The Mermaid Pirate

Chapter Nineteen: Teachings

Hey ya'll, another quick update

Charlie's View

Chapter Nineteen:

"No! Shimmer, you must understand this otherwise people will know for sure you aren't like us!" Emmet growls in fustration.

I scoff at him, equally annoyed. "This is so confusing! How am I supposed to memorie each marking for each kind of royal!"

"Beacuse we all do already. From birth bascially!" He says again for the millionth time.

"That doesn't help me at all!" I snap back, but then I change the subject. "How you give birth here?" I genuinely want to know.

Emmet's face flushes a pale pink, "Ask my sister that." Clearly uncomfortable to tell me.

I smirk, "No, you're my teacher. Tell me."

"No." He stubbornly snaps.

"Tell me! Or i'll inform your mother that you aren't teaching me." I playfully threaten, and am delighted when he groans in defeat.

"Don't." He sighs that sounds more like a gumble. I smirk again, waiting for the answer. "Non Royals can only have one child, sometimes two if the Elder so decides. Only with a mate can they bear a child. While royals can have many children and not need a mate to cause one to bear a child. Which is why there are many half royals... sadly." He finishes shortly.

"How do you have one?" I ask, pressing deeper into his embarssement.

"There comes a time... when mates are ready and well," he swallows awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with me. "Then they privately uh- well basically they uh- rub their tails together in a pleasent manner which then releases the mermaid's stored egg to become with child. The egg is stored within the mermaid's stomach." 

I try not to laugh at his discomfort and ignore their weird way of sex to ask another question. "How do they give birth?"

Emmet's face winces, "It's quite painful so I've heard. They carry the child until they wish for it to be born, wait twenty moons then the mother's scales start to fall off. Morphing into human like legs which is painful. Once the painful falling of the scales are complete, the child is born. Now no more questions! Those are for a healer!" He adds angerly.

My stomach twists at the awful thought. "That is quite disgusting."

"Yes, it is. Now, what are the royal marks?" He quickly switches the subject. 

"The higest royals, King and Queen royals have... three marks along with a decorative swirl, like yours. Other clan leaders, uh- some have just speckles and while others have swirls only."  I boredly sigh.

Emmet gives me a strong, disapproving look which made me want to shrink up against the wall. We are in his own private chamber which is quite plain looking compaired to Auroras and smaller. The walls are made of smooth, polished marble melted in together with the roughness of the rocky cliff the castle is made up against. I don't understand why knowing this is such a big deal around here! 

"Never mind." Emmet growls angerly and for a moment I felt slightly bad for being so stubborn, but he's just as equally stubborn too. 

I can't help but admire his efforts to teach me his knowledge of his kingdom. More than once I catch myself watching him out of the corner of my eye as my head is bowed down listening to him speak. His voice is deep and strong, speaks without a single stutter. Under the hardness in his eyes is a glint of passion that still shines through. Passion, dedication, a promise he has to fufill to his kingdom, one he loves very much. 

"Let's go, I'm starved and I want to go see my mother. See if you could be a healer, you have a mark of one as well as a singer." He gently commands, breaking my thoughts. 

I silently nod in agreement. We meet eyes for just a moment and in a moment of weakness, I let myself admire him some more. His strong jawline, almond shaped silver eyes shaped with thick dark eyelashes. A pointed nose and thin, sharp lips in a constant scowl. I giggle suddenly at the thought he might not even realise he scowls so much. 

"What." He demands of me. 

I laugh again, louder, more free. "You just, well. Do you even realise you scowl so much?" I playfully ask him.

Emmet scoffs with his lips turning up in a sly smile. "I'm not always so serious.. You and my sisters always say that." 

"Sisters? As in more than one?" I ask.

He sighs a somewhat rueful sound, as if the memory is painful for him. "Yes, my oldest sister. Opal. She... she is unwell at the moment." He reluctantly tells me and I decide to not ask further questions. 

As he turned to leave I could not help but worry about this sister. A slight nervousness grows inside me but I cannot seem to shake it away so I place my thoughts else where. "Where is Aurora?" 

"Still with Radiance and her mother I believe." 

"Oh." 

He stops and faces me. "Anything the matter?" He watches me with quiet eyes, trying to figure me out. 

I give him a short, small smile. "Just wondering." I hope my smile was nice enough to convince him otherwise. 

He clentches his jaw, scowl returning to his face before turning to lead me to fetch some food. I assume it must be nearly late afternoon on the surface but again, I can't really entirely tell time. I follow behind closely but not too close, carefully. As we turned a corner in silence we run into Aurora and Radiance followed by her mother. 

"Brother! I had just come to find you!" Aurora says brightly. 

My eyes find Radiance's but she does not return my look. She looks beaten and bruised from what I assume was a long conversation with Aurora. Her mother on the other hand gives me a slight nod and I immeadately tense up not wanting to be around her. 

Her familar green eyes, the tear in her tail, the necklace and her daughter being half mermaid was too much of a secret for me to keep. But I must. For the sake of my brother. 

"Shimmer, darling friend. Are you alright?" Aurora asks me openly and everyone has turned to look at me. Radiance's mother with a look of nervousness, Aurora with concern, Radiance with annoyance, and Emmet a look that matches Aurora, maked with uncaring eyes.

My breath catches in my throat, my words freeze in my head and I nod. I feel my face drain of color when Aurora senses I'm lying... I'm in trouble...