Chapter Text
Seven kings they were.
Seven kings with a domain of the sea to rule over, to offer prosperity, peace, comfort and safety to their people.
Seven kings with powerful magic to bring that promise.
Nikora of the Pacific, her magic one of purity that kept her waters clean and energy her people showed in the incredible distances and speed they took in their spacious territory. Olusegun of the Atlantic, his magic a heat enough to produce hurricanes, his people large enough to be confused with the whales they did well to protect. Varuna of India, his magic of craft to produce the deep stones their weapons and medallions needed to hypnotize. Arnaaluk of the Arctic, her magic of ice and blizzards for the depths, keeping the glaciers alive. Atabey of the Caribbean, with magic of lights and glows that her people used to sprinkle their Sea in wonderful sparkling shines. Kukulcan of Mexico, with magic to shake the grounds and bring more sea to the Earth.
And then, Augusto of the Mediterranean.
At his mentioning, little arms grasped the blue fish plush closer to his chest, a grin with teeth in the whitest pearls, blue eyes that showed the excitement and energy of waves.
The first to be crowned King, the first to be bestowed power from the gods. His was creation…anything that he wished, he could omit. If he wanted the sun's shine brighter in the depths of his kingdom, he could make it so. If he wanted diamonds and rubies and emeralds to coat the floor beds, they glittered always under his people's passing. If he wanted his voice to roar lightning into our world, there would be storms dancing under his song.
He blessed his kingdom in the most dazzling stones to tower and house countless, items of gold and jewels to decorate even the smallest, imaginations and ideas that kept his power of creation king as Augusto was.
His people had voices reminiscent of their god ancestors, always a song or an anthem to keep the sea alive.
Merpeople as far as from the Pacific would come to witness their grandeur, their concerts and feasts, an occasion no one dared to miss. Their kingdom and people were the envy of all…especially to the Sorcerer, Keron.
Pisa and Keron, mersiblings with an origin of mystery, had crafted magic of their own, just like that of the Seven Kings, but futile to reach the creational levels that Augusto held. Keron craved for this power, the most grandiose of all, and he had no fears, no mercy, to do what was needed to reach it. He fooled an army into thinking that they would take part of the riches and prosperity he would create once he held the power of the seven and tried to convince his sister to join him in the same ruling. But Pisa saw past the hunger in his dark eyes, and saw that the future would only hold ruin if the seas fell under his power. She knew he was full of greed that wanted all of it for himself, without a care for the people and creatures that depended on this magic to live. She warned the seven kings of his plot and was especially persistent with Augusto.
He understood the dangers and called forth an army himself to fight Keron. It was powerful, a menace no one had expected from the Mediterranean King. Augusto showed to be ruthless, intelligent with how he moved his attacks and with no hesitation to draw the blood of those who dared doubt his power and capability. Keron had killed his sister in anger, betrayal, but Augusto did well to avenge her, his armies riding of Keron’s as if it was a mere game. Keron was left with nothing to fight with, not even his magic enough against the sheer power and force that Augusto held, falling at the foot of his golden trident, the symbol of his power and ruling.
Keron was exiled to a trench, decreed to never hold union or contact with anybody of the seven kingdoms of the sea. Till this day, no one knows what has become of him and no one dares to find out.
A shrill, a giggle escaped one of the listeners, the older sibling’s way of showing his shivers.
The merfolk call this the war for creation, and once they had known they were victorious, they celebrated. Augusto created three days of feast.
Le Tre Feste.
Arte, a gallery of sculptures and works of his own creation.
Musica, a concert where he sang his own beautiful melodies.
And Belleza, where he wore their most prized jewels, along with presenting food and decorations to let everyone join and enjoy one last day of feast.
These days of feast were marked well and soon many wanted a repeat of such galore. Many made their own as a show of loyalty and devotion to the throne and soon enough they became a test to show your worth and determination to work for the crown.
When Augusto married, his wife, Helena, a beautiful mermaid from the Aegean sea with a spectacular white and blue tail, made her own tre feste for their wedding.
Their daughter, Renata, gorgeous and with a red and golden tail just like her father's, who was born off the coast of the island of Elba, also made her own tre feste for when she turned twenty…
…they say these were the last to be celebrated."
And the boys gloomed knowing they came to the end.
"Renata had to have kids of her own…and then they'll be more feste," the four year old boy, Ludwig, knew with certainty, crawling back to his mother's lap in the hopes it would get her to stay and tell more.
Monika smiled and cradled her youngest son closer…even if he was trying to cheat off his bedtime. "Perhaps."
"Yeah! She had that romance with the merman from Sicily!" Gilbert, the eldest who was eleven, reminded loudly, standing on his little brother's bed to make it sure. "They probably had like…ten kids! That's like…a trillion feste!"
"Gilbert, get down and start preparing to go to your own room. You still haven't finished packing." The boy groaned as he jumped down. "Besides, I think Renata would only have two kids…two boys…just like I do." She kissed and tickled the younger, who laughed and shook with the love. Gilbert gagged and ran off before his mother decided to make him the next target.
"You better go and work on that suitcase!"
"Ja! Ich weiss!"
She groaned and really hoped he actually did.
"Mama, I don't want to go back to Germany," Ludwig saddened.
"Hase, we've been here an entire month as usual. It’s time to go back home, to opa and oma, and the Kita.” She picked him up and tucked him back to bed, blue fish to his side.
“But here we have the sea, and we get to swim all the time, and it’s still so warm and so pretty and we have…pizza!”
“There’s pizza in Potsdam too, you know.”
“But it’s…not as good…”
Monika rolled her eyes, “you won’t be minding soon, Hase.”
She went over to start shutting curtains, the windows showing a bright full moon, the lights from the distant hills, the bay glistening and then an endless horizon that Ludwig kept his stare on. Monika was just closing the last curtain, the last view of the sea, when Ludwig interrupted her. “...they also live here.”
Monika was at first confused, wondering what her son could be talking about, until she followed his gaze…the bay of La Spezia and then out unto the mediterranean sea.
“Augusto and the mermaids live here.”
Monika couldn't really blame him, she had said it enough times.
She left that last window open, taking a seat at her son’s bed, coming close. “Yes…yes, he does. In his kingdom, in the palace, with his people and his family, peacefully and with so much love.” She caressed his hair so sweetly and Ludwig leaned more towards it. “Now, sleep,” she kissed the top of his head and then stood, “we leave first thing in the morning.” She went to the door, turning off the lights, taking the door, “Gute nacht, ich hab dich lieb.” “Ich hab dich lieb auch.” Adoring smiles and the door was shut. Ludwig was left to dream of Sea Kings and princesses and long ago wars with sea sorcerers and perhaps new feste to come.
How beautiful it used to be to have those dreams, to think them real…Ludwig now trying hard to imagine all those figures swimming these very seas as he used to…but the clearness of these waters were only interrupted by the usual fishes, perhaps a boat or somebody throwing a rock as they walked by.
“-and in her song, she had enough power to light up the chandelier, along with a cascade of lights that coated all the guests, applauding and knowing to expect a show worthy of the princess-”
“Mamma, can you admit something to me?” Monika moved herself away from the image she was living as she told, turning now to her ten year old. For some reason, he looked so suddenly changed, his pajamas now dark ones with no cartoonish designs, so much taller, so much more robust, on his face long gone those baby expressions.
“Sure, what is it?”
“Mermaids are not real right?”
Of course…that was obvious…but why was she so taken aback? She deflated, the story suddenly useless, their vivacity gone, no more did they seem to have their color or their livelihood. From her stand, she breathed out and sat back down on the bed, noticing how much Ludwig’s legs now reached to her.
“No, Ludwig…no…they’re not real.” It hurt to say.
“Mmm…” Ludwig guessed as much, and yet he smiled with some sort of relief.
“What made you realize? Did Gilbert tell you?” She had to ask.
He shook his head, “he never told me anything…but, mamma…do you really want me to believe in seven sea kings that control our oceans through magic? Mermaids with incredible voices and a sorcerer that tried to take it all away?”
It was all far fetched, of course the day would come that her son would see through it…just like Gilbert had done. She sighed…already missing him…he had decided to spend this autumn holiday with some friends in Spain.
“Yes, you’re right…it’s all, quite far-fetched…I just…I just liked telling them…I…love these stories,” she admitted.
Ludwig smiled, “I know, I like them a lot too…which is why I don’t mind listening to them all over again.”
“Yes, I know…but…it’s not the same magic if you don’t believe in them anymore.”
And he didn’t know how he could comfort his mother, but grin, make himself comfortable and ask, “do you still believe Renata only had two boys?”
She smiled, “yes, but…I think I’m projecting myself in that aspect.”
“It’s still nice…that’s like…a trillion feste,” Ludwig tried to make fun of his brother and it earned the laugh he wanted from his mother.
“Six, Ludwig…it would only be six.”
And sure, autumn after autumn, every Italian holiday at their vacation home, Ludwig would always sit and listen, right by the Liguria sea, where far into the horizons they always saw, in the hidden depths they never bothered to look was the sound, the melodies of a people that went on singing their specific anthem, swimming with splendorous tails in the comfort of their rocky homes in jeweled colors, with corals and the fauna of the deep.
In this city of Imperia, deep as it was, they could still feel the dim lighting of the moon, telling all to start lullabies for the night. The princess, Renata, knew her sons loved a good song to sleep, but her youngest, the little prince Feliciano, three years old, was currently at a stage where all he wanted was to rapidly swim around his cove, laughing, giggling and living the lyrics of some chase his mother had sung. Her elder son, Lovino, was born with a green tail, noticeable to spot from a distance, yet unique and she knew that if he needed to hide, he would use the kelp. Now, Feliciano’s was a spectacular blue, sometimes mending well with the darkness that fell, which made it much easier to hide…but all she needed to do was listen… and there she caught a laugh he tried to hide in the cover of his hands.
She knew she had given him the perfect name.
“E... ecco il mio pescino!” She shouted, catching and bringing him quick into her arms to spin, dance and swim as he let his laugh ring loudly through the whole hall. Several guards had peeked, but went back to their rounds when they knew it was the princess and the young prince.
“Ancora! Again! Again! Again!” He shouted.
“Sole mio, we have done enough!” She cradled him and he pouted, understanding there was no more escape. She brought him to his bed of soft anemone, the tentacles having grown in a way to hold the boy comfortable, wrapped well for no more games.
“But I like it so much and you always kiss me and hug me so tight when we play human.”
“Sole, you do know that’s not what a human would do.”
“I know…they’ll take me away from my family and eat me up.” A terror, brown eyes much more widened than they already were.
“Exactly! Which is why we don’t go near them or get close to the shores.”
“But nonno can beat them up!”
“He probably could, but we rather stay here and sing and eat and create and nothing more.”
“Nothing more,” he had thought he knew, decided, sinking deeper in his bed, content and making Renata sure nothing will break him from his sleep once he fell into it.
"Buona notte, Tesoro." She thought she could swim away.
"We're safe right…we're safe here and they can't do anything to us." She turned to him, fear now bright in his eyes where only moments ago there was so much joy. The more he gave it thought, the more he trembled, tears peaking and Renata couldn't take it any longer. She swam back, calling to the raise of his arms expecting more cuddles. Although she was tempted, Feliciano had to learn an important lesson…and that he had to sleep on his own. She placed an arm behind him, leaned towards him and took his little hands dearly in hers.
"Caro, yes, yes we are safe. The humans live so far above us, in their lands with their own kingdoms.”
“But…Lovino told me they have all those scary weapons and…magic that is so hot and burning that it could wipe out the whole ocean!"
She sighed, "amore, Lovino is just telling stories like I am. They're too busy up there to be thinking or even search for us…many don't even believe we exist."
How odd and how was it possible? People that didn't think he was there, ready for the night to be prepared for a whole new adventure the next day.
"Just stories," he repeated…but he still didn't look too sure.
“Exactly…stories! Aren’t they a nice way to think and look at the impossible,” she tried to make positive.
“Impossible!”
“Mhm. They’re only to dream and fantasize, help us to sleep, stay in our beds.”
“And then wake up scared and go with you and papa!” He was instantly excited by that prospect…while Renata…had to try hard to not grimace at it.
"Yes, amore. Now, we sleep, and tomorrow, we see what we can fantasize and have adventures about."
He giggled, "sì, mama!"
"Now, this time for real…buonanotte e ti voglio bene!"
"Ti voglio bene tantissimo!" And with that last shout came a crash of tiredness the little merboy couldn't handle any longer. He drifted, head laying down and Renata knew for sure this time he was asleep. He left him to his dreams…of menaces only far away, couldn't reach him down below, a world that he had thought…he would never come to reach.
"-e vedi come questa luce brilla sopra noi!" The teacher told his students.
Indeed, this close to the surface, the rays of the sun above created these magnificent piercing glowing pillars, the depths around taking a new blue they were witnessing for the first time. They awed, and the young children swam around them…hesitant to touch, thinking still it could hurt. They were told to be wary of absolutely everything this close out of the waters.
Before the next part of his lesson, the teacher decided to count. Yes, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and…where is he? He turned around desperately, but here was his seven…distant…way too close to reaching above.
"Feliciano!" He scolded, loud, not only taking the prince's startled attention, but jostling the others out of their play, their attention now at their art teacher and the young prince. They all wanted to know what he did this time.
"Your highness, we discussed this. We stay together and do not wander off at all."
Feliciano inched closer, bringing his hands together to hold in front of himself from the temptation he just went through.
"This particular pillar here looked really nice and I wanted to see it closer," he explained so innocently…it was one of those reminders that it was sometimes hard to tell if this truly was a relative of the great Mediterranean Sea King. Although Feliciano did possess the famed brown curls, the same bronze eyes of his grandfather, the chin and the length of his face…the blue tail stood rather on its own in that family. The flowing dorsal fins, long, translucent, almost white, and under these lights, they shone like another of them.
"Then you could have told me and I would have gone with you. If it helps with the lesson, I would have allowed it. Your highness, in this area especially we have to be careful. We had to receive all kinds of approvals before we could come here and if we want to continue coming, then it's best we all stay together and you listen to everything I say."
Feliciano was lucky he was gentile, not like the guards at the palace, and he nodded in understanding.
"Good, come now," he extended a hand and together they swam to regroup, the teacher choosing a specific area where he considered the best view for all of them. "Now, we take our stone and our quartz crystals and we focus on drawing this light along with the space. We have more than enough time."
And they started their carving of the slab of stones they held, each creating their own interpretation, gorgeous and wonderful…but the teacher had to admit that no other stood out like Feliciano's. For being only seven years old, he had a keen eye, plus an imagination that was daring and thought to use another quartz to get a different color than the expected blue and white…no…he thought of purple and that simple thing made it a masterpiece. Truly Augusto’s grandson.
“Yours is clearly the best, Feliciano,” one girl complimented.
It made him show his proudly, a grandiose smile as they all gathered to see it, pointing and Feliciano was kind enough to suggest and help them all in what they could improve on their own. The teacher thought now was a good time to teach them a little of humbleness and then to the rest of his lesson…but then came the roar, like the rumble of a volcano…but the teacher was sure that they weren’t near any at the moment…so it couldn't be. The children hadn’t noticed yet, continuing their excitement while he focused on staring to the distance…where he thought he had heard it come from. And that’s when he saw it, the shadow…not of their kind…he had been taught what it is… coming close, right to them.
“Ragazzi!” He suddenly called, grabbing all their attention, noticing the coming object, gasping with instant panic, paralyzing them momentarily.
“It’s a boat!” One pointed and shouted.
“Humans!” Another trembled and began to cry.
“We must not waste any time! Come with me! Let’s go!” And he swam in a rush, in the panic not caring about one two threes. He only assumed that at such a threat, anyone would follow, any merperson would hide…but no merperson had the curiosity Feliciano possessed.
What was that? It was so different…nothing like he had ever seen or heard before. Warnings and stories that kept him up at night were not enough to hold him back, to dare himself to come closer, until he could see the white, now having stopped completely for him to witness, to hear the motor practically right at his ear.
Then he heard it…the voices…a language very much his own, and even if it wasn’t a song, he still felt like it was calling him towards it. From what he could tell…they sounded…happy, boisterous like they were celebrating something. Feliciano couldn’t really tell, but he let himself come closer…until he could practically touch the very bottom of the boat. He reached for it, as if coming to greet someone he wanted to make a friend. He had never been this close to the surface, so close to feeling the pure true light of the sun…even if under the shadow of a boat. But suddenly, there was something different in the voices. From laughter, there was realization, panic and a need to hurry away. The roar came again, Feliciano yelped and swam off before he could be swept away by its current. Maybe this was the time to hurry back to his art group before they noticed he was gone…or else he would really meet fury from his grandfather, no matter how gentile he tended to be with him. But then something caught the corner of his eyes, an item that the rushing boat left behind, diving down and coming ever nearer to Feliciano…like a blessing for himself.
Any contact with the human world was forbidden…and his family had already insisted that coming close to their objects could also be an offense…but it was right there, fresh, not even minutes under the sea, no one knowing its presence but him. It was just an item…it didn’t look poisonous, no sharp edges, no weird fumes and he didn't feel any dark magic from it. He was decided…but knowing he had to be quick…acted on an impulse that shouldn't be of his kind. In a swift single swim, he caught it, bringing it to his chest, the force he took spinning him around deeper to safety, closing his eyes as if ready for any pain this item would bring…but as he hesitantly opened his eyes…he realized he was safe…and he had an actual human item in his hold.
It was…it was…well he didn't know what it was. It had…pages…lots of them, all in the hold of a…was it a shell perhaps? There was actually the image of a clam on it…under a…was that a woman? He had never seen one like that before, on top of these two…body things that he didn’t have a name for. There were three others like her too…but with nothing he could recognize. Nothing…he couldn’t recognize anything…not even the weird writing. He turned it around hoping to find answers, instead…it opened, it spread. He shrilled, let go and even swam away…but nothing came to attack him afterwards…nothing hurt…the item just kept falling as he found it.
No…he had to find out more about what it was. He swam back to it, and with a deep breath, he dared into it, moving the pages and staring at the countless amount of images presented. They were so odd, so different, unlike anything he had ever seen. Who were these people on it? These creatures? These foods and items? Could they actually be humans? But they were nothing like the descriptions he had been told by his people…they weren't these beings covered in their entirety in black or grays or browns, with contraptions stuck to their backs and faces, sounding like utter nightmares whenever he heard the stories. Here they looked very much like them…only without fins.
He realized he should be getting back before they noticed he did not flee with the others. He stared at the item…not wanting to let go, only wanting to go through it more…again and again. But he couldn't do it often…he couldn't let others see…it was at a risk of trouble and losing it…and the thought gave him dread.
He put the item between the stone slab and his chest, tight enough to hide, swimming the direction back to Imperia and meeting with his teacher.