It has been weeks since the salon, and the words of Lady Melemele still hunted her. After that little outing, she had thrown herself on her studies. Reading one book, made from shark skin and dried kelp, after the other. The topic's all diver, one was about the sea live. Which kind of fish swam in the sea, and which plant were safe to use. The others were about the history of the city and the sirens. And a few were about the laws. She wanted to know everything, needed to know everything. Acale was happy every answer she had, but of course she knew that he wanted to spend some time with her. Showing her his world, instead of her reading about it in one of her books. Maybe it was a good idea, to get out of the house. All was it for a swim, something she wanted to do since he menaced it. So after her morning pitch stop, she started to pack the picknick basket, that Elana landed her.
"What are you doing?" Acale asked. She smiled at him.
"What those it looks like?" She countered his question with one of her own. He narrowed his eyes, and her grin grow even wider. "I thought that I am tired of studying, so why not go out for a swim." His narrowed eyes stayed that way.
"And you need a picknick basket for that?" He asked. She nodded and pointed to her belly. He sighed and shook his head. "O how could I forget. You eat for two." She rolled with her eyes. He had not forgotten it, he was normally the one who reminded her that she needed to eat more. But he simply didn't trust the situation. He walked over and looked inside the basket. "Let's see, kelp sandwiches. Kelp chips, fermented sea cucumbers." He looked at her, again with narrowed eyes. "Alright you have your cravings, but you really need healthier food." Again she rolled with her eyes. "Let me." She raised her hands and stepped away. He started to cook seagull eggs and she sat down and watched his every move. Something he liked, he really started to glow. "So what made you take a break from your studies?" She shrugged.
"Do I need a reason?" She asked. He shook his head. But she knew that he wanted one. "Well it is one thing to read about something. Another to live it." He smiled, that were his own words.
"Are you not afraid to see her?" He didn't need to add a name, he was asking about Lady R'ula'ula. Her mood started to sour, she had not thought about that. But it didn't matter, she wouldn't spoil this day for her.
"I am, but I do not want to be cooked up in here forever. And besides that, I really want to go for a swim. And maybe a picknick." She said with a smile. He nodded and placed the egg sandwiches inside the basket.
"Well let me then see if we have some leftovers." He said and walked away. She loved that he was protective of her and their child, but still was an easy-going. "Here we go." Again he placed food inside the basket and closed it. "Time for use to leave this house." She nodded and grabbed his free arm. And let go of it again.
"I will be right back." She said and ran towards the bathroom. Really that blather of hers, it was such a mood killer. But then again she was pregnant, and needing to use the bathroom more often came with the territory. Acale said nothing about it when she came back. He simply asked if she was ready, and she nodded. They walked out of the door and she took a deep breath. It felt good, being outside the house felt good. They walked through the streets hand in hand. A few sirens stopped and greeted them, a few kept staring at them.
"Hey you two." Anika walked up to them. Guppy was sitting in a strange kind of stroller. "Dad already told me that you were about to make the jump." She said and Marella rolled with her eyes. She had told her grandfather and Elana that she was planning this. Of course, he had shared it with Anika. Her father's fear of them keeping a secret was not unfounded. She had visited him a few more times, she then told him about her studies and her life with Acale. She could see that he was proud of her. But every time he looked worse, he had told her that they were feeding him. But it was clearly not enough. "Marella, is everything alright?" Anika's question brought her back.
"What, o. Yes, everything is fine. I was thinking about dad, is it normal that nobody has heard from him?" She asked, and Anika shook her head.
"No it is not. But I do not think my grandmother is leaving anything up to chance. Please let me and your grandfather worry about him." Marella nodded, knowing that this would have being the outcome. She looked at Acale who nodded, he knew that this was bothering her. Even her father didn't know the location of the prison, which bothered her even more. How in the sea's name would they find him now. He had said that his mother, came to visit him once. The same day that she went to the salon. Which seemed so long ago. But no matter how hard she tried she was not able to walk into her grandmother's dreams. She had ended up in one of her mother's, however. What was she glad to see her, even it was one of her dreams. She doubted her mother would remember it, or write it off as just one of her dreams.
"Marella, are you sure that you are alright?" This time Acale asked her the question. She nodded.
"Just got a lot on my mind. I think it is better if we keep on walking, I have heard that it calms the mind." She said, that last part was a lie. But Acale clearly didn't mind, they said their goodbyes and walked on.
*******
It was so strange, she was glad that she was able to breathe underwater. Of course, she could breathe underwater, she was part underwater creature. Even if she thought about it, naiads were also underwater creatures. Some even lived in lakes and rivers, even when they live in the other Nine Kingdoms. Now she felt silly to even worry about that part. But the moment she stepped through the gates, it was she stepped in a whole new world. Which was kind of true, the water was clear and warm. Something she did not expect at all, it was also not that empty. Again she could slap herself, she had spent months reading about all kind of different fish and other ocean wildlife. She knew that the ocean was not an empty place. Still she had not expected to see so many species in one go, anemone fish, clown fish, puff fish, emperor fish and many more. The city was surrounded with many kinds of coral, some are even growing against the barrier. The long kelp was dancing in the light current. Marella loved how the water embraised her body, how her hair danced around her face. Those added pink highlights were really shining. She looked at Acale, on his face was a visible joy. He clearly enjoyed seeing her this excited. She started to swim, but found out that she was not good at it. Which made him laugh.
"Do not look so upset, you never swam underwater before." He said. She wanted to point out that she never swam above water either. Her grandmother was against it, maybe she was afraid that her true nature would be more visible. But she didn't tell him that, he took both of her hands. And started swimming, she tried to mimic him. After what seemed forever she was starting to get forward. "There you go." He said, gleaming with pride. It was nice to see him like this, it really was. She smiled back at him and then started to point out some of the fish. She told him all about what she read about them. The glow of pride, became so much brighter. "You really learned a lot, and here I was thinking that you only pretended to read. Next book on your TBR list are some cookbooks." She started to laugh really loudly. She could cook, basic stuff. But not as good as he, he told him that his father was a great cook and that he taught Huali and him how to cook.
"But you like to cook." She said, he nodded.
"That those not mean that I like to hang back once in a while." He said and she needed to agree with him on that one.
"I will do better. May I have one of those seagull egg sandwiches?" He nodded and gave her the sandwich. It was so good, he was a good man. "Have I told you that I love you?" She asked, she was surprised by her own question. She knew she had not said it. Not out loud at least. He shock his head.
"At least not when we are awake." He said, so maybe she had said it in a dream. Which made it even worse, all this time they lived together. He had taken care of her, without a second thought and still she had not told him that she loved him.
"Well, then here it goes. I love you." She said, he nodded.
"Then this is the second time you said it to me. And I have not said it once." He replied with a grin.
"You do not have to say it, actions speak louder than words." She said and started to swim away from him. She was looking like a little kid, but she didn't care.
"Marella stop!" He screamed, he meant it. What was wrong? She looked in the direction where she was going, and froze. There was a shark, a great white, and he was coming their way. "Shark!" He yelled. Everybody who was outside made their way out of their. Marella tried to do the same thing, but her clumsy movements made it difficult. She felt someone's arms around her waist and she was dragged away. She heard the echo of the shark's jaws ringing in her ear. It was close, too close. The one holding her swam like crazy, all she knew was that it wasn't Acale. But did it matter, no it didn't as long the one holding her brought her to safety. When the gate closed behind her, she found out that she was able to breathe again. "Marella." Acale wrapped himself around her. "I am so sorry, I was not able to reach you." He started to tear up. It was not his fault that the shark was there to spoil the fun. It was not his fault that she went so far away from him despite the knowledge that she wasn't a good swimmer. This was not his fault, and she would have told him this.
"She was too far away from you to do anything." It was her grandfather's voice. She sighed again with relief, it was not some random stranger. "Marella are you alright?" He asked and she nodded.
"Are you?" She countered, he sighed and blew out some breath. She hugged him. "I am so sorry, I shouldn't have wandered off" His arms wrapped around him.
"It is alright, Marella. You were just having fun, I could see it from a distance away." He said.
"That those not matter, Aouli. Even a child knows that they need to watch their surroundings before wandering off." That was her grandmother's voice. "Every child that was born here. But that is just the thing isn't it. You are not born here, so how in the sea's name could you have known."
"Nohea, that is enough." Her grandfather snapped at her.
"Is it enough, I do not think so. It those not matter if she put herself in danger, but she has put you in danger as well. What will Alekona, or Anika say. When they discover that you almost turned into sharkfood." Her grandmother said. Marella drew in a breath, her grandmother shouldn't have said her father's name.
"Wait a second, do you know where he is?" Her grandfather snapped. "Where is he woman?"
"That is not the topic at hand. Aouli, she could have robbed a father from his children." She snapped. Marella bit on her lip, she need to hold back her tongue. Acale stood behind her and was tensing up in the same way. But she couldn't fight herself, she was a R'ula'ula after all and she wouldn't let this woman talk to her as if she was a little child. She already knew that she had messed up, nobady else needed to tell her this. But she wouldn't stand being told that she was stealing a father away from his children.
"Well If I was about to steal him from his childeren. Then I can only thank my great- grandmother and you for the idea. Or did you forget about the fact that my father was litterly ripped out of my arms." Marella snapped, and she could see that she had hit the mark. "I know I messed up, nobody here needs to tell me that. But I am greatfull that somebody safed me." She looked at her grandfather and he nodded. "You are right, I have a lot to learn, and I am in the process of doing that. But it is still a process, and nobody here expect you, is expecting from me to learn everything in just a couple of months." Everyone around her nodded. "So if you excuse me, all this excitment is currently effecting my blather." She started to walk through the crowed, followed by Acale and her grandfather.
"You did good." Her grandfather said. "Taking words out of my mouth." She nodded. She wanted to say so much more to that woman, but then she would have broken the promise to her father. And she needed to pee, really badly.
