Chapter 10

"Gajeel, I think we need to be more careful. Your father's been following us a lot lately."

The merprince sighed, dipping his fins into the water. "I know, Lil…he's not as sneaky as he thinks he is." Gajeel splashed water onto the coral shelf, coating his long tail. "But I had to take the risk today."

"Why?"

"Because! I've been stuck at the palace for over a dozen sun cycles by now all 'cause of my hovering grouper of a dad. Which means…" he ticked off reasons on his fingers, "no lessons with Wendy, no treasure hunting, no more-"

"Dangerous situations where I think I'm going to die. Just blessed peace and safety and ack!"

The remora twisted in the water, where a whirlpool formed around Gajeel's tail. Gajeel chuckled, ignoring his friend's protests as he brought his tail back out of the water. He lay on his back on the coral, twisting the small far-ee statue in his hand. The creature's lively face turned to look at him, her stone features slowly morphing into a different human face. Gajeel sighed and flopped his arms next to him.

How many sun cycles had it been since he had last seen Levy? Did she get home safely? Did her head throb with every movement like his had been? Gajeel shook his head, flipping his hair out of the way as he lay on his stomach.

She was a land dweller, someone who was used to the bright sun above their heads, so of course she must have been fine. She always had the dry air and warm sun-shine, unlike him who had to spend his entire life trapped under the water. He longed to return to the surface, to see the bright sun turning her eyes burning gold.

He sighed again, lifting the far-ee to his face. Did she even miss him? He doubted she actually visited the lagoon like she promised. She seemed grateful enough for saving her life, but he shouldn't expect anything more than that. Not even if the image of her closed eyes and upturned lips haunted him every sundown when he slept.

Gajeel groaned and covered his warm face.

Just what had he been thinking, trying to kiss her like that? Levy must think him a codfish for trying to take advantage of her trusting nature.

But why did she close her eyes then?

A growl escaped his lips and he flopped his tail on the hard coral, berating himself once again.

"Thinking about that almost-kiss with the human, huh?" Lily's smug voice came from the waters.

Gajeel jerked up, almost dropping the small statue. "How did–"

"Oh please, I've been friends with you since we were both fries barely able to swim on our own."

He ducked his head before his ear fins had a chance to curl and prove the remora right. Levy's smiling face winked at him from beneath his closed eyelids and he jerked his head up.

"Not to interrupt your daydreams," Lily laughed, "but we should probably head back…your father might start looking for you soon."

Gajeel glanced at the lengthening shadows with a sigh. "Alright, let's go."

He fell head first into the water and waited for Lily to suction to his tail before swimming down the tunnel leading back to the castle. He twisted the far-ee statue in his hand, thinking of a good spot to keep it in his room. It was risky, but his heart ached and he needed to keep something close to his side.

"What do you think we're having for dinner?" Lily's voice came from Gajeel's tail.

The end of the tunnel loomed ahead. Gajeel glanced down at his friend, brow furrowing. "Not sure, but I hope it's not–"

He crashed into a large boulder waiting just outside the hidden tunnel. Gajeel yelped and rubbed his head, his scales turning stiff when he opened his eyes.

"...F-father"

The king floated in the water, his trident resting in his crossed arms. Juvia sat on his shoulders, her eye stalks refusing to look in his direction. The king raised a scaled brow.

"And just what were you doing, my son?" his father asked, red eyes shimmering.

Gajeel's mouth hung open. "I, uh…that's…"

"Because I'm sure it has nothing to do with this."

Lily gasped and Gajeel's blood turned cold. His father waved a thick, blue ribbon through the water, the same one Gajeel was certain he had hidden deep under his mattress just that morning.

"How did you find–"

"Where did you get this," the merking growled, fabric bunching in his hand, "And don't you dare lie to me."

Gajeel bit his tongue, for once in his life obeying the storm in his father's voice. "I-I got it from…from the surface," he muttered, wincing when Lily tightened on his tail.

"Where?"

"The surface–"
"I heard you the first time! I'm asking you where on the surface! Squid ink, Gajeel, I told you to never go there again…you deliberately disobeyed me!" The same red monster that ate the ship flashed in his father's eyes.

"But you don't understand, I had no choice! If I hadn't been there, then she would have–"

"She?"

Just a single word, but it made a shiver pass down Gajeel's tail. Lily's suction tightened painfully and even Juvia shrank back from the king.

"I didn't…"

"You saw a human, didn't you?" The king whispered, brandishing his trident. The blue fabric floated to the ground.

Gajeel held out his hands, then quickly hid the fa-ree statue behind his back when his father's eyes flicked downward. "F…father, please listen to me. I had to save her, I had to…if I didn't do anything then she would have died!"

"If the ocean wanted her, then who are you to interfere!? One less human to worry about, one less–"

"But she's different, Dada! She's funny and so cute, and made it so easy for me to understand her–"

"You TALKED to her!?"

The boom echoed against the coral, making the nearby fish swim to safety. Gajeel winced.

"I..yes, I talked to her. When I swam her back to her home."

The trident glowed, two of the three prongs flashing a bright, golden light. Mermen from his father's fighting corps materialized out of the water and grabbed Gajeel by the arms. Juvia swam for the safety of the sea wall and Lily hid behind a clump of coral. The guards pried open Gajeel's fingers, yanking away the small statue. With a shake of his head, the merman took the statue to the waiting king.

Gajeel growled at the fighting corps. "What's going–"

"For putting all of Ishgar at risk with your reckless adventures–"

"I haven't put anyone in danger! I saved someone!"

"I hereby ban you to the castle." The king turned tail and began to swim toward their home. "You will not leave your room until you have repented of your actions and renounce your silly obsession with the human world."

"It's not an obsession!" Gajeel yelled, fighting against the mermen dragging him forward. "I love her!"

Everyone froze. The king slowly pivoted on his tail, his eyes flashing. "How. DARE. You. I have tried to be patient with you, my son, but you leave me no choice." The trident gleamed a brilliant light, making the king's eyes flash a brilliant red.

The king jerked his head and the mermen dragged Gajeel farther from the coral cave. Gajeel's heart thundered in his ears.

"Dada, no…don't…please…"

Ignoring his desperate cries, the king raised his trident and aimed it at the tunnel.

"NO! I…I challenge you to a duel!" His chest heaved and the other mermen gasped where they swam, but Gajeel kept his eyes trained on his father. His blood boiled like an underwater volcano and his hands itched to take hold of his weapon.

The king laughed, a low vicious sound that grated on Gajeel's ears. "I will not see my only son lose his mantel over an insignificant human girl," he sneered, closing his hand around the far-ee until it was nothing more than a pile of sand.

The trident flashed, golden light shooting from the deadly spikes on the end. It shot at the coral wall, making it crack and splinter against the onslaught. Gajeel squeezed his eyes shut against the brilliant light. A crash filled the air and the light behind his eyes dimmed. Gajeel blinked, staring at the bubbles and debris floating to the surface.

The king turned his back to the ruined pile of coral. "Take him to his room."

The mermen hoisted Gajeel's stiff body between them. Chest aching, Gajeel stared at the empty expanse of water where his cave once stood. Pieces of wood floated from the debris and settled onto the sea floor. All of his treasures, a lifetime of searching…destroyed.

As the king's guard dragged him through the water, Gajeel lifted his head to meet his father's stormy gaze with his own challenge. Tiny pieces of blue fabric floated between them before disappearing on the current. Gajeel's scales turned to ice and his lip curled.

"...I hate you," he whispered, not even caring at the way his father winced.