✔ᵉⁿᵍˡⁱˢʰ for the Throne [Aquaman | Orm Marius]✔

04

The voices of the two quarrelers could not be ignored in any way and could almost be heard throughout the entire palace, causing Vulko to take a deep breath and exhale again, even though he had not even reached half of the room. This could still become quite cheerful, if the two did not calm down even so slowly again. While years may have passed, the two bandaged more than a simple friendship.

"What do I care how my father would have handled it?" those days were long gone, so it had long since ceased to matter to Orm what the latter would have done, and Norvina wouldn't even need to start for that reason, "I'm..."

"....King? Somewhere I already know that," Norvina cut Orm off, but at that time he had still been Prince of Atlantis, and it made him even more obnoxious, "It doesn't change the facts. Don't you see it? Don't you want to see it? Take a closer look."

"I want you to understand one thing. It's not my people....." both their faces, at Orm's words, were now only a hand's breadth apart, since he had stepped so close to Norvina, so that his subsequent words also reached her unmistakably, ".... they are my subjects."

"Of course," Norvina replied far too kindly, returning his gaze steadfastly and putting on a smile that could not be more false and for him, instantly recognizable, "King Orm. Forgive my plain words, which may have angered you."

"Lady Norvina," a joyful, extremely joyful interruption that Vulko just provided, Norvina found, and was timely, "I thought you were in the Fisherman's realm."

"I was until recently, but then news made the rounds which did not die down," at these words Norvina looked to Orm and back to Vulko, whom she hugged warmly in greeting, "I am glad to see you again. It's been far too long."

Because of the rumors, Norvina was even more pleased to see that Vulko was still at court as an advisor to the king. Before Atlana was exiled and thus sent to her death, the latter gave Vulko one last task. Her firstborn and thus Orm's half-brother should also receive an education, according to the customs of Atlantis. Given the magnitude of this task, it was hard to imagine that Orm had not heard about it, but Vulko was still there, and yet he was unable to convince Orm that war was the last thing the ocean and the people needed.