Everything You Are - Orm Marius/Ocean Master

Chapter Four - Homecoming?

The room which they entered was long, wide, and open.  A curved, pearl-white structure sat at the far end, acting as the throne.  On the upper part of the curve a man with graying blond hair dressed in gold and dark green armour sat, clutching an elaborate trident. An equally elaborate crown sat atop his held-high head. 

A deep boiling of hatred towards this man Aurelia had only just set eyes on was now brewing within her. She immediately knew exactly who he was: Orvax.  The man who had cost her and her father her mother.

On the lower part of the curved structure, a less elaborately-carved throne, sat another figure, one who bared a passing resemblance to the king. This was the prince, Orm, her old friend and now rival. His stare was the least unnerving. He sat perched on the edge of his throne, expectantly almost.

Aurelia quickly took in her surroundings, like she always did when out on missions: good to be familiar with where you were. Guards lined the marble pathway she and the others floated along, and above them were more armoured figures, though not battle armour. She guessed that these people were part of the court. She noticed Mera near the front, a gold scalloped crown now sitting atop her head.

Vulko and Aria floated forward ahead of her, heads bowed low. The guards who had escorted her didn't budge.

"My King, My Prince," Vulko addressed. "I am happy to present to you Princess Aurelia Curry." He gestured to her, his head still bowed.

If all eyes hadn't already been on her from the moment she set foot inside the hall, they were now. She could feel the stares, burning into her, namely that of the king.

I am not bowing to this guy,  she quickly decided.  Like hell I'm going to.

Orvax observed her in silence through dark eyes - they evidently shared a mutual loathing for each other. His thin lips turned upwards into a slight smirk.  "This is her? Daughter of Atlanna? Royalty?"

"Do I not look like it to you?" she challenged.  The king merely smirked, amused.  Already she was getting strange vibes from him. "What, you want proof? A blood test? Here, I have her trident with me - recognize it?" She took it off her back and held it up, shaking it a little for emphasis.

Orvax only continued to smirk, something that really irritated her. "You don't look like her, Atlanna."

"No, I look more like my father."

"The human."

"Yes." She almost flinched at the way he practically spat 'human'.

"The enemy."

Oh boy, here we go... "You know, most humans don't even think Atlantis exists. You're all just a myth to them, nothing more than a story, a fairy tale. They pose no threat."

"Then they are about to receive a much-needed wake-up call. And as for being a threat, what do you know? You do not know of our ways."

"Cause you wouldn't allow me to come back here until now, My King," she mocked.

Orvax raised his thin eyebrows. "But, I have always thought it best to take down a potential threat before it becomes one."

"Father-" stepped in Orm, but Orvax continued and ignored him.

"Vulko, my trusted adviser. I thought you were bringing us a royal. Not a lowly peasant."

This rose chuckles from some of the court members.

Her jaw tightened. Judging by how everyone else was dressed - in their coloured and scaly wet-suits and fancy armour - she maybe didn't look as regal as they expected.  Maybe her choice of attire - the long tank top with the Queen logo and band name on it, brown khaki pants, combat boots, and the leather bracers on her arms - hadn't been the best choice for today.  But this was her everyday attire, who she was, and she wasn't about to change that or compromise that for these people. And certainly not for the pompous jerk of a king sitting on the throne judging her from a distance. She could practically feel the judgement radiating off of him.