If I Can't Have You... | Empires Smp S1

IV

The Queen of the Ocean and the Elven King of Rivendell landed safely in the Cod Empire, its humid feel clinging to Scott's skin uncomfortably as he instinctively began to call his lover's name.
"JIMMY!"

"Shhhhhhh!!" Lizzie shot a withering glare toward the cyan haired man, shushing him very quickly. "The cod people will come and realise that two other empires are roaming the Codfather's land!"

Scott's brow furrowed in confusion. "But you are his brother?" he said like it was obvious, and Lizzie in return rolled her eyes as if he wasn't watching.
"Are you not on Team Salmon?" she asked accusingly.
Scott parted his lips to respond, but he quickly realised that the chaotic fish lady had a point.

The Heiress of the Ocean let out a wistful sigh as his cyan gaze fell to the floor.

"Jimmy trusts me, Scott," she said, her voice slow and endearing. "You love him, and he loves you." The elf felt his cheeks warm as a light red settled over his pale features. "He's already trying so hard to get his empire to understand his lovelife. But if I am seen with you, then he will have to protect yet another person. His empire will have yet another reason to hate him."

Scott forced himself to look up, guilt rippling inside of him like a stone hitting a calm lake. "Lizzie," he said softly, reaching for the Ocean Queen's hand. "You don't have to go that fa-"

"I'm supposed to be protecting him, Scott!" she cried, tears beginning to race down her cheeks and glimmer on her iridescent blue scales. "I vowed to protect Joel til the day I died. I vowed that I would return to Jimmy and save him all those years ago. And look where he - they are now!"

A few beats of silence.

"Nowhere,"

It took Scott a moment to realise that both the Ocean Queen and himself had said the same thing at the same time in perfect unison.

She crumpled to the floor like a dried piece of kelp, and suddenly the intimidating, outgoing 10ft Goddess of the Ocean and Queen of the Sea w replaced with a figure who has given up everything and has nothing to live for.

Just like me.

Scott dropped down onto his knees - much to the dismay of his pristine attire - and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her sea blue gaze to meet his cyan eyes.

"You and I are more alike than you'd think," he whispered. "We both blame ourselves for all the tragedies and the problems and discrepancies in this world, even when it is well beyond our control."

Lizzie's gaze didn't falter, her eyes boring into his with a ferocious intensity that somehow reminded Scott of the ocean, both raging and calm, fierce and desolate.

"I doubt anyone is here Scott," said she, her eyes falling to the muddy pavement.

A foolish part of him wanted to believe that she was right - that Jimmy and the others had safely landed and had just come a smidgen earlier than the rest of them. His heart felt as though it had sank into his stomach, settling their uncomfortably and with a furious pang of understanding Scott aligned the stars.

She knew.

He felt stupid.

He felt foolish.

All that the Ocean Queen was doing was getting his hopes up for them only to be crushed under the cruel foot of reality yet again.

Who did she think she was?

Who did she think he was?

"I didn't mean to disappoint, Scott," Lizzie mumbled, shifting from foot to foot as she eyed the elf with concern.
"Watch it," he snarled before he could stop himself. "It's King Scott to you, Ocean Queen."

Upon realising what he had said, Scott's gaze lifted in time to watch Lizzie very painfully down a retort. A look of inevitable pain gleamed in her eyes, creased with worry and anxiety and guilt.

What was I doing?

He opened his mouth to apologise, yet the Queen of the Ocean silenced him by pelting a glare his way.
"I want you to stay away from my seabling, King,"
Her tone was sour as she uttered the word. "You say we're similar, but do you know the difference between us?"
His silence answered her question.

"I'll admit," she said, her voice quaking as it raised significantly higher in pitch with the flurry of negative emotions whipping at her scales. ""We're both nightmares,"

He remained silent, confusion beginning to take a hold.

"But you're dressed as a daydream," she responded, and the Rivendell King realised that curiosity must have been smeared all over my face. Her pain was evident, reverberating around the humid swamp as she gracefully dove into the water, using her trident to propel herself into the air.

A stab of anger pierced his heart, and Scott clutched his head in pain.

What was he turning into?

He was no nightmare.

Am I?

Word Count: 799

Hello my lovelies! Just reformatting the book so that there's a singular POV per chapter. I hope you all enjoyed! <3333

~Fox Out