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Jimmy was sitting in his nest, wrapped up in soft and cozy blankets, with a book in hand. It was something he had to read for one of his classes, but he was hardly paying any attention to it, he was more so skimming the pages than reading them. It was just a boring read. The avian liked to read things about swashbuckling adventures or cozy farmlands tales, not the history of some guy who invented everyday items.
Thankfully, Tango came to save him from the dreadfully boring story.
“Jimmy?” The blazeborn asked as he poked his head through the door, looking around for the golden prince.
“In here,” he replied with a sigh, sitting up so Tango could see him better.
“Whacha doing?” Tango asked with a smile, closing the door behind him as he walked over.
“Reading the most boring thing I’ve ever read,” the avian replied dully.
“Worse than the one about horseshoes?” Tango asked with a small laugh, standing right beside the nest.
“Yes,” Jimmy told him. “At least the horseshoe one had a moral to it and a storyline! This thing feels more like reading instructions than a book!” The avian threw himself back into the blankets and pillows of his nest. Tango leaned over and looked down at him with an amused expression.
“Save me,” Jimmy said, in nearly a pout. The blazeborn rolled his eyes and let out an amused sigh.
“Well, I just so happen to have this very important letter that’s addressed to the Prince of the Avian and Ocean Empires,” the blazeborn said, holding out the letter and waving it a little in the avian’s face. “It probably would be more important than the book that the Prince needs to read.”
“You’re amazing, Tango,” Jimmy said with a smile, sitting up and putting his book to the side. “Who’s it from?”
“Your mother.” The blazeborn handed the letter over. The envelope wasn’t anything interesting, just a simple envelope held close with the Ocean Empire’s royal seal. The seal was blue and looked like the round orb thing from one of the Ocean Empires ancient tales. Jimmy didn’t know much about it, history had never really been one of the avian’s interests, and it wasn’t like he had been required to learn the empire’s myths and history like Lizzie was.
The avian didn’t hesitate to open it. He patted the spot beside him on his nest, an invitation for Tango to sit with him, as he pulled out the letter. The blazeborn climbed in and sat next to him, looking over his shoulder to also read the letter.
There wasn’t much to it, just his mother asking him to visit the Ocean Empire for a week or two. Apparently there was something important she needed him there for.
“Huh,” Tango muttered beside him. “Wonder what that could be about.”
“Yeah,” Jimmy said, his voice somewhat hesitant.
Jimmy loved his pod, of course he did, but he didn’t really know how he felt about the Ocean Empire. It was a beautiful place, especially underwater, but the people there… Well, Jimmy would rather avoid them.
And he had been. The Prince hadn’t been back to the Empire in over a year.
“Hey,” the blazeborn whispered, turning to better face him. “It’ll be fine. She probably just wants to go over some prince stuff.” Jimmy hummed in acknowledgement.
“You’re probably right,” Jimmy sighed. The avian turned his head too, their faces were just inches from each other. “Help me pack?”
“Of course,” Tango told him with a small laugh.
~*~
When the boat docked at the steps of the Prisma Palace Jimmy was greeted with the sight of his mother and sister. Lizzie was the first to meet him, giving him a smile and hug once he’d stepped off the ship, adding in a tight squeeze.
Jimmy had grown a lot in the year since he’d last been in the Ocean Empire, and still probably was. He was taller than Grian by a lot, but still somehow shorter than both Pearl and Lizzie.
The girls were about the same height, which was strange. Avians were often a little shorter than most origins, and mers never stopped growing; how Pearl was the same as Lizzie’s current height was astonishing.
“How was the trip?” His sister asked as she pulled away before ruffling his hair. Jimmy batted her hand away before replying.
“It was good,” the avian told her, before turning his gaze to their mother. “You said there was something you wanted to talk about?” The Queen seemed surprised that it was brought up so soon, then hesitated to answer.
“I think we should find somewhere more comfortable first,” The Ocean Queen told them, before gesturing for them to go inside.
Lizzie gave Jimmy a curious look, to which the avian could only shrug. The two of them followed their mother, walking up the winding staircase before heading inside.
~*~
They ended up inside the axolotl sanctuary that was hidden inside the tallest coral dome of the palace. Out of all the places in the Ocean Empire, the top of the tower was where Jimmy felt most comfortable.
The Prince and Princess used to play there with the axolotls when they were little, especially when Jimmy didn’t want to be out in the open ocean. Most of the time they’d play pretend, where Lizzie was the Ocean Queen and that the axolotls were her axolotl army and that Jimmy ruled over the swamp as the Cod Father.
Once they’d tried to bring some cod up to the sanctuary so that Jimmy could have his own army.
It didn’t end well.
Once they entered the sanctuary Lizzie immediately swam towards some of the axolotls, starting up a game of chase with a pink one and a cyan one. Jimmy smiled at his sister before settling down on a large rock and facing his mother, who did the same.
Queen Cordelia seemed reluctant, something completely out of character for her. The Ocean Queen was known for her confidence and strength, to see her lacking that confidence, even just a little, was an unusual sight.
It made Jimmy feel a little anxious.
“So,” the avian started, readjusting how he sat on the rock. “What was so important to discuss?" The Queen took a deep breath of the ocean water.
“You know how survival is a mers top priority, correct?” Queen Cordelia asked. The avian nodded his head, slowed slightly by the water around them. “And how is it a bit different for royals?” Jimmy hesitates. He did know, he’d been taught… he just couldn’t remember the specifics of it all that well.
“You’re sister was born because we needed a strong and capable heir, like every Ocean Queen before her. So the other half of her parentage was chosen for those desired traits. She wasn’t born of love,” The Queen explained, noticing her son’s hesitation to answer. “And it’s expected that she will do the same when that time comes. Any other royal children, still partner out of survival, but not the same as just any mer. They partner for the empire’s or royal lineage's survival.”
“That partnership is something chosen by the Ocean Queen,” his mother continued, avoiding the avian’s gaze as she went on. “Normally that would be something with another mer, but there are no mers currently… interested in partnering with you.”
And why would they? Mers partner off of survival, that’s based off of the traits they display. Any traits Jimmy possessed that a mer would be interested in were weak and undesirable. It’s the exact reason why the other mers treat him the way they do. It’s survival of the fittest and Jimmy doesn’t even have gills.
“But the elders have decided that you are still expected to partner in a way that would benefit the empire…” Jimmy’s mother paused, steeling herself for whatever reaction her words might cause. “So, I’ve made arrangements for your betrothal.”
“My- my betrothal?” The avian asked, caught off guard by the notion.
Jimmy hadn’t put much thought into his love life, sure he’d had partners and courted before, but none of those were serious. He’d never even thought about marriage.
It would be marriage.
Marriage was so much more than a mer partnership.
Partnership could be temporary and they weren’t necessarily exclusive. But marriage, especially marriage to someone outside the Ocean Empire, would need to be permanent. Marriage wouldn’t allow for Jimmy to also be with someone he actually loved. He’d have to be devoted to only them.
Jimmy was aware of the few expectations that the Ocean Empire had for their royals, but because the empire didn’t consider Jimmy to be a real mer. He was exempted from most of those expectations.
The avian didn't know how to react.
“I- w-who?” Jimmy asked, practically at a loss for words.
“Well,” Queen Cordelia started, looking relieved by the lack of an outburst. “After looking at potential suitors from the other empires and kingdoms, it’s been decided that you and Prince Scott of Rivendell are to be betrothed.”
Jimmy had met Scott, multiple times. The elf had been best friends with Pearl. But they weren’t friends anymore, something happened and now Pearl hated him.
She wouldn’t be happy about Jimmy’s betrothal.
But it’s not like he had much of a say in the matter.
“What’s happening?” Jimmy and his mother turned to see Lizzie had stopped her game with the axolotls, giving her pod a puzzled look.
“Your brother is betrothed to Prince Scott,” The Queen told her, more straight to the point that she had been with Jimmy. A few emotions flashed across his sister’s face: surprise, confusion, consideration, before settling on an almost angry sort of determination.
“The Ocean Empire barely accepts Jimmy as their prince, why does he have to have a partnership on their behalf?” The Princess questioned, her ear fins swishing with irritation. “The people don’t want him, why should they have control over such a part of his life?”
“There are some things that need to be done, and maintaining strong relations with other lands-” their mother began to explain, before being interrupted by Lizzie.
“The Ocean Empire is one of the strongest and most respected out there! There’s no reason to build our relations any further!”
“It’s the principle of things.”
“But it’s not fair-”
“Hey!” Jimmy called, interrupting the two, his voice just under a shout. Lizzie looked over to him surprised. The avian hesitated before he spoke again, this time more gently. “It’s fine.”
Was it fine? Lizzie had a point, he shouldn’t need to marry on the behalf of an empire that practically rejects him and that already had strong allies.
Was it fine that this betrothal would change so much about his life? That he wouldn’t be allowed to choose who he’d spend the rest of his life with?
How would Grian and Pearl react? Did his dad know this was happening?
What about Tango? How would the blazeborn react?
Did it matter? Did it matter what others thought in the long run? Jimmy was a prince, he had duties. Did his or any of his loved ones thoughts really matter when it came to what was best to the Ocean Empire?
“Jimmy…” Lizzie said gently, pulling the avian back into the moment. The avian forced himself to give her a small smile. Any fight that the Princess had over the matter quieted, a saddened look overtaking her.
“I’ll be okay,” the avian told her, lying to more than just himself. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
It wasn’t. It wasn’t that big of a deal.
And even if it was, he’d get over it. The avian had a duty as the Ocean Empire’s prince, and even if the vast majority of mers hated him and his existence, he’d still do them.
They may hate him, and he may hate being there because of that, but the Ocean Empire were still his people. Jimmy still cared about them. And if marrying Scott meant that they hated him even a little bit less… Well, then maybe he could visit a little bit more. Maybe there would be more mers that cared about him and what he’d sacrificed. Maybe he’d be loved by more than just his mother and sister.
Maybe, just maybe… this betrothal thing won’t be so bad after all?