I realized something was wrong the moment the guards outside my chamber changed.They stood straighter than usual.
Quieter.Almost nervous.
I had just finished speaking with Moana when a soft but firm knock echoed against the pearl doors.Moana exchanged a look with the attendants before opening it.
Two royal guards entered, armor polished to perfection, expressions carefully neutral.
They bowed deeply not to Moana but to me.
"Lady Marimar," one announced, voice formal. "His Imperial Majesty requests your presence."
My stomach dropped, requests…not commands.Somehow that felt far more terrifying.The room suddenly felt smaller.
Every attendant stopped moving. Even the currents slowed, as if the ocean itself were listening.
"The Emperor… wants to see me?" I asked.
"Yes, my lady."
Moana's hand gently touched my arm. "It is an honor."
An honor?Yet my heart raced like I was walking toward judgment.
Rumors had spread through the palace over the past few days. I heard them in passing whispers, half-hidden conversations that stopped whenever I approached.
The human who lived.
The Emperor's protected one.
The girl the Sea King watches.
I didn't know what any of it meant.But now he was calling me…
The journey to the throne wing felt longer than ever before.Guards stationed along the corridors bowed as I passed. Servants stepped aside quickly, their curious gazes following me.
The deeper we moved into the palace, the quieter everything became.This part of the palace felt older and stronger.
The coral walls darkened into deep sapphire stone threaded with glowing silver veins. Ancient carvings depicted battles, storms, and a single figure standing above roaring oceans.
It was Azarus,he's not just a king but a force.The guards stopped before towering crystal doors taller than any structure I had seen since arriving here.
They opened without being touched.Warm currents spilled outward.
"My lady," one guard said softly, "His Majesty awaits."
I swallowed hard and entered alone.The doors closed behind me with a deep echo that sent shivers down my spine.
The imperial chamber stretched endlessly before me. High arches curved like waves frozen in motion, illuminated by drifting spheres of pale blue light. Beyond the transparent walls, the vast ocean moved slowly, shadows of massive sea creatures gliding past like silent witnesses.
And at the center;He stood,not on the throne but near the open water balcony, hands clasped behind his back as he watched the ocean beyond.
He didn't turn immediately.For several seconds, only silence existed between us.
I suddenly felt very aware of my breathing…of my heartbeat and of him.
"You have adapted faster than expected," he said at last.
His voice traveled through the water like a low current, calm yet impossible to ignore.
"I… am trying," I replied.
He turned slowly,his Silver eyes locked onto mine.The intensity hit me instantly.
He looked different here…less like a distant ruler and more like something dangerously real. The crown rested lightly against his dark hair, but power surrounded him so naturally it felt like part of his existence.
He approached slowly.Each movement deliberate and measured.Stopping close enough that I felt the warmth of his presence.
"Do you know why I called you here?" he asked.
I shook my head."No, Your Majesty."
His gaze softened slightly at the title."You walk freely through my palace," he said.
"You speak with my warriors. You laugh with my servants. Even the elders speak of you,your name."
My cheeks warmed. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."
"You caused none."
A pause followed,which was long and heavy.His eyes searched mine as if trying to understand something hidden beneath my skin.
"My people grow attached," he continued quietly. "That has… consequences."
Something in his tone made my chest tighten."Is that bad?"
He exhaled slowly."For them," he said. "Yes."
Confusion flickered through me. "I don't understand."
He stepped closer,like too close,making me lose my thoughts.
The water between us felt charged, alive.
"Because," he said softly, "everything the ocean cherishes… it refuses to release."
My breath caught.
The words sounded less like explanations and more like warnings or promises.
His hand lifted slightly, hesitating in midair before lowering again as though restraining an instinct even he did not fully trust.
"You are human," he added. "Fragile. Temporary."
The word stung…Temporary?
"But since your arrival," he continued, voice quieter now, "the palace sleeps easier. My soldiers lose focus watching you smile. The currents calm when you pass."
His silver gaze darkened."And I find myself ensuring your safety before matters of war."
My heartbeat thundered.Was that… concern?Possession?I just couldn't tell.
"Why?" I whispered before I could stop myself.The question lingered between us.
For the first time since I met him, the Ocean Emperor looked uncertain.Only for a moment.
Then the king returned."That," He said, voice low, "is precisely why you were summoned."
He turned toward the ocean view, jaw tightening slightly.
"Rumors spread quickly in a kingdom that has never known weakness."
I felt cold despite the warm currents."What kind of rumors?"
His eyes returned to mine,Dangerous, Protective and unyielding.
He slowly rubbed his jade ring which didn't escape my eyes…it's like a habit…he always does that…
"That the Sea King has chosen something he should not desire."
The words stole my breath.Silence instantly filled the chamber.
Outside, distant whales sang through the deep ocean, their voices echoing like ancient prophecy.
He swam forward again,closer than before,which made my breath hitch…Close enough that escape felt impossible.
I was so damn trapped, he looked so good…How can a creature look this good!
"Tell me, Marimar," he said softly, my name sounding unfamiliar and intimate on his lips, "do you wish to leave my kingdom?"
The question struck deeper than expected.
Images flashed through my mind;laughter in the kitchens, friendly guards, glowing halls that no longer felt foreign.
And him, always watching closely,Protecting and Waiting.
I opened my mouth but no answer came.
Because for the first time since arriving beneath the ocean,I wasn't sure I wanted to go home.And judging by the way the Emperor watched me…He already knew.