★ The Pirate and The Mermaid [Giant/Tiny]★

II - The First Date

Mariana eventually found her way home, her mind spinning with thoughts of Kaine. Her father, King Cove, immediately accosted her, his concern palpable as he placed a guard outside her door. Mariana lay on her bed, deep in thought. The way Kaine had looked at her when she commented on the food—she couldn't shake the feeling of something new stirring within her. Yes, he had saved her, but he was also brash and unpredictable. Tall, dark, and mysterious—wait, did she really just think that? Embarrassed, she screamed into her pillow, covering her flushed cheeks. And then she compounded it by recalling how he had called her "my girl" in front of his crew. The term echoed in her mind, threatening to unravel her composure.

A knock at the door interrupted her reverie. It was her father's voice, muffled yet tender. "Sweetheart," he began, his voice cracking slightly, "I'm sorry about today. Prince Kaine has requested a date—a private one on his ship— for tomorrow."

Mariana gasped, swimming noiselessly towards the door, holding her breath to catch every word. "I can tell him to cancel if you want," her father continued, wavering with concern. Convincing the giants to dissolve the engagement was a fool's errand—it would only end in conflict and her father's sacrifice to keep her safe.

"Daddy, I don't mind going," she murmured through the door, her cheeks still burning. Her father recoiled in shock, certain she was half-asleep. "Okay, sweetheart, get some rest," he cooed gently. Mariana shrugged and returned to her desk, quickly penning a note confirming her acceptance. She slid it under the door, the guard outside swiftly delivering it to Pyror through the fairy mail. Exhausted from the day's events, Mariana soon fell into a restless sleep.

Meanwhile, Prince Kaine lay on his bed, staring at the flower crown Mariana had made for him. His thoughts were in disarray. Why did a simple flower crown affect him so deeply? He couldn't dismiss the way he felt, his mind drifted to the awkward moment earlier when he had impulsively asked his father about seeing the mermaid again. Before he could finish, embarrassment sent him fleeing to his room. His father, however, overheard and promptly dispatched a letter through fairy mail. When King Wade received an unusually large letter, not in Cove's handwriting and clearly addressed to his son, he knew exactly who it was from.

When Kaine returned home later than usual, his father noticing something different about him—flushed cheeks and an early return were unusual for the prince. Then, Kaine had brazenly asked to see Mariana again, and now there was a letter with his name on it. King Wade couldn't help but grin mischievously as he hurried to his son's room.

"Son, I want to talk to you about your girlfriend," he called through the door, pressing his ear against the wood. Predictably, Kaine punched the door and yelled, "I'm not dating anyone!"

"But what about that cute mermaid?" his father taunted in a mockingly sweet voice, provoking an immediate defensive reaction from Kaine. "No, I'm not in love with her! I don't even know her name!" Kaine protested, his cheeks burning as he imagined her.

"Well, tomorrow is the perfect opportunity to get to know her," King Wade encouraged, but Kaine remained defensive. "It wasn't serious! I just said it to get you off my back," he yelled, though in a quieter voice, he added, "I doubt she would even go anyway."

His son had caught the bait perfectly. "Well, she sent you something," King Wade said, sliding the letter under the door. As soon as it touched the threshold, Kaine snatched it up and rushed to his bed. Wade chuckled to himself as he left, satisfied with the day's events.

Kaine eagerly tore open the letter, his heart pounding. It read:

*Dear Prince Kaine,*

*I'm sure you probably tossed this letter aside without a second thought, but I'm thrilled you invited me to dinner. This is just my confirmation—I'll be coming tomorrow. Maybe don't feed me 'pond sticks' next time, and we'll have a blast. Seriously though, I'll see you tomorrow xx*