The wedding between Prince Eric and Princess Lynette was celebrated for seven days, each marked by sacred rituals and feasts.
On the first day, the kingdom exchanged vows of alliance. On the second, Alpha and Omega were blessed by the priests. The following days carried music, dances, and banquets that filled the streets with joy.
Finally, on the seventh day, before the great assembly, Eric and Lynette stood together. Crowds cheered as crowns of gold and silver were placed upon their heads, sealing their bond as Alpha and Omega, and uniting Eldoria with Valoria in a single breath of history.
...
The chamber was quiet, shadows from the torches flickering against the walls. Eric stood by the window for a long moment, then turned to face Lynette. She sat at the edge of the bed, fingers tightening against her gown, waiting.
He crossed the room slowly, lowering his voice. "You are my wife now," he said, steady but soft.
Lynette's lips parted, her gaze lifting to him. For a heartbeat, she thought he might draw her close. Instead, Eric shook his head lightly. "But I am not ready to claim you yet. Not tonight."
The words settled between them. Lynette's heart ached; she had wished for his touch, for proof that he saw her as more than duty. Yet she forced her smile, her voice gentle. "It's all right. We can take it slow."
Her eyes lingered on him as he sat beside her, and though Eric offered her patient, she quietly promised herself: her love would grow strong enough to bridge the distance between them.
Lynette's breathing soon steadied, her figure soft against the sheets as sleep claimed her. Eric lay awake beside her, eyes fixed on the ceiling. No matter how he tried, rest would not come. The weight of the day pressed too heavily on him.
At last, he rose. Moving with care so as not to wake her, he slipped on his cloak and stepped into a corridor. The palace was quiet. He chose the back passage, one the guards rarely checked at night.
Outside, his hoarse waited in the shadowed stables. Eric mounted swiftly, guiding it through the narrow gate behind the gardens. The night air was cool as he rode away from the palace, no soldiers following, no eyes upon him.
When the road opened, he dismounted, letting the horse walk at his side as he made his way toward the shore. The sound of waves grew louder, steady against the silence of the night.
...
Kaelen lay stretched across the damp sand, the waves brushing against his blue tail. The moonlight caught on its shimmering scales, but the glow was faint and uneven; each flicker betraying the pain that still lingered in his body. The lashes across his back stung with every movement, welts etched deep like cruel reminders of his defiance.
He lifted an apple to his lips, biting into it slowly. The sweetness did little to ease him, yet he chewed thoughtfully, as though tasting a memory rather than fruit. His gaze lingered on the horizon, where the sea and sky touched. A faint smile curved his lips as he murmured, almost to himself, "I wish to see you again, land prince..." But then his chest tightened, a strange heat unfurling inside him, warning that someone was drawing near. His glowing blue tail shifted restlessly against the sand. Instinct took hold. With a quick flick, Kaelen slipped back into water. From beneath the waves, his sapphire eyes watched as footsteps approached the shore.
Eric reached the spot, his gaze narrowing. The sand was disturbed, and faint ripples still trembled on the water's surface. Nearby, half-buried in the sand, lay a bitten apple. He bent to pick it up but then froze. Something glimmered in the shallows. A small blue scale, luminous even in the moonlight, drifted toward him. Eric stepped forward and scooped it from the tide. He turned it slowly in his hand, the smooth surface gleaming like a jewel. A breath escaped him, soft, almost reverent.
"Beautiful..." he murmured, the word carried away by the night breeze.
Kaelen stayed by the rock, silent, watching Eric. Drew, listening from nearby, caught the faint words carried on the night air.
Eric turned the scale slowly in his hand, its glimmer catching the moonlight. A pulse of recognition hit him, and his breath caught. Is that you...? he thought, heart tightening. Even from the shadows, Kaelen felt the pull of the moment, his eyes fixed on the small blue scale in Eric's hand.
Kaelen's eyes stayed on the glimmering scale. My scale...had fallen down, he thought, heart tightening. A soft movement behind him made him turn slightly. Maria, his friend; the mermaid with a silver tail; emerged.
"You always like him...to the extent of being bedridden because of saving him," she said, her voice with emotion.
Kaelen froze, unsure how to respond. "..."
Maria continued, a note of frustration and sorrow in her tone. "Why can't you move on? Forget about him...remember the relationship between us and humans is forbidden."
Kaelen's jaw tightened. His reply came quietly, almost a whisper. "I can't."
Eric held the scale for a moment, murmuring," I wish to find you...to show how grateful I am for saving my life."
He slid it carefully into his pocket, mounted the horse, and rode away, the night swallowing his figure.