Confined to the Sea

Chapter 1

Confined to the sea

I'm lying on the ocean floor bored as can be. I've seen a few fish swim above me, but that doesn't really make me any less bored out of my mind. "Dirk?" I don't move my hands from behind my head since I know it's only Dave.

"Hmm?" I hear an annoyed sigh.

"Some prince you make." I roll over onto my stomach and prop my head up with my hands.

"Some king you make." I point to the top of my head and Dave frowns.

"I hate wearing that crown."

"I hate being prince." Dave sighs and crosses his arms.

"I know you do, but it's in your blood. Not something you can ignore."

"Unfortunately." Dave looks different without the crown on, almost happy. "You know if you don't wear your crown you almost seem like my big brother again."

"Dirk."

"I'm just saying, being king has really messed you up."

"Probably because it comes with responsibilities."

"Yeah I know, but I miss my brother. We use to cause all sorts of trouble."

"Which was stupid. I've grown up Dirk, why can't you?"

"Because I hate being boring. What's the point in that? We could be messing with swimmers, or having fun on land-"

"Dirk! You haven't been going on land again!" I float up so I'm not lying down anymore.

"Maybe just a little bit."

"Dirk! You can't do that! If someone found out you'd have to be punished like everyone else who breaks the rules!" I roll my eyes and start to swim away.

"You really wouldn't let anything happen to me." I feel a sharp tug on my tail that pulls me back.

"I would have to, don't you get it. This isn't fun and games anymore."

"You break the rules all the time. I barely see you wearing your crown." Dave sighs and let's go of my tail. He stretches out and floats to the bottom to lie in the sand like I was earlier. I float down next to him.

"If I started following the rules, would you?"

"I guess."

"Then I will. It's not like when we were younger and could get away with anything. There is consequences for your actions now that your older. And as king I would have to enforce them. I don't want to have to do that to you Dirk. Hell I don't even think I could."

"You know you could change the rules."

"Then we'd have people looking for us. They'd know we were real, they'd come after us."

"Then don't change the rules, change the punishment."

"That would be easy, but then everyone would break the rules and the same problem will come."

"It must suck being king and actually having to think." Dave chuckles and I turn to him. He's much more relaxed than I've seen him in weeks. "What did you want anyway?" The light mood that has fallen to us leaves and he grew serious.

"Everyone wants a queen, and I've turned down everyone who comes to the palace." This has always been his weakest point. Sure he's good looking and smart, everyone wants him. But he doesn't want anyone. He prefers a life of solitude, but he can't have that. He has to have an heir. Dad wanted him to have a princess before he became king and his wife became queen. Then mom died and dad was sort of forced to give up being king.