The Call Of Thalassa

“Your greatness is not what you have.

It’s what you give.”

It wasn’t long before Murdoch had fallen asleep. The newborn was very peaceful and calm, feeling loved and protected in his mother’s arms. Thekla untangled his purple tail from her forearm, chuckling to herself. Apparently, it was a habit of his to ensure that his mother stayed close. She placed him gently on the center of the coral, kissing his forehead lovingly.

“We have sometime before he wakes up”, Thea whispered to her, guiding them to the other corner of the room.

Aileen sat down on the small rock, spreading her tail on the seaweed beneath her. Thekla sat across from her, giving her a huge auger seashell with an orange liquid inside of it. The shell was long but narrow, making her compare it to what humans would use as a cup. She glanced at the vibrant liquid, her eyes widening in excitement.

“Is that orange juice?”, she asked.

“Better”, Thea winked at her, “A shrimp potion!”

Aileen’s face paled slightly, her excitement lost. Of course, they didn’t have oranges underwater. She facepalmed herself inwardly. Why didn’t she think of that earlier?

“Um…”, she gazed at it cautiously.

“Come on, try it”, Thea urged her gently, “You’ll never know if you like something without trying it.”

Aileen reluctantly brought the shell closer to her lips, taking a small gulp of the potion. Immediately the familiar taste of shrimp greeted her mixed with something she couldn’t put her finger on. Her eyes widened in shock –it didn’t taste bad. It was pretty good actually. Apparently, turning into a mermaid brings change to your taste buds as well.

She looked at her scarlet tail, watching as her scales turned a brighter red as the faint lights danced on them. She still couldn’t believe what had happened. Just a few hours before she was still a human, trying to find a way out of prison and Alastor’s threats. She didn’t have the time to process everything –to realize what her actions meant and how they would change her reality. Not that she had second thoughts about her decisions. If she had to choose again, she would undoubtedly follow her merman once more. But she just wished she was more prepared for this –for the new world that was greeting her.

“I know it all seems crazy right now”, Thea smiled at her knowingly, “But I’m sure you’ll get used to it. You just need some time to take everything in and settle in your new reality.”

“It’s just…strange, you know?”, Aileen sighed deeply, “One minute your home with your friends and the other you have to leave them behind, not knowing if you’ll ever return. And then, your legs turn into a tail and you’re just…not human anymore.”

“Do you regret your decision?”, Thekla asked her worriedly.

“No, never! I…”, Aileen blushed slightly, “I love your brother. I don’t regret my decision to become a mermaid –it meant that we could finally be together. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

“The circumstances will never be perfect”, Thekla let a small laugh, “You’ll have to make the decision when the time comes, trying to make the best out of every situation.”

“Yeah”, Aileen smiled softly, “That’s what I did. And from what I heard, that’s what you did too.”

Thekla rolled her eyes at her words, shaking her head in amusement.

“What did those boys tell you?”, she asked.

“Nothing”, Aileen chuckled, “They just revealed Osmond’s first encounter with his father in law.”

“That wasn’t their first encounter”, she chuckled at herself, “Osmond had been around our family for decades before we realized we’re mates.”

“Really?”, Aileen asked in wonder.

“He was very close to Havelock since they were kids. Our mothers were close friends and his father was a general of my pater”, she shrugged her shoulders, “It was obvious he would become my brother’s right hand.”

“How come you didn’t realize sooner?”, Aileen cocked her head to the side.

“Well, I…”, Thea blushed slightly, “I had a huge crush on him since I could remember. But I was embarrassed –he was my brother’s closest friend. I didn’t want to affect their friendship.”

Aileen nodded in understanding, watching as a scarlet color painted the mermaid’s cheeks.

“Besides, we were too young –we hadn’t reached maturity yet. And we couldn’t feel the Call between us –the need to protect and love…”, Thea bit her lip at her memories, “Although, we did feel attracted to one another…”

“So, your father knew him well”, Aileen concluded.

“Oh, yes! Neptune was very proud of him”, she agreed with her, “Osmond was a promising young man –a loyal friend and a great warrior. He put Atlantis and its King above everything else and that was something my father admired in him.”

“Then, why did he chase him with a trident?”, Aileen asked amused.

“Well”, Thea chuckled softly, “I was his only daughter –he felt the need to protect me.”

“From your mate?”, Aileen barely held a laugh.

“He was a threat in his mind.”

“Why?”, Aileen giggled, “What did he do?”

“We were in my mother’s garden when we found out we were mates”, Thea confessed, “He cut a pink anemone and placed it behind my ear, before kissing the life out of me.”

“That’s so sweet”, Aileen awed.

“Yeah”, Thea smiled at the memory, “He said that he couldn’t wait to spend a lifetime with me. To wake up and fall asleep every day with me in his arms. To make me his.”

“I don’t understand”, Aileen wondered, “Where was the problem with that?”

“My father was standing right behind us.”

Aileen couldn’t hold her laughter any longer. A fit of joyful giggles escaped her at the picture of a horrified father witnessing his daughter’s first kiss. The King must have been shocked at the thought of his only daughter mating with a boy. She was gasping for air, holding her stomach as she tried in vain to stop her laughter. Little Murdoch was sleeping soundlessly a few feet away from them –she didn’t want to wake the newborn up.

“T-That…That would explain why he was chasing him with a trident”, Aileen managed to say between her laughs.

“Yeah”, Thea rolled her eyes playfully, “The thought of your daughter having sex…isn’t very appealing.”

Aileen couldn’t take the picture out of her mind. An old man with a trident chasing a terrified Osmond around Atlantis. Osmond –the man that was so composed and calm. Osmond –a serious general with a sharp mind and excellent fighting skills. Osmond, who had made her feel welcome and was kissing his child’s forehead a few moments ago. She couldn’t believe it –she couldn’t accept it.

“I had to separate them in order for them to stop, can you believe that?”, Thea shook her head in annoyance, “Of course, Osmond tried to coax my father –he wanted to make a good impression. Neptune still threatened to scale him alive if he ever hurt me. It was a memorable day.”

“Oh my!”, Aileen gasped for air through her laughter.

“After a while, they got along just fine”, Thekla informed her, “My father finally realized that I was not so ‘little’ anymore. That I could make my own decisions –that I was in love with this man like he had once loved my mother.”

She smiled gently at Aileen, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness.

“My father wanted the best of me. And Osmond was it”, she sighed deeply, “He realized it soon enough, for all our sakes.”

Thekla hesitated before taking hold of her hand. Squeezing it in encouragement, she told her something Aileen wasn’t aware of.

“He wanted to meet you, you know. He wanted to meet the woman that made my brother so happy –that brought light into his life.”

“I’m sorry for your loss”, Aileen whispered at her tentatively.

Thekla’s blue eyes glittered with unshed tears, but she managed a small smile.

“I’m sure he has finally found peace”, Thea patted her hand, “He’s with my mother –he was missing her terribly. And both his children are happy and content, having two wonderful mates to support them.”

Aileen could feel her cheeks turning scarlet at her words. She turned her gaze away, not wanting for her to see the doubt in her eyes. She loved Havelock deeply and she wanted to be with him, but she also wanted what was best for him. She didn’t know his world well, but from the looks of respect and adoration he had received, she knew that the people loved their king. Was she truly the best for him?

There were so many women out there –fierce mermaids that knew this world better than she ever could. Gorgeous females, who knew how to fight as well as how to lead. Was she really comparable to them? She was a human by nature, not one of their own. She had just discovered this brand new world and was trying to fit in. Was she the best choice for him? The best choice of a Queen?

“I know that look”, Thekla nodded to her slightly, “You’re doubting yourself.”

There was no point in lying.

“Will I ever fit in? Will they ever accept me?”, Aileen whispered, “How can I be a Queen when I know nothing about this world?”

“The mere fact that you’re putting so much thought into it shows that you’ll be a great leader”, Thea smiled, “You worry that you’ll let them down –that you won’t be enough. That’s understandable, but you shouldn’t let your fear blind you.”

“Havelock should have a stronger Queen”, Aileen laughed bitterly, “Someone who is strong and fearless. I am not it.”

“A King needs a Queen, who understands him and shares the burden of his crown with him”, Thea disagreed, “A support system –a person he can confess his fears and worries in. Someone who will always be there for him every step of the way and remind him what he’s fighting for.”

Emerald eyes met blue ones.

“Strength isn’t always physical”, Thea winked at her, “My brother doesn’t need someone stronger or better. He needs you, Aileen. Not another version of yourself –you. You are his Queen –you give him the strength he needs to go on. You remind him what he’s fighting for –for the people he loves and the ones he needs to protect.”

Aileen felt a weight lifting from her shoulders. She let a sigh of relief at Thekla’s words. She knew her mate loved her –she had no doubt about it. But emotions are like the ocean –unstoppable and wild. You cannot control the doubts that swirl in your mind, especially when so many changes happen in your life at once. New people appear while loyal friends stay behind. Everything you know turns upside down and you are forced to learn how to live from the beginning, adapting to the new datas. It’s something you cannot control and that terrifies you.

“I’m sorry”, Aileen whispered, “I know I shouldn’t doubt myself, but I cannot control it.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, mea Soror”, Thekla swam to her side.

Her arms wrapped around her shoulders, giving her a much-needed hug.

“I’ll be there for you in every step of the way”, Thekla stated firmly.

“We’ll face everything together.”

Aileen hugged her a bit tighter, knowing she meant every single word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 45!!

Latin translations:

1) Mea Soror = My Sister

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