My meeting with the matchmaker came quickly and my relatives coincidently were meeting her on the same day. My mother woke me up before the sun even raised to prepare myself mentally and physically. My tail washed and coated into a special seaweed making the colour appear much more vibrant, my hair was also cleaned making it all soft and my skin was marked with some symbols. Almost all the town was going to be there and if I didn't succeed to find a mate, it would be a complete disgrace. I wouldn't be able to mate anymore unless someone took interest in me and my parents, what would they think of me?

As I saw the sunrise, my nerve started to eat me alive. I didn't saw Nanami nor Kaito. I guessed they also went to prepare themselves for their meeting.

"Llyr, remember everything we told you yesterday. The matchmaker is very meticulous and remembers to use the beauty of your tail to your advantage," mom repeated the same information since yesterday. "And remember, no matter what happens, you'll always be our son."

I nodded at her not bothering to answer anymore since she said everything again in about five minutes.

Finally getting out of our house, my hands started to shake, so I held them together to stop the trembling. When we got in front of the matchmaker house/temple, there was a huge crowd and the doors opened.

It was Nanami. She came out with a huge smile, so I guessed everything went well. However, I didn't see Kaito anywhere... Was he already inside? Or did he already go home?

I looked around, but my mother gently pushed me on my back so I could be in the center if the circle made by merpeople. Surprised, I looked at her like she had two heads. She wanted me to stand in front of all these merpeople?!

But she shoved me harder and hurriedly pushed me in front saying it was soon to be my turn. I swam through the crowd and waited for my turn. When the doors opened again, Kaito appeared and when he saw me, he gave me a smirk before swimming away. I gulped, what did that smirk mean??

Suddenly, the doors slammed open and a very old scaring looking mermaid appeared. She was really intimidating, so much that I nearly regretted it.

Nearly.

When she called my name, I slowly approached, saluted her before presenting myself.

She wrote something on her shell before nodding and told me to come inside.

I politely answered her and swam inside as she slammed the doors shut, startling me. She rapidly swam next to me.

"Sit down," she ordered as I complied.

She took my tail in her hands. She started to touch it, feeling it, examining it. Sometimes, she asked a few questions here and there on how I took care of my tail and body. She nodded again, before writing on the shell again. Then, she looked up to my body, eyes, hair... I was feeling like a small fish surrounded by a huge white shark as she looked at me, waiting to find a flaw or something.

Being satisfied with her examination, she finally swam past me and settled herself behind a large desk and a big pearl.

I anxiously waited, but it seemed like she wasn't in a hurry. She was sitting in front of me, like a statue, never breaking eye contact.

"Llyr, tell me something," she started making me sit straighter and nervously waited for her question as I nodded furiously. "Why aren't you excited to discover your partner today? Why did you fear this day?"

I looked at her surprised. How did she... Of course, she knew everything. Nothing could escape her.

"I-I... I have been nervous to see if my l-life would be as structured and as peaceful as my parents."

"To ease your worry, your life will indeed be structured, but peaceful, that will be up to you," she answered, seeming satisfied with my answer. "Now, it is time to show you what you came for..." she put her hands in front of the pearl and started to mumble something.

It started to glow and at first, the interior was all mist, but with time, it started to get clearer and clearer. All of sudden, a face appeared and the matchmaker's eye twitched before looking back at me with the usual poker face.

She seemed to hesitate and for a reason unknown to me. "Your mate is..." she closed her eyes for a few before opening it, "Cadfael, First Prince of the Second Sea."

I looked at her in disbelief. Did I hear her right?! Yet, she couldn't have made an error, she never did or so I was told. Was I really going to be the mate of Cadfael, the First Prince of the Second Sea?

Soon after, she opened the door as I slowly swam away and like my cousins, I was greeted with people looking at me and even some applauding. Why? Did they already know? How?

The last words of the matchmaker still played over and over in my head,

"The Prince has already been informed about you. He will be here soon to take you to his Kingdom. And tomorrow, come meet me in front of the castle."

When I approached my family, my mom hugged me tight and my father welcomed me warmly too.

"Congratulation Llyr, I knew you could do it!" said my mother with a big smile as my father nodded.

As I looked around, it seemed like no-one would miss me here... They all seemed happy for me to be mated to a Prince in the Second Kingdom...

From now on, I was all alone.