What Becomes of the Broken-hearted (Merman!Denmark x Reader)

Part 2.

The mer-king spent hours in the surface world. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. His visits grew more frequent and longer every passing day. And everyday his heart ached for more than just a glimpse of her.

   He wanted to be able to talk to her, to sing to her, to hold her. He wanted her to talk to him, to notice him. He wanted to be with her, yet no matter how hard he searched inside his mind he could never find the reason why.

   She was pretty, but she was no Psyche. He knew nothing about her but he knew that his non-existent soul was desperate to be with her. Every time he caught her smile it sent jolts down his entire being, like lightning piercing the night sky.

   However, as time passed he felt hopeless, for while he could see her he could never go near her. It was a tragedy; a mistake of fate or God forbid, a joke of the Heavens, to ever cross paths with her. 

   Mathias was heartbroken, and his gift gave solid proof.

   As the mer-king, he was tied to the ocean and all within its domain. Just like how Emil made a storm by accident when he fell ill, Mathias made the seas sick when he fell into a void of loss. The once beautiful corals and plants began to lose their color, rotting inexplicably. Like the clouds during a cyclone, the clear blue waters turned grey and heavy. The creatures would grow hysterical or numb.

   The entire ocean suffered what its king was going through.

***

"What is the matter with him?" Tino asked worriedly as he and the other princes watched their brother sculpt something inside his room.

   Mathias waved his hand over the stone and suddenly it cracked and crumbled. Pieces of mineral fell off, leaving behind a smooth sculpture of a certain maiden.

   He swam around it, his tail leaving a trail of gold sand that, upon falling over the statue, made colorful flowers bloom. 

   Mathias stopped in front of the likeness, caressing its cheek with the back of his hand. If his kind could cry, he would've been bawling his eyes out. Alas, they could not, and his chest never felt so heavier in his life.

   "Why won't you notice me?" Their foreheads touched.

   "Don't tell me he really fell for a human?" Tino put a hand over his mouth.

   "It seems that he has" Berwald grunted.

   "What're we supposed to do? He's lovestruck!" Emil exclaimed. His close fish friend who he called "Mr. Puffin", nodded in agreement.

   "Try talking to him Lukas. He's closest to you" Tino advised.

   Lukas said nothing, merely watched as Mathias sat on a rock and admired the statue.

That night, after yet another uneventful supper without Mathias' loud mouth, Lukas went to his brother's chambers.

   "What has gotten into you?" Lukas asked.

   Mathias didn't even bother to face him, too busy adorning the sculpture with pearls, "What do you mean?"

   "Have you been outside? Don't you see what state the kingdom is in?"

   Mathias shrugged. 

   Lukas began losing his composure. He dashed towards the statue, blocking Mathias' line of sight, "You used to love watching over everything and everyone. Look at you, you're pathetic!"

   "None of that matters. You four can handle everything on your own perfectly without my help" Mathias simply sighed, "Now, do you mind?"

   "Look at what this girl did to you--You should have never saved her"