Chapter 2: The Journey

Two days earlier

Neridia Kingdom

Prince Kairos

"Are you ready?" Father asked, to which my brother and I enthusiastically responded, "Yes, sir!" This was the day we had been waiting for, and we were ecstatic. We were heading to Silverglade, where we would study for the next two years. We had grown up and spent our entire lives in the ocean, as future kings, constantly in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of our parents and the general public.

We enjoyed our lives, but sometimes the pressure got to us. This was our opportunity to relieve some of the pressure, as we would not be known as princes where we were going.

As part of our disguise, my brother and I had to wear contact lenses all the time to hide our golden eyes, which were a defining feature of us, and Father reminded us of this. Otherwise, we appeared human, albeit taller than the average human, which was not a problem.

We also went by Kairos and Darian Neridia because we were required to have a last name. Merpeople did not have last names, but humans did, and it would be strange to be without one, so we used our kingdom's name as our last name.

Going out to the surface and learning human ways was part of every prince’s journey. The ancient tradition required us to graduate from the kingdom's royal academy beneath the sea, followed by two years of study in the human world. The decree, written centuries ago, was intended to help future rulers navigate both worlds. A wise ruler needed to understand humanity's complexities to fully protect his kingdom.

Silverglade Academy was founded for this exact purpose. Nathaniel Crest, the academy's founder, came from an ancient family with ties to the sea. The Sea King made a pact with Nathaniel's family generations ago, entrusting them with the merfolk's secret.

In exchange for their loyalty and discretion, the Crest family was granted safe passage to the underwater realm as well as the unique ability to recognize merfolk on land.

Despite being built for merfolk royalty, the institution did not cater solely to merfolk, so there were specialized courses tailored to the individual needs of each student. It was safer to make it look as normal as possible.

We enrolled in courses on diplomacy, history, and economics. However, there were also lessons in the subtle art of blending in, how to move through human society undetected, how to interpret their customs, and how to adapt to their ever-changing technology.

The experience was both thrilling and overwhelming. We were finally going to be able to live like regular guys our age, without the expectations and scrutiny that came with our royal status.

We also had a second off-campus accommodation set up for our fictitious parents. A female and a male guard were assigned to act as our parents and reside nearby. My father asked us to sit for a moment, so we did. Just then, Mother walked in and took a seat next to Father, smiling.

“Your mother and I want you to know how proud we are of you and how much we love you. You have grown into fine young men, and it is with great joy we see you embark on this new journey of your lives.” He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“As you know, being the son of a king comes with certain responsibilities and expectations. You are not only representing yourselves but also our entire kingdom. Your identity may not be known by the world, but the gods know, and whatever you start there will end here. So, you have a responsibility to always behave in a kingly manner and set an example for others to follow. Your actions will reflect not just on you but also on our family and our kingdom,” he added, looking at us both sternly.

“You know this. We have talked about it before," he continued, reminding us of our dos and don'ts, beginning with not being allowed to mate with humans.

Our mates had already been chosen for us, and when the time came, we would be bonded, and only then would we be permitted to have sex, as they called it in the human world, on the night of our confluence. I despised this rule; so did my brother, but there was nothing we could do. It was the same for our father.

We were given a way to relieve the tension, and this would continue until we were bonded. However, it would be nice to have the freedom to fuck whoever we wanted, rather than the whole process being so formal and boring.

“Kairos, are you listening?” My father jolted me out of my horny haze and made me realize I had zoned out. I quickly composed myself and apologized.

“Listen, I know that this may be difficult for you both, but I implore you to understand the gravity of your position. You are not just any young men; you are the future rulers of our kingdom, and with that comes sacrifice and restraint. You must put the needs of our kingdom above your desires, and this is not to say we don’t trust you or that we want to control your lives. It’s simply a matter of responsibility and duty,” he added, and we both told him we understood.

"Okay, let us get going," he said, and we all stood up and hugged, but Mother began to cry, causing Darian and me to shed tears as well. Our carriage was waiting to take us to the boat, which would begin our journey.

Our journey was beginning, but my brother and I had been to the surface several times before. We needed to familiarize ourselves so that when the time came, we would not struggle to fit in. So after we turned eighteen and got our legs, we began our surface visits.

----

TWENTY-ONE HOURS LATER

The trip to Silverglade Academy went smoothly and quickly, with the guards expertly navigating the unfamiliar city streets. We went to our penthouse first, then to the institution's accommodations. Our guards had arrived ahead of us to prepare for us.

We were reminded of our identities once more as we arrived at our accommodations, and I heard my brother sigh as he looked at the reporters photographing the students as they arrived, some moving closer to our car and taking pictures.

We said goodbye to our father, who remained in the car and headed inside. A guide came out to greet us and show us to our rooms. We were probably going to spend the majority of our time in one room, but we chose to have two separate rooms next to each other, with an adjoining door. So we entered through one room. They were the same, so I chose the first one.

Our guards/pretend parents helped us settle in before leaving. I sat down on the bed and asked my brother, whose door remained open, what he wanted to do. He was in the middle of saying, "We must check the place out," when there was a knock on my door. I grabbed the remote and opened it while also getting to my feet.

"Good afternoon," said a man dressed in formal attire, most likely the butler. After introducing himself, he handed me an invitation to the first-year student party, which takes place tonight.

The man, who introduced himself as Willem, said, "This is also for you," and motioned for the second man to hand me a gift bag. I thanked him and opened it to reveal a branded keychain and T-shirt.

"Wow, that is one way to get to know each other," I said, looking at the guys and thanking them. They left, and Darian walked in already wearing his T-shirt and a mischievous smirk.

This would be our first time freely attending a party, let alone outside of the ocean. Back home, we had to sneak out, and the last time we were caught, Father nearly killed us.

"I have a feeling about this, brother," Darian stated as he turned around and returned to his room. I chuckled, expressing the same sentiment.

"You are a prince!" I yelled, and he laughed, saying. "Yeah, yeah."

"Let the fun begin."