Lost City, Lost Kingdom, Lost Soul - Orm (Aquaman)

VIII - A Little Lie Never Hurt Anyone

The woman jumped slightly when he approached, so he must have startled her - again. She must be a rather jumpy person. Then he remembered how threatening and angry he had come across as the first time they had encountered each other, and saw she had a fair point and reason to be startled and jumpy in encountering him again.

She clearly recognized him right away, judging by her reaction. "You - you - you threatened me!" She pointed accusingly at him, eyes wide, and took some cautious steps back away from him, as much of a distance as her small stature and strides would allow.

"I know. I realize we didn't have the best first encounter or impression-"

"Yeah, you could say that again! What's your problem?!"

"Listen, I regret that I frightened you last time, that wasn't my intention-" Only it definitely was. "-And that is not my intention now. I gave off the wrong impression before, and I do not wish to do so again now." He paused and tried to come across as gentle and non-threatening as possible, and she stopped backing away from him, though kept a good distance between them. "I apologize for frightening you last time-" And he honestly was a bit sorry, now realizing just how frightened of him she had been and obviously still was. Of course, that had been his intention then, but not now. He made sure to lower his voice so that it sounded softer and hopefully more kind. "You see, I wasn't in a good place then-"

"Yeah, and that was no way to thank me for saving your life!"

"What? You didn't save my life." Now he was baffled.

"Yes I did! You washed up in the netting of the boat I was working on, and we took you to the hospital."

So she had not only stolen his trident from him, but it was also her fault that he was re-captured by Arthur, maybe even the reason for ending up on the surface in the first place.

"I am amazed you didn't drown."

Huh, you would be.

"We must have found you just in time."

Perhaps. Or I'm just naturally equipped to live and breathe underwater.

Despite his growing irritation at this new fact, he tried to keep calm. He didn't want to risk frightening her again with his anger. Instead, he put on a smile. "Well then, I owe you great gratitude, and another apology."

She just nodded. "Glad to know you're doing alright. What happened that night anyways? How could you have gotten all tangled up in that boat's net? Were you diving?"

"No, I wasn't. I was, I was - I was attacked. By my brother."

Now she stared at him, eyebrows shooting up and disappearing into her hairline. "What? That sounds - intense."

"Yes, it was." No use denying the fact.

"What provoked that, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, you know, the usual: he stole my throne, we dueled it out, he stole my home, my fiance, my title, everything really."

She just blinked back. "'The usual'?"

"Yes. And stole my symbols of power - speaking of which, why did you have my trident?"

Now she was staring back at him even more blankly than before, most likely trying to process all that he had just said and make sense of it. Human brains must be rather slow at processing. "Y-your trident?"

"Yes, I saw you with it that night I-" That night I threatened and frightened you. "-That night we first met."

"Your trident? Are you a collector?"