The next few days passed in a blur for Maribelle. She had so much to prepare for Bryn’s return. Joyce and Emily were eager to help, with Joyce teaching her a recipe for a meal that they assured that Bryn would adore, and the location of somewhere that would be perfect for confessions of the heart. Emily had also continued the Merrow lessons, taking over where Bryn had left off. There were certain words that Maribelle had to say without fw.

  Her heart was filled with excitement, knowing that Bryn, the woman she loved, would be returning any day now. She yearned deeply for the moment she would y eyes on Bryn again. Swimming back home from her shopping, she knew she would wait however long it would take. Whether it be a day or a week until she saw Bryn again, she would be patient.

  As she returned to her home, she started to pn what her evening meal would be. Maybe she could drop by Torya's stall for a few bites. Well it was still morning so she had plenty of time to decide. Opening the door, she saw Bryn floating around, putting away her travel gear.

  Oh, turns out Maribelle didn't have to wait that long.

  In her shock, Maribelle almost dropped her shopping. Right there in front of her was Bryn the mershark, and she looked as beautiful as ever. She loved Bryn with all her heart, and the urge to swim up to Bryn, embrace her and confess her feelings was a difficult one to resist.

  However, now was not the time. The moment she told Bryn of the love that she felt had to be perfect.

  As Maribelle drifted closer to Bryn, she saw Bryn turn her head slightly towards her. Her heart dipped as she saw the worry on Bryn’s face. Despite being back home after many weeks, something was eating away at Bryn. All thoughts of love fled from Maribelle’s mind as comforting Bryn became her greatest priority.

  “Welcome home, Bryn,” Maribelle said with all the warmness in her heart.

  It took Bryn a few moments to recognise Maribelle’s voice, but the moment she did, she turned to Maribelle and all her worried look immediately became one of joy. “Maribelle! I missed you so much,” she excimed.

  Maribelle wrapped her arms around Bryn, and held the mershark close. “I missed you too. Things around here were just not the same without you.”

  “Were you able to look after yourself, though?” Bryn asked.

  “Of course I was, I have adapted to life here,” Maribelle replied smugly.

  Bryn ughed. “I was ever so worried you would run into struggles while I was away. But it seems I had nothing to fear.”

  As Bryn pulled away from the embrace, Maribelle gazed longingly into Bryn’s beautiful red eyes that were so full of life. “Would you like me to get something to eat?”

  Bryn breathed with relief. “Oh, thank you, Maribelle. I am absolutely starved. In fact, I was just about to get something for myself.”

  While Maribelle cooked some sea rice and cut some fruit, she kept gncing back towards Bryn, who was currently invested in some writing she had brought back from the coven. Once again, whatever it was that was worrying Bryn must have returned as Bryn’s face was locked with a look of dread. Maribelle couldn't help but wonder what it was that was weighing so heavily upon Bryn’s shoulder like a dropped anchor. It must be something quite terrible.

  Pcing a pair of bowls close to Bryn, Maribelle sat close to the mershark. She was very grateful to be sharing a meal with Bryn once more, but the matter of Bryn's worries prevented her from truly enjoying it.

  “Here you go, I hope this fills that hole in your stomach,” Maribelle said.

  Giving her thanks, Bryn began to scarf down her meal, nodding eagerly to show that she was enjoying it. Taking a few bites from her own bowl, Maribelle was relieved to know the rice had been cooked right, and the small pieces of fruit made a nice combination of fvours to enjoy.

  “Thank you, I really needed that,” Bryn said as she pushed the empty bowl away from herself. She looked happier, but there was still the hint of worry on her face.

  “You're most welcome, Bryn. But I must ask: is everything okay?” Maribelle asked.

  Bryn turned her head away for a moment. “It's fine,” she tried to expin before shaking her head.

  “Did something happen with the coven? Did someone get hurt?”

  “No, we were not attacked. It's just there was some news about the surface,” Bryn answered, csping her hands together to stop them shaking.

  Maribelle took Bryn's hands. “What sort of news? Is it to do with my family?” she asked, dreading that something had happened to them.

  Bryn blinked a few times before shaking her head. “It's not that. As far as I am aware nothing has happened to the colonies your family resides in. The matter we talked about is much more complex.”

  “How so?”

  Bryn looked like she was about to respond when she stopped herself. “I'm sorry Maribelle. If I could tell you I would. However, I am bound to an oath that I would not share the secrets of my coven. I don't want to hide things from you, but this burden is not one I can share with you,” she expined, her face wracked with guilt.

  Maribelle winced to see Bryn so torn up. It must be severe if Bryn can't share even a single word.

  “It's fine, I understand. You can keep your coven’s secrets,” Maribelle told Bryn, absolving her of any guilt

  Bryn smiled back. It didn't have her usual warmth, but it was still a smile. “Everything will be fine. The coven will keep the sea safe, and that includes you, Maribelle.”

  “I am sure you will,” Maribelle said gently. “I'm so gd you're back. I've made some pns for when you finally return. I'll let you rest today, but tomorrow there is something I want to show you. Would you like that?”

  Maribelle's heart raced as she awaited Bryn’s answer. She sincerely hoped with all her heart that Bryn would say yes, as her confession rested upon it.

  “Yes, that sounds very nice. What is your pn?” Bryn answered, her eyes brightening with anticipation

  It was as if a great weight had been lifted off Maribelle, and it took a great deal of effort just to hide her etion that Bryn had said yes.

  “It's a surprise,” Maribelle said with a wink. Of course, she couldn't share the true purpose behind her actions. Only when the perfect opportunity arose will she do that.

  Bryn ughed softly. “That sounds like something Joyce would say. Be careful you don't pick up all her habits.”

  Maribelle gasped in mock offence. “Deep abyss, I would never. But in my defence, Joyce does have a point. A little suspense can really make something that much more thrilling,” Maribelle expined before fluttering her eyes at Bryn. “You trust me, don't you?”

  Bryn squeezed Maribelle's hand. “Of course I do, Maribelle,” she answered with the warmest sincerity.

  “Well, all you need to do is wait.”

  *****

  With great eagerness, Maribelle swam out of Joyce's room. Her hair was tied up in an elegant bun. Joyce would have done much more, but she had teaching to do today so Maribelle’s hair was all she could do. It was still a fond memory when Joyce st gave her a makeover.

  Her heart thrummed with excitement. Today was the day Bryn would know her true feelings for her beloved mershark. Just imagine if Bryn felt the same way. That would be just wonderful, but she had to make the day perfect. Everything had to be just right when she said three very important words.

  Swimming into the kitchen, Maribelle recovered the ingredients for the lunch she had pnned specifically for Bryn. Although the selection of fish was not fresh from the market, she was gd to know they were fresh enough for the meal she was about to prepare.

  Working at a steady pace, she began to get to work. Her knife carved through fish, and her hands sculpted rice. One by one, the ptes beside her filled up with pieces of sushi. All that practice had been worth it, as the sushi looked mostly identical. It was not perfect, but then again, what was? Oh, that's simple, the answer was Bryn.

  Looking at her finished ptter, Maribelle was quite proud of what she had made. Before her were swordfish sashimi, prawn maki, and according to Joyce these were Bryn’s favourites. Maribelle imagined how thrilled Bryn would be to be presented with such delicacies.

  “I'm here, Maribelle,” a voice said, which Maribelle instantly recognised as the blissful voice of Bryn.

  “I'm so gd you could make it. Please take a seat,” Maribelle said, blocking Bryn’s view of lunch.

  Maribelle watched longingly as Bryn gracefully swam towards the table. As usual, she looked beautiful, but today she had made a special effort to tidy her hair up nicely and put a bit of makeup on.

  “There is somewhere I want to go, but before that there is something I want to share with you,” Maribelle said as she gently picked up a pair of ptes and brought them over to Bryn.

  Watching Bryn’s eyes brighten with joy brought a wide smile to Maribelle’s face. “Oh my, this looks delicious. Thank you, Maribelle, but how did you know - Joyce told you, didn't she?”

  “Yes she did, and I am gd that she was telling me the truth,” Maribelle replied ughing.

  Picking up a piece of swordfish sashimi, Bryn eagerly pced it into her mouth. Her lips turned into a warm smile as she revelled in the taste of what she was eating. “This is perfect,” she commented between bites.

  Taking some swordfish sashimi for herself, Maribelle took a bite of it. She marvelled at how the delicate texture of the swordfish mixed so well with the rice. Now wonder, Bryn considered it one of her favourites.

  “I just remembered something, Sushi was the first food I had here,” Maribelle said wistfully as she cast her mind back to when she first woke up.

  Bryn nodded while her mouth was filled with food. Thinking about it, Maribelle knew she had responded rather rudely after discovering she had become a mermaid. “I am sorry for being so harsh to you back then,” she apologised.

  Bryn waved her hand. “There is no need to apologise. I turned you into a mermaid without your consent. You were within your rights to be terribly shocked,” she replied with a hint of sadness.

  “But you did it to save my life,” Maribelle retorted. “And you welcomed me, a stranger, to your own home without hesitation.”

  “It was the very least I could have done.”

  Maribelle took a deep breath. “I should never have left here. I had a bright future here, but instead I just threw it away in my foolish need to return to the surface. It's a miracle I was given a second chance to return at all,” she confessed, her voice shaking.

  Bryn reached over and put her hand on Maribelle’s and as usual it helped reassure Maribelle.

  “You don’t have anything to feel guilty about. You were concerned for your family, and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm sorry your time on the surface was so horrid, but I am so relieved that you have returned to where you belong,” Bryn said softly as she gently squeezed Maribelle’s hand.

  Maribelle ughed softly. Bryn always knew just what to say to set her heart steady again

  “Thank you for everything. I sincerely mean it,” Maribelle said in Merrow.

  Withdrawing her hand, Bryn put it to her mouth and beamed delightfully. “Oh, your Merrow is getting better.”

  “Of course, I have been practising every day since you left,” Maribelle continued, still speaking in Merrow.

  In response, Bryn’s bright smile only widened. She looked so lovely when she smiled like that.

  Gncing back at the ptes between them, Maribelle chuckled softly. “I think we got a little distracted then. Shall we return to our meal?”

  “Yes, I agree on both accounts. I have to say you did an amazing job with these,” Bryn answered before consuming a prawn maki roll.

  *****

  Leaving Coraltide behind, Maribelle and Bryn swap out into the open sea. To Maribelle it felt great to kick with all her might and feel herself propel herself forwards at great speeds. It was such an exhirating experience to feel the water rush by her body. Swimming like this was better than running on the surface.

  The st time she left Coraltide it was meant to be forever. However, this time it felt good to know that she would return to the city that had become her home. She was never going to leave her home ever again; at least not permanently.

  With a burst of speed, Bryn caught up to Maribelle. Keeping pace with each other, they spiralled around each other leaving a trail of bubbles behind them. Maribelle locked eyes with Bryn’s and started to ugh. Between the exhiration of swimming, and gazing into the eyes of the woman she loved, her heart could barely contain the joy that filled it.

  However, she couldn't afford to get lost. Yes it was delightful swimming through the open sea, but there was a very specific destination she had to reach. There was a certain small isnd that Joyce had described to her. On the surface it seemed just like any other, but beneath the tides was a secret known only to a few merfolk and Maribelle was one of them.

  Hours passed and Maribelle felt not a single bit of fatigue weighing her down. She knew she could keep going further if she wanted, but she could make the approaching shoreline. She began swimming upwards to the surface and instead of slowing down, she chose to speed up. With one st flick of her tail, she breached through the water and soared into the air. It was impossible not to ugh as she saw the trail of water arcing behind her. Looking to her side, she quickly scanned the isnd. With a wide smile she recognised some of the ndmarks Joyce told her about.

  With a resounding spsh she returned to the sea jubint that she had reached her destination. All she had to do was find the secret entrance. It was all so exciting knowing that everything was falling into pce.

  Swimming along the rocky shore, she began searching for a certain patch of seaweed that was braided together. Drifting along it was hard to not worry when she had no luck finding the secret passageway. If she couldn't find it soon then her entire pn would fall apart.

  “Is everything alright?” Bryn asked with concern.

  “Yes, there's nothing to worry about. I'm just looking for-” Maribelle replied before gasping in surprise.

  There, just behind Maribelle was a patch of seaweed braided together in a peculiar heart shape. If one was not looking specifically for it then it would have been lost among everything else. It was only thanks to Joyce that she recognised the patch for what it was.

  Swimming around Bryn, Maribelle hastily made her way to the shimmering rock that was hidden by the braided seaweed. She whispered a single word to it, and her eyes widened in surprise as the rock sank into the seafloor revealing a dark passageway that widened as it went further in. What could be waiting within? Unfortunately this was one question that Joyce refused to answer ciming that ‘it must be kept a secret.’ How bothersome.

  Bryn joined Maribelle and stared into the dark passageway. She turned to Maribelle with a curious look. “Would you permit me to lead the way?” she asked.

  Maribelle nodded and watched as Bryn chanted a few words. From Bryn's hands a sphere of light sprang into existence, and with a gesture it flew into the passageway. With their route illuminated, they began to traverse down it. Maribelle noticed that Bryn was looking concerned about something, and so to help keep Bryn calm, she swam beside Bryn and held her hand.

  “Is everything okay?” Maribelle asked.

  “I'm just more used to the open sea,” Bryn admitted as she squeezed Maribelle's hand.

  A feeling of unease crept up Maribelle’s spine. What if she was making a mistake?

  “We can turn around if you want,”

  Bryn smiled back with a hint of unease. “Thank you, but I'll be fine. You went through all this trouble for me, so it will be a shame to turn back now.”

  Maribelle smiled at Bryn, admiring her bravery. It won't be long now until they reach something that Joyce promised would be spectacur.

  The passageway opened up into a wide chamber with a domed roof. Maribelle gazed at it in awe; it must have taken a lot of work to carve this out from stone. Gncing to her side, she was gddened to see Bryn looking much more rexed. Turning back to the chamber, she was intrigued to spot shapes cut into the floor, and if she had to guess it seemed like they were rge enough for two or three merfolk to y together. Were they beds?

  The thought of lying so close to Bryn brought a deep blush to Maribelle's cheeks that she hoped that Bryn would not notice. Propelling herself forwards, Maribelle swam towards one of the beds, and as she settled down, Bryn joined her. She felt her heartbeat quicken as Bryn y so close to her. Close enough to embrace, close enough to kiss. But that depended on where Bryn’s heart y.

  “This is rexing,” Bryn said as she stretched her arms. Unable to speak, Maribelle merely nodded, unsure if Bryn would even see it.

  The moment was almost upon her. Everything Joyce had told her had been true, which means her confession was almost at hand. If she was being honest with herself, she was terrified. What if Joyce had omitted something vital? What if she fumbled her words?

  What if Bryn did not feel the same way she did? Well, she would accept and respect Bryn's choice. Friendship with Bryn would still be a valuable treasure.

  Maribelle y in the dark as she prepared herself for what she was about to do. It was going to be okay, she could do this. She had been through worse. She had been hurled into the sea trapped in a cage; confessing her love to the mershark that had saved her life twice was far less daunting in comparison.

  With her heart settled, she finally felt at ease enough to say a single word: illuminate. In response, the roof lit up with spectacur starlight with a bright full moon at the centre. This was not true starlight, but rather a masterfully crafted illusion. Saphrena must have created this star pod as a means to bring the stars to her lovers so that they did not need to travel to the surface. In Maribelle's eyes, Saphrena had perfectly replicated the midnight sky.

  Staring at the false stars, Maribelle could not help but be mesmerised by what she was seeing. It was so beautiful, so perfect. The illusion was identical to reality.

  Suppressing a gasp, Maribelle realised that there was something she had to do. She cursed herself for being so drawn into the stars, she almost forgot the reasons he was here for.

  “Bryn?” Maribelle said, her voice almost shaking from trepidation.

  As Bryn turned towards her, Maribelle saw Bryn's face faintly lit by the starlight. As beautiful as the stars were, they could not outshine the radiant beauty of Bryn. She loved her, and that could not be denied.

  Now was the time to tell Bryn how she truly felt.

  Face to face with Bryn, staring into her red eyes, Maribelle began to recite a poem. It was one of Saphrena's, and when Maribelle read it, she knew it described perfectly how she felt about Bryn. Word by word, she spoke each stanza of the poem. Line by line, her nerves started to get the better of her. She was pouring her heart out to Bryn, but how would the mershark respond?

  As Maribelle recited her poem, she slipped up on a word, mispronouncing it. She cursed herself for her foolishness. Then she made another mistake, speaking in Engarish instead of Merrow. She tried to recover, but it was all too much, and she buried her face in her hands as she melted into a flustered mess.

  As she tried not to cry, Maribelle felt a pair of hands gently pull her hands away from her face. Bryn's face was so close, and she gave Maribelle a strange look.

  “Do you know what those words mean? What this pce means?” Bryn asked. There was no harshness in her voice, only a desire to know.

  Of course, she knew. This starpod was a pce consecrated by Saphrena where a woman could confess love to another woman. Her words were specially chosen for this moment, but she failed to recite them. She almost gave up, but there was another option. She could say the three words resonating in her heart. The words she practiced every day.

  “I love you, Bryn,” she said in perfect Merrow.

  Upon hearing Maribelle’s confession, Bryn’s eyes widened in surprise. Moments after, she recovered and began to smile. As Bryn’s lips curled up with joy, tears began to float away from her eyes.

  “Do you mean it? Truly mean it?” She asked in awe.

  Maribelle smiled back. “Yes, with all my heart. I love you, I love you, I love you,” she excimed enthusiastically.

  Bryn's smile widened into a grin, showing off her fangs. On the surface this would have terrified a human, but to Maribelle they had a charm of my own. “Forgive me, sea flower, for my questioning, I see now that there was nothing to fear.”

  “Sea flower?” Maribelle asked, confused as to what Bryn meant.

  “Ah, allow me to expin. Imagine a flower that has been pnted in surface soil. She survives, but she is ill-suited for such a pce and thus never truly blossoms. Years ter and an incident happens, the flower is torn from the nd and thrown into the sea. Fear not, for she saved and pnted safely in the sea bed,” Bryn softly narrates to Maribelle.

  Maribelle could tell that Bryn was talking about herself, but declined to interrupt.

  “With her roots now in the sea, this flower changes. Once she merely survived on the surface, but now she thrives. She grows and develops in ways she never imagined she could.”

  This was true, but Maribelle knew she also threw it all away on some misguided notion that it was the right thing to do.

  “Yes, the flower left the sea, but she realised how unsuited she was on the surface and returned to the sea where she belonged. And now at long st she has blossomed. Oh Maribelle, you truly are the most beautiful flower in the sea,” more tears floated away from Bryn as she finished her story.

  Maribelle noticed that she too was shedding tears, and her heart was thumping away with anticipation.

  “B-Bryn. Does this mean-” she tried to speak, but her words became stuck in her throat like a stubborn rock.

  “Yes, Maribelle, my wonderful sea flower. I love you just as much” Bryn excimed.

  At hearing those words, Maribelle began sobbing sweet tears of relief. Bryn loved her just as she loved Bryn. Oh, what a joyous day!

  Bryn’s arms wrapped themselves around Maribelle, and in response, she returned the embrace. Held closed by the woman she loved, Maribelle's tears continued to flow. She had confessed her love and received the same from Bryn. It was difficult to think of a time that gave her such etion and joy; though the moment she witnessed her own transformation into a mermaid certainly came very close.

  It took some time before her emotions calmed down, and be able to speak again. She leaned away from Bryn, looked into her red eyes and smiled blissfully.

  “So what happens now?” She asked before wincing internally at how inexperienced those words made her look.

  Bryn gnced aside with her cheeks blushing with embarrassment, muttering something about being unsure what to do. Of course, it was very like Bryn to be too shy to take the lead. Maribelle gently id a hand on Bryn’s supple cheek, and when Bryn turned to face her, Maribelle leaned in close.

  “May I kiss you?” Maribelle asked with a delicate whisper.

  Maribelle swallowed her nerves down while Bryn summoned the courage to respond. It was not a long wait until Bryn pced a hand on Maribelle's cheek. Despite looking almost like a cw, it was amazing how soft Bryn’s hand was.

  “Yes,” Bryn answered, and Maribelle released a small breath of relief.

  Carefully, the two merfolk began to pull their heads closer. Maribelle closed her eyes in anticipation, her heart raced with the knowledge that her very first kiss was at hand. Her first kiss was going to be shared with a sea witch, a mershark, and a woman. The woman she loved.

  Their lips met, and Maribelle tasted the salt on Bryn’s lips. Warmth rushed through her body from her lips to the tip of her tail. She had never felt the thrill of pleasure and desire pulse through her body before, but it was intoxicating to her. As their lips parted, Maribelle knew she wanted more.

  “Can I kiss you again?” Maribelle pleaded as she breathed heavily.

  Bryn nodded. “Please,” she replied.

  Again they passionately kissed. Maribelle rolled on top of Bryn, their tails began to coil around each other. The soft, sensual touch of Bryn’s tail tightening around her own made Maribelle shiver with delight. Maribelle’s hands traced a pattern across Bryn’s bare back and explored the body of her lover. Yes, she wanted this and so much more. Her hands reached Bryn’s skirt; if she were just able to pull it off, then imagine the greater delights that she could behold.

  “Wait,” Bryn shouted as she flinched away from their kiss. “Please don’t, I am not comfortable with that.”

  Maribelle immediately let go, pulling her hands away and pcing them on top of Bryn’s hands. She had gone too far with her desires and put Bryn in an uncomfortable position. Her heart sank with the fear that she had ruined her love with Bryn the same night they had confessed their feelings for each other.

  “I'm sorry,” Bryn whispered softly.

  Maribelle blinked in surprise as she looked at Bryn, who was looking away in shame.

  “I ruined things, didn't I?” Bryn asked with guilt heavy in her voice. “I want you. I want this.” she stroked Maribelle’s lips. “It's just that there are some things… I don’t want.”

  “It's not your fault. I should have asked, but I was so caught up in my passion I never thought to do so. We can stop tonight if you want,”

  There was a flurry of movement, and Maribelle’s world spun around. Before she knew it, she was the one on the floor and Bryn was the one looking down on her. She looked absolutely beautiful with the moon shining behind her.

  “As I said, I want you,” Bryn said, her eyes staring into Maribelle’s. “However, I am asexual. I want romance, I want intimacy. This is what I have always dreamed of. But sex is something I don’t want. If that is something you crave, then I am sorry because that is the one thing I cannot give you.”

  “Thank you for telling me. I will never force you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable,” Maribelle said, gently rubbing Bryn’s hands. Sex was not important, especially when compared to the importance of making Bryn happy.

  Bryn smiled warmly. “Thank goodness, I was worried that my ck of desire for sex would have ruined what we just found. Now that we have a better understanding of our desires and boundaries, shall we continue?”

  Maribelle was mesmerised by the divine sight before her. She very much wanted to continue. Her heart desired to taste Bryn more. She gently beckoned Bryn towards her. She felt the water flow around her as Bryn pulled her close for another kiss, and she rejoiced at the salty taste of Bryn’s lips. This time, however, there was more. This time, Maribelle could feel Bryn’s tongue slither over her own. Oh deep abyss, that felt good. Returning the favour, Maribelle slid her tongue into Bryn’s mouth. Upon hearing Bryn sighing bliss, Maribelle knew she had not pushed any boundary too far. Running her tongue across Bryn’s fangs, Maribelle was wary of cutting her tongue on those sharp fangs. But then again, what would Bryn think of the taste of her blood?

  Oh, tonight was going to be very exciting