Mermaids

((Sorry that this is closed guys, but Keona and I started this FOREVERRRRR ago. And it's my fault it stopped going :/ anyways, this is basically our different experiments with different types of love XP Enjoy!))

Kangliana was anxious. She shouldn’t have been. This day wasn’t going to affect her life at all. Well, not directly anyways.
The king and queen of Neptune’s kingdom were finally stepping down. Their marriage had produced no children, not that it mattered anyhow. Once chosen for royalty, no one in the king or queen’s direct bloodline would ever see the crown. The good qualities that the king and queen were chosen for did not always reflect on those that they were related to. So every time that a royal couple was chosen, every other merperson in the land would be allowed to get married. This period of marriage only lasted for 5 years however. Then the creation of all marriage contracts would be stopped, and everyone would be personally examined to see if they were worthy to someday be the king or queen. But now that the king and queen were retiring, it meant that many young men and women who had been waiting to get married might actually get their chance.
Many merpeople though were afraid to confess their love for each other, because if their lover was chosen as royalty, they would be unable to be with them. So at the end of the day, the celebration amongst the merpeople was unanimous and the largest of all.
Kangliana didn’t know why she was worried. She would be able to marry her beloved Tao at the end of the day. She just didn’t understand herself.
~~~
“Hey Kangles! Aren’t you ready?” Ceely burst into her cousin’s home. “We need to go now if we’re going to be able to see the stage.”
Kangliana glared at her cousin. “Why are you so excited?”
"Because I’m not secretly engaged. Why are you so nervous?”
“Because I am secretly engaged. I don’t know, Ceely. I’m breaking the law. You just don’t get it,” Kangliana sighed.
Ceely rolled her eyes, miffed at Kangliana’s personal dilemma. “Whatever. It’s your fault. Now let’s go.”
Ceely swam out the door, knowing Kangliana would be close behind her, feeling guilty at upsetting her cousin.
She swam above the giant courtyard. There were two sections of the merpeople who were eligible, male and female, ages 14 all the way up to early forties. Traditionally, the couples were matched somewhat close together in age.
Ceely dove down, twisting her body artistically and landed in the mermaid crowd, her hair floating around her in a whirlwind of ash blonde strands. Kangliana landed beside her, much less gracefully. Ceely was about to make a snide comment about Kangliana’s failure at coordination when she glanced to her left and caught a pair of sky blue eyes on her. She stared into the eyes, curious. He glanced away, and Ceely blushed, fingering her hair into place behind her ears and into an ornate ponytail nervously.
~~~
“People of Atlantis!” a voice boomed out over the crowds.
Liam glanced up, his chest tightening. The moment was now. He wanted this to be over. He wanted to be able to proclaim his love to Caprina. He thought that she might love him. He hoped for it with all his might. He also was hoping and praying that neither she nor he would be chosen for royalty.
“People of Atlantis, your attention please!” the announcer called out. He was a grandson of the previous royal family, ineligible for selection, named Tao. He kept glancing into the crowd of mermaids. Clearly a girl he cared about could be chosen for the royal position.
Tao continued, “Today is a very momentous occasion. Your next king and queen are about to be announced. Will they be younger and more powerful, or older and wiser? King Nepthos and Queen Amtritia will be arriving soon to announce their successors. Please be patient.”
The murmuring through the crowds started up again, more anxiety rolling off of the strained merpeople. Liam tried to not think, to empty himself of emotion. He wouldn’t let himself be lost in silliness.
Liam fiddled with his trident absently as he waited.
~~~
Aristaeus laughed with a few of his friends. He wasn’t close to them, but he wanted to keep them calm. He knew that crazed young mermen were very bad to deal with in tight spaces. He himself was already trying not to think about Tomoko.
He and Tomoko had known each other since they were extremely young. They’d been best friends for years, but little by little, Aristaeus began to realize that he loved her, and not in the way that he was certain she loved him. But that wasn’t important now. The thing about being just Tomoko’s best friend meant that if she was chosen, then Aristaeus could just move on… hopefully.
He breathed in and out slowly. Today was a big day. But that was okay.
Aristaeus glanced around with the rest of the merfolk as trumpets announced the arrival of the hippocampi pulled chariot of King Nepthos and Queen Amtritia. The royal couple looked happy. They had had to work at their jobs for many years. They deserved their retirement.
King Nepthos and Queen Amtritia stepped (???) off of their chariot and each stood beside Tao, the grandson of former king and queen Hypanus and Trica. They beamed down at the crowd of young merpeople, clearly somewhat in the memories of their own selection for the Neptunian thrones.
“Over the years,” Queen Amtritia’s voice rang out over the crowd, “I have had the honor of serving as Atlantis’ queen. But I have also had the honor of further understanding my people, and the young men and women who will lead the future. It has taken this long to make a decision on who should take over mine and my husband’s responsibilities, but we are both confident that our decision on our successors is the best we could have possibly made.”
The queen nodded at Tao, who intoned, “I will now read the name of the merwoman to succeed Queen Amtritia.” He slid open an envelope somewhat tentatively and pulled out a small sheet of paper. His face drained.
Aristaeus could just make out the whispered word. “No!”
He winced for the boy on stage. The queen looked alarmed and quickly motioned for a few guards to pull Tao off stage.
“NO!” Tao yelled, “You can’t do this! You can’t—Kangliana!”
His voice cut off as he was pulled away, and the queen sighed.
“Kangliana Aranai, yes. Our new queen. Please come forward.”
Aristaeus watched a girl about his age get shoved on stage by another girl. Queen Amtritia smiled at the girl.
“Yes. Thank you. And our new king, Kangliana’s future husband, is Tatsuo Priani.”

Tatsuo glanced around, surprised. He had been off in another dimension, dreaming of the perfect solution for the math puzzle he was working on at home, when he heard his name called. But it was true, the curious stares of the people around him confirmed it, he was the new king of Atlantis. “Odd.” The tall boy murmured aloud. An older woman next to him nudged him forward, and his father patted him on the shoulder. “Go ahead, boy. Make your father proud.” Reluctantly, Tatsuo made his way to the stage, taking his place next to the other girl, Kangliana. She was pretty, he decided, glancing at her. No doubt that other boy had been her suitor. Well, it was sad, but nothing could be done for that. This was the law, whether she was happy about it or not. Although, it was likely that very few people were happy with the choice of king either. He wasn’t a well known or liked merman, he was the strange quiet kid who hovered everywhere but never joined a group. He liked numbers and facts much better than any merpeople, facts couldn’t betray him, or change their minds about his friendship.

Kalani tried to focus his mind back on the ceremony, but it was too late. He had caught a glimpse of this girl… and just that small glimpse had taken over his mind. She was blonde and petite, smiling, graceful… If he was more sentimental—aka a girl—he would have called it love at first sight, but he wasn’t, so he called it an insanely pretty girl. Ah! There she was! Thinking fast, he began to push through the crowd as if trying to get a better view and purposefully bumped into her shoulder. He turned to apologize, fighting back a silly grin. “Oops. Sorry. I didn’t mean to bump you!”

Tomoko carefully squeezed her way through the crowd toward Aristaeus. Now that the royals had been chosen, many young merfolk were milling around, mixing with their friends again, since the tensest part of the ceremony was over. Of course, she had arrived late, had to wait at the back of the crowd, and then awkwardly bump into every merman in the entire city. But it would be worth it. She was going to find her best friend in the entire sea and hug him as tight as she could, and thank Neptune (assuming that’s an okay phrase…) that he wasn’t royalty, and therefore wouldn’t be abandoning her. “Tae-tae!” She whispered in his ear, having snuck up on him. “Guess you just weren’t cool enough to be king, eh?” She poked him in the ribs playfully, and grinned.

Caprina glanced at Liam as he fidgeted with his trident, staring at the pair on stage. He looked so worried, she wondered what was upsetting him so much, or should she say who? It was obvious that every man in the crowd was now thinking of his secret crush that could now come
out of the shadows, and the girls were doing the same. She sighed. Tugging at the tiniest shirt she had ever worn, she debated going over to talk to him. Her mother of course had mandated that to catch a man on the first day it was possible, she should wear the most ornate tiniest piece of clothing that could be bought in Atlantis. Ugh, just thinking about it made her cringe. Her mother was obsessed with marriage, and was sure to begin parading possible candidates around as soon as Caprina returned home. That settled it. She was going to stay away from home as long as she could, and talking with Liam couldn’t hurt. (Caprina’s shirt isn’t really that tiny, she’s just annoyed XD its only like a regular bikini sized top.)

Liam caught Caprina’s eye and smiled softly, swimming over to her. “Hey Capri,” he grinned, “I need to go home for a little bit, but do you want to maybe meet me at the usual place?” Excitement traveled over his skin. It was time. He wanted to tell Caprina so badly how he felt, but he should wait. This wasn’t the place. He needed to be patient. But he wanted to grab Caprina right there and kiss her. He twiddled his trident between his fingers anxiously, trying to control himself. ((I’m assuming that they probably get together and hang out a lot and they have their own special place where they almost have romantic moments but try and deny it to themselves that they care about each other))
~~~
Ceely whirled around angrily, her hair flying in a whirlwind. “Hey! Watch—“Ceely’s breath caught in her throat. It was the boy from before, the one who’d cause her to blush vibrantly. Her face flushed again, a more embarrassing and much brighter shade of red than before. “Oh. I mean, um, hello.” She blinked shyly at him, trying to appear coquettish. Now that she was closer to the boy, she realized how cute he was. He was almost out of her league, which, in Ceely’s opinion, was very hard to come by. She’d seen a few boys far cuter, but they had almost immediately found their girls. Now Ceely wanted a turn.
~~~
Aristaeus turned to Tomoko. “I told you not to call me that,” he smiled, about to bend down and kiss her, when he pulled back sharply. He’d forgotten again. He’d loved Tomoko since they were kids, but even if they could love each other, he was fairly certain that Tomoko would choose another man over him. So he laughed sheepishly and kissed her cheek instead. “Ah freedom!” Aristaeus grinned, “Now we can marry whoever we want and not have the burden of being in the royal family! Yay!”
~~~
Kangliana stared at the boy who she would marry the following day. She knew that she had seen him at school, but this is the first time she had ever known his name. He was cute, but she couldn’t imagine marrying him, let alone the following day. She would want to get to know him, besides the fact that she was in love with—“Tao,” she whispered, her eyes opening wide. She’d forgotten about him. Her mind had too much in it. She was just too overwhelmed, and her head was spinning now, and the water around her was fading to black, and then Kangliana fainted. ((sorry posts are short I had a limited amount of time. And I hope all of this works. Ah well  ))

Caprina smiled lightly, holding back the wave of emotion she felt every time she talked to Liam. “Sure.” She agreed, nodding. She wished they could go there now, that was, if he wanted to tell her something good—maybe that he cared for her as much as she did for him? But what if he was feeling that way about someone else? Her heart skipped a beat, but she forced her mind back to the present. She put a hand gently on his as it fiddled with his trident. “I’ll be there.” She smiled warmly, one last time, and swam off. She would head straight to their meeting place, [insert whatever their place is XD ill let you decide, because I bet he would have chosen it in the first place.]

Tatsuo barely had time to react as he caught his bride-to-be in his arms. She had obviously fainted under the stress. He sighed, but picked her up bridal style and forced a shaky smile. From now on, his life was going to be all about keeping up an image, best to start now...

Kalani grinned, sure he was blushing as red as a sea star. (LOL) “Hey, sorry to bump into you like that. This crowd’s a bit crazy, eh?” He joked as he flipped his messy hair out of his eyes. “I’m Kalani. Nice to meet you,” he beamed. This. Girl. Was. GORGEOUS. Her ashen blonde hair floated gracefully out behind her, and her huge brown eyes were flawless. Now, to find out if she was nice as well...

Tomoko smiled as she blushed bright red all the way to the tips of her ears. For a minute there, she had thought Ari was going to kiss her—and she had wanted him to. Quickly she put the outlandish thought out of her mind. This silly festival must be getting to her head for her to be thinking like that. Aristaeus was a friend. FRIEND. That was what he had always been, and what he would stay. Focusing again, she laughed at his false enthusiasm. “Oh yeah. Woo-hoo for us.” She replied, rolling her eyes. “So, any cute girls you’ve got your eye on? Lacey from eighth grade? Brianna from math? Arianna from down the street?” She tormented him like this all the time, but somehow it felt like she was tormenting herself. She was always relieved when he protested about his little crushes, it made her feel better to know that her dear friend would be able to stay with her another week, month, year. They had always been friends, she and Ari. She couldn’t imagine life without him.

Ceely grinned sideways at this boy, Kalani. “Yeah, you could say that, I suppose.” She held out her hand to him, hoping that he would accept the handshake. “I’m Ceely.” She thought for a moment. “My cousin’s the new queen to be, actually. So I suppose you could say that I’m a V.I.M.” She laughed lightly, tossing her hair. She was nervous actually. She couldn’t believe that she was so instantly anxious about this guy, but he was… really darn cute.

Liam blinked. Caprina’s hand resting even momentarily on his was like a spark. The trident spun faster in his hands as he swam home. He slipped into his bedroom through his window quietly, not wanting to alert his parents to his presence. Liam grabbed up his lucky charm, a tiny version of his other trident. His brother had given it to him when he was a child. His brother was his hero, but he had died long ago. He hated not having it with him, but his parents wanted him to leave it at home. He still didn’t know completely why. But he was glad to have his charm back now so he could tell Caprina how he felt about her.

Aristaeus sighed at Tomoko. “I do, actually. But I don’t really want to talk about it right now, Tomo-chan. Can we just go do something else before the celebration tonight? I just want to unwind. Today was so stressful.”

Kangliana is unconscious so no post for right now (time skip for them, but others should still continue for now )

Tomoko raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?” she replied slowly. “Well… alright. I guess I can wait to find out. But don’t think I won’t torture the information out of you one way or another. Maybe I’ll get your mom to let you come to my house for dinner, and eat my mother’s cooking! MUH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!” She grinned maniacally. “Anyhow, for now, why don’t we go hang out your house for a bit. I’ll bet your room is cleaner than mine.”

Caprina hurried straight to their special meeting place, not bothering to check for others watching as she did so. Everyone else was too preoccupied to worry about one young merwoman slipping away from the crowd.

Kalani tilted his head to the right, raising an eyebrow. “Very important mermaid? Yeah, I guess so!” He flashed his best grin. “So, Ceely, miss VIM, you wanna hang out tonight at the celebration or something? I’d love to get to know you better.”

((Skipping Tatsuo for now as well. Not much for him to do XD))

Ceely grinned warmly. “And I you, Kalani. I’ll have to help out my cousin some of the time, but I hope that you’re a good dancer. I get a bit… silly when I dance.” She winked at Kalani, and then swam up in a swirl of bubbles, heading for home so she could glam herself up. She was so excited to be able to talk to Kalani. She wanted so badly to impress him in some way. She wanted their relationship to blossom into something that would last.
~~~
Liam swam as fast as he could to his and Caprina’s cave. “Caprina,” he sighed as he saw her. It was clear from her flushed face that she had swum straight there. “Caprina,” he started again, “I don’t really know how to say this to you. I mean, it’s so important for me to, and it should be easy, but…” He trailed off as he looked at her. She was so beautiful. Her beauty didn’t intimidate him or anything like that; it was just that he knew what people sometimes said about him. He heard often what they said behind his back, the other merkids at school. They would call him a freak, sometimes even saying that he was a retard. He hated it, but he at least got by. If someone ever said that to Caprina, or judged her because they were in love, then he didn’t know what he’d do with himself. He didn’t want people to look at her differently because of him.
~~~
Aristaeus groaned as he and Tomoko swam to his home. “I just realized. My dad is going to try and set me up with some girl. Gods above.” He hung his head, feeling depressed. He didn’t want to be with some other girl. He wanted to be with Tomoko. But the chances of that happening were so miniscule that he had no hope in the matter. His father would want him to marry someone who was purely intellectual, maybe even someone unattractive. Aristaeus’ parents’ marriage had been forced, and his father had only loved her in order to provide an heir for his family. Therefore, he wanted to make his son, who looked so much like his mother, as miserable as possible. He felt that if his child was unhappy then he would be avenging his own life and what he could have had.
~~~
When Kangliana woke, it was to unfamiliar surroundings. The room where she had been placed was lavishly furnished, almost too much so. She liked the colors fine, but the rest was just ridiculous to her. “Do you like the room?” a quiet voice asked. Kangliana sat up quickly, turning around. The queen sat in an ornately ugly chair. Kangliana instantly remembered the ceremony just a while before and how much she did not like this woman. “No, Your Majesty,” she replied smoothly. The queen smiled frostily at her. “I decorated this room myself. I wish you liked it better. I suppose you could change it when it’s yours though.” The queen stood. “Anyways my dear Kangliana, I hope that you will see soon that we must be friends.” Her smile grew colder, “However else will you be able to convince people that you actually love your husband and not that silly other boy Tao?” Kangliana’s hands curled into fists.

Caprina couldn’t stop herself. She had been waiting here for what felt like hours, thinking of the other girl that Liam must be madly in love with, and how he was going to tell her all about it, and ask for advice. She was probably beautifully gorgeous, smart, funny… everything any guy could ever hope for, and then some. And she would be lucky to get so sweet a guy as Liam, let alone one so attractive. Her mind travelled over all the time she had ever spet with Liam, the happiness, the laughter, the tenderness. But it was all over now. Before she knew it, she had blurted out, “There’s another girl isn’t there? You want to get married to some other girl and I’ve just been silly and too clingy and---and--- oh, why didn’t you tell me sooner, Liam?”

Tatsuo sat at the edge of a rather uncomfortable and ornate chair as people fussed at him. How messy and long his hair was, hadn’t he ever cut it? And his eyebrows had run wild, he was too tall, hadn’t he any care for his appearance? The answer really was no, he didn’t care, but rather than tell them that, he merely shrugged as they attacked his head. He was fighting the urge to flinch away, but he forced himself to sit still, and simply let the crazed servants do as they liked.

Tomoko tried to keep the fear from her voice as she laughed. “Yeah, I bet! That crazy old man just wants to marry you to a brain, not a woman. Oh well. Just make sure she can cook, alright Tae-Tae?”

A silly grin slipped onto Kalani’s face. He had a date! Wow. He could barely think straight, but somehow he managed to shake himself into motion towards home, to prepare for that night.

((skipping Ceely for this post))
~~~
Liam's jaw dropped. "What? Caprina, how could you think that there could ever be another girl for me than you?" He was aghast and completely shocked. "What have I done to make you believe otherwise? Caprina, I love you so much I don't even know what to do with myself sometimes. But I just don't want something to happen to you. And you're so beautiful, there's no way you could want a guy like me, I have... too much baggage." Liam looked away, unable to see her disgust.
~~~
Aristaeus didn't reply, too glum to respond. The two entered Aristaeus' home. He wondered where his father was as they entered and there was no sight of him. "Father?" he called vaguely as he checked different rooms for his only parent. When there was no answer, Aristaeus frowned. "That's weird. I thought he'd be home by now... Do you just want to hang out for a bit? Nobody here to bother us about marriage..."
~~~
"What do you want from me?" Kangliana growled between gritted teeth. "I only want for you to not fail in your responsibilities, dear," the queen smiled. The queen swam to the grand huge window as she spoke, "In my years of ruling, I have found that nothing inspires our people like two leaders, united, and happy to be so." She turned back to Kangliana dramatically. "I can tell from your current state that you need my help in the matter. So ask nicely, Kangliana, and I will help you maintain your position and keep the kingdom from dissolving." Kangliana felt her heartrate rise in anger but knew that the other woman was right. "Please... help me," she muttered at least, her face turning red from being humbled by such a vile woman. The queen's smile widened, a malicious glint in her eyes. Her teeth looked liked daggers. "Good. You'll be doing what I tell you for the next few days and it would be wise for you to keep your temper at bay. You'll also need this." The queen removed a necklace with a golden seashell on it from around her neck and forced it over Kangliana's large, flowy hair. "This is an heirloom passed down since the first king and queen of our kingdom. It, like your marriage, is a symbol of peace and prosperity. Your husband has a matching armband. You two may never remove them from this point onwards."
((this is the magic necklace we have discussed before ))

Caprina's eyes welled with tears, which vanished into the salty water around her. "Oh, Liam. We're such idiots. I love you. Nobody else could make me as happy as you."

Tomoko grinned. "Sounds AWESOME. What'll we do first? Burn the house down or pillage the city? Thats what my mom thinks I do when i hang out with--" she took a deep breath and scrunched up her face, her voice mimicking the tone of her mothers "THAT BOY!" She laughed, still trying to shake off a sense of unease. "She thinks you're the bad influence and I'm the quiet one."

~~gonna follow suit and skip ove Kailani~~~~

Tatsuo let his mind wander, pondering the puzzle cube still sitting at hme on his desk. He wondered if he could get these silly servants to fetch it for him. At least then they would be useful, instead of-----poking him in the side. He looked up into the eyes of a rather annoyed looking older man. "Come. come." He man grumbled. "Just because you're king now doesn't mean you don't have to go anywhere. The current king wishes to meet you. Move along."

Liam pulled Caprina to him, his fingers entangling in her hair as he pressed his lips on her own tightly. After a few more kisses, Liam rested his forehead on Caprina's. "What do we do now?" he grinned happily.
~~~
Aristaeus grinned. "Nothing could ever be more untrue." He shrugged. "What do you want to do? I'm sure Dad will be home soon... Wait a minute. He must be out there right now making a betrothal contract!" Aristaeus fell back on the couch behind him, his head in his hands, frustrated beyond belief. He knew his father was low and would never want his child to be happy, but Aristaeus had had a little more faith in him. That had clearly backfired.
~~~
"So, what other things are you going to have me do, besides never remove a necklace?" Kangliana snapped. The queen glared at her. "For now, you will wear what I tell you to. You want your husband to want you, do you not?" Kangliana fidgeted uncomfortably. "Is everything here about the image we have to hold up?" "Of course! These are the same things I was told on this exact day 45 years ago. Although I hadn't been in a secret relationship with a man I wasn't supposed to be, so it was much easier for my husband and I to present ourselves as in love." Kangliana frowned unhappily. She was stuck in this position, and it was clearly because of her relationship with Tao. "Did you only pick me because of Tao?" she asked quietly, not sure she wanted to know the answer. "Of course not. That would be spiteful and unqueenly. That factor contributed, but my husband and I picked you to be queen because you have a strangely remarkable sense of justice, as well as wisdom in your decisions, excluding Tao of course, and you are compatible to Tatsuo. Now put this corset on, and nothing more. Your first public appearance with your future husband is in an hour. You are to meet him in 10 minutes." With one last swish of her tail, the queen left Kangliana to wait and ponder what the older merwoman had said.
~~~
((still Ceely skipping))
((ps. if/when Caprina goes home, she shouldn't only be engaged, but she should also be forced to marry the random guy like right then and there. makes it a lot more complicated between her and Liam :3))

Caprina sighed softly, cuddling closer to Liam. "Well, there's only one thing to do. We have to tell our parents, so we can get married. Its the only way either of us will ever be happy."

Tomoko fought back the urge to scream bloody murder. "Hopefully she won't be that bad?" She forced herself to say, her voice sounding strangled. "It can't be that bad?"

Tatsuo followed the decrepit looking man with out a word, down a series of winding halways which would have caused any other merman to lose his way, but he found to be a rather pleasing detour. Finally, they entered a large bedroom, with a four poster bed against one wall. The room was painted in shades of red, orange, and gold, decorated with sea stars and fishes scale mosaics upon the walls. Tatsuo stared at a tall, thin, merman who lounged lazily on the bed. "Hello, boy. How's the kingdom going." The man paused, but seeing Tatsuo meant to actually answer, interrupted. "Now, now, none of that. Your opinion doesnt matter much now, only whether or not you can keep your queen and your country happy." He smiled sarcastically. "Oh! And the arm band. Always the arm band." He tossed a shining object at Tatsuo, hard. The younger man caught it, fumbling before he got a firm grip on the piece of jewelry. "An arm band?" He looked at it, admiring the craftsmanship and put it on with a shrug. "Alright then. Anything else?" The king laughed, sounding a bit psychotic. "Nothing, nothing at all. Swim along, boy."

"Deal," Liam smiled dazedly, "But first..." Liam kissed Caprina again, passionately, hoping she understood with the kiss that he promised to marry her no matter what.
~~~
"But it will never be the girl I love," Aristaeus murmured dejectedly. He glanced up at his best friend. "And I hope you know, Tomo, that I truly love her. She's all I've ever wanted, and I don't need anything else in my life other than her."
~~~
After Kangliana had changed into her corset, she opened the door to the room she was in. Across the hall, she could hear two mermen talking, but the door was closed so she couldn't see who they were. Kangliana swam forward slightly in the tiny hallway and found herself suddenly face to face with one of the palace guards. "Your Highness, you're not permitted in there yet," the guard said formally. Kangliana sighed exasperatedly. "And who are you to tell me I can't go in there?" "Bridgitte, if it pleases Your Highness. I directly serve the queen. I will serve you starting tomorrow." "But for now your loyalties lie with the ice witch?" Bridgitte smiled smlightly, "If you do not tell Her Majesty about the impertinent terminology, then yes." Kangliana nodded at the older merwoman. "Can you show me where I am allowed to go then?" "Certainly, Your Highness." Kangliana stopped the guard, "Please, just call me Kangliana." Bridgitte smiled. "Certainly... Kangliana." With that, the guard-woman swam up the private hallway to a set of double doors, leading Kangliana eventually into the receiving room of the king and queen. "His Highness will arrive shortly," Bridgitte told Kangliana, "You might as well get comfortable." Kangliana fidgeted self-conciously with her corset as she sat down in what would become her throne to wait for the man she was supposed to marry.
((their bedrooms are across the hall from each other in a private hallway only used by themselves and the guards, so you know if that's okay of course D:))

Caprina smiled dazzlingly at her true love. "See you soon." She waved at him, and flitted off to talk to her parents.

~~~skipping tomoko to give myself more time to plan her response and talk to you about it. shes not in any danger right now, so she'll live ~~~~~

Tatsuo dutifully followed the old servant out of the bedroom and out into the hall. The man gestured to the door across the hall. "This'll be your wife's room. Stay out of it unless invited. The last queen.... lets just say that door is well guarded." He cackled at Tatsuo's expression and continued with the younger man in his wake. He then stopped in front of a large arched doorway. "Throne room. Off you go, off with your head!" Tatsuo gave the man a confused glance, but the man was already leaving. Shrugging off his unease, Tatsuo entered the throne room.
((I'll let you react first so I can model mine off of yours))

Liam swam home quickly, excited to tell his parents his news about the girl of his dreams. He knew that they would understand, after all, they themselves had been in his same situation before they were married and would surely be very happy for their younger son.
~~~
((okay post soon though? maybe? ))
~~~
Kangliana glanced up as the double doors to the receiving hall opened. She glanced around for Bridgitte, but the older merwoman had somehow left the room through a door not visible to Kangliana's eye. Panicking, she stood up quickly, feeling completely exposed in her corset, necklace, and nothing else. And then she finally saw Tatsuo for the first time. Her mind racing, Kangliana realized that she'd never looked at him properly. He was actually quite handsome, although his hair was overstyled completely and didn't look as nice as Kangliana believed it could. "Hi-i," Kangliana's voice cracked and she winced. She sounded weak and timid and some other thing she couldn't quite put her finger on. But none of these were suitable. This was the merman she was to marry. Surely the previous king and queen knew what they were doing when they paired the two together. Nervously, Kangliana fiddled with her seashell necklace and said a bit more confidently, "Your name is Tatsuo, right?"
((so you know, I think they're alone.... that would make the most sense.... and the room I'm imagining is like King Triton's throne room in TLM, but with real walls and slightly altered thrones ))

It took Tatsuo a moment to realize that the woman in the throne was the same girl who had fainted away on the stage earlier in the day. She seemed to exude a new confidence and beauty. Finally his brain processed what the woman had said. "Oh, un, yeah. My name is Tatsuo. You're Kagliana, then?"
He fidgeted nervously, staring at the floor after catching himself staring at her.

Kangliana flushed as she realized that Tatsuo had been staring at her. "Yes. Um..." Kangliana had no idea what to say to the man that was going to be named her husband the following day. And for some reason she felt an overwhelming urge to touch him. Resisting this feeling, Kangliana crossed her arms, very aware of how little the corset she was wearing actually covered. A lot of her cleavage showed through the ribbons that held it together, as well as a slim view of her abdomen. She couldn't believe that the queen had put her in something so gaudy.
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((waiting for Tomo-chan <3))
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((skipping Liam since what next happens to him involves Ceely))
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Ceely had just finished getting ready when her mother burst into her bedroom. "Well you look nice, sweetheart! Perfect, actually," her mom smiled. Ceely grinned at her mother, "Thanks, Mom. So, what's up?" Ceely's mother was usually too busy with Ceely's younger siblings to actually come into her room to talk to her. "Well honey, I have something to tell you. But first, we've got to get going." "What about the other kids?" Ceely asked, confused. "Oh, don't worry about them, I left Ariadne in charge of them, honey. We really do need to get going." Ceely's mother looked slightly stressed, and Ceely fidgeted uncomfortably. "Alright Mom, I'm sorry. Ari will be fine with them." Her mom smiled sheepishly at Ceely. "I'm a mess, aren't I?" Ceely shook her head quickly and hugged her mother. "You're absolutely perfect, Mom. Everything's going to be okay." It had been hard for their family ever since Ceely's father had disappeared mysteriously a couple years ago. Ceely knew that her mom had hopes that her husband was still alive and lost somewhere, but Ceely had no such hopes. So she tried to make it easier on her mom as best as she could. It didn't always work though. "We'll be back later guys!" Ceely's mother told her siblings as they went out the door. Ceely gave them all a steely look. "Behave for Ari," she told them threateningly, and then she followed her mother out.
((I just realized that the whole queen and king selection process and people's reactions are really similar to Hunger Games, lol))

Tatsuo fidgeted with the armband he was given. "I just want you to know that I'll do my best to make you happy. Even if neither of us is happy now, I mean..." He glanced up at her, eyes gentle, but looked away just as quickly. His face straightened quickly. "I just wish the last rulers could give better advice." He grumbled. He wasn't entirely sure why all of this emotional fluff was coming out of his mouth, it was just happening. He wished fervently that he had one of his puzzles to work on, so he wouldn't have to deal with these living ones instead.

Kangliana's gaze softened. Perhaps Tatsuo wasn't so bad. She felt bad for judging him so quickly. Kangliana swam forward and shyly kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She looked away quickly. "So, I guess we need to know each other a little better, at least from a political stand poit. How do you feel about arranged marriages?"

Tatsuo looked up at his bride-to-be sharply. "You mean like this one?" His voice was low, but his tone was matter-of-fact. "I don't think this is the best place to come out as against them." He wasn't sure if she could feel it, but he knew that the two of them wouldn't be getting much privacy from prying eyes or ears around here. He gave her an apologetic look, and shrugged. "I don't mind them, but I think that the er---marriage-ees should have a chance to consent to them, so that there are no unwilling participants. However, when it is a matter of peace or war..." He trailed off, leaving her to see the meaning behind his words. There his mouth went again, saying things he hadn't thought through. ((Maybe she starts to reply and a servant comes in to take them to whatever next ceremony or dinner?))

Kangliana frowned. "Look, Tatsuo, that's not what I meant-" Kangliana started but was abruptly cut off as Bridgitte came in. "Your Highnesses, it is time for the celebration." She gave Kangliana a knowing look. The queen to be tried not to look sheepish. Bridgitte lead the couple out of their throne room and outside to the royal courtyard. Kangliana's mouth fell open. All the people at the ceremony that morning had come back, but now that she and Tatsuo stood above them, Kangliana felt terrified at how much power she could have, and would have. "Announcing their royal majesties, the soon to be Queen Kangliana and King Tatsuo!" Below the two young merpeople, their future subjects rejoiced. The noise was deafening. Kangliana took Tatsuo's hand out of fright and squeezed it tightly, not sure if she could handle everything that was happening. It wouldn't be fit to pass out again, but Kangliana wasn't sure that she could communicate that to her brain.

Tatsuo took a shaky breath and smiled out at the crowd, squeezing the hand Kangliana had slipped into his, before lifting it into the air--a triumphant gesture. There was a science to crowd dynamics, and he wanted to be sure this one remained docile. Not to mention the fact that he found the contact between them strangely reassuring. He fairly clung to the young woman as the officials gave their speeches and lauded the great peaceful laws of their country and the strength and glory of their achievements.

Kangliana refused to let go of Tatsuo's hand as they were lead from place to place. Finally they were lead to two thrones at the head of a long table intended for royalty and the royal family. They ate with the current king and queen and the remaining family of the royals before them. Tao was there and he watched Kangliana from his place. She flushed vivaciously under his gaze. She could see the hunger in his eyes, and the pain. She kept trying to look away, and tried to keep up pleasant but shallow small talk with Tatsuo, but it was hard. She saw Ceely down below, dancing with a boy Kangliana didn't know. Finally the meal ended, and the queen gave Kangliana that clearly meant that she should dance with Tatsuo.

Tatsuo felt a stare boring into his head, and looked up from his dinner warily. The old king motioned for him to dance with Kangliana. Panic flared in Tatsuo's throat. Dancing? In front of a crowd? He had taken lessons at school on his mother's request, but nothing could prepare him for this. He rose slowly from his throne, extending his hand to the queen. Would she accept?

Kangliana took Tatsuo's hand tentatively, her skin feeling like it was aflame. Tao's eyes followed them as they came down from the raised table to the dance floor. Silence fell over the gathered people as they approached and Kangliana swallowed, trying to keep her nerves under control. She placed the hand not already clasped in Tatsuo's on her betrothed's shoulder. She breathed as slowly as she could through her nostrils, waiting for Tatsuo to signal to the orchestra when they could begin.