Everything You Are - Orm Marius/Ocean Master

Chapter Ten - Betrayed and Betrothed

"You two have a shit ton of explaining to do! Right now!" Minutes after fleeing her meeting with Orm, her head literally spinning, Aurelia now stood in Vulko and Aria's chambers, demanding a response from the two now startled advisers.

She had relayed her conversation with Orm to them and the big reveal of the 'B' word.

"Betrothal. Engagement. Marriage. Kind of a big deal, yeah? Don't you think? Wouldn't you say?" Vulko and Aria said nothing but exchanged a glance, both wringing their hands. Aurelia stood before them, fuming, arms crossed, waiting for an explanation.  "Well?"

"Betrothal in royal blood is a tradition that goes back centuries," Vulko was the first to speak. He tried to explain. "However, when both the queen and king had children separately, that threw a major wrinkle in the tradition. So it was resolved that their children, you and Orm, would be betrothed, that seemed like the simplest and smartest solution.  Orvax never honoured yours."

Of course he didn't. Huh, for once me and the asshole king agree on something! Who'd have guessed?! And I'd like to speak to whoever thought it the 'simplest' and 'smartest' decision. I'd like to give them a piece of my mind! "Well his son seems to have other plans." She turned to Aria. "So, my first night here, when you were talking about being adviser to the Queen, and when Orm got married you would assist whoever he married, you were talking about me? Alluding to us?"

"Yes. Aurelia, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but you were already so overwhelmed by being back in Atlantis, it just wasn't the right time."

"And now is?!"

"No, not exactly..."

"Yeah, 'not exactly' is right."

"Orm is really the only one here to have honoured it."

"Yeah, and he seems quite confident in it. I did not come here to fight him or marry him. I feel so betrayed, I hope you know that." With that, she stormed from the room, slamming the already heavy door behind her.

"Well, that was a disaster," remarked Vulko following a stunned moment of silence after Aurelia's dramatic exit.

"Oh, the poor girl," sighed Aria. "She's under so much pressure." She paused before continuing. "When are you planning on telling her about Atlanna?"

Vulko sighed. "I don't know, My Love. I've been waiting for the right time. But, with this, I don't think there is a right time."

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"Aurelia?" Orm was knocking at her chamber door. "Can we please talk?" A pause, nothing. "Please?"

"About what? Future plans? Wedding plans? What sort of flowers you want for the ceremony? The guest list?"

She heard him sigh. "I understand that you're surprised. I didn't mean to lay that all on you. I thought you knew."

"Well, no, no I didn't. Cause no one saw fit to tell me!" she called through the heavy sealed door. "No one decided to tell me that someone else was arranging my life for me!"

"You're upset-"

"Oh, am I? You know, it all makes sense now. You being so nice to me, so accepting, trying to charm me. All because you thought I was going to be your Queen one day. Unbelievable."

"No! I did all those things because I care, not because of the arrangement."

"Whatever."

"Aurelia, please, let me explain-"

"How early on were those plans made for us?"

"Quite early on, after your mother was found and it was discovered that she had a child."

"I thought we were childhood friends."

"We were."

"But also fiances?" Childhood fiances? That was messed up.

"Yes."

"Jesus..." This sounded so five-hundred years ago. Betrothal? Arranged marriage? Kings and Queens? I mean, come on! And if the King and Queen were expected to have an heir, that would mean she and Orm would have to-

No, don't think about that. That would only be if they went through with this whole arranged marriage thing, which they were not going to do. It wasn't like it was going to happen, any of it. Not if she had anything to say or do about it, that was for sure.

Orm sighed again, still on the other side of the door. "Aurelia, I'm sorry-"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." I just want to get out of here.

But she couldn't. Not with war on the horizon, and now this stupid marriage arrangement distracting her.

Once again she held her mother's necklace, pressing the pendant to her lips.  She felt so conflicted. "What do I do, Mom?"

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This time, it was Aurelia who called a secret meeting in the safe-house safe-ship.

"Aurelia, what's this about? Is it about earlier?" asked Vulko when the three arrived.

"What? My betrothal to the prince and future king? No, it's not actually, but I'm still open to talk more about that. I'm still pissed off about that, by the way." Mera's jaw had dropped open and it looked as though she was about to start firing questions at them, but Aurelia held up a hand for her to be silent before she could. "No, I want to go back to that 'winning the people over, the legend, the magical trident', blah blah blah. That fun stuff." Now she turned to Mera. "You have the thing?"

The redhead raised her eyebrows in response. "The thing?"

"The cylinder thing? That leads to the magical trident thing? For the super-secret mission."

Now she understood. "Yes, I have it tucked away safely. Why?"

"Cause I'm in. I'll do it."

(She's in! ;) Let the quest begin! Since this chapter was a bit shorter, I'll try and update quickly!

Also, honestly, we're nearing the end of Book One! Probably a few more chapters and then right onto Book Two! :D

Thank you so much for reading, as always, and I hope you enjoyed! :))