The Heir of Depths

Arline desperately woke up to her lungs not receiving enough air. She coughed and spat in an attempt to breathe properly and when she opened her eyes, she could see a puddle of blood was at her feet. She wiped her lips and brushed her face, trying to catch up air.

“Are you better?” Merrick’s voice came from a corner.

“I didn’t see you there” she said trying to get up and clean the mess she made.

“Stay there, you are not strong enough” he advised her but Arline didn’t listen. She instantly regretted it and took a seat. Her head was spinning and felt like she might pass out.

“Am I dying?” She asked him a little bit scared.

“No” his mouth formed a side smile but his eyes showed worry for her, and he sat next to her “You just need to recover”.

“What did he do to me?” It came out as a whisper, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.

“Poison” he simply said “Silver, I don’t know how I missed telling you about it” he lamented.

“Don’t worry” she calmed him down “It’s on me either way, I put my guard down” Arline felt like a stupid child that got tricked.

“Arline…” Merrick wanted to ease her mind. He wanted to tell her not to be hard on herself or in the fact that his brother just didn’t care for anyone’s well being other than his own.

“Why is it so hot? Or do I have a fever?” Arline wanted to quickly change the subject before Merrick felt sorry for her.

“You had a fever” he said “But now, you are in Pozarite, a kingdom of dunes and sun” he explained “You slept for two days” Merrick knew she would want to know that information.

“You’ve got to be joking” she cursed herself under her breath.

“You needed rest” Merrick knew why she complained “And you won’t go back to train until I believe you can handle it”

Arline just nodded. She knew it would be no use to fight him. She was also trying not to let her eyes succumb to the imminent tiredness possessing her body. When she touched her hair, the braids from the party were gone, her thick chocolate hair was loose and untangled and quickly realized she was wearing a silk sleeping gown, decorated with complicated patterns embroidered in purple thread.

Merrick placed his arm in front of her without a word. Arline got up and placed her head on his shoulder and let her body be guided by the Prince’s pace, to the bathroom. The copper bathtub was filled with water, scented with cedar and lavender to help her purify her body.

A sudden wave of nausea took over her and she dropped to her knees, in front of the basin and threw up. Her hair was held by Merrick, who stroked her back in silence. Her body ached in levels that were unimaginable but the feeling of relief that came afterwards almost made her go back to sleep in the porcelain floor.

“I’m sorry” she mumbled shyly, after she coughed and washed her mouth. At this point, the rightful future King had seen her in every awkward and embarrassing situation imaginable but she still felt self-conscious. But Merrick never cared and didn’t even wasted time on reminding her about it.

“No reason to be” he reassured her, helping her getting up slowly.

As if they had called for them, two maids entered the room, dressed in black silk and their faces covered in a veil knitted with small golden chains. They cleaned the floor, made her bed and got rid of the basin, all in so little time, it almost seemed impossible. Then they exited the room with a bow and left them alone again.

Merrick turned around for her to have more privacy as she was getting undressed and hopped into the warm water, laying still on the tub. And as he heard how she sighed in relief, Merrick slowly turned around and sat on a stool placed in the corner of the room.

You may think why a General with so many problems would care for just one soldier. For Merrick she wasn’t only his soldier, not anymore at least. And he had learnt that every time he left her alone, something bad happened to her.

“I feel better now” she laid her head on one side of the engraved, copper tub. Steam leaving the water.

Merrick got distracted by her beauty, once again. He could see how her pale skin was wet by water drops. She looked even more angelic because of how it reflected the daylight that came through the window. Her long hair was falling outside the bathtub and her tired eyes were sweetly looking at him. Thank the Gods Arline was too weak to even attempt to read his mind in that moment.

He had to clear his throat just to wake up from the trance she had put him on “Arline” he called for her “I have decided to make you part of my War Council” Merrick might have been charming but had the worst timing to break news to the rest of the people around him.

She sat down straight with a serious and scared look on her face “Merrick, I think you’ve got the wrong person for this” she started to fight back “You have Lara-”

“She is here with us for a reason” he explained to her “Arline you know my reasons to put you through this” Arline didn’t want to seem ungrateful for everything Merrick had done for her, but this was too much. The sole action of saving her when he barely knew her was enough to earn her trust, making her a Huntress was bold but assuming she knew anything about war was incredibly risky and ambitious on his side.

“Is there really going to be a battle?” Merrick nodded “Have you ever wanted anything else?” She wondered. Arline wanted to know if there was something apart that occupied the Prince’s thoughts.

“Such as?” Merrick found himself entertained whenever Arline asked him anything.

“Such as something that doesn’t involve blood, violence or mourning” she made it too obvious. Fairly speaking, Arline wanted to know more about Merrick and this was the perfect opportunity because she knew he would answer to anything just to keep her awake.

“Are you asking me if I ever craved love, Arline?” He asked her with a cheeky smile and she nodded slowly “I thought I did” Arline seemed confused at such vague answer.

“What does that mean? You either were in love or not, it’s simple”

“It is more complicated than that” he said.

“How?”

“I used to be with a girl, I did love her” he confessed a little embarrassed of feeling human emotions “Until she asked me to drop everything, the Crown, the Army, everything that I have achieved just to be with her” he waited too see if Arline was going to talk but her expression was of disbelief “She thought my life was too complicated because I always wanted more, I got troubled about my feelings but I remembered my position and who I was… so I left her” Merrick brushed his hair with his hand “She is happy now with a family, living a simple life” he truly sounded happy for her, no sarcasm or resentment in his words.

He waited for Arline to say anything about what she just heard but was just looking at him like a wounded puppy, like he needed someone to console him. Arline felt sorry for Merrick, it somehow shocked her that he had fallen in love with someone and that person let him down.

“Have you ever been in love?” Merrick asked her this time.

“No” she said without hesitation “Merrick, you were raised to be ambitious and expect more from everything and everyone, it just happens that not everyone can handle it”

“Could you handle it if you were in her position?” He asked her quickly “If I asked you tomorrow to be my Queen, would you stay or would you ask me to run away?”

“I wouldn’t ask the person I love most to drop everything they have worked for their entire life just to be with me” she explained him “I’d be by their side or I’d leave if I didn’t like what I was getting myself into”.

Merrick went by her side and knelt next to her, grabbing one of her hands, playing with one of her rings.

“Please Arline, I need your help” he looked into her soul with his dark eyes.

“You shouldn’t kneel before me” Arline suggested him in a whisper “You have my loyalty Merrick, you know that” she gently said to him “I will help you as much as I can” Merrick kissed her hand, thanking her but didn’t move away. He stared at her very sweetly, almost admiring her.

Her body and mind felt at ease after the bath. Still, she was severely tired and felt like she could continue to sleep for days. The Prince made sure she was asleep before he left the room, and headed to meet Aidan and Lara on the Strategic Room of the castle.

“Took you long enough” Lara said while lifting her view from the map and putting figurines over it, trying to come up with a strategy “I am assuming she is up” Merrick nodded and she sighed in relief.

“She agreed” Merrick said “Very against herself, but she will help us”

“The High Council will not like it” Aidan thought out loud “That girl would follow you to the end of the world, don’t act surprised she said yes Merrick”.

“She will attend when she gets better” Merrick announced to them, ignoring what Aidan just said “But we can’t waste anymore time” the three agreed.

It was late at night when Merrick was sitting in the warm water, in the tub, while Arline slept in the same position she was left in. He stayed until the water turned cold, thinking on what his friend said to him. Merrick knew he was right but he came to the realization that if Arline asked him anything, he would do the impossible to please her as well.