King of the Seven Seas (EMH) Chapter 10: Beautiful as a Siren

[Third person POV]

Mera had both hands firmly pressed against Arthur’s injured leg, her palms glowing faintly with healing magic as she worked to mend the fractured bone. Her brow was furrowed in concentration. The bone shifted beneath her touch as the regenerative process began taking hold. After a few long moments, the glow faded, and she exhaled slowly through her nose, releasing the tension in her shoulders.

She turned to look at him and said, “Mending bones is a lot more complicated than healing flesh wounds. I’ve done what I can—your leg should start to knit itself back together now. As a royal-blooded Atlantean, your biology’s far more advanced than a typical soldier. Your healing factor is stronger, so I’d estimate a full recovery in about 2 to 3 hours. Until then, you should still be able to stand and walk, but don’t put too much pressure on it. The fracture could reopen if you’re careless.”

Arthur straightened up a little and gave her a mock-serious salute, his expression deadpan. “Yes, Doctor. Thank you for your expert medical assistance.”

Mera let out a sharp snort and chuckled, slapping his chest lightly with the back of her hand. “Dork.”

She stood and extended her hand to help him up. Arthur grunted softly as he rose to his feet, still feeling the lingering ache, but at least he could stand. Once he was steady, he looked over at her with a raised brow.

“So... what now? Do we still stick to the plan?”

“Yes,” Mera replied with a resigned sigh. “Although the order of operations is definitely out of sync. We were supposed to find the trident first and then confront Orm. Instead, you jumped into a brawl with Orm, got your leg busted, and now we’re looking for the trident. So yes—same plan, just... backwards.”

As she spoke, she reached into the center of her chest and pulled out a slim silver canister. Arthur blinked in surprise as she held it up and gave it a little shake.

“Wait... you were carrying that there the entire time?”

Mera gave him an unimpressed look, motioning toward her body. “This outfit doesn’t exactly come with storage space. No pockets. I have to get creative with what I’ve got.”

“Right…” Arthur muttered awkwardly, glancing elsewhere for a moment.

“Anyway,” Mera continued, twisting open the canister and revealing the rolled-up blueprint inside. “Our first destination is Avalon. But in order to get there, we need to pass through the surface world. More specifically—we’ll need to reach the continent of Europe.”

“We’ll need to travel across the ocean to Britain. If Avalon is truly our target then we will need to head there, most legends associated with Avalon steam from Britain.” Arthur nodded thoughtfully. “Doesn’t sound too difficult.”

“It won’t be,” Mera said, tucking the blueprint canister back into her breast. “Not for us. With our speed, we should be able to reach the coastline in about an hour. Maybe a bit more depending on currents and detours, but it won’t take long.”

Arthur placed two fingers on his forehead and closed his eyes, reaching out with his telepathy. A few seconds later, the whale that had been sheltering them opened its enormous jaws.

From inside, Arthur and Mera swam out into the open sea like two small fish escaping from the mouth of a leviathan. The whale released a low, melodic call, its song echoing through the deep.

Arthur touched his temple again, sending a wave of thanks toward the beast. Mera smiled and gave the whale a gentle wave. “Thanks for the lift.”

As the massive creature disappeared into the depths, Arthur turned toward her. “So… where exactly do we go from here?”

Without answering immediately, Mera lifted her arm, revealing a sleek bracelet and a high-tech Atlantean watch embedded in it. She tapped the surface a few times, and a swirling current of water emerged, forming into a solidified 3D globe suspended in front of them.

“We’re here,” she said, pointing to a glowing green dot in the Atlantic. “And we need to get here.” Her finger shifted to a red dot located along the eastern coast of Europe.

She studied the projection briefly before nodding. “We need to head northeast.”

“Convenient,” Arthur said, tilting his head as he examined the map.

Mera rolled her eyes. “Of course it is. I actually came prepared. Unlike some people who just jump into things headfirst without thinking.”

Arthur gave her a sideways glance, lifting an eyebrow. “Was that directed at me? Because it really sounded like it was directed at me.”

“Mmm.” Mera smirked. “If that's how you want to take it, I won't disagree.”

Without another word, she blasted forward, her body slicing through the water like a missile. Bubbles trailed in her wake as she took off with elegant speed.

Arthur watched her go for a second and chuckled under his breath. “Feisty... I quite like that.”

A surge of water burst around him as he coiled his legs and launched himself after her, swimming hard, cutting through the ocean like a torpedo in pursuit.

Mera glanced over her shoulder, catching his approach with a smirk. She spun once mid-swim and rings of water burst from her arms, increasing her velocity as she darted ahead again.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, then narrowed his eyes with a grin. “Oh, it's on.”

He shifted his body, creating a ripple of pressure before a sonic boom burst beneath the surface, propelling him forward at incredible speed.

The two of them became nothing more than blurs in the water—flashes of gold and teal streaking side by side. Arthur slowly began to gain on her, inching closer until he was swimming shoulder to shoulder. He looked over with a smug smirk.

Mera rolled her eyes dramatically before diving suddenly, heading down toward the seafloor. Arthur followed close behind as the chase turned into a full-blown race.

They weaved through massive coral forests and sharp rock formations like they were competing in an obstacle course. They darted through tight crevices, spiraling around one another, threading the needle through natural underwater rings.

Their laughter echoed faintly through the water as they played their dangerous game, spinning around each other, twisting and turning through the ocean’s terrain as though it were their personal racetrack.

For a moment, amidst the rush, the danger, and the mission—Arthur and Mera looked free. Like two sea spirits dancing through the deep.

When Mera turned to glance back at Arthur, expecting him to be close behind, she blinked in confusion—he was gone.

Her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion, scanning the area. Then, something flickered in her peripheral vision.

She looked down just in time to catch sight of Arthur swimming backwards underneath her, hands folded lazily behind his head, legs kicking gently as he coasted with effortless ease. He shot her a cocky wink before boosting away like a mischievous dolphin, bubbles trailing in his wake.

“Pfftt—Hahahaha!” Mera burst into laughter, stopping mid-swim to clutch her stomach. Her whole body shook from the sudden fit of giggles, and she shook her head, muttering under her breath, “How childish…”

Still smiling, she darted after him, quickly closing the distance until she found him swimming toward the surface. She followed, curious, her pace slowing as she watched him leap.

Arthur broke through the waves in one smooth, powerful motion, twisting midair in a fluid, elegant flip. The sunlight poured down on him from above like a spotlight, glinting off his dripping golden hair and skin. His white smile practically gleamed, radiant and full of life.

Mera stared up with wide eyes, momentarily stunned.

He looked… dazzling. Almost ethereal, like something from an ancient myth. For a heartbeat, he didn’t look like a warrior or a prince—but a free spirit, laughing against the sky, carefree and beautiful.

Arthur splashed back down into the water with a light laugh, resurfacing and slicking his hair back with a satisfied grin. “I haven’t had that much fun in a while,” he said cheerfully. “Thanks for that, Mera.”

Still hovering in the water, Mera blinked, staring at his glowing face, his smile stretching wide. His features seemed to brighten when he laughed like that. His eyes sparkled, and she could see the joy so clearly written across his expression.

And suddenly… she felt flustered.

Her cheeks flushed with warmth, and she quickly turned her head away, diving down beneath the surface in an attempt to cool herself off—both literally and emotionally.

Arthur tilted his head, puzzled. “Huh? Did I say something weird?”

Before he could dwell on it, Mera burst back up from beneath the waves, her body twirling midair in a graceful spin. It was his turn to be captivated.

For a moment, it was like time slowed.

The water still clung to her body, trailing around her in glistening arcs as she spun. The sun hit her just right, causing her ocean-green armor to shimmer with a mesmerizing rainbow sheen. Her ponytail whipped through the air, strands of red hair catching the light. Her eyes were closed, and she looked completely at peace—free and wild.

She splashed down in front of him with barely a ripple and casually wiped her face before turning back to him, meeting his gaze.

Arthur was frozen, just staring.

“What?” Mera asked, blinking at his awestruck expression.

“N-Nothing,” he stammered, quickly averting his eyes. “You just… reminded me of those old stories. Fishermen’s tales, you know? About sirens… that captivate men with their beauty.”

Mera’s mouth dropped open slightly. She stared at him for a beat with pure disbelief, and then—

“Pfftt—HAHAHAHAHAHA!” she bent forward, wheezing with laughter. “Wait—wait—stop—HAHAHA!”

Arthur blinked in confusion. “Did I… say something wrong?”

Her only response was to laugh even harder. Her face turned beet red from the sheer intensity of it, and she reached forward to grip his shoulders for support, barely able to stay afloat.

“Arthur—you’re killing me over here!” she gasped between bouts of uncontrollable giggles. “Hahahaha!”

“I’m serious—I don’t get it!” he protested, genuinely puzzled.

Still laughing, Mera placed one hand on his shoulder and the other over his mouth to stop him from digging himself deeper. Her eyes were glassy with tears—whether from seawater or laughter, she wasn’t sure anymore.

“Please… I beg you…” she said, wheezing. “Stop talking. Just give me… a minute. Hahaha!”

Taking several deep breaths to compose herself, Mera finally looked up at him, cheeks flushed and still catching her breath. She placed both hands firmly on his shoulders, her expression warm but amused.

“Arthur,” she began gently, “I’m not offended. I know you’re—well—incredibly ignorant of Atlantean culture. But calling a woman a siren? That’s actually one of the biggest insults a man can give a woman down here.”

Arthur’s eyes widened in horror. “It is?!” He shouted in surprise.

Mera nodded, her forehead resting briefly against his chest as she tried to stifle another laugh. “Yes. Sirens are one of the ugliest sea creatures to ever plague the oceans. They use song magic to trick men into thinking they’re beautiful. The real thing? They’re wrinkled, barnacle-covered hags with teeth like broken coral.”

Arthur covered his face with both hands, mortified. “Oh god… I’m… I'm so sorry…”

Still giggling, Mera shook her head, her voice full of fondness. “Don’t worry about it. I haven’t laughed that hard in years.”

As her giggles slowly subsided, she found herself still smiling—softly this time. Something in her chest fluttered as she looked at him. Arthur was one in a million, she realized. Somehow, this man—this clueless, charming, reckless man—had managed to make her laugh until she couldn’t breathe.

And she didn’t want it to stop.