Chapter 10

Triton POV

Leaving Helena's chambers, something wasn't right about her story, she probably hasn't noticed it, but I think her memories were wiped, and I need to find who is responsible for this, I went by the moon pool, seeing Nakida sitting there as if she was waiting for me,

"My prince... I— how are you? I haven't seen you all day,"

"How could you... You spend most of your time with your queen, I am surprised to see you aren't at dinner with her and Helena," I pulled my shirt over my torso,

"She wanted to speak to Helena alone," she mumbled,

"See what I mean..." I walked away from her,

"Triton, please," she scrambled behind me, squeezing my shoulders,

"Why are you behaving like this? I am concerned about our friendship... Our betrothal, what did I do?"

She was now standing in front of me, so close that not even the wind was able to slip through the void between our bodies,

"Please tell me if I did something wrong Triton, I will fix it... Please tell me what to do," she stared into my eyes, her green one danced with trepidation, the kind that makes me question what was she guilty of,

Nakida is a beautiful woman, while most of the mermaids in Meritopia are pretty, but is a total transformation in their mermaid state, Nakida is beautiful in and outside of water. I could marry her... I could but... Where her loyalty lies bother me, she spends some much time with the queen and not me sometimes I forget I am the one who is marrying her and not the queen. And this made me question a lot of things, will it be like this when we are bonded, will she still bow to the queen's feet even when she is no longer sitting at the throne, run errands for her... They don't understand. I know the queen, and when she takes great interest in someone, I am worried, and they should be too.

"Kiss me Triton, I want to taste you, let me have you please,"

Clasping my hand tightly around her grips on my biceps, I pushed them to her side,

"If I kiss you... You know what will happen," everyone in Meritopia knows that if you kiss another merperson that wasn't your mate, you not alone risking the fate of the water spirits, but we will be going against the God of the sea, Poseidon. Without the proper offering brought to the Depth of the Spear, we couldn't untie whatever attachment we had with our mates and many nights ago I was ready... Ready to marry Nakida, I was ready to sacrifice a random, late swimming human, just to marry Nakida because I lost hope in ever finding true love, and I was ready to grow to love Nakida, but then... Helena happened, a half-human girl, bonded to the high council chair her mother once sat, a girl that I almost kissed a few minutes ago... She restored my fate in love.

"Is this about Lady Helena? Ever since she got here you have been acting strange,"

"She could be my mate Nakida, you knew from day one that if I was to find my mate, I— I can't marry you, I am sorry," I ambled away, about to dive into the moon pool,

"What if she is not your mate Triton, what if she isn't who you think she is... Before she came here I was all you had," she walked towards me, the train on her white dress pulling over the glistening grass,

"It was me, who held you in arms night after when you went mate hunting, searching different moon pools to find your destined mate, and when you didn't you would come back crying... To me, in my lap... Soiling my dresses with your tears, and this— this is how you repay me. You are not sure she is your mate; she doesn't bear your mark!" She wailed,

There is another thing about being mated to someone, there is a mark... Like a tattoo, a symbol at the back of our necks, only visible when in water, it varies though, from a trident, a plant, a seashell, and a— starfish, which I only hear about in stories, I never met a mermaid with a starfish mark, they were considered extinct...

Until—

True mates have matching pairs, I have a trident, Nakida has a flower, and— she was right about Helena not having my mark because I checked. When she was passed out, I used a wet cloth, soaked in ocean water, to wipe the back of her neck, and she doesn't have my mark, she has a starfish. I was hoping to keep this a secret for as long as I could, well at least until I find out the connection between Helena and I...

"Wait a minute," I mumbled, glaring at Nakida,

"Nakida," I whispered, "How do you know she doesn't have the mark?"

"Today, she fell into the moon pool. We spoke, and I saw it."

Helena did mention falling into it today, I thought, I needed Helena to be my mate so bad, I am questioning whether or not Nakida should be trusted,

"What did you say to her?"

"Nothing— I didn't say anything,"

"Good. And the mark?"

"I didn't tell the queen," she mumbled,

"Why?"

"I don't know," she looked away,

I still didn't trust Nakida though, and can you blame me, she was spending time with the queen, and I fear losing her... As a friend. But she was becoming the Devil's advocate and I can't save her. Why she hasn't told the queen that Helena had a sacred mark, I don't know, but I am not fooled by this. Nakida has changed, and I know she has something up her sleeves.

"I have to go. There is something I have to do, don't follow me."

Before she could answer I dived into the moon pool, starting at the white stone in my ring change from white to deep blue as I picked up the pace, my transformation was near completion, and as soon it's done I will be able to swim faster down this cave. Swimming out in the ocean, my change was complete, and I was now able to swim faster. Smiling as a school of fish danced their way around my torso,

"Alright guys," I mind linked them, "I have to go," I swam off,

I did have something to do, first I need to find where Helena was attacked by whoever pulled her in, and then I need to find the Oracle if Helena is too afraid of a little water to come and seek the answers she needs, then I will seek them for her, but... That's, not the only reason, the oracle was the one who told me that I would find my mate in a moon pool waiting for me, but I didn't find her instead a half-human girl came to our doorstep out of nowhere and I am having hot flashes of Deja vu when I am around her, as we have met before, but I have never seen her in my life.

Hearing water rushing behind me, I hid became a rock, it wasn't Nakida for sure, whatever it is, it's swimming way too fast, listening closer, I swam back out the open, hoisting my hand with an opened palm. Crashing into my hand, the heavy metal tugged my arm back a bit,

"I thought I told you not to do this anymore," I lifted the trident high,

"I am off to war... I am going fi—" it pulled me, coursing through the water, it's good it was strong like it was, or else I would surely lose a hand, stopping in the middle of nowhere I looked around, realizing I was near to the shore,

"Why would you bring me here?" I whispered, and yeah would my trident lead me here,

Wait...

Helena.

This was where she was when she pulled in.

There was nothing around me, just water, how am I going to find a clue in— my gaze shifts below me, the darkness of the ocean floor started back, I have a gut feeling that whatever it is I am looking for, is down there.

Slowly I flicked my tail, swimming deeper as the darkness swallows me, I have never been down here before, but I guess you aren't too old for anything. Down here wasn't as scary as I thought, a mermaid's ability to see in the dark was far more tremendous than I thought. Trailing my fingers on the rocks I noticed the large vines surrounding them, if Helena was attacked then it's a high possibility that these vines did it, controlled by a mermaid that can grow and command plants, mermaids like Nakida, I wasn't sure though and I can't go around accusing without proof.

"Triton," a voice me whispered,

Veering around my trident was ready to attack, but seeing the garb over her shoulders and head, a blue tail rocking back and forth beneath it, it was the oracle.

"Easy," I whispered, feeling the trident's power weaken,

"There is a girl..."

"I know,"

"Her mother was a..."

"I know,"

"She can't remember anything, and she needs your help,"

"She needs the ocean,"

"You are not understanding, she doesn't remember anything—"

"Why don't you ask me the question that's burning in the back of your head, Triton,"

"Is— she," I stuttered,

"Is she my mate?" I blurted out,

"No... No, she is not."