Night rode in on a stead of pure midnight velvet; so swiftly that Camille had barely realised the time until the nearby shops started flicking on their illuminating signs. There was a sky somewhere above the tops of these towering buildings, with stars and a moon and all the things there are in a sky, but it was obscured by the thick pollution and plentiful skyscrapers. The clear horizon was probably what Camille missed most about Amnesty Bay, but she had contented herself to pretending that the distant street lights were planets and stars. It made the city seem a little less industrialised.
Mera didn't understand Camille's problem with the lack of stars, but that was because she rarely saw the sky at all. It just looked like another ocean to her...a very weird ocean. In truth, Mera interpreted Camille's long rants about the unseeable moon as her way of avoiding the current situation. She was returning to Atlantis, and the nerves that jittered through her body begged her mind to focus on something else. Anything else.
"We just need to find Kaldur before we leave." Mera said slightly louder than necessary, hoping that this would bring Camille's attention back to their goal. It must have worked because the officer almost swerved her car off the road completely.
"You brought Kaldur?!" She responded breathlessly. The shock had almost knocked all of the oxygen out of her lungs. "Where did you leave him?"
Mera twirled a long strand of crimson hair around her index finger, bright cerulean eyes staring upward as if this would help her remember. "Somewhere near the pier...I think."
Camille almost felt like banging her head against the steering wheel until she passed out. Today had been a long day, and it still wasn't even close to being over. Instead though she simply clicked her blinker on and turned left in the direction of the closest beach; which was in a completely different town.
The journey there was tense. Mera spent most of her time flicking through radio stations curiously and then turning her nose up at the music. Camille, however, was battling the oncoming headache that pounded in her skull. It was a relief unlike any other she had felt before when she finally saw Kaldur's shadowy figure waiting by the sea.
Upon exiting the car Mera had practically dragged Camille over to him, eager to return home. "Do you still have it?"
Kaldur nodded and directed towards the table behind him. There sat the Atlantean suit and helmet that Camille had worn twice before. The restricting attire was a fairly unwelcome sight, but Kaldur certainly wasn't...he did look different though. Likely because he was no longer wearing Atlantean clothing. Instead he sported a pair of plain black jeans and a turtle-neck sweater that perfectly covered the gills on either side of his neck. "It is good to see you again, Camille. Thank you for agreeing to this."
"It's not like I had much of a choice." She answered, only half jokingly. "Nice outfit."
"I felt it appropriate to blend in." The man replied with a lopsided smile, but Mera only looked confused by his words.
"What do you mean?" She said with crossed arms. "It would have been fine if you wore your regular stuff. It shows pride in our city."
Kaldur's gaze lingered behind the red-head and straight to the handful of surfers that were capturing pictures of Mera on their phones. He replied with slight sarcasm. "I will consider it next time."
Without any time to spare Mera tossed the suit over Camille's shoulder and placed the helmet into her hands. She didn't need any more encouragement to dash out of sight and get changed. When she returned, feeling a little unsteady due to the heavy headwear, she saw that her two escorts were already at knee-level in the ocean. Kaldur was back in his Atlantean costume, and Camille had to wonder where he had hidden his human clothing.
The officer approached them, watching the water pool around her form as she trod deeper into it. It looked like glitterdust across a broad expanse of blue. Before her, the water unfurled like dark swaths of shadowed silk, colours muted, her own reflection rippling on its surface. She only now realised how ridiculous she looked in this pressure suit; a passerby might even mistake her for an extra-terrestrial. She tried to ignore that thought as she reached the two Atlanteans. Kaldur had dived below the waves almost immediately but Mera grabbed her arms and pulled them over her shoulders.
Camille gulped. For a split second she almost found herself asking if Mera could carry her the entire way...but then she remembered that the red-head was just as capable as Arthur. She possessed the same speed in the water and strength. Camille quickly closed her mouth again, grateful that she hadn't been stupid enough to ask, then tightened her grip without needing to be told.
Mera didn't delay one second longer. With speed that rivalled Arthur's, she shot through the water and down into the dark void Camille had grown so used to. The temporary blindness didn't bother her anymore, because she knew that soon the sea would be alight with the glowing exteriors of a whole manner of octopi, fish, and jellies. Not that she'd have any time to observe them. Mera was simply too fast for her to even register anything around her. All she knew was that one minute it was pitch black, and the next the lights of Atlantis flooded around them.
Upon entering the glimmering city, Mera had finally come to a halt and tapped on Camille's arms to inform her that she could let go. She obliged, allowing her body to float backwards almost weightlessly. Mera rolled her shoulders and exhaled, a stream of bubbles spilling from her lips. "Before we go in there's someone that wants to see you."
Camille's brow furrowed in confusion, but thankfully no one could see it too clearly through the helmet. Kaldur was the only person that may have even been remotely pleased to see her, and he was already there. Garth was fairly indifferent, though grateful, towards her so it was unlikely to be him either.
She thought the answer might never come until a luminescent purple squid bobbed into view from behind the embassy building. It was the same one she had encountered in her last visit. Its tentacles stretched out towards her and wrapped securely around her arm like a child to their mother. Camille, admittedly surprised by the squid's clinginess, blinked up at Kaldur as if he might offer an explanation.
"Apparently he has been sulking around here ever since you left." He explained with a genuine smile in the squid's direction. It was the kind of expression that a human might give a puppy. "Arthur mentioned that you saved him. He must have become attached."
"Looks like you've got a new pet." Mera smirked. "Don't worry, he can join us. That species of squid can adapt to most pressure or lack thereof...and he can survive comfortably outside of water for about half an hour. We'll only be in there a few minutes at most."
Camille glanced from the creature still hugging her arm, to Mera, then back again. She, admittedly, didn't know much about any kind of sea creature...but animals this far down alluded every expert on land as well. She had little choice but to trust Mera on this. With a hesitant nod, she pushed herself through the water and followed the two Atlanteans inside.
The magic barrier that consumed the embassy building had been greatly improved upon. Gravity hit everyone that entered slowly, not all at once like it had during her last visit. When her feet finally met solid ground and the room around her filled with oxygen, Camille wasted no time in twisting off the heavy helmet forcing its weight on her neck. Mera instantly flinched when her head came into view, mind reeling with the image of what had happened the last time she was here. They all waited for a few seconds, silent as a ship's graveyard. When nothing happened they, all three, drew a sigh of relief.
"Well, I'm not dead. That's a good sign." Camille quipped, trying desperately to ignore the squid that was now crawling its way to her shoulder. Instead, she focused her attention on the room. It had a whole manner of equipment for study and books overflowing with the knowledge of Atlantis...but very little else. "Are the visitors going to be living here 24/7?"
"Yeah, that's the plan." Mera responded, noticing the wrinkles beginning to form on the surface-dweller's forehead. "Why? Did we not provide enough research materials?"
"No, that's not the problem." One of the squid's small tentacles snaked into her hair and Camille shivered violently at the feeling. It then shifted again, moving until it was perched contentedly on top of her head; almost invisible beneath her thick, black curls. She glanced upward, ensuring that the creature had finished moving before observing the vast emptiness in some areas of the room. "There are no beds...Where are they going to sleep?"
Mera cocked her head to the side oddly. "Beds?"
It wasn't at all shocking to hear the bewilderment in Mera's voice. She did live under water, after all. People down there likely floated in their sleep, so there wouldn't be any need for things like beds. "You've designed this place to support gravity, so they need something comfortable to lay on. Research equipment is good and all, but if these people are going to be staying a while they'll need furniture, even a kitchen. Quality of life is important and a lot different on the surface. If they don't have simple everyday appliances, then their work will be greatly affected by it. They might even opt to go back home."
Kaldur nodded his agreement. Apparently he was aware of these issues as well, which made Camille contemplate why Mera hadn't just asked him. She tried not to think too much on it, and instead focused on the rest of the building. Thankfully, there was a bathroom...or an Atlantean version of one. "You need a shower as well. No self-respecting person could survive without one."
Mera listened intently to Camille's words, memorising every single one. She hadn't thought much about the way of life for humans. She had been too focused on sharing knowledge. "So we need to insert beds, a kitchen and a shower? Is that all we need?"
"Chairs would help." Camille quickly added. "So would some food from the surface. Fish is okay for a while, but they'll need a larger variety of proteins if you want them to stay healthy... Also, seafood everyday would get pretty boring."
Mera took note of this suggestion but huffed nonetheless. "Humans are so fragile... We eat nothing but seafood and we're all in great shape."
"But we're not Atlanteans. We didn't get blessed by Poseidon to survive underwater." Camille joked, still finding the myth of their Greek God to be ridiculous. "It's important. Trust me. Your visitors will be a lot happier if you get them a wider variety of food, and utensils to cook it with."
"I agree." Kaldur finally spoke up, as if he had known this all along. He then stepped, barefoot, across the ground and towards the barrier keeping the water at bay. The ground was saturated from his footsteps, and from the droplets pouring off Mera's long hair.
"Thanks, Camille." The red-head said sincerely, following Kaldur to the end of the room. "I think that's all we needed."
Placing her helmet down temporarily, Camille reached up to pry the squid out of her hair. One of its tentacles had become tangled in her curls and she almost winced as she tried to blindly manoeuvre it out. She somehow managed to do it without hurting the small creature, but a few strands of her own hair that had been pulled out in the process could clearly be seen still caught around the squid.
Camille sighed with exasperation, but swiftly picked her helmet up and clicked it back over her head. The squid returned to its position around her wrist, refusing to let her go as if it feared she might leave again. Even as they returned to the waters of Atlantis, the squid wouldn't unravel.
Despite this, the human couldn't help but feel a little relieved that this was over...and that she hadn't run into Arthur. If she convinced Mera to take her back right now, then maybe she could keep it that way.
Unfortunately, Camille wasn't that lucky. Mere seconds later she spotted a bunch of Atlanteans pouring out of a structure looked to be made of massive, whale-sized bones. Arthur was among them.
He had just finished discussions with his royal envoy, freshly concluding the revision of Atlantean foreign policy to realise his vision of an Atlantis involved in the scape of global politics. The amendments included allowing humans to conduct peaceful endeavours in previously restricted areas, allowing the passage of human delegates into Atlantis, the removal of the position of Ocean Master in the Atlantean hierarchy, as well as the condition that the taking of a human life is punishable by royal law. An Ocean Master was in command of all Atlantean military, and could muster these forces at their pleasure if they believed the kingdom was at risk, without direct instruction from the king. The only thing that could prevent one of these mobilisations is if the king disagrees with the action and compels him to stand down. Arthur always viewed the position as a remnant of Atlantis' barbaric past, so he had finally seen to abolishing it. This move was controversial, as traditionally a king would scarcely command the armies of the city on his own, but instead delegated with the Ocean Master. He used Orm's recent actions as justification, citing how he merged the role of king and Ocean Master, effectively being able to handle all of the power of the Atlantean rulership. Thus, there was no one to order him to cease fire. This argument seemed to muster at least some agreement for his decision.
Also determined in the political discussions were a range of conditions required to be met by the United Nations before the foreign policy changes could be implemented; firstly, Atlanteans must be recognised as citizens of the planet Earth and treated with equal rights to humans in the surface world; secondly, noticeable efforts must be made to reduce the amount of seabound toxicity with the assistance of Atlantean technology; thirdly, noticeable efforts must be made to prevent excessive hunting of sea animals; fourthly, Atlantis must be granted a seat at the United Nations and acknowledged as a sovereign state. If any of these conditions are not met, further action may be taken by Atlantis, Arthur decreed.
The members of his political council that left the forum chambers behind him seemed exasperated and irritated, as if they were unsure about the sudden reaching out to the surface world. Many had argued that Themysicira has flourished and survived because of its disconnection to humanity, saying that involving Atlantis in the current political climate is an invitation for human radicals and state powers to target the underwater city. Arthur certainly realised how risky it was to open Atlantis to the surface, but he believed that it was what the future entailed.
Ignoring the suspicious eyes that followed him, Arthur instead focused on the sights before him. The plentiful animals, the new embassy building that stood as a sign of hope for peace, and...a humanoid wearing prototype Atlantean technology. Designed to allow land-dwellers to visit the city. His gaze softened. He never thought he'd see Camille again, in or out of that ludicrous costume. Without hesitation, he diverted his course down to the three figures.
"My king." Kaldur said with great respect. "How did the revisions go?"
Arthur didn't seem to hear him. His eyes were stuck on the officer with such a mixture of emotions that it was difficult to interpret whether he was happy or furious. "What's she doing here?"
Definitely furious.
"We needed someone to look over the embassy." Mera stated simply, with no sign of regret or guilt. "You were busy, so I asked Camille to do it. She was a big help."
The man's stare only sharpened at this news. Somehow, seeing her and knowing that he couldn't have her, was more difficult than the prospect of never laying eyes on her again. He spotted the squid clinging onto her and felt himself become stupidly jealous of the damn thing; it could be so close to her without any consequences. It took all of his strength to tear his gaze away from her, and to direct it towards Mera. "Take her back."
Mera's expression twisted into one of pure annoyance. "Kaldur and I need to tell the builders about the new additions to the embassy. If you want her gone then you'll have to take her."
Even when Arthur has reclaimed his title as King, Mera never changed the way she spoke to him. There was no caution in her words, and she warranted him the same amount of respect as he did for her. Nothing more. She then entwined her arm with Kaldur's and yanked him away, leaving Arthur and Camille in the midst of an awkward silence.
It wasn't long before Arthur, evidently becoming tired of the uncomfortable atmosphere, turned and pointed towards his own back. "Come on then."
There was a sudden yet subtle shift in the water. With a surge of reluctance, Camille glanced down at her wrist and watched as the squid untangled itself, moving instead towards Arthur who held it securely in one arm. She exhaled heavily, oxygen bouncing around the helmet and hitting her face again as hot air. It wasn't the most ideal situation, but if he was willing to give her a ride back to the surface it would be rude not to accept. Camille clasped onto his shoulders, and he didn't wait for her to adjust like he usually did. This time he just started swimming...faster than she'd ever felt him go before.
It was apparent that he was eager for her to leave, but when they finally broke the surface he remained quiet - hands still holding tightly onto her legs. Camille, however, only now realised that he had been touching her the entire time. Her stomach fluttered, first with butterflies, but then with sharp-clawed birds that clawed at her insides. She shook her head. Allowing herself to indulge in this small moment was pointless.
She pulled away but only to reposition herself infront of him. Visiting Atlantis again had reminded her of how crucial this truce was...and she wanted to help. Not for Arthur, but for the people of both worlds. "I'm going to check on the embassies progress whenever I get time."
"No you aren't." Arthur said sternly. "You're forbidden from entering Atlantis. No one will be taking you from now on."
"I'll find my own way there then." Camille said with unmistakable determination. "You have no reason to ban me. If you want to keep the peace, I'd advise against it."
His jaw tensed, but he said nothing more on the subject. She was right. He had no reason passed the fact that it was painful to see her.
"Look, about last time...I didn't mean to make things weird between us." Camille strained to get the words passed her lips. It was a subject she would have been completely contented avoiding forever, but she knew that it needed to be discussed. "I'm sorry if I got the wrong signal from you. I honestly thought you might be interested. That's no reason to treat me like this though."
Arthur almost looked like he was being tortured by her words. He contemplated lying to her, just to make things easier, but he needed to tell the truth. It might make her understand more than some half-hearted fib would. "You didn't misread my feelings."
Camille's brown eyes widened, and now more than ever they reminded Arthur of two towering sand dunes sparkling under the sun. "Then...why?"
"I'm asking my people to change every law and moral they were ever taught to uphold. I can only change one thing at a time...and their not ready for their king to throw away another tradition for a human."
"What tradition?"
Arthur took a deep breath. He had hoped to never tell her this but now that she was here infront of him, her endearing stare fixed on his face, there was no choice. "The royal family don't do things as tedious as dating. They get married, and that union is always chosen for them. It's a way to expand their influence and gain allies."
Camille still didn't comprehend what he was trying to say. That much was obvious by her eyebrows that had neatly knitted together.
"Camille. I'm getting married."
Observing the woman's face drop was so difficult that Arthur had to avert his eyes to the water below them. She let in a shaky gasp, mind scrambling to register his admission. She wasn't heartbroken. She would have to be in love to feel that way, and they hadn't become close enough to warrant such strong affections. The thing that hurt most was not that she had fallen for him, but that she had wanted to love him; to be with him, and learn more about him, and take some of the stress of his daily life away. The hope that she could have loved him, if given the chance, was what aches in her chest. "Do you like her?"
Arthur floated further away from the woman with a grimace. "I haven't met her."
"That's...awful." Though she was hurt, she now felt more sympathetic towards Arthur's situation than anything. "You're king. You could change that law. Not just for yourself, but for everyone that comes after you. Do you really want your children to be forced into that? And what about your mother? Didn't she defy that law?"
"Don't speak of her." Arthur snapped. "You know nothing about her."
Camille jumped slightly at his intimidating tone, and quickly bit her lip in an attempt to keep quiet. The sight stabbed guilt right through Arthur's gut and he grumbled angrily at himself before pushing the squid in her direction. "Keep him."
"B-But I-"
"He said he wanted to be with you. Feed him shrimp or small crabs, and keep him in a salt water tank." Arthur offered the information as an apology, and Camille must've noticed this because she nodded and hugged the creature to her chest.
"Okay. Thanks." Her voice was barely a whisper now, and beneath such a dense helmet it was even harder to hear her. "I hope you like her when you finally get to meet her Arthur, truly. And that she can make you happy. You deserve it after everything you've been through."
He could have dealt with her anger. He also could have tolerated her agony, but her acceptance? That was almost too much to bare. It made him want to take off her helmet and kiss her, just once more. To memorise the taste of her lips so that he could recall it whenever he was forced to kiss another...but she turned and he let her. His city had to come first. Even if it meant discarding his own desires.