Darling It's Better Down Where It's Wetter

Across Oceans Blue

Victor was sulking. There was no other way to put it. He was salty as the sea that he was currently sailing across.

Everyone aboard the ship knew Victor was unhappy, even his dog, Makkachin could tell that Victor was in a mood, but no one tried to help. They were all traitors, leaving him to suffer like this, too afraid to stand up to his mother and put a stop to her annoying games. Makka, at least, was laying dutiful by his side, curled into a loose ball in a valiant attempt to get Victor out of his funk. Occasionally, she would lick his hand just as a reminder that she was still there. Victor appreciated her attempts, but right now there really wasn't anything that could pull Victor from his stupor.

Ordinarily, Victor would be jumping with joy that the very mention of boarding a ship. He loved the ocean and basically everything about it. Deep down, he knew his heart belonged to the sea and her endless blue waves. Victor jumped at any opportunity cast off across open water, pulled along by the wind and the waves. The ocean held so much mystery both above and below the surface. He hated that she kept so many secrets hidden away from human eyes. Victor wished that he had the means to explore the treasures of the sea, but science and technology still had a long way to go before lengthy underwater excursions became possible for mankind.

It just wasn't fair.

Much to Victor's disappointment, his ocean adventures were rather limited. Even the most experienced voyagers faced great dangers every time the set out on a trip across the ocean. The churning waters were filled with sea monsters large enough to topple ships, towering waves powerful enough to pull ships apart piece by piece, and the alluring siren songs of Mer that lured fishermen to their watery graves. Many times, those who went out on ocean voyages, never returned, their fates unknown to everyone on land.

Despite the dangers, Victor still wanted to spend his life traveling the ocean, even if it meant he would meet his end at the bottom of the ocean.

However, as crowned prince of Aria and next in line for the throne, Victor was carefully monitored and kept far away from the dangers of sea travel. Growing up, Victor had always been a tricky, mischievous boy and found every opportunity he could to find a way down to the ocean. He had even managed a few, brief trips across the glittering water on small fishing boats stollen from the royal docks. However, none of the is journeys ever lasted long and he was always eventually pulled back to shore by his mother or another member of the royal guard. These trips always ended with hours of scolding and lectures, much to Victor's utter annoyance.

As he grew older, sneaking away became harder and harder. Now, at twenty-four, Victor had a number of royal responsibilities placed upon his shoulders. There was always someone watching him or accompanying him. He even had guardsmen placed outside his doors at night to keep him from sneaking off in the middle of the night.

Victor's mother assured him that it merely for his protection, but he knew otherwise. He was sure that this was his mother's way of keeping him in line. By keeping a constant watch over Victor, his mother could ensure that he wasn't pulling any more antics to find a way to travel the ocean.

If he did journey down to the ocean's edge, he was always accompanied by someone, and it made Victor feel like he was five years old. The ocean was the only thing that allowed Victor to feel free and now, even that had been taken from him. Now, going to the ocean's edge just made him feel sad instead of happy. The ocean simply mocked him from afar, the glittering blue waters whispering to him and begging him to join.

Everyone assured him that his mother was doing this out of love, but to Victor, it felt like anything but. The only thing his mother seemed to care about was training Victor to be the perfect king. It was the last thing that Victor wanted in life.