Disclaimer: I own none of this, except almost kind of the two main characters. The entire idea was born from reading another story, and all other characters and the world belong to Holly Black.

This story, like my other one, will have no planned updates because I bounce back and forth between writing one thing and writing something completely different. I hope you like it! Lots of Love, Auna

Falling in love was like falling under water: you know if you don't back out, you will drown. And yet, the entire time, you hope you're strong enough to not.

Falling in love with Kaan Coro was much the same, except I really was drowning that first time.

Chapter 1

The Undersea

Dad always impressed upon me the importance of staying away from the sea. When we crossed the isles; I always had an entourage of six knights and a retinue of servants to keep me safe; Or I had him and four knights and no servants; Or I had Mom. Whenever I asked why Mom seemed to count for an army of knights and servants, Dad would pull me into his arms and kiss my nose, telling me that she did. And since Dad cannot lie, Mom must count for that many strong and fearsome warriors.

When I was younger, I hadn't believed it. Until I was five and saw Mommy fight for the first time. And from then on, Mom was always more than enough soldiers to protect me. Not even Aunt Vivi could sneak past her.

The Roach, The Bomb and the Ghost were the only ones who ever had a semblance of success, although I think Dad could have snuck past her if she wasn't married to him. Mom seemed to have a sixth sense for Cardan getting up to mischief.

I was his little princess, though, and allowed anywhere I wished with little to no supervision, although my parents always told me they loved me before I ran off and as soon as I got back.

The only real rule, aside from the halfhearted one against kissing and having sex with other people (Which I was thoroughly scared off of, thank you very much. Aunt Vivi can be quite graphic when she wants to be), was that I couldn't go into the ocean. I couldn't go near the ocean. Sometimes, I think that Dad kept my rooms lower in the palace, and built up the walls around it even higher, just so that I couldn't see the ocean at all. Out of sight, out of mind, and all that.

But forbidden things always seem to have a draw to them that they otherwise would not.

I think he should just be proud that I lasted seventeen years of my life before my curiosity overtook me.

It was the first Monday of January, and that meant that Mom was out in the mortal world visiting Madoc (I was offered only once, to call him Grandpa. I made flowers appear in his nose for a month after that, even when Mom dragged four year old me and a laughing Cardan back home) and Aunt Vivi and Aunt Heather, and Oriana and Uncle Oak. Uncle Oak was as much Mom's brother, which made him my Uncle, as he was Dad's nephew. Which also made us cousins, sort of. Dad didn't care so long as I didn't try to marry him, and Mom didn't care so long as I didn't take his head off.

But with Mom gone, I had no trouble sneaking out of the castle. First Monday's not only meant that Mom was gone, but that the Ghost was allowed to go see Aunt Taryn (Whom I had only met a few times, despite her being Mom's twin sister) and cousin Angelynn, who went by Lynn and acted terribly goth, like mortals did. Also on first Monday's, Dad slept in, because Mom wasn't there to "tempt him out of bed," and the Bomb and the Roach spent their mornings "becoming more familiar with each other," which I knew meant having sex, but pretending to be oblivious to that was beneficial for me around everyone but Aunt Vivi.

Usually, I wasn't up until an hour after sunset, so the guard didn't increase to make up from Mom's absence until then. But today, I was up around dinner time in the mortal lands.

Today, I was going into the ocean.

It was almost depressingly easy to slip out of the castle through a secret passage, although mildly more challenging to convince the stable boy to prepare me a horse without telling anyone before knocking him out (It wasn't so much the knocking him out part as the convincing him part, but Mom always tells me I got the best of both her and Dad and have the ability to charm or fight my way out of any situation).

The ride to the edge of Insmire was quick in the dying light, and I dismounted easily on the sandy beach. I dropped my cloak over the horse's saddle and walked with trepidation down to the edge of the waves. The hems of my white dress were quickly soaked through, and I gasped when the water hit my feet.

I walked out into the water, kicking my dress along until it was floating around my waist. And then, in my distraction of the sunset on the water, a tall wave crashed into me and pulled me under.

I gasped when my head went under, and then waved my arms and legs around in a futile effort to find the surface. I breached it with a gasp, coughing the water out of my lungs in two harsh strokes before another wave threw me under. I couldn't find the surface and I couldn't find the sand. I was lost in the ever darkening depths of the undersea with no way out. I began to panic, trashing about more violently than before, and break the surface for a moment again. I coughed three times that time, and then I was under water again, lungs empty. I couldn't reach the surface again. I couldn't see it. I allowed myself to float gently through the still, dark waters, falling slowly to the floor of the undersea.

The last thing I saw before slipping into the peaceful draw of unconsciousness was an angel swimming through the water for me, and then his strong arms gently slipping under my knees and behind my back.

Okay, let me know what you think! To be honest, I didn't think I was going to ever post this one, but I saw someone on Insta say they wanted more content and thought a fic with Jurdan's kid would be fun! I already had this chapter typed up, so I thought I would give it a go!

Lot's of love!