By The Sea And The Land

Chapter Eight - The Need Of A Little Help

      Lys have been sulking in his room for the past one hour. Locked in his own room after his father and grandmother send him off with a soldier to guard his bedroom door so he won’t tried to escape after he unwillingly forced by his family to talk more about the men he falls in love with.

      At first it was still fine, he told them that he first saw him from afar when he swimming in the sea to reach the coast a few days ago, and he vaguely mention that he’s helping him in some sort of way and refuse to said anything more when they—his sisters, actually—urging him to tell them more about that man. Asking about his appearance, his scales color, his height and even his favourite fish snack, but he stated that he don’t know which place he’s from and that they parted ways after he ‘help’ him and never making a contact with that man afterwards.

      His father though, although glad that his son finally had someone he loves though he’s a male, feeling skeptical with his son stories after he repeatedly refused to said anything more regarding the one he loves, and decide to call the soldier that going together with Lys to the surface to hear his version of stories when Lys stubbornly still refusing to answering his sisters and grandmother question. He’s gained a protest from his son, yelling that ‘It was unfair!’ while his daughters squealed with anticipation and holding their brother down so he doesn’t attacking the poor soldier that seemed so scared and shaking his tail nervously in front of the Mer-King and the royal family.

      His suspicion proved true, when the soldier stammered when he told his stories while glared by the Prince that currently had been hugged tightly by his sisters on his place, and slowly revealing the Mer-Prince behavior on his journey.

      About how he helped the human in the storms and refused to leave the human alone on the coast after he saved him. And with a small voice, that he bribed him to not telling anyone about it.

      After he finished, the room become as quite as a room filled with water can get, and the soldier prepared himself to be punished by the Mer-King.

      The Mer-King keep silent. Closing his eyes and tried to rubbing away the headaches that coming back at him with a more powerful throb than before. The sisters, for once also keeping their mouth shut. Glancing nervously at each other, and agreed that this is not the time to be fangirling over their brother. They doesn’t want the situation to get worsened with their wrong choice of words. Lys hung his head low, his expression grave, and making a promise to himself to beat the soldier to the pulp once his sisters loosened their grip on him. His grandmother though, having the expressionless face, which is very unusual for her.

      The environment is so tense, no one making a sound until the Mer-King dismissed the soldier after he ordered him to never talk about this matter to anyone else, and that he will be stripped from his profession and undergoing the training as a new soldier from the scratch if he want to work as a soldier again for the bribery. The soldier thanking the Mer-King, glad that his punishment wasn’t that severe, and hurriedly swimming out of the room, away from Lys murderous eyes. Her sisters letting go of Lys after that.

      The Mer-King then ask Lys to forget about the human, although its sound more like an order to everyone ears.

      Lys, like usual, just going to disprove with his father before he heard his Grandmother said that she’s agreeing with his father. Startling Lys and his sisters, since she never said or do something that would break her grandchildren heart.

      The oldest of the siblings asked what the reason she agreeing with his father opinion. Their grandmother looked at them with a sad face and she asked them, if they still remembered the stories she told them when they’re small, about what happened to her sister, and they all nodded, remembering that her sister has become the sea foam in young age, because she failed to do the requirements to get the one she loves from her now ex-friend.

      Lys asked what the actual reason she’s gone, raising his eyebrow. Her grandmother smiled a sad smile, saying that the one her sister loves is a human, and the human doesn’t love her although she had suffered a lot before she’s gone.

     Everyone get silent again. Including the Mer-King. Apparently, she never told him this part of her story too.

      The silence is gnawing at Lys and he didn’t want to forgetting the only person he’d ever love. Even when he just realized that he loves him, because he never had this kind of feelings before, and he absolutely didn’t want to lost it. Not now, not ever.

      So he tried to argue with them. The rejection words flying back and fort, and from low mumbles became a harsh shout that can be heard even from the outside of the room that seemed to lasted for eternity.

      The sisters tried to calm them both, and their grandmother taking side with their father, making the situation hard to win for Lys.

      The Mer-King had enough of Lys insolent behavior towards him, and called the soldiers to escorts him to his room, said that he need to think about this matter with a clear head if he doesn’t want to be forced to marrying the Mer-Princess.

      Alone. And locked. So he couldn’t run away from the palace.

      He’s still sulking, thinking of a way to get out of this difficult situation. And after thinking it through and through, he found a thing—or more precisely, someone—that might or not might be able to help him to end the silly promise his mother made, and to get the one man that he’d ever love.

      The problem is, he don’t know what the price and the requirement to get the human to loves him, or even if that person can really made the human Prince to love him. And he can’t figuring out the answer since he’s locked up in his room and couldn’t get out without further notice from his father.

      Lys couldn’t bribe the soldiers like the last time because the Mer-King already warn them that he won’t going easy at them if he figured out that they’re letting him go.

      Lys sighted, swimming in circular movement around his wide bedroom, still trying to find a way out from his room when he saw his door opened slightly, and faced with one of his sister that have brown hair and purple eyes, smiling gently at him.

      “Sister? What… Wait. How did you get in here? Didn’t father send you to your room too? And why the guards let you-“

      “Lys, this is not the time to talk. You need to get out of here now.” She said that and pulling Lys out of the room and Lys giving him a more confused look.

      “Huh? Go to where?” he asked dumbly.

      “Duh, of course to go and find the man you love. The other have been distracting the guards and soldiers, making them… busy, for the time being.” At the same time she said the last sentence, he head some booming sounds and clamour and some weird, eerie noise from the other side of the hallway. His sisters definitely have been doing something over here, and because its his sisters, he doesn’t wan to find out what they had done for the obvious reason.

      His sister just smiled after watching his expression, and lead him out of the palace, tucking him to the corner or dump him on a room whenever they saw someone on the way who’s rushing to the source of the commotion to giving a hand to whatever calamity his sisters had done, and he though that he heard one of soldiers said something about an intoxicated hippocampus, although he’s not that sure about it.

      After they’d get far enough from the palace, his sister letting go of Lys arm that she’s holding and taking a heavy bag she’s tied on her hips and giving it to Lys. Saying that she couldn’t help him more beyond this, and she need to get back to the palace to helping their other sisters to get their father and the soldier attention away from him.

      Giving him her and their sisters blessing, and hoping that he find what he’s wanted, and that he succeed in winning the human love, and if he can’t, she want him to coming back to the palace, even if he had to face the wrath of their father, but his sister promise to find a way to ease their father wrath, somehow.

      Lys hugging her tightly, saying his thanks, and that he loves them, and will miss them, although he’s not going to miss some weird quirks they had, which in return he get his sister laugh.

      Before they parted, she asked him what would he do now and Lys answered with a serious expression, that he think there might be someone who can help him, in the darker part of the sea.

      The Sea Witch.