King of the Seven Seas (EMH) Chapter 14: Surface Cuisine

[Third person POV]

“What?! You’ve never tried ice cream?!” Arthur stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Mera as though she had lost her mind.

Mera tilted her head slightly, her long red hair shifting over her shoulder. “I don’t even know what that is,” she replied, her voice genuinely curious rather than defensive.

Arthur slapped a hand over his mouth and gave her the kind of look people reserved for tragic news. “You poor, poor child…”

“Stop looking at me like I’m some pitiful creature,” Mera scoffed, crossing her arms. “So what if I haven’t tried surface food? I bet you haven’t had some excellent Atlantean cuisine, and you don’t see me looking at you like that.”

Arthur’s lips twitched into a smirk. “Not to be racist, but isn’t all of your cuisine just… seafood? I doubt there’s much variety.” He shook his head in pity as they continued their trek north through the rolling hills of Wales.

“Arthur, your ignorance is showing,” Mera replied, her tone full of royal authority. “We Atlanteans have evolved through the ages, adapting to the sea in every possible way—including agriculture. We’ve cultivated and modified our food until everything is exquisite, nutritious, and crafted to perfection.” She finished with a proud lift of her chin.

Arthur, however, had stopped listening halfway through. When she glanced over, she found him covering his face like a man moments away from tears.

“Okay, now you’re making me mad,” Mera said, irritation sharpening her voice.

“I’m sorry,” Arthur said, peeking through his fingers. “But you’re comparing ice cream to vegetables and sea-grown spinach. My poor heart can’t take it.”

“Arthur…” Mera’s voice dropped to a cold, warning tone. She pinched her fingers together until there was barely a centimeter between them. “I am this close to forgetting you’re a prince.”

“Don’t worry, you misguided lamb,” Arthur said grandly, taking her hand with exaggerated gallantry. “I’ll show you the wonders of the surface world.” He led her forward with confidence—despite having absolutely no idea where he was going, given this was his first time in the United Kingdom.

---

“Phew! We actually managed to find an ice cream parlor,” Arthur said at last, relief in his voice as they stepped inside. A cool gust of air hit them, carrying the sweet scent of sugar and cream.

Rows upon rows of colorful flavors stretched before them like a rainbow trapped in glass tubs. Mera’s eyes widened with intrigue as she slowly scanned the display.

“What’s that brown one?” she asked, pointing.

“Chocolate,” Arthur answered automatically, as if the very word explained itself.

“Oh. Okay… What’s chocolate?” she asked, tilting her head in genuine confusion.

The server paused mid-scoop to stare at her. Arthur nearly dropped to his knees. ‘Just what kind of hellhole is Atlantis?!’

“You’re giving me that look again,” Mera warned, her eyes narrowing. “It’s getting on my nerves.”

“Sorry, sorry…” Arthur muttered, before teaming up with the bewildered server to explain each flavor in great detail.

After a long deliberation, Mera chose two scoops—rich chocolate and soft pink strawberry, the latter picked purely because she found the color enchanting.

As they sat down, Mera spotted a container of rainbow sprinkles on the table. She shook some into her palm, inspected them, then popped one into her mouth. “Mhmm… crunchy…” Without hesitation, she tilted her head back and began pouring them directly into her mouth.

“Mera!” Arthur yelped, nearly vaulting over the table to snatch it from her hands.

“What?” she asked innocently, cheeks puffed with sprinkles, several sticking to the corners of her mouth.

“You’re not supposed to eat it like that…” Arthur said awkwardly.

“Why not? They taste good.”

“Just… try the ice cream,” Arthur groaned, sinking into his chair as he caught the servers at the counter watching them like they were part of a live reality show.

Mera scooped a spoonful of chocolate and placed it in her mouth. The moment it touched her tongue, she froze. Her eyes widened, and she leaned back as if bracing herself against some new, overwhelming sensation.

Arthur smirked knowingly. “Good, right?”

“Unbelievable…” she muttered in awe. “How can something be so soft… and so delicious?”

Arthur leaned on his hand, grinning as he watched her devour her ice cream with the unrestrained joy of someone discovering a new world.

---

A while later, Arthur was seen dragging Mera out of the shop by the waist, her legs kicking in protest while shopping bags from earlier dangled from his arms.

“No! Please! I beg of you! There’s still so much for me to try!”

“There’s nothing left for you to try! You’ve already sampled all the flavors! Let’s go already!” Arthur snapped, pulling her along.

“No! I refuse!” Mera cried, grabbing onto the doorframe like her life depended on it. “How can you just show me such wonders and expect me to leave?!”

“There are other foods just as good as ice cream that I wanted to show you! We’ve spent too long here!”

“Really?” Mera asked suspiciously, glancing back inside. “Just as good?”

“Yes! Now come on!”

“…Alright,” she relented, finally releasing the door—though not without a final wistful glance inside. The door closed behind them, leaving the staff inside with the haunted expressions of people who had just witnessed something they could never unsee.

…

Mera slowly lifted a slice of pizza from the box, a long, molten string of cheese stretching and glistening under the warm light. She took a bite, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed, a soft hum of satisfaction slipping past her lips. Each mouthful was slow, deliberate, savoring the flavors as if committing them to memory.

A little later, she held a large cup of soda in her hands, watching the fizzing bubbles pop against the surface with wide-eyed fascination. Tilting it cautiously to her lips, she took a tentative sip.

“Woah! Strong,” she gasped, blinking rapidly at the sudden burst of carbonation against her tongue and throat. But after a second she grinned, “Not bad,” and eagerly went back for another drink.

“Ahhh!” she suddenly yelped, jerking back and pressing a hand to the bridge of her nose. “Something weird just came out my nose!”

Arthur nearly choked on his own drink, bursting into a loud laugh that filled the entire room.

---

By the time they stepped back outside, the sky had already deepened into shades of navy and indigo. Stars began to pierce through the darkening heavens, and a chill drifted in with the night breeze. They both agreed it was best to find somewhere to stay and resume their journey to Avalon in the morning.

Inside the small inn, the male receptionist barely looked up from his desk. “Sorry, there’s only one room available…” he said flatly.

Arthur’s brow twitched. “Are you serious?”

“Nothing I can do about it,” the man replied, voice still monotone. “No reservation, fully booked. One room left—take it or leave it.”

What kind of cheesy rom-com bull is this?! Arthur thought, suppressing the urge to groan. Turning to Mera, he offered an apologetic look.

“It’s fine,” Mera said with a shrug. “I trust you wouldn’t try anything inappropriate. And it’s just for one night.”

Arthur sighed in defeat, holding out his hand for the keys. “Alright, one night…”

---

Later, in the room, the two lay on opposite sides of the bed, their backs turned to each other. The silence was thick, only the faint hum of the heater filling the space. Neither of them was asleep.

Arthur stared at the small ring box in his hand, turning it over in his palm. ‘What the hell was I thinking? Buying a ring so soon… God, how desperate am I? It’s pathetic… But I did promise to make her my queen, and she didn’t exactly disagree. That’s kinda like a proposal… right?’

“Arthur… you awake?” Mera’s voice broke the silence, making him tense.

“Yeah?” he answered quickly, squeezing the box before slipping it discreetly into his pocket.

He felt the bed shift as she moved closer, her hand coming to rest gently on his back. “I wanted to thank you for today…”

“What for?” he asked, rolling onto his side to face her.

Her hands slid to rest against his chest, and a faint chuckle escaped her. “Although I may have acted a little… un-princess-like earlier, this was the first time in a long while I’ve had so much fun.”

“Seriously?” Arthur said, his surprise clear.

She nodded, then pressed her forehead against his chest. “That’s not to say Atlantis isn’t fun, or that I’ve had a bad life there. But I was a princess. I was expected to act a certain way, spend every hour learning or training—Atlantean history, magic, military strategy, martial arts… My childhood was full of duty. Rarely did I get to just… be myself.”

Her voice softened. “But with you, it’s different. I don’t feel like I have to put on a mask or guard my words. I can just be me. And that’s… something I really appreciate. So, thank you.”

Arthur’s expression gentled, and without a word, he bent down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. “I’m glad you feel that way. I’d hate for you to feel like you had to act a certain way around me. Today felt like an adventure for me too.”

Mera closed her eyes with a faint sigh as his arms came around her. Though she didn’t need protection—strong as she was—she still felt safe, warm, and secure in his embrace.

“Good night, Arthur,” she whispered, her head resting on his forearm.

“Good night, Mera,” he murmured back.

Within minutes, the two drifted into a peaceful sleep, still wrapped in each other’s arms.