The Ocean Between Us ✔️

Chapter Five

It didn't take long for Sean and Mark to get back to Antlantica mostly because of how close the kingdom was to the mainland. Mark's thoughts could not stray away from the princess, he was practically in love. Though as he was swimming back he hadn't noticed Ursula's eels had been watching his every move especially from when he saved the princess to making his way back to Antlantica.

"This is unbelievable!" says the sea witch. "Triton's son is in love with a human," she continued. "not just any human, the princess! Boys! Make sure when the time is right you bring him to me,"

"Yes mistress," says Flotsam and Jetsam at once. Meanwhile back at Antlantica, Mark had been too busy daydreaming to focus on his studies. The tutor before him looked at the young prince with an annoyed look on his face.

"Your highness," says the tutor snapping Mark out of his thoughts.

"What?" was all Mark could say.

"Are you listening? We're supposed to be going over the history of the eight kingdoms," the tutor responded. "Why are you distracted all of a sudden?"

"Nothing," Mark said immediately. "How about we leave it there for the day? I'm kind of distracted,"

"Clearly, but sir, your father won't be pleased if..." the tutor started.

"Great! Thank you!" Mark swam out of the library and passed by his father. "Hey dad!" he said cheerfully then swam away. Triton watched as his son swam away with a strange gleam in his eyes. The tutor swam over to the king and bowed before him.

"What's going on with my son?" Triton questioned the tutor. "How has he been doing on his studies,"

"He's been good except for today," the tutor spoke. "It seems like he's been doing nothing but zoning out,"

"What do you think that means?" asked Triton.

"It's obvious sire," the tutor responded. "It seems like your son is in love," Triton was shocked he hadn't expected his son to be in love with someone and wondered who the lucky mermaid was. He thanked the tutor and swam out making his way back to the throne room. Though when he arrived he sat down on the throne trying to think about whom Mark had fallen in love with. Sean was swimming to the throne room trying to think about what he was going to tell the king that his son was in love with a human.

"Alright so, I'll go up to the king and play it cool," Sean said to himself. "I'll tell him that Mark had stumbled across a merprincess and that he had proposed to her," Sean continued to swim until he arrived at the throne room and saw the king looking happy.

"Sean!" says Triton, "Glad you could make it!" he continued. "Come in!" Sean gulped nervously as he swam over to the king and bowed. He looked at the king and waited to see what was going to happen. "Did you know about Mark?"

"know what sire?" asked Sean as his heart started to beat fast.

"That Mark is in love," Triton said. Sean's eyes widened as he cleared his throat and tried to play it cool.

"Yeah," says Sean in a high-pitched voice. "Mark's in love with a merprincess yeah," The king looked at Sean with suspicion as Sean's voice had gone from normal to high-pitched.

"Sean, is there something you aren't telling me about my son?" Questioned Triton.

"Um..." Sean said hesitantly.

"Because if your keeping something from me I can get you thrown into the dungeon," answered Triton. Knowing that he had no choice, Sean blurted out what had gone down.

"I tried to stop Mark, tried to talk some sense into him but he had gone to the surface and saved a human from drowning!" Sean exclaimed.

"He what?!" Triton exclaimed. "Take me to him immediately!" Sean gulped and nodded his head as he led the king back to Mark's hidden treasure room. Meanwhile, in the treasure room Mark had been talking to Ethan about what he had done. Ethan listened to everything that Mark had to say and smiled like an idiot. He knew that Mark really liked this girl especially since he would not stop rambling on about her.

"That must have been a touching moment for your Mark," says Ethan. "How did it feel?"

"It felt like that girl is the one," Mark swam until he looked down and noticed a small circular object. He picked it up and looked at it, until he recognized it was something that the girl had been wearing. "Ethan, look," Mark showed his friend the bracelet. Ethan was shocked that something so valuable could float down to the ocean floor. Before Ethan could say anything, he heard the rock slide open.

"Mark Edward Fischbach!" Mark heard his father say. His eyes widened as he saw his father floating by the door with his trident in his hand. "What's this about you saving a human?"

"She would have died father!" Mark exclaimed. "She could barely hold her breath!"

"So what?!" Triton exclaimed. "She's a human and you're a merman! Those two don't mix!"

"But dad!" Mark said as Sean brought Ethan out of the treasure cavern. "How could you be so heartless!"

"They're the heartless ones! They don't know what it's like to feel loved!" Triton exclaimed. "I don't want you go to the surface anymore!"

"You can't tell me what to do!" Mark yelled. "I'm eighteen years old now!"

"What does this human have that you want?!" Triton yelled as his voice started to get louder.

"I love her!" Mark screamed back.

"What?" Triton said. Mark's eyes widened as Triton's trident glowed "I know one thing young man; you have no room for love in your life even for the human! You don't know what love is!" he continued. "And until you learn where your place is this entire cavern of yours must be destroyed maybe then you will learn about consequences,"

"Dad please!" says Mark only Triton wasn't willing to listen anymore of Mark's begging he began to destroy everything that Mark had collected over the last eighteen years. Mark's eyes widened as he was trying to stop his father from destroying everything he grabbed his father and tried to stop him from using the trident, but Triton had shoved Mark away who sat on the rock. Everything around him was being destroyed one by one and there was nothing Mark could do. Thankfully, Mark kept a tight grasp on the bracelet. As Triton destroyed the last of his collection, Mark had gone silent and didn't want to speak to anyone around him as his father turned back toward Mark.

"This is for your own good Mark," without another word, Triton turned and swam away leaving Mark alone in the ruins of his collections cavern. Once Triton left, Ethan and Sean entered and looked at Mark.

"Mark," says Ethan. "Are you okay?"

"Go away," says Mark.

"Look, I'm sorry that I told your father, but he didn't give me much of a choice," Sean responded at the same time Mark glared at Sean.

"That was you?!" Mark exclaimed. "Get out!"

"But sire," says Sean.

"I said.... GET OUT!" Mark yelled. "I want to be alone!" Sean sighed and bowed briefly as he and Ethan turned and swam out of the cavern.