nothing but the best, isn't that right, Prince Seto?"
Kaiba cleared his throat tightly and tried his best to sound polite as he said, "Of course. We have vigilant guards, nannies, and the highest security, even at the school she's attending."
"Indeed," another Elder nodded, floating away from their circle and giving them a formal wave. "Have a great time on shore, Princess. Please make it so that you learn everything there is to know about humans and their current ways of life so that you may apply that knowledge to the way you rule over us. Thank you!"
Adina waved regally at the departing Elder and waved at the other old merpeople as they swam away, giving her soft, admiring smiles over their shoulders before their vision was blocked by Solomon, towering over them with his white hair floating threateningly in the space around him.
"You did not run this by me first, my boy," the old merman said, and Atem's eyes flashed dangerously as he tightened his grip around his daughter's gold-adorned arm.
"I don't need to run everything by you first. She is my child, my decision," Atem shot back bravely. "We've already made the arrangements. She's leaving next moon when Mokuba is finished 'finalizing', and we will see her off with happy faces."
Solomon ground his teeth and Kaiba delicately pinched the bridge of his nose. Could they not openly fight while the entire public was in their dining room?
"I-I won't be able to see her for a y-year!" Solomon sputtered, turning red in the face again after the color returned from his ashen complexion. "Darling, Adina, my love…? You won't be able to spend time with Granddaddy at all when you're on shore! You want that? I'll miss you so much! I love you, my dear!"
"Grandaddy can come visit me on shore," Adina said pertinently, smoothing her braid down her shoulder with a practiced motion. "Just grow legs. Anyone can do it. Noah does it all the time. You can too. Now I'm hungry. Papa? Let's get something to eat."
"Yes, let's." Atem glowered at his grandfather and led her away, grateful that she was so perceptive of the mood sometimes.
Kaiba quickly followed them, not wanting to be yelled at further.
Atem's side of the family was terrifying.
But it was comforting to see people parting respectfully to let them swim through, and when Adina chose a seat at the table, people bowed and silently offered her uneaten plates of food. Aw….
A warm hand clamped down on his shoulder and Kaiba's eyelid twitched in annoyance. He knew it was Seth who always greeted him like this. No one else ever dared to touch him other than Adina and Atem.
"A word?" Seth asked hopefully, his blue eyes gleaming with manic glee.
Kaiba nodded and followed his twin out into the hall, passing by many groups of merpeople who bowed and greeted them both.
"Princes!"
"Princes of Helios! An absolute honor!"
"Your Highnesses! Prince Seto and Prince Seth! What a day to remember!"
Ugh, Kaiba thought dully, and he forced a smile on his face while Seth swam beside him, waving in that obnoxious way that he hated.
It was cute when Adina and Noah did it, because they were children, but seeing his brother do it felt different. Atem greeted people with a nod, was that because he was a king?
He had no idea.
Finally, they found a secluded corner in a hallway near the TimeKeeper's wing, and Seth floated excitedly in front of his face, his brown hair swishing everywhere as he spoke ecstatically.
"Seto! Guess what? We've been booked out for the next five centuries!" Seth exclaimed breathlessly, weak with joy. "People want to vacation in our resort in support of the Princess!... And us! But this is great news for our colony!"
"Cool," Kaiba said dryly, folding his arms.
Nice to know that being married to Atem came with PR perks for his freshly risen colony.
"So this means if you want to meet kings and queens from other colonies, we should talk to them now, because they're all here," Seth insisted, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him back to the main hall. "Make sure you mention our co-ed dwellings, and no discounts for servicemen. Every dwelling is created equal. We are not a warzone anymore."
Kaiba rolled his eyes and realized Seth saw this as a giant advertising opportunity.
Great for him.
But he'd just sat through a million people coming forward asking Adina for favors, and he couldn't forget it even if he tried, which meant he had his work cut out for him in the next few hundred years, making sure everyone and their grandma got tinned fruits.
They approached the crowded entrance of the hall, and people once again began parting respectfully to let them through, bowing and some even offering gifts as they swam by.
Seth beamed and accepted a shell bracelet from a passing mermaid, slipping it onto his wrist, earning gasps of joy and admiration.
He accepted it! Oh my gods! I'm going to faint! He's so handsome!
Unfaiiiir! He didn't take mine! I spent a whole moon searching for these blue shells!Kaiba grimaced and glanced around, seeing a mermaid by his elbow, bowed forward with both her hands outstretched, cupping a delicate seashell bracelet shining with a blue-green color similar to his own fins. His hand reached out before he could stop himself and he lifted it out of her grasp, barely able to make eye contact to acknowledge her before Seth continued to pull him forward, but her thoughts pierced his mind loudly.
PRINCE SETO ACCEPTED MY GIFT! I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL EMBER! SHE'LL LOSE HER MIND!
"This is why you don't take anything," Kaiba hissed at Seth, but his twin smiled back at him and replied, "You need to take something, or word will get out that you're so up your own fins, you won't accept mer-made jewelry."
Pure nonsense, Kaiba reeled, absently shoving the bracelet onto his already heavily gold-adorned arms. Re-learning mer-manners was agonizing. They had more finicky rules than Japanese people did. It was insane.
A group of heavily armored merpeople were floating towards them in formation, and Kaiba felt Seth stiffen nervously at his side and then bow.
Annoyed and confused, Kaiba didn't bow, because Atem had told him never to bow unless he was sure the person he was bowing to was of a higher rank than he was.
The merperson at the head of the group took off his helmet and let the sheets of light blue hair cascade down his shoulders. He tucked the helmet to his waist and bowed prettily, his hair swirling around his waist as he straightened up and looked Kaiba full in the face and announced, "It is I, Master Dartz, leader of Hunters of Kuril. It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Prince Seto."
Kaiba could only gape. His voice had left his chest in a stiff rush when he made eye-contact with the man, who had striking two-colored eyes. One was a bright, glowing citrine, and the other was a crystal-clear blue. H-Holy fuck… Another prince?
"No, a Hunter!" Seth hissed, giving him a hard nudge in his side, and Kaiba nodded, unable to feel his limbs. Well, this as a first. He was seeing a merman who was possibly…prettier…than Atem? No. Impossible. If he looked past the obvious heterochromia, Atem was still prettier.
Why am I thinking about that? Kaiba raged, and to his rising displeasure, Seth was flushing dark red and bowing again, peeking up at the hunter through his long sheets of brown hair while they talked.
And Kaiba immediately recognized that behavior, having seen it once before…with Kisara.
Oh god.
Seth was attracted to this guy.
The Dartz hunter was still talking, and people were floating past them, trying to eavesdrop.
"I came to ask if you wanted us to gift you with another stone," Dartz said silkily, his accent leaking strangely as he reached out to grasp Seth's hands in both of his, and Seth flushed an even darker red. "Or perhaps I should be asking King Atem this question, seeing as how the Princess was borne of two great colonies."
Still speechless, Kaiba watched his twin stammer ungracefully and reply, "thank you for gracing us with a visit last decade. Please consider staying at my resort in-between your seasons."
Kaiba bit back the urge to roll his eyes. Seth should just say, "please come over so we can fuck."
Sitting at the far end of the room at the table, Atem grit his teeth when he saw Seth bowing to a Hunter while Seto floated resolutely by his side, eyeing the beautiful man with a stunned look on his face. If he recalled his very first encounter with Seto, he'd demanded a stone with a blue core, and now that he was seeing Seto meet a hunter for the first time, his uncertainty came back in a rush.
My King, Mahad appeared beside his elbow, smiling at the merpeople surrounding Adina while sending Atem private thoughts. Do you see your princes mingling with Hunters? I heard their thoughts as I passed by. Either one of them may be thinking about mating with the leader.
What? Atem hissed, his fury rushing to his head so suddenly, it made him dizzy.
Were you two planning on mating with other colonies now that you've both finished bearing eggs together? Mahad asked, and Atem barely heard him.
It wasn't Seto thinking about that, was it? Atem asked heatedly, not caring that the emotion was showing on his face and that other people could see him. That would be the highest form of betrayal indeed, and Seto was so openly talking with another group of queens from another colony. He could see the women blushing and reaching out to touch his arm, and it made his blood boil.
I don't know. They have the same voice, Mahad replied nervously, feeling the king's aura darken alarmingly fast, and his resentment for Seto Kaiba came back in a furious rush. That merman was calculated, and always made moves that benefited himself and his kingdom. This clearly was no different. Prince Seto was probably now planning to mate with another large colony's queen or king to bear another royal egg, that would cause an uproar in the ocean.
Atem kept watching Seto from afar, and his fury rose higher when he saw the lead hunter from earlier tap his forearm and slowly wrap his hand around his wrist, leading him away from the crowded hall. Atem even saw Seth throw Seto a jealous look over his shoulder before turning back with a charming smile to entertain the queens.
Fuck…! Atem raged, rising from his chair and wondering why he had to fight to keep his mate. Was it because Seto was good-looking? Handsome?
Coveted because he was an Undercover warrior?
Because he had knowledge of land?
Because he has a kingdom on land?
In fact, it was two kingdoms, because Mokuba had said they had two 'businesses' to run.
"Papa? Where're you goin?" Adina asked cutely, giving him a pleading look with her clear blue eyes that made his stomach wrench.
"To have a talk with your father," Atem almost spat, and he felt Mahad loyally take his place, moving to sit beside the princess while the people continued to laugh and talk around them, unaware that the king was angry.
A few hallways away, Kaiba felt his arm burn as the hunter led him out into the garden, and they were followed by two of his men, still heavily clad in helmets and full-body armor.
Dartz floated to a halt and edged him closer to the seahorse statue, hoping to keep out of sight from the merpeople floating in and out of the pillars, laughing and singing.
Kaiba felt himself being backed into a corner and he bared his fangs in a hiss, "What do you want? Spit it out."
"I want to thank you for making it easy to differentiate the two of you," Dartz said, smiling prettily, also baring his fangs, and Kaiba tensed, wondering if he was about to be challenged to a fight. No way, right? He was currently weaponless and at his daughter's Procession.
There had to be rules about when to start a fight?!
"I want to ask your blessing," Dartz continued, his eyes roaming over Prince Seto's sharp features. "And perhaps you can tell me if I have a long journey ahead to win your brother's heart."
G-Gross! Kaiba recoiled and made sure to keep that thought to himself as Dartz gazed at him hopefully with his freaky two-colored eyes, awaiting an answer.
"Do whatever you want," Kaiba replied aggressively, feeing his cheeks burn with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "His previous partner was a woman. He likes women. But if you can change his mind, congrats."
"You don't know how he feels about me?" Dartz asked, his brow furrowing with confusion. "You have the same thoughts, don't you?
"Why do people keep assuming we have the same thoughts?!" Kaiba raged, curling his fists at his sides. Even Adina said this nonsense to him when she was first getting to know Seth, and he thought it was cute when she said it, but now, when other grown merpeople said it to him, it was annoying as hell.
"I find it startling if you don't," Dartz scoffed, and his men floated closer to him in response. "If you two are truly of the same blood, you share the same DNA, therefore, you must know each other's thoughts constantly."
Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the hunter, understanding that if he didn't give 'his blessing' to this man about 'winning Seth's heart', they might actually fight—and it would three against one.
Meanwhile, Atem was zooming frantically through the empty wings of the palace, even going as far to check Seto's bedroom, thinking if Seto was brash enough to take the Hunter into his private quarters to mate with him during Adina's Procession, he could spit and scratch them both at the same time.
But no, it was empty.
All the deserted halls were empty.
No Seto to be found anywhere.
"SETO?!" Atem called, torn between anger and desperation. He checked the empty infirmary, making sure that both their eggs were still snugly bound in the incubators, untouched. Just making sure that Seto hadn't grabbed his egg and run off with the hunter, not that he would…
Because I trust you! Atem thought furiously, accidentally diving headfirst into Seth's toned chest, and he backed away with a glare, seeing the merman double over and cough.
"Did you find him?! My brother?!" Seth asked, fraught with anxiety as he craned his neck to look over Atem's shoulder into the empty infirmary. "He's not in there, nursing his egg? Where is he?!
"Don't pretend!" Atem shouted, feeling himself coming apart from the stress. "You saw him disappear with the hunter! I'm looking for him right now!"
"I know!" Seth cried, his pitch rising so much it almost became a shriek. "The beautiful hunter grabbed his arm and led him away with a gleam in his eye! If he mates with Seto, I-I don't know what I'll do with myself! Why is he the one who always gets the attention? The prettier mates? I—…I saw him first!"
"Good for you," Atem said coldly, swimming away from Seth, his mind racing for where Seto could be hiding with the hunter. He also recalled Seto being furious about Seth stealing his wife on land named Kisara, and it seemed the line between these two brothers were thin.
Twins were dangerous…and he had a pair of his own twins soon to be hatching in the oncoming decades….
"Atem, we must find him!" Seth begged, aware that Atem was angry with him too because he looked exactly like Seto. "Please, I don't know what kind of agreement you hold with Seto, but he hasn't told me any plans about mating with another colony's king or queen to further our influence."
"Yes, because that's why he chose me as a mate. To further his influence!" Atem hissed, whirling around and resisting the urge to scratch Seth across his handsome face. He knew deep down in his heart that Seto loved him as person, not for his status.
Atem swam away in dignified silence, keeping his furious thoughts to himself. Seth was being so insulting right now because his mind was clouded with his attraction to the hunter!
Unaccustomed to Atem's anger, Seth floated helplessly in place, watching the king's red fins disappear around a pillar before he found the courage to follow.
When the hunter came forward earlier, Seto's emotions were cold and dismissive.
Then he should know that I like that hunter! Seth raged, swimming back into the main hall and arranging his face into a pleasant expression when deep down, he was in turmoil.
To his immense relief, he saw Seto in the hall again, at the table with Adina and Mahad, back to greeting people and listening to requests. Atem, seething, sank back into the tall chair beside Adina and smiled coldly, but no one seemed to notice the king's change in mood.
"Hey…missed you," Kaiba said quickly, giving Atem a warm smile, and to his annoyance, the king ignored him and chose to accept a plate of fish eggs from another person swimming up to bow at them.
There was a dark red substance floating in the water around Atem's head and shoulders, and Kaiba stared at it for a long time before he realized this was what an 'aura' was.
Atem…was fucking pissed…about something.
And no one else could see it.
Everyone was beaming at them, offering them congratulations to Adina, and even to Mahad.
Confused, Kaiba tried to catch Atem's eye, but the king seemed to be avoiding his gaze on purpose. Even Mahad was avoiding his gaze, and Kaiba's irritation rose. What the fuck had happened while he was out in the garden trying not to die at the hands of a guy who had a crush on Seth?
"Hey, kid, what'd I miss?" Kaiba asked Adina lightly, and she looked up from her chair to give him a shrug.
"Nothing," she replied casually, waving at people as they began to get up from the table and swim away.
Seth decided to float right by the palace gates to see people off as they slowly decided to leave, waving and announcing politely, "Please come visit the Helios Resort in your spare time! We have co-ed dwellings, secluded wading pools, a Shore Artifacts museum, and catered breakfasts! Please come visit the Helios Resort…!"
Several people turned to look at him with interest and then swim away while whispering in their pods. Looked like it was working!
Satisfied, Seth beamed and raised his hand to continue waving, and his voice caught in his throat when the beautiful hunter floated by with a group of his men in tow.
The helmet was removed once again, and Seth tried not to gape at the beautiful sheets of light blue hair that tumbled down Dartz's shoulders as he bowed and made fierce eye contact.
"Please…come visit…the Helios Resort," Seth said weakly, wondering if he was forever doomed to be mating with people who had already been attracted to Seto first. It was a disgusting tactic, but he couldn't help it if Seto always managed to snatch the prettier mates.
Atem was impossibly pretty too. It was unfair, plain and simple.
"About your resort… I'd love to," Dartz said genuinely, his eyes sparkling.
Seth swallowed thinly, taking in the incredibly long sets of dark lashes framing his two-colored eyes. W-Wow…just wow.
"I'll…book a room for you," Seth replied, squaring his shoulders back and trying to speak with more confidence. "All our dwellings are full for the next five and half centuries. When would you like to come?"
"Anytime you have time," Dartz said easily, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards prettily. "I don't need a resort room. Your room will do."
"M-My room isn't open to the public," Seth said stiffly, and he bit the inside of his cheek so hard, his eyes watered.
The hunter was openly inviting him to…be mates.
And in his brash stupidity, he'd accidentally turned the offer down.
Like an idiot.
Was it too late to take it back?!
"I see," Dartz said, his eyes glazing over strangely as he backed away respectfully and bowed. "Prince Seto was right. My journey will be long and hard because you don't prefer me, but I will come back next moon to try again. I'll bring you riches, and exotic desserts from the northern Hemisphere. Good day, Prince Seth."
Shocked speechless, Seth watched the hunter tuck his helmet under his arm and swim steadily out the palace gates.
Seth turned away to face the wall and covered his mouth to prevent himself from making any strange faces people might see.
Should he be astounded or thankful?
It seemed Seto had done him a magnificent favor by telling the hunter he needed to be courted first?!
Like I'm a maiden?! Seth cried, dashing back into the palace to find Seto to give him his eternal thanks. Nice to know that his brother wasn't sabotaging him at every turn! He thought Seto was still angry at him for taking Kisara's company, but Seto had been with egg at the time, and he was resolutely 'in love' with Atem….
The crowd in the main hall had thinned significantly.
Mokuba, Ayame, Noah, and Seto were floating together in a circle, having a private conversation, so Seth decided to confront Atem first, because he knew his earlier outburst may have worried the king for no reason.
Atem saw Seth swimming straight for him, and he looked away, his eyes burning with unshed tears of fury. He'd wanted to enjoy Adina's Procession without having to worry about anything, but that was proving to be hard.
"My king, a private word, please," Seth breathed, reaching out to grab Atem's arm, knowing he would never touch the king under any circumstances, but this important!
Fine…fine! Atem rose from the table and followed Seth out into the hall and down another wing, feeling a headache coming on with all the turbulent emotions about Seto mating with someone else. He knew that mating with someone else wasn't an issue in mer-society, but it felt unfair, because he'd barely had time to enjoy Seto's company this decade after he returned from shore service, and at the first chance, other people were looking to mate with Seto.
Even Mana secretly had the passing thought, wondering if Seto was going to be mating with another person soon because they'd been together for three eggs already.
Atem tried not to feel crushed when he heard it from her a few moons ago.
Seth glanced around, making sure they were truly alone before he divulged the news.
"I'm being courted!" Seth cried gleefully, doing an ecstatic spin the water, his heart feeling like it was exploding from his chest. "I haven't felt this loved since Kisara's passing!"
"Good…for you…" Atem fumed, still unable to let go of his anger. Why was Seth confiding this to him? This was pointless trash talk. Good to know Seth got someone to like him in that room full of people.
"Excuse me! I thought you'd be happy for me," Seth protested, dismayed with the king's inner thoughts. "Considering how you were worried about Seto running off with the Hunter—yes, I heard your thoughts from outside the infirmary. Seto talked me up to the Hunter and told him that he has a 'long journey' ahead to win my heart! He's going to bring me sweets from a northern hemisphere!"
Pink the in cheeks, Seth waited excitedly for Atem to say something.
"Good. Have fun being courted," Atem replied shortly, turning to go. He felt slightly relieved knowing that Seto hadn't mated with the Hunter, but the tight knot in his stomach was still there.
"What's wrong? Don't be angry with him—with us! They were gone for a long time because Seto was telling him about me!" Seth whispered, floating after Atem, wondering why the king was still angry. "I'm sure it was nothing. Just men talking."
"Yes, and what about other men who want 'talk' with him?" Atem replied, feeling another horrible crushing wave of despair. "The prettiest man in the room saw that Seto was off limits because he's still nursing an egg, so he went right to you! This can't keep happening. Good day, Seth."
Nervously wringing his hands, Seth watched Atem swim back to the hall, and he wondered if Seto was going to catch some heat for this later. Most definitely.
This was the problem of looking alike.
Author's note:
oooo the suspense? :O
hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season, staying warm and indoors
much love,
Ugli
