Seto stepped out of the limo and saw Adina flying down the steps with her long black hair streaming behind her, perfectly done up in adorable pig tails while she threw her arms around his legs and stamped on his foot, bringing a sting of pain.

"OW! Kid—"

"You stinky slug! You look nothing like the Daddy I'm used to! Change back!" She demanded, leaning away from him to gaze incredulously at his blond hair. "Choose black hair, like me! Why do you wanna look like that stupid Warrior Joey?!"

"Because I'm still recognizable in black hair," Seto said gently, prying her arms off around his leg and glancing up to see Atem standing with his arms folded tensely across his chest, looking resolutely angry. Crud.

"By who?!" Adina whined, dragging him back up the steps into the house, past Atem's stern stance. "What's his punishment, Father?" She asked pertinently.

"A talk. With me. In private," Atem said icily, scanning Seto's new appearance and feeling goosebumps rise up along his arms. "While he looks like himself. Take the hair color off, Seto."

"Can't. This form is bound to me until I grow fins," Seto replied calmly. He was fully prepared to endure a lecture about endangering his own health. "Come on, you two. Don't you want to know what I was doing?"

"Yes!" Adina answered passionately, while Atem turned his head to the side, his ears red as he muttered, "no."

Seto was led into the first floor kitchen by an excited Adina while Atem followed silently behind them. The family manservant, Kemo, was setting out large bags of groceries across the counters, and Seto peered into one, spotting chocolate tray molds and ingredients while Adina kept tugging on his arm and whining, "tell me! Daddy, what was it? What happened?"

Atem eased into the nearest leather bar stool and stared at the tops of Seto's light blond hair, trying to hide his amazement while Seto flashed him a handsome smile that made his heart leap against his will. D-Dammit. Charmed by Seto…again.

"Hearts or stars? Pick, and I'll tell you what I discovered," Seto said with an encouraging nod, waving the bright-colored molds at Adina who had climbed up beside Atem and was nodding at him with bright eyes.

"Hearts," Adina said firmly, then folding her manicured fingers delicately in front of her and squaring her shoulders back. "Now I demand to hear the news."

Seto bit back a smile and neatly arranged the packets of ingredients out before him while he leaned on the marble counters and made steady eye contact with Atem, speaking carefully, "I had a dinner with Seth's mate, that Hunter, Dartz—"

"EW! You went on a date?!" Adina shrieked, and Atem blinked rapidly, resting his hand on his daughter's shoulder to calm her down.

A 'date' was romantic. He knew Seto had no romantic inclinations towards anyone Seth liked.

"No, it was a wellness check," Seto said with a dry smile, pulling out a few glass bowls from the cabinet behind him and placing them on the counter. "He took two bites of food and then threw up all over the ground by the table. Guess why?"

Atem's eyes widened as his heart clenched. He had a feeling he knew…

"So he's shore sick. Ugh. Warrior talk is so boring," Adina rolled her eyes and flicked her hair over her shoulder, getting off the stool to grab a magazine. "Bye. Thanks for the chocolate, Daddy."

"Wait, hold on! That wasn't the whole story! And I'm not making this for you!" Seto cried, gesturing at the piles of bakeware before him. "Come back here!"

Adina wrinkled her nose and plopped herself back on the counter, her shoulders sagging. Ugh…

"Sounds like he's bearing an egg," Atem supplemented, absently picking up a paper booklet of instructions and flipping through it, his chest tightening with laughter. "I see that's why Seth asked you to check on him."

"Even better, Seth didn't know until the Medic told him," Seto grinned as he pushed the pouch of cocoa butter towards Adina with a handsome wink. "All you, kid. Looks like you're getting a baby cousin."

"Ughhhh, I don't want him," Adina announced, rolling her eyes and grabbing the instruction booklet from Atem's tanned hands. "I don't need more boys following me around."

"What if it's a girl? Would you want her then, Adina? It would be like having a little sister, wouldn't it?" Atem asked with interest, leaning forward to meet Seto's eyes. "Did the Medic disclose the gender?"

"Nope. Too early to tell," Seto lifted one shoulder in a delicate shrug and then tugged at the collar of his shirt. "I'm heading up to change out of this. The hunter will be resting in a ward at our depth, and Mahad escorted him down. You should've seen Seth's face when he heard the news."

"You should see my face," Adina huffed, pointing a manicured finger at her own delicate chin. "This is my 'don't care' face, Daddy. Tell me when it's a girl and then I'll think about caring."

Seto let out a bark of laughter and bent down to press a kiss to the top of her head, feeling her lean back and elbow him away, "don't mess up my haiiir with kisses!"

Vain brat, Seto thought lightly as he gave her arm a pinch and dodged a playful swipe from her.

He hurried up the grand staircase while undoing his tie with one hand, hearing Atem's deep voice echoing from downstairs, "…now where do we start? Mico-wave…for 45 seconds… Grab that bowl Adina, let's do that…"

Turning the corner down the hall, his shoulder bumped into another man who walked right into him, and Seto took a nervous step back, staring at the stranger before him, taking in his dark skin, his jet-black hair styled into a straight bob. He wore a golden circlet in his hair, and his blue eyes were wide with shock when they gazed at each other in brief, awkward silence.

Seto's mind churned. He had to sort out what reaction to give.

"Who the fuck are you? Get off my property!" would be something Seto Kaiba usually would say, and he had to swallow that reflex.

If this was a merperson, it would rub off badly as a first-impression encounter with a royal.

"E-Excuse me! I'm very sorry!" The man bowed so swiftly, his forehead almost knocked into Seto's shoulder again, and Seto had to take a step back, his ears ringing with the man's accented merspeak.

Great.

"I-I…I'll go," the man mumbled, and Seto shook his head in disbelief, turning around to call out to him, "wait! Who are you?! Introduce yourself!" For fuck's sake. Strangers were walking around on his property, and he didn't even know since he never surfaced enough to see the changes.

The man snapped his heels together and bowed again, his dark hair swinging down his cheeks as he mumbled his name, "I am Kalim."

"Full name and status," Seto said impatiently, yanking his tie off and gripping it in his fist, his patience slipping. He heard Adina and Atem's laughter float up from downstairs and forced himself to relax.

Just being in a body with legs made him angry.

He was angry at the world when he walked on two legs, damn.

This was unhealthy for him.

He couldn't separate 'legs' from 'work' from 'trauma'.

They were all the same.

The man straightened up and looked startled but talked fast in Mer, "I am High Priest Kalim, from the Queendom of Helimai… Sir."

High priest?! Seto's mind spun as he carefully dissected what this meant.

Wow, this was his first encounter with a priest of any stature! They were reclusive and weren't known to ever leave their shrines.

…Then why was this one here?

"I-I am here because Miss Anzu invited me to 'see the sights'," the man offered nervously after hearing the blond stranger's jumble of thoughts, daring to feel flattered. "If there's anything you'd like me to bless, dear warrior, my services are available to you any time."

"Oh, yeah, I do have something for you," Seto said brashly, deciding to test the man to see if he could legitimize the makeshift shrine he'd made for Grandpapi a few years ago. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

And he dashed into his room to change, his heart thundering with a mix of newfound joy. Maybe this was where his real passion was.
He enjoyed making shrines in his youth.
This merman might be a useful friend to him.

Seto froze with his leg in half of his pants, his knuckles white over the waistband of the black slacks. He'd just thought of this man automatically as a possible friend.

The F-word he never used. Ever. On land or sea.

I don't have…any real friends! Seto reeled as he shrugged on the black turtleneck while the curling of shame in his chest told him that yes, he didn't consider anyone to be his 'friend' other than Atem…who was his Mate, so it didn't really count.

Joey and Tristan were his comrades.

Mahad was a loyal servant.

Same with Mai and Anzu.

Atem was their friend.

And they serve me out of obligation…mainly because they love Adina, Seto thought nervously as he slipped the diamond watch back into the casing and bending down to change his shoes, trying to get over the realization that he had no one to call a real friend who didn't serve or fuck him.

He tucked the formal shoes back into the shelf and pulled out a more comfortable set of black loafers and stepped into them, feeling himself relax the moment he took the suit off.

Okay, the trauma-combo was: a stiff suit, impromptu meeting, and a stranger.

Once out of the suit and in a more comfortable setting, he was less likely to curse rudely at someone for no reason.

Sighing in relief, Seto turned to inspect his reflection, brushing the hair out of his eyes before hurrying out of the closet to see the black-haired man still standing dutifully at the hallway's end, waiting for him.

"Kalim," Seto said firmly, holding his hand out for a shake and seeing the man stare nervously at his outstretched hand, so he withdrew hastily and gave him a mer-greeting of the touch on the arm instead. "Nice to meet you. Come this way."

Kalim bit the inside of his cheek when he felt a warm touch from the blond merman and dared himself to feel a bit better about interacting with warriors on land. So far, his encounter with other blond warriors like Jounouchi had put him off a bit.

That one was loud and shouty, always eating something.

This one was quiet and appeared more refined.

He was led out the front doors and watched the handsome man bend down to select a white decorative rock from the flower beds on the ground, and his questions came up in a rush.

"Miss Anzu said not to touch anything, or steal…anything," Kalim stammered, his throat tightening when the blond mad gave him a sparkling smile in the semi-darkness.

"This rock won't leave the property," Seto assured him, understanding that the mermaid Anzu was currently fucking this priest. "Please bless it to my Grandpapi, as I'd like to send him a message, and if it goes well, we'll see."

We'll see…about what?! Kalim thought fearfully as he closed his fingers around the cold rock and stared into the handsome merman's face, trying to place why he looked so familiar.

"Come on. I don't have all night," Seto encouraged as he itched with excitement to see a blessing with his own eyes. "…Please." That usually worked.

Kalim blinked dazedly for a moment before his blue eyes sharpened and he nodded, clearing his throat to say, "I will need some coral, sand from any beach…a place to set the stone for the blessing, and the name of the god you are praying to?"

Seto nodded stiffly and gestured for the man to follow him back inside, "got all that in the basement."

He walked confidently back into the house and felt the merman shuffling nervously after him.

Base…ment? Kalim clenched and unclenched his fists nervously. This enormous human dwelling was full of surprises, much like a royal kingdom.

Standing in the elevator, he let Kalim edge into the space beside him and peek at him through his black bangs.

Seto eyed the circlet in the man's hair as they sank to the basement floor and noticed it had no notches. It was merely a thin, unmarked golden band.

So this man was serving his first decade as a High Priest. Cool.

"When did you first realize you had a gift?" Seto asked conversationally as they stepped out of the elevator, trying to keep his face impassive while he remembered his own illegal praying set-ups as a kid. He secretly envied priests for having a natural connection to the gods, whereas he basically forced his godparents to talk to him by making a ton of illegal pacts.

Kalim gaped at the beautiful underground cavern with the giant wading pool and had to snap out of his stupor to answer, "…ever since I was a hatchling. I would hear voices and see visions that weren't mine. My parents thought I needed healing. They found nothing wrong with me, so they brought me to the shrine to channel my talents, and that's where I was taken in as a Divinity student, and…here I am."

"Cool," Seto repeated calmly as he walked to the far end of the pool where a giant glass tank was built into the wall, absent of fish and decorations but had been lit up with a panel of soft white lights. "Pray here and I will place the rock into the water afterwards."

He pointed at the sand in the tank and at the lumps of coral inside, "will those do? It is sand from a beach and the coral I've picked myself."

Kalim nodded curiously and leaned closer to the glass before clasping the rock between his palms and closing his eyes, hearing the merman add, "and please say, 'Grandpapi, you have my regards. Hunter Dartz is carrying an egg. He requires your protection. Thank you.'"

Very well, Kalim thought as he took a light breath in and exhaled slowly, feeling the rock warm instantly in his palm, taking the prayer surprisingly well.

Oh. That was fast. He didn't even need to repeat it.

This merman must pray a lot….

Being deployed must be hard on this warrior, since his Mate was a hunter and was…with an egg?

Seto watched with interest and took a step back, staring curiously into the man's face, taking in his sloping features and strong nose.

The priest opened his eyes, his blue eyes bright when they reflected the white lights from the tank, and he held the smooth, white rock out in his hand for the blond merman to take.

"Finished," Kalim said seriously, watching the blond warrior drop it unceremoniously into the tank with a plop!
A-Alright then.

"Thanks," Seto said with a wide grin, jerking his thumb at the beautifully lit pool behind them. "If you miss the water at your depth, this will help. Look…"

He strode over to a digital panel by the wall to tap his slender fingers on the screen, and Kalim's eyes widened at the royal insignias glowing beside each button.

"Your region is… Helimai…. There," Seto tapped the royal crest, and the panel let out a soft beep, followed by the quiet hum of the water vibrating behind them while the temperature adjusted. "And it should cure any sickness you may feel. Only you and a select few warriors now know about this. It only mimics water from your depth—you will still need to soak in a real pool."

Speechless, Kalim could only nod.

The water was glowing prettily with the warm lights, making him drift magnetically to the edge. He slipped his shoes off and sank his calves into the cold water, the scent of ocean air catching him completely off guard.

"Nice, right?" Seto grinned and he rolled up his pant legs to also sink his feet into the water, setting his shoes carefully on the side and staring at the pretty reflections drifting across the surface of the calm water. Nostalgic, being here in this pool.

Kalim was bursting with questions, and he asked them all in a clumsy jumble, "where are you from—I mean, how was this possible?! This dwelling is a base for warriors? I was told this is the home belonging to Prince Noah of Helios, and he's a young boy!"

"This place also houses Noah's parents?" Seto replied with a laugh, raising his eyebrows and seeing the dark-skinned merman flush with embarrassment and shake his head.

"Apologies if I forget their names…"

"Mokuba," Seto said calmly, feeling the weight leave his chest the longer his feet stayed icing in the water. "And his wife, Ayame."

"Right…" Kalim's cheeks burned as he stared at his knees, feeling oddly welcomed by this warrior with blond hair. He'd been shown a secret wading pool! How nice…since he was experiencing extreme anxiety about having left the shrine for so many sunlit days…

Being in this water helped calm his soul.

"Stay for as long as you like. There's no code to enter the elevator, and…" Seto pointed a slender finger up at the cameras mounted into the corners of the low ceiling. "Security is tight."

He lifted his feet out of the water and grabbed a towel from the shelf, patting his feet dry before disposing of it in the hamper, slipping his shoes back on and waving at the priest. "See you around, High Priest. Thank you for the prayer."

And he walked back down the hall to step into the elevator, catching a shocked expression on the merman's face.

Brushing it off, Seto rose to the first floor and heard Adina's shrill whines sting his eardrums the second the elevator doors opened, so he strode into the kitchen to see Atem bent over a smoking pan of chocolate while the scent of something burnt hit him in the face.

Adina sobbed furiously beside her spiky-haired father, her face covered in smears of chocolate while she stamped her foot, "We burned it! We ruined it! He'll never like me at this rate!"

Atem lifted his head to smile helplessly at Seto, appreciating Seto's change in clothes before he turned his attention back to the bubbling chocolate that smelled awful.

"Heat is too high… Here," Seto rushed over to help and felt Adina clinging to his leg, almost tripping him while she cried, "DADDY! What took you so long to come back?! Everything sucks now!"

'Sucks' is her new favorite word, isn't it? Seto thought to himself as he lifted the bubbling pan off the flame and shut the stove off, seeing Atem wipe his hands on a towel and shrug with defeat.

"We did it exactly as the paper said," Atem declared, and Adina hung off of Seto's leg while the bottom of the pan passed dangerously close to the top of her pigtails, making Seto freeze and call out, "move away from me, this is hot…!"

Adina obediently backed away and stomped off down the hall, walking into the main entertainment area to pick up a magazine and throw it open with a huff. Atem smiled gently and gave Seto a loving squeeze on the arm before he followed to sit beside her and pulled her into an embrace.

"We tried, and don't worry, Seto will fix it," Atem said quietly as he gave her shoulder another warm rub. "How about we wash your face? You're covered in this choco-stuff."

Adina wrinkled her nose, her eyes glittering with unshed tears as she huffed again and nodded, standing up and taking her father's hand, passing the kitchen island again where her daddy was diligently mixing the ingredients in a fresh bowl.

"Thanks Dad," she said shortly, turning her nose in the air but not before she caught a stiff smirk from Seto, and she was pulled up the stairs and into her room by her other father.

Seto felt his heart warm as he grated the cocoa butter into the bowl and tossed the shavings into a saucepan, hearing footsteps return. He turned around to see Anzu, wrapped up in a purple bathrobe and staring at him with incredulous eyes.

"Joey's…friend?" Anzu ventured, tilting her head to the side as she scanned the dark balcony leading out to the back garden. "Has anyone seen my boyfriend? We were supposed to do star gazing. I can't find him anywhere."

"Kalim?" Seto asked with a knowing nod, tapping the whisk into the melting butter. "I like him. Thanks for bringing him here. I saw him downstairs a moment ago."

"You're…welcome?" Anzu replied with a confused shrug, and walked out of the kitchen, throwing the handsome blond merman a furtive look over her shoulder, remembering his face to tell Mai about it later. The warriors that Mahad brought in and out of the house were usually brutish, but that one was …cute, kind of?

She ran nose-first into the king and flushed. "Ooo Atem! Hi! Missed you!"

Atem felt the air being choked out of him as Anzu hugged him tightly around the neck and then let go just as fast when the elevator doors slid open behind them with a soft ding!

"There you are, Kalim!"

And she dashed away to hug the tanned merman who was stepping out of the elevator, barefoot, with his shoes hanging off of his fingers.

Atem gave them a casual wave over his shoulder and saw the merman gawk at him and try to bow.

Kalim's shoulder knocked into Anzu's chest instead, making her flush. "What are you doing, silly? Just wave. The king is pretty casual about that stuff—see you later, Atem!"

"Later," Atem echoed happily, walking back into the kitchen to smell something delicious cooking, and was again impressed by Seto's fluid actions over the stove while he diligently poured dark liquid into the heart-shaped molds and leaned back with a proud smile.

"How's that look? Want a taste?" Seto nodded at the row of tiny chocolate chip coins he'd left cooling on the sheet beside his elbow, and Atem gave him a beautiful smile that made his heart jump.

"It was my first time seeing Anzu's playmate," Atem said quietly, eager to gossip, and was surprised when Seto gave him a sharp look and replied, "playmate? How about just 'mate'. Be nice. He's a priest."

"Ah…" Atem faltered and was offered a perfectly rounded chocolate chip that was pinched prettily between Seto's thumb and index finger. "Thank you…"

"Open your mouth," Seto said fiendishly, and Atem hesitated before he leaned forward and sniped the chocolate out of Seto's fingers, his tongue grazing lightly over Setos' soft skin, earning a snicker and a quick brush of knuckles up against his temple while Seto held his gaze, his blue eyes dark under the warm kitchen lights.

The sweetness melted on his tongue and made him smile.

"It's good," Atem beamed as he eyed the rest of the chocolate dots sitting on the tray, considering eating another. It left a pleasant taste on the roof of his mouth.

Seto pulled back and bent his head back down to fill the rest of the mold up, now itching to be finished. "Where's Adina?" he asked lightly, thinking he already knew the answer….

"Asleep," Atem said guiltily, eyeing the clock on the stove which displayed 1:34.
It was way past her bedtime.

"Figures," Seto sighed as he bussed the trays of chocolate over to the fridge to stick them onto the glass shelves. He swung the doors shut and peeled off the gloves, tossing them aside with a tired sigh and giving Atem a smile. "Now let's make out while it sets."

Atem's eyes twinkled with excitement, and he hopped off the stool to grab Seto by the arm, dragging him over to the couch and falling on top of him with a light bounce while Seto's blond hair splayed out over the edge of the cushions beneath him, making his heart leap with excitement. He dipped his nose down to bump playfully against the bridge of Seto's nose, inhaling his sweet breath while whispering, "you're handsome like this…"

"I like your ass," Seto snickered, wrapping his palms around the base of Atem's thighs and giving them a squeeze, craning his neck up to capture Atem's lips and shoving his tongue playfully in through the tops of his teeth, swirling against the roof of his mouth, tasting chocolate, and it made his heart clench with excitement. He kept kneading Atem's ass to savor the feeling.

It almost made him want to keep the legs. Almost.

"Stop thinking about that," Atem commanded, clamping his hands down tightly against the sides of Seto's cheeks to squish his face comically until his lips puckered. "I can hear your old self coming back."

"I can feel him coming back," Seto breathed as he stared at Atem's adam's apple which jumped in his throat every time he swallowed, and it made him hard, the feeling of being suddenly aroused caught him off guard, and he slowly breathed through the incessant pulsing down below, so he pushed through it to dive into another passionate kiss, feeling Atem wrapping warm arms around the back of his neck to pull him in deeper, their tongues tangling sensually while Atem playfully prodded the tip of his tongue into his mouth, making him shiver happily.

He could hear footsteps padding through the house, and he paid them no mind, choosing instead to drown in Atem's unique musk mixed in with the pleasant scent of chocolate that made his head spin with a special euphoria he missed.

Atem heard a squeak that belonged to Anzu, but he ignored it and kept his legs wrapped around Seto's waist, feeling Seto respond with enthusiasm and give his lower lip a fiery bite. Delicious…

He shoved his hands through Seto's hair and held on tightly while Seto rocked forward and rolled him down onto his side, pinning him into the soft cushions while grinding his hardness lewdly against his inner thigh, the feeling making his skin burn, and he pried his eyes open to stare at the spectacle below, his heart leaping when he forgot how visually stimulating mating on land could be. The only thing that was ruining it was Anzu's frantic ranting while she dashed away.

OoOooo my gosh, he's having sex right there on the couch! Gotta tell Mai, gotta make sure Adina's door is closed…

"We're not going to just have sex right here," Seto growled into Atem's ear, giving him a playful nip and feeling Atem turning his head away to laugh, bringing a warm hand up to caress his ear and give it a tug.

"Your jewelry is gone!" Atem cried in dismay as he stared at Seto's bare ear, his heart swirling with disappointment. "Please put them back on… I really enjoyed you wearing them."

S-Shit… Seto froze when he realized he'd left the gems in the suit pocket, which he'd hung in the closet, and he let out a sigh, hanging his head and resting his forehead onto Atem's shoulder while his boner throbbed. Ugh…

"Let's head upstairs," Atem pressed a swift kiss to his cheek and inched out from under him, standing unsteadily and then grabbing his hand to pull him up the grand staircase.

They passed the second floor where Anzu was cuddling with her boyfriend on a lounge by the balcony, and Kalim raised his hand in a friendly wave. Anzu shot her arm out to pull it back down, but not before she twisted her head around to see the pretty blond merman wave cheerily back while being dragged up the stairs by a red-faced Atem.

I hope Seto knows, but it's really none of my business, Anzu thought nervously as she snuggled her cheek back down onto Kalim's shoulder, unprepared for him to say something about it.

"That warrior was nice to me," the priest said calmly, his tanned hand resting on her knee, and Anzu's vision blurred with stress.

"Sure." She replied stiffly.

Nice enough to fuck the king while he was nursing twins with a scary partner named Seto, a newly crowned king and a seasoned Undercover Warrior. Yep. Super nice.

"He asked me for a prayer." Kalim continued, his heart skipping a beat when he heard the maiden's thoughts, and he felt Anzu tense beside him and looked up with her eyes narrowed.

"What kind of prayer?"

"A protection prayer. His Mate underwater is with an egg," Kalim said guiltily, and Anzu clapped a hand to her mouth, her ears red as her eyes darted to the stairs and back while he elaborated. "The name was Hunter Dartz."

"DARTZ IS BEARING AN EGG?!" Anzu shrieked so loudly, it nearly shattered the windows.

Upstairs, Seto paused, with his hand burning atop Atem's bare thigh, both gazing into each other's eyes when they heard this, and then they both winced when he heard Adina shouting back at them in their minds.

AUNTIE ANZU, I NEED MY BEAUTY SLEEP TO BE BEAUTIFUL TOMORROW! Stop screaming about old news!

Anzu clapped the hand back over her mouth and sank into the couch pillows, her face red with embarrassment while Kalim sounded interested.

"Is this Hunter important?" He wondered, thinking he knew very little about the army and its happenings. It was hard enough to keep up with the royal family, since none of it affected him directly, he never cared to remember unless a specific royal was visiting his shrine.

"Okay, crash course in royal family, ready?" Anzu said gently, seeing her boyfriend's shoulders sag a bit, and she gave him a kind nudge. "I know you don't care, but hey, I directly advise King Atem, and future queen Adina, alright? So try to remember it a little? I mean, it's the reason why this house is so nice, okay?"

Kalim nodded and listened to Anzu rattle off on one hand, her cheeks flushed as she talked.

"King Atem is mating with the newly crowned king, Seto of Helios. Seto has a twin named Seth, and they wear the same crown bestowed upon them by Old King Solomon, who is Atem's grandfather. Follow me so far?"

Kalim nodded stiffly and bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep a pleasant face.

Young twin kings, and the Famed King of Muran rose after Solomon. Yes.

How Maidens found this gossip fascinating was beyond him.

It was tiring and boring…!

"Prince Seth—sorry, King Seth," Anzu corrected herself with an eyeroll, "is mating with Hunter Dartz of Kuril. Rumor has it that Dartz wanted Prince Seto, but since Seto is resolutely stuck to Atem—almost possessively in an unhealthy way I wanna say—he courted Seth instead, so now…you say that hunter is with an egg?"

Kalim palmed his face and frowned, biting back a sigh. How was this relevant to anything?!

"...And you just told me that nice warrior up there is mating with Hunter Dartz too? So who does that egg belong to?" Anzu ranted, her cheeks pink.

Kalim swallowed dryly, and a pang of dread made his chest hurt. Oh...Gods...

"There might be a war over the blood origins of that egg Hunter Dartz carries," Anzu continued patiently, and Kalim's blue eyes widened while she added, "Yep. That expression exactly. Oh, and King Atem has twins hibernating, as you may already know. Be afraid this millennia. Be very afraid."

Kalim blinked and pinched his brow, his mind reeling.

"One moment," he breathed while he held his hand up to slowly put it together. "This magnificent house is Prince Noah's. He is also associated with…"

"Mokuba and Seto are half-brothers," Anzu said with a dry smile, lacing her hand forcefully through Kalim's much larger one. "Okay let's stop talking about this now—"

"Wait, wait! That's so many royal children from one family, in this century alone!" Kalim cried, his heart rate rising as he wondered why he'd been so deaf to the celebrations, finally understanding why the mood in his queendom had changed so drastically.

Anzu gave him a playful nudge and smiled prettily. "So you see why food quality and imported goods have improved in your queendom since you're so close to Helios? That's how I met you! Tourists praying at your shrine have doubled—maybe tripled?"

Yes… Kalim glanced down at his hands, staring at the backs of his knuckles, his heart thundering. Without knowing it, associating closer with the royal family's happenings did improve his life, even when he didn't really pay attention.

"If I wanted stronger pillars for the shrine, would Queen Adina be able to do that for me?" Kalim wondered as he threw a nervous look up the curving staircase, knowing royal children were the easiest to approach.

"She's currently consumed with boy drama," Anzu said with a light laugh, hugging Kalim's arm closer to her as she tried to change the subject. "Bring it up to the architects in your royal village."

"They're still fulfilling requests for dwelling modifications from the last three decades," Kalim said quietly, now wanting to discuss the topic further while fully aware that Anzu was done gossiping. "I know King Atem must be extremely busy—is there a royal you're comfortable asking instead of the king directly?"

"Nope. You ask. Don't make me do it," Anzu said with another playful nudge.

"King Seto then, Atem's mate. Perhaps I should go to him for a supplies request since his ties to Helios are strong?" Kalim pressed as he gazed into Anzu's beautiful face, and his heart tightened when she threw her head back to laugh.

"Oh boy, do I have a story about Seto for you," Anzu said gleefully, her eyes shining. "He's the most terrifying one in my opinion, but go right ahead and ask him!"

Kalim's blood ran cold, and he shook his head, a lump forming in his throat as he dared to ask, "Why would he be more terrifying than King Atem? He was a Lost Prince not two decades ago. He mated up, that's all."

"Sure, if you want to say that, but it's mainly because…" Anzu tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced around the empty floor nervously before dropping her voice to a whisper, "he survived as a human child on land for centuries while Undercover!"

Kalim's eyes widened in fear as Anzu added fervently, "Yeah, you heard that right. I first met him when he was in his Undercover adult form, and he was a huge jerkface! At that time, unknown to us all, he was carrying Adina in egg form on land for decades! Yeah, decades! …While doing hard training with Warriors Jounouchi and Honda! Spear-throwing, cliff scaling, all while carrying an egg to term. Can you believe that?!"

"Military training...undercover, while bearing an egg," Kalim repeated through numb lips, and Anzu nodded furiously, falling into a stride while she ranted.

"And get this—he birthed her without the help of any medicine, no Medic present, just him and some octopus in a shallow reef, and she came out…just fine, obviously! And you know the whole story about how she was incubated in a Chrysalis because he birthed her in human form?! And lived?!"

Kalim's mouth dropped open and felt his soul leave his body.

W-What insanity was he hearing?!

A merperson behaved like this, lived a life like this, and was now a prominent king?!

"And I was…hoping we could talk about this later but…we're here now, so," Anzu lowered her eyes guiltily and gave Kalim's tanned hands a squeeze. "Tell me you know the name of the man who started the most recent war?"

"Gozaburo Kaiba," Kalim said instantly, trying to calm his pounding heart. "I know my immediate history. You don't need to test me like I was hatched yesterday, Miss Anzu."

"No babe, I know," Anzu smiled and took a breath, ready to drop the bombshell. "…This was Gozaburo Kaiba's house. Seto rose to shore to fight him, lived in this house, fought for us while being tortured for mer-secrets which he never gave, and in the end …killed the human, which ended the war and won this house, his company, his riches, and everything with the last name Kaiba. Seto effectively conquered that man, and returned to us in the water to raise Adina."

Kalim blinked.

His heart skipped a solid beat, and he felt himself sinking into the cushion while his legs grew extremely heavy.

"W-Well if he's that noble, he is certainly fit to be king," Kalim trembled, feeling completely unwell. "I might need another soak in the water…"

"Oh yeah, you saw the not-so-secret-basement?" Anzu leaned in curiously with her head tilted prettily. "That was the wading pool Seto made for Atem's comfort when he was 'captured on land'. It's pretty, right? Ooo, and did you see all the settings for water depths? Seto designed that too!"

Kalim felt his hand growing clammy in Anzu's grip while he slowly pieced together what little knowledge he had about Prince Seto. He had heard a few rumors here and there.

"Is it true he made steel cuffs that can block thoughts?" Kalim asked, and to his rising horror, Anzu nodded solemnly.

"Yes. He improved all our military security with those, and he implemented human electronics into our underwater lives, which I'm sure you've seen Pod Commanders using? Yep. His kingdom extends up here… If you want to see a magazine," Anzu said helpfully, scanning the artful coffee tables before them and not seeing anything other than the jewelry store catalog, so she snatched that up and handed it to Kalim. "There. Read that."

Kalim stared listlessly at the paper book in his lap. "Adina," he said flatly, reading the simple English across the cover. "A book belonging to the future Queen."

"Noooo, my darling…." Anzu shook her head with a trembling smile and flipped it open to show him rows of pretty jewelry on the chubby wrists of babies. "It's an entire franchise of gem stores he opened in Adina's name. This is where the bulk of her human currency now comes from…"

Kalim stared at the glistening photos in his lap, feeling faint.

He didn't know learning about the royal family would be so…terrifying!

"So yeah, we will never fear humans again. We will never starve again, and we will never go through another human war as long as Seto and Atem sit on those thrones. They'll set excellent examples for Adina, and the cute twins," Anzu said confidently, falling back into the cushions to prop her crossed legs up on the plush ottoman before her. "You asked me the other night, 'how can you be so carefree about everything?' This is how. You're welcommmme!"

Oh gods, Kalim flipped the magazine page absently and stared at all the numbers beside each tiny ruby, his respect for King Seto rising the more he saw what was being offered. It was matching gems for infants, children, and mothers. Adorable…

"I must thank him personally," Kalim whispered as he set the magazine aside and touched Anzu's hand again for comfort. "His actions in Helios directly raised the attendance to my shrine. I gained the title of High Priest because of it."

"Hmm, then let him know whenever you see him," Anzu said with a shrug and a grimace. "Just don't mention you saw Atem mating with a blond-haired warrior on land, and you won't die. Warrior Mahad almost died twice from an ill-willed command from an angry Seto."

Kalim swallowed painfully and was about to ask, when Anzu answered perceptively.

"Seto has told me many times he wants Atem as a Mate for Life. Atem is obviously a high-profile king who can move about as he likes, and that's him doing that right now with that warrior upstairs. It's not our business," Anzu said with a guilty shrug. "My job is to watch Adina. I'm not going to tell Seto about Atem mating with another person, as it's not my job to report on the king's movements on land."

"And it's…not mine either…" Kalim breathed, understanding there was a delicate bomb of information they were sitting on. "I can understand that King Seto wants stability with one mate after returning into the water after such a fight."

"And Adina's up here for schooling while he stays down there ruling. He keeps his fins while she plays with him on the beach every week," Anzu muttered, nervously biting her lower lip. "Atem has been the one growing legs to visit her here in the house. I haven't seen Seto with legs since… decades ago. His trauma is intense, and it's obvious when you talk to him. You'll know what I mean when you meet him."

"Anzu…" Kalim let out a tense sigh and grabbed Anzu's hands with both of his, giving her a squeeze. "Thank you. You are so full of knowledge, so much that I wish you hadn't told me."

"Wish I didn't know!" Anzu sang, leaning her head down on his shoulder again and gazing out over the dark treetops at the two-toned sky beyond. "Let's relax. The main rule of this house is to replenish it with Good Energy. Seto personally asked that of me. That's why I brought you here! If we aren't enjoying the spoils of his hard work, he'll find it insulting."

A-Ah… Kalim balked as he let Anzu lean on him and his heart fluttered with a mixture of anxiety about all the new information he'd learned, with the feeling of her hair tickling his neck.

He knew meeting Anzu would be life-changing, because she was an intelligent and extremely beautiful mermaid with knowledge of land and sea. But hearing her talk so deeply about politics and the royal family's personal stories scared him even more.

If he wasn't careful, he might end up in a history book as a sidenote.

Sidenote: An idiot high priest named Kalim begged King Seto for stronger pillars in his shrine and was soundly rejected because it was the most ridiculous request the king had heard this decade.

One thing was for certain. This millenia was going to be eventful with Atem and Seto's rule and was one to be remembered.

Author's note:

recap chapter-ish and intro of a New Character owowuwouw