Chapter Text
"...and so, she will be your wife. While she is quite hateful, she isn't as bad as your mother was. I tell you, your mother nearly killed me when we first-"
"And where do you think you are going?"
"Iris. Aquí, ahora."
"IRIS CORRO CASTRO! DEJA DE CORRER, TE CASARÁS ELLA!"
"SOBRE MI CUERPO MUERTO!"
The prince ran as far as his legs would take him. He ran away from his father, his mother, the guards trying to seize him, and just everything. He didn't want to marry some crazy woman he never met; he didn't want to rule the kingdom, and he sure as hell didn't want his father to keep controlling his every move. As soon as he started running, he had to stop at the edge of the Castle's Island. Iris always thought having the castle in the middle of a fucking lake was stupid. The royals lived on an island, separate from the rest of their kingdom on the mainland. It made no sense.
(Whatever makes it easier for the King to control.) Iris guessed.
Iris needed to get off the island, but how? The only way on and off was a big ass ship that's littered with soldiers or a shitty paddle boat that moved way too slow. The clanking footsteps of the guards were getting closer. Heavy metal armor clad the guards were approaching him. No way they would go after him in the water. Iris was wearing only his casual royal clothes; a collared, long-sleeved shirt, form-fitting pants, tight dress shoes, and his royal cape. He quickly took off his shoes and threw his cape off, running off of adrenaline. Iris stepped back, then dove headfirst into the lake. After diving in, Iris felt nothing short of regret. His soaking wet clothes made him feel heavy, his hair was no doubt ruined, and the water was freezing.
Regardless of how he felt, the guards were still after him. He kicked his legs and started swimming for his life. He swam underwater for a while, not risking a search boat trying to come after him. Unfortunately, this meant he was holding his breath for way longer than he should have. It was only when he lost some feeling in his legs did he come up for air. When he came up for air, he was only a third of the way to the mainland. He treaded water for a moment, debating what to do. He could swim back and pray that no one saw him until nightfall, or he could try to swim the rest of the way and pray that his legs don't give out. The latter was his choice. He kept swimming above water this time, hoping to make his legs last longer. Even though he was fast on land, he wasn't nearly as fast in water. His legs were giving out, and he was only halfway to shore. He wasn't going to make it.
Just then, Iris felt something. It was like when your body wakes up because something is watching you, but you don't know why you woke up. Something was watching Iris circling him. Once he felt a limb graze his leg, he swam towards the shore as fast as he could. While his mind was moving fast, his legs disagreed. With his legs refusing to work, Iris tried to rely on his arms; but they gave out as well. Panting, water creeps into his mouth and he starts choking. Along with choking on water, something grabbed his ankle and pulled him down into the lake. Even with no energy, Iris was ready to fight whatever beast that decided to make him into a meal. Instead of seeing a hideous beast, he saw a boy, much like him. The boy was a blue sphere; he had beautiful blue hair and the most enchanting eyes. Iris would've gotten lost in them if his eyes hadn't drifted downwards to the boy's lower half. Iris nearly screamed.
The boy had no legs… He had a tail! It must've been bigger than his torso because he couldn't see all of it in the murky lake. Iris tried to swim to the surface for air, but the boy stopped him, dragging him down again and getting inches away from his face. It wasn't really an attack; it was more so an inspection, but the inspector doesn't realize that the subject can't fucking breathe. Having no energy left, Iris's eyes fell shut, and he inhaled water, going limp.
**********
Iris slowly opens his eyes, the Golden Hour painting the sky with gorgeous blues, golds, and some light pinks, like a piece from the Renaissance. A calming voice of an angel singing from a distance.
(Is this Heaven? I didn't think I would make it here...) Iris thought.
Then, everything hits at once; fatigue from swimming, a pounding headache, a need for air, and... oh Tree… Iris leans over to vomit, the lake water clearly not agreeing with his stomach or his lungs. Never. Again. Iris would have to work on his swimming skills or figure out another way off the island if he ever wanted to pull a stunt like that again. Then, he heard a soft voice in the distance; a soothing melody calling him towards it. He didn't have to go far, thank Tree, because he was pretty sure he would topple over if he had to walk for more than a few seconds.
He awkwardly crawled to a secluded area at the edge of the forest. It was a weird spot. The ground wasn't low enough to make a muddy swamp, but not high enough to make a cliff. It was like someone took a cookie cutter, cut out that piece of land; left some rocks and a half-fish, half-shape in its place. Iris hid behind a tree, listening to the sound of the boy singing. It was beautiful. His voice was smooth, sweetly calling out to the lake and gently swaying his tail in the water. With the boy’s back turned around, Iris wondered if his singing face looked as good as his voice sounded.. Iris didn't get a good look at his whole body before, so he examined the boy.
He had a fin made of thin spines along his back, webbed fingers, and some scars along his tail, hands, and back. He probably had some on his chest too. He had gills along his side that flinched every time he took a breath to sing. His tail was a dark blue from the back but transitioned with stripes into a pale ice blue in the front. His fin was thin and sharp, having the smallest chip on one side. Iris listens to the boy singing for a bit. The boy dials his voice up to an operatic level, hitting notes that trouble even the most experienced male opera singers. His voice goes back down, and he finishes his song softly; only then does Iris slowly scoot forward. The boy whips his head around and stares at him, not even moving his tail anymore.
"Hey uh... Thanks for saving me. I appreciate it." The boy stares back at him blankly. What was Iris doing?? This thing nearly killed him but he's thanking it?? Good lord say something else.
"I uh.. Your singing is fantastic. I woke up on the coast and I thought I was in Heaven! Ha.." My Tree Iris, what have you done. He promptly considered drowning over dying of embarrassment. The boy tilted his head, looking confused.
"Do.. you speak English? ¿Hablas Español?" He still looked confused. "Français? Русский? Posibleng Tagalog?" The boy stared back, still confused, but he got closer as Iris talked.
Iris tried a couple more languages, but none were familiar to the boy. Iris gave up and let out a long sigh, laying on his back. That got the boy's attention. The boy mimicked the sound of his sigh. Iris perked up.
"Uhhh..?"
"Aaahhhhh~"
"Mhmm.."
"Mmmm~"
"Well, aren't you curious?"
"Chuuurrrr~"
"IRIS!"
The shout startled both of them. The boy quickly mimicked the sound.
"Irrrrrieee?" Iris quickly pushes him towards the lake.
"Yes, my name is Iris." He points to himself. “C'mon, we have to get you out of here!" The boy splashes into the water and points to himself.
"Sssirrrcuuusiii-c!" He enunciates the C at the end, then dives into the lake, swimming away.
"IRIS!!"
"Cir-cusic? Circuuss-ic? No, Circusic." Iris repeats the name again and again, trying to get it right. Circumsphere tramples into the little bay, grabbing Iris from behind.
"Iris Castro! What in the blazes were you thinking??? Jumping into the biggest lake of Paradise durin' the end of fall and tryin' to swim across the fuckin' thing? Are you trying to die??"
"If it gets me out of marriage." Circumsphere lets him go and holds his hand to his forehead.
"Och, Tree ayúdeme."
"Oye! You would do the same if your dad was a control freak and your future wife is a psychopath!"
"Ironically enough, I had both AND had a kid with her and you didn't see me running amuck."
"UGGHH!" Iris stomps his foot and crosses his arms, highlighting his teenage attitude. Circumsphere sighs and rests his hand on his shoulder.
"Escúchame, Iris. I know you're tired of all this, but you can't keep acting out. It puts both of us in a bad spot. Do you know what will happen if the King finds out I'm being lenient with you?"
"You get exiled and replaced while I will never leave the castle again." Iris says like he has a thousand times before.
"Good, now c'mon."
Iris looks back at the bay, seeing a small blue head peeking out of the water. He knows this won't be the last time he'll be dragged back from this bay. He was going to spend time with that... fish-man? No. Merman? Still doesn't sound right. Siren? Ok, that works. Iris was going to spend as much time with his Siren friend, Circusic, as he could.