The Mermaid And the Sea Snake

Chapter 11

    We arrived in the golden dining hall, a long driftwood table filled the centre of the room with chairs to match, the table centre piece was a large white shell filled with corals of turquoise, pinks and purples, I couldn't help but notice that it matched my tail. Hundreds of glass balls in different sizes and length hang from the ceiling filled with tiny glowing jellyfish, creating the light needed as the sun went down.
     The King sat at the head of the table, the Queen to his left, she gestured for me to take a seat next to her, Jet sat beside me. Ethan sat across from us, his stares making me feel uneasy. I placed my hand on Jet's tail under the table. He laid his hand lightly on top.
     'So,' Ethan started his voice dripping with fake enthusiasm, 'Tell us how you finally escaped the clutches of my deviant mother.'
     I cleared my throat unsure how to take this and wondering if anyone else could feel his obvious dislike towards me.
     The King jumped in, 'Ava, my dear of course you do not have to answer that.'
     'Thank you your highness,' I answered, offering him a weak smile.
     'What's this your highness business?' He asked looking me in the eye, 'You are my daughter please call me dad,' he paused for a moment hesitating, 'or if you are not comfortable with that just yet please call me by my name, Darian. The same goes for you Jet.'
      'I would appreciate if you called me by name as well.' The Queen added.
      'Thank you very much for your kindness,' I smiled broadly now, they really were trying to make us feel welcome.
      Mermaid maids filled the dining room bringing in silver platters of seafood and crustaceans and placing them on the table.
      Ethan scoffed from across the table, 'I guess the snake really has made an impression on everyone.' I felt Jet flinch at the word snake, my anger rising like bile. Ethan reached for a lobster that had been set in front of us, ripping its head off, 'Next you will be letting the commoners call you by your first names.'
     Darian slammed his hand on the table causing it to shake, 'That is enough Ethan! I do not know what has gotten into you but it stops now.' His voice boomed through the dining room, his eyes full of anger as he stared him down, 'Do I make myself clear?!'
     Ethan's face was full of shock and fear, 'Yes sir,' he muttered under his breath.
     The rest of the meal was eaten in complete silence, nobody sure on what to say any more. My dislike for Ethan growing stronger with every passing minute. When we had finished I was more than eager to retreat to my bedroom with Jet but Darian had other ideas, 'Ava darling, please join us in the study,' his eyes met Jet's, 'You are more than welcome to join us as well Jet.'
      We entered the study, a room filled with hundreds of books in the walls and a dark wooden desk in the middle, a dark green chair behind it and two smaller dark wooden chairs in front.
      'Please take a seat,' Darian gestured at the chairs in front of us, 'Avery will be with us shortly.'
      We took our seats obediently, neither of us wanting to get on his bad side. Avery arrived swimming to Darian's side, 'Sorry to make you wait. I just had to talk to Ethan.'
     'Is he always like that?' I asked curiously, because certainly if he was they would have noticed.
     Darian frowned rubbing his forehead, 'No he most definitely is not always like that.'
     Avery put her hand on Darian's back, 'He is just worried, worried that we will forget about him.'
     'That I will replace him?'
     'Yes, how did you know?'
     'Because that's exactly how I would feel.' Of course Ethan was worried, not only did his mum abandon him she decided to take her pet snakes instead, leaving him to live with his Aunty and Uncle and now that their actual daughter was back the thought of them abandoning him was at the front of his mind. I felt awful about judging him so harshly.
      'I have set him straight and you do not need to worry.' Avery said as she rubbed Darian's back, 'He understands that we love him unconditionally and that you and Jet won't change that.'
      I nodded, 'We will do our best to show him that we are not here to replace him.'
     Darian rose from behind the desk, 'Thank you for being so understanding.' he swam to my side, 'Now may I give my daughter another hug?'
     I smiled as I faced him wrapping my arms around him tightly, 'I am always available for hugs, from my mum and my dad,' I let go turning to Avery, her arms wrapping around me instantly.
     She sighed, 'I could hold you forever,' reluctantly she let go, 'But you and Jet should get some rest. We have a big day in store for you tomorrow.'
     Jet swam toward us, 'Thank you for being so welcoming toward me, when I know that you could have cast me out.'
     Darian patted him on the back, 'It is obvious that Ava cares for you, to cast you out would be a sin towards our daughter.'
     Avery pulled him into a hug, 'You are our family now.' she said before letting him go.
     As we swam away I saw Avery whisper something into Darian's ear, 'I wonder if she remembers the secret door.' I couldn't hear what she said but Darian's laugh echoed through the castle.
     Jet left me at my door with a kiss on the head, both of us knowing we would see each other as soon as we went through the doors. I opened my wardrobe, Jet sliding through shortly after, he had already managed to take his shirt off. He swam towards my bed laying down gently, my gaze falling on his bare chest. The corners of his mouth pulled up into a cheeky smile, 'You can come join me you know?'
     I turned my face away as my cheeks flushed with red again, 'I just want to change my top first,' I rifled through my wardrobe unsure what I was looking for exactly, 'What do mermaids even wear to bed?' I pulled out a simple turquoise t-shirt, 'Don't look!' I warned Jet as I quickly changed tops.
     I joined him on the bed, making myself comfortable, I rolled to look at him, 'I feel really bad for judging Ethan so quickly, I mean of course he feels threatened by us.'
     Jet's face flinched at my mention of Ethan, 'I understand what you are saying but I still don't trust him.'
     I studied his face, 'Why? Is it because of what he said?'
     Jet let out a long sigh, 'You have to remember I lived with them as their pet snake and like you I have remembered a few things.'
     'That's good, wait is that good?'
      Jet shrugged, 'I guess but my memories of Ethan are not the nicest, he used to hurt us deliberately knowing that if we hurt him in anyway we would be killed.'
      I gasped loudly, 'Oh Jet, I am so sorry.' I reached out wrapping my arm around his waist and resting my head on his chest.
      He pulled me closer with his arm around my shoulders, 'It's not just that Ava, I have this nagging feeling that he is in on Vivian's plan as well, that I might have overheard them talking about it.'
       My brain started going into over drive, 'But why wouldn't she take him?'
      'My only guess is that he has somehow been in contact with her.'
       'It would make sense but was he old enough to understand?' I was trying to recall if I could remember anything about him at all.
      'He would have been around 11, so old enough to know right from wrong.' Jet ran his fingers through his hair, 'Look, I don't know for sure but I just think that we should be cautious around him.'
      I buried my head in his chest, 'I agree.' I yawned loudly.
      Jet chuckled into my hair, 'We should get some sleep, my whole body is still aching'
      I moved my tail slightly feeling it ache, 'Mine too, do you think they have warm bubble baths in the ocean?'
      'With what we have seen these past few days, I think anything is possible.' he lowered his head kissing me on the forehead, 'Goodnight, my cute mermaid.'
     'Goodnight my Jet,' I curled my tail as close to him as possible before I fell asleep.

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