Chapter Text
Prologue
For longer than anyone could remember, great strife had existed between Man and the Merfolk of the Sea.
A single coral reef situated at the far end of an elongated peninsula on the azure coast of Suna was at the centre of this long-standing conflict.
Known as the Cradle of Life by the Merfolk, the reef sat snug between King of Men Leoric’s Castle Marbork, that gazed at the sea at the very tip of the peninsula, and Empress Sotiria’s Palace Kailasa, which was directly underneath it, at the far edge of the reef under the water, where it was carved directly into the stone under all the life. There, the blue dropped off into the vast, cooling darkness.
The Palace was here because the Cradle of Life was sacred to the Merfolk. It was a source of life not simply for the coral reef, but all of the ocean. Unfortunately, its resulting riches – fish and other animals and their creations such as pearls and shells – was the reason why Men, also known as the Landeners, were here, too, for their desire for these treasures of the sea was never-ending.
It is the essence of Man to guard and gather possessions as much as it is the nature of Merfolk to protect the natural world. Merfolk knew Men held no understanding or appreciation of the workings of the ocean or the importance of the reef to the overall richness of the sea, they would simply take and take until there was no more. Because Merfolk knew and understood, they stayed to protect where all life was born – above all else.
Recently, the conflict between the two great nations had been brought back from the very brink of war to an uneasy peace only because of an unlikely love between a man and a mermaid some twenty-five years ago. King Leoric of Suna had married Nerida of Amphipis. Their son, Taehyung, was now at the tender age of 21.
But for all greed, nature is too little.
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PART I
Castle Marbork on the clifftop
“Master Taehyung? Young Master!”
The disgruntled voice of the governess echoed on the corridor behind Taehyung when he dashed for the spiral staircase. He ignored the calls and picked up the pace because freedom beckoned, as it always did on a day like today – the sun was high, the waters were calm, it was the perfect day for exploration. The last thing he wanted to be doing was sitting in the tower, locked up among dusty books when he could be out there, diving on the reef.
Dark curls bouncing and his beautifully embroidered jacket tails flying, Taehyung rushed down the stairs, already undoing the top buttons of his shirt. Grinning to himself, he took no notice of the annoyed clipping of heels that approached when he slid to a stop on a landing. He dropped his jacket and yanked off a shoe while hopping on one foot, then the other. Leaving a trail of abandoned clothes in his wake, he carried on barefoot, floor after floor until he was dizzy with the speed of it all.
Every step took him closer to the sea and further away from the daily grind of his studies, but Taehyung was not worried, because there was nothing he could learn from books that could hold more importance to him than what was under the water – the Cradle of Life.
When he dove down among the fishes and the corals, it was the only time he felt himself. Despite being a creature of two halves, Man and Merfolk, the sea always called to him.
High, overbearing walls hugged around the castle on the clifftop, they protected it from attack from all sides. As Taehyung emerged from the castle proper, he began tiptoeing along the high stone wall, quiet as a mouse. He carried on until he reached a small, inconspicuous gate that was his secret way out, it led onto the cliffs and was rarely used.
The heavy door complained when he pushed through it. He breathed in his well-deserved freedom and adventure as soon as the salty air hit his face – the view of the endless sea never got old. For a moment, he stood still, feeling the sea air in his hair, closing his eyes.
Taehyung smiled and carried on toward the cliffs. As he arrived at the precipice, his gaze followed the line of the white top waves hitting the steep, unforgiving coast until he reached the town of Suna that sat snug in the valley in the distance. A large fleet of the King’s fishing boats was heading out of the sizeable harbour to the sea. Taehyung knew they would attempt to get close to the reef where the fishing was at its richest. His smile faded. The sight was a daily reminder of his father’s constant threat to all that lay beneath the calm, blue sea.
Merfolk did their best to guard the Cradle against the threat of humans, centring their efforts on the side of the town, west of the peninsula. Luckily, unpredictable currents made boating impossible in the East and the extensive kelp forests farmed by Merfolk for sustainable source of food prevented entry to the sacred waters from the South. Overall, the reef was well protected.
But Taehyung – despite being forbidden to enter the reef – was able to sneak into the water by climbing down from the clifftop using narrow stone steps carved directly into the cliff face. The steps felt smooth and warm under his bare feet as he ran down the dangerous steps with the ease of someone who did it every day. He knew fair well that the governess would never risk the steps in her heavy, black dress.
Once close enough, he finally yanked his pants off, leaving only his diving shorts and a small diving knife that was strapped onto his thigh, and he dove into the warm, blue sea, head first and fearless while the governess was still huffing and shaking her head at the top of the cliff.
The second he slid into the water, peace filled Taehyung as he felt the transformation into his aquatic form take place. Small webbing spread between his fingers and toes, his eyes changed colour from brown to green when they adapted to better see in the underwater world. Even his hair shifted from dark brown to almost white silver – all thanks to the gifts he received from his mermaid mother.
With his Merfolk abilities, he was also able to hold his breath for longer than any human he knew, which, added to his other gifts, helped him dive almost as well as Merfolk did, even if he was stuck underwater without a tail, thanks to his human father.
All of this enabled his secret adventures at the reef. He was able to remain unseen and spend hours diving at the Cradle, every day. He never worried, because he respected and knew the rules, so he felt no guilt over his trespassing.
Here, he felt free in a way he never felt anywhere else.
Taehyung emerged from the quietly bubbling silence for a moment, relaxing into a comfortable swim. The water hugged him like a friend under the mid-morning, summer sun.
The Cradle was a special place surrounded by five peaks of rock that emerged from the sea like the gigantic fingers of an open hand. In its palm, in the middle, the large coral reef sat, visible in the water, basking in the warmth of the shallow sea. A cornucopia of colour and life, the place was buzzing with movement, flitting fishes, pulsing anemones in between beautiful fans and round lumps of coral that grew in twirling patterns.
The silence underwater was beautiful. The animals were used to Taehyung, they were not afraid of him. He checked on his favourite Moray eel who usually stared out of a rock crevice and the clown fish that tirelessly protected its anemone, he played fetch with one of the octopuses he had named Marley, quite some time ago.
Here, Taehyung never felt lonely. Having to stop and go back up for air was always such a disappointment.
A sudden shadow in the water column startled Taehyung. A shark was rare, but always a possibility in the warm, shallow waters. His heart was suddenly pounding in his ear like a warning sign. Eyes searching the vast blueness, he reached for the knife on his thigh. Whatever it was, it was big and fast. He caught a glimpse of a tail, then it was gone again before he could turn to see it.
The pounding in his ears turned into a persistent thud reminding him to breathe air. He had already stayed down longer than he should have! Panic tightening his belly, Taehyung dove across and up for air, only to be yanked back onto the reef floor by his ankle.
Bubbles escaped – the last bit of air in his lungs.
Taehyung fought the grip with his all, kicking up a real fuss. His foot caught a muscle, fist slid past a ripple of ribs... until suddenly, furious purple eyes were in his face, hard hand gripping around his wrist to stop the knife. When they stopped and stared at each other, Taehyung was distracted by the long, black curls of hair that danced slowly in the water column, surrounding them.
There was fury on the face, but it didn’t matter anymore, as Taehyung had run out of time. It was now or never.
As his final attempt to communicate, he grabbed across his own throat and pointed up. Finally, the message was received and they moved up together, faster than Taehyung could ever swim, when the merman pulled him through the water by the wrist.
Relief flooded Taehyung, just when the edges of his consciousness started turning fuzzy.
On the surface, among the gentle lapping of waves, their glances searched and talked without words, attempting to identify friend from foe. Taehyung felt dizzy. He had to get out of the water. Heart pulsing desperately in his ears, he headed for the narrow strip of abandoned, sandy beach under the steep cliffs.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going!” the merman shouted after him. Taehyung’s tired moves were no challenge, he kept up without effort.
“I’m tired, I need a rest,” Taehyung mumbled, limbs heavy.
“What are you doing here? How did you get to the reef?” The angry questions continued, Taehyung could barely hear them, it was like they were coming from behind a wall, muffled and distant.
He had definitely overdone it today. He should have known better.
Exhausted, Taehyung sat down on a flat rock and stared with fascination as the proud merman rose from the sea with two strong legs and his tail nowhere to be seen.
He had never met one out in the wild, outside of the cool, distant characters of the official functions of his father. This one seemed different from those, in his blatant fire under the skin – and he didn’t seem the kind who was easily deterred.
Moving too smoothly for a land animal, the merman stopped in front of Taehyung, he stared with fierce purple eyes that slowly shifted into something softer and warmer under the sun. Lighter stripes appeared in the black hair, even the length shortened to above his shoulders as he dried out. Taehyung was fascinated.
The broad neck was heavy with short necklaces of pearls and gemstones that sparkled in the sun. Straps of leather wrapped around the arms in all the right places, emphasising the already impressive physique. Silvery, dented cuffs wrapped around the strong wrists, a lightweight leather harness of small tools spread across the chest. Then there was nothing across the midriff until the intricate leather and metal belt that held the measly, wrinkled, unevenly cut strip of teal fabric that barely covered the merman’s modesty.
Whoever he was, he was a stunning specimen of a merman – and Taehyung knew they were all built for strength, speed and stamina. Not used to seeing so much bare flesh, he felt himself flush at the sight. He hid under the hair that came cascading down over his forehead when he pushed fingers to shake the darkness back into it under the intense stare.
“You can’t be at the reef, it’s protected.” The merman’s tone was flat, rude even. The intense gaze did not shift from Taehyung, not for one second.
“I do no harm, I respect the rules,” he said, chin lifting.
“The most important rule is that men are not allowed. The site is sacred, you should know that, Your Highness.” The eyes sharpened while strong disdain took over the merman’s face. It didn’t help matters that Taehyung’s sordid family history was so obvious from his lack of tail combined with his Merfolk characteristics.
He knew there was a strict preference for their own kind in the Merfolk culture – Taehyung knew quite a few things about them, in comparison to your average Landener. He knew that in recent history, that particular rule had only been broken by his parents and since then, his father had only continued to break seemingly every rule in the so-called Merfolk rulebook. Perhaps it was no surprise that some of his father’s reputation had also tainted Taehyung, as far as the merman standing in front of him was concerned.
But none of that made any difference to Taehyung – the Cradle was the closest thing he had to a home, he wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
“But I’m not just a man,” he insisted, squaring his shoulders despite the all-too familiar, hollow sadness that filled him at the stranger’s accusing words. By that reasoning, Taehyung would never belong anywhere. A sharp sting of indignant tears burned under his eyelids.
“No, but nor are you just Merfolk.” The judging voice carried on arguing, speaking with a distinct finality that snuck under the tough skin Taehyung had managed to build himself over the years.
He stared at the stubborn face almost too handsome to be taken seriously, getting angrier by the moment. He hid the hurt under his rage – all his life he had been told what he can and can’t do, he didn’t need some pesky guard adding to that! Spine straightening, he remembered he was royalty, after all, he should be treated with respect, at the very least!
“And who are you to tell me what to do?” He stood up, stepping closer to the guard.
“My mother is Empress Sotiria,” the merman said. The eyes darkened dangerously when he stepped even closer. “or I can get my father, he is the head of the guards and currently on duty, if you prefer?” Cool hardness slashed through the words and Taehyung felt a shiver run up his spine.
For a long moment, he stared, trying to figure out the truth of the words. Was it possible? The Empress did have a son, but he’d never been around, Taehyung had never seen him, in all his years.
“Jungkook?” he scoffed. “How do I know you’re speaking the truth, you could be anyone?” Taehyung leaned closer, frustrated by the lack of impact due to his slightly shorter stature.
The merman matched him, practically growling in Taehyung’s face when he replied, “Are you doubting my word?” The wide eyes sharpened with the obvious threat nestled in the words.
“So what if I am?” Taehyung challenged. Heart beating in his chest, he held his stance, determined not to back down – he would not be intimidated, not even by a prince!
Jungkook kept on staring, then suddenly, like morning light creeping into the darkest night, a hint of a smirk rose in the corner of the slightly pouting mouth, bringing with it a flood of relief.
“I have to admit that was pretty impressive diving for a half breed...” Jungkook said in a softer tone, yet still making sure to give the compliment with great reluctance. Taehyung tried to hide his smile when a flush a pleasure rose on his cheeks.
“Thank you! I come here... e-every day...” he stuttered, realising it might be an issue admitting that.
Jungkook chuckled. “I see, well, guess that’s not a problem, Your Highness, since you behave yourself,” Jungkook teased with a grin.
“Please, just call me Taehyung, if that’s alright with you, Your Majesty? I’m not really into the whole “royal” thing...”
“Taehyung...” Jungkook said softly with a nod, then added, “Only if you stick to Jungkook?” The full smile was too adorable, it crinkled the corners of the merman’s eyes with a hint of rainbow shimmer and Taehyung’s stomach did a somersault.
Just like that, the animosity between them disappeared.
No one made the decision as such, but under their mutual desire to know more, they walked down the beach. Taehyung picked up a stone and threw it in the waves for lack of anything else to do – or to perhaps ease his nerves that the young prince seemed to have set alight within him.
“Where have you been? I mean, why is this the first time I’ve met you?” he asked.
“My mother is a bit over-protective... I went to a school in another city, away from humans...”
“City? You have cities?” Taehyung said before realising what a stupid thing that was to say. “God, I’m sorry, of course you do.” He covered his face with his hands. His mother never talked about her past, all his Merfolk knowledge had come from books he’d found in the castle library.
“There is a city right here, below the palace in the depths...” Jungkook smiled and it hit Taehyung right in the guts, again.
“There is? Oh, I wish I could see it, I bet it’s beautiful...” Taehyung said, dreaming of the day. But slowly, all hope faded away from his words when he realised it would never happen – he could never dive that deep. Yet again, he wished his human half away.
Jungkook stopped and turned to Taehyung, there was a strange softness in the dark eyes, it lingered like a shared secret between them.
“Maybe one day I could show you the palace?” he offered in consolation and excitement bubbled inside Taehyung, only to be drained away by reality, yet again.
“But I could never dive that long...”
“Oh, that’s okay, the palace isn’t all full of water.”
“That’s amazing – so you just walk around, even though it’s underwater?!” Taehyung giggled, “That’s funny! I don’t know why, but that’s funny! I’d love to see it sometime.” He grinned, adding, “D’you want to see my friend Marley?”
“Who is he?” Jungkook glanced over with sudden reservation.
“He’s an octopus!” Taehyung beamed, the light in him suddenly fading at the sound of his father’s all-too-familiar words echoing in his mind, reminding him that others didn’t like when he was being “too different, too weird”. Teeth burrowed into his lip, regret nestling in the sudden tightness of his stomach. The moment’s hesitation felt like an eternity to Taehyung.
Slowly, Jungkook replied with a shrug, “Sure.”
“So, I’m not in trouble?”
“Not with me. You’re half merman, right?” Jungkook said and the wide smile redeemed every bad thought in Taehyung’s head, ever. “Besides, if you can dive that far, maybe you’re more than half!” He carried on grinning and it was adorable, positively adorable. The tightness in Taehyung’s stomach lifted, replaced by a lightness he was not used to.
It felt good.
Taehyung showed his new friend all his old friends, his favourite little nooks and crannies and Jungkook showed him some new ones. Marley the Octopus played fetch happily, whether it was Taehyung or Jungkook throwing its favourite bit of seaweed. Taehyung played peek-a-boo from between the fan-shaped corals – the way Jungkook smiled at him kept him playing, he’d been too starved for attention for too long.
All morning they swam at the reef and even played chase like children. Jungkook got away easily, but he showed kindness by so obviously slowing down, just for Taehyung’s benefit. This sort of warm-heartedness called to Taehyung’s heart – the feeling happened too quickly, because it was too warm – it snuck in uninvited, blossoming into something new quickly, like a warm summer shower.
Later, when he simply stayed still among the colourful corals and anemones, Taehyung was instantly surrounded by shoals of tiny, colourful fish that came to seek safety in his shadow.
When his gaze found Jungkook through the moving confetti of fishes, Taehyung’s heart suddenly boomed. Needing to go up for air was the worst feeling because all he wanted to do was to stay underwater with Jungkook, forever.
Towards the end of the day, they went looking for the Moray eel, but for some reason, it wasn’t in its cave. Something else was there in its place – a small, bright red knot of arms that looked like a bundle of feathers. Taehyung remembered seeing a picture of one in a book in the castle library so he knew it was called a Red Feather Star. They were quite rare.
He reached for the small animal to remove it before the Moray Eel returned, only to have Jungkook whack it out of his hands like some deranged lunatic. The surprise gasp at the pain at his wrist forced Taehyung to go up for another breather.
“What the hell was that for? They’re not dangerous!” he shouted when Jungkook emerged next to him, anger still sharpening his features. Legs churning to keep himself afloat, Taehyung rubbed his forearm near the wrist. It felt bruised.
“Maybe not to humans! But they are highly venomous to Merfolk and you are half of one, the last time I checked, so I imagine that counts!” Jungkook spat out. A sharp sting behind Taehyung’s eyelids at the harsh words made him avert his gaze.
“So you keep reminding me!” he retorted with his best attempt at sarcasm, but it was weak, at best. Slowly, the real danger of the situation started to register. “I’m sorry... I didn’t know....” he sniffed.
“Hey, no, I’m sorry...” Jungkook swam closer. He grabbed the wrist, looking at the already forming bruise with wide eyes. Taehyung felt even more stupid. “C’mon, let’s have a rest.” In that moment, the hint of softness in Jungkook’s voice comforted Taehyung more than he cared to say.
The sun had already moved across the sky and it sat like a heavy, hot disc of yellow gold, close to the horizon of the darkening blue of the sea. A loud complaint from his stomach reminded Taehyung that he hadn’t eaten anything all day. It felt too soon to go, he wanted to stay with the starry-eyed merman, he wanted to know more about him. The day had been everything he had always wanted and it felt like the moment would never come again.
They sat down on the cool sand. Jungkook grabbed the sore arm with a soft touch, his eyes full of silent apologies. Taehyung stared with fascination at the much stronger webbing than his own in between the fingers that were handling him. The thin flesh started shrinking under his eyes and the dark claws withdrew, soon the hands looked like those of any man, strong yet surprisingly smooth.
“So... Are you here for good then?” he asked Jungkook, just to say something.
The secret hope of another time, another place, another chance to spend some time with his newfound friend bloomed in Taehyung’s heart like spring while Jungkook rubbed his wrists with gentle, soft circles. It felt warm.
“Hm. Yeah, I’m going to be Emperor one day, so I need to start learning everything that goes with that...” His tone was serious, but not overly excited.
“Oh, that sounds like a lot,” Taehyung said quietly, as he felt the seriousness over their shared responsibilities suddenly weighing on him.
“Just as well I have a lot of time...” Jungkook smiled. “My mother is still young, in Merfolk years.”
Taehyung couldn’t wait any longer. He gathered all his courage and asked, words tumbling off his lips before his sensible self could stop him, “D’you want to meet up again? I had so much fun today!” He couldn’t help the smile that spread on his face. But just when Jungkook was about to answer, his stomach rumbled loudly, again.
Jungkook chuckled. “Sure, I’d love to, but right now it sounds like you need something to eat, won’t they mind that you missed lunch at home?”
Taehyung took a little too long to reply. “No, they’re busy, I imagine.” He avoided the intense and somehow knowing gaze. No one at home would care where he was, as long as he was out of trouble, out of sight.
“That sounds familiar,” Jungkook sighed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten out under the sun, would you like to do that?”
Taehyung beamed. “I’d love to!”
Jungkook dove into the water with an impressive flick of a tail. After a short while, he returned with a small net in his hands full of food: a mixture of fish, sharply pointed balls of urchins and green leaves of seaweed. They were all sought-after delicacies Taehyung recognised from Castle Marbork’s kitchen.
A cleaned, flat rock was the perfect food preparation area. Jungkook placed all the items neatly onto it and pulled out a knife from the sheath attached to his belt at the small of his back. It didn’t look like any knife Taehyung had ever seen. It was beautiful – the blade was white with a multi-coloured, metallic sheen of a rainbow, just like the inside of a shell. The intricately carved handle fitted into the hand to perfection when Jungkook used the knife with smooth, well-practised movements to clean the fish, crack open the urchins and slice the seaweed into smaller pieces.
“Are you even allowed to do that?” Taehyung blurted out before he could stop himself.
“Sure. Fishing by hand and taking a few things here and there is actually good for the reef – it creates more room for new fresh life, which means not one species gets too common. More varied life is sustained this way.”
“That makes sense. But why is it an issue then if people fish, when there are so many fish in the sea?”
“Where do you think the fish come from?” Jungkook asked, obviously not wanting an answer. “They are born here, on the reef. Here is where they start their lives, they grow and then they leave to make those large shoals you see in the open water.
But if too many fish are taken out, especially if they are too young, it affects the reef, not just the fish – everything affects everything. Fish actually clean the reef, they feed it, some even protect parts of it, like your friend the clownfish. They all have a home and a place and when someone from the outside intervenes with the balance...”
“So what happens if things go too far?” Taehyung asked, eyes wide.
“Then there will be no fish, no corals, no nothing. Everything depends on everything.”
“Oh,” Taehyung gasped at the realisation. Suddenly what the Merfolk had been doing for centuries made perfect sense – how could humans not see this? How did his father not understand?
Taehyung stared down at the tender delicacies of his meal, then up at Jungkook. “Thank you. That makes perfect sense. I completely understand what you’re doing here...” After a pause, he added, “It’s beautiful. I guess that makes you part of the whole too, since you’re protecting the reef...” He didn’t need to say who from, they both knew.
Jungkook didn’t say anything, but the way he stilled at the words in the middle of tidying away his things, was telling.
There were things they had in common, but they also had very significant things that stood between them. Despite everything, they were on opposite sides of a major divide.
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