Tears in The Sea

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~~~ Double Upload Again: Don't miss the chapter before this one ~~~ 


Near midnight, Kazimir knocked gently on the door to Aeralie's rooms and walked in.

Aeralie sat at one of the window seats; candles still alight around her, a book on her lap.

She was turning a page when Kazimir walked in and glanced up as he closed the door.

"You wanted to talk?" he said, his tone unnaturally neutral as he walked across the room and took a seat on the opposite end of the window seat, lifting one foot up to rest on the padded bench and leaning back against the cushions.

"I wanted to discuss with you how you were thinking of pursuing these missing Hearts," Aeralie said, looking back down at her book.

Kazimir looked at her in surprise. That was not the conversation starter he had been expecting.

"I... well as I said, we need to focus on the courtiers and see what jewellery they display," he said, resting his elbow on his knee and threading his fingers into his hair. "I didn't see any this morning but they haven't all arrived yet and such jewels may not come out until a banquet or ball."

"I wonder if we should change tactics," Aeralie said, closing the book gently and resting her head against the window.

"How so?"

"I have no voice but you still do. Someone must have an idea about jewels that are a little different from the norm. Even humans should be able to sense the power in Hearts."

"You want me to work their minds?"

"I think it's something we should consider."

"Why?"

"Because it may lead to faster results," Aeralie said, looking at him. "Our priority is to find those missing Hearts and get back home now. I'm not sure trying to retrieve the Hearts ourselves is a good idea. It's a job best left to your mother and my father."

Kazimir stared at her for a moment, long enough to make her raise an eyebrow.

"You want to go home... soon?" Kazimir said slowly.

"And you don't?"

Kazimir opened his mouth, then stopped, then frowned.

"I don't understand," he finally settled on, "You refused to go home when I wanted to mere weeks ago... and now you just want to leave?"

Aeralie tilted her head to the side. "What is there to stay for?"

"What? What happened to all your fuss over Dalton? For over ten years you've been dreaming of him and watching him and learning all you can about the human world in hopes of being part of it and now... you just want to go home?"

Aeralie gave him a look as if she thought he was being sweetly naive.

"Kaz," she said, "You and I both know nothing was going to come of all that."

"Says the person who was asking me to redirect the emotions of his lady when she first found out about the woman," Kazimir growled.

Aeralie just smiled at him and looked out of the window.

Kazimir did not miss the pain in her eyes however.

"I know... they say merfolk can't honestly love humans and humans cannot honestly love merfolk... and I don't love Dalton, not properly. But I do think I care for him – as much as any mermaid can really care for a human." Her eyes flicked up to look beyond the glass. It was starting to snow again. "Did you see his smile when he saw Princess Daphne?"

"I saw it," Kazimir said – how could he miss it? It had been brighter than the sun.

"He hasn't smiled like that – not even close to that – in all the time we've known him," Aeralie said. She let out a sudden, bitter laugh and closed her eyes. "What must it be like to love someone so much they make you smile like that?" she said absently, a lock of hair falling across her face as she shifted in her seat, though she didn't seem to notice.

"I... I don't know," Kazimir admitted.

"No, we don't know. But I do know when it's best not to mess with something," Aeralie said, opening her eyes.

The colour of her irises flashed, shifting between the unnatural human shades of warm blue to the natural vivid purple before fading back again.

Kazimir frowned at her.

He was... surprised.

This type of thought wasn't normal for Aeralie – at least he didn't think it was.

She was bowing out with such grace.

Her gaze returned to the moonlit snow that was falling beyond the window, gazing up to the moon that peeked out from behind the clouds.

"I miss my voice," she said, "I miss being a mermaid. I miss being in command. This was a nice holiday but the human world isn't for me."

She smiled at him, brushing her hair from her face.

"I don't fit into this world as well as you do," she said.

Kazimir's eyes snapped up and she was watching him, waiting for him to start the explanation.

"I... uh..."

He looked away.

Aeralie was quiet, waiting for him to find the words, before eventually sighing when he stayed quiet, looking away.

"Never mind then," she muttered, turning, setting her feet on the floor.

"Wait," Kazimir said quickly, catching her wrist. "I'm sorry."

Aeralie looked at him. "For what?"

"For... never telling you about the fact that I can become human. For never telling you about the visits to the surface with my mother when I was younger. For not telling you I had friends who were human. But my feelings weren't a lie. I don't like humans, not in general. My mother made sure of it. Mai is just... Mai can dance, and I love dancing. I swear it's the only thing I like about being human though. I like dancing."

"You don't have to explain it to me," Aeralie said, "I thought you did but really you don't. It was your choice to not tell me and that's alright. Besides, you're a gorgeous dancer; it's clearly natural for you so it makes sense that you would love it."

"I never planned to learn about the human world. My mother figured out long before my first transformation that I shared her power to become human. She said it was important that I could imitate the world my body could mimic. She had learnt to do the same thing, as had your father. I didn't... I didn't want to encourage your obsession and I honestly did think it unfair that I could transform and didn't want to where as you so desperately wanted to try being human and couldn't."

"Always looking to protect me," Aeralie said with a small smile, looking down at his hand. She was quiet, then gently pulled away. "Well, it's alright. So long as Mai can't replace me," she added, grinning.

"Replace you?" Kazimir said, clearly baffled by the idea, "Who could? I love you."

Aeralie smiled at him and stood up. "I love you too. But I want to step out for a moment. You needn't wait for me, I just want to go down to the beach, feel the sea again."

"Now? But it's the middle of the night."

"I'll be alright," she said, slipping on a pair of shoes and reaching for a robe, draping it over her shoulders, pulling her hair free from the collar.

"Should I come with you?"

"No, no, don't worry, really. I'll be back soon enough."

Kazimir's brow creased as he watched her sweep across the room and open the doors. She paused in the shadow of the hall beyond and was still for a moment.

Kazimir got to his feet, watching her.

Aeralie turned her head slightly, not quite looking back at him.

"How do you think Dalton feels about Princess Daphne?" she asked.

Kazimir was quiet, then bit his lip, thinking. "I... think... she's probably one of the few people in this world that truly makes him happy... and I think he loves her with all his heart," he said honestly.

Aeralie nodded. "I thought as much," she said and walked out, closing the doors.

Kazimir stood in the candlelight of her room for a moment, quiet, listening to her feather-light footsteps fade away, before he turned to the window and closed his eyes. He took a breath, and then reached out for help.

Aeralie meanwhile stole out of the castle without notice and drifted down the stairs onto the beach. She removed her shoes the second she touched the snowy sand and padded barefoot down the beach until the freezing water touched her toes.

Relief filled her from head to toe as the sea welcomed her back, coiling around her toes and up her ankles, asking after her wellbeing.

"I've been better," she admitted, running a hand through her hair, pulling it loose from the messy plait her maids had secured it in for bed. "I discovered today that Kazimir has an entire hidden life I didn't know about and that Dalton is in love with a girl I cannot possibly hope to compete with without forcibly adapting his emotions."

The sea touched her feet inquisitively and she shook her head quickly.

"No, no, I couldn't possibly consider manipulating their feelings when I've seen how happy they are together. I'm not so cruel. I just..."

It was like her voice caught in her throat, her thoughts jammed in her mind and she had to cough to jog them free.

"It's just... isn't it a shame?" she asked, her voice light and amused as a threatening sting caught the backs of her eyes. "All those years... weren't they such a waste... I should never have..."

Tears suddenly filled her eyes and her hands rose to catch them in surprise, staring down at the water that dripped onto her palms.

She bit her bottom lip as it started to tremble and closed her eyes.

Her legs collapsed under her and she had no idea how to control them; how to keep them standing under her. The air didn't support her the way the sea did. Land let her collapse to her knees, the sea lapping around her as she continued to stare at the tears she couldn't seem to stop.

"What...what was the point of it all?" she said, body starting to shiver though not from the cold. "What was the point of it all?"

The sudden cry that burst from her throat hurt. The first appearance of her voice in weeks and it was agony as she let out another sob, pressing her hands to her face, trying to stop the unstoppable tears.

She didn't hear the running footsteps behind her.

Arms wrapped around her from behind and she was suddenly pulled back against a strong, solid chest, a face pressing against the side of her head, lips pressing into her hair.


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Next Up: Thursday

Art by: Google Image

I dunno, I'm just feeling double uploads atm - still trying to settle the plot of this story 

I know most of you don't really like Aeralie, but c'mon, you gotta feel something for her... right?  



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