The Tide

Chapter 6: The Merprince

Marius

But a mermaid has no tears and therefore she suffers so much more- Christian Anderson

            Sage’s eyes search the water for the rest of my body. I touch her shoulder gently trying not to scare her. Another zap courses through me, confirming the thought I had of her and I being mates.

“Sit on the ledge and let me see your feet.” I say apologetically. I didn’t mean to hurt her, but as soon as she reached for me said my name. I couldn’t control the urge I had to get her into the water with me. She pulls herself onto the ledge and shows me her heels. I softly massage her ankles slowly healing her. Sage gasps and pulls away.

“What are you?” she shrieks.

“Sage please, it’s alright. Get back into the water please?” I ask.

I can tell my human is very scared. Her cheeks flush pink and her hearbeat races throbbing the skin against her chest.

“No, no. Did you heal my wounds?”

“Yes, I won’t hurt you. Trust me, I know you want to.”

“Show me what you are.”

So I show her, I clear the murky water. She sees me for what I truly am. A merman. I glance down just as I hear a gasp slip across her lips. My tail shinning gold, a sign of my royalty. The notae of my people. Each notae means something different, etched if different places according to significance.

“You’re a mermaid?!” She exclaims a slight note of fear laced into her stunned voice.

“I’m a merprince, soon to be king” I explain, although I sound like I’m bragging, probably should have thought about my words before I spit them out but I just want her to know everything about me.

“Okay Prince…” she glances at my tail again.

“Can I touch your tail?” she asked quietly a crimson rose colors her face. I swim forward and she kneels at the edge of the rocks slipping her hand into the water, my tail happily sways as she touches it. Her hands travel up my tail to my abdomen next, she uses her index finger to trace my notae.

“Are these tattoos or something?” she asked

“Tattoos?” I’ve never heard of this thing. What are tattoos….

“You know like mine.” She pushes her hair to the side. And points to the name Tyler on her heart. I nearly choke.

“You were born with that???” I almost yell.

“No, it’s ink. It on my skin for like- forever. You really don’t know what tattoos are? Damn you must not get out much Prince”

She smiles and laughs, finding herself very amusing I can’t help my chuckle alongside her

“I was born with these, its magic. As I grow older I will get more, some merpeople are covered with them. We must receive them we cannot get them put on us. But similarly to these tattoos you speak of they are for like-forever” I smile and wink at her.

“Tell me what they mean”

“Well the ones that travel down from my neck are for protection all merpeople receive this one the day they are born.  The one above my heart is only half complete- my mate with complete it then receive theirs as well. The one on my lower back shows my royal status and the other various notae are representation of different powers I possess such as healing, water control and turning into a human” as a finish she slides into the water to further examine my markings.

“You keep saying that work not-oee?” she asked butchering the word.

“You mean notae, its Latin it mean marking, we used to speak only Latin. Presently though we have only retained a few Latin words.”

I watch her tan legs as she swims thinking to herself. Thne she asked the one question I’ve been waiting to hear.

“Can you make me like you?”