B R E A T H I N G U N D E R W A T E R

1: The Splitting

No one loved the sky more than Asami.

Even more than those who could touch it whenever they pleased. On the quiet days she would swim to the surface and float on her back. She dreamed of flying like the Wingèd, to have fresh air in her lungs and freedom in her heart was all she wanted. Freedom was what she lacked most, right after love. Her father, the king of the Eastern Reef, never allowed Asami outside of the castle or any where near human or Wingèd land. One might think being overprotective ment there was love there, but Asami hadn't felt any from her father since her mother was murdered.
Humans killed her, or so her father said.

Though her daydreaming was interrupted by Mako, a guard in training, and her best friend.

"Hey Asami" the merman said, surfacing.

"Oh! Mako..."

"I'm sorry, am I intruding...?" he asked, floating on his back

"No, no Mako I was just thinking. I'm glad you're here though. I... need your help."

"Of course, Asami, anything." he looked at her sincerely "I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for you, but-"

"Good I'm really depending on you. I have a plan, and you play an important part... but I can't ask you to come with me but-"

"Asami-"

"hmm?" she hummed, looking at him

"I'll help you with whatever you need, but I was told to get you. Your father wants you in the dining hall."

Mako lead the princess to the hall, both of them pretending to be strangers, like they always had to.

"Your highness," he said bowing, with a slight smirk

"Thank you, sir" Asami winked

《Asami's pov》
Two guards swung the two doors open to the dining hall, where my father, and three others sat
"Ah at last." A stranger's voice said.
I sat next to my father, across from a man about much older than me. "Glad you could make it" he said passive aggressively. "I have been waiting for us to meet" he said swimming around to me
"This is Eric, the prince of the West." My father said. He took my hand and kissed It, longer than I would've preferred.
"I hope this arrangement pleases you as it does to me" His smile was crooked and creepy, and it made my stomach lurch.
"I'm sorry? What arrangement father?" I said feeling a bit sick
"You haven't told her? Hiroshi?" The woman who I presumed to be Eric's mother asked
"Perhaps I could explain everything while we take a swim though the garden?" Eric said
"Fine idea. You two go ahead we will see you for supper"
~~~
We awkwardly swam around to the garden, before he began to speak
"... As you know, your father and mine have... disagreed, for years on end, and now that it is time for my father to step down as king, I will be needing a wife at my side"

I froze...

"For both of our benefits, and to make a treaty between our two kingdoms, your father has given me your hand in marriage"

A knot grew in my throat...

"You will become the Queen of the West, and my wife"

My head pounded...

He turned to face me holding my hips. I was to shocked to speak, or move, I just stared in disbelief
"Yes, my wife... my loyal beauty... my love..." He pulled my body against his "my lover" he whispered in my ear
Without a millisecond passing, I punched him square in the face, hopefully breaking his nose.
"You Bitch!" He grabbed me by my wrist and threw me against the stone castle wall. The back of my head stung and my vision got blurry. I couldn't hear what he was yelling, or the guards coming, all I knew was I had to get away.

I swam clumsily, and a few guards chased me. When I turned around to see how close behind me they were they all had their weapons drawn. They were shouting but I couldn't hear. I didn't care what they were afraid of, I needed to keep going.
When I turned around I saw a big figure snap at me, who then got attacked by a guard. I swam up, up and up until I could see that familiar sunlight
As soon as I surfaced, I came to my senses and realized the danger I was in.
Sharks were chasing me, and western guards as well.

☆☆☆

Ahead she saw a small island, maybe she could lay on the beach until it was safe? She had never touched land before, let alone beached herself! But she had to get to safety. She swam up until the water was to shallow, then drug herself all the way out of the water. She laid on the hot sand panting, before she realized what she had done.
Shocked she scooped up some dry sand and watched it pour out of her hand, her blood stained hand.
She touched the pulsing area of pain on the back of her head
"Oh what am I going t-" she was cut off by the gasp she let out as her fin began to tingle. It felt like her fin was splitting, like tearing through fabric. The color started to fade away and Asami felt light headed. Out of fear, she followed her instinct and clawed her way back under water. She swam and swam and swam, like she was escaping the pain and if she slowed it would yank her back up to shore. She couldn't even tell she only traveled a few meters under before passing out and being swept back up onto the beach.