See the prologue for disclaimers and major canon divergences. This chapter gives a bit more background to Atlanna and Orm. Hope you enjoy reading!

Chapter 1

1988.

Atlanna, the former Queen of Atlantis, sat on the floor playing with her two-year old son. "And the trident could only be wielded by the strongest Atlantean. And it gave King Atlan mastery over the seven seas," she spoke, repeating the story she had been told as a young girl. "It made him so powerful that the ocean itself became jealous and send a terrible earthquake to destroy Atlantis. Down it fell to the bottom of the ocean. But legend has it that one day a new king will come who will use the power of the trident to put Atlantis back together again."

She glanced over at Tom, who was solving the daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper and glancing over at the two of them every once in a while with a small smile playing on his lips. She was so glad she had washed up on his shore three years ago and couldn't imagine a life without him. He had welcomed her with open arms and nursed her back to health, despite her destroying his tv and eating his goldfish. And he had given her love. Love she had desperately craved to have in a marriage, but that she hadn't felt with Orvax. Orvax was a controlling man, hard and unmoving, who wanted nothing more than to wage war and gain more power. Thomas was sweet and kind, soft and gentle. She returned his smile before focusing on their child again, holding up a teddy bear and a fork in a crude depiction of a Atlantean. Being a child of both land and sea, perhaps he could one day unite all Atlanteans and humans…

Suddenly, the dog barked, and a large hole was blasted into the wall opposite of Atlanna. She immediately grabbed Arthur and handed him to her husband, who she knew would hide him and keep him safe. She stood up. An Atlantean soldier, wearing white armor meant for the surface and holding a gun, was slowly walking through the hole. She tried to follow Tom into the kitchen, but another hole was blasted through the door and her route was cut off by two more Atlanteans. "Queen Atlanna, by the authority of King Orvax, you are ordered to return to Atlantis."

"Atlanna!" All the soldiers turned their heads at Tom's shout, giving her the time she needed to disarm one of the soldiers and fight back. Atlanna quickly pushed one of the soldiers out of the window and knocked another one out behind the couch. "Tom! My weapon!" she shouted whilst she fended off the third. More soldiers were entering, but Tom had acted quickly and tossed her trident to her. With it, she quickly took out the rest.

When the fight had finally ended, Atlanna breathed heavily and looked up at Tom. He was looking back at her with big eyes whilst holding Arthur to his chest. She let out a sigh of relief. They were safe. Her husband and her son were safe.

Atlanna held her son, knowing this might be the last time she would be holding him. She tried to memorize what he looked like as she rocked him, trying to stop his tears. It was almost like he knew his mother was leaving.

"You don't have to do this, Atlanna. Please!" Tom stood in front of her, shaking and trying to keep his tears in. "No," Atlanna replied, shaking her head and hugging Arthur closer to her body. She knew that if Atlantis had found her once, it would do it again and again and again, no matter where they went. Beyond better judgement, perhaps, she had hoped Orvax would have let her go. But Atlanteans are usually unforgiving, and Orvax was no exception. Which meant her family would never be safe. "They will always find me," she explained again to Tom. "Next time, they'll send an army. I have to go back. It is the only way to safe him." She kissed Arthur on the cheek and handed him to her husband. "Safe you."

Tears started streaming down Atlanna's face as she looked at the man she loved. She tried to commit every feature to memory: Tom's brown eyes, his nose, his unruly mop of brown hair. She wiped the tears away and looked at her wet hand. This was the first time she had felt the need to cry since leaving Atlantis. "Where I come from, the sea carries our tears away." "Not here," Tom replied as a tear started rolling down his own cheek. "Here you feel them."

Atlanna stepped closer and held him. "I will return to you, when it's safe. One day, right here, at sunrise. We'll be together again," she vowed. She shifted one of her hands to his face, as she had done hundreds of times before, and kissed him. She knew it might be a very long time before she would be able to do so again. She then turned back towards her son and stroked his mop of hair, so similar to that of Tom. "You stay strong, my little prince. I'll always be with you." Arthur cried into his father's shoulder.

Atlanna started to walk down the pier but turned around to see her family all together one final time. Her gaze glided from her husband to her son. "Don't let him forget me, hmm?" she asked Tom. Tom nodded after a while, another tear rolling down his cheek. Atlanna turned away and finally jumped into ocean. The water surrounded her like an old friend, carrying her tears away. She started to swim back to Atlantis. Back to the life she thought she had left behind.

1 year later.

Atlanna, the once again Queen of Atlantis, looked at the babe she was holding in her hands. It was a beautiful boy with golden locks and blue eyes. She had fallen in love with it the first time she held it, despite the fact that she didn't love its father.

When Atlanna had returned to Atlantis, Orvax had ensured that they were married immediately and that her temporary disappearance was covered up. Atlanna remained silent to him about her time on the surface. She knew that if her jealous second husband found out about Thomas or Arthur, it might mean her death. Or worse, the deaths of Tom and their child. Only Vulko, her childhood best friend and the one who had helped her escape her arranged marriage all those years ago, knew about her other family.

Orvax forced Atlanna to sleep with him in order to create an heir. Not too long afterwards she had fallen pregnant. And now she held her second-born son in his arms. His father had named him Orm. Atlanna held the baby closer and kisses its cheek.

"My little Orm," she whispered, although nobody else was in the room. She couldn't be too careful since the king kept a close eye on her and surrounded her with guards. "Oh, my little Orm," she repeated. "I wish you knew about the brother you have. How I wish you could grow up together. Maybe one day you two will finally meet."

7 years later.

Atlanna picked up her son and walked with him towards the window of the family room they were in. The view from the Royal Palace on the vibrant city of Atlantis was stunning. "It's beautiful, is it not?" she asked her child. Orm looked at her and giggled before nodding. Atlanna smiled. "There is a world that is just as beautiful on the surface. Perhaps one day you will be able to see it. Perhaps one day the land and the sea could be reunited."

"Very interesting."

Atlanna turned around, startled. Orvax stood in the door opening, observing her with a cold expression. She hadn't heard him enter. The king glided towards her, grabbed Orm, and handed him to the nanny that had entered the room after him. After both nanny and child had left, Orvax closed the door and went to the table to pour himself a drink. "You know Atlantis intends to wage war upon the surface. Why do you fill his head with such nonsense?" he asked before taking a swig from his glass. "It is not nonsense," she quickly shot back. "The land and the sea are one, both parts of the same world. The surface has its faults, but it also has beauty and goodness."

Orvax let out a shallow laugh. "Oh, Atlanna… The surface consists out of nothing more than foolish humans that pollute our seas and destroy the planet. The world will be better off without them." Atlanna balled her fists at her side to keep her words inside. Orvax, like many of the Atlanteans, was stubborn and refused to see that a war with the surface would only lead to death and destruction for both parties. The humans weren't as stupid as they believed and had developed their own technologies and weapons. The only way forward was together.

Unfortunately, Orvax had caught her movement. He narrowed his eyes and put down his glass. "Why do you care about so much the land-dwellers anyway?" he asked whilst he slowly stalked towards her. Atlanna resisted the urge to back away. "Did you meet some human during your… time away?" the king continued. "Did you find them beautiful? Did they touch you, touch what is rightfully mine?" Orvax now stood directly opposite to Atlanna. "Perhaps I should pay the humans a visit. Find out who you spend those four years with and kill them."

Queen Atlanna surged up to Orvax with fire in her eyes. Their chests were nearly touching. "Don't. You. Dare. Touch my family." "Family? You had children?" Atlanna's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. All those years that she had kept quiet about Tom and Arthur were now for nothing. "Did you?" Orvax asked again with steel in his voice and jealousy in his eyes. Atlanna barely suppressed a flinch at her husband's tone. She considered lying, but one look at Orvax face told her he already knew the truth. She lifted her face up. "Yes."

Orvax slapped her with the back of his hand and Atlanna fell to floor. He then grabbed her by the hair and pulled her face close to his. "Whatever children you had, they will never rule Atlantis and you will never see them again!" With that the king grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the room.

Atlanna paced around in the cell she was locked in and tried to prepare herself for her fate. She had made a mistake. After nine years of carefully hiding her other family from Orvax, she had slipped up and revealed the existence of Arthur. How could she have been so reckless? At least Orvax seemed to focus his jealous rage solely her. Perhaps Tom and Arthur would be spared…

She sighed and sat down on the bed. She would soon be sacrificed to the Trench and its vicious inhabitants. She would never see either of her sons or Tom again. A tear rolled down Atlanna's cheek. All her hopes and dreams for a united land and sea were vanishing. She knew Orvax would mold Orm into his own image and instill the boy with all his hatred for the surface. He would make their son seek out war instead of peace, hatred instead of love, destruction instead of healing, enemies instead of friends. It could only lead to death, destruction, and despair on both sides. A war with the surface could only result in the end of the entire earth.

The door to the cell slid open. Atlanna looked up to see Vulko entering the room. "We have arrived," he spoke softly with a sympathetic look on his face. Atlanna felt the engines of the ship turn down. "I have been sent to escort you outside."

Atlanna stood up, walked over to her friend, and hugged him. She felt his arms slip around her as well. She brought her lips close to his ear and whispered: "Please keep Arthur safe. Teach him. Train him." "I will." From the look on Vulko's face as they let go of each other, she knew he would keep his promise. He would do anything he could to stop Orvax and Orm from going after her first-born. More than that, he would teach Arthur the Atlantean ways and how to protect himself. "Don't tell him what happened to me." Vulko hesitated but nodded his acquiescence at her final request.

Atlanna, Queen of Atlantis, took another breath, straightened herself, and walked out of the door with her head held high.

Orm cried as he hugged his knees. His mother was gone. She had left him, had been sacrificed to the monsters of the Trench. How was he supposed to grow up without her gentle hand or guiding touch? She would never hold him again, sing to him, or tell him stories. She would never comfort him again when he was scared or injured. She was just… gone. Another few tears rolled down Orm's cheeks as he tried to process it. Why did his father have to do this? What could mother possibly have done to deserve this?

The doors slid open, and king Orvax entered. He hardly spared his son a glance whilst he walked to the large window that filled an entire wall of the family room they were in. It was the same room in which Orm had been held by his mother for the last time. His father looked down upon the city of Atlantis for a couple of minutes before speaking. "Come here, son." Orm got up from the floor he had been sitting on in the corner of the room. He made his way over to the window, stopping next to his father.

"Do you remember what I have told about the surface?" Orvax asked. Orm nodded. "You said the humans destroy our home and that that's why a war with the surface is coming." "Indeed. Your mother betrayed all Atlanteans by mingling with those humans. She even had a child with one of them. Your older brother, Arthur."

Orm's head was racing. He had a brother! All his life he had spent an only child, wanting nothing more than a sibling. Of course Mera, the princess of Xebel, spent time at court, but it wasn't the same. She was more of a friend than a sister to him. But now he had a real brother. They could play together, grow up together, train together, and so much more. Perhaps one day his brother could even rule at his side. What would he look like? Orm wondered. Would he have mother's eyes and hair, just like me?

Unfortunately, his father's next words brought Orm back from his daydreaming and destroyed any happiness he felt at finally having a sibling. "It is because of this boy, this evidence of your mother's utmost betrayal, that Atlanna has died. It is his fault." Orm hung his head as more tears started to flow down his cheeks. His hopes were crushed. The sibling he always wanted had betrayed him, had killed their mother. How could he?

Orvax bent over and turned his son towards him. "Listen to me. One day this mongrel half-breed may come to steal your throne away. Despite his status as first-born, you are a pure-blooded Atlantean and the true Crown Prince of Atlantis. If this Arthur ever darkens our doorstep, you must kill him.

Orm lifted his head, hatred now burning within him. "Yes, father."

Next chapter will be posted next sunday (25-02-2024).