II. Part Of Your World

“Are you ready? Remember, once you did this, there’s no turning back anymore.”

“I’m ready. I have been waiting so long for this.”

“Are you sure you’re ready to turn your back on everything? Let me just remind you, if you failed---and I really wish you do not---you have nothing to return to.”

“I have nowhere to go to in the first place.”

“Well, what should I bid you goodbye then? Good bye? See you later?”

“A good luck, maybe? Because I’ll be needing lots of those.”

“Well then, good luck. You’ll surely need that in this coming 7 days.”

****

Can you be my destiny?

Can you stay right here with me?

My mind is left in wonder

As I fix you in my dreams

****

Chanyeol furiously stormed in his room after having that absurd conversation with his father. Seriously, what the heck crossed his father’s mind to even suggest that?! The prince exasperatedly and mostly, exhaustedly plopped down in his giant shell as he closed his eyes and tried to tune out his father’s words.

“Father, are you seriously telling me that?!”

His father, the great King of Aquatica, King Junmyeon, heaved a deep sigh before nodding his head, “Prince Chanyeol, you know that I am not getting any younger and some time soon, I need to go down this throne and hand you the whole Kingdom. With that, I wanted to be assured that you will still be able to live your life.”

“Living my own life is my own problem, Father!”

“But as a King, it was for the whole kingdom!” King Junmyeon, who was also known to the Kingdom as King Suho frustratedly massaged his forehead. There might be wrinkles visible in his skin due to his age but it was still undoubtedly that the King was still looking handsome like he was in his younger days.

“Prince Chanyeol, Yeol, my beloved son, please. Just please give this a chance. And to tell you the truth, I am not only doing this for the whole kingdom. I am doing this for you as your father and also to fulfill my promise to your mother, Yixing, that I’ll not sacrifice your happiness just for the throne.”

If you only knew, Father, if you only knew.

Chanyeol mentally said to himself. He looked at his father and saw how much he misses his mother. His mother, the great Queen of Aquatica, Zhang Yixing, died after giving birth to him. Chanyeol sometimes could not help but think that maybe if his mother was still here with them, things just might have a change.

He and Dara just might have a chance at happily ever after.

Chanyeol heaved a deep sigh. There’s no use crying over spilled milk. What’s done is done and it was almost 1? 2? years since he saw Dara. He just wished she has already forgotten about him and is living her life happily now.

“And besides, Princess Nana of the Oceanilla Kingdom is a great sophisticated and beautiful young mermaid. I’m sure you two will easily get along with each other.”

“I understand your point, Father----”

“That’s good! Then I’ll ask Xiumin to call----”

“But sorry, I am still refusing the marriage. Marriage is something sacred for me and if I am going to do it, I am going do it on my own will.”

“PRINCE CHANYEOL!”

“If you have nothing to say anymore, Father. I better get going. Good day.”

And with that, Chanyeol left his father speechless.

The prince heaved a deep sigh. He knew his father is only thinking of his sake. He knew his father is just worried about him but he just could not find in himself to agree to the conventional marriage his father was arranging him to. And the merman knew why.

Because after all these years, even after everything that happened, Chanyeol was still wishing that maybe, maybe he can find a way for him and Dara to have their own happily ever after.

Chanyeol was broken from his reverie of thoughts when he saw Kyungsoo and Baekhyun swim into his room. Baekhyun worriedly looked at his bestfriend.

“Yeollie, please don’t be upset anymore.”

Chanyeol gently rubbed the fins of Baekhyun like he always do, “Don’t worry your scales about me, Baek. I am….fine. I guess? Haha. Father will surely come to his senses some time soon and you’ll see, he’ll just be tired trying to force me into that marriage.”

“But what if he did not?”

Chanyeol just shrugged, “Well then, he would need to wait a long, long, long time before that happens.”

Kyungsoo could not help but to interfere, “Sorry, your Highness for asking but is this still because of the mortal?”

“She has a name, Kyungsoo and it is Dara.” Chanyeol corrected Kyungsoo before turning his attention to the window in his room and looking at the whole kingdom of Aquatica, “It was always about her, Kyungsoo. The reason why I still wake up everyday, the reason why I still go on with my life, the reason why I am training to be a great king in the future so I can maybe, just maybe, see her for one more time. She will always be my inspiration for everything.”

“But your Highness, you have to admit that eventually you need to move on from her.”

“I know, Kyungsoo. But I’ll just have to cross the bridge when I got there, right? For now, let me just live with my memories with her. Because if not, I would not know how to even continue living.”

Silence fell on the room as the two creatures were sympathizing on the ill fate the young Prince had to experience. If only they could do something, if only they can help the prince but what can they even do but just to support him and be there with him.

The three were silent not until Kai, or known to many as Kim JongIn, soldier sting ray and eventually Kyungsoo’s persistent suitor (A/N: Fishes, Crabs and other sea creatures becomes half human form when inside the kingdom of Aquatica :D) came rushing inside the young prince’s room.

“Jongin! What’s the rush all about?!”

“Your Highness, sorry for disturbing your rest and---”he then turned to Kyungsoo, “Hi, Kyungie-yah~!”

Kyungsoo just scoffed at him while Baekhyun teases him at the side.

JongIn returned his attention to the prince, “Your Highness, we have an urgent emergency! Some strange looking whale was stuck between the boundaries of our kingdom gates and is heavily injured! No one can open the gate as only you and the King has the power to open it. We have already tried to ask for the King but unfortunately, he was in a meeting in Oceanilla Kingdom.”

Chanyeol could not help but frustratedly sigh at the mention of the said kingdom. His father is really serious on the marriage, huh? He just shrugged his thoughts and turned to Jongin.

“Lead me to the whale.”

ΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨ

“H---Help…”

Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were all surprised upon seeing the whale JongIn was talking about. And true to his words, the whale is really strange-looking. Instead of the usual blue whale, this whale is pure white and is albeit small for his/her kind. Both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo thinks that the prince is even more gigantic compared to the whale but well, they just kept their mouth shut about that.

But the weirdest part of all, all sea creatures changes form when inside the borders of Aquatica into human form but the whale stays in his/her fish form. Surely, this whale is something strange.

Chanyeol was about to help the strange whale when both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun tried to stop him, “Your Highness, don’t!”

The prince scrunched his eyebrows in anger, “What are you talking about? One of our kind is in danger and you’re trying to stop me from helping him or her?!”

“But don’t you think it’s kind of strange?! All sea creatures in the whole ocean and water bodies changes form when inside the borders of Aquatica but that whale doesn’t! It might be some witch or enemy trying to be inside the borders of the palace and overtake the throne!” Kyungsoo warns as Baekhyun nods beside him.

But Chanyeol was not to wither in trying to save the whale. He does not know why but he suddenly find this fire of determination to save the creature. He turns his back at his friends and went ahead the whale.

“Then it is better that he or she goes through me first, right?”

The moment Chanyeol was near the whale, he could not d