Love and Deepwater • A Rafayel story

Under the moon we meet

If somebody asked Enoria what was she doing when the servants suddenly opened the door of her chambers, she would say painting the night sky, with all its stars and the moon reflected into the sea, with all the lights from downtown that could be seen from her tiny window.

Her painting was half done, she wasn't really talented but enjoyed the calmness of mixing colors and trying to create her version of reality, not pretty, like her reality was.

She was sitting on a stool and wearing a night robe, thin and ivory-colored, bare feet. All her jewelry was inside a jeweler, as she showered and had dinner alone, then, started to paint until his night was suddenly messed up.

When the door opened, entering servants dragged a Lemurian transporter behind them. In the transporter, the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, even though tired looking and appearing confused and scared, dark purple hair, pearls, jewels, and chains everywhere, causing a lot of sparkles when in contact with the lights, chest pale and sparkling with scales, tail beautifully decorated with many chains, that prevented it from being able to move. Chained like herself, in her prison disguised as a cozy room.

When her eyes met the Lemurian eyes, she exhaled, surprised, although trying to hide it.

She would never forget those eyes: cerulean, crimson, and pink all mixed into the most beautiful constellation of colors. She had a flashback of a young Lemurian, half hidden in the sea, talking all night long during one of her younger escapes from her Tower. Trusting eyes from a beautiful Lemurian child, curiosity, and excitement reflected on his beautiful orbs.

She was sure that this almost adult-looking Lemurian was her Rafayél. Even though she was not sure, she felt like she knew, like really really deep down, knew him.

'Princess' The lead servant said, bowing and speaking a language that only Humans from the Southern provinces knew, not the common language of the continents. 'We present to you the gift of our Lord, to celebrate your 17th birthday' He was still bowing, curtly. 'We presume he is of your age, can't move, and will keep you company forever, so you are never, ever, alone anymore' He finished, voice reverent and soft. 'You must make a bond, so he won't be able to ever betray you, for that, you must get to know it and make it say his name, once you know, our beloved shaman will start and finish the bond' He resumed to explain, a ritual that she already knew of so many Lemurian being slaved and captured against their will. 'Do not worry, as he won't be able to understand us talk' He finished, bowing again. 'We will let you alone with him, try, for him to tell you his name'

Enoria looked into his feet, ashamed.

'I don't want a Lemurian pet' She complained, ashamed.

The servants snorted. Having a Lemurian was a dream that only the most richest and powerful Humans could afford, nobody would ever reject such a privilege.

'You don't have a choice, our Princess' They said,  mockery reflected in his tone of voice. After that, they left, and with quick hands, they removed the lock that kept the Lemurian's table horizontal, tilting it so that the being slid abruptly until it fell to the floor with a sound that indicated pain and abuse. They left Rafayel alone with her and the sound, the door made after its closing, was deafening to the princess's ears.

Suddenly, she felt small, inside her wide room, now it was half of it occupied by her long-lost friend, beautiful like the moon reflected into the Sea painted on her canvas.

It felt a little bit like destiny.

Like tides of fate.

Under the moon, they met. Again.

But why?

She felt like this was too nice to be a coincidence. The same merman that she knew, once, when she tried to leave the castle and explore, returned to her, not as a free man, but as a Lemurian pet.

It was too strange, moreover when Rafayel was also trapped in his castle, never to leave, like her. So it had to be something else...

Why was he there?

[sorry it's short but I wanted to publish for Rafayel's birthday]