There existed a strange pull, a tug in her very core, that drew her to the sea. She would be able to find it with her eyes closed. With Arthur at her side, the warmth of his shoulder brushing her own, she felt something she certainly hadn’t felt in many, many years: happiness.
It wasn’t that she had been unhappy in Atlantis, but Mera had always had the sensation that something were missing. The passion that ignited her core all the way to her fingertips was far-reaching; she knew causes, she knew people, and she knew what she had to do… but she didn’t really know what she wanted. What did she want?
Atlantis. That was her home. She wanted Atlantis.
The word came unbidden and sent a wave of shock through her body. She almost stopped walking, but forced herself to continue as if nothing were wrong, as if her entire resolve wasn’t threatening to slip away right there, underneath a flashing DON’T WALK sign and the nearby grumbling of a snow plow.
She couldn’t have Arthur. Mera knew that. It wasn’t part of the plan. It could ruin everything if she changed her mind now, everything she’d worked so hard for, and who was to say what would happen if she returned to Atlantis with a changed mind? A changed heart? They would call her weak. A queen couldn’t think like a woman, is what they would say. She must put her people above all else. She could not let Arthur in her heart. Yet… he had eased his way inside, little by little, and now it was too late.
The sight of the ocean changed everything. Mera’s pace slowed as she watched the soft rippling in the moonlight and listened to the breeze rustle the tall grass that grew haphazardly throughout the dunes. The sea seemed to quell the negative emotions that brewed inside her, threatening to erupt. Suddenly none of it seemed to matter anymore. Here, from this vast shoreline, the ocean appeared endless. It felt as if there were nothing else out there and they were the only two people left on earth.
Her breath stopped as soon as Arthur touched her face. She looked at him, her eyes glowing in the dying lamp at the end of the dock. “We don’t have to go,” she said softly. “Not right now. Later… later.”
She was a coward. Going to Atlantis meant facing her people and being reminded of why she was here in the first place. Mera had every intention of fulfilling her duty; she had little choice. For now, she would hold off for as long as she could. For now, she would kiss him on the sand while the wind tossed and teased their hair, whipping it around their heads until they were one person.
There were times like this when they would be this close and they would be staring into each others' eyes, that Arthur would wonder what she'd see in his. Sometimes, he wished it was the same as when he'd gaze into hers, because everything about her was just overwhelmingly beautiful.
It was just not how she looked, although that was already a given. Mera's beauty was such that she could make lesser men sink to their knees with nothing but a simple glance their way.
But it was more than that. She had with her a brilliant mind and an unfaltering strength that always shine through with everything she does. And most importantly, she was kind.
Hidden behind all that indomitable spirit and cool façade was compassion, and it was that same compassion that brought her to him. She was willing to risk everything for her kingdom. For her people. Even it meant sacrificing herself in the process.
The knowledge brought forth a dagger of guilt, and it twisted sharply on Arthur's side.
Cupping her jaw, he gently brushed his thumb over her lower lip and felt its lush softness beneath his fingerpad. He knew then what he had to do
Allowing himself one last temptation, Arthur leaned in closer to remember once more how her lips would part open and welcome him for a taste, how her tongue would touch his to sing him a song only the two of them can hear, how her breath would caress his cheek until he'd inhale her into his system...
Arthur was reminded and knew he'll never forget.
When the kiss ended, he rested his forehead on hers, only realizing then that her hair was now a glorious silken mess tangled through his fingers.
He closed his eyes. The hammering in his chest was hard to ignore.
"Mera..." he slowly began as he pulled away from her, wondering how he could tell her what he wanted to say. "I've been thinking...that agreement we made..." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little awkward and refusing to look at her. "It's stupid. I'm dissolving it."
He waited a moment before continuing. "Don't worry. I'll still fight for Atlantis without the bargain.... You were right. It is part of me. It is my responsibility. You don't owe me anything for fulfilling it."
Arthur sat on a nearby fallen log and began taking off his shoes and socks. When he was done, he linked his fingers with Mera's and gently pulled her to the sea, wading their feet in the water and curling their toes in the sand.
"Your people must be eager to see you again. You've been gone for so long, we mustn't let them wait any longer."
It wasn't a lie. And yet despite uttering them, he rejected the truth of his words. He still selfishly wanted her all to himself tonight, but that part of him warred mercilessly with the other part that knew she never was his to begin with.
Arthur tried to smile and make himself sound light. "Let's go, Your Highness..."
He was losing this battle. They needed to leave before regret overcomes him.
A/N: There was no other song.
