Amber

Chapter 15

She was there there, her head held high, with pearls and amber stones framing her slender neck. Other mers surrounded her, holding onto chests or what looked like to be satchels of food, including the child slave that she had taken during the wedding. However, this time he wasn't wearing the awful chains.

"Ava!" Morgan yelled from beside him, waving his hand at her.

Jonas nearly choked on air.

Were they travelling with her?

He could see the realization dawn on Ava's features. Jonas couldn't help but smirk in her direction, narrowed eyes in return.

"You," she spoke icily.

Jonas chuckled, adjusting his roman-like helmet, "Nice to meet you again Your Majesty."

He could see her upper lip twitch but it was quickly masked by a placid face, "Where are your other companions?" she spoke to Morgan, "We don't have long before we leave. I must return to my kingdom soon."

Morgan smiled, his cat eyes landing on the familiar figure of Atlantis and an unknown male that was being dragged beside the royal.

He seemed malnourished, his bones sticking out from beneath his skin, jagged nails digging into the palm of his filthy hands.

Jonas frowned, his eyes drifting over Atlantis, "What is this?"

Gold eyes flashed, "Nothing of your concern." He could feel himself tense, something that seemed visible to the red haired merman, "Watch it human," he murmured, "I don't want to shed blood over something petty."

Jonas opened his mouth to speak but Morgan interrupted with a cough, "We need to go. The Amber aren't very patient people."

Atlantis shoved past him, making Jonas grit his teeth, his eyes following the tattered back of the prisoner, the tips of the spikes torn and jagged.

The prisoner didn't seem to protest, his head and shoulders hanging low as if a burden weighed the poor mer.

"I can't believe we're taking that traitor with us," a pair of mers whispered amongst each other, "Word has it that he's a traitor of the Onyx crown and he's been banished."

Jonas looked at the prisoner, a heavy feeling weighing inside his chest. He couldn't interfere with the laws here, being a human himself and someone who depended on a tiny little bottle.

"Don't look disheartened," a soft voice said beside him. He turned, his eyes falling on the mermaid that had been occupying his mind recently.

"Your Majesty," he said, using her title in a formal tone.

The queen said nothing, her hazel eyes staring at the prisoner, "His fate could've been worse," she murmured before swimming away.

Jonas could only feel the shiver that went down his spine, the memories of past CIA victims shifting like an endless cycle through his mind.

*****
She ignored him on their trip back to her kingdom, focusing more on luring Morgan to her side. A perfect gateway to snag a deal with the Diamond and Emerald kingdoms.

She glanced at the witch who was settled comfortably in his seat of the shoulder carriage. For some reason, Ava didn't believe the promise that Morgan had sworn a few days before. To her, it seemed impossible.

Finding love, hah, she thought.

Her eyes darted towards Jonas, who's mind seemed to be somewhere else. It bothered her that the male seemed to ignore her as well, especially after their passionate moments. Most of her previous lovers pinned after her, sending pitiful love letters or the occasional token of love that she would later throw away to her handmaidens.