Whispers of the Tide

Serene's POV: “Serene, come swim with me in the glade?” Talian had said as he approached me, His deep blue eyes running up and down my body. Us Merfolk are not shy with our bodies, But having him eye me in such a way made me feel a little more than uncomfortable. He reached for my hand before I could respond and started pulling me along behind him. His muscular fin causing a wake for me to glide through. I pulled him to a stop and he c****d an eyebrow at me. I took a minute to take him in, as one of my fathers top military personal, he had just returned from negotiations with neighbouring kingdoms. He had been away a fortnight and I had not missed his presents, although I felt I should have. He looked so handsome with his jet black hair cropped short on the sides and longer at the top, perfectly complimenting his strong defined jaw and light flesh. His eyes, the colour of the deepest blue of the ocean, matched his strong, muscular fin. I couldn’t help but marvel at his defined chest and abs leading to a strong v that trailed below his fin. We had been dating over a year, and I am yet to give myself to him fully. It has never felt right, although I am unsure what “right” feels like. However I have begun to realise this is a connection I will never feel with him. He caught my lingering gaze and flashed a bright smirk. “What’s the hold up angel?” He asked. “I haven’t seen you in a few week Talian, I did not even know you were back. I was thinking I had forgotten what you looked like.” I forced a smile, hearing his term of endearment for me made me shudder. It would seem the time apart had well and truly woken me up from what ever delusion I was living in with him. “I believe it’s not my face you were spending time appreciating.” He continued to grin and I pretended not to notice. “Come on my angel.” He turned and swam toward the glade and I followed close behind. The sun was shimmering through the shallow glade turning the water a bright glittering turquoise with golden ripples reflecting on the sand and coral below. I sat on a nearby sand bank and tilted my face towards the surface, feeling the sun on my face. When I opened my sliver-blue eyes I found Talian watching me. He carefully came towards me and sat across from me taking my hands in his, he raised them to his lips and laid a gentle kiss to the top of my hand. “Serene. Angel, you know I love you, I can not begin to ever imagine my life without you. You are everything to me, my future and the love of my life. You are the most beautiful creature across all three kingdoms. We are a perfect match,and I believe that together we will see the First Kingdom thrive under our rule better than it has in hundreds of years. I’ve spoken to your father and he is beyond thrilled to bless our union...” No no no no! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! My heart was racing and not in a good way, I felt like I was going to be sick. He was so caught up in his speech that he didn’t recognise the panic in my eyes. He went to lower himself in front of me and I held on to him with all my might trying to keep him up right. “My angel,” he chuckled, “I know you’re excited. Please let me do this right.” He slowly pulled himself from my grasp and folded his fin beneath him, kneeling before me. He presented the most beautiful topaz and white gold ring, “Angel, I know you have been saving yourself for me and I love you for that, I am ready to take our relationship further. I’m ready to marry you and make you mine. When you take the throne I will rule by your side. I am the perfect man for you. Will you accept my proposal? Will you be mine?” He looked at me with so much love in his eyes and a hint of lust, probably from the thought of finally having all of me. But I was speechless. Did he not know my heart at all? We had been seeing each other almost a year and I had known him a little more than two when he showed up for guard training and passed with flying colours. But marriage? This soon?! “Please breathe my sweet angel.” He whispered with a smile. He was waiting for my answer. I closed my eyes and let out the breath I was holding. “Talian, I can not.” I blurted out my silver fin pushing me up and out of his reach. “I can not marry you. It just is not right. If you listen to your heart you will feel the truth in my words.” He raised himself up from the sand and floated up to meet my eyes. Taking my face in his hands he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my lips. A tear slid from my eye that he wiped away with his thumb. He was a good man, just not the man for me. I felt terrible for leading him into thinking it would continue on in such a serious manner. “Angel, I will wait for you, I will wait as long as you need until you are ready. Please just say you will be mine. That my waiting won’t be in vain.” “I can not do that, Talian. I am sorry.” I looked up into his eyes and instantly saw hurt shining in them. He dropped his hands from my face, clenching them into fists at his side. He turned and faced away from me, anger was radiating off of him in waves. “What do you mean? Serene? I am yours, there is no one else for me! Who will rule at your side?! Who will you trust and lean on?! No one else is as perfect for you as I am!” His voice was starting to rise with stress and panic. I didn’t want to do this, but I could drag this out any longer. “Talian, we can not do this any more. I did not realise until now, but this can not happen. I need to live, I need adventure, to have stories to tell my children. I’m not ready and I do not love you like I am realising you love me.” He turned back to face me, his eyes dark with rage. “You are making the biggest mistake of your life.” He nearly growled. “You will be mine!” After the rather intense altercation with Talian I decided to ponder his words. They had been laced with threat and a sense of malice I didn't know Talain possessed. I now saw him in a brand new light, and not a pleasant one. Sitting here on my secret beach, surrounded by a cluster of small islands, I basked in the evening sun. My long white-blonde hair wrapped around my nude form as I lay on my back staring up at the clouds. Why hadn’t my father said anything? I knew he adored Talian but doesn’t he value my opinion? I’m only twenty, he should want more for me before a life dedicated to the throne. I needed to discover who I was and what I wanted. I wasn’t ready for marriage. Seeing Talian down before me, made me realise I didn’t feel the same way about him. Sure, Talian was drop dead gorgeous, smart and had seemed so caring. I thought I could have fallen in love. But it wasn't enough. He’s not my fated mate. I know it’s extremely rare for our kind, but it does happen. The proposal has been the catalyst to kick me into action and take back my life! Lost in my thoughts I didn’t notice Danni's approach. “Serene! I’ve been looking all over for you, I should have known you would be out here! You know I love you right? But you have to stop coming to the surface! Especially with the rumours about the pirates hunting us Seafolk I sighed and sat up leaning back against my hands. “I know, I know! But it is the only place I can escape to without being bothered.” I glanced over at her. Remaining in the ocean, she was propped up on her forearms where the water foamed around her slender form. Her long dark golden locks swirling around her and cascading over her chest covering her small perky breasts. The tip of her emerald green tail breaching the surface as she uses it to stay afloat. She looked at me with sadness and something else that was gone before I could analyse any further. “I am sorry Danni, I am just overwhelmed. I do not know what to do.” “What the hell are you on about Serene! You have to marry Talian! He is the sexiest thing in the whole ocean! Why the hell wouldn’t you marry him?! I want to slap you!” I shouldn't be surprised that she knew of the proposal, everyone probably knew well before I did. I turned my face toward the setting sun, closing my eyes to breathe in the golden warmth. I loved the sun. Even though I could handle the coldest temperatures of the coldest seas, the warmth of the sun on my bare flesh made my soul feel free. Danni cleared her throat bringing me back from my blissed out state. Opening my silver-blue eyes, I looked back at my childhood friend. “I have not lived yet Danni. I love him but what if my fated is out there somewhere waiting for me?” Danni sighed and leaned her cheek into the palm of her hand. “Babe, you know that’s stuff of fairy tales right? Who's to say fated mates are even real? The last recorded fated pair was over a hundred years ago and what if it wasn’t even real?” I loved the idea of fated soul mates. The thought of being in love with someone on a level where you don’t even have to use words to express your feelings. To be able to feel their emotions and hear their thoughts sounded so romantic. “I can’t help but feel there is more for me out there. Talian is wonderful. But I can not bring myself to fully give myself to him. Now more than ever. I need to get away for a while. I need to go and see my father.” Surly my father, the King Regent, would be able to share with me some words of wisdom. I was close to my father, however, since my mothers, the queen's passing, he has become increasingly distant and spends much of his time with the royal advisers and military personnel, including Talian. In a few short years I will reach the appropriate age to be crowned queen, but until then, my father rules in my mothers place. I missed my mother dearly, what I wouldn't give to hear her voice at this moment.