You were about to get up, but noticed that you looked EXACTLY like you did when you were human. But you could feel Ondine sleeping thanks to your link and, before you could think more about that, you got an entirely different problem.
Somehow, between the time you went missing and the end of changing your tail back into legs, your parents took the first flight to your current residence, to finally enter the tiny bathroom while you were changing back. To make things even more difficult, Amelia was still in her mermaid form, only starting to wake-up.
The panicked parents sent you a barrage of questions, adding more than even waiting for their answers, nor regarding your hands for them.
Finally, exasperated by the fact you hadn't made any sound, your father garbed you and tried to force you to say something, anything. Instead, you did the only thing currently possible before you were forced to enthrall anyone: kicking him in the genitals.
Your mother, horrified, glared at you. But far from intimidated, you glared back signing «There is A REASON I'm not speaking, you know!»
"Of course there is a reason, Louis." Sleepily commented Amelia. "You became a siren, the first male one. Using your voice would change any human present into your slave." It's only then she realized who you were speaking with, turning paler than ever. But at least they knew what happened, now you only had to explain how it happened, and dreaded the result.
- – — – -
You were so occupied with the tale of how you became a creature from legends, you didn't sense Ondine waking-up. Or rather, you didn't sense Ondine being energetically woken-up by some panicked soldiers. "Adjutant Neptune! ADJUTANT NEPTUNE! Wake-up adjutant, PLEASE! Atlantis NEED you! WE need YOU!"
Your wife looked around, half asleep, and was surprised to see how crowded was her tiny room. She was even more surprised by the fact most of them were part of the infantry, instead of being gendarmes like her. Not wanting to be in more trouble than she probably already was, and since everyone was already seeing her nude, she simply got up, standing at attention.
But judging by how they suddenly all blushed, their brain hadn't registered her state of undress. The one who woke her up, a young sub-sergeant who seemed to be the highest-ranking among that small crowd, said "We will wait for you outside, but hurry."
That's when it hit her. All present in the cramped room were mermaid, FEMALE, and their spokesmaid was a speaking. Not singing like usual, but ACTUAL SPEAKING, using her ultra-sonic voice. "Wait… Are all of you SIRENS?!?"
"No time for questions!" Dodged the sub-sergeant "It's about our King!"
"Let me put on my uniform and I'm all yours."
- – — – -
Your parent were stunned by your story.
The first to recover was your father. "When do we meet that… Ondine, was it?" The only answer he got was you glaring at him. Your wife may be a total stranger to you, the love you shared wasn't any less real. Your sentiments for her are so strong that hearing someone speak of her in that tone hurt deeply.
Seeing you wouldn't answer, he tried another angle. "Did you use protection, at least?"
"You're asking THAT? Seriously?" intervened Amelia, now back in her human form. "I mean, hello? Magical bond forming, needing and MAKING them do it mediately?"
Your mother, for her part, shook her head at her husband before saying. "Forgive your dad, dear. You must admit that some magic bounding you to your soul-mate just after meeting her for the first time is a bit hard to accept." You could only nod to that. "Can we get a better look at your tails, please?"
To this you answered «I promise you will get it, but not right now. I just changed back for the first time, and it was very painful.»
This time, your mother was the one nodding in understanding.
- – — – -
Adjutant Neptune didn't like where they were taking her, not at all. It was the place she dreaded the most going to: Neptune Palace, her childhood home. But what she saw inside was worse than anything she could have imagined.
Both the King and the monster she used to call father were dead, the weapons being two ritual blades absolutely identical, one for each victims. Stranger even, the King's wound seemed self-inflicted.
When the president of ministers, the merfolks equivalent of our prime minister, spotted Ondine, he swam toward her. Seeing he was about to speak directly to her, she prevented it by asking «Can I know what I'm doing here, sir?»
«First, adjutant Neptune, you should know what happened here.» Stated the president of ministers. «King Wave, wanting to personally inform Junior Seamaid Wave of her recent promotion. Upon learning she got summoned by Count Neptune, she came here, only to see said merman kill both the Junior Seamaid and his own son.»
At this Ondine gasped, her eyes wide in horror.
«Now, as you know, before her election our King was an expert in medical magic. So while in more ordinary circumstance the two kids shouldn't have survived, King Wave immediately sensed that WASN'T ordinary circumstances. You see, the Neptune son had a crush on your Junior Seamaid, and got himself on the verge of death by wanting to save her.»
«I still don't see…» Tried to interrupt your wife. But the president shook his head, suggesting she listen until he finished.
«Young Mark profited of this attempted rescue to steal a kiss from her. When the Count's blade pierced the two kids, they were about to form a deep-bond.» After a pause to let this sink in, he added «Thanks to the lingering magic caused by that impossible bond, our King was able to save the about-to-be-wed… By ritually sacrificing a parent of each of them, thus acknowledging Junior Seamaid Natalie Wave as her daughter in a way that can't be denied, and she can't be held accountable for it, since she's dead.»
«Which will force you to rethink the law.» Noted Ondine.
«Exact, but the King got things even farther. Instead of simply saying to me, her president of ministers, the name of who she wanted for regent if she wasn't able to govern anymore, she wrote it on a sealed document. Said document was then given to one of the few persons she trusted to NOT open it, only letting me know who had this precious document.»
He gave said document, now opened, to your love, letting her read the name of said regent herself. She was extremely surprised to see clearly written ‘Countess Ondine Louise Neptune, Adjutant of the Royal Gendarmerie of Atlantis.’
«Like you know, the last decisions taken by someone who recently died are considered sacred, meaning only the King could revoke them. And when a King ruled on a mater of that kind, that decision can't be changed, not even by its successors. King Wave didn't only make you her regent, she made you get your rightful title back, and no one will ever be able to do anything about it. So, what are your first decisions as our new regent, Lady Neptune?»