A few days had passed without him. The wedding invitation peered at her from its spot on the kitchen counter, a constant reminder that more days would pass without him later on. She was boiling pasta for dinner, and she drew the wooden spoon through the water mechanically, a diversion for her body while her thoughts ran loose.
She knew that she would be arriving to the wedding without a date. Guilt welled up inside of her; she knew she should just be happy for her mother. The date situation could not be helped. She felt like she was run dry of empathy, despite having no good excuse; things were going well with Orm, or at least as well as they could. She'd always had difficulty setting aside discouragement, even when it came from circumstances outside of her control. Thinking about the tangible good had always helped a little, so she turned her thoughts away from the wedding for now.
His words of encouragement still lingered in the back of her mind all these nights later. Her breath still faltered in the back of her throat when she considered his faith in her, and his disappointment that he had underestimated herself. His show of support had been unexpected. It was not that she was suspicious of him; rather, she hadn't expected so much warmth and confidence in return for her vulnerability. It had been a pleasant surprise.
Tonight, the memory warmed her in his stead, as she awaited their next meeting. However, it was accompanied by the same unease which had prompted her to distance herself from biology in the first place. Rationally, she knew that he had been truthful with her in the past, that he had no reason to lie to her. At least, not about something like this. Despite withholding some information about himself and his kingdom, he had never offered dishonest commentary on her own affairs. In her feelings, though, it was difficult to embrace his confidence—let alone apply it to herself.
He acted like he was already the king. She admired him for his self-assuredness, which was something she had only in short supply. This aspect of him was something she could aspire to, and something that genuinely spurred her towards becoming a better person. But on the same token, Orm would be a good king, and the misfortune was that he knew it—he was sure of it. She wondered if he could truly empathize with her rampant self-doubt.
YOU ARE READING
Prince Among Men
RomanceTakes place some years prior to the events of Aquaman. Orm Marius meets a human after venturing too close to the surface world. Could she be his confidante? (Originally posted on AO3)
