Dancing On Ice

Sleep

"I knew they were real!"

Dalton pointed straight at Icadora as he stared at her flowing tail, eyes wide, finger trembling, other hand to his mouth as he leant his weight back against Kazimir, knees weak.

Queen Elaina let out a small tsking sound of annoyance and Dalton swung his wide eyes to her.

"You knew!" he cried, "You knew they were real! All this time! Why did you lie to me?!"

Elaina looked back at him, then pursed her lips and refused to say anything.

"Why did you lie to me?!" Dalton shouted, "Why did you try to convince me I was mad? Why did you cultivate the rumour that I was mad? Do you really hate me that much?!"

"Of course I do," Elaina snapped, glaring at him.

Dalton withdrew like she had physically struck out at him, looking away, a flash of heartbreak in his eyes before he covered it and his attention fixed on the hands supporting him.

He looked back at Kazimir for a moment, then his eyes widened and he shoved away from him.

"Your white hair," he muttered, staring, "The white hair, you're her son... you appeared soon after that merman vanished; you're him, aren't you!?"

Kazimir bit his lip then nodded.

"But... but you don't look like him... I don't think... why can't I remember him properly? I don't understand, how did you escape?"

"You can't remember me properly because there is a certain level of enchantment around my human appearance that blurs your memories of me as a merman," Kazimir said slowly, carefully, "You remember far more than you should be able to in all honesty but... well that would be because of your heritage. As for my escape, Aeralie and Perry helped me."

"Perry?" Dalton said, "Cole's crewmate?"

"Yes.

"But Cole wouldn't allow something like that! He knew how much proving I wasn't crazy meant to me!"

"He didn't approve it," Kazimir said quickly, "Perry acted on his own. He's not like other humans... I don't think he's human at all, even partially."

Dalton just gaped at him for a long, long moment. "I put my brother in a cage?" he said, his voice hoarse.

"Yes, you did. Can't say I liked you much back then. But that doesn't matter anymore," Kazimir said quickly, reaching for him, grabbing his wrist, shooting a look back at the king – who was observing them with an impassive expression – before looking back at Dalton.

"Come with us," he said, tightening his grip.

"What?" Dalton said, eyes widening.

"Come back with us. We can transform you, make you a merman. You can come home. You don't have to stay here anymore with these people. We can give you your true form back."

"Now, now, Dallion," the king suddenly said.

"Kazimir!" Kazimir barked back at him, glaring.

Dago smiled. "Kazi, son, you make it sound like the way he is now isn't his true form. He is half human remember, as are you. Your fish-forms are no more you then the version with two legs."

Kazimir glared at him. "You'll forgive me but I have less than complimentary ideas about those with two legs, I consider my mer-form the real me. This is just a disguise – so I might fit in with monsters like you."

"Such language," Dago laughed. "You're just like your mother. It was almost a relief when I could control when and how she spoke. Must say, I miss the venom in her though."