A/N: In this next chapter, Arthur and Mera continue their long weekend, but upon returning to Atlantis to face their fate, everything changes. Keep reading then tell me what you think. Thank you!

~o~o~

Chapter 2: Room to Grow

After a rather long swim, they lay together trying to catch their breath. The sun beamed down to warm their bodies as well as their minds to just relax and enjoy this time together.

"Are you tired? That was amazing," Arthur said as he leaned over and watched her open her eyes.

"No, I'm not tired, just wondering what's going to happen once we return," she replied.

He sighed and lay back down. "You mean us?"

"No, not about us, but about… everyone else," she replied vaguely.

"Is this about my brother?" He asked, feeling jealous.

Mera refrained from rolling her eyes. "No, and please let's not talk about him."

He turned to face her. "He is a part of our lives, no matter how we may feel about him."

She picked up on something, then leaned up on her elbow. "You know how I feel, but how do you feel about him?" She paused when he didn't reply. "Please tell me that you regret not killing him."

"No of course not, he's my brother. I couldn't face my Mother if I killed him."

She touched his chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just," she hesitated.

"Go on, speak your mind," he encouraged.

"It's just ever since I told you about… Orm and me, you seem reluctant to talk about anything relating to him and how he'll fit into our lives."

He sat up and so did she. "The thing is, it's going to be difficult to face him again. I truly don't feel anything about him. I don't know him, not really, but I do admit that I want to get to know him, but your past gets in my mind and I can't think straight."

"I see, and I understand," she said. "But we need to figure this out." She looked around. "This place is a different world, but you and I, we belong in Atlantis."

"I know," he said then pulled her into his arms and lay back down. He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Mera, and these feelings are kind of overwhelming."

She leaned up a little. "I love you and we will make this work. You'll see."

"I hope so," he whispered. "I don't want to talk anymore." He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then her ear and then lower.

"I don't want to talk either," she whispered.

He kissed her deeply and she immediately responded.

Someone cleared their throat. "Sorry!"

"Oh, Mom, Dad, you're back," Arthur said. He stood up and helped Mera to stand. "We were just swimming and enjoying the weather. How was your time away?"

Tom and Atlanna glanced at each other, both holding in a laugh. "Hello, Son, Mera," Tom said then chuckled again. "We had a wonderful time but it's good to be back."

"Hi, Arthur, Mera, we wanted to catch you before you had to go back. I've missed you both," Atlanna said. She moved closer and gave each of them a hug.

"We've missed you too," Mera said.

"Let's go inside and talk for a while," Atlanna said.

While Mera and Arthur changed, Atlanna and Tom headed to the kitchen. She whispered close to his ear. "Why didn't you tell me that they were a couple?"

"I wasn't exactly sure, but yeah, I knew he had feelings for her, but I wasn't sure how she felt," he replied.

"I see, well, this is going to be rather awkward for them."

"Why would you say that?"

"My other son?" She asked seeing no need to elaborate.

"But isn't he in prison?"

"Yes, but Arthur could pardon him once he knows why he did what he did," she replied.

Tom thought about that. "I don't think Arthur is in the right frame of mind to forgive, at least not for a while, maybe a long while."

"Maybe never," Arthur said and came into the kitchen. He heard that last part.

"Arthur, please don't make any rash decisions, especially if you don't know all the facts," Atlanna said.

"Oh, I know everything. Vulko told me that Orm confessed to everything he did to start a war with the surface… everything."

"Everything?" Atlanna asked feeling awful. "I want to know all of it. Tell me."

Mera spoke up. "Do we have to do this now?"

"Putting it off won't change what he did to me, my Father, to you, to everyone. She needs to know the truth," Arthur replied firmly.

After Tom fixed some coffee, everyone went into the living room. Then Arthur told his Mother all the bad things her youngest son did to start a war.

After he had stopped speaking, Atlanna stood up and walked over to the window. Tom followed her. "I can't believe he did all those horrible things."

"I'm sorry Mother, but all of it is true," Arthur said.

"Are you alright?" Tom asked as he touched her shoulder.

Mera stared at Arthur with something in her eyes. Arthur frowned, but he wasn't sure what that look meant.

"I'm alright," Atlanna said. Tom pulled her into a hug. She tried to hold it in, but the tears flowed down her cheeks.

Mera picked up a few cups and went into the kitchen.

Arthur followed her. "What was that look you gave me?"

"You figure it out," she replied.

"Just tell me," he said.

"You said it yourself. You don't know Orm. You don't know his motives and why he did it."

"All I know is that he tried to kill me and you, and I don't think I can forgive him for that."

She sighed and headed back to the living room. "Where did they go?"

Arthur looked out the window and they were on the high catwalk of the lighthouse. "I see them."

Mera looked up and she saw them as well. "At least they have this."

They glanced at each other, then he came closer. "I'm sorry, Mera."

"I'm sorry too, but it's time to go back."

He dreaded it, but he followed her outside. Looking up, they climbed the lighthouse and said their goodbyes.

"Goodbye, you two, and be safe," Tom said and gave them each a hug.

"Bye, Father, we will return," Arthur said. "Mother, I'm sorry." He gave her a hug.

"I love you, Arthur, and I know it will be hard to see your brother again but give it time and everything will work out." She touched his cheek. "Thank you for telling me the truth."

"Thank you, Mother. I love you." Arthur gave her a hug.

"I love you too," Atlanna said.

She hugged him back. "Goodbye, my Son."

Then they were gone. They swam to Mera's ship which wasn't far away.

~o~o~

Once onboard, and back in their costumes, they argued about Prince Orm and what they'll say to him about the things he had done.

"Well, I don't think he'll have any remorse about it," Arthur said.

"And why would you think that?" Mera asked.

"Because of the things he said to me in the ring. He basically wanted me gone. He was convinced that I had no claim to the throne, because I'm a bastard, born before him, therefore, I wasn't worthy."

She sighed. "That doesn't mean that he doesn't regret the things he did."

"Mera, he wanted a war, plain and simple. A lot of people died because he was determined to undermine me, and he hated the fact that he couldn't convince me to leave Atlantis. And then you saved me, and I know he was furious about that."

She sighed again. "I suppose you're right."

"You know I'm right."

"Once we get there, you talk to him, and if he doesn't show remorse, it will be up to you to decide his fate."

He took her hand. "Thank you for your faith in me. It means everything."

"I believe in you. Don't ever doubt that."

"Thank you, Mera."

"You're welcome."

They both smiled.

~o~o~

Meanwhile at the prison, Vulko paid a visit to Prince Orm, his only visitor.

"The King and Princess Mera should be here shortly," he told him.

"Oh, joy, I can't wait," he muttered sarcastically.

"You should show your respect. Remember, your fate is in his hands now."

"Really? That bastard should not be here. He should go back to where he came from."

"He is your King. He is not going anywhere," Vulko spoke calmly and succinctly.

"He is not my king. Okay?"

He sighed but the guard announced the King has arrived. Mera and Arthur made their way to see Prince Orm.

Vulko bowed to the King and Princess Mera. "Your Majesty, Your Highness."

"Alright, Vulko, how's Orm?"

"He's the same, no change. Are you ready to speak to him?" He asked.

"Yes, we're ready," Arthur replied.

He nodded. "Come this way."

Mera and Arthur held hands and followed him. Minutes later, they walked into Orm's prison cellblock. He looked up and saw them, but he didn't stand or bow. The hatred that usually filled his mind wasn't there. He felt resigned to seeing them together, but he still didn't like it.

He decided to stand; he didn't want them looking down on him. "Mera."

Mera spoke up. "We need your help."

"Me help you," he stated staring at her.

"Yes, do you know what I'm talking about?" Mera asked.

"Yes, I know; you want peace."

Arthur spoke up. "We will give you amnesty, which will restore your station as a prince, but no more conspiracies, a promise not to hurt me, Mera, or anyone else. You have to promise."

"You can leave. I want to speak with Mera… alone."

"No way is that going to happen," Arthur said.

He sat back down which meant he wasn't going to cooperate.

"I'm alright; go Arthur," Mera said to her love.

"No, I'm not leaving you here with him," Arthur said.

"I won't help with you here," Orm said.

"Please Arthur," Mera said and touched his arm.

Fuming inside, Arthur turned and walked out but he would be listening.

"It's just me now. Do you agree to help us and not hurt anyone?"

"Yes, I agree."

Coming closer, she said, "Orm, I…," she faltered, not sure what to say.

He tried to read her. "You still care about me?"

Not far away, Arthur balled his fists.

Mera chose her words carefully. "Seeing you here like this, yes, I care."

They stared at each other. "I will help you."

"Thank you, Orm." Taking one last look at him, she left him alone.

Arthur didn't know what to think. "What was that?" He asked and pulled her down the hall.

"Arthur, I just felt sorry for him; that's all," she replied.

"You felt sorry for him?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes, why would that surprise you? We were friends our entire lives," she tried to explain.

"He's not the same person. He's obviously changed, and you need to accept that," he said unnecessarily.

"I know that," she said. They entered Vulko's office and he'd heard every word.

"That went well," Vulko said and watched them both carefully.

"I think it did," Mera agreed. "When will you release him?"

"Well, I'll leave that up to the Council. Have you heard anything about this plan to contact the surface dwellers hoping to bring peace?"

"We have a little over a week to confirm our plans with the other kingdoms."

"That will probably work, but only a week?" Vulko asked distressed about that.

"Yes, give or take a few days," Arthur replied.

"I'll contact the Council," Vulko said.

"Vulko, before you do that, we're going to speak with Mera's father in a little while," Arthur said.

He thought that was odd. "Thanks, Arthur," Vulko said.

"Goodbye, we'll see you soon," Mera said, then they were gone.

~o~o~

Back at the Atlantean castle, Arthur was still fuming and Mera couldn't understand why he's acting this way.

"Arthur, are you just going to leave without talking to me? You haven't said one word since we left the prison."

"I don't know what to think. You actually still care for him?"

"Yes, but not in the way you think. He's misguided and he's lost his way."

"I'm sorry, Mera, but he tried to kill me and everyone else. If we were in the surface world, he would be in prison for a very long time. Once we're done with him, he will be banned from the kingdom."

"What?" She couldn't believe it.

"You heard me. We can't risk him being here among us. I don't trust him."

"But," she hesitated. "Maybe we could help him somehow?"

He came closer. "Mera, I get it; I do. You've become sympathetic, but he can't be allowed to live here."

She sat down; never having heard him speak this way. "You have no empathy for him; none; do you?"

"I do empathize, but he has to go far away. I'm sorry."

"No, you're not sorry."

He sat down next to her. "You don't mean that. I do feel sorry for him, but."

"I get it; he has to go away. I heard you the first time." Then she had a thought. "Is this because he and I were engaged to be married, or is it something else?" She cocked her head to the side and watched him carefully.

He stood up; this was getting them nowhere. "He has to leave; now I need to go."

"Then go," she said and realized her lover was still jealous, but he would never admit it.

"Mera, please understand why it has to be this way."

She didn't say anything.

He wanted to kiss her goodbye, but she wouldn't look at him.

"I'll see you in a few hours."

The door closed. Mera looked up and felt awful. How will we fix this mess? How? She wondered.

In the deep blue sea, swimming toward the Council meeting, Arthur was thinking, I've never felt this way before; this gnawing hatred for someone, all because he cares for her. It's an awful feeling and to make matters worse, I blamed her for it, but none of it is her fault and I know this. Apologize and hopefully, she'll forgive me.

After the meeting, he returned to the castle and Mera was waiting for him.

"Hey, can we talk?"

"Sure," she replied. In their bedroom, she brushed her hair.

"Can I do that?" He asked; he loved her hair.

She handed him the brush. He smoothed the silky strands back over her back and then began to brush her hair slowly. He watched her in the mirror and her eyes were closed.

"I'm an idiot. I know none of this is your fault. I blamed you for him still caring for you, and it hurt. I took it out on you, and I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"Yes, it did hurt, but you said it yourself, these feelings are overwhelming sometimes."

"Loving you is really easy, but we can disagree; there's no harm in that, but I don't want to fight with you. I hate it."

"I hate it too." She spoke to him with her eyes, and he knew what she wanted, and he wanted it too.

He set the brush down then pulled her to her feet. He pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. She hugged him back. He pulled away then he kissed her deeply. She kissed him back.

After a few more kisses, he picked her up and took her to bed.

A few hours later, they lay together, her head on his chest.

"You know I was jealous, right?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, I knew." She smiled. "But there's no harm in admitting it. I would have understood."

"You're so beautiful. Anyone would be crazy not to love you."

"Well, I don't want just anyone." She turned her head to look him in the eye. "I just want you." Her eyes watered.

"You got me." He rolled her to her back and kissed her passionately.

~o~o~

The next morning, King Nereus welcomed his daughter and the King of Atlantis, not sure how to behave. The feeling in the room became awkward and tense. Arthur, still worried about this meeting, wanting to be civil and not lose it, for his lover's sake.

"Father," Mera greeted her Father stiffly.

"Mera; it's good to see you." He said, trying to be polite, then bowed at the waist. "King Arthur."

"Your Majesty," Arthur said. He also bowed then everyone took a seat.

A few moments of awkward silence, then Mera spoke up. "Arthur and I wanted to talk to you about what happened the past few weeks and your involvement in it," she said bluntly.

"What are you talking about?" King Nereus asked getting upset.

"King Nereus, you know Prince Orm is in prison, but he confessed everything. Please just admit it. We need to hear it from you," Arthur said.

He stood up and walked. "Look, everything Prince Orm told me made sense. The surface dwellers are destroying the planet. We both felt it was time to do something about it. Arthur, you know no one would have listened to our pleas, no one. It was the only way to get their attention. I truly believed that."

Mera and Arthur glanced at each other. "Father, we know Orm's motives, but they were misguided and wrong. You must have known that." He was silent. "He sent an assassin to kill us. Surely, you didn't know about that?"

"Yes, I knew about the assassin, but I convinced him not to do it, and he told me he wouldn't do it."

"Well, he did it and we almost died," Arthur told him.

"I feel terrible about that. Orm was power hungry and he did some awful things. I tried my best, but it wasn't enough, and I'm sorry."

Arthur and Mera glanced at each other. "There's something you should know. Arthur and I are a couple; we're in love."

King Nereus digested this, although he suspected it. "I had a feeling, I mean, after you saved him, and then you disappeared. Orm and I thought you were dead."

"We survived and I think it was fate that we met. I don't want to be without her, not ever," Arthur confessed.

Mera stared at her love; she felt the same way.

"I can see it in your face. Do you feel the same way about him?" Her Father asked.

"Yes, I do," she replied firmly.

"Your Majesty, I want to make one thing very clear. I don't know the future and neither does Mera, but we want to make peace with the surface dwellers. It's what we've sworn to do, and we need both you and Prince Orm to join us, but after we complete this goal, Orm will be banned from the kingdom."

"There must be another solution," King Hereus said, stunned to hear this.

"It was a difficult decision, but I agree with King Arthur," Mera said.

"What about me?" King Hereus asked.

"I don't have the authority to punish you, but the Council and your people will decide your fate," Arthur said.

Mera's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry Father."

"No, no, don't cry for me." He pulled her into his arms. "Everything will be fine. You'll see."

"I hope so," Mera said.

"It's time to go," Arthur said and held out his hand.

She took it without hesitation. "Goodbye, Father."

"Goodbye, Mera."

~o~o~

After escorting Mera back home, he headed to more meetings about peace and how to accomplish it. It won't be an easy task and it will take time. The first thing would be to reveal themselves and to reiterate that it was not their intention to start a war. Their intention was to bring their attention to the planet, how it was hurting possibly dying. Something needs to be done to save both their worlds.

It was decided that King Arthur would be the one to speak to the surface dwellers because he loved this planet. He was also famous on the surface, and they knew of him. They also knew that he was a very powerful man and trustworthy. There are ways to stop the destruction and climate change is real and they can't ignore it, not anymore.

It was a very powerful speech. Mera helped him write it, of course.

"What do you think?" He asked after reading it multiple times.

"Well, its short and to the point."

"Yeah, they don't want to hear long speeches. I don't want to put anyone to sleep."

They both chuckled.

And so, they began their plan to change the world, for the better.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: We've Only Just Begun, The Carpenters.

A/N: I had fun writing this story and yes this is the end for now. Arthur and Mera are so good together. I know there are a few hanging plots, but I may update this in the future, once we start to get updates about the sequel! Thank you for reading and please comment for this part. Chapter 3 is coming soon.