𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
act two ━━ 𝘁𝗲𝗻.
· 。ﾟ୧ ⋆. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡. ₊˚.༄
━━━ REDEMPTION,
❝ a khaleesi is not a follower ❞

• • ＡＴＬＡＮＴＩＣＡ

𝓡usted gates clouded the princess' vision as she walked forwards, the stone statues before her bowed just as they opened. Walking through the waterfall a sigh left her lips as she took in the city before her. The lilac and baby blue hues that engulfed the sky, the sparkling lake that surrounded the stone bridge she stood on. The chatter from fellow citizens ahead of her.

She smiled softly seeing a man in a red suit approaching her, his blue eyes gleamed at the sight of her.

"Dārilaros, Melody." Kai bowed, he peeked up at her with his contagious smile.

Melody giggled before jumping into his arms and hugging him tightly.

"I missed you." She smiled pulling away.

"I saw you two weeks ago." He rose a brow looking down at her, "Though, your father shares the same excitement." He joked placing his hand on her lower back leading her towards the castle, guards escorted them.

Melody smiled and nodded to families who stared in awe at the princess who walked with the prince.

"How is he?" She asked softly.

"They're both alright, he still has his moments though." Kai said referring to her father and his struggle with the loss of her mother still. "He acts like everything's alright but it's clear he's upset."

Melody nodded, "And your muñar?" She asked about his parents.

Kai shrugged, "Alright." He nodded falsely.

Melody's brow rose, "You can be honest. I know she's upset that I left before our marriage." She said quietly referring to Kai's mother. He looked down at the mention of the wedding that was to be, "Iksan vaoreznuni."

Kai shook his head, his smile appearing on his features once more. "No apologies."

"Is that my byka dārilaros?" Callisto's voice questioned as he appeared at the large doorway of the kingdom, a smile on his face looking towards his daughter. Melody smiled brightly before rushing towards the tall man and engulfing him in a hug. "I missed you so much." He whispered through her thick hair. "We all have."

"I missed you too, kepa." She murmured into his shoulder.

"Come inside." He pulled away ushering her into the castle.

Her doe eyes immediately landed on the large portrait of her, Callisto and Ronan, she smiled softly. After her mother's death she could vaguely remember how the castle had painted photos of her mother and the family itself. Now, it was just of them three, and the occasional Harmony and Ronan portrait here and there.

Though Melody could barely remember anything before or after her mother's death, other then she had died from an infection she had gotten when they were out scavenging one day.

Melody was met with the Merlin's and Ronan Lockhart in the ballroom. She smiled and bowed at the three before running up to her grandfather hugging him tightly.

"Nyke missed ao!" He exclaimed spinning the small girl around, "Pretty soon, I won't be able to do that." He joked placing her down.

A bright smile formed on her lips.

A cough interrupted the two, Melody turned to her right and curtseyed to the two. "Ñuha riña, se āeksio Merlin." Her smile fell slightly seeing the irritated look on Alana's features, where as her husband Kairi smiled towards the young princess.

"Everyone has been speaking of your return, I thought you wouldn't come." Alana rose a brow, "Again."

Melody frowned looking down at her boots.

"Melody has been very busy with the people on land, muña." Kai defended his best friend, placing a hand on the middle of her back, "She is looked at as a hero to many of the landners. And Atlantian's who have heard of her adventures up above." He said, his hardened eyes looking to his mother's icy grey ones.

She smiled sarcastically, "Well, I just assumed as our future queen she should be here taking care of her people. Preparing for her future endeavours, following orders and ruling by her future king to be." Alana remarked looking to her son with narrowed eyes.

"A queen does not stand idly by whilst her king does her bidding. She rules with him and is as much of a warrior as her husband is." Melody stated boldly, "A khaleesi is not a follower." She said recalling her grandmother's words, bringing an automatic and proud smile to Ronan and Callisto's faces.

"Why don't we walk around the city?" Kairi suggested trying to ease the tension in the room. He placed a firm hand on his wife's shoulder. "Callisto?" He tilted his head to his best friend and king to Atlantica.

Callisto turned his attention from his daughter and nodded, "Of course." He held out his arm to Melody who wrapped her own with his as they walked out of the castle and to the city.

The six wandered the city, meeting with fellow Atlantian's.

Melody adored the city, visiting the small markets and shops. Everything was so different then land but also so similar, it was odd.

Approaching the heart of the city she smiled to a group of nymphs who looked to be no older then ten, running around the large fountain giggling with one another. The five girls looked up wide eyes seeing the royals before them and bowed.

One of the girls whispered to the other, giggling looking up at Kai and Melody in awe.

"What are you girls doing?" Melody asked with a smile.

"We're playing with the water, Echo is learning how to float." The blonde explained pointing to the red headed nymph who frowned.

Melody nodded before taking a seat next to the red head and placed her hand above the crystal clear water, levitating a chunk of water with her hand. "If you focus on it being in her hand, it'll come up."

Kai knelt next to Melody and the girls, joining Melody's demonstration bringing the girls excitement.

Callisto watched as Alana stood next to him. Her husband and Ronan off to one of the stands grabbing food for them for later.

"Does she plan on staying?" She questioned watching her son smile widely up at Melody who splashed him with water.

Callisto sighed, "No." He shook his head, "Not until she feels her duties are done on land."

"And what if they find her?" She asked, "I don't think you'd want a repeat as to what happened." She said, her eyes watering at the thought of her long time friend; Cordelia Lockhart. "From what I've heard they're still alive. He is."

Callisto's jaw clenched, "I don't need to be reminded, Alana." He crossed his large arms over his chest, "Nothing will happen to her."

"And how can you be so sure?" She argued looking up at the king.

"They wouldn't let anything happen to her, and I know Kai won't neither."

"You can't possibly expect a group of vigilantes to protect your daughter's life?" She asked with a look of disbelief, "We know how she is and she'd die to protect those she loves like she did. We know she's safer down here away from all of them. If they find her they'll kill her. They'll kill all of them then us, that's how they work."

"HYDRA has been dealt with." He shook his head, "I spoke with Nick Fury and Steve Rogers."

"And you'd be a fool to believe them." She said earning a glare from the man next to her, "None of them are to be trusted. I thought you knew that when you kept her here, but here you are allowing her to go out there and risk killing herself before she even defends her own people or herself."

"She is MY daughter."

"And she will be OUR queen." She remarked harshly. Callisto looked to Melody who ran around with Kai and the girls. He looked down at the stone ground, "She's only a child. She doesn't know better. You need to be the one to show her their ways, who they really are. And they don't care about our kind, the kind that's different. In the end war always has casualties." She rose a brow, "Are you willing to let her be one of their casualties, like Cordelia was?"

With that she walked away to her husband and Ronan.

Callisto's eyes remained on his daughter before they hardened. "No." He muttered.

𝓜elody stood by the gates of Atlantica embracing her grandfather. Callisto stood near the entrance awaiting for her as she said her goodbyes to everyone before she was once again off to land defending the humans rather than her kind. What Alana had said struck a cord in him, a cord that he hadn't thought too much of since Melody had gone.

The fire he felt when Cordelia had passed he began to feel slowly itching it's way back to the surface.

Perhaps that's why he had decided to send Kai with her. Much to Alana's protests, Kairi had explained to his wife that he had been trained well and could handle himself on land. After all he'd have to do protect Melody in the end, one way or another. Land or sea.

"Sagon ȳgha." Ronan mumbled to the small girl, "If you need anything you know what to do." He said placing his lips to her forehead.

"I know." She nodded before pulling away she nodded to the Merlin family who nodded in return.

Approaching her father he hugged her tightly, "Can't breathe." She chuckled hugging him back, "I'll see you in a few weeks, kepa."

"I know." He nodded pulling away, "Here." He handed her a small lilac seashell.

Melody's brows rose, "Is this?"

"Yes." He nodded as she brought it to her ear and listened to her mother's voice who hummed softly. "I kept it and was going to give it you last time you were here but you left before I could give it to you." He explained.

Melody ran her fingers over the engravings alongside it's shell, "Kirimvose." She thanked her father before closing her hand around it. "I'll be back soon." She promised, standing on the tips of her boots and pressing her lips to his bearded cheek.

Callisto nodded, his emerald orbs landed on the woman who stood with her husband. A stern look on her face watching as Melody walked with Kai to the entrance. The two shared a curt nod.

"You ready?" Kai asked as the guards escorted them to the golden gates.

"Is that even a question?" She smiled up at him before they were welcomed through the waterfall into the sea.

Throughout the events that occurred that day she had forgotten one thing, one person; and that was James Buchanan Barnes. How was she going to get away from Kai to visit her friend who was in hiding?

"Shit." She whispered to herself.

"What?" Kai called out from in front of her, he floated a few feet away from her.

"Nothing!" Melody called back, sending one last glanced over her shoulder before swimming after Kai.

❨ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ❩
🐚ঌ ࣪₀🧺 .˚🌿✦

● 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱
○ 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱

kai's mom is a rood bitch

jk, she means well

there'll be more as to why she doesnt remember her mother's death in CIVAL WAR idk if i said that already but yeah.

we love a sassy melody

𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 :
dārilaros : princess
muñar : parents
iksan vaoreznuni : i'm sorry
byka dārilaros : little princess
kepa : father
nyke missed ao : i missed you
ñuha riña, se āeksio : my lady, and lord
muña : mother
khaleesi : queen
sagon ȳgha : be safe
kirimvose : thank you

𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍, 𝟣𝟫𝟥𝟨