Mermaid origins (Complete)

Chapter 5

I'm pretty sure no one will ever read this, but I'm having fun so whatever.

David's POV

I drummed my fingers against the mast, staring patiently at the door to the infirmary. I knew most of my crew were doing the same, but every time I glanced back they would quickly occupy themselves with something.

All except Seek who kept glaring at the door.

"You're really sure he had a fish tail boss? Like really really sure? Couldn't it have been some sort of trick of the light?"

I sighed, Seek was a good person, but he was one of those 'there's no such thinking as magic' people as well. He absolutely refused to believe Bryan was a mer, so now he refused to believe what the rest of the crew were saying as it involved another mer.

I was about to tell him off for being close minded when the door swung open.

Bryan stepped out with the other mer leaning on him. He looked very unstable on his legs, something I remember Bryan used to be as well.

I marched forward and gently hoisted him up, which got me a glare from him, that I chose to ignore.

I set him down on the stairs to the top deck.

I noticed Lucas leaning over, peering at the newcomer, as was most of the crew.

"Alright fine. Set down anchor. Everyone who's interested, get over here!"

A few minutes later almost my entire crew were sitting around the newcomer. He now looked very uncomfortable.

Bryan coughed awkwardly.

"R-right introductions. Everyone, this is the first Prince Mario."

That got a few gasps among my crew.

"So like, are you gonna be king or somethin?" One of the crew asked.

"No, I'm destined to be the next Protector, my little brother Brandon is first in line to the throne."

"What's being the Protector entail?"

Mario let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh Sea Snakes, humans don't even have Protectors?"

Bryan seemed to be thinking, and his lips started twitching.

"A Protector is kinda like a mix of a wizard advisor, and of the first line of defense." He said slowly. Mario nodded, smiling and picked up where he left off.

"I guess, yeah. Protectors usually come from the royal family, though they're have been a few outside of bloodline. There's only one protector per ruler, so I can't be Protector till Brandon becomes king."

"What happened to the last Protector?"

Mario's smile faded. "No one knows, rumors have it that she got into a fight with Father, the king. A week later, she was just... gone."

"Like me?" I paused, realizing Bryan was the one who said that.

Mario winced, but nodded. "Yeah like you... based on my research a lot like you actually." Mario looked down trailing off.

When he looked up he seemed to realize we wanted him to elaborate.

"Ok uh. Well the previous Protector, was in fact outside the royal family. There were rumors that she and my father were lovers, actually. One day, she apparently found her promised. No one is sure who it was. But everyone says that you could hear her and my father arguing throughout the kingdom. And the arguing went on for a week, till it just... stopped. No one dared asked what happened, but she was never seen again. I was born only three years later, and the rumors about her died out around the same time." He looked, unhappy. There was an uncomfortable silence weighing on the crew, till someone broke it