Chapter Three

One month later.

'We're going to miss it!' Amera tugged on Eros' hand urgently, pulling him behind her as she swam through the school of merpeople. Scales of yellow, green, blue and purple dominated the water around them, while rarer scales with red and gold flashed through the water, the effect was a shifting array of colours that rippled with excitement.

Merpeople sung in glorious harmony, celebrating together the beginning of their new year, while smaller sea animals integrated among the festivities. There were thousands of fish around them, some brave enough to wriggle through the crowds, while others formed in the pockets of space in the crowd. The schools of fish swum to the music, swaying to the mersong, breaking up at points to fall into a choreographed dance of spiralling dives and twisting assent.

Hammerheads and a few great whites meandered around, moving slowly as they watched the party unfold, enjoying the free cleaning service of the pilot fish.

Eros laughed, tightening his grip on her hand, allowing her to tow him along. Merpeople parted, curling their tails and letting them through when they recognised her, a sign of respect for their princess. Once they had passed, the mers behind them used the path they'd created to rush forward, a flurry of movement and swirling water as they pushed closer to the centre of the festival. 'Slow down.'

'No!' Amera tinkled with merriment, changing direction so suddenly that Eros felt his arm protest under the strain. She'd been dragging him along since they'd reached the outskirts of the crowd, making sure she didn't lose him in the excitement of the migration. 'They do not pass by very often and I missed the last one. You and your mother came here just to see the migration, you cannot miss it.'

They finally broke through the line of mers into open water, a vast expanse of ocean, nothing could be seen in either direction, a clear shot into the sea where the whales would pass by in the following hours. Eros spontaneously caught Amera around the waist and she jerked backwards, crashing against his chest in a fit of giggles. 'My mother?' he asked, pressing his lips against the curve of her neck as he spoke, enjoying the way she squirmed from the light touch. 'The woman who left me here on day two to defend for myself against you.'

Amera gasped, her jaw dropping into an open smile, eyes wide and sparkling with amusement. 'Me?' she pushed at his chest, only managing to get him to back up slightly, his hold on her secure enough that he didn't fly backwards. he had a secure hold on her. 'I do not know what you seem to think has happened, this past moon cycle, but I would not exactly describe it as 'defending' yourself, you seem to have enjoyed it.'

Eros rested his forehead lightly against hers, a grin lifting his lips as he focused solely on her. He her over for a minute, eyes soaking in everything from her eyes to her full lips. 'I definitely benefited.'

Amera flushed, resting her hands flat against his chest to distract herself from her fluttering heart. 'Smooth.' she muttered, peering up into his eyes, enjoying the way they looked back down at her.

'I thought so.' Eros admitted proudly just before he drew her close for a tail curling kiss.

Momentarily forgetting the world around her Amera kissed him back just as passionately, tingles running down to the tips of her fingers as her heart picked up its pace. She pressed herself tightly against his chest, her heart feeling like it was ready to break out of her chest. Eros' breath hitched, and Amera smiled into the kiss, happy that she made him feel just as she felt. She pulled back with a content smile, finding the quickened pace of Eros' heart with the palm of her hand as his eyes stayed blissfully closed.

Thalassa had been heading in the couple's direction when they'd started kissing. She'd stopped to talk to a girl she knew from starfish grotto but when she saw Corali's unchanging path in her Amera's direction she knew she wanted to be there in case their older sister tried anything. Thalassa said her goodbyes to the group of mers that had surrounded her and swam off to save her sister, reaching her just before Corali did.

Eros turned to look at Corali when Thalassa warned them both, and with a swift kiss to Amera's cheek, swam off to greet his mother. Thalassa grinned at her sister to hide the concern she felt as she looked over to where Eros was swimming away, half-jokingly she said, 'he may be a god, sister, but that will not stop Father from killing him if he hurts you.'

Amera pushed her sister away playfully, her smile never wavering as she sent a pulse of water Thalassa's way with a quick flick of her tail. 'He would never do any such thing.' Her face brightened as she watched Eros, he'd just swum up to Aphrodite's side and in the middle of kissing her cheek in a greeting.

Eros and Amera had been inseparable since they had met. Amera kept him around enough that it was rare to ever see him without a tail. His tail had, at first, been a washed out grey, plain and simple, but over the days colour had started to seep into it, saturating the dull shade with a glorious midnight blue. Over time he had gotten better at using it, rather than his tail being a dead weight that pulled him to the ocean floor, it was now as useful to him as his human legs were on land, and every time Amera noticed that he was improving it sent a wave of pride washing over her.

Corali abruptly stopped in front of the girls, pulling her tail forward suddenly to force herself from going any further. The sudden movement left a swirling current in its wake, it moved around Amera and Thalassa, whipping their long hair around their faces uncontrollably. Corali crossed her arms over her chest, turning her body so that their attention slid over to Eros, a disapproving scowl marring her face. 'Perhaps it would be wise to end things while you are not so attached.'

Amera jolted in the water as if something physical had hit her, feeling a sickening deep in her stomach. 'Pardon?'

Corali narrowed her eyes, annoyance flickering over her face, 'He is immortal, Amera, and you are not.'

Thalassa glared at her older sister, hoping the older mer would take the message. She took Amera's arm with her own, entwining them together to display a union between them. 'Don't be so mean, Corali,' She shifted her sister so that she was just slightly in front of her, far enough that Corali's expression was hidden from Amera, but not so much that Amera felt like she had to move to keep up with the conversation. 'Amera is only young, let her make her own choices.' Pulling her away from their cruel sister, Thalassa noticed Amera's darkened expression, sympathy pitted her heart as she squeezed her arm. 'Do not worry Amera, you are only young, who knows what is going to happen.'

'I love him.'

The elation that Amera should have felt at the revelation wasn't there, her lips were left in a straight line while her eyebrows furrowed with concern. Thalassa froze, looking at her sister's dejected appearance and her eyes stung, 'oh, sweetie.' Thalassa tapped her forehead against her sister's twice, gently consoling her, keeping a tight hold on her hand. 'You'll be okay.'

Amera, usually bubbly and full of energy, fell silent, Thalassa witnessed the cold withdrawal with her heart in her throat, concern pressed to her face. Thalassa had seen young love before, she'd felt it once too, it was a devastating kind of love that rarely lived. She remembered the first time she ever fell in love, the purity of the emotion, and the heartbreak that ensued, she couldn't imagine her sister having to go through that as young as she was. Amera was still a fingerling, she hadn't seen enough of her life to feel the way she did, seconds from seeing her seventeenth migration and she was already worried about the future of her relationship.

Amera was still deep in thought when Eros returned to her side, her wrapped his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest, not noticing the deep concern in her expression. They hovered awkwardly in the water, struggling to keep from sinking, neither wanting to relinquish their hold on the other. Eros sighed, pressing his lips softly against her temple, readjusting his grip so she wouldn't slip away. 'I don't know what you've done to me, Amera, I really don't.'

Amera's smile didn't reach her eyes as she twisted in his hold, nestling her head in the curve of his neck, 'thank you,' she whispered, not sure if he'd heard her over the festivities.

***

The last of the whales drifted past as loud gongs reverberated through the water; the Mers listened in silent awe as mothers called for their calves, and Amera placed one last kiss on the calf before her as it turned to find its mother.

A figure swam out of the blue depths, and Mer's all around curled their tails, bopping up and down in the water as they hailed their god. Poseidon hovered in the water, trident in hand, a golden glow glistening in the water. Power seeped from him, radiating through the water as he regarded his kingdom silently, a twitch of acknowledgement on his lips as his gaze fell on his granddaughter and the god beside her.

Triton swam out to meet him, and, as he took his place to Poseidon's left, two rays glided up behind them crossing sides, rainbow fish shot out of rocky crevasse, like a firework display, and the merpeople erupted into song as they sang their welcome in full glory.

Four sea creatures swam forward, green creatures of myth, their gills flaring as they huffed, throwing their heads back in a majestic show of prowess. They had a tail, like that of the merpeople, and an upper body of a horse, but, rather than hooves, their strong legs extended into fins, the webs between the extended bones were a transparent red film that helped them reach high speeds in the water. Their mane was a splendid fin that feathered from their heads and down their backs, the green shifting to a purple, which bled red at the tips. They pulled behind them a magnificent chariot made of gold, adorned with pearls and rich shells, which Poseidon stepped onto it graciously.

The four creatures pulled Poseidon through the water, Triton following closely behind, they pulled the chariot through an archway made by the mers that led back to the palace. As Poseidon passed the archway caved in on itself, the mer's following the royal family as they paraded through the kingdom.

Once back at the palace the mers disbanded, swimming off to continue the festivities on their own, while the royals retreated inside. The cheer of song could be heard throughout the palace as Amera and her family moved into the throne room, the mer's outside nowhere near done with their celebrations.

'Children of the reef.' Poseidon's voice pulsed through the water as he perched precariously on the throne. 'It is a delight to be home. Aphrodite,' he nodded towards the goddess, 'I hope you have enjoyed your stay in my kingdom. Even if you weren't here as long as planned.'

'It's always a pleasure.' She sung in a charming voice, lounging back on a platform of coral, playing with the tentacles of an anemone that appeared to dance in the current. 'Eros seems to have enjoyed himself also,' she stilled, looking up to Poseidon, her eyes flashing dangerously. Aphrodite quickly rearranged her expression into a pleasant smile, turning her gaze lazily back to the anemone 'in case you were interested.'

'I will not be needing any of you for the time being,' Poseidon addressed his descendants, and with the wave of his hand they all drifted from the room in the current Poseidon created. Aphrodite remained behind, her expression bored, but her whole attention was centred on Poseidon as Triton swam up to his side.

As the last of her siblings filed out of the room, Eros pulled along in their haste, Amera was left in their wake, her tail unmovable as Poseidon held her in a rigid state. She was left wondering why she was called to remain as the two men discussed something in silent whispers. Finally, Poseidon sighed heavily, turning his blue eyes to rest on his granddaughter. 'Amera.'

Amera curled her tail up underneath herself and bent her head so that she was almost a ball, she waited until she felt a pressure in her spine before uncurling and swimming before Poseidon. 'Grandpapa.'

Aphrodite snorted a laugh at the endearment, looking around the room at all the glistening gems, their beauty complemented by the coral. Poseidon ignored her, looking down at Amera with hardened eyes. 'Triton has told me that you refused his mission.'

Amera shrunk back, her chest compressing against her heart in a crushing guilt she had managed to push aside over the course of the moon cycle. She hadn't meant to offend the god of the sea, and, since Eros' arrival, she hadn't thought about her refusal at all.

'I also hear,' he pushed off from his throne and came down to circle around Amera, 'that you have become involved with the god of love.' Poseidon raised his brow, pursing his lips together as he watched a flicker of fear darken Amera's hesitant smile. 'That is rather a dangerous game to be playing.'

'It is not a game.' Amera defended, wildly turning on her spot to keep up with Poseidon, not thinking about how it was just a game until it was too late.

Poseidon stopped before her, his eyes flashing with anger, 'I have a proposition for you.'

Amera shook her head fiercely, the sting in her eyes returned and her bottom lip trembled. 'I don't want to go up there.'

Poseidon tilted his head slyly, 'you haven't even heard my propositionyet.' He swam back up to his throne, leaving Amera trembling on the oceanfloor. He waited until he had the full attention of the room. 'If you completethis mission,' a storm swirled in Poseidon's eyes, the sea churning in theirorbs, as he caught Amera in a chilling stare. 'I will make you immortal.'