Chapter Text
It was a quiet day on the mezalean docks. Prince Joel was sitting on the edge of the harbor, gazing onto the clear blue waters, letting his thoughts wander freely, while his feet swung off the ledge, grazing the water every now and then. His eyes lazily followed small fishing boats, pulling in and out of the port, delivering wares, and a large portion of fish. Oddly, these waters seemed to be absolutely infested with fish, so much so, that Mezalea never needed to import fish from other empires.
Joel likely had somewhere to be right now, being prince and all. but he honestly? He just wanted a break from his father yapping about war and business strategies, despite him having studied kingly duties from the age of ten. Then his mother on the other hand was constantly pestering him about needing to find a queen soon, sure it would be nice to fall in love, but that could wait. Joel had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't realized his posture was slowly leaning forward- over the dock. Then he fell down.
down.
down.
SPLASH! Prince Joel collided with the aquamarine water, sending what looked like tidal waves in its once clear surface. He instantly became disorientated, then saw a small metal object floating away. His circlet! He could not lose his crown; his parents would kill him! The sliver circlet was embedded with a green peridot, the jewel of the empire. If he lost it, who knows how many hours he would be lectured for!
Joel frantically swan after it; not caring that he was in royal attire. Then a flash of pink- taffy pink to be precise, similar to the brain corals found in coral reefs, crossed his vision, and the circlet was gone. He let out an angry yelp of surprise, turning to bubbles due to being underwater. He quickly swam to the surface, gulping down glorious air, then diving back down, swimming further down than before.
The entity seemed to have disappeared, somehow fully hidden despite the mass of bright pink he saw. Then the pink thing darted across his sight, then disappearing again. However, it seemed that the pink wasn't the things body, but rather some kind hair or fur perhaps. Then he saw it again. It seemed... afraid? As if it was trying to gauge if he was dangerous or not. Suddenly, his vision seemed to clear, and the pressure around his face was gone. There was a small bubble, a pocket of air now around his head, like a helmet that allowed him to breath. Despite this quite obviously being a good thing, it made him feel uneasy. Growing up, Joel had been told myths and stories of magical sea creatures that could manipulate the water. People had spoken of these creatures as dangerous and vile, and while he had never truly believed it; the worries still settled in his stomach, churning like the sea on a stormy day. What if this was it? His parents had no other heir, was this it for the royal family's bloodline? Would he be brutally killed only a few hundred meters from his home?
The pink thing appeared in front of him, and all qualms were instantly stripped away. It took an effort to not drop his jaw from the sheer beauty. Upon closer inspection, the "pink thing" was clearly an amphibious girl, maybe a similar age to him. Her skin was a baby blue, with accents of cyan on her fins and large axolotl tail. Wait- blue?! To Joels knowledge, blue axolotls were extremely rare, only documented in old fishermen's tales. It was clear that the pink he spotted early was indeed hair, flowing gracefully beside the girl, the same length as her long white dress, flowing as well, dotted with pearls and accents of lavender laces.
What really caught his attention though, was the vail covering her face. It was the same fabric as her dress, lined with pearls. A curiosity filled his stomach, replacing all traces of fear. Joel wasn't quite sure why, but he was instantly drawn to the girl.
The girl cleared her throat, a quiet and soft sound. A small fluttering began in Joels chest. "Here's your crown, sir...sorry I took it, I-I was curious." she quickly apologized, it was clear that she hadn't talked to many humans before, from the shyness in her voice. Joels mind made the realization, was she afraid of him? Surely if humans had horrifying tales of sea creatures, they would have equally as terrifying stories of land dwellers.
"Can I see you face?" Joel suddenly blurted out, his mouth betraying him. The girl seemed taken a back, flinching ever so slightly at the question before nodding subtly. She slowly lowered the vail, tilting her head down, now seeming unsure, looking at the seafloor. Then, gradually, lifting her head to meet his eyes. And-
Oh my god.
He had not been expecting the most breathtaking sight ever. Her bright blue eyes, reflecting the heart of the sea itself, pieced through his soul. He knew then, he would not forget those eyes. Mixed with a kindness he'd never seen before, yet still strong. Resilient, yet patient. Loving, but still witty enough to take down any enemy, no matter how large or formidable. It was enchanting, how easily he was lost in her eyes, stilling finding new specks of brighter blue or navy.
Then she smiled, and Joel was certain he had met a deity or God. No person's singular smile had ever filled him with instantaneous joy or created millions of butterflies frantically flapping inside his chest before. All Joel could do was stare, at the gorgeous girl in front of him; he wasn't even sure if his vocabulary was big enough to capture her ethereal beauty.
"Are you ok?" she giggled "My names Lizzie.", extending her hand. Lizzie. The name somehow managed to summarize all Joel wanted to express. "Joel." he grinned as he took her hand, placing a small peck, like a "gentleman" in novels. She giggled once again, and it was divine. Pure bliss bloomed in his chest, knowing he caused that laughter. That's when he knew, he needed to know more about Lizzie. He glanced up, and saw the sun lowering, casting a yellow hue onto the once blue sky. How much time had passed?
A small look of sadness passed onto Lizzies face, as she followed his gaze. "Do you need to go?" she asked, not bothering to hide the hint of woe in her voice. Joel nodded quietly. Lizzie looked down for a moment, then suddenly popping her head back up, an idea clearly forming. "I know! You can come visit me!" she exclaimed.
"But, where?" Joel asked, tilting his head "Surely it's too risky for you to be in mezalean waters often."
"Mezalean?" she asked, now her turn to tilt her head in confusion.
"Yeah," Joel tried to respond casually "That's where I come from. The empire on the surface; up there." he said, indicating upwards.
"Huh, always wondered what it was called" Lizzie mumbled to herself, "Well... maybe you can meet me further out?"
Joel nodded happily "That should work. Bye Lizzie, see you tomorrow!" he said.
Lizzie quickly hugged him, "Bye friend!" Waving as he swam towards the surface, the water slowly becoming brighter as he approached the surface. Friend. He liked that. And maybe... a small hopeful part of his brain whispered, that they could be more one day.