Ocean Song Beneath the Waves
*UPDATED* Chapter 17: Unexpected Developments

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The surface—a decidedly retched place, at least in his opinion. The humans care little for their own. Honestly he isn’t even here by choice but he has an order to obey and a mission to fulfill. So far he’s observed a continuous stream of disappearances but the humans don’t seem to care even as they go missing one by one.

His face scrunched up in thought, he stares below at the humans going about their daily business as he contemplates on something he’s been seeing with increasing frequency. “That suspicious being might have something to do with this...but I find this to be a bit disconcerting,” he mutters. He crosses his arms and furrow his brow.

This “being” that he speaks of acts as a shadow, disappearing and reappearing whenever a human would turn up missing. Such occurrences had been rare up until a few weeks ago.

It started with the missing girl then her brother not too long after. As his master sees it, there’s a growing threat in the ocean and these humans clearly have some role to play in its grand scheme. As to what? That’s why he’s investigating the surface, much to his displeasure.

“Well that was a dead end,” A man sighs as his eyes are turned towards the direction of the voice. Below him stand two men, both young but the other one may hap a bit younger.

They have just exited from the library he currently stood atop of and seemed to be frustrated over something. It only takes him a few minutes to recognize their faces as they’re the ones related to the two missing siblings but that isn’t all he notices.

Hiding within the shadows of the building he can just barely make out the figure of the one responsible for the missing humans. Judging by where they currently stand and where their focus seems to be it is obvious that they have chosen their next victims.

Those being the two males leaving the library who are too caught up within their conversation to notice the danger lurking nearby.

However there is little he can do. He wasn’t granted any permission to act or utilize his abilities on land. He was sent to observe and investigate-nothing more.

“Then now what?” The younger of the two asks as he’s left with little choice but to follow them due to the one who shadows them.

The elder one doesn’t look at him but continues to stare forward as he releases a sigh. “We go see what Zale has found.” At this the younger one seems to become exasperated as he lets out a sigh whilst rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, if he actually managed to get out of whoever’s bed he’s sleeping in,” he says mockingly as his thoughts drift over to that red head he’d seen his brother going off with last night.

“Now, now Rion. Don’t forget that family is just as important to him as it is the rest of us.”

“I’d like to hear that from you again when Zale ditches us to go ‘play’ with some chick he picked up off the street.”

Clearly the younger one seems to have a mouth on him or maybe just a lack of respect for those older than him but whichever it is matters little to his elder brother as he disregards the words of the one called “Rion.”

Just great, the last thing he wanted to do was play babysitter to a group of brats but so long as that shadow is there, he must be there also even if it means babysitting a few humans...

Surely she must have lost her mind. Why? Because she’s actively seeking out the Prince of Aquaria when she had been trying her best to avoid him just a few weeks before but what he told her, strangely enough, has allowed her to see him in a new light. Not that new but new enough to where she’ll at least try to make an effort to get to know him which is long overdue since she and her brother are a pair of freeloaders mooching off of his family’s luxuries.

“Lady Serena!”

She hears a familiar voice call out as she turns her gaze to find Aaralyn swimming towards her after noticing her swimming about aimlessly in the hall.

“Does something trouble you? You have been swimming about for quite a while now? Did you lose something?”

The formality in which she speaks causes her to cringe internally and no matter how often she told Aaralyn to be less formal towards her, the mermaid refused and stubbornly persisted in her mannerisms whilst reminding her of how improper it would be for her to do so.

Serena shakes her head as she finally relinquishes her stubborn preference to find the Prince herself. “No, I didn’t lose anything. I am just looking for the Prince,” she says quietly as Aaralyn stares at her in confusion. Which is understandable because who would willingly wish to see the Prince unless ordered by the King to summon him?

“Might you know where he is?” She asks curiously as Aaralyn hesitates to answer her but being aware of her position she quickly decides to answer her charge to avoid any trouble later.

“At this time His Highness can be found in the Chamber of Stars.” Serena curiously tilts her head upon hearing this. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Find ɴøᴠel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Chamber of Stars?” She repeats slowly with a questioning look upon her face. “What is that?”

“It is a room that was made for the late queen five centuries ago. King Neptune took a few dozen stars from the night sky and placed them in the chamber where they shall shine for all eternity.”

“Oh wow! That is quite the amazing gift!” Serena exclaims in awe—an eagerness to see the chamber bubbles within her.

“Yes indeed. It was an expression of love from His Majesty.” Serena tilts her head once more as she regards Aaralyn curiously.

“Expression of love?”

“Yes. We use song to express our love to those we would give our hearts to. If a mermaid were to fall in love with two mermen who loved her in turn they would sing a song from the heart to compete for her love. Whichever song she found to be the most beautiful is the one she would give her whole heart to.” That sounds really complicated... Serena thinks impassively as her thoughts turn to King Neptune and his late wife.

“Is that how the King and his wife fell in love?” She asks curiously but she instantly regrets it when she sees the sad look that passes over the servant’s face.

“That is not my place to say. You would be best served asking His Majesty, himself or the Prince but I would advise against it. It is not always best to indulge your curiosity my Lady,” Aaralyn warns before gesturing towards her. “Now, please follow me. I will take you to the Chamber of Stars where you may find His Highness.”

With that she says nothing more and Serena is left to follow after her in silence. After all, what could she say? Obviously she touched upon something of a sore subject and at this she curses her own inquisitiveness.

She stares upon the great doors as they loom over her intimidatingly. Aaralyn had brought her to where she would find the Prince but she quickly left soon after to attend to her duties.

A sense of nervousness immediately flooded her being as soon as she reached these doors and she finds herself wishing she had followed Aaralyn back to the familiar corridors leading to hers’ and her brother’s rooms. However, she’s here now and all she can do is cautiously knock on the door and enter.

What greets is her is a sight more extraordinary than anything she’s ever seen in all of her years of life. The walls and ceiling about the room are hardly noticed because it looks as though the very night sky itself is kept within this room. The floor is made of black marble probably as a means to keep all focus drawn to everything else. In the middle of the room sits a silver dais in the shape of a circle with beautiful sapphires and amethysts adorning the sides.

Upon the dais sits a comfortable chair made from a large white clam with a few black and green pillows sitting within it. Everything appears to be untouched and shows no signs of use. May hap because of who this room belonged to and the sadness it would cause should something be disturbed. Prince Oceanus stands upon the dais with a hand upon the chair and a forlorn expression upon his face.

Never did she even think that the Prince could wear such an expression of sadness and yet here he is with this expression that causes a flood of emotions to run through her-unfamiliar emotions.

“Why have you come to this place?” He asks without looking at her. His tone is cold but not cold enough to hide the sorrow within.

Any nervousness she had is lost and replaced by a warm, gentle feeling.

“I have come looking for you.”

“Why? That hardly seems like you. No one would actively seek me out unless I call for them.” His face takes on an expression of impassiveness but she’s not going to draw back just because of that.

“I have been down here for a while now and it does not-doesn’t look as though I’ll be returning to the surface anytime soon. My brother and I have intruded upon your home but I have made no effort to get to know you.”

His eyebrow rises just the slightest bit in interest as he removes his hand from the chair and turns to face her fully. “Why would you want to know me?” He finds it suspicious.

Could she be planning to do something? His thoughts are dispelled when he looks deep into those mysterious eyes that seem to see all and look further into a world beyond their own. In them he sees no lies but only the desire to know and understand.

“I do not know to be honest. There’s just something that compels me to know you. I have always disliked being at conflict with another person for a long period of time. Especially when I have done nothing wrong. I just want to know you, that is all I ask.” At some point it seems that she gives up trying to adjust her speech to fit with the surface seeing as it has progressively become harder to maintain it.

“So, you would truly make an effort to know me?” He asks seriously as she nods her head without a moment’s hesitation. “Then I suppose I should make an effort as well if not to move past my hatred of all humans.”

Serena smiles radiantly upon hearing this and the Prince finds her smile to almost be rather...enchanting. She’s never smiled in his presence not once since coming down here and it takes him aback just a bit to see someone other than his family smile so radiantly at him.

May hap it might not be such a bad thing to be fond of this particular human.

She swims closer to stand upon the dais with him and stare up at the view around her. Their comfortable silence only lasts a moment when the Prince takes notice of the expression upon her face.

“You look as though you wish to ask me something. If so then say it instead of fighting with yourself about it.”

A bitter smile briefly flashes across her face and disappears not even a second after. “Aaralyn told me that this room was an expression of love from your father to your mother and she told me that merpeople express their love through song. I had wondered if that’s how your parents fell in love. Through song?”

The question is innocent enough but it bears a weight holding naught but pain. Dismissing her and brushing her aside would be the easy way and he’s hardly one to go back on his word.

He said he would get to know her and she would get to know him. They had to start somewhere he supposed.

“To answer that question I would have to tell you the story of my family. Are you willing to listen?”

She doesn’t even hesitate to nod her head in affirmation and her resolve to listen is clear.

“Very well then. I shall start from the beginning...”

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