Everything To Me - Orm Marius/Ocean Master

Chapter Eleven - From One Romantic City to Another

They probably looked a little strange, rolling up to the Sicily docks in a wooden sailboat.  Diana had been very generous in letting them borrow it, and had insisted they do so. 

"You're a lucky guy," Aurelia remarked to Orm.  "First time on the surface and you've already seen some of the glittering jewels of cities.  Now, welcome to Sicily." 

They wandered through the market square. Orm was taking in everything around them.

"You look curious."

"I'm not," he insisted.  

"Liar."

Up ahead, a flower seller handed Orm a bouquet of red roses, nodding to Aurelia, meaning for Orm to present her with the flowers.  Orm didn't quite understand this however, and instead focused on Aurelia eating something from another stall.

When Aurelia turned around she was met by Orm munching on a bouquet of flowers.  Apparently they tasted pretty good because he held them out to her, offering her some.  It was actually adorable.

Not about to embarrass him or reject his generous offer, she bit the flower off the stem of one.  As soon as Orm turned around, she spat the flower out.  A nearby cat watched her. She put a finger to her lips and whispered "Shh."

"My roses!" cried the flower seller. 

"He's not from around here," Aurelia offered, nodding to Orm. 

By a fountain, a little girl was throwing coins into the water.  

"Stupid humans," muttered Orm.  "This is why the oceans are clogged."

"Oh relax would you. This a fountain, none of this water goes into the ocean.  And people believe it grants them wishes."

"Does it really?"

"Some believe it does." 

The little girl noticed them, holding her last coin out  to Orm.  After an encouraging nod from Aurelia, Orm took the coin.

"Make a wish!" the girl said.  "But don't tell anyone, otherwise it won't come true."

Orm waited a few seconds before tossing the coin into the fountain with a little splash. 

"Did you make a wish?" the girl asked him.

"Yes, um, thank you." Then he waved his hand before the fountain, making small seahorses and dolphins appear in the spray with hydrokinesis. He chuckled as the little girl gasped, utterly astonished, smiling at her reaction. 

"You like kids?" Aurelia asked him. 

"Yes, I do. Why?"

"Hmm, just didn't associate you with that.  You keep surprising me."

"I would like to have children of my own someday.  Do you want children?"

She shrugged.  "Not sure, haven't really given it much thought."

A book stand was selling volumes in various languages. One familiar author and title caught her eye. "Hey, Jules Verne! My favourite quote from him is, 'Put two ships in the open sea, without wind or tide, and, at last, they will come together...' Reminds me of how my parents met.  And I think it's how a lot of great love stories work." They locked eyes. His piercing blue gaze held hers.  

Finally, she was able to pull her own gaze away.  She put the book back, clearing her throat. "Good old Jules Verne." She clapped her hands together.  "Come on, let's go."

They soon found themselves on a cliffside overlooking the bright blue ocean, surrounded by Roman statues and columns. 

Aurelia recited the final line from Atlan's message.  "Journey beyond the end of the world to the Hidden Sea. Look inside the bottle for the charted path. Only in the hands of the true ruler can they truly see."

"Give it to me." Orm extended his hand.  

"Why?"

"The one true ruler."

Was he for real? "Seriously?"

"That's what the riddle says."

"It doesn't say 'king'."

"Well it also doesn't say 'queen'."

"No offence, Your Highness, but I'm pretty sure King Atlan wasn't referring to you in his prophecy. Don't flatter yourself. Look through the bottle..." She held it up to her eye.  "Oh, man..."

"What? Let me see-" Orm snatched it from her hands, also peering through it.  "Whoa..."

The inside of the bottom of the bottle was inscribed with a little map. 

"But how do you know where to point it?"

"I don't think King Atlan meant either of us, or any Atlantean ruler for that matter..." Aurelia wandered over to one of the statues.  "Marcus Agrippa.  He was a great general, but he wasn't a king. Neither was this guy..." She began wandering from statue to statue.

"How do you know all this?" asked Orm.

"My dad, he made sure I know my history. Impressed?"

"Yes, I'll admit I am."

"Huh, well then I'm impressed that you're actually impressed by something." She smiled before turning back to the statues.  "None of these guys were kings except for-" She turned to the final statue.  "Romulus. First King of Rome.  'Rom' in Romulus equals Rome - get it?"

"Yeah, I get it."

Aurelia chuckled.  "Only in the hands of the true ruler can they truly see..."  Romulus's hand was even outstretched, and the bottle fit in his grasp perfectly.  

Orm was tall enough not to need a boost to peer through the bottle.  "Oh wow - there it is! Straight ahead."

"Okay, hey, step aside, small people in the front-" Aurelia pushed ahead of him to get a better look, standing up on the edge of the base of the statue to give herself some more height in order to see.  "Oh, baby! That is sweet! Mera would be so proud! That's our next stop - there's our heading - whoa!" In her excitement, she slipped off the back of the statue. Luckily Orm was still standing behind her and caught her fall. 

He held her; their faces were close. "Well done."

"Thanks.  Not so bad for a 'dirty, rotten half-breed,' huh?"

His face fell.  "I should never have called you that.  I'm very sorry. I hope you will accept my apology." She surprised him by laughing.  "What?"

"You just never cease to surprise me. And apology accepted."

"Good, I'm glad. And you keep surprising me too."

"Now see, that was flirty," she informed him.

Given just a moment longer, they may have kissed.  

Ah, but romance is never quite that easy, is it?

Instead, they were forcefully blasted apart, thrown to other parts of the area in a sudden onset attack. 

(They're becoming more flirty ;) haha! 

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed as always! :))