King of the Seven Seas (EMH) Chapter 11: Undeniable Attraction

[Third person POV]

Arthur stared down at Mera in a mixture of embarrassment and lingering awkwardness, still reeling from the clumsy misstep he had made earlier. His cheeks were faintly flushed, though whether it was from the ocean breeze or the proximity of the woman before him, he couldn’t tell.

Mera’s hands rested lightly against his chest, her fingers splayed over the thumping of his heartbeat. A faint giggle escaped her lips.

For a long moment, the two simply gazed at each other. Their smiles were small but genuine, and their eyes locked as though there was no force in the world that could pull them apart. The air between them was thick with unspoken words, each breath carrying the subtle weight of everything they weren’t quite ready to say aloud.

Mera’s lips curled into a knowing smirk as she murmured, “What a strong heartbeat…”

“That’s only because someone is making it strong,” Arthur replied without hesitation, his voice low and tinged with warmth. His hand moved, curling gently around hers where it lay against his chest.

Her smirk deepened. “Hmm… I wonder who?”

Arthur’s other hand slid to her waist, his fingers splaying across the curve of her hip. He pulled her a fraction closer, his tone turning husky as he answered, “You tell me…” His head lowered slightly, the shadow of his brow brushing hers, and his words seemed to hum between them.

Their breathing began to sync, slow but heavy, their chests rising and falling in a shared rhythm. Warm breaths mingled in the small space between their lips, and Mera could feel her own breath quickening, betraying her composure. Arthur’s face drew closer, the faint scent of saltwater and something uniquely his filling her senses.

When their foreheads touched—soft, tentative—Arthur felt the sudden pressure of her fingers against his lips. Mera’s hand had risen, her two index fingers crossing over his mouth in an X, halting him before their restraint could break entirely. Her emerald eyes trembled faintly, betraying the effort it took to hold herself back. There was something almost fierce in her gaze, as though she were wrestling with herself.

“We’re moving too fast, aren’t we?” Arthur asked gently, his voice barely more than a breath.

Mera hesitated, then gave a small nod. “Arthur… we just met. I can’t… we can’t…” Her voice cracked ever so slightly, the words carrying the weight of genuine struggle.

Arthur’s jaw tightened at the sound, but he forced a small, understanding smile. “I understand, I really do. But you can feel it too, can’t you? The attraction between us”

Her expression softened, and for a moment, she looked almost desperate. “Of course I do. The Gods know I do. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before…” She shook her head, her voice growing more pained. “But we can’t.”

“Then why?” Arthur asked, his tone growing more urgent. “Is it really just because we barely know each other? Because that doesn’t matter to me in the slightest. We have our whole lives ahead of us to figure each other out. What matters is what’s here—right now.” His hand pressed slightly against her waist, emphasizing his words.

Mera’s head shook more firmly this time. “I don’t care about that either… But—” She paused, her eyes darting away briefly before returning to his. “I’m engaged, Arthur. I can’t entangle myself with another man while I’m still promised to someone else.”

Arthur’s breath caught. “Are you serious? I thought you said it was a political engagement… Are you—” His voice faltered as a hint of apprehension crept in. “Are you interested in my brother?”

“Gods, no!” Mera’s reply was swift, almost offended. “How can you even say such a thing? I would never be interested in a man like him. This isn’t about him—it’s about me.” She exhaled slowly, her voice softening. “It’s wrong, Arthur. Unethical. I’m not the kind of woman who would be with another man while promised to someone else, no matter how meaningless the arrangement. I would feel… dirty. And I don’t want our relationship to begin that way. I don’t like it.”

Her eyes lifted to his with a sorrowful weight, silently asking for understanding—maybe even forgiveness. Arthur reached up, his finger gently covering her mouth before she could say more.

“You don’t need to explain yourself any further,” he said with quiet conviction. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “You are a true woman, Mera—one of integrity and nobility. I respect that. Honestly, I really like that about you. So don’t look at me like you’ve wronged me. You haven’t.”

Their foreheads remained pressed together, the intimacy now gentler, calmer. Mera’s gaze dipped toward the shimmering waters below, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m really sorry, Arthur.”

His hand tilted her chin upward, forcing her eyes back to his. “Like I said, I understand. And if anything, you’ve just made my path all the clearer. I’ll find that trident, take down my brother, claim the throne… and then, officially, take you as my queen.”

Her lips curved into a soft smile. “Of course. I’ll be helping you every step of the way.”

Arthur’s grin turned roguish. “I’d expect nothing less from my future queen.”

Mera laughed, the sound light and sweet, covering her mouth with her hand in a gesture that somehow made her all the more captivating.

“Although anything else would be considered inappropriate, I hope this will suffice,” Arthur murmured, his voice warm yet restrained, before leaning in to press a gentle kiss to Mera’s cheek.

The touch was feather-light, yet it sent a pleasant shiver through her. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she instinctively leaned toward him, savoring the moment as though it were a rare treasure. A wistful sigh escaped her lips, and her arms came up to rest over his broad shoulders, holding him in a quiet, unspoken affection.

“That,” she whispered softly, her breath brushing against his ear, “is more than enough.”

They floated there in the middle of the endless ocean, surrounded on all sides by a vast expanse of shimmering blue. The waves rolled lazily beneath them, and from a distance, the two were nothing more than tiny specks against the grand scale of nature’s canvas.

When they finally began to part, it was only just—foreheads still pressed together, noses almost brushing, eyes locked in a tender stalemate. “We should get going before we lose track of time,” Mera suggested, her tone reluctantly pulling them back to reality.

“The only thing I’m lost in,” Arthur teased, his mouth curling into a faint smirk, “is your eyes…”

Mera let out a soft snort before a girlish giggle slipped free. “Phttt, hehehe… Don’t start getting overly flirty with me now, Mr. Curry. We need to focus, remember?”

Arthur groaned in mock defeat, exhaling a dramatic sigh. “I’m really starting to hate the fact that we have to break this up so soon…”

She only smiled, her fingers brushing his cheek in a gentle, almost maternal pat. “Get used to it, Mr. Curry, because we’ve still got a long distance to cover.”

“Agreed,” Arthur admitted, the levity in his voice fading as a more serious note returned. “Not to mention we’ll have to figure out our situation when we get to land—and how we’re going to manage that.”

With that, the intimate stillness between them finally broke. The two bobbed lightly with the swell of the water before Mera straightened, her determination clear. “We’ll figure that out once we get there. For now—let’s move.”

Without another word, she slipped beneath the surface in a smooth dive, her form cutting through the water with effortless grace. Arthur followed close behind, his strokes long and powerful, refusing to let her outpace him.

They moved together in perfect sync, their bodies slicing through the sea at supersonic speed, the water parting and roaring in their wake. The deeper they swam, the quieter the ocean seemed, the noise of the surface replaced by the muffled rush of water and the muted hum of the deep.

As they swam side by side, Arthur extended his hand slightly, letting his pinky finger drift toward hers. Mera caught the small, almost shy gesture from the corner of her eye. Her lips curved into a wide, genuine smile, and she hooked her pinky with his without hesitation.