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Hendery came to the pier every night to jump into the water once and for all. He didn't want to live. His father insisted on marrying the Princess of a neighboring ruler to end the war between their Kingdoms. But Hendery couldn't do it without love. He understood that Jisoo is a good, kind and nice girl, but he didn't love her.
Ten sailed to the pier every day, knowing that he could not communicate with humans. Many years ago they almost wiped out their kind, but it was then, not now. Ten is independent and can deal with problems if they happen.
He sailed there every time because one human was devastated. Ten felt it and he couldn't leave him alone. Every time human didn't have the courage to overpower himself and take a step towards the waves.
In one night Ten sang a siren's song. А magical sound that lured people, forcing them to throw everything in the world and go straight into the water beasts' hands.
"So coward", Ten said in the end. Hendery stared at him and couldn't think of anything.
Mermaid's song helped him escape from reality. Hendery wanted this guy to keep singing.
"Stupid and indecisive", he tilted his head, keeping eye contact. "Come closer."
Hendery obediently took a step forward and sat in front of Ten. "I want you to sing for me."
Ten, leaning with one hand on the pier, second tucked a loose strand of hair behind the Prince's ear. Then he touched his cheek. "And I want you to come here many, many more times. But you have to live for it. Promise me."
"I promise", Hendery whispered, watching the emerald scales lurk beneath the water. After the merman had sailed, the heir stood up, looked around, convinced that no one had seen him, and went to the castle.
Ten very often came to the pier, the border of land and water, so Xiaojun, his half-brother, noticed it.
"You know this is absurd. You must stop it."
"You know that I never do it. He needs me. I feel so."
"But he is a Human!"
"Does it mean he doesn't have feelings?"
"What's bothering you?", Ten asked, sitting next to Prince on the same pier. His tail was half lowered into the water. Hendery took off his shoes, rolled up his pants and put his feet in the water too. "Why did you came there?"
"I'm getting married in a few days. Against my will."
"For what?"
"Politics and circumstances. Our parents don't care how we feel."
"Stupid Humans", Ten said. "We are different. If you love, be with the chosen one. There's nothing complicated about it."
"I want to be you. I want to be with you."
"You'll suffocate without air."
"And what I have to do?", Hendery lowered his head.
"I can follow you into the human world."
Hendery was embarrassed. "You have a tail", he said hesitated.
"You really think that's a problem? The problem is you don't have gills", Ten smiled that he was able to confuse the Prince. "Almost everything is fixable. Except for the death."
Ten was staring as if he was blaming Hendery for his recent thought of suicide. And Hendery was ready to choke his own delusion if it made mermen upset. He became very uncomfortable when the cold gaze passed through the water and looked directly at him.
Ten went, each time leaving a mystery, encouraging the Prince to go to the pier again and again. But every day Ten ran into condemning him Xiaojun who tried to show him the right way.
"Well, again the cough. You know that the surface air is too aggressive for us", his brother crossed his arms. "You know that it's all a game. No. You understand it. Because-"
"Because he is a Human, right?" Ten was irritated. He was rushing around the room looking for something.
"Come to your senses, fool. Tell me a story with a happy ending, if you can!".
"I'll just say I'm not coming back here", he found a vial. "Xiao, don't wait for me."
"And what does it mean?! Why you go out? No... Don't say that-"
"That I have this potion?" Ten return to Xiaojun, frowning. "But I have. Goodbye."
"Bye", he barely whispered, leaning against the wall.
Ten swam to the shore, knowing what to expect. He wanted to be with Hendery.
Yes, he got legs, but he had to pay with his voice. Ten knew and did it.
Because if you cut a human's gills, he'll die of blood loss. And Ten tacitly agree to endure a hellish pain when he took a step.
The first steps were given to him with difficulty. When he set foot on the sand, the guy was going to see the blood. Ten made the second step, and his legs buckled. He fell on his knees. Sand instantly stuck to the wet long shirt. Ten sullenly stared at the wall of the castle.
But he didn't get to the border of the peach, he heard cries, and someone picked him up under the arms. Then Ten stopped understand what was happening.
The kingsguard told the Prince they found the shipwreck survivor. And Hendery wasn't surprised when he found a Ten in the room. He lifted his head, looking into his eyes.
"Leave us alone", Hendery said to guardian and headed to the guy.
Ten looked pathetic and clung to the cold wall, staring at him incredulously.
"You don't have to scare me", Hendery sat next to him and noticed the Ten's human form.
Chittaphon nodded, succumbing forward. Prince smiled.
"How did you get there?"
Ten pointed toward the sea, which could be seen from the small window of this room, which looked more like a stone dungeon.
"Don't understand."
Ten pointed a finger at his throat, then shook his head.
That's for a while. Please, don't leave me. I'm here for you.
"Lost a voice?"
Ten nodded.
Hendery provided Ten with one of the best rooms, asked the court tailors to make him clothes, because Ten shouldn't walk in those rags found on the beach.
Prince stared at the thin contours of Ten's back. He didn't like the shirts: it paralyzed the movement, sticked to the body, therefore he stayed without a shirt within his room. Of course, Hendery gave the order to sew him a spacious one, but Ten grabbed Prince's shirt and wouldn't let go. Then Hendery gave it, and Chittaphon wore his shirt throwing on the shoulders. This world was too cold for him, and these clothes warmed Ten inside.
Hendery felt pain when he acquaint Ten with his bride. It was like betraying. But he couldn't do anything. It was hurt to see these drooping eyes. Jisoo smiled pleasantly. Ten pressed his own smile in response. The three of them know it's a theatre, but they don't understand why they keep playing these roles. Stupid and useless.
Hendery passed by Ten's room and caught his eye on the half-open door. There was dark, but thought the open window he saw the figure walking to the sea. The Prince went into an empty room and saw that figure was Ten. No one else.
Hendery walked towards him. When he was outside, Ten sat on the edge of the pier, dangling his feet in the water. Hendery approached and sat down beside him.
"What are you thinking?"
About you.
"I don't understand why did you come to the surface".
Ten shacked his head.
"Just... I see, you hadn't anything to lose", Hendery looked to the skyline.
I don't wanna lose you.
Merman stood up, drawing the Prince's attention. His moves were smooth, viscous, like his voice. Ten began to dance. He moved with a selfless smile, ready at any moment to fall into the seawater, but at the last moment, he kept the balance. The pain destroyed him inside, but Ten closed his eyes, holding the same crazy smile. He didn't need the music. The silence broken by splashes of water was the best accompaniment. Hendery was mesmerized and returned to the reality when Ten, taking a few shaky steps, lost the balance and fell into the Prince's arms.
Merman wrapped his hands around his back, fearing, that he'll push him away. Intoxicated with anguish and pain, he wet Hendery's shirt with salty tears that uncontrollably rolled down his cheeks.
Stay with me, I need you-
Ten sobbed on the Prince's shoulder, his mouth was opening in a silent cry. He didn't have a voice. He knew that if Hendery leave him, Ten will literally die.
-like water, like air. Like my own life. No. I need you more than my life. Because you became everything for me.
In the next day, before the wedding ceremony, when the sun almost touched the horizon, Ten sadly looked at the pair. Jisoo and Hendery were a really nice pair, but there wasn't any interest in the eyes.
He didn't think about the consequences when he got up and went to them. Pair held hands and listened to the next congratulations. Ten knew that he will die or he will die trying to be saved by true love's kiss. He felt that death had already brought on him his scythe. With jealousy, he grabbed Hendery's hand and started kiss him.
Ten acted desperately. Exactingly. It was his last hope. And Hendery answered. He doesn't care about people's meaning, that he was the Prince, that his bride was near, he answered the man's kiss. Merman's kiss.
But the tremor in Ten's legs and has not passed, and the skin on the hands burned as fresh wounds rubbed with salt. Hendery didn't love him. Or they late with the kiss. The sun hit the skyline, and Ten ran up to the side of the ship rounding their eyes with fear. He didn't hear own name that Hendery screamed. There was a deaf silence in his ears. He threw a last glance at Hendery. The sight was getting blurry.
Spreading his arms out to the side, he pushed back and fell into the abyss. Hendery screamed his name, tried to catch the body, but his hand grasped the air above merman. Hendery leaned over the board. He shouted, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Tears were flowing down his cheeks.
Almost everything is fixable. Except the death.
Xiaojun cried too. He saw everything. He knew that Ten would be on the ship. He saw how the human body of his brother in flight turned forever into sea foam. He couldn't help.
The passengers on the ship were shocked. Quiet howling, coming from the sea, was similar to a wolf, forced to distort the shoulders. Everyone was uncomfortable.
Xiaojun couldn't calm down. He cursed people for their selfishness and swore to himself to kill anyone who approached his loved ones. But now he was pulling a sad song, mourning Ten. He mustn't trust people.