Finally, finally, FINALLY. Derik looked up and didn't even try hide an exhausted sigh of relief as his home came into view. The great undersea palace belonging to King Daniel, built right into an island. The palace itself actually continued on upwards to above water, where King Daniel, a famous eccentric, actually spent most of his time. Derik's father was unique in his approach to landwalkers, in that he actually pretended to be one, and even held status as a Sailandian nobleman, though granted only a minor one from one of the smaller countries that made up the great empire.
His sister, the rather plain and annoying Princess Sandra that Lee was so opposed to marrying, was waiting for him. She shared her brother's features – the bright blue eyes, coal gray tail and fins, smooth black hair. Sadly, she was a bit too large and her face was a bit too angular to be called pretty. She saw her brother coming from a distance, carrying a dead fish or something over his shoulder, and ran out to meet him.
"Derik! Derik!" she called, waving to get his attention as she swam toward him, then she frowned as they approached each other close enough to make out details.
Her brother looked like he'd been in a fight. And lost. He had a black eye, a split lip, a busted nose, bruises and bite marks all over his arms and chest, and several particularly nasty bruises over his stomach and abdomen. Someone had really worked him over.
And what was with the dead fish? Wait – was that a fish-child?
"Derik!" she cried, for a VERY different reason, charging forward to help her brother and see if she could help.
"Sandra," he said weakly, smiling slightly.
"What happened?" she gasped, reaching up to touch his face. He flinched and she quickly dropped her hands, not wanting to hurt him by touching any of his wounds.
"I didn't lose, if that's what you're thinking," he grumbled, dumping the unconscious fish-child he'd been hauling over his shoulder into her arms. Sandra was quite strong for a fish-woman, and easily held the twelve-year old child. The child was unmarked and apparently asleep.
"What's wrong with him?" asked Sandra, concerned, figuring her brother had saved the child from some tragic fate or other. She brushed silver hair aside and frowned at the face, wondering why it was so familiar.
Dazed light-blue eyes flickered open and stared at her uncomprehendingly. The fish-child mumbled something, then the beautiful eyes shut again.
Sandra's mouth dropped open, instantly linking the child to their father, King Daniel's picture of his first love. The hair and face had looked familiar, but those eyes cinched it.
"He's fine," grunted Derik, trying to work some of the kinks out of his muscles and only causing himself pain. "Just knocked him out when he wouldn't shut up. Tie him up, would you? He'll run otherwise, or worse. As he's been threatening to do all night long." Derik groaned at the memory and rubbed a hand over his face.
Sandra looked at her brother with wide eyes. "Derik? This is Marein's child?"
"Undoubtedly."
"But, what does this…"
"Lee found him. Miki gave him to me."
"But what does this mean?"
"It means you and Lee are off the hook, of course."
"I don't believe you," was King Daniel's simple, cold reply to his son's claim. Sandra and Derik clearly both took after their father, as he had the same dark hair, blue eyes, and coal grey tail - though, granted, his hair was streaked with silver from age and stress.
"Father! Don't be ridiculous! We have Marein's child! He had joined Lee's household, so the contract has been fulfilled..."
"I don't believe whatever fish-child you captured could possibly be Marein's. Perhaps a relative of some sort, to account for similar coloring and features. In any case, I have no obligation to accept him." The king folded his arms stubbornly and leaned back in his chair. They were speaking in his private study.
"Father! You're being ridiculous! Why do you want Lee so badly anyway?" shouted Derik in frustration. ALL that trouble with that violent fish-child, and his father wouldn't even look at that boy.
"That is besides the point. What happened to you, anyway?"
Derik growled and put a hand up to his sore face, flinching at the contact. "That evil little brat..." he muttered. "If you don't want him, maybe I'll..."
King Daniel froze. "Wait, the child did this to you? How old did you say this child was?"
"About twelve, father. Blasted little monster! I'll teach that little cross to mind his..."
"You were beaten up by a twelve-year old?"
"I would like to point out that I WON, or how else would I get the child here? And yes. The brat refused to listen to reason and put up a fight the whole way here, screaming insults the entire time."
"What type of insults?" asked King Daniel eagerly.
Derik gave his father a very strange look. "He called me a stupid girl, which I don't quite understand, an ugly freak, a perverted monster, a desperate loser, a coward who would attack children, and an idiot who can't tell the difference between girls and boys. Amongst other more colorful and imaginative comments I would rather forget."
King Daniel was nodding excitedly. "Did he insult your lineage or use swear words?"
The prince frowned. "No. Pretty much everything else, but he never commented on you, mother, our culture, anything like that. And while the intent was certainly to insult me, he didn't actually use any vulgar language. Strange."
"I want to see this child after all," announced the king.
"Why now?" asked Derik, relieved at his father's decision, though quite puzzled.
"Marein would've been insulted mercilessly for her background, being from the north and born to commoners-turned-nobles, and she held that only the disgustingly stupid stooped to using swear words. Take me to the child."
"This way, father. He's in Sandra's guest room."
King Daniel and Prince Derik actually heard the moment Marein's child woke up. It was rather hard not to.
Husky's eyes flashed open, consciousness returning all in one moment. "What the - ! How the - !" He jolted upright, looking around the room. His wrists were bound in front of him with rope. "WHERE DID THAT UGLY, DESPERATE, UNDERHANDED, COWARD OF A FREAK PERVERT PRINCE RUN OFF TO?"
Derik glanced at his father out of the corner of his eye as he paused with his hand on the doorknob to the room Husky was in.
The king smiled reminiscently. "He sounds just like his mother," said the fish-man happily.
Derik kind of hoped his father was talking about the slight accent Husky had, the rough voice that he probably got his nickname from. Because otherwise he would have to seriously worry about his father's taste in women.
Prince Lee finally arrived back home late that morning, scowling and mumbling to himself over the results of his meeting with King Daniel the previous day. It had gone absolutely nowhere. Why had their father ever made such a stupid contract in the first place? At this rate, he'd have to marry Sandra! No offense to the fish-woman, she was an old friend of his, but he wasn't attracted to her in the least. She was like an irritating big sister, or maybe an aunty. One who always took it on herself to nag and mother him. How was he supposed to rule TWO kingdoms with someone treating him like a child?
He sighed as his castle came into view. Well, for today he'd forget that annoyance. He'd figure something out. A smile crept across his face. Yes, he'd figure something out later. For today, he'd show Husky around. That beautiful fish-boy would be so impressed he would be begging to join Lee's household! Too bad he hadn't been able to escort Husky to the party last night - but he was sure Miki had shown the child a wonderful time. Oh, if only he had been able to see the child dressed up in the tailor sisters' finest! Well, there'd be plenty of that in the future.
The red-haired fish-man swam towards his castle, spotting the oldest royal tailor sister in one of the front gardens, collecting special coral that she and her sisters would later grind to form certain types of dyes.
"Nani! Good morning!" he called cheerfully.
The black-haired, blue-finned fish-woman smiled at him. "Good morning, Prince Lee. It is a pleasure to see you back, safe and well."
"How did the party go last night? How did the fish-child I brought look?"
"Husky looked absolutely beautiful, Prince Lee! You have exquisite taste."
"Wonderful! I'll have to find some way to get him to show the outfit off to me!"
Nani's smile dropped.
"Nani? Is something wrong?"
The fish-woman looked around to make sure they were alone, then set her hand on Lee's arm. Her eyes that met his were serious.
"Lee. Husky went home last night."
"What?" asked Lee in confusion.
"He was terribly homesick. He left right after the party. Apparently someone had said something to him about him not seeing his friends again and it frightened him."
"What? No! I haven't been able to show him... No!"
"He must be home by now, Lee. With those landwalker friends of his."
"I'll go fetch him back! It surely was some misunderstanding! He'll love it here if he just gives it a chance! Who was so cruel as to frighten off a child?"
Nani didn't answer, not daring to accuse Miki, but her frown deepened.
"Lee, I say this as your friend. Leave the poor child be. I was able to speak with him while we prepared his outfit, and later after the party. He loves his friends very much. I doubt we would be able to persuade him to abandon them."
"But! But..."
"It's the right thing to do. He's beautiful, yes, but he's still a child. A child who already has a home."
Lee lowered his head. The desperation had dropped out of his expression. Nani's words made sense.
"But... I at least want to say goodbye. And let him know he is always, ALWAYS, welcome in my kingdom. Maybe I can catch up before he leaves the village..."
"I'll let Miki know," said Nani, bowing slightly.
"Thanks, Nani," said Prince Lee, immediately turning and swimming off towards the beach he had first seen Husky at.
Special thanks to 0m3ga's Z3r0 for giving me that little spark of inspiration I needed to round out this chapter! Credit for an angry Husky comparing Derik to a girl goes to her. ;) As always, review review review! Please? I am totally open to ideas/comments/complaints /etc. Thanks for reading!