Chapter Text
It had been two days after Arthur had taken the throne from his half-brother, Orm, and he hadn’t had one free minute to himself.
Right after the end of the battle, they had brought him to Atlantis and into the palace. His new home was a surreal place, so unlike any building he had seen before. The windows seemed to be open, but after taking a closer look, he saw a slight flickering of the water. It wasn’t glass, but some Atlantean technology that seemed to work as a barrier to the outside. Every room they had showed him, no matter if it was the dining hall or his study, seemed to be bigger and higher than what he was used to. The biggest contrast to the lighthouse and even the outside of the palace was the blinding white that painted the walls, surfaces and even the furniture. There was a cleanness to the whole place that Arthur couldn’t understand. When he had first entered Atlantis with Mera in her Kingfisher, he had been astounded at all the different colors around him, almost overwhelmed by the brightness of the city. The palace seemed just boring compared to the rest of Atlantis.
As they had walked through his new home, his mother had stayed close to his side, pointing out a few things every now and then. Telling him about the best breakfast food he should ask for or a safe haven where he could hide for a while, if things got overwhelming. She was trying to help make his transition between living on the surface and in Atlantis as smooth as possible, instinctively knowing that he was going to struggle just like she did in the beginning. He was grateful for her advice and her presence. Some of the guards around the palace still looked wary at him and if his mother hadn’t been by his side, ignoring their looks sending them smiles instead, he would have felt more uncomfortable. She had swam through the immensely tall halls like she had never left Atlantis, but in moments when nobody watched her, he noticed her restlessness. She stared into the distance and he knew she longed to go back to his father.
It wasn’t until after dinner that she had given him a long hug, framing his face with her hands and placing a kiss on his forehead. It was a silent goodbye and he knew he wouldn’t see her at breakfast the next day. As he watched her leave the dining hall, he felt tiredness overcome him again. He turned to Vulko, who was still the only one he trusted, and the older man had finally showed him to his new room where he immediately fell into his bed, tired from the last few days.
Sleep didn’t come easy though. He wasn’t able to settle down onto his bed, which really just meant floating on top of it. He had, after all, never slept underwater before and it was going to take a while to get used to the floating. Thankfully he was tired enough to just pass out after some time.
His first day in Atlantis was spent meeting a lot of people who were important, but he wasn’t able to discern why. Vulko was accompanying him everywhere, trying to explain the importance of everyone. Arthur’s head was hurting from all the information and he was tempted to just swim away, back home to his father. The only thing keeping him from doing so was the thought of the beautiful red-head that had changed his heart over the last few days. Instead of swimming away, he took a deep breath, crossing his arms in front of his chest, trying his best to listen to Vulko.
The next day he was sitting in a meeting with the most important advisors of Atlantis when he learned that Vulko was not the only one he should listen to concerning important Atlantean matters. Occasion called for multiple advisors, as Kings had before him.
His thoughts wandered to Mera again. He had only seen her at mealtimes during the day where she sat at the opposite side of the table, making it impossible to really talk to her at all. They had shared a few long looks, but she had always broken their little stare before anyone noticed. After the meals, someone had always whisked him away before he could reach her. It was frustrating and he promised himself to catch her after dinner that night.
“Excuse me, My King. There is an urgent matter that you need to attend to,” Vulko interrupted his thoughts and he shook his head, blinking a few times to clear it. Arthur hadn’t even seen the woman next to Vulko enter the room.
“Excuse me,” he said with a smile to the round of people who looked somehow offended at this interruption, but he couldn’t care less because he was finally able to get out of the room.
“Nobody told me that it was so boring to be king,” he muttered to Vulko once they were outside. “I thought this was going to be fun.”
“This matter is going to be more exciting as you call it, My King,” Vulko answered as he swam ahead of him into the direction of Arthur’s bedroom.
“Vulko, what did I tell you? My name is Arthur and you’re not allowed to call me ‘My King’ after years of using my real name,” he groaned, swimming a little faster, confused at the direction they were going. “Don’t get me wrong, I would appreciate it you always saved me from boring council meetings, but weren’t we supposed to meet with some other important people in like an hour?” He asked right before they entered his bedroom.
“Right now, we need to take care of this.” The older man pointed across the room towards his bed where Mera was sitting. She seemed small compared to the width of his bed, her green suit and red hair being a stark contrast to the white piece of furniture.
Surprised, Arthur closed the door behind him, looking back between Vulko and the woman sitting on his bed. “What’s going on? I’m not sure if I’m ready for another one of our crazy missions,” he joked, but Mera didn’t return his laughter, her brows were furrowed and her lips set in a tight line.
His laughter died on his lips and he swam closer to her, stopping in front of her. “What’s wrong?”
The princess looked up to him, grinding her teeth. “My father wants me to accompany him back to Xebel.”
Arthur’s heart stopped for a second. His chest tightened and he swallowed hard. “Why?”
“Since the contract of the betrothment is broken, I’m not needed here anymore. I am a disgrace to the family and he doesn’t want me anywhere near Atlantis ever again,” she hissed, her hands balling into fists. “My job was to marry the king and keep the good faith between Atlantis and Xebel. Not bring down the king and put another on the throne.” She let out a hysteric laugh. “He says I can’t be trusted.”
“He can’t just dictate your whole life,” Arthur hollered. This development confused him. He never imagined being in Atlantis without Mera. She was basically the only one he knew here. If she left Atlantis, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be there. “I’m the King of Atlantis now and I decide who gets to stay or leave. I will talk to him. If he wants to keep the good faith between our kingdoms, he’ll have to listen.” His voice grew louder towards the end.
“No, you don’t get it! That’s exactly what he wants,” she snapped at him. Her voice raised and her eyes turned light blue. Bubbles started to form around her balled fists, and if he wanted to keep his bedroom in one piece, he needed to calm her down. Now.
“Mera,” Arthur said calmly as he crouched down in front of her. He took her hands in his, dissipating the bubbles. Her eyes turned normal again and she relaxed slightly. “You will not leave Atlantis. I will make sure of it,” he promised.
“That is the problem. He knows I’m your weakness, and he’s going to use that to his advantage,” the red-haired woman was speaking calmer now, her fingers wrapping around his own. Her eyes found his and he held her gaze for a few seconds before sighing and getting up again. He’d made a decision.
“I think you should leave for a while.”
“What? No, Arthur!” She jumped up, jabbing her finger into his chest. “I can’t give in to him. The moment I get back to Xebel, he will send me into exile!”
“And I thought you trusted me these days,” Arthur jested, grabbing her finger and rolling his eyes. “I’m not saying you should go back to Xebel. You’ll go to my parents for a while until I can figure out a different solution. My father’s lighthouse is safe, and with my mother there, your father wouldn’t dare attack it.” He paused and pulled her a little closer. “You really think you can get rid of me that easily? You’re stuck with me.”
“Oh.” Her hand flattened on his chest.
“Sometimes I think you underestimate me,” he smirked at her, rocking back on his heels.
“Stop it,” Mera chastised him, giving him a gentle push against his chest. “I’ll go to your parents house for a few days to let things settle down. However, I will not back down. He may be my father but I haven’t agreed with the decisions he’s made in the last few days and I don’t agree with this one.”
Arthur chuckled and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “Trust me to do this. I’ll come over tonight to see how you’re doing.”
The red-haired woman nodded and gave his arm a soft squeeze before swimming past him. He knew better than to ask her if she wanted an escort out of the castle and to the gates. She would probably have his head.
“Princess Mera, give my best to Queen Atlanna and Mr. Curry,” Vulko bid his goodbye, giving her a slow nod. “I’ll help him find a solution to your problem and I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything impulsive.”
“Hey, I heard that!” Arthur protested loudly.
Neither of them seemed to hear him. “Thanks, Vulko,” Mera responded and with one last look at Arthur, she left the room.
With a heavy sigh, Arthur sat down on his bed, rubbing his hands over his face. “Please tell me you have a solution to this problem, Vulko, ‘cause I’ve got nothing.”
“Right this second, I cannot come up with one that will keep everyone happy, but after our last meeting today, I will spend all my time trying to find one,” Vulko answered him, his hands behind his back. He nodded at Arthur. “We should go now, if you want to leave for the lighthouse before dinnertime.”
Arthur just nodded, getting up and following Vulko out of his room. Being king was definitely not as fun as he was hoping.
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Hours later, after his last meeting had ended, Arthur finally arrived in Amnesty Bay at his father’s lighthouse. Getting out of the water, he wrung out his long hair and walked up the landing to the main house. This time, coming home was going to be different. For one, both of his parents were gonna be there. It was something he had imagined as a kid, but never saw coming to pass. Also, Mera would be there. Both of his worlds colliding. Upon heading inside through the main entrance, he grabbed the towel that they kept at the door for situations such as these, drying himself quickly.
“Arthur!” His mother exclaimed as she saw him standing in the hallway. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, a book perched on her lap which she put aside upon seeing him, standing up.
“Hi mom,” he smiled and made his way over into the living room, meeting her halfway and enveloping her in a hug. It still felt weird to hug and talk with his mother. He longed to be with her for such a long time. Feeling her strong embrace now, he squeezed her again, burying his face in her neck and breathing her in. Atlanna didn’t seem to mind the long hug, her hand resting against the back of his neck, caressing it softly and calming him down in the process. After another few seconds they parted and she sat back down on the couch.
His eyes swayed around the room, looking for a particular red-head. “Where is Mera? She did come, right?”
“She’s outside on the back porch,” his mother informed him, turning her head to the door on the back end of the room. His gaze followed his mother’s directions and he caught a flash of red hair through the window.
“She’s barely said anything to us other than admitting that her father wants her to leave Atlantis,” his mother continued.
Arthur nodded. “Vulko is trying to find out more. Her father is unhappy with the recent turn of events and wants her home. It seems he doesn’t trust her anymore. Even I don’t have the full story.”
“King Nereus is a difficult man. After Mera’s mother died, her father sent her to Atlantis. She was barely four years old. I took up the task of looking after her. She spent her whole childhood in Atlantis, only seeing her father every now and then,” his mother explained. “She must be feeling hurt and confused about it all.”
Arthur nodded again. “I’ll go check on her.”
His mother nodded, smiling warmly at him. As she grabbed her book again, he realized that having her back home, wasn’t something he had to get used to. Just like at the palace, Atlanna fit right in into wherever she was as if she had never left.
A smile graced his lips and with one last look out of the window in the back, he turned around, walking back through the hallway and into the kitchen. His father was standing bend down in front of the oven in the back of the kitchen, putting a dish filled with something that looked like meatloaf into the oven. Arthur stopped in front of the small kitchen island, waiting for his father to close the oven and step back from it.
“Hi dad,” he greeted his father once he was upright again.
A smile spread on Tom’s face as he took off the oven mittens. “Oh my, look who graced us with his presence today! The King of Atlantis himself!” He joked, clapping him on the shoulder as he gave Arthur a firm hug. “Look at your new get-up. You look so shiny!”
Seeing his dad so happy and carefree was also something new. While Tom had always missed Atlanna, he had done so quietly, trying not to show it to Arthur. But now there was a big smile on his face and it made him look years younger.
“Apparently this is what you wear as a king,” Arthur just shrugged.
“Well, it does kind of look funny, so you might want to change before going into town,” he said, turning back to the stove. “Your girl is outside. She’s been waiting for you.” He pointed his chin to the direction of the back porch, smirking. “I just started making dinner, hope you still like food other than the fish they serve in Atlantis.”
“Dad, I just wanted to say hi,” he growled. “I’m gonna go see Mera now.”
He heard his dad chuckle behind his back as he turned back around, walking through the living room and out of the back door. Blowing out a breath of air, he concentrated on the red-haired woman who stood at the railing of the porch. She had changed out of her green suit into black tights and a white sweater that were probably his mother’s. She was staring off into the distance, her arms crossed in front of her.
“Hey, you,” he called out to her. “I see you ransacked Mom’s closet. Looks good on you.”
The princess briefly looked over to him before turning her gaze back to the ocean. Seeing her this quiet was something he hadn’t experienced before. Just a few hours ago, she had exploded over the fact that her father was trying to dictate her life and now she seemed almost lost.
He walked closer to her, touching her arm and letting his hand slowly rub up to her shoulder. He felt her muscles relax under his touch and let his hands wander over to her other shoulder, pulling her into his chest. She came willingly, her head coming to rest just under his chin, her arms wrapping around his middle. She was shorter than usual, her feet bare. Tucked into his arms, she released a heavy breath, her hands fisting his suit on the back.
He welcomed her touch and the embrace, wrapping his arms tight around her. “Talk to me, Mera,” he urged her gently. “There has to be something that would make you feel better.”
She huffed, shaking her head. “I don’t know what to think about all of this.”
“You don’t have to think about anything right now. Just be here with me and forget about your father for a while,” he whispered in her ear, pressing a kiss against her cheek.
“Arthur,” she mumbled, her head shaking softly against his chest.
“We could go to the bar and drink a few beers, that always makes me feel better - most of the time. Or we could go for a swim. Or you could play your flute,” he suggested, squeezing her in his arms.
“I don’t feel like doing any of those things.” She loosened their embrace and he started to feel the shift in her mood.
“It’s going to get better,” he tried again. “In a few days, everything is going to be fine. Right now you just gotta do something other than stare at the ocean.”
“No, Arthur, you don’t get it,” she accused him harshly, shifting out of his embrace. “Nothing is going to be fine. I’m about to lose everything I’ve ever known and you’re just standing there, joking about it. Can’t you be serious for just once in your life?” She stood a few feet away from him now, her legs planted wide, her chin up. She was glaring at him, her hands balled into fists.
“I’m just trying to make you feel better!” He objected, repeating himself. “I take no joy in seeing you this upset.” His breathing was getting heavier, his nostrils flaring. “Do you think I want you to leave Atlantis? Because that is the last thing I want to happen. I don’t want to be their King, if you’re not there with me.”
“Don’t make this about you,” she growled, taking a step closer to him. “This is my life on the line, not yours. My world is being ripped apart.”
His lungs constricted, making it hard to breathe. He laid his emotions bare in front of her and she had just ignored his words. Expressing his emotions had always been hard for him, especially after learning that his mother was dead. Before that he had a purpose in life: getting stronger and learning more, so he could impress his mother upon their reunion. That day on the beach when Vulko told him she was gone, he didn’t only lose hope, but the will to be better. His life seemed meaningless after that and he was just angry at the world. He never had any real friends, and for Arthur it always seemed like his father was the only one who understood him. The only one who calmed his angry mind. After years of causing trouble and using his fist more than his mind, he had finally found his purpose again. Mera had given him a reason to be better again because she deserved someone with a purpose. Then they had found his mother, and he wasn’t sure if he ever felt happier in his life.
He just started to let himself feel something else than just anger and hurt, and then Mera disregarded his words as if they meant nothing to her. He was trying to stay calm, but she was twisting everything he said into something wrong. The anger and hurt he had tried to store away in the last few days resurfaced, bubbling out of him. His muscles started to quiver and his pulse sped up.
“Then what do you want?” He growled.
“I want things to go back to how they were a few weeks ago!” She shouted back at him.
Heat flushed through his body and he felt everything crumble around him. He turned around, slamming his fist into the closest beam of the railing, making it splitter into a thousand pieces. He saw her flinch next to him, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“So, you wish you had never recruited me for your plan to save the world?” He started, his voice deepening. “Seems like my brother unleashing war onto the surface world wasn’t such a bad thing for you after all. Maybe you would have also rather preferred to stay betrothed to him than babysit the new King?”
“Stop it, Arthur!” Mera yelled, her lip quivering. “Are you out of your mind?”
Before he could say anything else, the opening of the door interrupted their heated words. His mother stepped outside, a frown on her face.
“Dinner is served,” she simply stated, her eyes going back and forth between the two of them. “If you’re done with this childish screaming, you may come inside and sit down at the table.” Without another word, she turned around and walked back inside.
He turned to Mera, seeing her head bowed down like a child who just got lectured by their parent. His mother was basically a parental figure to her. Atlanna had raised Mera for the most important part of her childhood, raised her to be a Queen who shouldn’t so easily lose control of her emotions.
He felt like a dick, cursing himself for losing control over his own emotions. He had tried, but Mera seemed to be able to get a rise out of him easily.
He wasn’t sure what to say to her now, so he walked back inside. He heard her follow after him and he held the door open for her. As she entered, her hair whipped up from the wind, her scent filling his nostrils. It made his head spin and his heart beat faster and it reminded him that he was able to feel something other than anger these days.
“You’re gonna fix that beam yourself, son,” his father clarified behind him and Arthur turned around, seeing the judging look on his dad’s face.
Arthur groaned, feeling another lecture coming his way, so he hurried upstairs to change. When he came back into the dining room, everyone was sitting already and he sat down opposite of Mera.
She was looking at the different dishes of food, her eyes curious and for a second it seemed like she forgot about everything that happened. As he grabbed the bowl of mashed potatoes, their eyes met and neither of them was able to look away until his father cleared his throat, taking the dish out of his hands.