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neoninky · 1 year

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TWST Fanfic "Her Lost Voice": Chapter 11

Aaand we're back with Chapter 11 (we're in the second half folks)

Chapter 11: A Very Serious Problem

The tension was a solid wall when Proteus entered the Muraeni house with his usual grin in place. He didn't flinch as he floated up the stairs towards the sounds of his master's angry howls. It was the morning after Luna's debut, barely before daybreak, and the entire house echoed with Don Muraeni's anger. Proteus didn't bother knocking as he entered the Don's office. The three collared sons were huddled together as their father verbally tore into them.

"I trust you with the easiest job in the bracket and you only exceed my expectations in fucking it up!" their father snarled his sharp teeth in full view.

A battered Ventuno lay on the couch holding his head and snickering at his younger brother's misfortune, somehow missing the intense side-eye his father gave him in the meantime. Don Muraeni's seething glare flicked back to his three younger sons. He watched them freeze and wait for his next piercing words but they were only met with an exasperated sigh.

"My boys...I have failed you," his voice cooled and turned somewhat somber. Or at least it tried to be.

All of the sons looked at each other in confusion. Proteus's sadistic smile only grew as he lingered in the shadowy corners of the room, already seeing certain puzzle pieces falling in and out of place. Their father smoothed out his hair as he took another deep breath to calm himself, "You three, I put too much pressure on you. I should've known your simple natures couldn't handle the burden of my expectations..."

Any semblance of pride had been literally beaten out of them so the three sons just blinked at their father's words in lieu of being insulted by them. Ventuno, on the other hand, sat up and scoffed, "You got that right, those three couldn't look after a pet barnacle much less-"

"And you, Ventuno...my eldest. My heir," the father's words were a frigid, poised and ready dagger, "Get up and stand by your brothers, boy. They need a good example to avoid any future follies."

Ventuno groaned as he rose up from his resting spot and shoved his brothers to the side so he could be front and center. Their father looked all of his remaining sons up and down before turning his back to them, "Your brother, Seven, has dealt me a massive betrayal. He was the most clever of you, even the strongest, something I took great pride in. He was perfect progeny."

The eldest son snarled as his temper flared. He was right there and Seven was the one getting all of his praise?! He was about to complain when Don Muraeni's ice blue, narrowed gaze was locked onto him over his shoulder.

"I refuse to be made a fool of, boys. And yet those Leech twin punks came and went, right under my nose, and took what was mine. They come onto my territory. They broke into my club. And they stole my prized siren...and whose fault is that?"

The three younger sons remained silent as their older brother barked out a dry answer, "You mean besides these three idiots? Clearly, Seven was fuckin' around before he ran off with those Leech bastards-"

A loud crack across Ventuno's face silenced the entire room as the disappointed father's long tail slinked back behind him. Don Muraeni's eyes practically glowed with intensity about to break through his sculpted frown, "And where were you, boy? Lazing about by my side? Enjoying the fruits my well-earned position brings you?! You fucking louse! I almost prefer your brother's gumption even if it was in favor of my rival's spawn..."

Don Muraeni paused with a calculating, furrowed brow. If he had been a third-party witness privy to Seven's scheming, he'd be awfully impressed and proud to call him his son with such a sharp wit...a wit that earned the trust of his enemy. Indeed, Seven was the perfect progeny. Or at least, he would be once his father was through with him.

"Boys," he addressed the accosted sons in a much more calm tone, "an opportunity has presented itself and I have every intention of taking it. Ventuno, you've proved to be a colossal waste. Fortunately, there's enough of you to do what needs to be done. I want Luna back and I need Seven back. The very future of the Muraeni house depends on it. If any of you wish to be a part of said future, find them and ensure that I get them both back alive."

The three youngest sons left to gather information without question. Ventuno was fuming: in a matter of hours, he went from being the next Don Muraeni to chopped liver? And all because his younger brother turned against them?!

"Ventuno...why are you still here?"

The Don had completely reverted back into his signature stoicism as he sat behind his desk, rilling through files and other business as if he did not just knock his eldest around moments before, "I need to speak with Proteus, boy. Leave."

The mentioned ray merman suddenly appeared by the bruised son's side, "I shall see Master Ventuno out, sir. It'll only take a moment."

The Don responded with an irritated wave of the hand, not bothering to look up as his confidante guided Ventuno out the door.

"It's such a shame," Proteus hummed the minute they were outside as Ventuno snarled at the hand he had been dealt, "To think that he would cast you aside without so much as a blink, young master. If only there was a way...to make your troubles disappear."

Proteus could see Ventuno's hot-blooded nature and thirst for power since he was just tiny thing and it was the perfect clay for him to mold. It was Proteus' job to ensure the Muraeni house stayed on a solid foundation. This also ensured that he, himself, stay on a solid foundation and out of the gutter from which he was born. With his master in charge, the sadistic ray was guaranteed an indulgent life, far from his gloomy beginnings. If Indigo were to return and cooperate, Proteus knew the boy was cunning and could only enhance their profits, as long as the right leverage was on the table, of course...but his brother, Ventuno? He was already squandering his blessings before his father could turn the keys over to him. If given the chance, Ventuno would just drag them all down to ruin with his blind entitlement and shortsightedness. Don Muraeni, as terrible and cold as he was to his children, would never actively remove the dead weight himself. Therefore it was up to Proteus to do his job and do it well: Ventuno had to go. Of course, it had to be orchestrated delicately and discretely so when Proteus planted that initial seed, that's when Ventuno's gears began to turn.

"That would mean taking Seven out of the picture completely."

He grinned amiably to the eldest Muraeni son, feigning surprise, "Well, well...now there's an idea. If Master Seven were no longer a viable option, then your place as our next esteemed leader would be secure. Naturally, none of your younger brothers would rise to the challenge. However, you may want to work quickly, young master, your brothers may be well on their way to finding Miss Luna and Master Seven as we speak."

Ventuno laughed bitterly, "I can handle this easily. Those three idiots couldn't find fish bones if they were handed to them on a platter! Obviously, they're on Leech turf and there are plenty of suckers on neutral territory that will talk if given enough payment or motivation."

Proteus' grin could cut thorough steel, "As clever as always, my dear boy. This will be our little secret, of course."

He watched Ventuno leave the mansion, aglow with a rekindled ego and waved him off before turning to the two shark mermen that lurked around the corner.

"Make sure Master Ventuno finds his way and that our friends on the other side of town are there to welcome him. They should be getting an anonymous tip-off of a possible intruder soon enough..."

The following afternoon was a warm one on the shore. True to his word, Indigo waited in the cool shaded water beneath the peer, listening to some sailors clamor around up top. They seemed awfully gossipy about Elise's reappearance with a stranger on her arm.

"Our princesses sure have interesting tastes, don't they?" an older man chuckled, "Princess Emily has been spending a lot of time with that one young man that just showed up on our peer, and now her younger sister shows up with a rather dashing looking fellow that no one seems to know either!"

"The ladies love mystery I suppose," another sailor chimed in, "almost as much as out-classing each other! Those sisters have been butting heads since they were children. It's no wonder they suddenly each have a handsome boy on their arm!"

Indigo rolled his eyes as he listened to the sailors banter back and forth with each other. He suddenly felt a bit sorry for Elise just from hearing all of this. That and the memories of growing up with Luna and Cowrie and witnessing all of their sisterly fits. Female relationships were definitely complicated. He looked towards the villa right as his ears caught the sound of what he hoped was an excited greeting...

Inside the main hall, Elise and Azul's arrival was met with one very shocked head maid nearly dropping the tray of items she had in her hands. Elise's temper was still set to a full boil but her expression was as serene and pleasant as the first time Azul ever met her. It honestly made Azul rethink a lot of past scenarios between the two of them. Elise gave the woman a polite greeting with a trained smile on her face that seemed to crack the minute an even more feminine voice rang from the top of the stairs.

"There she is!"

Emily Coralette, the infamous elder sister gracefully descended the stairs, oddly enough alone. Azul tried to hide the shock in his expression at just how much the two princesses did look alike at first glance. Without leaning into a full-on stare, however, Azul started to notice the differences. For one, that sugary, bell-like tone. The boy felt a sharp pinprick of anxiety the minute Emily locked her eyes on him. She was practically sizing him up with an unapologetic smugness in her smile.

"And with such a handsome friend too. My, my...do come in! We were just about to have lunch! I'd love to hear all about your travels and how you two met, of course!"

Azul didn't have to look at Elise to know that her formally polite and proper smile was swiftly chucked out the window. He felt the younger sister's grip on his arm tighten ever so slightly as Elise finally addressed her sister as the three of them walked further into the villa.

"And where is your handsome friend, Emily? I could have sworn you had a suitor come call right before I left temporarily."

The first jab...

"Oh, you mean Rielle?" Emily said innocently batting her eyes while definitely not shying away from the casual first name basis, "he had to leave to return to school early! Such a shame too, we were having so much fun. He's such a sweet thing."

The counter...though Azul was convinced this verbal fencing match was over the family dog and not a visiting suitor. Still, he remained perfectly quiet and charming looking at Elise's side. Better to stay out of the line of fire for as long as possible...

"How lovely," Elise's tone was barely amiable. It was clear that she wasn't that interested in pulling her punches today. Especially the millisecond her sister trained her focus back on Azul.

"Elise, you haven't introduced me to this young man on your arm. Don't be so rude! Who is this dashing fellow you've brought with you?" Emily giggled girlishly.

Azul felt himself start to sweat as Elise's grip on him grew even tighter. Still, he was in top form with his Octavinelle Prefect and Mostro Lounge manager charm on full blast, "Azul Ashengrotto, Your Highness. Elise and I are school friends. I've been collaborating with her on a very important project over the past couple of weeks. I apologize for her sudden departure but it was...quite urgent."

The octopus boy saw the predatory spark flash in Emily's pale green eyes as she completely overlooked the part about her sister's disappearance, "Oh? Only...friends?"

Azul couldn't answer even if he wanted to. Elise practically spat an entire inkwell right in the noisy girl's face, "Very dear and very close friends, Emily."

Fortunately, they reached the dining hall seconds later, making Azul silently thank the entirety of the Great Seven for the timing. Gerald nearly fell out of his chair once Elise entered the room, "Princess Elise?! Y-You've come home!"

Looking around at the servants' faces, it was apparent that everyone felt a wave of shame in one form or another upon the realization that Elise was in fact, standing right there in front of them...of her own accord and not because any one of them sought her out. Everyone, except Emily, that is. The elder sister just giggled as if this were all some silly game that she had the winning card to.

"See? I told you all there was nothing to worry about. Now then, Elise is here so why don't we all just have a nice meal and catch up?"

Azul saw the sour expression on Elise's face as Gerald, Emily, and the other servants took their places either seated at the table or around it, almost like this was some weird dinner theatre production. Azul also saw how Emily kept batting her doe eyes up at him, trying to reel him in as she had obviously done with everyone else. His charming grin widened with a somewhat wicked edge. That was the big difference between her and Elise and what a fool Rielle had to be to not see it for himself. Elise was too clever, too capable to rely on such a base level of manipulation. Alright sure, Elise did kind of manipulate him into signing a contract with her soon after they first met...but she at the very least respected his intelligence and abilities! To think this girl saw him as such easy prey was a joke!

"That sounds wonderful, doesn't it, Elise?" his tone was a bit too pleasant but if he knew his Princess Coralette, then he knew Elise would catch his drift no problem or questions asked. And how. Elise smiled graciously up at Azul as he pulled out a chair for her, "Oh yes. Let's indeed catch up."

The two octopuses in human form sat next to each other and faced down the rest of the table with their deceptive smiling faces, knowing just how interesting this afternoon would certainly be.

Emily seemed hellbent on keeping the air light in spite of the guilty faces surrounding her, “So how is your internship going, dear sister? I’m assuming Azul is helping you with it?” “He has been very helpful in other endeavors, yes, but that’s not why we’re here Emily,” her tone had an edge to it as if her tongue was sharpening a knife, the grin on Elise's face held fast, however. Azul sat back and let the lady lead. “No, I’m here, accompanied by my dear friend because I’m curious. Did any of you feel the need to check in with the internship I chose to make sure I was safe after my sudden departure? Or did you just take the word of my sister who had no place speaking on my behalf?” The room was thick with awkward silence. Even Gerald who rarely had nothing at the ready verbally was too embarrassed to answer. So in other words: yes, Elise’s call-out was spot on. The quiet air was broken by a pronounced sigh coming from Emily. “I don’t understand the fuss. You’re here now in one piece and in good company so what exactly is the issue??” Emily huffed with a roll of her eyes. “The issue is that every single one of you took someone else’s word that I was fine without seeing for yourselves!" the younger sister's charming polish swiftly melted into a much more heated declaration, "You had no idea where I was or if I was even alive and yet here you are, just enjoying sweet Emily's little vacation as if I was never here to begin with?!” The older sister’s sweet disposition fell into a stoic gaze as she released another sigh. Suddenly her soft bell-like tone was replaced with a much more blunt and even a bit stern tone, "So dramatic...it's like my sister hasn't grown up at all. Really, Elise, you used to run away for hours, even whole days at a time as a child, but you always returned perfectly unharmed, doing nothing more than making a scene and disrupting Father's very busy schedule. So why should we sound any alarms when you suddenly come and go as you please as a young adult? If anything, it's a relief that you're finally doing something besides swimming around with those creepy eel pets of yours..."

Azul's eyes narrowed sharply for a moment before they grew in shock at the sudden crash that came from his right. Elise was on her feet, trembling with her teeth gritted and hands slammed onto the table as her dinnerware lay broken and scattered on the floor. Emily just scoffed and began to scold her.

"Now look what you've done-"

"They are NOT pets!" Elise yelled, "Their names are Luna and Cowrie and they are people, merpeople just like Rielle!"

To both Elise and Azul's confusion, a snort of laughter came from across the table. Gerald cleared his throat, suddenly looking a bit put off by the topic at hand as the maid to his left covered her guilty mouth.

"With all due respect, Your Highness," he carefully began, "You've always had your mother's generous heart and her love of the sea and all it's erm...unique inhabitants but I must say-"

The older gentleman's words stopped short once Elise's piercing look of warning was directed straight at him. The maid that had laughed before quickly dismissed herself along with a few others from the room. Emily, however, remained seated in a regal manner as if she were in court, "Rielle was and still is a very elegant and handsome creature. Comparing him to those weird, ghastly snakes with their sharp teeth, slimy skin, and claws..." Emily looked pale as she shuddered just from saying those words aloud.

Did this girl just call Rielle a 'creature'? Azul's confusion as to what the mermaid prince saw in this other princess grew with every word that left her mouth. Elise was just as confused if not fully appalled by her sister's attitude towards the boy who loved her so deeply.

"You call my friends my 'pets' only to turn around and call Rielle, a prince who gave up his entire life as a merman to be with you, a creature? As if he's just some lost puppy you found on the beach...Do...do you even realize what is actually happening right in front of you?!" Elise's voice began to crack, "Do you have any idea how heartbreaking this is?!"

Her hands and arms were trembling as she spoke to Emily who frankly looked as moved as someone watching a poorly acted drama. That alone made Azul's temper start to slowly brew but it was Emily's girlish chuckle that really made his stomach sour.

"Elise, come on now. Don't you think you're overreacting? I mean, of course, everyone knows how big of a crush you've had on sweet Rielle for years. I will admit your affection for him from the very beginning was adorable but obviously, it wasn't meant to be. One would think you're just acting out a jealous fit right now," Emily then gave Azul a smug grin, "However...you did come with another handsome boy on your arm so I'd say you've already moved on rather quickly for someone acting so victimized. Or is your friend just here to bolster your wounded image, sister? Are you really so upset that you didn't get to be a part of that fairytale romance with the mermaid princess that Mother used to tell us all the time?" Emily giggled coldly.

A flood of shame and anger mixed heat rushed to Elise's face as her sister gracefully stood up to leave, cutting off any rebuttal she may have had with a curt retort, "If what you say about Rielle's intentions is true then I am flattered. He's a sweet boy but really...he's not fit for me I'm afraid. Do be honest with yourself though, dear sister. You're acting out just as you always had as a child because things didn't work out exactly how you wanted them to. Well, it's not so cute anymore. Father, our brother, and I have all done you a great service by allowing you your freedom to do as you please since Mother passed away. But unlike you, Father and Brother have very important matters to attend to. As do I. You were blessed with both beauty and talent and yet you spend all your time doing...I'm not even sure what exactly. It's time you grow up and do something productive with yourself for once. Gerald," the old attendant quickly got to his feet, "It was a lovely stay but I'm afraid I must return to my own duties. Please have the servants take my things back to my ship, thank you."

Emily began to leave the few left in the room in complete silence and she almost made it to the door before she heard her baby sister's rough sob.

"Y-You are cruel, Emily!"

The elder Coralette princess' formerly sweet persona returned as she smiled at her frustrated sibling, "You're just bitter from disappointment, Elise. You'll thank me someday. Oh and don't leave others to clean up your mess, alright?"

The door to the main hall closed with a sharp echo. Gerald muttered to the remaining staff to attend to Emily's departure before turning to a very visibly upset Elise who looked as if she may break apart at any second. Before he could even open his mouth as he approached the distressed princess, he was blocked by Azul and his poised smile.

"Princess Elise and I have finished our business here. I will see to it that she is properly taken care of, thank you."

Gerald was about to argue when Elise's harsh tone shut him down flat, "Leave, Gerald." And that was that. Azul and Elise were left alone in the large dining hall. The boy dropped his facade and looked to the princess just to see her bend down to tend to the broken pieces at her feet. He made a sound of worry as he moved to stop her but Elise gave him a shaky smile, "It's alright, Azul."

Within the next moment, Azul watched as the princess gently placed her hands over the broken pieces and started to recite an incantation, "Return to what you once were. Undo the harm done and try again. Second Chance."

Right before his eyes, the pieces of glass and plate came back together and the cracks resealed themselves as if they were never broken, to begin with. Elise picked up the now whole glass and plate and showed him with a small grin on her face, "See? Good as new."

"This is your unique magic, isn't it Elise?" Azul chuckled, "You and the Cerith sisters, you three just keep amazing me time and time again. Not something many can say they have accomplished."

Elise seemed to revert back to her usual self for a moment as she placed the dinnerware back on the table, "Oh? You flatter me, Mr. Ashengrotto...you wouldn't be thinking up any possible future business ventures with this new information, would you?" She gave the boy a playfully sly grin.

Azul continued the banter with a faux wounded expression, "My, my, you make me sound positively devious, princess." Her light laughter that proceeded his statement made his heart hiccup momentarily. Azul just dismissed the sensation by clearing his throat.

"Well, I can honestly say that I've had my fill of this place. I imagine you feel the same."

Elise rolled her eyes in a similar fashion as Emily did before, "That's an understatement. One more thing and then we can leave."

Any curious maids that had been hanging around Elise's room scattered like sardines the minute the princess showed her annoyed face. Azul opted to wait outside the room but Elise pulled him inside with her. No doubt this would stir up more gossip among the staff but at this point, Elise couldn't be bothered to care.

"They'll talk either way but in here, you at least won't be hounded by the more bold ones, Azul," the princess said bluntly as she began looking around her room for her phone and magic pen, keeping her face turned away from him.

Azul saw her point and acknowledged it as he silently waited for her, not wanting to hover. Especially since the tension seemed to return to her voice. Elise found her phone and while she did have it both mechanically and magically customized to be waterproof to the point to deal with great levels of underwater pressure, she wasn't exactly sure her octopus form came with pockets...better to bring a bag, she thought as she grabbed the closest and simplest pouch she could find. She then found her magic pen on her vanity right where she left it, "There you are..."

The boy watched curiously as Elise slipped the magic stone piece off of the pen only to reveal that it was actually a ring. She slipped it onto her right hand's middle finger as she turned back to Azul, "There we go. All set."

"So Sacred Crown makes your magic stones interchangeable as rings? Very clever," he hummed as he gazed down at the aquamarine stone on her hand. It seemed to shrink to a smaller size to fit with on Elise's long, dainty fingers.

"Everyone's has a variety. We attach them to our pens like you boys do at Night Raven when we're in class but otherwise, we wear them like jewelry. Mine is a ring. Luna and Cowrie are a bit more secretive with theirs: Luna wears hers as a bracelet in her human form which apparently hides in her mermaid form and Cowrie hides hers on the back of the shell she wears around her neck. It can be a ring, a brooch, a necklace, it depends on the girl I suppose...I never really thought about it before, to be honest," Elise chuckled a bit half-heartedly. The topic was light enough but it was clear that the events of the afternoon still weighed on her. She quickly brushed past him, obviously not wanting to linger any longer, "We should head back." - The sun was setting by the time Azul and Elise returned to the beach. The breeze brushed through her deep blue-black locks in time with the sigh that left her lips.

“I’m so sorry you had to see…all of that, Azul.” She was turned away from him but her tone grew more somber with each word, “But…maybe Emily was right about me. If I hadn’t have rushed into all of this so recklessly then-“

It stirred something in him that couldn’t settle. His sharp words cut her off, “Enough. All I heard from your sister today was careless accusations.” The princess turned to find Azul had walked straight up to her and stared her down with a frustrated expression, “I am an outsider, I know, but had I been your brother, I would have been relieved and even a bit sick with how much worry your disappearance caused. Anything but whatever it was your actual sister thought was a suitable reaction!” Elise’s turquoise eyes widened as he continued, “You have nothing to apologize for, Elise. Not to me. As for Rielle, he is a fool. I took his voice, not his brain. And yet he still pushed aside such a-“ Beautiful. Incredible. Bold. Several very embarrassing adjectives skidded to halt just before lingering on the edge of Azul’s tongue. The feeling from earlier returned tenfold with a blunt clarity that the octopus boy couldn’t ignore any longer…

From the other side of the conversation, Elise watched as Azul’s determined expression suddenly morphed into something completely different as if the boy slammed into an invisible wall. It would be amusing if she wasn’t hanging on every word he had been saying up until that point.

“Ah…what I mean is…”

Azul was reeling on the inside: not sure if his body wanted to dive back into the sea or bury itself right there in the sand but either way, it knew. Painfully so. It knew and he himself knew now that Azul had a massive crush on this beautiful, brilliant, and very confused looking girl standing in front of him right now…and it made him want to immediately crawl into the abyss. It was madness! Not the attraction part, oh no never, any man would be a complete imbecile to not be attracted to such a woman as Elise! It burned him up to no end how Rielle could just side-step her so easily for someone so impossibly inferior like her pompous sister! And yet, it happened and Elise was heartbroken… which made Azul feel a distinct bitterness grow in his guts. That’s where the madness came in. It was absolutely ludicrous that after pining after a handsome prince like Rielle, as foolish as he may be, that Elise would ever give him the time of day…ha…what a thought.

“…Azul?”

Her concerned tone dragged him back to reality. He suddenly felt guilty seeing how her brow was furrowed with worry. And her striking eyes-AAHH STOP IT!

“Yes, sorry, I uh got a bit derailed there, Elise. My point is…” don’t come on too strong! “You shouldn’t have to apologize or feel guilty for being angry with your family. Any sane person in your position would have felt and reacted the same…and frankly, you seem like a bit of a misfit. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

Azul found his feet again with the last statement, his usual smile back on. It nearly flipped off his face completely when Elise smiled back at him. The sunset had the audacity to glow right behind her, making her even more lovely.

“You’re really sweet when you want to be, Azul Ashengrotto.”

His heart nearly leaped out of his throat. Elise felt warm all over and only moments later realized just how close she was to him. Her reaction was more akin to a magnet: she felt drawn to him, wanting to close the distance and step even closer to him. The only thing that kept her from doing so was her mind screaming at her to get a grip.

And Rielle? The same mind chimed in inconveniently. Elise felt another sharp pang in her heart. Did she still have feelings for the prince or did she just feel bad about the situation especially now that she knew how little her sister returned the poor boy's affections? The straight truth was that she wasn’t sure she did have feelings for him anymore. The more clouded, fuzzy truth was that the boy standing across from her perhaps made her feel something as well? Something new, stronger even? And that scared her a bit.

Azul wasn’t some doe-eyed prince looking for romance. He was cunning, ambitious, someone who cut his own path and made things happen. He was an incredible mage and person...he knew what he wanted. Not to mention incredibly handsome and full of charm even in his most awkward moments-WHAT?

The princess suddenly whirled away from Azul, making him jump a bit, “Azul!”

“Y-Yes?!”

“Thank you! …for staying by my side today. And ever since the beginning of all of this. I’d be lost without you…”

Elise’s face was burning so hot it was a miracle her voice wasn’t shakier. Azul gave some sort of affirmation but the princess couldn’t really hear it over the pounding heartbeat in her ears. It’s undeniable, isn’t it? She thought to herself…regardless of whatever lingering feelings she may harbor for Rielle, feelings for Azul barged right in and made themselves at home. She wasn’t sure if she felt elated, mortified, or both!

The silence between the two of them was only filled with the sound of waves lapping at the shore…that is until they heard a familiar voice coming from the nearby peer.

“Heeey…you two having a fight or what??”

Both Elise and Azul’s heads whipped to the side to see that Indigo had been joined under the peer by not only his sisters but their mates as well. The tweels looked especially amused by the couple’s awkward air whilst the Cerith siblings seemed to be whispering something amongst themselves. If the pair’s faces weren’t heated already then they most definitely were now.

Floyd’s sharp-tooth smile widened as he continued to tease, “Maybe you should kiss and make up~ Heheheh-“

The obnoxious twin soon had a face full of saltwater as Azul blasted the water with wind magic at record speed, “I thought I told you to wait at Octavinelle for us!” “You seemed to be taking some time and we thought it best to check in with you two,” Jade had a wicked grin that didn’t even try to hide how entertaining Azul’s flustered behavior was, “now we can see you two are more than just fine…” Elise narrowed her eyes at her two companions as they giggled mischievously in the shadows. The sly looks the two sisters were giving her made the princess feel completely exposed: oh…they knew something was going on in their friend's brain and they were ready to torment her to hell and back to get to the bottom of it. Indigo remained quietly leaning against one of the large poles, looking stoic as ever. “Yes, yes Elise and I have accomplished what she set out to do and now we can all return to where we need to be…” Azul’s tone was professional but as soon as he finished, Elise felt a bit disappointed. She knew it wasn’t forever, of course, but did they really have to part ways now? She looked to the sun as it slowly sank beneath the horizon as she formed an idea. “Actually…if you all don’t mind…there is a place I’d like you all to visit with me before we part ways for a while,” she asked gently as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Well, Azul suddenly found it near impossible to say no to her now. The eels seemed to be very keen on the idea of sticking together a bit longer as well, if for no other reason beyond getting some more entertaining details nailed down.

Luna and Cowrie seemed to read Elise's mind as their faces lit up. Oh, that place.

"Ah the bay," Luna hummed, "It has been a long time. It'll be an excellent send-off point. After we all cool down a bit, of course."

Cowrie snickered at the smug grin her big sister had on her face as Elise seemed to huff at her pair of eels. The princess quickly walked back into the water and transformed back into her octopus form. It strangely felt far more comfortable to her now.

"Luna. Cowrie. You know the way," she held out her arms for the sisters to take, giving them both an impatient look.

"Yes, princess," they playfully chimed in unison before flanking her and signaling the boys to follow them.

- The bay was further down the shore but took no time at all to get to for the group to swim to. The sunset had dyed everything in a coral-pink glow by the time they resurfaced onto a very dreamy-looking spot of land. The water was clear and mostly still and the beach led to an area full of large, sleepy willow trees and fireflies that were beginning to stir. “This is a private bay. My parents used to come here all the time,” Elise phased back into her human form as she and the sisters walked onto the shore, “I figured we could have a few moments of peace before we say goodbye since today was so...stressful."

The boys followed suit and joined the girls on the land. All except Indigo. The eldest Cerith remained in the water as the teenagers explored the area, patiently hanging back and keeping his eyes to the open sea. Just in case.

Cowrie immediately started climbing into the willow tree closest to the water just so she could jump out of it and back into the water like a little kid on a tire swing. She called for Floyd to join her. He didn't need to be told twice. Luna just giggled at her baby sister and mate's antics before saddling up to Elise's side.

"You're looking a bit overheated, Elise," she whispered in a sing-song tone while both Azul and Jade were distracted, "Do you need a...time out perhaps?"

That was code Elise and the Cerith sisters had been using for years: whenever Elise was having a 'moment' - as Luna liked to call it - she and her eel companions would swiftly and gracefully as possible retreat to a designated panic area, away from prying eyes and ears. Elise was both irritated and grateful to her best friend and vice prefect for reading her so easily. She didn't even have to respond before Luna linked her arm with Elise's and called Cowrie back to her.

"Excuse us, boys, we girls need to have a little private talk for a moment," Luna gave Azul and the twins a soft smile before smoothly guiding the princess further inland, Cowrie practically skipping behind. Jade was quick to catch the look Luna gave him as she floated by. He passed along the look to Floyd like a psychic connection and the twins both turned to Azul.

"We should regroup as well, don't you think Floyd?" Jade grinned, showing his teeth.

Floyd's wild giggle just made Azul feel more uneasy and on the defensive. The octopus boy found the closest bench and sat with his arms crossed. The tweels settled on either side of him and waited with deceptively kind smiles on their faces.

"Alright, you two are up to something. What is it?"

Azul had known these devilish twins long enough to know when they had mischief on their minds. Most of the time it still worked in his favor but right now, he wasn't so sure. Jade took the lead in classic Jade fashion: delicately baited.

"It's not often that we're left out of the loop, Azul. We're just curious as to how everything is going?"

An innocent enough statement. At least it would be had it come from anyone but Jade Leech. Azul held his cards close to his chest and gave the brothers just the facts: it was simple - Rielle was no longer on land, at least outside of his school's campus, and from what Emily Coralette had very bluntly said earlier, he had a snowball in the Land of Hot Sands' chance at winning her heart. The more vindictive part of Azul grinned at that prospect, the utter foolishness of it all. The twins weren't much better. Floyd cackled at this information, "Aw man, what a shmuck! Not only did he pick the wrong girl, she doesn't even want him back?!"

Jade snorted and sputtered a bit, failing to hide his laugh behind any sort of polite decorum, "Oya Floyd, don't be so cruel...it's unfair to assume that he actually put any thought into this whole endeavor."

This only made his brother laugh even harder. Although, the twins' mirth quickly died down once they noticed the very downcast look on their friend's face. Azul looked as serious as a heart attack, staring off into nothing.

"Oi Azul...this is usually the part where you get all puffed up and confident about winning and stuff," Floyd muttered.

When he didn't respond, Jade's grin grew as he offered a theory, "Perhaps Azul is troubled because while these unfortunate events do benefit him...that may not be the case for poor Miss Elise."

The twins watched Azul's brow furrow deeper in frustration as his guarded resolve fell apart in mere moments. They shared a suspicious look before watching their friend again, waiting for a response. Like two cats waiting at a fishing dock. Azul let out an agitated huff, "Honestly, what a mess this has become and for what? Some foolish prince with big pretty, dreamy eyes and a nice singing voice chasing after an even more vapid little waif that's not even a fraction of the woman that DOES love him...that idiot couldn't even see what was right in front of him!"

"Ohh? How so?" Jade asked as casually as possible. Had Azul looked up he would have seen just how the brothers were about to lose it, not even bothering to hide their mischievous grins. Azul was too distracted by his own irritated feelings to derail his own rant.

"How so? Honestly, Jade, you and Floyd have had Elise in your own house for weeks and you're still unaware?! She has adapted to the same very dangerous environment we all were born into in record time, she defended your mate from imminent danger-"

"Octi-chan also put you in your place like right away," Floyd added rather bluntly.

"YES, Floyd! Aside from my mother and grandmother, and your own mother once or twice, no one else has ever done so let alone with such directness and passion!" the brothers weren't sure if Azul was upset or impressed but decided to see where he was going with this, "Elise is incredible. She's unlike any other person, I've ever met..."

Azul stopped himself in a bout of bashful self-awareness. His face turned the shade of Riddle Roseheart's hair once he finally looked up and saw the incredulously wide smiles on the twins' faces. Checkmate.

"Ehhhhh~ This is so unlike you, Azuuuul...so smitten~" Floyd giggled as if they had been watching a wriggling worm on a hook.

Azul back peddled so quickly the twins were surprised he didn't flip over the very bench he sat on, "Smitten?! Clearly, you have no idea what admiration and respect sound like! I'm just speaking as a man admiring a woman of prestige and gumption!!"

Indigo snorted loudly from where he was offshore when he heard that, making his younger brothers-in-law burst into laughter. Azul steamed faster than a pressure cooker, spitting out defenses onto their deaf ears. On the other side of the bay, Elise wasn't fairing much better.

She, Luna, and Cowrie found a nice private spot hidden away underneath one of the larger willows that dipped into the water. Elise sat up to her shoulders in the cool water, quietly watching her tentacles play with the small fish and water lilies that drifted by. She had been giving her curious friends short, vague answers to their endless questions. Luna had a world of patience that her sister did not. Cowrie finally grew tired of swimming in circles around Luna and Elise as the three of them talked and finally blurted out what they really wanted to know.

"So what's the deal with Rielle now??"

Luna bopped her baby sister on the head with the end of her tail after giving her a scrutinizing look. Still, she waited for Elise to answer. The princess seemed set on hiding her face in her own long silky hair. Very uncharacteristically skittish of her...

"It's like I said...Emily doesn't love him. I'm not sure that he's aware of it though."

Luna slowly leaned in to coax her friend, "And how do you feel about all of this?"

Elise hesitated. Luna and Cowrie looked at each other but neither backed off. Their silent persistence didn't go unnoticed. The princess felt like she might be crushed under the weight of her friends' gazes. She wasn't stupid, she knew exactly what they wanted to hear...and it wasn't a lie either.

"I...I don't think I love Rielle anymore. I'm not sure I really did in the first place," her voice sounded so hollow but this confession came far more easily than she expected.

"Finally!" Cowrie groaned, "You outclass him by a long shot, Ellie, you have for years."

"Ignoring my sister's lack of tact, she is right. Elise, as..." Luna really seemed to struggle with finding the right word for a moment, "...charming...as Rielle's pretty face and naivety may be, I assure you that you deserve and need a much more capable mate. Someone of substance."

Cowrie nodded in hard agreement with her sister's words, "Someone more your speed. And you know, with a brain that actually works. I mean even your sister doesn't want him...that's pretty sad."

Classic Cowrie: brutally honest. Elise snorted dryly and rolled her eyes as she pushed her hair away from her face, "No she doesn't, but that didn't stop her from batting her eyes towards Azul..."

The sisters' ear fins perked up at this new development. Rather than interrupting with more questions, they scooted in to soak up every detail as Elise got more and more heated with every word.

"Honestly," she huffed, "I knew Emily wasn't subtle about her more flirtatious side but seriously? She already had one guy practically licking her shoes but the minute he leaves and another handsome face shows up, she starts eyeing him up like he's the next course meal!"

"Hmph. So vulgar..." Luna sneered while sharing a grin with her younger sister. Cowrie quietly snickered as her tail swished back and forth in the water.

"I know! He was right there with ME! Literally on MY arm!" Elise practically screeched.

"Humans can be so sloppy with their desires. If this had happened in our neighborhood, there would've been blood," Cowrie snorted, "Courtship and bonds with your mate are taken very seriously among mermaids, and disrespect is never tolerated."

Luna hummed in agreement, "Well said, Cowrie. If this girl had made such advances towards my darling right in front of me, well...she wouldn't have eyes left to gawk with."

Elise's eyes nearly glowed red as she blurted out her true feelings with a snap, "Had I not been so focused on my purpose for being there in the first place, she'd be lucky if I took only her eyes!"

The eel sisters cooed in both surprise and admiration at this more savage side to their friend. "My, my...you truly are an octopus mermaid, Elise," Luna chuckled making the princess blink back to reality.

"Wha...what do you mean?"

Cowrie giggled wickedly as she circled around the other two playfully, "Eel mermaids are very territorial and protective of their mates and their broods, but female octopus? Ooo, they're especially aggressive! Anyone with half a brain cell knows better than getting between an octo-lady and her maaaan~ Azuzu was lucky to not get caught up in the crossfire!"

The sisters giggled as the words "her man" made Elise's face flush lavender with a heated glow, "W-Well, it was just very rude is all. Anyone in my position would have felt the same! And making Azul out to be some piece of meat to toy with is unacceptable!"

"Azul...or Rielle?"

Luna and Cowrie wore matching cat-like grins as they watched the steam rise out of Elise's ears.

"Either one! Emily's behavior was and still is deplorable!" she huffed crossing both her arms and her two front tentacles, "Azul deserves better than that...a-and Rielle too, of course."

"Of course," Luna smiled as she picked up a nearby floating water lily and began to pluck its petals in a love-me-love-me-not fashion, "But perhaps, Azul-kun wasn't so much opposed to it as he just wished it came from another source."

Before Elise could say anything, her best friend's golden eyes flicked back up to her with an inquiring raise of her eyebrows. Elise felt a barrage of butterflies fill her stomach at the implication.

"I don't...I don't know what you mean by that Luna. Azul was there to support me and I am still very glad he was there, by my side...that's all."

Very convincing, even Elise's brain didn't believe her. Judging from the looks on the eel sisters' faces, neither did they. However, Elise was too stubborn to give in so easily.

"Besides, I have a much bigger problem to worry about and I'm running out of time..." her face fell as she, begrudgingly, reminded herself of what needed to be done. Luna's expression turned more serious.

"And what will you do, Elise?"

"I...I don't know...somehow I thought all of this would be so much more clear by now but..."

After a beat of silence, Elise felt both sisters gently wrap themselves around her in a double hug. They said nothing. They didn't have to. Elise just exhaled and let her two companions hold her up for a few minutes while she began to process everything at hand.

When the girls returned to the main shore, they found a rather unexpected scene...

The twins and Azul seemed to be horsing around in the water and arguing about something. Well, Azul was arguing some point while tangling a cackling Floyd up in one of his tentacles as if the eel boy were a giant maraca while Jade kept trying to escape the tentacle that had him ensnared. All the while, Indigo sat in the water off to the side just watching with a sigh. The girls said nothing but gave the eldest boy questioning looks.

"Don't ask..." was his only response.

Elise turned back towards the other three boys and cleared her throat as loudly as possible, "Um boys??"

Azul suddenly whipped around as his tentacles plunged the twins back into the water, causing their tails to wriggle back and forth above the surface, "Ah! Ladies, welcome back!"

His eye twitched but the girls pretended not to notice it. Or how flushed Azul's face was. Elise just put on a smile and ignored her own nerves, "Sorry about running off so suddenly, Azul, um...we...we just wanted to say our goodbyes before we go, of course."

Floyd's head popped out of the water with a pout, "Awww already?"

Jade followed with a calm expression in an attempt to hide his disappointment better than his brother, "It is getting rather late, I suppose."

Azul let the brothers go and they quickly swam over to their mates. Elise gave the eels a moment and approached the other octopus with a soft smile, "I can't thank you enough for your help, Azul."

Some of Elise's butterflies seemed to transfer over to him in that exact moment, "Oh I uh...I didn't do that much...I was just kind of...there."

Elise laughed quietly at his suddenly more shy expression, "What's with the false modesty? You being 'there' is exactly what I needed. I like having you close by, Azul-"

The princess let out a high squeak when two of her and Azul's tentacles suddenly took it upon themselves to wrap around each other as they did before but more assertively this time. Azul's whole torso tensed with embarrassment before he started sputtering.

"I-I'm so sorry, I don't know why this keeps happening!"

He started to pull his own limbs off of hers but stopped when Elise suddenly burst out laughing. He blinked at the princess owlishly as if he were caught in some sort of prank. Elise waved her hands as she tried to make herself stop laughing but to no avail.

"I'm, I'm sorry, I-" she tried taking a breath but somehow that just made it worse, "I swear I'm not trying to make fun of you! It-it's just maybe-"

The five eels watched the scene between the two play out with satisfied grins on their faces. It was too adorable for even the most mischievous of them to interrupt. Elise finally managed to quell her laughter to finish explaining.

"Whew...sorry...ahem...maybe our legs are just trying to break the ice or something?" She smiled at the stunned boy, "I mean...we've come this far together right and we're still a bit too formal with each other sometimes? Maybe they can tell."

It was a fair point. Azul pouted down at his own tentacles as if they were mocking him but deep down, he was not-so-secretly grateful for them taking initiative he was too scared to take himself, "Perhaps...so what do we..."

Azul felt an immediate lump form in his throat when Elise suddenly closed the distance and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, causing the emboldened legs to wrap even tighter around each other.

"See? This isn't so bad...right?" her voice was even but Elise was so glad he couldn't see her very shy face right now.

Azul slowly relaxed and wrapped his arms around her waist, relishing in the feeling of her odd warmth being so close to him, "No. Not at all."

The only complaint either one of them had was just how hard saying even a temporary goodbye was going to be now. Neither one wanted to even imagine how hard the final goodbye at the end of all of this when Elise was returned to normal was going to be...

Indigo quietly said bid his sisters and their mates fair well for the time being before silently swimming back to the Leech household. Luna and Cowrie didn't want to break Elise away from Azul just yet, especially when he looked so comfortable with his eyes closed in a peaceful expression with his head leaning against hers. The twins, as maliciously teasing as they may be, also didn't want to break things up just yet. This was probably the most at ease they had seen their friend in so long.

"Maybe we should give them a few more minutes," Luna whispered as Floyd rested his head on her shoulder with a content purr. Jade and Cowrie gave no argument as the latter wrapped his petite mate in his own arms.

In their own little bubble, Azul felt weirdly electric: half calm, half absolutely buzzing. He was torn between letting the moment linger and ending the hug too soon. The tug o war going on in his brain wasn't helping his nerves whatsoever. He opened his stormy blue eyes to watch the final moments of the sunset before the glowing orb finally disappeared beneath the horizon. Time was slipping away too quickly.

"Elise..." he gently pushed away from her as soon as he regained his composure, "I-er-we need to make sure you get back to Sacred Crown safely."

Elise ignored, as much as she could anyway, the heavy pit in her stomach and the sudden departure of warmth as they separated, "Yes...we've dallied enough I think. We'll see each other again soon enough though, right?"

She put on a confident smile as she returned to the shore, "It might sound strange but it works better when we start on solid ground," the princess chuckled. Luna and Cowrie gave their boys a kiss before following after Elise. Once the three girls were back in their human forms, each one removed the coins from their pockets and tossed them into the bay. Minutes later a whirlpool portal appeared before them. The girls gave each of the boys one last look before leaping in one right after the other. Once the whirlpool settled and they were gone, the bay felt all too quiet and empty.

Floyd's mood immediately dampened if not turn completely non-existent. Jade looked a bit lost. And Azul...well...Azul did what Azul did best: go on with the show.

"Well, we watched over the girls until their return just as we said we would. They'll be back in no time...Jade, Floyd, let's go back to Octivinelle. We have a lot to do."

Tagging: @nuitthegoddess @honey-milk-depresso @ladyrosemoon @iscarlettappel @foxwitchaine @victoria1676 @evieyouknow @feldya @wysteriadelights @1ndigowitch @aiimee9

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