Son of Sea and Son of Land

Sea and Land

"This isn't right," Arthur growled paced up and down the council room.

"You are thinking like a human, not an Atlantian and a King," Orm sighed from where he was sitting at the table watching his half-brother.

It had taken a lot for him to come to be able to think of Arthur as his Half-Brother, it had taken work, a lot of shouting and anger, a lot of confusion and hurt, it had taken a lot of conversations with his mother, with Mera and with Vulko to work through everything. And a lot of wounded, sad looks from Arthur himself.

But they were starting to build a good relationship, he found himself advising Arthur, and even more shockingly he found Arthur coming to him for advice more and more, asking him about the aspects of Atlantian life and ruling it that Arthur had no clue about, but Orm had been bred to know. He had had it beaten into his head by his father.

He was shocked to find that it did not hurt advising his brother on the ruling in what he had also thought of as his position, his right. It was a relief that it wasn't him.

"You are thinking like a brother," He added when Arthur opened his mouth.

"Arranged marriages are normal Arthur," Vulko said in that zen, calm tone of his.

"If he isn't willing then it is wrong!"

They all knew that he was thinking about Atlanna and Orvax, the trauma of his childhood, his mother being snatched from him and kept by Orvax.

"Except that I am willing for this Arthur," Orm smiled floating over to his brother.

"Orm..." Arthur scowled at him unhappily, his lips pursing in what he always insisted was not a pout.

"Arthur. Your claiming the trident has caused waves, my actions have brought the attention of the surface to us, especially the Wizards. We are going to have to work together, or we risk a war with them, something that we can not afford considering you are still bringing everything under control and trying to make amends for my actions,"

"That doesn't mean that you have to sign up for this!" Arthur growled.

"Yes, it does. Arthur, I have always known that I would be in an arranged marriage, and no offence to Mera but I am glad that it is at least a male this time, that is far more to my tastes. Marrying is the fastest way to ensuring that we have peace, it will settle the seas knowing that I am tied to an ally and have been put to use instead of floating around here after everything that has happened. I nearly killed so many people Arthur. This is the right thing,"

"I am not happy about this," Arthur growled.

"You have made that more than clear. Now write back to them and tell them that your brother will be the one accepting the marriage proposal and I will write to mother, I would like her there for this," Orm smiled slightly for his brother before turning and leaving the room.

He felt a little childish as he wrote to his mother and explained what was happening and that he wanted her there, but knowing that she would be there helped ease the nerves in his stomach. Everything that he had said to Arthur was true, and he had been ready for an arranged marriage since he was young enough to understand why he and Mera were shoved at each other but...

"Orm?" Mera knocked and then stepped in.

"Mera," He waved her in and she quickly swam over to sit on the edge of his desk.

"You ok?" She asked peering knowingly at him. They had been friends for a long time, their fathers had betrothed them when they were babies, and they had spent their childhood growing up together, learning from Vulko side by side. Before he lost himself they had been good friends and had been sure that they would at least have a good friendship for their marriage. Mera had been the one to comfort him, be there for him when Atlanna was banished to The Trench.