They had planned to process everything they had learned but sleep took over them, Rose and Nate where quickly asleep or at least they lied down and relaxed. The guards for their part was a little ticked off by this, they had hoped to talk to the Prince, he was the future King and getting on his good side would only help them in the long run. Even so they understood and didn’t take it personally. It was getting pretty late when the guards went around and began to wake the former humans up starting with Nate and Rose.
“Prince Cain…Prince Cain.” Said the guard as Nate opened his eyes and looked up at the armed guards. “Forgive me, my Prince but your sister Princess Amara will be hosting dinner for you and your friends in about 30 minutes.”
It took Nate a few minutes to remember what this person was talking about, then he remembered that he was a merman prince and he had a sister, a whole family in fact.
“Thanks.” Said Nate as the guard nodded and shook Rose awake. The engagement ring she had put on had come a little off as a thing stretch of membrane was starting to come in turning her hands webbed. He looked at his hands and saw that so far he hadn’t gotten to that point.
“What time is it?” inquired Rose
“No idea.” Answered Nate as he looked around the room, all his friends where being woken up. “I guess it is about dinner time.”
It took a few minutes to get everyone together before they swam out of the room, that is when they noticed how thick the walls where, they where solid stone which had to be a good 3 feet thick of solid rock. Nate looked toward Mike, it was clear that he noticed that was well, so even without the guards which now lined the hallways there was no way they could blast their way out. The guards where a mix of those who wore medieval armor with spears and short swords and more modern looking armor/weapons.
There was actually no other room on the other side, they had been right their room sat where two hallways meet. However that hallway was also filled with guards, they swam past more rooms most of them seamed abounded but some looked like medical areas which gave off a strange blue light through strange windows.
They swam into a more natural looking tunnel and there they saw more of those white creatures which had attached themselves to their bodies and started this whole thing. They passed across the natural tunnel into a more residential area with multiple dorm like rooms, for the staff which worked with the island. Then they reached a VIP area, it appeared much larger and outside the door leading in where more royal guards.
The doors where opened and they swam into a dinning area, the walls where a coral color and some coral sat in pots like potted plants would be on the surface. A stone table filled the room with long benches on either side and two single stone seats at the heads of the table. Sitting at the head of the table dressed on in a less formal top, still elegant silk but instead of shimmering top which looked to be made out of different sea shells. As they got closer, they noticed that instead of it being made out of shells it was made out of multiple types of silks which was made to look like shells. Her ruby tiara sat on her head with multiple bright ribbons wrapping around her blonde braid. She wasn’t alone, Denji sat at the far end but not at the head of the table. He was no longer bare chested, instead he wore a simple white top with a black vest. It went well with his silver tail and long black hair.
“Brother, sorry to wake you up.” Apologized Princess Amara “However it was getting late.”
“I understand.” Said Nate as everyone noticed the food which filled the table. It wasn’t much different then the food which they would have gotten in their room only on better plates and glasses. Nate moved to sit beside his sister with Rose beside him, the rest of his friends moved around and found their own place, with Meiko sitting across from her boyfriend.
“Ah…question do merpeople have a prayer over the food?” inquired Amanda
“We do, however none of you would follow that faith and I am not going to force it on you, we have freedom of worship however the royal family is protector of that faith.” Explained Amara before looking at Nate. “You will have to learn about that faith, but we will worry about that for another day.”
“Ok….I just don’t really know where to start, I have so many questions and I am sure you do as well.” Stated Nate as Amara smiled and gave him a knowing smile.
“I do, but I don’t want to overwhelm you or your friends.” Stated Amara
“If I can ask…” said Amanda as Amara turned and looked at her. “Sorry…I know you want to know more about your brother and Rose of course.”
“No…no…you are my brother’s friends and you know him better then anyone else in the world.” Stated Amara “And you going to be part of our society as well…what is your question?”
“Well…I noticed that the mermaids around here wear bikini tops and the men wear nothing…but you wear cloths and so is Denji now…so what is it.” Inquired Amanda
“Well the royals are different of course and so is the military but it is either or depending on what you want.” Explained Amara “I could come out here in a bikini top as you know them but meeting my brother is special and royals are expected to wear more clothing.”
“Ok…I ask because I really could use another top.” Explained Amanda as the women nodded in agreement, Rose did a look at her own top, her breasts had grown so now her top was straining a bit.
“Not a problem.” Stated Amara before shifting a bit as her tone became a little more formal. “I have heard from the Captain that you promised your friends high positions in the government brother.”
Nate yet out a sigh and nodded his head wondering if his sister was going to shoot him down.
“While I understand our father while King isn’t an absolute monarch we got ride of that, we are like….Greek Britain is it?” inquired Amara not sure of the human word.
“Great Britain.” Corrected Mike as Amara nodded her thanks.
“Yes, the King or Prince can’t just promise positions to people.” Stated Amara
“I understand, I just want to help my friends.” Added Nate
“I never said you couldn’t do that…” said Amara with a playful smirk. “While you can’t just give them jobs, most of all jobs that they may not be qualified for you can help them in other ways.”
“Such as?” inquired Rose
“You said you went to school for Nursing correct?” inquired Amara as Rose nodded. “Well since Merfolk bodies are different then humans you would have to go back to school anyhow but there are different levels of schooling and the Royal College of Medicine for example.”
“I see.” Said Sam “While Nate may not be able to make us high lords or the like, he can get us into very good schools.”
“Officially no, the schools are independent but a recommendation from the Prince opens doors." answered Amara
"What are our parents like?" inquired Nate
“Mother is caring and puts her family above all others, yet she is hard driving yet very personal. She was born the oldest daughter of one of the neighboring Kingdoms but had the habit of slipping out of the palace and swimming among the people, something she still does…but now with a royal escort.” Explained Amara before looking at the food with a smile. “She is by far the best cook I have had, she rules the royal kitchen like the old god Kings and believe me when the royal feast welcoming you home she will pull out all the stops for that.”
“Father is a bit of a joker, but can be serious when needed, even as King he and mother only missed two of my sporting events when I was a kid and that was because they where out of the nation and our grandparents came in their steed.” Said Amara with a smile as she remembered before she noticed the sad smile on her brother’s face. “Is something wrong Cain?”
It took a while for Nate to answer to that.
“Nothing that can be fixed now.” Stated Nate before Rose decided to speak up.
“Nate…you will have to tell her and everyone else in your family in time.” Offered Rose as Nate looked at her and with a heavy sigh nodded in agreement.
“I didn’t have the best of childhoods to say the least, since the story was that my parents abounded me because they where druggies parents believed I may have been born addicted to it or that I may have problems from it and didn’t want to take me…once I got older few people wanted older kids, so I grew up in the foster system…a few foster parents where ok but most of the ones I had just wanted the money from the state.” Explained Nate “Hand me down cloths, shoes that where on the edge of falling apart, no winter coat, you get the idea. I worked hard, got a full ride to school meet Sam and then Rose and we all became friends.”
“I…I see.” Said Amara with a sigh of her own, sadness in her voice. “Here I am talking about how wonderful our parents are and you never even had that. Damn our Uncle for taking you away from your family.”
For the longest time no one spoke before Taylor spoke up.
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about families for the moment.” Offered Taylor as everyone nodded and they carried on talking about what life was like as a merperson. The dinner didn’t last all that long, the transformation was still taking a lot out of them, after just short of two hours it was clear that everyone minus Amara was tired.
“The doctors tell me in a day, maybe two you all should be well enough to travel to the summer palace, so the sooner you get some rest the sooner that can happen.” Said Amara as she hugged her brother