King of the Seven Seas (EMH) Chapter 25: Journey Through Otherworld (3)

[Third Person POV]

“Are you mad at me?” Arthur asked, leaning over the side to catch a better look at Mera as their mounts glided through the dense forest.

“No,” she replied flatly. Her voice carried a cool, measured tone, and her gaze stayed fixed on the winding path ahead. Not even a flicker of acknowledgment reached him. She kept her seahorse construct moving forward with steady precision, the reins taut in her gloved hands.

“Really?” Arthur drawled, his grin widening with playful disbelief. “Because from where I’m sitting, it sounds—and looks—a whole lot like you’re at least a little mad at me.” His teasing voice echoed lightly through the trees.

“I have no right to be angry with you, Your Highness,” Mera said, her words wrapped in a respectful, almost distant restraint. “We are not together, and I am engaged to another. I am in no position to demand anything of you.” Her tone was perfectly polite, yet each syllable was sharpened by the effort it took to maintain it.

“Wow,” Arthur laughed, drawing the word out. “Pulling the royal title on me and everything. You know, you’re adorable when you’re mad at me.”

“I’m glad I can be of some amusement to you,” Mera scoffed, a flash of irritation sparking in her sea-green eyes despite the faint flush rising along her cheeks. She tightened her grip on the reins, forcing her posture to remain rigid even as Arthur leaned closer, his grin never faltering. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to concentrate.”

Arthur shifted forward before she could edge away, wrapping his arms more securely around her waist. He rested his chin lightly on her shoulder, his warm breath brushing her ear. “It’s perfectly within your right to feel however you feel if I upset you,” he said softly, the playfulness in his voice replaced by gentle sincerity. “You can be honest with me, Mera. Even if we aren’t officially together, we’re partners in this. If my actions made you uncomfortable or unsettled you in any way, I owe you an apology. That was never my intention.”

Mera bit down on her lower lip, her proud composure wavering. Her eyes lowered to the glowing reins in her hands as her voice finally broke through the silence. “I didn’t like it…” she admitted, barely louder than the rustling leaves around them. “I didn’t like seeing you walk off with her into the forest. I hated it. But what I hated most was realizing I couldn’t say anything to stop you.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong,” Arthur said, tightening his hold just enough to remind her he was there. His voice carried an earnest weight that left no room for doubt. “I value what you have to say far more than you realize. If something upsets you, I want you to tell me. If something excites you, I want to hear about that too. If you need boundaries, we’ll figure them out together. We’re in this as a team, aren’t we? But I can’t know what you feel unless you tell me.”

Warmth spread through Mera’s chest, fluttering like a rising tide. Her stomach gave a treacherous, pleasant twist, and for a fleeting moment she feared she might abandon all restraint and kiss him then and there. She turned her face away, inhaling deeply to steady the wild current of her heart.

When she finally looked back at him, her eyes softened, a shy glow replacing the usual steely confidence. “Don’t…” Her voice wavered, then firmed with quiet command. “Don’t do that again. I don’t ever want to see you walking away with another woman in your arms.”

Arthur chuckled, the sound low and warm, and pressed a tender kiss to her cheek. “As you command, my lovely queen,” he murmured, the words brushing against her skin like a promise. “I’ll make sure that never happens again.”

Mera’s cheeks deepened into a rosy blush as a small, reluctant smile curved her lips. She leaned into his embrace at last, closing her eyes with a whisper of relief. “Thank you,” she breathed, her voice soft as the sea at dawn.

A few paces away, Dane kept pace on his own mount, staring grimly at the path ahead. His face was a carefully arranged mask of stoicism, but the occasional twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his discomfort. ‘Is this what people mean when they talk about third-wheeling?’ he wondered bitterly. ‘How unpleasant. I want to find love too… preferably somewhere far away from these two.’

Arthur and the rest continued their steady journey through the glittering heart of Fairyland, the air around them alive with a soft, melodic hum that seemed to come from the trees themselves. The deeper they ventured, the thicker the atmosphere of magic became. All around, fairies of countless shapes and sizes began to appear, slipping out from behind shimmering leaves, darting between glowing mushrooms, and drifting along the streams that crisscrossed the forest floor.

Most of these curious beings were drawn to Mera first, enchanted by the faint scent of saltwater and the subtle pull of her oceanic magic. Tiny water sprites hovered near her flowing hair, their translucent bodies reflecting ripples of blue light. Yet, to Dane’s quiet amazement, their attention quickly shifted. Instead of surrounding Mera, the majority of the fairies veered toward Arthur as though carried by an invisible current. It was as if his very presence was a lodestone for their watery spirits.

Arthur glanced around in bemusement as a cloud of fairies swirled closer. A small pixie no taller than his hand dropped lightly onto the top of his head, perching there as if claiming a throne. Another, a graceful male with dazzling butterfly wings that shimmered like wet glass, alighted on his shoulder and sat cross-legged as though settling in for a long journey. Within moments the trickle became a flood. Fairies of every hue and size clung to him—dangling from his arms, his clothes—until not a single inch of his skin was visible. Only a pair of wide, sparkling blue eyes peeked out from the living tapestry of wings and laughter.

Mera reined in her mount, her eyes widening in disbelief. Dane, riding a few lengths ahead, nearly fell from his seat as he craned his neck to witness the spectacle.

“Well,” Arthur muttered, shifting uncomfortably as a particularly bold sprite tucked itself under his chin. “This is… certainly unprecedented. Phht Phht! Ugh—one went in my mouth!” He spat, shaking his head vigorously, which only made the fairies chime with crystalline laughter.

Mera pressed a hand to her lips to hide her own amused smile. “Can I ask,” she said, raising her voice above the tinkling chorus, “why all of you are clinging to Arthur? You weren’t nearly this affectionate with me.”

The fairies froze mid-giggle and turned to her as one. “He is special,” they said in a single, harmonious voice that rang like silver bells.

“The Ocean loves him,” a delicate water nymph added, twirling through the air in a ribbon of mist.

“And so do we!” another declared, darting forward to plant a glowing kiss on Arthur’s cheek before vanishing behind his ear.

“Anyone with even a sliver of connection to the element of water can feel how extraordinary he is,” a third chimed, wings flickering.

“He’s also very handsome,” a bold pixie added with a mischievous giggle.

Mera blinked, momentarily speechless. Beside her, Dane’s eyebrows shot up nearly to his hairline. Both could only stare as Arthur’s bewildered eyes blinked through the living curtain of wings and glitter.

‘I’ve always known Arthur was remarkable,’ Mera thought, her heart stirring with something she couldn’t quite name. ‘But just how special is he, truly? Perhaps… I’ve underestimated him all along.’

Despite their astonishment, the group had no choice but to press onward. The fairies, still clinging tightly to Arthur, fluttered and chimed like a living cloak as the travelers threaded their way between towering oaks and pale birches.

Eventually, the thick forest began to thin, the trees growing smaller and sparser until the path opened into a breathtaking expanse of water. A vast, mirror-smooth lake stretched to the horizon, its surface reflecting the clouds in perfect clarity. Far across the glimmering water rose a sight so majestic it seemed born of legend: Niamh’s Castle, its spires of silver and pearl reaching so high they pierced the very edge of the sky.

The fairies slowed, their bright eyes softening. A single sprite fluttered forward. “You are going to see the Great Lady, are you not?”

“That’s right,” Arthur replied, carefully dismounting from his seahorse. He stretched his arms, which immediately sent a cascade of tiny wings fluttering to the air.

“Then please give her our greetings,” the sprite said with a respectful bow. “The Lady of the Lake is one of us, though far more powerful—and far more beloved.”

The fairies exchanged quick, knowing looks, then nodded in unison as a larger male stepped forward. His wings shimmered like liquid sapphire. “This isn’t much,” he said solemnly, “but consider it a gift for your journey.”

They raised their hands as one, releasing a stream of dazzling blue sparkles. The particles whirled together in midair, twisting and coiling like a miniature ocean current. The glowing water swirled tighter and tighter, shaping itself into the elegant outline of a trident. The liquid surface hardened to a gleaming blue steel, polished as though it had been forged from the heart of the sea itself.

The finished weapon hovered for a breathless moment before gliding gracefully into Arthur’s waiting hands. “This trident carries the combined magic of all our kin,” the lead fairy declared. “With it, you will command the waters with ease. Especially you, Sir Arthur. May it serve you well.”

Arthur wrapped his fingers around the shaft, feeling the humming surge of power ripple through his arm. A slow, confident smirk curved his lips as he inclined his head in gratitude. “You have my deepest thanks. I promise I won’t waste the gift you’ve entrusted to me.”

The fairies giggled and chimed their farewells, their laughter blending with the soft lap of waves as they dispersed back into the sparkling forest. “Come visit us again!” they called, their voices fading like wind over water.

Arthur turned toward the distant castle, the new trident gleaming in the sunlight. He gave it a sharp, playful spin and drove the tip into the ground. A shockwave of water erupted around him, sending ripples racing across the lake. With a boyish grin, he glanced back at his companions. “Let’s go,” he said, eyes fixed on the towering spires ahead. “It’s time we finally meet the Lady of the Lake.”