24. 24
twenty-four
Orion
Idon't understand why I voiced anything to Sarah. Especially because I'm still trying to understand it myself. Not her emotions, but sea mates.
Sea mates are possible, but not spoken about often. It has been witnessed only once in the kingdom since our last war. Before that war, there was a book about sea mates, but the collection holds very little, which only emphasizes how rare the bond could be.
Most still don't understand why sea mates happen, but one rumor suggests that when it does, it feels like a magnetic pull to the other being—one you cannot shake. No matter what you are doing or where you are going, it holds you. Or perhaps it holds a part of you with them.
Sarah is an exception to that rumor. We met for the first time before she accepted the magic within her, which explains why I had to use my powers to sense her emotions. It wasn't until she became a part of this kingdom and my world that the pull became apparent.
Now, I don't have to try. I can sense her feelings as if her mind is within mine. I know her thoughts before she speaks them. And my favorite part—I know how she feels about me. She might still be cautious, but she feels the pull, too. Even though she tries to ignore it, it's there.
I know she sensed my emotions when we dueled, because otherwise the move she made wouldn't have happened, and she would've failed.
When I enter the parlor room, I walk to the center. All the important figures of the kingdom are here—nobles, respected workers, and the few royal advisors visiting for the next few weeks.
I know the real reason they are here, but I don't want to focus on that now.
At the center stands a coral arbor that extends to the ceiling and wraps around a raised circular platform.
Dark green kelp winds in perfect waves around the structure, creating a whimsical effect.
It's open at the front, where a path leads to the doors I entered through a moment ago—and to where Sarah waits on the other side.
I take my time along the aisleway, speaking loosely to known subjects. Most ask what the purpose of a dagger ceremony is, given that we've never held one before.
I believe this to be a special circumstance. As of now, only a select few have actually met Sarah and know the full story. I've heard whispers drifting through the kingdom, but I paid them no mind. Soon enough, they will all know who she is.
At the arbor, Lord Zevrin and Nyxalene hover, their stances professional.
At the very front of the crowd, Velmira, Lady Naeryss, and Duke Seren are positioned.
I'm genuinely surprised the bastard even showed his face, given his demeanor the last time we spoke after Sarah revealed what was in the scroll from my father.
I turn my attention to Zevrin. He holds a box that contains Sarah’s daggers—a simple case made of sea stone, polished smooth and locked with a protection spell. Only Sarah and I can open it.
I drift onto the raised circular platform and speak.
My deep, sonorous voice reaching the entire audience.
“Most of you are here for the Wave Rite, where we give back to our Mother Ocean.
I thank you all for your attendance, as this year will be exceptionally significant compared to recent years.
Two years ago, my father never returned from a mission he insisted he had to undertake alone.
In his absence, I became King of Virellan, and it has been my sole duty and responsibility to uphold the visions he left behind.
“However, in recent months, we have uncovered secrets my father held, along with discoveries that have come to light.
Before he departed on that mysterious mission, he chose to sever his magical capabilities from himself, lock them away in a secret place, and tell no one.
Our archseer, Velmira, later located a scroll—not a prophecy, but a record of regrets from our late king, my father, Thaldrin.
“In doing so, that magic chose a being who embodies courage, worth, and purpose. What wasn't written in the scroll was that this chosen one would be from the surface world.”
Audible gasps fill the room. I don't give anyone the chance to speak, as I continue.
“This human has proven that she belongs here. She has been trained and tested in the same way as our Neravyn guard. Hence, the reason for today’s ceremony.
Normally, we wouldn't present such a matter to the kingdom, as Neravyn complete similar trials daily. But this isn't a normal circumstance. When Sarah arrived in Virellan, she was fully human—legs and all. Since then, she has adapted, learned, and, most importantly, accepted my father’s magic as her own. This has granted her the ability to shift.”
I pause, the realization settling in that she may only be able to shift because she is my sea mate. I set that thought aside for later, when Sarah and I will meet with Velmira to seek her knowledge on the subject.
“Loyal subjects of Virellan, I present to you, Sarah Fischer.”
At the mention of her name, as planned, the Pearlguards open the stone doorways. Sarah glides forward, ready. As she makes her way down the aisle toward me, I cannot help but notice the details about her that haven't merely changed—no, they've advanced—since her arrival in Virellan.
Before, she was petite. Now she carries herself with a presence that radiates power.
Her long, copper-colored hair gleams brighter than I've ever seen it.
Her emerald eyes hold the same brilliance and depth as the jade minerals mined in Myrrhallow.
And her stature, though still much smaller than mine, towers over most in this room.
All eyes remain fixed on her as she moves gracefully through the water toward me, yet she doesn't look at them.
Her gaze is locked on me. I focus on the bond that tethers us, catching faint threads of betrayal and curiosity slipping through.
I wish I could explain to her that I never intended to withhold this information, and that I myself hadn't believed this possibility to be true.
And I will, after this ceremony, once she has been gifted her daggers and carries official weapons by her side at all times.
Damn. For a king, I'm not particularly bright. Giving weapons to a human whom I've trained to fight beneath the waves, while also revealing that I can sense her emotions, and that I'm almost certain we're sea mates . . .
Sarah reaches at the base of the arbor, her posture poised, and the ceremony begins.
“Today marks an important day. Today, we celebrate diversity and inclusion in an unexpected way.
Sarah has endured and passed the first current, Breath of the Deep, in the Currents of Mastery.
Only the strongest, the smartest, and the boldest make it through these currents and become warriors who defend our kingdom.
However, Sarah isn't here for any ordinary reason.
She is here because she was chosen, though she didn't know it at the time. When she was first brought to Virellan, Sarah was uncertain of herself and of the environment that surrounded her. But her courage carried her forward to this very moment.”
I pause and give a slight nod to Zevrin, who moves to float beside her.
I remove the matching daggers from the stone chest in Zevrin’s grasp.
Each hilt is forged from emerald-colored doom coral, mirroring her stunning eyes—the ones I can never shake from my thoughts.
The brightness follows me wherever I go, as if she is watching me even in her absence.
Holding both daggers across my palms, I release the spell.
Power unfurls from my hands like smoke rising from a deep fissure.
Shadows ripple outward, and the chamber darkens as the current of magic spreads.
Wisps of gray coil through the water, thickening until they whirl into a storm, a vortex that rattles the chamber with its force.
Gasps echo as the spiraling current tightens, drawing every strand of smoke inward. The magic surges, funneling straight into the emerald hilts. The lights above flicker as the last of the magic vanishes, and the blades glow faintly in my grasp.
The perturbation around us lingers for only a breath. The one I expected to panic the most, however, doesn't. Sarah stands before me, her gaze wide with awe, her expression filled with wonder as she watches me complete the protection spell.
“The spell is complete. These daggers are now enchanted to protect you. If the day ever comes where you are defending the crown or are taken hostage, know this—these daggers cannot be turned against you. They exist to shield you and will never cause you harm.”
I lower myself into a half-bow to finalize the ceremony.
“Sarah, do you accept these daggers as your own? Do you promise to use them in defense of Virellan Kingdom? And do you swear to guard them as you would guard yourself, for as long as they serve your purpose?”
“I do,” she replies. I see her lips quiver as the words leave her mouth, her nerves unbridled within her.
“Then it is with great honor that I, King Orion of Virellan, grant you these daggers for the bravery, wit, and strength you displayed in your wielding duel.”
Sarah accepts the daggers from my hands. When I lift my gaze, her smile radiates, stealing the light from the chamber. I gesture lightly with my finger, prompting her to bow in return as thanks. She does so, and when she rises, I whisper for her to face the crowd behind her.
She might not be a natural at this, but in due time, she will be; her beauty only strengthening the image she presents. No one questions it. Yet I notice Duke Seren slip away in silence, leaving without a single word of congratulations.
Nyx and I will need to summon him soon to address his recent opinions on how I rule my kingdom.
Zevrin and Nyx remain side by side as I glide down to where Sarah is, still facing the crowd.
She secures her daggers into two smooth, sea-silvered lengths of hand-carved driftwood, each tapered to fit its blade.
Strips of kelp, braided into an intricate, vest-like lattice, bind the twin sheaths in place.
The weave hugs her torso before crossing her shoulders and wrapping snugly around her back.
We are quickly surrounded by the royal advisors and remaining nobles. Several offer celebratory remarks to Sarah. She answers with a simple nod, her anxiety revealed in the way she clasps her hands behind her back, fingers interlocking until they whiten from the pressure.
I don't linger long with anyone, as another event awaits us in only a few hours at tide’s dawn, and final preparations remain incomplete.
I pause briefly when I spot Sarah in conversation with Naeryss, our healer and leader of Coravaluné.
Her bright and effervescent nature shines through as she speaks with enthusiasm about how well Sarah has adapted since her arrival.
“My apologies for interrupting, Lady Naeryss. Sarah, I must depart to finish preparations for our Wave Rite. Nyx will escort you to your chambers, and then to the event when the time comes. if you'll excuse me.”
Sarah simply inclines her head, and Naeryss continues speaking.
I depart, trusting that Sarah is in good hands.