Shell - The Deep Fanfic

Chapter 1 - Beginnings

Nereus wasn't born special.

Sometimes he used to wish that he was. Sometimes, most of the time, he had stood beside his sister as she wielded all the power. Sometimes he had wanted to have that power.

But if he had been born first, what would have changed? For one, he would have gotten the shiny golden bracelet that meant he was next in line for the throne on his sixth birthday instead of Doreus. And he wouldn't have gotten captured by the Atlanteans. He would also be dead.

So, surely, all that power wasn't worth it.

When a boy was born into the royal family, there were three traditions that his parents followed. First came the naming of the child, an important part of welcoming a new heir into the family. Names were discussed long and hard until the mother and father finally chose the perfect one.

Second, came the announcement of the baby's birth. People in the kingdom gathered by the Tower of the Morning, pressed against each other just to glimpse their rulers and new prince. The kingdom celebrated for months on end, overjoyed with the idea of having a prince.

Lastly came the marking of the baby in scrolls. Ancient texts of the royal family lineage added a new section to their paper, detailing the new baby's date of birth and the date of death when that arrived. A boy was marked in blue ink, while a girl was marked in red.

The baby grew up learning the customs of his home, the secrets of the ocean, and, most importantly, how to love the sea. The sea presented a calling to him, to all of the members of the royal family.

He had a part to play in the sea's history, whether he liked it or not.

***

"Oh, Aluna, he's just so cute!" Tethys exclaimed, waggling her finger at the baby. "He's precious."

Queen Consort Aluna of Lemuria smiled at her friend as they doted over her new son. He had been born only two weeks ago and was a sweet, pink-faced baby who was perfectly content to rest in her arms. He hardly fussed, but then again, her daughter hadn't been much of a fusser either. Perhaps it ran in the family.

Aluna's husband had set up a party for the new prince, joined in with their son's naming ceremony. The attendees would be the first to know the baby's name, and then then it would be announced to the rest of the kingdom.

Aluna smiled as she watched her three-year-old daughter run around the party, tugging on the dresses and sashes of her extended family members. Most of them paid her no mind and gently set her off in another direction to bother someone else. Others held a brief conversation with her, then told her to play somewhere that wasn't around them.

Finally, the toddler-sized princess came upon the door leading outside to the main balcony. She slammed both of her chubby hands on it and pushed with all her might until it swung open, revealing the bright noon sunlight outside. "Out!" she joyously screeched, running out.

Aluna caught a glimpse of her frazzled niece, whose head seemed to snap at the speed of a pistol shrimp's pincer in the direction of the scream. "Doreus!" Amphitrite called out, rushing towards the door. "I'm supposed to look after you!" She hurriedly pushed her pink-colored drink into the waiting hands of a nearby servant, who tried not to spill any of the strawberry pieces as the half-full concoction sloshed around.

Tethys shook her head gently. "Oh, Amphitrite. I'll talk to her later."

"No," said Aluna, "don't. I think it's funny. Doreus is certainly a handful. How is Scamander getting along with that girl?"

"You mean Iaira? They're getting along wonderfully," Tethys said with a glance at her oldest son. At seventeen years of age, Scamander was expected to find a match for himself to marry later on soon. Royal weddings took a long time to plan, so the wedding would be when he was about twenty-two like his mother was.