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The glass case was filled with water from the coast to protect what it stored. A horribly expensive affair, transporting large quantities of the cold salt water across part of the country. But it was no problem for someone with his power. And it was no problem for him to hide exactly why he was doing this. He could dismiss it as something for his pets.
His pets had always been of a particular type. For one, young. No one in the court dared comment but even some of the most depraved perverts knew better than to play with children. But his status kept mouths shut, and the money he used to grease palms and pay bribes for people to look away helped. So, they were mostly disgustingly young.
They were also exclusive. Never to be touched by others, never to be rented out to those he saw as below him (and to be honest he saw everyone as lower). They had their own air of superiority about them, borne of his attitude and treatment. They were also set apart by their way of dressing. One would say clothes but these pets, as many others, did not truly wear “clothes”. They wore draping silks and bands of expensive fabrics, covering some and showing enough to make most pets truly tempting. The fabrics, all embroidered by hand, showed motifs of waves and the ocean. His pets wore only those sheer fabrics and astounding amount of pearls. Those precious beads found only in the ocean, another expensive venture, but again seemingly not a problem for him. Many others in the court didn’t find them as appealing as precious gems mined from the ground but he had an obsession with aesthetics relating to the ocean.
There were rumors, rumors of a time when he had gone mad. Wildly speaking of a race of fantasy creatures come to life living in the nearby oceans. That he had been visited by a prince from these lands during one of his many tours of the coast to aid his brother in the throne. He had been absolutely convinced and had just enough time raving madly in court to start rumors before the King quieted his madness. No one truly believed what he had said, but most believed he was in some way insane and that his delusions continued to this very day. And there was no King now to command rumors to silence, no, he was the one in charge now.
So, his obsession with the ocean and its gems surprised no one in the court who had been there longer than five minutes to hear these rumors.
But no one knew how deep this obsession ran.
And that he wasn’t delusional. Not completely.
Because, you see, there really were fantasy creatures living in the sea. And he really had spoken to a prince. A prince hungry for power. What a pair they made. Both so close to a throne, yet not quiet there. The power they could offer one another was dangerous. But they were greedy men. Greedy, greedy men. So, the danger of course was worth it. They work together now, all those around them none the wiser, both lying in wait for the right time.
But until that time, well, why not start tasting the spoils.
So, the man on land did. He set his traps, wrecked his havoc, and claimed what he wanted.
That included claiming many young creatures, merpeople or selkie like beings. Separated, stolen away, and forced into his world. To be his plaything, his toy on display for the court of another world, fueling his obsessions.
This merboy, in particular, was one of the most beautiful so far. He had been caught wandering away from his pod, oblivious to the true nature of the world around him. He had the tail of a selkie. He was just past being a pup, having shed his first set of plain white and grey scales but a few months ago. He had been adjusting to his growing collection of colorful scales. They first started sprouting and replacing the greys with silvers. Then the purples started appearing. Then blues. All had been soft pastels as first, not much depth or strong pigment. But that would change as he aged. They would develop into deep royal shades. As many before him in his pod had. The sliver was unique though. Already quite reflective and stunning, extremely rare. His upper torso had matched his white scales before they had fallen out, he had overly pale skin and a lithe torso. His face was round with baby fat, but an androgynous beauty already shone through. His hair was a soft chestnut brown in tight messy curls kept cut short. Rouge curls always seemed to fall into his face to hide his beautiful blue eyes. They seemed to match the developing blue in his scales. He had a fierce personality that came with and contrasted his delicate appearance. He had no fear of exploring or wandering beyond where he was meant to be. And that doomed him. For people only pick the most beautiful flowers, and oh was he a sweet unbloomed bud.
So, he was stolen from his home. Kept in a small factory near the shore. It fronted as a normal fishing company but worked in secret for the Regent, catching these mystical beings for a great sum of money. They caught many creatures and kept them. He would only keep one pet at a time in court but they quickly grew too old for his tastes and he would visit the shore to pick another. They were kept like a collection of baubles. In, what were basically large versions of jars. Enough space to float and rest, no room to swim free or truly move. Water changed occasionally, food often enough they didn’t die. They were a patchwork of colors. There were those too young to have bright colors and those old enough to have a stunning array of shades. This particular boy was somewhere in between. Though, he was the only one with the reflective silver mixed in. As predicted, his colors were deepening quite beautifully. But he was still but child, silenced in his hunger and fear.
When he was coming, things changed a bit. More food was given to those who over the past few years seemed most beautiful and most promising. Then they started forcing them to shed their skins, take on human legs and walk. It was violent, these selkie like beings were only meant to shed their tails when safe, when they are able to hide theirs skins to return to later. This was not that. This was forced. There was always the looming threat of torn out scales or a tail being destroyed for disobedience. That was the end of a selkie, a slow and long decent into madness and death. So, the young beautiful being learned to obey. And walk. And he was fed more.
Then he came.
And he picked the beautiful young creature.
Carted across the country in a sealed casket of water, the young merboy was brought in secret into his chambers.
No time was wasted in charming the young vulnerable boy. Sweet promises of a better life, of gems and goods, of food and freedom was all it took. He was completely enchanted. He shed his tail to walk into his new life. And walked into the arms of a deadly fate.
He realized his mistake swiftly. His tail was locked away. In that looming glass case. The one that water was commanded from the ocean for. To keep the tail well preserved and well out of reach of the selkie. He was never allowed to touch it or wear it. He was forced to walk on legs constantly. He was forced into his bed. He was forced into this courtly world and his place was set by his tenth winter alive.
Nicaise was his name.
Nicaise, the charming pet under his care. The next in a long line. But he was unique. His personality was unlike any previous pet. In his superior status to other pets, his strong character returned from his youth before his capture and developed into a sharp and biting wit. He had no choice but to sharpen himself into a deadly weapon, that with a phrase could tear down any person. Other pets had been turned docile and submissive but Nicaise refused to give himself completely up.
He tried to keep his strength. There were days, his heart ached for the sea, his mask seemed to crack a little and he bathed in salt water to gain back some life. But he never was allowed to don his tail. There were days he was still enchanted by his lies.
But Nicaise was gathering his strength. Gathering allies and enemies all at once. Playing the courts games to his own gain. Working to an escape or a path when he grew too old.
Then he saw the room.
There must have been dozens of the cases. Similar to the one his own tail was trapped in. But where he was still alive to maybe one day done the tail, these were greying and dying. The pets before him, he suddenly understood, were not returned or freed. Their no longer worthy human forms were disposed of and their tails kept like trophies.
And he saw his fate sealed.
But he was not weak. So, he kept on going.
Then he met the younger, and only living, golden prince. Recently returned from border duty, something he had apparently fought, and seemed to be soon to be sent on again. But for now he was back, and he saw Nicaise.
Then he found Nicaise alone. Pulled him aside to speak to him.
Nicaise had hope again. And a beautiful sapphire earring to match.