Chapter 1: Introduction
The sun was a fiery orb in the sky, dipping low and casting an orange glow over the tranquil surface of the water. Alex leaned against the railing of the research boat, his eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of unusual activity. As a marine biologist, he was no stranger to the ocean's unpredictable nature, but today, something felt different. The sea seemed to whisper secrets, and the breeze carried a faint, exotic scent that tantalized his senses.
The boat drifted lazily, its engine humming softly as it navigated the calm waters. Alex's colleagues buzzed around him, engaged in enthusiastic discussions about their latest findings.
Their laughter echoed across the deck, a familiar symphony that usually brought a smile to Alex's face. But not today. Today, his thoughts were elsewhere, drawn to the enigmatic scent that danced on the wind.
Alex’s gaze caught an unusual flicker of movement on the water’s surface. He watched closely, maybe it was a seal or something, perhaps just rock closer to the surface, they were in shallow waters after all, not far from docking.
No, rocks don’t create that much movement. And they definitely don’t have hands, hands that seem to just barely be breaking the water’s surface. There’s a person out there!
Without a moment's hesitation, Alex sprang into action. He raced to the back of the research vessel where their inflatable catamaran was. He yelled out the customary “Man overboard!” before unhooking the boat, jumping in and starting its motor, navigating towards the struggling person.
As he got closer, he could see it was a woman, thrashing wildly against what looked like fishing net. Her long, dark hair fanned out around her like a halo, and her exotic features, even from a distance, were striking. Alex's heart pounded in his chest as he inched closer, his mind racing with how exactly he was going to free her without causing more harm.
"Hold on," he called out, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "I'm coming for you."
The woman turned her head, and their eyes met. Her gaze was fierce, her expression a mix of fear and anger.
Alex could see the panic in her eyes, and it fueled his determination. He maneuvered the catamaran with precision, careful not to entangle her further or cause injury.
"It's alright," he soothed, his voice calm and reassuring. "I've got you. You're going to be okay."
He reached out, his hands searching for the netting. His fingers brushed against something soft—her skin. She jerked back, her breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps.
"Easy," Alex murmured, his voice gentle but firm.
"I'm trying to help you."
He could see she was fighting the instinct to struggle, trying to understand his intent. He could only assume she didn’t speak English, given how resistant she was to his communication.
Alex looked down past the surface and saw their main issue, the fishing net was tangled and caught on rocks deep below the surface and had wrapped tightly around the woman’s ankle. He grabbed the woman’s free arm and brought her hand to the ropes on the side of the boat.
“Hold on,” he said firmly, hoping she could at least understand that, before jumping overboard and diving beneath the surface.
He swam down and reached where the net had wrapped itself around her leg. It was taut and tangled, there was no way he could just unwrap it from her ankle. He pulled his pocket knife from inside his shorts and carefully cut strand after strand of high quality and strong netting wrapped around her. Finally the last strand snapped and her ankle was free. Now all he needed was to get her in the boat and get the rest of the net off of her.
Alex swam up to the surface, deftly climbing back into the boat and pulling the young woman into it. Now that her ankle was freed, the rest of the netting was much easier to disentangle from her body. As he finished freeing her, he mumbled under his breath “What were you possibly doing out there to get so tangled?”
She huffed, glaring at her savior. “Swimming, obviously.”
“You speak English?! Why didn’t you respond to anything I was saying while you were in the water?!” Alex was shocked, though he also knows sometimes people act against their best interest when panicked.
The young woman completely ignores his question, not mentioning that she just now learned English, talking to him speak for long enough. Alex took her silence as shock and maybe some embarrassment about the situation.
“I could’ve saved my self, I didn’t need your help. At most, you could’ve just tossed me your knife so I could cut myself free.” She eventually grumbled. Alex was incredulous, this woman was completely deluded if she thought she could’ve got out of that herself. “Anyway, you can just drop me off here, I can swim to shore.” Leaning towards the edge of the boat.
Alex pulled her back, “No, no, no, that’s definitely a bad idea! I’m taking you to shore for the medics to check out. You seem fine but it’s always better same than sorry! I’d feel responsible if something happened to you.” Noticing the cool air giving him goosebumps on his wet skin, he pulls out his marine institute hoodie and makes sure she puts it on. He may have been chilly but she must have been freezing! “Here, stay warm, we’re almost there.”
She didn’t look happy, in fact she looked pissed, but at least she was safe.
Pulling into the dock, Alex secures the boat and helps the young woman out of it. He guides her down the dock, towards the lifeguard and medic stand. He’d called in his rescue on the way in so they were ready for her with blankets and something to eat. Alex glanced at his watch as he got her taken care of.
“Shoot! I’ve got to go, the crew needs me to offload equipment. You’ll take good care of her, right? Make sure she’s all good?” Alex said to his medic friend, Danny, one foot already out the door.
“Dude, are you serious? She won’t even tell us her name!” Danny called after Alex but he was already gone, racing down the dock to his boat.
Out in the water, Lorelei swam back to where she’d left Princess Arista tangled in a net. Riss wasn’t a strong swimmer without her tail so Lorelei had encouraged her to strengthen her legs. It wasn’t hard to get the princess tangled up after that and the buoys in the net kept her floating enough that she couldn’t get the net off her ankle. She was helpless and totally safe, just stuck.
Lorelei was looking forward to her friend’s grateful embrace once she was saved. It wasn’t explicitly custom that mermaids had to marry their rescuers when they were also a mermaid but they had long been close friends, surely it wouldn’t be hard to convince King Triton to give his precious daughter’s hand in marriage to her best friend and hero.
She was nearly there, she was sure of it, and yet, she couldn’t see the dark shape in the water that should be Riss’s struggling form. Lorelei hadn’t been gone long, just grabbing the knife she’d conveniently stashed nearby. But as she arrived back at the twisted fishing net she’d lodged in the rocks, Riss was gone, the holes cut into the netting the only evidence she’d been trapped here.
Had she somehow freed herself? Riss was a particularly stubborn and resourceful siren so it wasn’t out of the question. Or had Lorelei’s worst nightmare come? Had some stupid human stumbled upon her helpless love and saved her themselves? They wouldn’t know what they’d done, but Riss would. And soon, so would her father. If Riss had been saved by a human, she was going to have to marry them, her life and spirit owed to her rescuer.
Lorelei screamed in rage under the sea, startling nearby aquatic life. She’d planned this so well. No one should’ve found Riss here before her. Her best friend and lifelong crush, swept away, right out of her grasp.
This was so not happening.
Riss, miles away on shore, being fussed over by humans was thinking much the same. This was *so* not happening. She still couldn’t figure out how her ankle had gotten so tangled in that fish net. It shouldn’t have taken Lorelei long to be back with some sort of cutting implement but instead of saving herself with her best friend’s assistance, some stupid human had to find her first. Not only find her first but save her. It was humiliating enough to be stuck but now she was going to have to marry a fucking human.
Her oblivious betrothed hadn’t even stuck around to claim his prize, running off back to his boat, leaving her surrounded by other humans. She’d never been this close to humans before. Lorelei liked to play with them but Riss preferred to stay away. She didn’t know them and she didn’t want to. They were just stupid land animals, not worth her time or notice. And now she was going to marry one. What if he wanted to move away from the sea, taking her to some landlocked hellscape? Or what if he didn’t even want her? According to ancient siren law, Princess Arista was engaged now, promised to a human, whether he claimed her or not. Her reputation would be ruined, a pathetic princess who got rescued by a human who didn’t even want her. Riss was smart, she was cunning and driven, and she knew she was fucking hot. She was better than this, she deserved better. She was a fucking princess of the ocean for fucks sake!
Riss sulked silently. Eventually the humans got the memo, she was safe and fine and she had no intention of receiving any further medical care nor revealing anything about herself. With nothing else to do, they gave Riss some flip flops to protect her feet and sent her on her way.
They’d given her food and water, but she'd left most of it untouched, her appetite nonexistent.
She didn't know where to go or what to do. Her life had been planned out for her, and now, everything was uncertain.
She stalked off in the direction the marine biologist had gone, her mind a whirlwind of rage and frustration. She had to find this guy, and make him understand that they couldn't just get married and live happily ever after. She was a siren, for crying out loud, not some human girl he could sweep off her feet.
She didn’t even know his fucking name not how to find him.
There was only one thing to do she supposed. Back to the ocean to speak to her father. To tell him what had happened and figured out their plan of action.
Riss pulled off her new “fiancé’s” hoodie and wrapped her flip flops in it, holding them close to her chest as she dove into the sea. Her tail formed instantly, helping her glide deep into the water, back towards home. Riss could already feel the change in pressure, the familiar embrace of the sea. She swam with purpose, her anger fueling her every stroke.
The palace loomed ahead, a magnificent structure carved into the ocean floor. Bioluminescent flora cast an ethereal glow, lighting her path. Riss didn't bother with pleasantries as she stormed into the grand audience chamber. King Triton sat on his throne, his expression stern as he watched her approach.
He had always known that his daughter was headstrong, but this was something else entirely. Riss stormed up to him, her tail swishing angrily behind her.
"Father," she began without preamble, "I have a problem."
Triton's eyebrows raised, but he remained silent, allowing her to continue.
"I was out practicing my legs, as you insisted, and I got caught in a fishing net. I couldn't free myself, and then some human just had to come along and save me." She threw the hoodie onto the floor, her chest heaving with anger.
"Now I'm betrothed to some human, and I don't even know his name. This is ridiculous, Father. I can't marry a human!"
King Triton's expression softened, but his voice remained firm. "Riss, you know our laws. When a siren is rescued by a human, she is bound to them by an ancient, unbreakable law. You must find this man and accept your fate."
"But Father, I can't just marry some random human!" Riss protested, her voice rising. "I don't even know him. What if he's horrible?
What if he doesn't even like the sea? What if he wants me to leave the ocean? The questions tumbled through Riss's mind, each one more terrifying than the last. She paced back and forth in front of her father, her tail sweeping gracefully behind her.
King Triton leaned forward, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and firmness. "Riss, I understand your fears, but you must face them. This is our way, and you know the consequences if you refuse."
Riss's heart sank. She knew the consequences all too well.
If she refused to marry the human who'd rescued her, she would be cast out of the sea, her siren powers stripped away, leaving her to live out the rest of her days as a mortal human. The thought of losing her tail, her connection to the ocean, sent a shiver down her spine.
Riss spun around, her long hair fanning out behind her like a dark wave. "Fine, Father. I'll find this human. Find him and marry him, if I must. But then I’m coming back.”
I’ll just figure something out. Maybe he’ll die in like, a year, and I can move on with my life. Or maybe I’ll just make him miserable. That sounds like a good plan. Make him so miserable he wishes he’d never rescued me. Riss felt better already, thinking of ways to make her betrothed regret his good deed.
“Thank you for hearing me out, Father,” Riss said, bowing slightly before turning and swimming out of the room as quickly as she’d entered.
King Triton watched his daughter go, his expression grave. He knew Riss well enough to know she wasn’t going to just accept this situation.
Her rebellious nature was one of the things he loved most about her, but also one of the things that worried him the most. He hoped she wouldn't do anything rash.
Meanwhile, Alex was back on the research vessel, his mind still wrapped up in the mysterious woman he'd rescued. He couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more to her than met the eye. He was glad she was safe, but he couldn't help feeling like he'd left something unfinished.
It wasn’t his concern though, he had research to do, an ocean to save. She was fine and he had to forget about her.
He had work to do, right?
Alex tried to focus on the tasks at hand, but his mind kept drifting back to the woman in the net. Her exotic features, her fierce gaze, her long, dark hair. He'd never seen anyone quite like her. And her voice—when she'd finally spoken, it had been like music, even in its annoyed state.
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He was getting ahead of himself. He didn't even know her name, and he was already daydreaming about her. He was ridiculous.