There once was a young boy named Liam who lived with his mother, whose fair hair and skin and kind violet eyes he inherited, and his father, with whom he shared a certain quietness and gentleness of heart. They lived their days blissfully in a small but cozy house on the cliff-side with a breathtaking view of the ocean. And being an only child and therefore having both of his parents’ affections and attentions for himself, he was happy. But alas, tragedy struck, and his fair mother grew ill. Her once lovely face grew wan with sickness, and although his father and the doctors and apothecaries did all they could to save her, she eventually succumbed to the illness, leaving her precious son and beloved husband behind. Deep in despair, his father sought desperately to fill the void left in his heart by the departure of his loving wife, and ended up remarrying, hoping that a new love would ease the pain of love lost. And his new wife was beautiful and proud, with a daughter who was equally as radiant as she and was only a few years older than Liam. And for a while, Liam, although distraught by his mother’s passing, truly believed that things would get better.

But his stepmother, although outwardly beautiful and polite and kind, had a great bitterness in her heart; she seethed at the way her husband doted over his pretty young son, who took after his mother in that he possessed a beauty that was unmatched. She fumed when the local townspeople would shower Liam with praises and affection while her own daughter sat in the shadows, her presence overlooked in favor of her stepbrother’s. And this jealousy festered deep inside her very soul and drove her into a manic rage until one day, on the eve of his 13th birthday, she coaxed him out onto the very edge of the cliff, her sanity having long since left her. And having known only love and affection his whole life, Liam happily obliged, placing his trust in his pretty stepmother. She fought with herself silently, trying desperately to dissuade herself from doing something foolish; something she would regret. But then Liam smiled up at her, and the blitheness and naïveté in his lovely smile caused her to snap. In a fit of desperate rage, she took him by the arm and tossed him over the edge of the cliff. And as he plummeted towards the sea below, he looked up at his stepmother still in disbelief of what she had done, and he opened his mouth to scream when his back hit the water with a sharp crack and he plunged into the cold watery depths.

And as he sank deeper into the blue abyss, his body and trust broken, he found he could not swim up towards the light of the sun and the world beyond the surface of the water, nor did he want to. So he reached towards the inky blackness of the bottom of the sea, and in that still darkness he began to change. His shattered bones began to mend themselves and he was able to breathe in the water. And most startlingly, a searing heat passed over his legs, which were now fusing together slowly to form a giant tailfin of sorts, complete with scales and a silvery shine. His mind reeled at what had happened – at his stepmother’s betrayal, at his sudden transformation – and with his faith in humanity growing ever more jaded by his her recent actions, he swam away from the cliff-side and away from his home, leaving his past behind him, and towards the open sea.

He couldn’t be hurt again if there was no one around to hurt him.



Five years had passed since then. Five years of isolation and no one to keep him company but himself. But Liam wasn’t completely removed from society, or so he liked to believe. On early mornings he would visit the nearby harbor, staying a safe distance away so as not to be seen, and he would take in the clamoring hustle and bustle of people milling about. He would watch, eyes wide with awe as great ships would dock there and men would come pouring out of their wooden vessels to mingle in with the ever-present crowd to trade goods and exchange pleasantries and whatnot. And he was happy, or as happy as one could be when they were a freak of nature with no friends or family to talk to. Ever. He sighed, causing a small flurry of bubbles to escape his lips and rise towards the surface of the water. He was fairly close to shore, but since the sun hadn’t even risen yet, there was very little chance of anyone coming to the beachside at this time. A small crab scuttled by, leaving a trail of tiny imprints in the smooth sand, and he poked at it gently with a finger. He was so bored. But being separated from the entirety of the human race tended to have that effect on people. Liam stayed there motionless at the bottom, occasionally stirring up the sand with his fin or blowing rings of air to help pass the time. And when the murky waters began to lighten as the sun rose over the horizon, he swam his way towards the distorted light and broke free at the surface, his breath visible in the cool morning air. The cold didn’t bother him, though; it never did.

He closed his eyes and hummed to himself, swimming leisurely on his back towards nowhere in particular, when his head bumped against something floating on the water’s surface. It was a broken patch of wood, and with a start, he realized there were several more pieces floating nearby, all of them snapped at the edges, as if they had been torn off violently off of whatever vessel they had come from. A ship, it had to be a ship. And if a ship had wrecked here, that meant that there would be bodies among the wreckage. Liam clenched his jaw sifted through the debris, searching for any sign of life. More than once, he came across a bloated body that was face-down in the water, and his skin crawled at the swelled flesh and blood-shot eyes. But still, there was no sign of any survivors. Liam sighed. Maybe he should stop. After all, the ship could have wrecked days or even weeks ago. And even if he found a survivor, what could he do? He couldn’t trust anyone, certainly not some half-drowned stranger who would most likely try and capture him after being saved by him. Liam sighed, running his hands through his honey blond hair, and slapped his fin against the water’s surface in frustration, the resounding crack of the water nearly deafening amidst the silence. He thought about just giving up for the day and going back to his little underwater cove and staying there until god knows when he felt like coming back out.

And then he heard a groan.

His head snapped to attention as he scanned his surroundings, trying to place the source of the sound, when his sights fell on a lone man draped over a wooden crate, bobbing gently across the water’s surface. He hurriedly swam over to inspect the body and saw that he was still alive, although his breath was ragged and uneven. With a grunt, Liam heaved the larger man over his thin shoulder and jetted towards the shore, his powerful tailfin pumping furiously. He threw the man onto the sandy beach and dragged him onto dry land, the movement clumsy and awkward – although his tailfin allowed him to travel at breakneck speeds in the water, it wasn’t a suitable means of transportation anywhere else, especially on land. He leaned in, brushing the man’s wet hair out of his face to examine him further.

And he just stared at the stranger’s face. His very, very handsome face, with its dark brows and sharp, straight nose and high cheekbones and sun-kissed, lightly freckled skin and oh heavens this was no time to be gawking, the poor man was dying. Liam began to panic, desperately trying to think of a way to save this handsome stranger’s life when suddenly, a hazy memory came to mind. A memory from a lifetime ago, it seemed, as he recalled his mother – his real mother, not the wench who tossed him into the sea – reading him a story about a mermaid princess who saved a handsome prince from drowning with a kiss. Liam looked at the man’s ragged clothes. Well, he may not be a prince, but he certainly was handsome. And he supposed it was worth a try, although he wasn’t entirely sure how a kiss was supposed to bring him back to life. But then, he also didn’t think people could suddenly transform into fish-human hybrid people, so what did he know? He ever so slowly leaned in and kissed him, his lips pressing softly against the strange man’s. It was rather nice. He broke the kiss and leaned back, waiting for the man to spring back to life and thank him for saving his life, and possibly declare his love for him just like the prince would do in the storybooks.

Nothing.

Liam scowled. Well now what? He was out of fairy tale remedies he could try, and he doubted that kissing him again would do any good. Confused and frustrated, he smacked a hand against the man’s chest. And immediately, he erupted into a fit of coughs and hacks, expelling the water from his lungs. Startled and unsure of what just happened, Liam frantically smacked the man’s chest repeatedly, coming to the conclusion that it apparently worked the first time, so he might as well do it again and again.

The man weakly raised his arm in protest. “Stop, stop that. Ow,” begged the coarse voice. Liam complied, pulling his arm back to his side and smiling gently at the stranger’s words – they were the first he had heard directed at him in five long years, and although he would have preferred something a bit more romantic for first words, they would have to do. He giggled.

And then he remembered exactly what he was doing, and panicked because now the stranger was going to open his eyes and see what he was and either run away in disgust or try to seize him as some sort of commodity to sell or barter at the market and neither of those outcomes were favorable and oh gods, his eyes were starting to flutter open. He could either try and make a break for it now or wait it out and see what happened. He was still running over his options when a gasp interrupted his frenzied thoughts, and he peered down to see two grey eyes staring widely back at him, the man’s lips parted slightly in shock.

Blast. So much for making a break for it. Liam stayed silent. He had no idea what to say or do now. So he simply waited, muscled tensed in the event that the man tried to make a grab at him. He clenched his fists, the nails digging into the soft flesh of his palms in anticipation as the man continued to stare back at him. Suddenly, his gaze grew gentle and he smiled at Liam, which took him by surprise. “You’re beautiful,” the man whispered, as if he thought he was in a dream and hadn’t yet woken up. Or maybe he thought he was dead. Either way, Liam was shocked; he hadn’t been expecting that at all, and was feeling more than a little overwhelmed by the man’s strange words. He had no idea how to respond.

So he slapped him.

The man yelped, more out of surprise than pain, and shot up, and the apologies began pouring out of Liam’s mouth. “I’m sorry! I have no idea why – it was a reflex, I didn’t mean to hit you, I’m sorry.”

“No, no, no. It’s fine. I, uh, didn’t mean to offend you, I just – wow,” the man blathered out, cradling his cheek in one hand.

“You didn’t, really, I just – I was panicking, and you surprised me. I was worried that you would try and capture me or do something terrible to me and – gods, why am I telling you this,” Liam rambled, trailing off at the end of his sentence.

The man furrowed his brows. “Why would you think that?” Liam stared blankly at him and gestured a hand towards his fin, which he shimmied in the air for added emphasis. The man nodded. “Right. I see your point. But I promise you I’m not going to do anything harmful to you.” He reached out and grabbed a hold of Liam’s hands, clasping them tightly together and stared directly into his eyes. Liam could feel his skin grow warm and flush at the action. The man smiled softly at Liam and he stared at him with the most tender gaze he had ever seen. “You saved my life. Thank you.”

“Liam.”

The man grinned at him, his eyebrows once more furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“My name. It’s Liam,” Liam replied, removing his hands from the man’s grip and placing them out of reach behind him.

“Liam, you say? That’s a very cute name.” Liam’s blush deepened and a string of incoherent words left his mouth in protest. The man just chuckled, and the sound sent a small thrill through Liam. “My name is Frederick.”

“Frederick. That sounds like a knight’s name,” commented Liam. Frederick laughed boisterously before breaking out into a fit of coughs, which only caused him to laugh harder. Tiny tears formed at the corners of his eyes as his body convulsed with laughter and coughing. Liam scowled. “What’s so funny?”

Frederick wiped at the corner of his eyes, still chortling. “I-I’m sorry, please don’t be angry. It’s just that what you said couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

Liam cocked a brow. “Oh?”

Frederick’s laughing fit had died down to a soft chuckle by now and he smirked at Liam, and mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Truth be told, I’m actually a pirate.”

Liam snorted. “No you’re not.”

“Actually, I am.”

“You don’t even talk like a pirate,” Liam pointed out.

“Not all pirates are uneducated. Well, most of them are. But I wasn’t always a pirate.” Liam just stared at him with a disbelieving look, and Frederick chuckled. “I was a forced laborer on a merchant vessel after essentially being kidnapped from a port. Don’t look at me like that, it’s the truth. Working on a merchant or naval ship is a terrible job, and it’s not uncommon for people to be snatched from harbors and forced to work on them. Anyway, I was slaving away on one of these ships when we were suddenly attacked by a band of pirates. They recruited most of the workers – myself included – onto their own ship, and I ended up being a fairly decent pirate. Then the captain died, and I was voted to take his place and, well,” he shrugged and smiled at Liam, his eyes twinkling, “here I am.”

Liam stared at him for a few moments without saying anything. “So,” he drawled, “you mean to tell me that you’re not only a pirate, Sir Frederick, but you’re also the captain of your own ship and crew?”

“Well, I’m mostly known as Fritz. It has a bit of a more roguish charm, wouldn’t you say?”

Liam scoffed. “You’re full of it.”

“’Tis the truth, on my honor.” He placed a hand over his chest and raised the other in the air for added emphasis.

“A man’s honor is worth nothing,” Liam spat. Frederick’s eyes widened with surprise at the harshness of his words. Liam turned away then, and started dragging himself back to the water. “And with that, I’m leaving. Good-bye, Frederick. Fritz. Whatever your name is.”

“Wait!” Frederick scrambled forward, blocking Liam’s way. “Please don’t leave. I’d like to talk with you some more.”

Liam tried to push past him, but to no avail; Frederick was quite a bit larger than he was. “I would love to stay and chat, really. But I’m not really too keen on staying out in the open in broad daylight where people can see me and capture me so they can torture me or eat my flesh or what have you.”

Frederick placed a hand gently on Liam’s cheek then, and he started. Today was just one surprise after another. His voice grew soft as he spoke. “Then, when can I see you again?”

Liam sighed, and he closed his eyes in thought. He could lie to Frederick so that he would let him leave – after all, the last time he had trusted someone, it hadn’t ended well, to say the least. But looking into Frederick’s face, all smiles and twinkling grey eyes and sincerity laid out openly on his handsome face, he knew he couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing. He opened his eyes and gently removed Frederick’s hand from his face. “Tonight. After sundown. By the cove at the far end of the shore.”

Frederick flashed him a brilliant smile which sent his heart racing through his chest. “I won’t keep you waiting, I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Frederick moved to the side as Liam dragged himself clumsily to the water’s edge, the waves lapping at his skin and scales. He sighed in relief; as exhilarating as it was to finally be able to speak to another person again, the feeling of the cool seawater against his skin comforted like nothing else could. He dove in, submerging himself fully, dipping his head back above the surface only once to look towards the shore. Frederick was still in the same spot, although he was now standing, and he waved cheerfully at Liam. Liam blushed and turned away, giving Frederick a small flip of his fin before swimming away, eagerly awaiting the arrival of nightfall.

It was only after he had been swimming for some time before he realized what he had agreed to. And without Frederick’s dazzling face and smile there to assuage his fears right in front of him, the doubts began gnawing away at Liam. How did he know he could trust him? The man was practically a criminal, even by normal societal standards. What if he didn’t show up? Or worse, what if he did show up, but not alone? What if he brought his men with him and tied him up? The thought sent a chill down Liam’s spine. No, it was too late to fuss about it. After all, he could just not go. It would definitely be the safest choice. But the thought of leaving Frederick alone at the cove, waiting, nearly broke Liam’s heart. He’d craved companionship for so long, and now was his chance. So he swam to their meeting point, although he stayed a safe distance away from the shore that he could escape if things went awry. And there, he waited patiently for the sun to set.

Which seemed to take forever on this particular evening. Once or twice, Liam caught himself dozing off, and immediately he would snap himself out of it. He had to be careful. And after several painful, excruciatingly long hours, the sun began to dip below the ocean’s glittery surface, and Liam began to scan the shore for any sign of Frederick. He was excited, far more so than he would have cared to admit.

An hour passed. Then two. And Liam’s heart sank with each passing minute of silence. This was stupid. He was stupid. Frederick was stupid with his stupid promises and stupid gorgeous face. Of course he wouldn’t show up – who would? He turned to leave when he heard a rustling come from the lush foliage near the grotto’s entrance, and out came Frederick, although he was now properly dressed, boots and overcoat and all. He caught sight of Liam’s head bobbing above the waves, his hair a matching silvery color to his tail in the moonlight, and he waved from the shore, that familiar beaming smile on his face. And all of Liam’s worries and doubts seemed to melt away in that instant as he swam eagerly to him.

“Did you wait long?” Frederick asked, extending a hand to help Liam out of the water when he got close enough.

Liam accepted his hand as he allowed Frederick to help pull himself into the safety of the cave, the smooth stone cool against his scales. He stared at Frederick for a little too long before answering – he’d been handsome before, but properly dressed and dried, the man was practically a god. Not that he would ever say this out loud. He realized Frederick was still waiting for an answer and replied with an amicable grin. “Not at all,” he lied. He didn’t need to know that Liam had been waiting here all day.

And the two talked all evening. They talked about nothing and everything. Frederick weaved exciting tales of his adventures out at sea to Liam, complete with how he had ended up on a prison boat and how the boat had been smashed to pieces during a storm, leading up to their meeting. And in turn, Liam would laugh at his jokes and animated storytelling. Liam told him about his past and how he had become a merman in the first place, and Frederick listened intently to every word, even placing a strong hand gently over his as he talked wistfully of his kind dead mother.

“So are any of the myths true? About mermaids – or mermen, rather,” Frederick asked excitedly.

Liam smiled fondly at him. “Like what?”

“Like the one where a mermaid cries pearls. Is that true?”

Liam chuckled. “No such luck.”

“Can you control the weather? Brew and quell mighty storms and doom ships and rescue wayward sailors?”

“Negative,” Liam smirked. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so at ease.

Frederick leaned back, frowning slightly. “Hmph, I would have thought that one was true.”

Liam raised a brow, curious. “Why is that?”

Frederick beamed at him, leaning towards him and winking. “Well, you saved me, didn’t you?” They laughed and talked and talked and laughed through the night, until the stars disappeared from the night sky and sky itself turned a pale grey. Liam looked up and sighed.

Frederick noticed, and smiled sadly at him. “You have to go, don’t you?” Liam nodded, and Frederick sighed before slowly reaching up to tuck Liam’s hair behind his ear, cupping his face gently. “When can I see you again?” he murmured, and Liam chuckled.

And they continued meeting and talking like this. Sometimes days would pass before Frederick would return to that grotto, and Liam would always wait patiently for his pirate prince. “He’ll come. I know he will,” he’d say to himself on those long days when Frederick wouldn’t show. But he always came eventually, and would always bring with him brand new and exciting tales from being out at sea and they would laugh and Liam would forget all about the waiting and worrying. Days, weeks, months – they seemed to fly as Liam spent more and more time with Frederick, growing fonder of him by the day, in contrast to before when time seemed to crawl at a snail’s pace. Now, the nights had become too short, and where Liam had preferred the daytime before so he could go observe the townsfolk milling about, he now dreaded the sunrise because it meant leaving Frederick’s side.

Until one night when instead of the usual soft gaze and blinding smile, Frederick sat at the grotto with a solemn look on his face, his mouth set in a grim line. He said nothing at first, which was unusual because he always had something to say, and placed a hand over his mouth, gazing out towards the sea.

Liam scooted closer to his side, resting a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “Something’s happened.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement of fact.

Frederick smiled forlornly at Liam and nodded. Liam stared at him, waiting patiently for some sort of elaboration. Some time passed before Frederick spoke, and his voice was weary, as though he hadn’t slept in days. “I…may not be coming back here.”

“What? Why?” Liam shot up, eyes wide in shock.

Frederick rubbed a hand against his closed eyes, sighing heavily. “I’ve received word that the Imperial Guard has placed a bounty on my head.”

Liam shrugged, still unable to process what he’d just heard. “So? Don’t all pirates have a price on their heads?”

Frederick shook his head. “If it was as simple as putting my face on a few ‘Wanted’ posters, it wouldn’t be a problem. But the Imperial Guard is different from the general military. They’re actually good at their job. Frighteningly so. And they don’t get involved unless it’s a very serious matter.”

Liam stared at him blankly. “So, why are they after you?”

Frederick sighed and leaned back on his arms, staring up at the moon. “You know I have a set of very strict rules aboard my ship. No harming men who don’t resist unless they have mistreated their shipmates in the past, and absolutely no harming women or children.” Liam nodded; Frederick had told him about his strict rules many times in the past during their numerous story sessions, and Liam had admired him greatly for them. Even a pirate could have an ethical code. “Well, a few days ago, we raided a cargo ship, hoping to seize some spending money for ourselves and maybe a bit extra to give to some needy folks, you know?” He sighed for the third time that evening.

Liam gripped his hand tightly around Frederick’s, giving a reassuring squeeze. “What happened?”

Frederick smiled wistfully at him and squeezed back. “Well, we took what we needed, and I gave the order to finish up so we could leave. But a few of the recent recruits had other ideas. I got them off of another cargo ship where they’d been working under terrible conditions, and frankly, they wanted revenge. So they snuck some gunpowder aboard the ship and lit a fuse just as we left. The explosion was massive, and the ship was up in flames before I had a chance to even try to save anyone on board. And normally, this kind of thing wouldn’t warrant the attention of the Imperial Guard, but…” he trailed off then, his jaw clenching.

“But?” Liam prodded gently.

Frederick squeezed Liam’s hand. “The Emperor’s daughter was aboard that ship.”

“Oh,” Liam’s voice was barely audible above the crashing waves against the shore, and he closed his eyes. Even he understood the severity of the crime. He started to panic as he realized the inevitable: Frederick was going to leave. “But, but wait. Why is this your fault? Those men went against orders. They should be the ones charged. You didn’t know. You didn’t do anyth-“

“I am responsible for my men’s actions, regardless of the circumstances,” Frederick cut off gently. He gave Liam a sorrowful smile as he brushed his fingers in a gentle sweep along the side of his face. He leaned into Frederick’s touch and closed his eyes, gritting his teeth to fight back the rapidly forming tears. It was a futile effort, and he ducked his head down as the glistening drops fell to the cavern floor with a near inaudible plink. Frederick tilted Liam’s chin up and brushed away his tears gently with his other hand. He smiled as he stared into Liam’s eyes, his gaze intense. “And how could I go back on my word and sully my honor when it’s taken me this long to prove to you that it’s worth anything at all?”

“Damn your honor,” Liam spat, slapping Frederick’s hand away. “You should run. Run like a coward and leave your men behind. Go to some godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere and stay there, away from the Imperial Guard and the Emperor and his dead daughter. Away from everyone.”

Frederick’s gaze softened and his voice dropped to nigh more than a whisper as he tilted Liam’s gaze up to meet his own once more. “Away from you?”

Liam’s jaw shut with an audible snap, and he leaned forward, burying his face in the crook of Frederick’s neck. “I don’t want you to die.”

Frederick wrapped his arms around Liam’s shuddering frame, embracing him tightly. “I won’t. Well, I can’t make any promises on that one. But I’ll take my men somewhere safe. And then I’ll fight every last one of those Imperial dogs myself, death be damned. And even if I have to crawl back here on my hands and knees from the other side of the earth, I’ll come back for you. And you can yell at me all you want then and tell me how worthless my honor is and how much of a fool I am for loving you so much.” Liam stopped his sobbing then and jerked back, looking up at him with eyes wide and mouth hanging open in shock. Frederick laughed, the burden on his heart lightening a bit. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know.” Liam shook his head.

“Well, I supposed now’s a good a time as any to confess,” Frederick chuckled, his eyes twinkling with bemusement. “I love you. I love how shy you can be and how when you’re embarrassed, your face and neck flush red like they’re doing right now. I love your kindness, which you showed when you chose to save my life in risk of endangering your own. I love the way you smile and bite at your lip nervously and the way you laugh and-“


Liam clapped a hand over Frederick’s mouth, interrupting him. “Stop. Stop. This is – I can’t – This is too much – You can’t just-“ His cheeks were bathed in a deep scarlet hue as he tried to let the gravity of Frederick’s words sink in. This was too much.

Frederick laughed heartily, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days. “I would apologize, but I’m not sorry at all.” Liam smacked his arm, which only made him laugh harder. He smiled gently at Liam before suddenly growing serious, his face grave although his tone was still soft and lilting as ever. “Liam, I’m going to kiss you.” Liam’s eyes widened and if it was possible for him to grow any redder than he was, he did. He opened his mouth to speak, but Frederick raised a hand, cutting him off. “Just listen. I’m going to kiss you. And if you pull away at any point or hesitate, then I’ll drop this conversation and we can pretend it never happened. But,” he smiled gently then, bringing up a hand to cup Liam’s face once more, “if you don’t, I’m going to assume you feel the same. Okay?”

Liam couldn’t speak. He could barely manage to think with the blood pounding in his ears and his heart hammering against his chest, threatening to burst out. He simply nodded his head and closed his eyes. Frederick chuckled and slowly leaned his head towards Liam’s, closing the gap between their faces. He could feel Liam’s body trembling slightly, but he didn’t pull away, not even when their noses were touching and they could feel each others’ breaths wash over their faces. So he pressed his lips to Liam’s gently, hand still cupping his face. It was a sweet, chaste kiss, but it was everything either of them had ever wanted or needed, without even knowing it beforehand. Liam felt Frederick’s lips curve up into a smile against his, and when he felt him pulling away, he threw his arms around his neck and pulled him back in for another kiss, this one much deeper and more passionate than the first.

They were both panting and gasping for air when they finally broke the kiss, a reminder that both of them had stopped breathing at some point. And they just stared at each other, Liam’s arms still wrapped tightly around Frederick’s neck, not knowing whether to speak or what to say or if they should just pull the other into another kiss, only this time maybe upping the ante a little. Liam giggled, and Frederick followed suit, both of them laughing breathlessly.

Frederick smiled, still reveling in the way Liam’s lips felt against his, before he opened his mouth to speak, “I should go.”

“No.” Liam growled, his arms tightening their embrace.

Frederick laughed, a trace of melancholy in his voice, as he gently pried Liam’s arms off him. “If I stay any longer I won’t be able to convince myself to leave.”

“That’s the point. Ideally, you won’t.” Liam retorted, trying to fight against Frederick’s efforts to peel him off, even wrapping his tail around his body for added leverage.

“If only we lived in a world of ideals,” he sighed. And with that, he gently but firmly lifted Liam off of his lap, placing him back down on the cool stone floor of the cavern. He leaned in to plant a soft kiss against Liam’s forehead. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. He stood up, brushing himself off and turning to leave.

“I’ll wait for you,” Liam called abruptly, his voice ringing loud and clear in the still night, and Frederick turned in surprise. Liam straightened his posture as best as he could and looked Frederick in the eyes, his gaze unflinching and voice unwavering. “I’ll wait for you. As long as it takes. Even if I have to wait an eternity. I’ll wait.”

Frederick laughed once, and smiled the same fond, gentle smile that he did when he first told Liam he was beautiful on that odd, sunny day when they first met. “Then I’ll have to come back for you, won’t I?” Liam nodded, and they held each other’s gaze for a long while, neither of them saying anything. There was no need for words then. After what seemed like an eternity and yet only a few short seconds at the same time, Frederick turned and ran towards the sandy beach, looking back several times over his shoulder. Liam stayed where he was, watching him go. Then when he disappeared from his sight, he stared at the spot where he disappeared, a small part of him wishing that Frederick would turn around and run back to him with arms spread wide and scoop him up into a tight embrace and shower him with kisses. But he had to leave. And he would let him go and wait for his return.

And so he waited day after day at that very same grotto.

And he waited.

And he waited.

And he waited. Not knowing that somewhere far away from that cavern, a crowd had gathered in the town square, rallying cries that called for justice and for revenge. Not knowing that an executioner was reading out the soon-to-be-hanged criminal’s charges of murder and arson and treason to the throne to the angry mob of peasants that crowed at the gallows, demanding the righteous execution of Ole Fritz, murderer and monster. And as the lone convict stepped up to the noose, which was placed over his head and around his neck, a man wearing elegant, decadent robes with an ornate crown on his head approached him. His eyes were cold as he addressed the criminal. “I’ve heard you to be an honorable man. What have you to say of your honor now, Fritz?”

“Frederick,” he corrected, his mouth curving into a lop-sided grin. “My name is Frederick. And someone very important to me once taught me that a man’s honor is worth nothing, milord. I stand by that statement.”

The regally dressed man nodded. “Very well, then.” And motioned for the executioner to get ready. “Do you have any last words?” he asked, more out of custom than compassion.

Frederick smiled softly to himself, recalling precious memories of his love, drowning out the deafening shouts of the townspeople around him, demanding his death. Looks like I broke my promise after all, he thought to himself. “Tell my love that I won’t be coming tonight,” he whispered, although the words weren’t directed at the man before him, or to any of the mass of people around him. No, his heart was at a grotto on the seaside far away, where his beautiful, extraordinary lover awaited his return. And it broke as he thought about how he had promised to wait an eternity, and an eternity he would now wait.

And then the noose tightened around his neck and the floor disappeared from under his feet, and there was nothing.


And so the young merman waited by the grotto, not knowing the truth of his lover’s whereabouts, or perhaps knowing and simply refusing to acknowledge the truth. And instead he imagine him to be bravely fighting off hordes of faceless soldiers, valiantly cutting down his foes with trusty sabre in hand, and he waited for the day he would return.

And whenever a ship wrecked near that beach, the crewmen would wake up and find themselves on dry land, with no idea how they even survived. And rumors began to spread that there was a guardian angel about that part of the sea, and that he or she would lead sailors to safety, not knowing that it was actually the work of a lone merman – a man who had learned to love and open his heart to humans once more, who would tirelessly drag the unconscious bodies of merchants, sailors, pirates, and yes, even imperial soldiers to shore.

And to this day, he waits by the grotto, awaiting the return of his love, his pirate prince.

He waits, not knowing, or perhaps knowing, that he will be waiting forever