Everything I Am - Orm Marius/Ocean Master

Chapter Two - Memory Lane

"So, drumroll  please: we're having a baby!"

If the Council was near as excited as the family had been, they didn't show it. In fact, they hardly showed any reaction. 

"We are pleased to hear that the throne is secure with an heir," Karshon, the head Council Member, said. 

Aurelia frowned. "Hey, that's not why we're having a baby. We want a family."

"And Atlantis needs an heir, so it works out in everyone's favour then."

I don't want my child to be heir to all this, she wanted to say, but kept it to herself. 

"We will be hosting a celebratory banquet in a week's time." Orm was pratically bouncing in his seat he was so excited, which upped her  mood once more. He was so adorably excited. Both still couldn't quite believe this was actually happening. 

"And of course, I will be taking an extended leave of absence," Aurelia said. "Ya know, cause, I'm pregnant and all." 

At this, the Council seemed both annoyed that she would be gone so long from her 'duties' and pleased that she would be out of the picture for a while. She just couldn't please them it would seem. 

Finally, after sitting through that meeting which was supposed to be a joyous occasion but the Council still managed to stomp on it, it was back to the lighthouse for the King and Queen. While Orm was bouncing in his  seat in excitement, she was squirming in hers, itching to leave.

"Oh, before I forget, Mayor Thompson called," Tom told them when they arrived home. "Asking if the Aquawoman herself was going to grace Town Hall with her presence again this year?"

"It's really good of him to keep doing that," Aurelia remarked.  "Especially after what happened the  first year."

Oh yeah, and did she mention that on top of being Queen and a soon--to-be  new first-time mama she was still doing the whole 'superhero' thing? Yup, Aquawoman was still in business.

Ever since she had started using her Atlantean abilities - 'superpowers' as some called them - for the greater good, rumours of the 'Aquawoman' had traveled across the world, but especially in Amnesty Bay. After revealing Atlantis to the Surface and making it known, this had of course only spread. The mayor had, every year since, presented her with the 'Amnesty Bay  Hero Award'. It was sweet, but she wasn't big on all the attention, but it did help put Amnesty Bay on the map.  That, and Matt Thompson, the mayor's son, had been one of her primary bullies in school. He had been present at the event hosted by his father in her honour.

The mayor was excited to capitalize on Amnesty Bay having its own 'superhero' - again, everyone else's words, not hers. She went along with it, for she loved the Bay, and it  was nice to be getting some positive recognition from her fellow townsfolk for once. 

The first year, she, Orm, her parents, Arthur, and Mera had arrived at Town Hall together. Everyone had dressed up a little, Orm in one of his wetsuits with armour over top, which he said was fitting for a 'ceremony of this kind'. "They said to wear a suit."

"Yeah, not a wet suit or a suit of armour, but hey."

The mayor greeted them warmly, of course knowing Aurelia, Tom and Arthur, but none of the others. 

"Welcome, welcome! We are so honoured to have you here!" the mayor greeted.

"Thank you, Mayor Thompson. Our pleasure to be here," Aurelia told him. 

She heard Matt scoff.  "Still the same little fish freak."

She had enough self respect now to simply shrug off such comments. But Orm had heard it too and didn't take it near as well as she did.