I'll tell you tale of the bottomless blue

And it's hey to the starboard heave-ho

Look out, lad, a mermaid be waiting for you

In mysterious fathoms below

It was a clear day on the northern sea. A single ship sailed through the waters away from its port. The breeze caught in a young man's hair as he gazed into the waters. Amoung the hustle and bustle of the ship's crewmen, he stayed relatively still through the rolling course of the ship. His clothes were considerably nicer and cleaner than the majority of those on board, unstained nd just now absorbing the scent of the sea. His blond hair still stayed neat despite the tousseling of the air. The voices were boisterous and hearty on board the ship, but this man stayed silent.

"A fine strong wind and a following sea. King Triton must be in a friendly type mood," a sailor called out from up in the mast.

This caught the young man's attention. "King Triton?"

"Why, ruler of the merpeople, lad! Thought every good sailor knew about him," a wisened hand cackled out as he moved supplies around on deck.

The young man opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Oh my god, do not get him started on merpeople." The voice belonged to a man a little younger than the previous. They bore a striking resemblance to each other, though the younger had darker eyes and lighter hair.

The elder smirked. "I see you're not in a good mood, Emile."

Emile scoffed. "You're one to talk. The only time you aren't skulking around is when you're out at sea."

"Then, I'm afraid that you don't know me very well, little brother." The young man faced the sea once more.

"Ah, does Prince Lukas fancy mermaids as much as he fancies the sea?" the old ship's hand crooned out again.

"Actually..." Prince Lukas turned around and leaned back on the railing. "I've extensively studied all kinds of mythical creatures, merpeople included. For instance, did you know that the first recorded accounts of mermaids we have stem from ancient greek writings? They were referred to as sirens and used their voices to lure people to their deaths. On top of that, this 'King Triton' you referred to was said to be Poseidon's son. Now, if we are to assume that merpeople aren't immortal, I find it highly unlikely that King Triton would still be alive today. It's more plausible that one of his descendants would be ruling the seas. Taking into account all the shipwrecks that have happened in our waters recently involving foreign vessels and witnesses describing what they believe to be a mermaid, it's intriguing to think they might not be as mythical as we previously believed. Tell me, have you ever seen..."

"And that's why I told you not to get him started on merpeople," Prince Emile interrupted once more. "If only you showed this much enthusiasm for foreign policy. You'd probably be married by now, and I'd get to call my brother a king."

Lukas rolled his eyes and looked off into the horizon. "I wasn't particularly fond of Princess Elizabeth. Or Sophia."

"Oh, believe me, we could tell. Not that I care. So what if my brother, on the day of his twenty-third birthday, is only interested in fairy tales and staring mindlessly into the waves." Emile's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Glad we're on the same page then." Lukas looked more obviously in the dark waters.

"Unbelievable." Emile threw his hands up in exasperation. He caught eyes with a crewman who stood idle, listening to the royal brothers' conversation. "Does this ship look like it's ready for a party?" he yelled, causing the crewman to scurry along.

Emile sighed and joined his brother at the rail. "Honestly, Lukas, with all these shipwrecks, it's not safe for us to be out here. Our ships have been spared for now, but our luck is bound to change. If we're not careful, the pirates or whatever is causing the pirate ships to sink is going to find us, and as your advisor, I really don't think it's wise to put the first and second in line for the throne on a floating death trap."

Lukas looked meaningfully at his brother. "You really need to lighten up." He cracked a smile when his brother laughed. "Besides, if we did get attacked by mermaids, at least I'd finally get to see one. Now that would be a birthday present."

"Right, then I'll just add getting dragged to the bottom of the sea as part of the celebration," Emile joked. "I just have to round up a busty mermaid to kill you. Then, I'll be heir to the throne."

"Don't forget about the voice," Lukas played along. "She's got to have a voice so beautiful that it'll make me voluntarily throw myself overboard."

Lukas stayed there at the railing, looking down into the sea as various people talked to him about treaties, party plans, and sailing conditions. He became distracted from his search. If he had just looked hard enough, looked deep enough in the water, he may have been able to see the faint glint of a long red tail as a creature so lovely and so terrifying swam deeper into the mysterious fathoms below.