Death followed Zhang Yixing everywhere. 

 

It was there in the car when that speeding truck drove into the driver’s side, killing his father instantly, leaving the then ten-year-old boy with permanent scars. 

 

It was there the day his mother underwent what should have been a relatively simple surgery and ended up with her dead on the operating table.

 

And it was here now, a cold foreboding sensation in the pit of his stomach as the plane spiralled, spinning out of control towards the Pacific Ocean.

 

The sea glimmered beneath them, as brilliantly blue as his mother’s sapphires and beautiful. But it was difficult to appreciate that when you knew you were going to die.

 

With an earthshaking crash, his teeth slammed together so hard he swore he felt some of them crack. There was a lot of screaming, even past the headphones he wore over his ears, his most prized possession.

 

Pain exploded through him like a firecracker as he was thrown sideways into the man beside him, parts of the aircraft disintegrating upon impact. An elbow stabbed into his chest and he screamed in agony, feeling his ribs buckle under the pressure.

 

The cold snatched the breath from his lungs and he fumbled to unbuckle his seatbelt as seawater filled the cabin, chilling him to the bones as he struggled to stay afloat. 

 

Yanking on the tabs, he inflated his life vest, the vest dragging him to the surface. His fingers brushed against the top of the aircraft and he in a sharp breath of air. 

 

Black dots danced in front of his eyes as he grasped onto the wreckage of the sinking aircraft. 

 

The water was so cold. 

 

There were still people alive in the aircraft, struggling to get out. 

 

The plane had cracked in several places, its wings mangled. Yixing whimpered to himself when a body floated past, covered in blood. He could see where bones had broken on impact, piercing through flesh. 

 

Through his blurred vision, he could see dark shapes beneath the water’s surface, just outside the wreckage. One of the shapes beneath the water was swimming towards him, swift and sure and Yixing prayed with all his might that they were not sharks, attracted to the scent of blood.

 

His vision was swimming, his fingers slippery. The figure was moving closer and closer.

 

A human head popped out of the water just as Yixing let his eyes slip shut, darkness overwhelming him.

 

-

When he opened his eyes again, it was bright.

 

Not the bright where the sunlight blinded you but a gentle brightness, soft and comforting with ripples above him, as if he were underwater. 

 

The light filtered down prettily and as he sat up, it reflected off the walls, the gold embellishments gleaming.

 

Heaven looked very different than he had imagined, indeed.

 

Yixing brushed the silky covers off his body, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed he was in. His eyes widened in awe as he took in the room he was in.

 

It had high arched windows, big enough for a small jet to fit through. The floor was white marble, as was the walls. Columns stretched high above him, carved with humanoid figures.

 

The ceiling was so high, with skylights cut into them so that the room beautifully lit. Glass lanterns gleamed from the corners, giving off a soft blue glow.

 

When he looked down at the bed, the covers were covered with gold embroidery, but plush against his fingertips.

 

“Is this Heaven?” He mused aloud, touching the golden bedpost, also covered with gorgeous carvings and sculptures.

 

“I hardly think so,” an amused voice sounded from across the room and Yixing startled, freezing in place when a man appeared in the doorway.

 

His eyes were immediately drawn to the silver-blue scales that started at his hips, leading down a muscled tail and ending in a massive fin that dragged the floor.

 

Blue scales glimmered on the man’s cheek and collarbones, tiny speckles that twinkled like stars.

 

He was flanked by two others but they were so covered in strange silver armour that Yixing could not tell their genders.

 

“Who- What??” Temporarily lost for words, he could only stare as the man swam closer, drinking in the startling beauty of his face.

 

The merman stopped at the foot of the bed, studying Yixing with piercing eyes that appeared to change colour as the light shifted.

 

Up close, Yixing was very aware of the speckling of scales across the man’s cheeks and his bare torso, adorned only with a few loose strands of what looked like seaweed threaded with pearls.

 

He flushed, dropping his head but not before he caught sight of the silver circlet that sat atop his head, carelessly woven through dark hair.

 

“You’re in Atlantis,” the man smiled as if he was very aware of the effect he was having on Yixing. 

 

“That doesn’t exist,” Yixing argued back, albeit weakly.

 

The man raised an eyebrow.

 

“You’re looking at this,” he gestured to his magnificent tail, twitching it towards him and Yixing flinched.

 

The scales glimmered with iridescence and he was overcome with an urge to touch them, to reassure himself that he wasn’t dead.

 

A sharp pain emanated from his ribs when he tried to stand and he fell back with a startled cry.

 

“The impact cracked your ribs,” the merman said apologetically, laying a hand against his chest and Yixing realised with a start that he was almost completely .

 

The revelation sent him reeling back, snatching up the duvet with a whimper of pain to hide himself.

 

The merman looked completely startled at his behaviour, his hands flying up. 

 

He turned his palms out, brows creasing with concern. 

 

Yixing wanted to whine to the universe about how unfair it was for someone to look so attractive with a fishtail attached to his torso.

 

“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” 

 

He shook his head, looking down at himself beneath the covers.

 

A large purplish bruise emanated from the centre of his chest, right where the elbow had struck him as the plane landed in the water. 

 

One side of his abdomen seemed slightly higher than the other and as he ran his fingers along it, he could feel pinpricks of pain from his ribs.

 

“When we got to the crash site, the plane had already sunk. If Jongin had not seen you, you would have died too,” the merman spoke again, his tone wary now as if he was afraid that Yixing would lash out.

 

“Were there survivors?” Yixing whispered. He remembered the screaming now and how the coldness of the water threatened to paralyze him. 

 

The merman shook his head mutely and Yixing sank back into the pillows, stunned.

 

“Where- where is this again?” 

 

“Atlantis,” a hand touched his very gently and he looked up at the merman. His eyes were brown now, and kind.

 

“I will leave you to Baekhyun, he understands land-dwellers much better,” he patted Yixing’s shoulder and moved to go, “but if you need anything else, just ask for me.”

 

Yixing caught his wrist before he could swim away, confused and lost as he said, “I don’t even know your name.”

 

The merman smiled, extracting his wrist from Yixing’s grasp.

 

“I’m Prince Junmyeon, second son of Poseidon, ruler of the seven seas.”

 

-

 

Baekhyun was very loud.

 

He was a steward of Prince Junmyeon’s favourite brother, Prince Jongdae that had been lent to him to communicate more effectively.

 

Not that Yixing had any trouble understanding Junmyeon to begin with. 

 

It was simply that Baekhyun was their unofficial guide to the world above. He had spent a great deal of his life in the human world as a half breed.

 

His father had been a merman who had fallen in love with a human girl.

 

Baekhyun had been raised in the human world by his mother before returning to the sea when he came of age, as had been his wish.

 

He still visited the human lands often to visit his mother and half brother. 

 

All these information spewed forth from the steward’s mouth like a water fountain. 

 

He never seemed to stop talking.

 

“You’re the first human they have brought back in a very long time,” he chattered even as he led Yixing to his wardrobe.

 

Yixing was only half listening, openly gaping at the number of clothes the wardrobe held.

 

“Who is going to wear all these?” He gasped when Baekhyun turned towards him with a flourish. 

 

“You. At least I hope so,” the steward grinned, walking over to the first rack of clothes.

 

Baekhyun preferred legs, as he was told from the moment he entered the room.

 

Legs were just so much more convenient.

 

But all merpeople were able to shift between human legs and a tail, to aid in concealing their kingdom.

 

“How did you even get my size?” He wondered, shaking his head when Baekhyun pulled a flashy shirt covered in sequins out of the closet

 

The steward pouted, putting it back. He yanked a soft blue sweater off its hanger and held it up against Yixing. 

 

“Prince Junmyeon is about your size. We stole clothes from his closet,” the sweater was in Yixing’s direction and Baekhyun was back among the clothes, rummaging wildly.

 

Yixing froze, staring down at the sweater he held in his hands. 

 

“You took clothes from the prince’s closet?’ 

 

At the incredulity in his tone, Baekhyun poked his head out, grinning.

 

“Relax, we’re not very big on formalities here. Not until the Ring of Fire anyway,” he put his head back into the rack of clothes as he spoke, the last of his words muffled by fabric.

 

“What’s the Ring of Fire?” Yixing questioned as he slid the sweater over his head. The sleeves were a little short on him but the fabric was so remarkably soft against his skin.

 

Baekhyun reappeared, holding a pair of pants. His smile seemed to have dimmed somewhat as he handed the pants over.

 

“You’ll know soon enough,” was all he said, before he disappeared out the door, leaving Yixing to change into the clothes with a lot of questions dancing around his head.

 

-

 

Atlantis was much different than how he had imagined it would.

 

They had technology far more advanced than on land, though they kept the ancient structures as their homes.

 

Yixing could see how they would desire to keep this beautiful sunken city a secret. 

 

Their palace was exceptionally well preserved and even though the royalty carried weapons from ancient times, they were well versed in modern combat as well.

 

As he discovered when he stumbled upon Prince Junmyeon in what looked like an underwater shooting range.

 

The pistol in his hand was clear as if made of glass, filled with a strange sapphire blue liquid.

 

Every shot the prince made was completely silent, evident only in the tiny holes in the target screen.

 

Yixing hovered in the doorway, not wishing to disturb but completely fascinated by Junmyeon’s near-perfect shots, the way he looked with his brows creased.

 

His fins were splayed over the floor, propping him upright as he fired round after round at what looked like a very large LED display.

 

As if he had felt his gaze on him, the prince turned, cocking his head with a curious smile that made Yixing flush at being caught.

 

“Hello,” he said, his voice silky and smooth. It was like honey in his ears. He fired another round without looking at the target, his hands remarkably steady.

 

His strange eyes were locked on Yixing’s face as he inched out from behind the corner he had been hiding in.

 

“You look well,” he set down his pistol, carelessly sweeping a loose lock of dark hair away from his face. Yixing eyed the pistol.

 

“What’s that made of?” He asked and a perfectly shaped brow arched. 

 

Junmyeon picked up the pistol, handing it to him and he yelped.

 

That thing was heavy. 

 

“It’s for practice,” the merman explained with a grin, “trains our strength along with accuracy.”

 

He tapped the weapon gently, the liquid inside swirling like a whirlpool.

 

“That’s all the weight. The casing’s lighter without it.”

 

Yixing turned to look at the screen. That explained the display. 

 

It was a simulation.

 

“How are you, Yixing?”

 

The prince’s use of his name startled him even more than the hand he set on his shoulder. 

 

He jerked, blinking at him as Junmyeon slipped the pistol back into the holster, setting back into a stand that he had not noticed before.

 

“How did you know my name?” 

 

Junmyeon shrugged, snapping his fingers. 

 

The lights dimmed and the screen went dark. 

 

“I asked,” with a firm hand on his lower back, he steered Yixing towards the exit of the range, “and Baekhyun told me.”

 

“I’m okay? It’s a big change from land,” Yixing trailed a hand along the smooth walls as they walked out. Well he walked, Junmyeon swam.

 

The merman was impossibly graceful even with the weight of his fins. 

 

From what Yixing had seen, not all merpeople had fins or even tails. Some of them just walked on two legs. Baekhyun had explained that some of them preferred the convenience of legs over a tail.

 

Tail or not, they were all exceptional swimmers, as he expected. 

 

 Jongdae, the third prince was one such example, along with the youngest prince, Jongin.

 

“How did you find me?” Junmyeon asked and Yixing blinked, his cheeks flushing. 

 

“Baekhyun told me to have a look at the range,” he mumbled, “he never mentioned that you would be there.”

 

Actually the steward had, in fact, told him, with a wink and a playful shove. He had vanished before Yixing could comment further. 

 

-

 

Junmyeon liked the land dweller very much. 

 

It had been a long time since any of them had had so much contact with humans, but there was never any hesitation when it came to saving lives. 

 

Yixing would be able to return to the surface to live, should he want to, but he was also very welcome to stay. 

 

Atlantis welcomed strays, but the secret must be kept. 

 

Junmyeon hoped that he would never want to return. 

 

It was a selfish thought, wishful thinking on his part. But he paid close attention to him nonetheless, showering him with books and his company when he could spare the time.

 

Tonight, Baekhyun had said he would be taking Yixing out to dine at one of the Atlantean restaurants, stating that the human needed to see the city after spending an entire day with Jumyeon.

 

Junmyeon agreed, as he too had obligations. 

 

It was the night of his weekly dinner with his brothers. 

 

They tried to have dinner as a family as much as possible, but when it was not, they had a set day of the week to meet up and just talk.

 

Junmyeon enjoyed said dinners. But there was always a little twinge that tugged at his heart whenever he saw his brothers sitting around the table, so happy and contented.

 

Their happiness would never last long.

 

The Ring of Fire was coming up soon, far too soon for his liking. He had so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to say to every single one of his brothers but time was so short.

 

His brothers were already there when he arrived, apologies on the tip of his tongue. It was the first time he arrived to a sombre table, his brothers all busy in a discussion that stopped upon his arrival.

 

Pinched lips brightened into smiles and frowns turned in boisterous laughter as Jongdae got him into a headlock the moment he reached the table.

 

“You’re late, hyung.”

 

Junmyeon grappled with him, questions in the back of his mind forgotten for the moment.

 

“How is the land dweller?” Minseok, the oldest, asked when they had all settled. The servants were often sent away on their dinners and he spooned soup for them all as he replied.

 

“Baekhyun says he is well.”

 

Jongdae had a gleam in his eyes as he ate his salad, and Junmyeon braced himself for the teasing that was inevitable by now.

 

“You ought to ask him to dinner sometime, Myeonie. Just think, a romantic night with just you and him.”

 

His waggling eyebrows made Jongin laugh and Junmyeon kicked him under the table, flushing at the thought.

 

“He has better things to do than to entertain me, I presume,” he chastised his brothers as he ate his soup, though his heart leapt at the thought of having a night with Yixing. It seemed like a good idea to get to know the human. 

 

Only as friends of course, only as friends.

 

-

 

“Did you enjoy the books?” Yixing looked up from examining a strange-looking flower to see Prince Junmyeon standing a little ways away, smiling at him.

 

He straightened, feeling his cheeks flush at the very sight of the prince, resplendent in his tail, fins fanned out and swirling gently in the water. His upper body was bare, save for a few seaweed strands draped around his shoulders and running across his chest.

 

Yixing caught himself before he could trail his eyes down the prince’s muscled body, raising a hand weakly in greeting.

 

“Very much, Your Highness,” he answered, his heartbeat quickening when Junmyeon swam closer. 

 

“I’m glad,” the prince smiled warmly, his brows creasing with concern. Yixing tried not to gape when a cool hand pressed against his cheek briefly. His cheeks flamed when Junmyeon tilted his head.

 

“Are you unwell? You look so flushed.”

 

He ducked his head, covering his face with his hands. God damn his pale complexion. He blushed so easily.

 

“No… No, Your Highness,” Yixing stuttered hurriedly and the prince’s lips pressed together in a thin line, still concerned. 

 

“Walk with me?” Junmyeon’s sentence trailed up at the end, the question hanging in the air and Yixing nodded, the irony of the sentence not lost on him. 

 

As if he had read his mind, the prince smiled too, the corners of his lips lifting. Their hands brushed against each other as they drifted along the palace gardens in a comfortable silence. 

 

Prince Junmyeon was so easy to be around. There was no need for words, the silence always comfortable and Yixing was relieved for it. 

 

The prince always seemed to make him speechless, both with his sweet, disarming ways and his stunningly handsome face.

 

He should be ashamed of how much an effect the prince had on him, even just speaking. Yixing sometimes wondered if Junmyeon had a siren’s voice, for the way he flushed whenever the prince spoke.

 

Prince Junmyeon had a lovely singing voice as well, it seemed. His ears picked up soft humming as the prince leaned over to pluck a flower from the nearest bush, holding it up to the light.

 

“For you,” he blushed when the flower, a soft pastel blue, was carefully tucked into his hair, behind his ear. Junmyeon’s fingers brushed against the curve of his ear and Yixing almost leaned into the touch.

 

“Thank you,” he replied, relishing in the way the prince surveyed him with a soft, fond gaze. 

 

They walked a little further and Yixing’s stomach swooped a little when Junmyeon’s fingers curled faintly against his, as if he wanted to hold his hand.

 

In a bold move, he let his palm slide against the prince’s, smiling when he jumped, turning to gaze at him once more.

 

“May I-?” He asked and Junmyeon opened his hand, their hands fitting together snugly. No words were exchanged between them as they wandered the rest of the palace, their hands entwined.

 

Junmyeon was called to a meeting much later and Yixing sorely missed his presence, even as Baekhyun hustled him away, promising to show him the city library, something that Yixing leapt at.

 

But before he left, the prince kissed his knuckles gently, his eyes earnest as he asked, “will you join me for dinner sometime?”

 

Yixing’s heart skipped a beat and he could not help the smile that spread over his face even as he nodded furiously.

 

“Yes, of course.”

 

-

 

“The prince wishes for you to dine with him!” Yixing looked up from his book to see Baekhyun striding into his room on two legs, crowing at the top of his lungs.

 

He was waving his tablet around in the air so vigorously that Yixing was half afraid he would fling it out of his hands.

 

The steward tapped the wall of the antechamber, turning the lights to a soft red and flicking them on and off just to be annoying.

 

“Which prince? You have multiple,” Yixing reminded him, turning a page in his book. His heart stuttered though, at the thought of Prince Junmyeon’s last promise. Could it be?

 

Prince Junmyeon had called on him several times since they had last met and had lent him books from his personal collection after realizing that Yixing was an aspiring author before his plane crash. 

 

Yixing never had the heart to tell him that he was a failure, and that the cost of the plane ticket was the last of his savings. 

 

“Prince Junmyeon of course, who else!” Baekhyun sounded far too excited over a simple dinner. 

 

“You must dress up! Dazzle him!” 

 

The steward danced over to Yixing’s seat just as he put down his book, grabbing him by the wrist. 

 

Yixing could only laugh at his enthusiasm, allowing himself to be dragged into his chambers for a change of clothes.

 

After many a change, Baekhyun was finally satisfied enough to allow him out to the dining room.

 

He tried not to pay any attention to the steward’s snickering as he opened the door, his eyes lighting upon the single round table in the room, the usual long table nowhere to be seen.

 

The lights were dimmed and what he assumed to be an Atlantean version of a candle sat upon the table.

 

There was no one else in sight as he drew out his chair, settling down to wait.

 

It was mildly nerve-wracking.

 

His stomach was churning as he leant forward, brushing his fingertips against the strange flower in the vase beside the candle.

 

It looked like it could be some form of rose, but an underwater species. 

 

Mentally, he ran through a list of plants in his head that it could be, though he doubted it was any of them because they were so far beneath the surface.

 

Just as he began fiddling with his silverware, the door opened again.

 

The sound startled him and his fork clattered onto his plate loudly.

 

Yixing felt his cheeks grow warm as Junmyeon strode in, a steward bowing as she backed out of the room.

 

The merprince was not in his tail. 

 

He was instead, wearing rather tight fitting pants and a neat blazer. His white undershirt was ed halfway down his chest and he looked absolutely dashing.

 

Yixing could feel his heart beginning to beat faster as the prince pulled out his chair, a soft apologetic smile on his face.

 

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

 

Yixing blushed and stuttered out an assurance that he was not sure the prince heard. 

 

Junmyeon waved his hands and two servers appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, clearing away the plates to set down the starter.

 

“How have you found life here? Have you any trouble adjusting?” The prince locked eyes with him, his lips curving into a gentle smile and Yixing became acutely aware of just how empty the room was.

 

“I... am well, thank you for asking,” he mumbled, picking up his fork. His skin was prickling from the weight of Junmyeon’s gaze, heat blooming on his cheeks. 

 

“I’m glad of that,” came the soft reply. 

 

For a long moment, the only sounds came from their forks clattering around on the plate and the servers reappearing to take away their empty plates.

 

Yixing did not quite know what to say. He stole glances at the prince as the next course was served. 

 

Junmyeon seemed tense as if he had much else to say but had no idea how to express them. 

 

The prince looked up from his plate to catch him staring and Yixing dropped his gaze immediately, his heart rate practically tripling.

 

A knee bumped against his beneath the table and he jerked, nearly dropping his spoon. 

 

The tension between them was palpable. 

 

“Is there anything else that I could give you? Anything that could help you at all?” Junmyeon asked suddenly and Yixing looked up from his plate, startled.

 

The prince’s tone was almost pleading, his eyes full of something .

 

“You seem so out of reach, Yixing,” he reached out, settling his hand over Yixing’s.

 

“I can’t help but fear you miss the surface.”

 

Yixing nearly laughed. 

 

“Junmyeon,” he started, pushing his plate away. Shifting his chair, he brought himself beside the prince.

 

Junmyeon was watching him with those strange eyes, his gaze never wavering from his face as Yixing laced their fingers together.

 

“Junmyeon,” Yixing inhaled, nudging his shoulder against the prince’s gently.

 

“You have given me so much already, how could I ever want for more?”

 

He paused, collecting himself.

 

“Back on the surface, I had nothing. I had my writing and nothing else.”

 

“Here,” he rubbed his thumb over the jutting bone of the prince’s hand, “here, you have given me books that I could only dream of reading, clothes so fine that they are fit for a king. And your company I value most above everything else.”

 

Junmyeon’s cheeks were flushed when he turned to his at him, his gaze fixated on their linked hands. Yixing could not help the smile that tugged on his lips.

 

“Have you never held hands before, Prince Junmyeon?” He teased, snapping the prince of his reverie. 

 

It was incredibly endearing to watch the prince turned into a stuttering tomato with none of his usual charm and grace.

 

“I… You must excuse me, Yixing,” his name sounded like honey falling from the prince’s lips. Junmyeon was looking at anywhere but him as he spoke. “I am un-used to courting.”

 

Yixing tilted his head curiously.

 

“Is that what you call it here?” 

 

Junmyeon shifted, looking confused.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing,” Yixing shook his head quickly, “it is nothing.”

 

Junmyeon was staring at him, his dessert all but forgotten, the scales on his face gleaming in the dim light. 

 

He was so beautiful that he took Yixing’s breath away. 

 

“Is this- Are we courting now? Is that what this is?” He asked quietly with a glance at their entwined hands. “Are you courting me?”

 

The merprince inhaled sharply, nodding so quickly that Yixing nearly missed it. 

 

“If you want to be,” he murmured, tightening his grip around Yixing’s hand. “You must teach me the land dweller ways of courting. I’m afraid I know next to nothing about them.”

 

He gave a wry smile.

 

“I’m not even very good at courting in the Atlantean way either.”

 

-

 

Junmyeon was a liar, Yixing decided very quickly. He had said that he was unused to courting, yet only days later, they were in a carriage pulled by dolphins, travelling through a ravine made of sparkling jewels. 

 

The prince had given him a silver bracelet, a mandatory courtship gift in Atlantis, set with an opal that gleamed like the moon. 

 

“It suits you,” he had said when Yixing asked why an opal, caressing his cheek gently, “pale  and beautiful.” The brief touch had made a red flush rise to the human’s face and he had turned away quickly to enter the carriage.

 

Now they were staring at the most beautiful mountains and caves Yixing had ever seen. The sheer majesty of the underwater structures took his breath away. 

 

Junmyeon leaned around him, casually sliding an arm around his waist as they rounded a bend, pointing towards a volcano rising in a perfect cone straight out of the ground, blood red and puffing smoke. 

 

“That is the Ring of Fire,” Yixing was having trouble focusing with the prince so close to him, but the words jogged his memory. 

 

“What’s the Ring of Fire?” He asked, leaning into Junmyeon’s touch. “Baekhyun mentioned it to me once and never explained more.” At such close proximity, he felt it when the prince stiffened, his arm falling away to his side. Yixing mourned the loss as Junmyeon studied the volcano, the carriage drawing a slow, deliberate circle around it.

 

“The Ring of Fire is a place, but it is also the name of our gladiator duels,” the prince seemed to be choosing his words carefully, “the ultimate duel to determine the true heir to the throne.”

 

The words took time to process, but when they did, Yixing’s eyes widened. 

 

“You don’t mean…” He trailed off, the haunted look in Junmyeon’s eyes confirming his suspicions. 

 

“We duel our brothers and sisters to the death for the right to rule,” Junmyeon’s lips were set in a grim line and Yixing regretted bringing up the topic immediately.

 

“How soon?” He could recall Baekhyun speaking of it, and the thought caused him to shudder.

 

“Not for a little while longer.”

 

The statement seemed to bring the prince no relief, and he was stiff and troubled even when they disembarked their carriage to dine at one of the city’s more prestigious restaurants. 

 

The food was lovely, and the waitstaff even more so sweetened by the arrival of the prince, but there was a dark cloud hanging over Junmyeon’s head, so much so that Yixing did not dare to disturb him.

 

“I’m sorry,” the prince murmured when they left, after leaving a hefty tip for their courteous waiters. 

 

Yixing paused in his steps.

 

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, my prince. I should be sorry to have brought up such a topic.”

 

Junmyeon slid his hand against his, their fingers tangling together and Yixing welcomed it. He turned in surprise when he felt lips against the side of his head, an arm curling around his waist to pull him closer. 

 

It was a bold move for the prince, who was usually quite reserved in the way he showed affection, especially out in the open where anyone could see them.

 

Atlantis did not have a problem with them, in fact, most of the princes had male lovers. It was just Junmyeon who rarely touched him before they had established their relationship.

 

“Let’s not talk about such things right now.”

 

Junmyeon murmured as he pulled away, his arm still wrapped around Yixing’s waist. 

 

“Of course, my prince.”

 

-

 

Junmyeon had to prepare himself for the onslaught of teasing his brothers would shower upon him when he brought Yixing to dinner with them for the very first time.

 

Baekhyun was in attendance, as was Sehun, Jongin’s beau. He was relieved for the buffer they created to keep the atmosphere from turning awkward. 

 

Not that there was ever a risk of that happening. 

 

His brothers were as welcoming as ever, managing to behave themselves until the main course was served. Junmyeon supposed he could only ask for so much, when the ribbing began, along with the mildly inappropriate comments and winks. 

 

Luckily, Yixing seemed to take it all in stride, laughing and teasing him along with his brothers.

 

No one missed the sneaking glances Jongdae snuck at Baekhyun whenever he thought no one was looking and he was ribbed just as much as Junmyeon was. 

 

It was so much fun that Junmyeon wished that he could bottle up the atmosphere and keep it close. He wanted it to last forever, the boisterous laughter and bubbling happiness. 

 

Alas, all good things had to end, and they returned to their chambers.

 

Junmyeon was not quite so ready for the night to end.

 

“Come with me,” he murmured, pulling Yixing so close that his lips brushed against the shell of his ear. The human shivered, nodding.

 

Giggling, the two of them snuck out of the palace, like rebellious teens. Baekhyun would give them both the scolding of their lives if they were caught.

 

But Jumyeon knew his way around the palace and the rotation of the guards.

 

The city was quiet when they arrived, most of the population having already gone to sleep.

 

“Where are we going?” Yixing asked and Junmyeon tugged him close, linking their hands together.

 

“To the Ring of Fire.”

 

With Junmyeon leading and a helpful pod of hippocampi, it did not take them long to arrive at the volcanoes, looming high above them. Junmyeon tightened his grip on Yixing’s hand, turning back to smile at the confused look on the human’s face.

 

“Hang on!”

 

Yixing laughed aloud as he shot up, carrying them both to the very top. 

 

The night air was cool against his face when they burst out of the water, Yixing’s eyes widening in amazement. 

 

Junmyeon nudged him against the closest rock, squeezing his eyes shut as he transformed. He could feel Yixing’s gaze burning into him as he watched. The human had never seen him transform before and Junmyeon could not remember the last time anyone watched him with such intensity.

 

“Where are we?” Yixing asked when he had legs again. In answer, he scrambled up the rocks. They were gritty against his skin as he climbed, reaching down a hand to help his boyfriend.

 

“This is the peak of the highest ‘volcano’,” he replied, making quotation marks with his fingers. The moon was full, spilling its pearly rays all over them as they clambered over the rough rocks.

 

“It’s not really a volcano, is it?” Yixing asked when he caught up with him. 

 

Junmyeon shook his head, grinning. There was a flat plane of white sand in the circle of the rocks, gleaming in the moonlight.

 

He flopped down, pulling Yixing down next to him. 

 

“It’s more like an underwater mountain,” Yixing snuggled up beside him, ignoring the fact that they were getting sand all over themselves.

 

“I come here on my own sometimes, just to think. It’s always quiet and no one ever comes up here.”

 

He turned his head to smile at Yixing and the human smiled back, leaning in.

 

Junmyeon’s heart skipped a beat. They had not kissed yet, though he wanted to.

 

But Yixing merely rubbed their noses together sweetly, before curling up against Junmyeon’s chest.

 

“I can see why,” he murmured, “it’s very peaceful.”

 

-

 

Yixing enjoyed the time he got to spend with Junmyeon greatly. The prince always had someplace new to show him, some new food to try.

 

But he also loved the time where he got to explore the city alone, or otherwise. The city had an incredible library and multiple little cafes and bakeries that he could spend a slow afternoon reading. 

 

“What do you usually eat on land?” He was joined by Jongin that day, the prince having had nothing much to do and had grown tired of sparring and shooting in the arena. 

 

There was a quiet, resigned air about him as they walked together, Jongin having shifted into human form to accommodate Yixing’s much slower footsteps. 

 

Jongin was incredibly sweet when he was not ribbing his brothers about their love lives and Yixing liked having his company while he browsed the library. 

 

“Hyung really likes you,” Jongin commented offhandedly as he pulled a book from the shelf beside Yixing and the human fumbled, nearly dropping the book in his hand.

 

His cheeks flushed red and he opened his book, his eyes skimming over the text, though he processed none of it. Jongin’s eyes were practically burning into his skull as he turned the pages that he had not read.

 

“Do you like him?” It was an innocent statement, but Yixing could hear the underlying message beneath it. 

 

“Of course, I do,” he stammered. He liked Junmyeon so much that he did not know what to do with himself most of the time. He did not think he had ever liked someone so much in his entire life.

 

Suddenly, Jongin was right up in his face, his brows creased with concern. He had never looked so serious before.

 

“Do you love him?” The prince pressed and Yixing jerked back, startled. Was it love that he felt when Junmyeon called him to his room to lay together? Was it love that he felt when they laced their fingers close and Junmyeon kissed him on the cheek goodnight?

 

“I- We haven’t said it yet,” he stuttered, a little frightened by the intensity in Jongin’s gaze. 

 

“You better say it quick, hyung. The Ring of Fire is only weeks away.” 

 

It was a jarring reminder. Yixing had not been thinking about it much but now, as Jongin moved away and back to his own book, he could see the tension in everyone’s body, the fear that was an underlying current to every action. 

 

Junmyeon would have to fight for his life, against the brothers that he loved so dearly, with no guarantee for survival. 

 

It was a good question. Did he love Junmyeon enough to stay? To stay till past the Ring of Fire, even knowing that he could lose him? Yixing folded his book shut, turning to look out of the large windows.

 

He had to decide soon.

 

-

 

“Yixing,” they were at the roof of the palace, staring down at the wide expanse that was the city. Junmyeon had taken him on a lovely date, showing him the most beautiful sights of Atlantis, all the undersea mountains and volcanoes that they had, ending with a romantic dinner atop the palace with no one watching. 

 

Yixing could see the moon shining into the water, a gleaming pearl in the sky. Its beams lit upon the shimmering scales on Junmyeon’s face, and made his skin glow. He looked almost ethereal in his tail as he sat across from him, strange coloured eyes staring at Yixing as if he was the only thing that existed in his world.

 

“Hmm?” Yixing shifted as Junmyeon laid a hand over his, moving to press their bodies closer. He could tell that the prince liked that, by the soft hum he let out, draping one arm around his waist. 

 

The prince was moving closer, pressing their cheeks together so close that their lips nearly touched. Yixing’s heart jumped.

 

“May I… Kiss you?” The words were soft, unsure and Yixing had to suppress the urge to laugh. It would have hurt the merman’s feelings. He turned to face him, running a hand along Junmyeon’s jaw.

 

“Of course.”

 

The merman tasted like salt and the ocean and his lips were soft and plush against his. Yixing slid his hand into Junmyeon’s hair, tugging him closer. The prince let out a sound of surprise when he kissed him back harder, the chaste kiss quickly turning sensual.

 

“Yixing,” Junmyeon was panting against him when he pulled away forcefully, a kittenish grin tugging at his lips. The prince was red in the face and looked positively scandalized at his behaviour.

 

“Was that too much for you, Your Highness?” Yixing asked mischievously, sliding further away from the merprince. He enjoyed teasing him immensely. Jongdae and Jongin had both agreed with him that Junmyeon could be a little uptight at times.

 

“I… That was…” Junmyeon stuttered, lifting a hand to his lips. He flicked his tail, settling as close to Yixing as he could without pushing him off the chair. 

 

“Will you do that again?” He asked earnestly and Yixing wanted to curse. How could someone as lovely as Junmyeon exist and how was he lucky enough to have him?

 

“Of course,” he managed, as Junmyeon wrapped his fingers into his hair, tugging him in. The kiss sent his mind whirling, blood rushing south, as he was practically pulled into the merprince’s lap, tongue into his mouth. His knees were turning into jelly by the time they pulled apart, lips swollen and gasping, completely unsightly. 

 

“You really know how to kiss,” he panted, dropping a hand into his lap to cover his hard-on. Joonmyun was similarly affected, his cheeks flushed as he backed away.

 

“I’ve… had a few teachers,” he grinned, moonlight glinting off his scales. Yixing growled and then they were tangled up in each other again as if the goal was to kiss each other senseless. 

 

“Junmyeon, I-,” Yixing faltered, remembering the question that Jongin had asked him. Did he love him?

 

Junmyeon’s brows creased and Yixing surged up to kiss him once more, deeper, more passionately than ever before.

 

“Yixing, what-?”

 

“I love you,” he said earnestly, looking up at Junmyeon’s star lit face. His fingers traced along the silvery scales speckled on the merman’s cheeks and he tilted his head to kiss him again.

 

“I love you too,” the prince’s tone was soft and fond and relieved. Yixing wanted to cry at the thought that Junmyeon might have felt he did not love him enough to say those words. He tangled his fingers into the prince’s hair, pressing their lips together in a heated kiss.

 

//

 

“You’re insatiable,” Junmyeon murmured against him much later. They had been making out under the stars for quite a long time, their dessert long forgotten.

 

The merman was flopped on his side on the bench, his long tail curling gently around Yixing, who was draped on top of him.

 

Yixing shrugged, leaning his forehead against Junmyeon, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

 

“S’ not my fault. You’re a wonderful kisser,” he mumbled sleepily, feeling the grin on Junmyeon’s face when the merman turned up to kiss him again.

 

“People will come looking for us soon,” Junmyeon wrapped an arm around his waist and Yixing grumbled when he was shifted so that he was seated in the prince’s lap, his arms draped around his neck.

 

“Let them come,” he snuggled up against the prince, determinedly ignoring his huff of laughter.

 

He felt the kiss against his hair, tilting his head to catch his lips once more. Junmyeon shifted beneath him, gently manoeuvring him off so that he could sit up.

 

“While I would love to stay up here all night with you, we really do have to return before Baekhyun sends out the guards to look for us.”

 

Yixing grumbled against his chest and Junmyeon kissed him again, hot and heavy, enough to make heat pool in the pit of his stomach.

 

“Next time, my love,” his eyes were full of promise as he linked their hands together, tugging him towards the doorway. 

 

“Next time we’ll stay up all night together.”

 

-

 

“They’ve brought forward the Ring of Fire,” were the first words out of Minseok’s mouth when Junmyeon entered the room, flanked on either side by his brothers.

 

Minseok’s lips were pulled into a grim line as he pointed to the large screen in the room. 

 

Junmyeon watched with a sinking feeling in his chest as words flashed across the screen, announcing the Ring of Fire as if it were just some entertainment event and not a fight to the death involving his family.

 

“Who’s the favourite?” Jongdae asked jokingly but it fell flat, the atmosphere too tense to hold it.

 

“Junmyeon hyung of course,” Jongin said, studying the screen. His voice cracked and Junmyeon’s heart stuttered.

 

His little brother looked absolutely terrified as they watched the words rewind, over and over again.

 

“It doesn’t matter,” he wrapped an arm around Jongin’s waist, pulling him closer. Jongin put his head down, burying his face into his collar bones and Junmyeon bit his lip.

 

He twined their tails together, running a hand through Jongin’s brown hair as his brother hugged him.

 

“It’ll be okay,” he murmured, wishing desperately that he could believe that. That by the end of the four weeks there would not only be one of them left standing. 

 

Jongdae swam up to him too, curling his silvery tail around theirs. His arms were warm as he wrapped around them, joining the hug.

 

“They’ll never let us live,” Minseok frowned at the screen, his tail flicking. His eyes were dark and full of sorrow as Junmyeon manoeuvred himself as close to him as he could with an armful of little brothers.

 

“We could choose not to die,” he suggested faintly and Jongin let out a little sob-laugh. He could feel wetness against the skin of his throat and it was enough to wrench his heart into two.

 

They were all so young. 

 

Minseok laughed outright, bitter and cold, collapsing into the group hug when Jongdae beckoned to him.

 

“That’s not how rulers of Atlantis are made, Myeonnie. They have to kill first before they can rule.”

 

-

 

Jongin was the first to fall, speared through the abdomen with Jongdae’s harpoon. 

 

The water was stained red with his blood, glistening on his silver armor. 

 

Crimson liquid trickled from the corner of his lips and they could see it on his teeth.

 

He was smiling as Jongdae pulled him close, cradling him in his arms. 

 

Yixing could hardly bear to watch when he caught his brother’s wrist before he could pull the weapon free.

 

“Αντίο αδελφό, έχετε αγωνιστεί καλά

Antío adelfó, échete agonisteí kalá.”

 

The arena fell into dead silence, as the prince curled his tail beneath him, lowering his brother to the ground.

 

The words of parting rang out in the arena, as clear as day.

 

Yixing’s heart was in his mouth as they watched Jongin closed his eyes. 

 

Moments later, the sea reclaimed him, his body slowly dissolving into foam around the silver spear.

 

There was no triumph in Jongdae’s eyes as he left the arena, no cheering from the audience, only solemn silence and the quiet weeping from Jongin’s lover.

 

Baekhyun gripped his arm, his jaw tight with emotion. 

 

“Come on,” he murmured and Yixing followed him through the dispersing crowd.

 

That was only the first of the bloodshed and Yixing was not sure he could stand to witness anymore. 

 

“Is this truly the only way?” He asked quietly as Baekhyun led him down the Fire Spiral, where the rest of the princes would retire to.

 

“It is Atlantis’ way,” the steward replied, bowing his head at the guards. They stepped aside and the gates glowed with red light.

 

Yixing was too distracted to admire the beauty of the construction, molten lava solidified into caves. 

 

There were guards on every corner, even around the massive atrium at the front of the Spiral.

 

They moved in silence, shrouded in the soft red light that emitted from the walls around them.

 

“If you will excuse me,” Baekhyun murmured as a guard pushed open the door to Junmyeon’s temporary chambers. 

 

Yixing hardly heard him, his eyes searching the spacious room in search of Junmyeon. 

 

“Has the prince returned?” He asked as the guard shut the door behind him. He could still see his face through the barred doors, carvings that the ancient Atlanteans had made.

 

The guard shook his head mutely, and Yixing thanked him, turning back to walk farther into the room.

 

The walls were covered with paintings and carvings of mermen and merwomen in duels, weapons flying.

 

Almost unconsciously, he traced over the rough stone, his mind flashing back to the image of Prince Jongin in his brother’s arms, dissolving into sea foam.

 

The entire thing seemed horrifically unnecessary, and it saddened him that Atlantean royalty were made to kill just to prove their worth. They made Earth’s cruelty seem almost kind. 

 

“What are you thinking of?” Junmyeon’s voice slid into his ears, gentle hands grasping at his biceps throwing all his thoughts straight out of his mind.

 

The prince was still dressed in his ceremonial outfit, the seaweed ribbons wrapped around his bare shoulders and torso swaying in the water. 

 

His blue scales glittered in the red light as Yixing turned to face him, and the human could see the sorrow carved into his features, in every line of his body. 

 

“How is Jongdae?” He asked instead, allowing Junmyeon to pull him close. A chin hooked around his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around his waist, dragging in a slow inhale. It amused him a little to realise that he could smell saltwater and seaweed on his prince.

 

“Devastated,” came the muffled answer and Yixing felt something cold against his skin. He hugged him tighter, knowing that nothing he said could make it better.

 

He let Junmyeon drag him into the bed, let the curtains fall behind him to indulge his prince’s whims. 

 

He did not question Junmyeon about the tears he had let fall, nor did they even speak about the match. 

 

For the better part of the night, he allowed Junmyeon to forget the horror that they had seen in the arena and the same horror that his prince would have to face in a few days.

 

-

 

There was no rest for the wicked, it seemed, as they were back in the arena, in the days that seemed to pass in a flash.

 

Yixing’s heart was in his mouth as he watched Junmyeon convulse on the seafloor. Electricity arced through him, sizzling blue across his body. 

 

Across from him, Jongdae was curled into himself, coughing up blood, his harpoon still within arms reach. 

 

It had been a close fight and pure chance that Jongdae had gotten one hand around Junmyeon’s wrist before he could get away, his magic exploding into his brother’s body in a wave of blue lightning. 

 

Junmyeon had retaliated even as he yanked back, drawing all the water from Jongdae’s body with a sweep of his trident. 

 

The arena was silent as they watched Jongdae drag his weakened body towards his weapon, catching it in his usable right hand, his left arm disabled by a fall from the rocks, courtesy of Junmyeon’s whirlpools.

 

White bone glinted from his elbow, rimmed with coagulated blood, as he turned away from the audience, levelling the harpoon at his brother’s chest. 

 

Yixing in a breath, holding on to the edge of his seat so tight that it hurt.

 

Junmyeon had turned over onto his side, eyes flickering to meet Jongdae’s, full of pain and sorrow. 

 

He flung out his hand, rolling out of the way just as Jongdae made to stab him, his trident flying into his hand. 

 

A blast of blue light sent Jongdae sprawling and then Junmyeon was advancing upon him. Jongdae’s fingers closed around his harpoon as he spun the barbed edge towards him, just as Junmyeon set the tip of his trident at his throat.

 

Beside him, Yixing heard Baekhyun gasp, his face paling.

 

“Do it quickly, hyung,” they could all hear Jongdae, see his hand tremble where it grasped the shaft of his harpoon. 

 

Junmyeon inhaled sharply, pulling the trident away. He could not do it.

 

Yixing knew it in his heart that Junmyeon would never be capable of killing his brother in cold blood.

 

Especially not Jongdae.

 

“Hyung, do it quickly,” Jongdae’s volume rose, the desperation clear in his tone. 

 

“I can’t,” Joonmyun whispered, dropping his hand. The trident fell away from Jongdae’s throat and Yixing could feel Baekhyun beginning to relax beside him.

 

So quickly that it was almost impossible to see, Jongdae spun his harpoon towards himself, stabbing the weapon through his own chest before Junmyeon could stop him.

 

There was a collective gasp of horror as the water turned scarlet, Junmyeon’s distraught cry echoing throughout the arena.

 

As the currents cleared the murky water, Yixing had to suppress the urge to vomit. 

 

There was so much blood. 

 

Junmyeon was cradling Jongdae’s body in a similar fashion to the previous fight, the merprince already beginning to dissolve into foam.

 

Yixing had to drag Baekhyun out of his seat, he was so overcome with emotion.

 

The steward was in a state of shock as the human manoeuvred him upstairs, away from the arena. 

 

He desperately needed to be with Junmyeon, but Baekhyun, Baekhyun was so alone that Yixing could hardly bear to leave him.

 

Junmyeon would have his brother, at least he hoped that they would grant him that much. At least a night with his last remaining brother to mourn the ones they had lost.

 

//

 

Yixing wished he knew what to do.

 

Baekhyun had been inconsolable all night. The guards had brought Jongdae’s harpoon to him, still crackling with leftover lightning, its tip stained with blood. There was no body to bury, no grave for anyone to mourn.

 

Junmyeon had been led back to the chambers beneath the Ring after Jongdae had dissolved. He had not spared a glance at anyone, still shell shocked at the turn of events.

 

From the little snippets of whispers he had heard on the way up to Baekhyun, Yixing could conceive that the council too, were stunned by Jongdae’s actions. Only now were they questioning if Jongdae had truly killed his brother, or if it was a self-sacrificing act on Jongin’s part to spare his brother’s life?

 

No one in their history had ever made such a blatant show of suicide during the Ring of Fire. 

 

Yixing doubted it. 

 

Jongin’s death proved to him that the Atlanteans were not as bloodthirsty as he had thought. He was sure he had seen Jongdae draw back before the tip could pierce his brother but Jongin had moved.

 

He had deliberately put himself in the path of the harpoon and allowed it to kill him before Jongdae could react.

 

And now Jongdae had done the same, far more brazenly than his little brother. 

 

-

 

His hands were stained with blood, his chest covered in the red liquid. His trident was discarded to the side, its shaft broken into two. 

 

That did not matter anymore. 

 

The palace’s armoury would forge him a new one, one fit for a king. It would be cast in the strongest metal in all of Atlantis and blessed by the seers such that it would never fail him. He could ask for a thousand more tridents and they would give him as much as he asked.

 

Junmyeon bowed his head, pressing his lips against the bloody gash in his brother’s chest. 

 

He could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth even as Minseok his hair with a feeble hand.

 

There was no saving him.

 

Junmyeon felt dirty as if every inch of his skin had been sullied by the blood on his hands, in the water around him, from Atlantis’ history. The weight of his people’s gazes were heavy upon his shoulders as he let his brother slip away, his body dissolving into sea foam, just like the brothers before him.

 

It was another suicide, a deliberate move by Minseok to give up his life for his brother. Like Jongdae and Jongin before him. 

 

They never wanted the throne.

 

Junmyeon realised that now. 

 

The throne was so coveted by previous generations of Atlantean royalty that the council could not imagine that there would one day be such actions, that love would reign over power. Or so their history books wrote. 

 

How many of his ancestors had sat upon a throne they never wanted, the responsibility upon them by their siblings out of love? Out of the unwillingness to kill?

 

Perhaps that was one of the tests. A test of strength and the readiness to do anything for the good of the people, for the good of the kingdom. 

 

He did not have the strength to look Yixing in the eye. How could he face him now, as a killer, his hands covered in the blood of his siblings?

 

Would he even wish to see him?

 

-

 

Yixing knocked gently on the door, his heart heavy in his chest. He had seen the way Junmyeon turned away from him, and knew in his heart that the prince needed some time alone.

 

They all did. 

 

The Ring was cruel in the way that the princes were never given enough time to properly mourn their dead. 

 

It crushed him inside when he saw the way that Junmyeon had to fight his older brother literally only a week after he saw his younger sibling die in his arms. 

 

So he let him alone. 

 

The prince would be confined to the Ring of Fire for at least another three days, for the healers to check him over and help him and there was nothing that Yixing could do for him.

 

He doubted that he would be allowed in to see him either. 

 

So he turned his attention to Baekhyun, who was still grieving for Jongdae, for the love that had barely just bloomed. 

 

It was the most heartbreaking thing he had ever had to witness, Baekhyun crying himself to sleep every night, regretting every word that he never got to say, the love that he never got to express. 

 

So it was with much trepidation that Yixing pushed open the door, expecting to see the steward still curled up beneath the covers.

 

There was no one there. 

 

Jongdae’s harpoon was still in its place at the foot of Baekhyun’s bed, but the man himself was nowhere to be seen.

 

Yixing’s heart nearly stopped. 

 

He bolted to the bed, his heart in his mouth when he saw the rolled up piece of parchment sitting on the unmade bed.

 

Dear Yixing,

I can’t do this any longer. I loved him so much and now he’s gone. There’s nothing left for me here.

Jongdae was my everything. We grew up together, and I had hoped at some point, that we might grow old together. 

But that’s all gone now. He’s gone. 

I have nothing left for me down here and no reason to stay.

I’ve gone back to the surface and I’m never coming back.

Please don’t look for me. Don’t let Junmyeon look for me either. I can’t face him. I can’t face any of you. 

Take care of Junmyeon. He’s going to need you by his side when all this is over. 

Tell him I’m sorry and to Sehun too.

Baekhyun

 

Yixing’s knees buckled and he collapsed onto the floor. The very first friend he had made in Atlantis had gone and left him. Somehow it did not astound him, that Baekhyun already knew the outcome of the fight.

 

He could remember too, all of the insistent pressings of whether he loved Junmyeon enough to stay, Jongin’s serious face floating back into his mind. 

 

This was all planned. Entirely rigged from the beginning by the other three brothers to ensure only one outcome.

 

Tears dripped down his face, the currents washing them away as quickly as they came. Yixing’s fingers curled tightly into the parchment, nearly ripping it. 

 

Jongin was gone, Jongdae and Minseok too, and now Baekhyun. 

 

For the first time since he had arrived, he seriously considered the merits of leaving. He could return to the surface. He could go back and leave all this, all of this pain and heartache behind. 

 

Just like Baekhyun.

 

But Junmyeon. He had never met anyone quite like him.

 

So strong and brave and so in love with him.

 

He could stay and endure, weather the pain with Junmyeon and perhaps one day, they could have a future together when he was no longer needed as king.

 

-

 

There was no sign of the prince, the future king. 

 

The castle was frantic with worry, with guards sent out to hunt every last corner of Atlantis for him.

 

Yixing watched as the silver armoured guards pour forth from the castle gates, spooking the civilians.

 

His chest felt tight, as if there was not enough air in the room. He had not seen Junmyeon since his last fight. 

 

He had spent so much time trying to keep Baekhyun from doing anything stupid that he had barely thought of the prince. 

 

He cursed himself for that error now, as he crept out of the castle, unseen by all. They were watching the procession of the guards, splitting off into different directions in search of their missing prince.

 

Where could Junmyeon be?

 

It would be too slow to walk or swim, but hailing a carriage was too risky. He could be seen. 

 

But Junmyeon was out there, likely alone, and driven out of his mind with grief. 

 

It frightened him.

 

Death followed him everywhere, first his father, his mother. He had a close shave. But was death coming to claim someone else? 

 

Yixing stole into the palace’s stables. The hippocampi were restless even as he unlatched the door to Junmyeon’s favourite. 

 

Suho lipped at him as he swung aboard, but obeyed when he urged him forward, powerful tail sweeping them towards at the Ring of Fire. 

 

No one had seen the prince leave the Ring, and Yixing had a sneaking suspicion that Junmyeon might have stayed.

 

The tip of the highest mountain in the series of volcanoes that made up the Ring was above water, right smack in the middle of the ocean, and the guards would never have thought that the prince would attempt to leave the sea.

 

Yixing rode the hippocampus as high up as he dared, until the creature protested, before dismounting, swimming the rest of the way. 

 

“Junmyeon?” He cried as he dragged himself onto the rocks, the tide nearly sweeping him off his feet.

 

His instincts were right.

 

Junmyeon was kneeling as the centre of the rocks, his knees bruised and bloody. His brother’s weapons were laid out before him, Jongin’s spear,  Jongdae’s harpoon and the shattered remains of Minseok’s trident.

 

“Junmyeon?” Yixing hardly dared to breathe. He could see a dagger in the prince’s hands, made of burnished silver and carved with runes. It gleamed in the sunlight, the tip razor sharp.

 

Junmyeon looked up, his gaze hardening when he saw Yixing. 

 

Yixing in a breath when Junmyeon lifted the blade, resting its razor-sharp edge against the white skin of his own throat.

 

“Don’t come any closer,” he warned, his voice low and threatening, nothing like the kind and gentle prince Yixing had grown to love.

 

“Junmyeon, don’t,” he lifted his hands, his palms facing outwards. His eyes lingered on the blade Junmyeon had pressed against his throat.

 

The prince’s hand was shaking as he held the dagger, tears pooling in his strange eyes.

 

“Don’t let your brothers’ deaths be in vain,” Yixing pleaded. He did not know what to do.

 

“I killed them,” Junmyeon trembled, the tears spilling like silver streams down the planes of his face.

 

“I killed my brothers.”

 

“You didn’t kill them,” Yixing took a tiny step forward, his breath hitching when Junmyeon’s eyes darkened, the blade so terrifyingly sharp against his bare throat, “please Junmyeon, you didn’t kill them.”

 

“They did it for you. They did it because they loved you so much they couldn’t hurt you,” he whispered, holding out his hands, “please put down that down.”

 

Junmyeon did not move, his eyes still hard and almost unseeing. 

 

“Junmyeon?” Fear was a river coursing through his bloodstream, ice in his veins as they stood at a standstill, neither wanting to back down.

 

“Junmyeon, please, I love you. I have no one else if you go too,” the tears slipped out, unbidden, carving silver tracks down his face. 

 

The sky rumbled, as if in response to the turmoil of Junmyeon’s emotions, and dark clouds rolled over them both.

 

The heavens opened up, rain pouring down so hard that Yixing could no longer tell whether he was crying or not.

 

He could see Junmyeon wavering, his blade lowering and it was enough for him to lunge forward, catching the prince by complete surprise.

 

"Yixing- what-!" Junmyeon shouted in alarm when a hand closed around his wrist, fingers curling around the hilt of the blade. He swung away, the fury returning full force. He killed his brothers, how dare Yixing try to push the blame onto them. They were dead.

 

Dead because of him.

 

Yixing made a little choked sound and suddenly there was something warm and liquid on his hand. He looked down and there was red, staining his white skin.

 

Oh dear.

 

His knees buckled and he crumpled onto the rocks, gasping when Junmyeon backed away. He could barely see through the pouring rain but he could see enough.

 

The expression on the prince's face was one of horror as he looked down at the crimson spreading over Yixing's abdomen, the little silver blade sticking out of his flesh.

 

"Yixing-," a roar of thunder cut his words short and Yixing could hear nothing past the roar in his ears. He coughed, grimacing at the metallic tang in his mouth. Blood always tasted so disgusting. He could feel it on his teeth, trickling out of his mouth and lips.

 

"Myeon," he gasped, flecks of blood flying from his lips, "Junmyeon, please."

 

That seemed to work. Junmyeon snapped out of his stupor, bolting towards him. The expression on his face of utter horror.

 

"No, no, no, Yixing!" Arms were wrapping around him, the weapons on the ground clanking noisily as he was laid out onto the rocky ground. The world was a blur around him as Junmyeon yanked the blade out of his body, yelping at the gush of blood that followed it.

 

"Yixing, Yixing, stay with me please," Junmyeon was crying again, the rain mixing with his tears as he pressed his hand over the wound. Yixing barely felt the pain, everything was so blurry and cloudy.

 

"Myeon-," he coughed, and flecks of blood speckled onto Junmyeon's pale skin. The prince was applying pressure, his shoulders trembling. Whether from cold or fear, he did not know.

 

"Shh, don't speak, don't speak," he was cold and Junmyeon was warm. His skin was warm and Yixing wanted to be closer, to kiss him and soothe his pain away. He wanted to tell him that everything would be alright but words failed him.

 

"Yixing, please don't fall asleep, please stay with me," Junmyeon's voice was growing distant in his ears. The darkness that had been creeping at the edges of his vision was growing larger, swirling round and round until he could not see Junmyeon anymore.

 

"It's okay-," he managed to choke out before everything went black.

 

-

 

It was almost deja vu, for him to wake up again. The light was streaming in in soft pretty underwater ripples, lighting soft shadows on the marble columns. He shifted, cursing aloud when his abdomen twinged with pain. 

 

The silk covers were soft beneath his fingertips as he pushed them aside, looking down at the damage.

 

He was this time, a large white bandage wrapped around his lower abdomen. There were specks of blood on it, even as he tried to sit up, wincing in pain. 

 

"Junmyeon?" He called, his throat hoarse and sore. The last he had seen of the prince was him crouched over him while he bled out and his absence frightened him.

 

"Junmyeon, ow!" He gasped when he tried to move. Pain surged through him like an electric shock the moment he even tried to swing his legs over the bed. 

 

Biting down hard on his lip, he forced himself to put weight on his feet, fingers curling into the mattress as his knees buckled.

 

"Junmyeon?" His voice was trembling as he took a tiny step. The room was empty, so empty and the terror spooled like thread in his stomach, solidifying into a rock.

 

His knees buckled just as the door swung open and there was a cry that sent relief shooting through him.

 

“Yixing!” 

 

Junmyeon was beside him at once, hands wrapping around his shoulders as he lifted him to his feet. Yixing clung to him, burying his face into his chest with a trembling sob.

 

“Oh god, you’ll tear your stitches,” the prince murmured even as he settled Yixing back on the bed, running his fingers through his hair tenderly.

 

“I thought- I thought-,” Yixing stammered wildly, and Junmyeon shushed him.

 

“Save your breath,” he murmured and Yixing curled up into him, gasping at the pain in his abdomen. 

 

“I thought you left me,” the human breathed as he cradled Junmyeon’s face. He could never forget the terror and fear he felt in the moments when he saw the knife at the prince’s throat. 

 

“I-,” Junmyeon stopped as if the words failed him. He looked so ashamed, so guilty that Yixing’s heart clenched. He tugged him down, pressing their lips together desperately as if to reassure himself that Junmyeon was really there.

 

He could taste salt on his tongue when they pull away and the silver tracks on the prince’s face hurt him. 

 

“Don’t- Don’t ever do that again,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend as tightly as he could.

 

Junmyeon heaved a gasping sob, his body trembling against him and Yixing felt him break apart as if that was enough to shatter the dam of emotions in his chest. 

 

The prince, now king of Atlantis cried himself to sleep in his arms.

 

-

 

The crowning ceremony was a solemn one. There was no fanfare, no celebration, no flags waving in triumph just as Junmyeon requested it. 

 

He was king now and he had every right to rewrite the law. 

 

Even so, he was grateful for Yixing’s presence, the human seated on a little footstool as close to the throne as he was allowed to, heeding his injury. 

 

The sight of the dimple in Yixing’s cheek was enough courage for Junmyeon to get up onto the dais, where the Seers awaited.

 

His fallen brothers’ weapons had been retrieved from the Ring, set at his feet and tears clogged up his throat at the very sight of them. 

 

They were the only things left. 

 

Atlantean tradition would have them wiped from memory so that the people would remember only Junmyeon as king, the one that triumphed over his siblings. 

 

But Junmyeon had insisted, against his council’s wishes. He wanted them to be remembered, for their rebellion to be recounted into stories, not forgotten and lost to time. 

 

He hoped that it would spark a change, that Atlantis would never ever have to use such bloodthirsty methods to select their king.

 

The throne was upon him, a responsibility he would carry until the end of his days, and the memories of his brothers’ sacrifice would never be erased from his mind. 

 

Even now, he still saw them in his mind’s eye, Jongin’s body floating in Jongdae’s arms, Jongdae’s harpoon speared through his own chest and Minseok, with the bloody gash deep enough to see bone. 

 

Junmyeon shuddered visibly and he saw Yixing turn to him, brows creased with concern. His lips moved and Junmyeon could read the words he mouthed to him.

 

He shook his head, smiling as much as he could, his ceremonial robes sweeping behind him as he splayed out his fins, coming to a stop before the throne. 

 

The Seers’ words rang out, blurring in his ears as he closed his eyes, picturing his brothers’ bright smiles in his mind. 

 

This was for them. 

 

The Seers began to sing the ceremonial song, a song of magic and tradition that would forge the king’s very first weapon and his crown.

 

It seemed that an eternity had passed before Junmyeon heard the crowd gasping, and his eyes flew open just in time to see his new trident.

 

Gleaming silver and blue, the shaft was made from Jongin’s spear shaft, its end a barbed point that Junmyeon knew as Jongdae’s harpoon. Its head was Minseok’s trident, cleaned of blood, the join into Jongin’s spear so seamless that you could hardly tell where it had broken.

 

It was hardly tradition. 

 

Most new kings had their weapons formed from nothing but magic, their siblings’ old weapons discarded.

 

But Junmyeon knew, that for as long as he wielded this trident, the passing of his brothers’ would never be erased. People will talk, and talk, of this day where the King of Atlantis made his weapon in memory of his fallen siblings.

 

He turned his head as a weight settled upon him, his gaze seeking Yixing out in the crowd. 

 

The human’s eyes were misty, his smile watery as he gave him a thumbs-up, enough to make Junmyeon break out in a smile as his tears were washed away by the ocean.

 

They would be okay.