"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss West, I've heard so much about you." The man in front of me stood tall, he was dark-skinned with long hair pulled back into dreadlocks. Each of the dreadlocks appeared to have some blue and purple thread or yarn weaved into them. His eyes were an amazing shade of gold. Highly unusual, but not entirely unheard of. Though the only reason I knew about that was research on a character I wrote when I was younger.
But embarrassing old characters aside...
Veronica's 'hubby' was an extremely attractive man with an almost princely air about him. In my travels, I have met a few people of nobility from smaller countries. They all held themselves much in the same way that this guy did. If I wasn't attracted to women as I was. I'd say I'd be terribly jealous of Veronica managing to snag someone like this. And from the looks that Veronica was giving her husband. I'd say she knew just how much of a catch this guy was.
"Nice to meet you as well," I said before looking over at the mermaid, I knew naturally I'd have to introduce her. But, the problem was I didn't even know her name. A faint sense of embarrassment washed over me remembering what we had done in the cave. Though to be honest, it wouldn't be the first time I didn't know a girl's name... But usually, they didn't stick around long enough for me to notice. Also, they weren't as special to me as her...
I stared at the mermaid biting the inside of my cheek unsure what to do or say. I opened my mouth ready to lie my ass off when Veronica's husband spoke up.
"Gwenore?" My eyes snapped over to Veronica's husband, a look of shock and recognition was on his face. The mermaid perked up at this and unlatched herself from my arm. She rushed up the steps before I could do or say anything and jumped into a hug with Veronica's husband.
Veronica's eyes widened, "This is Gwen!?" She exclaimed sounding excited. "Oh dear, we weren't expecting you for another week!" Veronica clapped her hands excitedly before pulling Gwen into a hug with her as well. "It's so good to finally meet you!"
The wheels slowly started to turn in my head, how did they know each other? The mermaid-- or rather Gwen was a mermaid! Did they know?! How did they know?
"It looks like you've made arrangements for your stay yourself!" Veronica said with a laugh, I felt my face flush. The look that Veronica gave me and the tone that she had said it with.
She already knew...
Though I'd have to say Gwen walking around naked might have given it away.
Gwen pulled away from Veronica's husband and her hands immediately started rapidly signing away at both Veronica and her husband. Veronica watched the hands as if she understood exactly what was said.
"Oh! You came early!" Veronica spoke, Gwen nodded with a smile on her face. She seemed excited to be finally understood, I winced at this. I hadn't really realized she had been capable of language... Though it seemed as though I wouldn't have understood her in the first place. I didn't recognize any of those hand signs. Gwen's hands flew fast and quick as Veronica and her husband watched closely.
"Slow down you're making my head spin!" Veronica's husband said with a laugh, "It's been a while since I've seen you sign!" He admitted before Veronica seemed to realize that Sam and I were still standing there looking very confused.
Veronica turned to her husband "Oshun..." She rested a hand on his forearm getting his attention, "Maybe we should talk inside." She suggested giving him a look that clearly meant something. Oshun looked around suddenly realizing where we were. "Yeah..." he said slowly before turning around, "Let's head inside to catch up," he suggested walking up the steps.
I watched Oshun, Veronica, Gwen, and Sam all head up the steps before me. Veronica and Oshun's attitudes suddenly changed after Veronica gave him that look. They seemed guarded and paranoid. It occurred to me that I might not be welcomed among the group because of Gwen clearly being close to Veronica and Oshun.
I bit my lip unsure as to what to do. I thought about everything that had happened over the past few days. It felt like it was so long ago since she and I met. I watched Gwen happily sign something to Veronica who laughed at her. A bitter smile found its resting place on my lips. She was happy and she was clearly safe.
I should go.
I turned to walk away trying to ignore whatever feelings cropped up inside of me. She didn't owe me anything and I didn't want her to feel like she owed me anything. Letting out a huff, I blew some hair out of my face. At the very least I wouldn't have to deal with Veronica's driving on the way back.
Walking past Veronica's car, I suddenly heard footsteps running up behind me and I was captured into a hug. Turning around I saw orange hair and a very upset mermaid. "Gwen?" I asked before pausing, "Th... That's your name, right? I... I can call you that right?" I stumbled over myself unsure what to do or say. Gwen's pouting expression turned into something almost unreadable when I said her name. She signed something at me and I gave her an apologetic look. "I..." I started to say as she continued signing things at me. "I'm sorry, I don't understand that kind of sign language." I apologized.
Gwen looked frustrated and let out a huff before catching that Sam was still lingering by the door. Running up to the steps she signed something at the teenager. "Yeah, I can understand you." Sam mumbled sheepishly, "Mom made me learn that stuff." She added just before Gwen grabbed her arm and pulled her down the steps to me. Nearly picking up the teen and placing her in between the two of us she signed away rapidly.
I watched the young girl struggle to keep up with the rapid signs, a look of horror and embarrassment formed on Sam's face. Her face turned bright red and she looked away covering her eyes. "I'M NOT TRANSLATING THAT!" She shouted. Gwen grabbed at her arm trying to get her to pay attention, she seemed desperate and frustrated. Sam on the other hand seemed mortified that she was in this situation.
I, in my own corner, was completely confused and clueless. "What did she say?" I asked wanting to know what was being said. Sam peeked out of between her fingers at me and groaned. "It... It was pretty graphic." She mumbled, I felt heat grow on my cheeks. "Gwen!" I shouted turning to her, "What did you say!?"
If she said what I thought she did... The heat on my cheeks grew, Gwen gave up on signing at me or Sam and just gave me a look. "No..." I said slowly, a smile grew on Gwen's face. "No..." I shook my head, my face was glowing red at this point. "You can't be telling kids that stuff!" I shouted lunging at her. Gwen easily dodged me and ran up the steps, I was not two paces behind her. Sam followed shortly after deciding to go hide in her room. I'm assuming just in case Gwen decided to try to use her as a translator again.
Not noticing that I had followed Gwen into the house, I backed her into a corner. Pinning her between my arms I spoke lowly, "Gwen that stuff is private." I hissed through my teeth. Gwen gave me a smug look in response, I didn't need to be signed at to know exactly what she wanted to say. "You're impossible to deal with you know that right?" I grumbled pinching her cheeks a bit. Gwen's tongue slipped out licking one of my hands, I flushed a bit jerking my hand away. "Damn thing is just as long on land isn't it?" I mumbled mostly to myself, Gwen gave me a wink in response.
I averted my eyes feeling heat radiate off of my face. A cough to the side caught both Gwen and my attention. Oshun was standing there looking quite amused, "If you two are done flirting..." He started, "You can join us in the sunroom." Gwen signed something, Oshun glared. "I am not blocking anything!" He exclaimed, "Why are you always so crude..." He grumbled, Gwen rolled her eyes before turning to me. Leaning up as if it were nothing, Gwen pulled me down into a kiss in front of Oshun before pulling away and leading me by the hand into the sunroom.
I was completely baffled by the turn of events and hardly processed anything until I found myself sitting on a love seat with the mermaid now known as Gwen basically in my lap. "I... uh..." I started as Veronica sat down with a tea set. "I'm sure you have a ton of questions Gloria!" Veronica said happily, her usual smile suddenly then turned into something different in the next breath. "As we have plenty of questions for you two." She added giving Gwen a look. Gwen seemed smug and proud of herself, she signed something at Oshun who was sipping his tea at the moment.
Nearly choking on the tea when he saw Gwen sign at him. Oshun seemed angered, "Gloria is not prettier than my wife!" He spat furiously at even the suggestion. Veronica laughed in a tone that someone would use when they were amused by a child. "Oh! Honey, I think you're a little biased." She said patting Oshun on the arm. Oshun huffed grumbling to himself.
I shot Gwen a look, "And she's not?" I asked, Gwen, smiled. She seemed to be excited to finally be able to talk to me in some manner. To be honest I was a little excited too. After all the time we had spent together... Well, it was nice to be able to even communicate. Even if we had to use other people to do it...
Turning back to Veronica and Oshun I decided I would at the very least start peppering them with questions before they did the same to me. "How do you know Gwen?" I blurted out, the question had burned brightly inside of me ever since I heard Oshun use her name. Veronica took a sip of her tea and glanced over at Oshun.
The man sat his cup down and looked at me seriously, "How much do you know about Gwen?" he replied to my question with a question himself. I opened my mouth to say something but Gwen started signing away. "OH! So she knows!" Veronica gasped, she sounded relieved. Gwen nodded adding in another few signs, I felt completely left out and desperate to even remotely understand what was being said. "Can someone translate please?" I begged finally fed up with my situation.
Oshun spoke up, "Gwen's saying you know that she's..." he trailed off looking around, "A mermaid?" I asked finishing his statement, Oshun nodded. "Yeah, I kinda figured that out," I remarked pulling up my sleeve on my arm. The bitemarks were finally closed enough to be exposed to air. "Good lord what happened to your arm!" Oshun exclaimed, I glanced over at a very guilty looking Gwen.
"She did." I pulled up my sleeve and saw Gwen sign something at me, "She says she's sorry." Veronica spoke off to the side, translating for Gwen. I smiled at Gwen, "You can make it up to me later." I teased lightly, a mischievous smile grew on the mermaid's lips. She signed something, "I'm not translating that." Was Oshun's response. He sounded exhausted seeing Gwen sign that. Almost as if she spoke like that often.
"You never answered my question," I spoke up changing the subject, I got the feeling that if I didn't keep the conversation going, the two of them could fight all day. Oshun snapped his eyes to me ignoring Gwen signing away at him. It was then I noticed a look in his eyes that hadn't been there before. Out in the courtyard of their house, Oshun held himself in a way I had seen many nobles do. Guarded and distant. But now, there was a look of softness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. He also seemed much more relaxed than before.
"We're childhood friends." He explained with a smile, I furrowed my brows. "So does that mean that you're...?" I trailed off unsure what exactly to call a male mermaid. "Mer as well?" Oshun asked finishing the sentence for me, "Yes." he answered. Veronica smiled giving Oshun a good pat on his leg. She seemed proud of Oshun for trusting me with such information.
"My family rules the seas around here." Oshun further explained, I tilted my head. "So you're kinda a big deal then?" I half-joked, I wasn't sure what ruling the seas meant. "My Oshun was the crown prince," Veronica explained with a soft laugh. My eyes widened before I realized Veronica used the word 'was'.
"Was?" I asked, Oshun tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear. "I stepped down to marry Veronica." he explained looking over at Veronica with loving eyes, "I don't regret it for a second," he added, Veronica smiled leaning over and peaking his lips. Oshun seemed to forget we were there for a moment as he stared at Veronica. Gwen cleared her throat looking irritated at the sight of them kissing.
"What?" Oshun asked looking at her, Gwen signed something, "It's no different than you doing that with Gloria!" He exclaimed, his cheeks flushed slightly. Veronica and I let out a laugh at the same time. Veronica brushed some of Oshun's hair back behind his shoulder. "So how did you two meet?" She asked not removing her eyes from her husband.
"I could ask the same of you two," I remarked reaching down to the table grabbing a cup of tea for myself. "I'm sure curious as to how a human ends up marrying a sea prince." I took a sip of the tea, the taste of cinnamon filled my mouth. Gwen watched me curiously as if wanting to see if I thought the drink tasted good before trying it herself.
"Probably not much different than a human seducing a sea princess." Oshun casually replied, I choked on my tea instantly getting the implications. "What did you tell them?!" I snapped my eyes in the direction of Gwen who was now eying my cup of tea. "Quite a bit. It was pretty graphic. She was also very proud of herself." Veronica laughed, I looked back to Veronica mortified. I barely noticed Gwen snatching my cup out of my hands and downing the rest of the tea.
A gag sounded off next to me and I looked at Gwen, "You're not supposed to drink it all at once." I explained with a sigh. Suddenly I remembered the remark Oshun had made. "Wait... You're a princess?" I asked Gwen who sneered at the cup before setting it down. Looking at me Gwen paused and then shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Gwen's not the crown princess. But, she is one hundred and first in line for the throne." Oshun explained, "That's a long line." I mumbled taking a bite out of a biscuit that sat upon a plate next to the tea. Gwen casually reached over swiping the other half out of my hand and eating it. "You could get your own you know." I griped, Gwen signed and Veronica laughed. "She said it wouldn't be as good then." Veronica translated. I rolled my eyes when Gwen leaned her head on my shoulder. It seemed that between the cave and now... Gwen had no problem invading my personal space.
Not that I minded of course... But... I sure as hell wasn't going to let her know that...
"So," I spoke up, ignoring Gwen playing with my hair. "How did you guys meet?" I asked repeating the question from earlier. Veronica let out a happy sigh, "It's a pretty long story." She informed me, I adjusted myself against the arm of the loveseat. "Well, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," I remarked casually.
Comments (0)
See all