The Heart of the Ocean
A Tale of the Sea

“My heart is the ocean,

Full of colors, depths, and dreams.

You can easily dive into my waters,

Get lost in my arms and quench your thirst.

My heart is the ocean.

Your ocean. ”

-Alexandra Vasiliu

The sun was setting on the horizon. The vast blue sky was slowly turning into a vibrant orange with a hint of dusty pink. For once, the ocean was peaceful. Its waters were undisturbed by any waves -its surface resembling a crystal mirror. A slight breeze made its appearance but it was more than welcome. A kiss on her forehead made Aide look up to her merman.

She took hold of his hand, gazing down at his webbed fingers. Before she could do anything else, he brought her hand close to his face and placed a kiss on the inside of her palm. They were sitting side by side at the edge of their pond. Her feet were splashing in the cold water as his tail was moving slowly in them. Their shoulders were touching, her head was resting against him.

This was it.

The time had finally come.

After many months of discussion and consideration, they were finally ready for the next step in their relationship. During that period of time, they heard many opinions from different people. In the end, they realized that it didn’t matter what everyone else was saying. This was their life and they would live it by their own rules. They didn’t want to deal with the “what if’s” that would be created by the wants and opinions of others. However, it was nice to know that the people close to them supported their decisions.

Alexandra had thrown a fit when she had heard about it. She refused to let her only child go and she wouldn’t hear a word about it. On the other hand, Colvert understood their decision perfectly -it was impossible to keep two mates away from one another. It was unnatural and dangerous. Aide belonged to Thalassa’s realm -she was the ocean’s child. It called out to her just like it once called out to him -there was only one difference. His beloved was on land, while hers was at sea. He had expected and accepted the fact that one day she would follow her heart and it would lead her straight to the sea.

Her grandfather had managed to coax her Nana out of her angry state and make her see things from a different point of view. After a while, her anger turned into sadness. Alexandra was no fool -she knew Aide’s decision was a logical one. She had every reason to want to be close to Evander -hell, she would have done the same if she was in her shoes. However, she was her only daughter -her only family. No matter how happy she was for her, she couldn’t help but feel saddened to see her child go. Colvert reminded her she wouldn’t be alone -that she had him by her side. And of course, he assured her that he had no intention to leave her ever again.

After Nana’s change of heart, the topic of their discussions had changed. How does one turn into a mermaid? It was a practical issue and yet, they didn’t have the answer to it. Of course, Aide had the gene passed down by her grandfather but she had never turned into one. She had almost drowned three times in her life -it was proof enough that she had no idea how to swim. No matter how hard she kicked her hands and legs, she just couldn’t do it. And none of these times did a tail appear in the place of her legs to save the day.

Desperate for answers, Evander had turned towards his brother. However, as much as Amias was willing to help him, he lacked the required knowledge as everyone else did. The two mermen didn’t know what to do but they didn’t back down. They had asked so many merpeople, hoping that they would hold the answers they needed. They had done their research in the palace’s library, spending a ridiculous amount of time between the old scrolls. They came up empty-handed making their frustration grow.

“You are looking at it the wrong way”, Jedrek finally said to them.

“What do you mean?“, Amias asked in exhaustion.

“You cannot become a merman -you are born this way”, his mate stated simply, “It is something natural like an instinct. You’re making a big deal out of something that you shouldn’t.”

“I swear to Thalassa, Jedrek!“, Evander shook his head in frustration, “I like you. But when you talk in riddles, I don’t like you at all.”

“She has the gene, yes?“, Jedrek chuckled in amusement, “She just needs a small push.”

The two brothers watched him in bewilderment.

“You want him to push her in the pond?“, Amias asked in confusion.

“I’m not doing that!“, Evander refused, “She doesn’t know how to swim.”

“I meant a metaphorical push”, Jedrek sighed deeply, “Something to wake up her gene.”

“I’ve already kissed her -she didn’t change.”

“Maybe some of your blood in her bloodstream will do the trick”, Jedrek shrugged his shoulders before making his way out of the room.

The two brothers looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Amias punched Evander’s arm playfully, which resulted in them swimming around the room wrestling around like small children. They didn’t know if it would work but it was a start. And when you’ve got absolutely nothing, a start is all you need. That’s how they found themselves in the presence -staring at the deep waters of the pond expectantly.

“Are you scared?“, Evander asked her in a gentle tone.

“No”, Aide smiled at him, “I just...I really want this to work.”

“Me too, Cor meum”, Evander caressed her back in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable, “Me too.”

“So”, she cleared her throat, “How are we going to do this?”

Evander’s fangs bit down on his lower lip without further explanation. A small wound appeared -the sudden splash of scarlet was barely noticeable. Aide’s fingers took hold of his chin as her gaze fell upon it. She leaned forward, breathing against his lips. She was a bit nervous but excited too. She prayed with all her being that this would work -she didn’t want to see her hopes crash. She just wanted to start her life with her better half.

“You are my Heart”, he whispered to her.

Aide smiled.

“I love you too, my Ander.”

They didn’t exchange any other words. Her lips fell upon his -gentle at first and then, they became rougher. She made sure to bite and suck on his lower lip, allowing the scarlet droplets to enter her mouth. He moaned at the feeling of her tongue dancing against his own. His strong arms wrapped around her petite form, bringing her closer to him. As if she wasn’t close enough and he couldn’t handle the mere thought.

They were underwater before they knew it. Evander hadn’t realized when he had taken hold of her waist and led her into the salty waters. Their lips didn’t separate from one another even for one second. They didn’t care about what was happening around them. Nothing else mattered -nothing else was important. They continued to kiss in a whirlwind of passion and love as the last light of the day reflected upon the seashells on the walls.

Something strange was happening. Aide couldn’t point her finger at it but she could feel it. She didn’t feel the need to swim toward the surface. She didn’t care about taking a breath of fresh air to fill her lungs with oxygen. She could feel a tingling sensation on the side of her neck, her hand automatically moving there. Her fingers could feel three small slits on her soft skin, making her pull her mouth away from Evander in surprise.

His purple eyes widened as he took in her pale complexion -her olive skin was gone. The chocolate eyes he had fallen in love with had changed -their color was more vibrant and the round pupils had turned into slits. His arms wrapped around her in comfort as she gasped in pain. Her fingers moved to her mouth only for her to hiss in pain -her fangs were sharp and long. Looking at her bleeding finger, she was surprised to see the web that connected them.

“It’s working”, she couldn’t hide the surprise and happiness in her voice.

“Yes, my love”, Evander laughed heartfully, “You look beautiful.”

“Really?“, she asked shyly.

“Do you really think I’d lie to you?“, he raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know. You’re my mate”, she shrugged her shoulders, “Isn’t it your job to make me feel better?”

“Damn straight, I am”, Evander smiled down at her, “And I’m not lying to you. You’re gorgeous.”

Aide hummed in satisfaction.

“I’ll take your word for it”, she smiled sweetly at him -even though, her fangs probably had made her smile a terrifying sight.

His lips fell upon hers passionately. His arms caged her small form, keeping her close. His hands were tangled in her long brunette hair as they floated in the clear waters. His powerful tail was wrapped around her smaller one -her purple scales were a stark contrast against his emerald ones. The light of the seashells fell upon them as their tangled forms danced in the waters of the pond. The blue seashell between them glowed with an ethereal light.

And so, their story truly began.

They were two lovers from different worlds. Their paths weren’t supposed to meet. He was a child of the sea, born wild and free. A terrifying beast -a creature of the legends. A skilled warrior who possessed a gentle battered heart. She was a child of the earth, walking the land steady on her feet, keeping herself away from the salty waters and the creatures beneath. And yet, they made it work. It didn’t matter how many difficulties they had to face or how physically and mentally exhausted they were. They didn’t give up until they were in each other’s arms.

Evander pulled away from her, smiling at her changed form. She was so beautiful -his heart skipped a bit. His thumb caressed her lower lip, before kissing her forehead gently. His purple eyes looked intently at her, sparking with love and passion. Her body relaxed at the words he whispered in her ear.

Aide smiled.

“Welcome home.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 31!!

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