The Merman and the Prince

Chapter 1

For many years humans and merfolk lived in harmony with one another. The merfolk made sea travel safer. They would follow boats and help those who fell overboard or became shipwrecked. They would move into the shallows to stop children from drowning and helped teach everyone how to swim. In return the humans provided fruit and other food much to the merfolk's delight for they had tired of seaweed and fish. The humans also helped the merfolk in the most important way. They allowed their sea dwelling cousins the ability to have children for merfolk cannot have children with one another. Once a month merman and mermaids have the ability to become human and walk on dry land. They must return to the sea before the sun rises or stay in human form until the next full moon. Some merfolk found partners with the humans and stayed on dry land with them and their children. Others just came to find a partner for the night. Mermaids returned to dry land to birth their young before returning to the sea while the men sometimes returned for their children they had sired or the children themselves felt the call and went to the sea on their own.

This was the way of the world as both species enjoyed a beneficial relationship for hundreds of hears. That was until greed took route in the hearts of men. It was discovered that merfolk lived almost three times the length of a human and that their blood had healing qualities. The merfolk already shared their blood with the sick and the weak but that was not enough. Some wanted more blood, to not age. So they began to hunt the merfolk. Harvesting their scales and hair as well as their blood and then eventually their bones as well.

After a time, and many warnings the merfolk withdrew from the human world. They no longer helped the sick or the shipwrecked. Some had even begun to attack boats and swimmers, drowning them in retaliation for the slaying of their own kind.

Most of the merfolk left on land abandoned the humans but some decided to stay with their families and friends but they had to learn to hide themselves for the hunters were still out there.

Kuroko's Pov

"Kuroko? Kuroko where are you?"

I stood still, wrapped in my shadows the maids eyes sliding over me like I was nothing more than the wall against which I leant.

"Blast it where is that boy."

She wandered off and I stood still a moment longer. When I was sure nobody else was nearby I stepped away from the wall and headed down the hall towards the exit. I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror by the stairs and checked to make sure everything was in order. A young man, no older then eighteen stared back at. Blue eyes were wide in a small pale face framed by wispy hair the same startlingly cerulean. I was dressed in a long hooded jacket which I had buttoned up over a simple pair of dark pants and a white shirt. When I got outside I would pull the hood up to cover my hair. I couldn't keep my misdirection up permanently and my unique hair would identify as the lords nephew and I would most likely be sent home.

I quietly crept down the last few stairs and tiptoed over to the door, easing it open slowly, the well-oiled hinges not making a sound. A voice startled me and I spun, the shadows dropping away to see a tall red head leaning against the wall, staring at me, his eye brow raised in question.

"I knew you would try and sneak out tonight."

"Please Kagami, I just want to watch the fireworks and have a look at the stalls! Please don't keep me cooped up in here."

He moved towards me and I had to crank my neck to see his face, he towered above me. His dark red eyes were set under a set of thick eyebrows that split at the end as he frowned down at me.

"It's a full moon. That's why your uncle instructed you to stay inside tonight."

My heart thumped with fear at what it meant and my mother's words rang through my head, tell no one, but my excitement quickly squashed any doubts I had.