Love Comes in All Sizes (Companion Sequel Fic to "Uniquely the Same")

The Rivalry

I didn't have many options at that moment.

I didn't have the golden coins for a dowry. I had zilch on me. And Erika's father seemed determined to get something for his daughter's hand in marriage.

If you ask me, there should be NO marriage. She was way too young, I was too. And this Paul guy? Why was he after her hand? I mean, from what I could tell from looking into Erika's family house is that it was just a poverty-stricken as many other of the homes in this undersea city.

I had to find Paul and ask him to take back his dowry. I had to. I stupidly loved this girl. I just hoped he didn't still love her too.

My mother showed me the way towards his home, as we swam through the traffic of hundreds of sea monsters pouring through the trails that had been marked on the seabed.

She finally spotted his house and my eyes widened, my jaw-dropping, seeing it was like a mansion... an impossibly beauty of a house that one couldn't even fathom existing in real life.

"So, he's rich?" I asked her slowly and she smirked, pointing to a statue just outside it of this big muscular sea monster man.

"His great grandfather founded this city. He has wealth through his veins."

"I can see why Erika's dad likes him."

"Having admiration just because of riches doesn't mean a thing." My mother told, shaking her head weakly and make a tsch tsch sound, "Remember that always Alberto." She placed her hand on my chest where my heart was hidden, "She loves you, for you."

I know something like that shouldn't have struck me hard, but it did. Erika knew I was from a poor background and she didn't care. And it only mattered now because her father wanted wealth. Something I knew in a million years, I wouldn't ever have enough of... even if I stole.

And stealing was NOT an option. I had too much of a conscience these days to even consider that idea.

We slowly swam over to the door, and I knocked on it heavily.

Within a moment the door was pulled opened and there stood a sea monster man that looked like some sort of a butler, the way he stood and behaved.

"Yes?"

"Is Paul... is Paul here?" I asked nervously and he peered his eyes down to look at me, smirking as he added.

"And whom may you be?"

"His rival," I half-joked and half said seriously.

"Not. Funny." The butler remarked and my mother placed her hand on his shoulder. He quickly blinked his eyes open before he seemed to recognize her and he asked.

"Rosetta?"

"Please Ernie," She said to him, a warm reassuring smile on her lips and he seemed to nearly blush. He brushed her hand off him and turned around, saying as he stood as straight and obediently as he could.

"Follow me."

"You know him?" I whispered to my mum and she nodded sagely.

"I know everyone in this city, and one day, you will too."

That didn't sit right with me. I didn't want to be here for that long, especially at the length she must be thinking I'd be here for.

As we reached the end of the underwater mansion, Ernie pulled opened a hard wooden door, and guided us into the back garden where there was hundreds of tropical plants and fish all swimming around peacefully in this oasis of life.

"Master Paul?"

"Yes..."

I could hear the gentle voice of a young man and looked around till I spotted him sitting on a limescale seat in the centre of the garden.