The Merman and the Prince

Chapter 39

"I want to try and change forms."

The conversation stopped and all eyes turned to me. We were sitting in a private room at the tavern for dinner, the crew of the Red Emperor, Kasamatsu and Momoi. I looked around and noticed at what a rag tag bunch of people we were, different sets of coloured eyes stared back at me in a sea of colourful hair.

Kagami was the first to recover.

"Can't this wait? I have sent word out to the north to try and find the tribe who had helped Akashi so long ago. We don't know what that could do."

"We have no idea if they will receive your message or even if they are still alive. Even if they do receive the message do you think they will come? I disobeyed our one creed, Sei-kun and I are abominations in the eyes of our kind."

I smiled reassuringly at Akashi to show him I didn't care about it but he wouldn't meet my gaze, even Kagami flinched a little.

"I don't care what I have become or if our people will not accept me. I would do it again."

Akashi still wouldn't meet my gaze, I knew he felt guilty about my predicament, that he blamed himself that I was now an outcast.

"I will go myself if I have to."

That got everyone to meet my gaze and argue over my choice.

"Tetsuya don't be foolish!"

Akashi's sharp words cut through the babble and I glared at him. He had taken his eye patch off since it was night time and I could see the gold rings shining in the candle light.

"It isn't foolishness. Everyone looks at me in pity and stares at my legs, see?"

I cried as his eyes drifted to where my useless legs were under the table.

"I don't want to stay like this. I haven't tried yet. It is still merman blood flowing through my veins and my body is still my own, I should be able to make the change."

"But what if your tail doesn't work like-like your legs don't?"

Akashi looked at me, his eyes worried and I grabbed his cheeks, brushing the silver strands in his hair and smiling at him.

"That's why I want you to come, Kagami as well."

I could still see the hesitation in his eyes and felt angry. Since I had woken up from my coma he had been overprotective. He stayed by my side all day and night and if he couldn't be he made one of the crew members shadow me. Momoi had also been tasked with my protection despite my disapproval.

"It isn't safe."

I recognised the closed off look in his eyes. It was the look I got when I asked to go to the beach, to go to the market place. I was kept in the rooms at the inn or under heavy guard at the rock pools.

"Please just let us try."

"No, you think your current predicament is because you changed to many times while imprisoned by Nash, I won't let you do it."

Everyone in the room was clearly trying to look busy and not listen in on the conversation as I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"You can't keep my locked up and you can't stop me, you aren't my father."

"No, I am your fiancé, your captain, your king."

His eyes flashed as he glared at me and I could see the stubborn set of his mouth. He was done listening to what I had to say, as far as he was concerned this conversation was over. Nobody would meet my gaze and I felt angry tears in my eyes.