Chapter 22

Twenty-Two

“ T his is ridiculous, you fool. Do this on land,” complained Elric, standing at the bow of a row boat with Darium rowing. Merrow’s mother sat at the back of the boat. They stopped out in the sea where Sebastian waited with Merrow in her sea nymph form to be married. Her sisters all surrounded her in the water, and even her father and brother watched from a distance. Owaine brought The Thunderbolt out to meet them, with everyone else on board.

“Nay, Elric. This is where we want to be married,” Sebastian told him. “Out at sea.” He treaded water, looking over at Merrow and giving her a big smile.

“Sebastian, we can go on land to be married,” Merrow told him. “This isn’t necessary.”

“No, we won’t. We will stay here. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Sebastian took one of her hands in his. “This way, your family can all be a part of the wedding and experience it up close. Elric, hurry up and say our vows. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep treading water.”

“Had I known you’d like being in the water so much, I never would have tricked you to go into the sea in the first place,” griped Elric.

“You can come in and join us, Sage.” Sebastian chuckled.

“I think not!” Elric stuck his nose in the air.

“Let me and my sisters help you stay afloat, Sebastian. Melite, Galene,” Merrow called out.

“We’re here, sister.” Galene held on to Sebastian.

“We won’t let him drown,” said Melite, doing the same. “Go ahead and take your vows now.”

Merrow’s heart swelled with love. No man she ever knew—no human man—would go to such extremes just to marry her. First, he’d risked everything by approaching her father because he knew she wanted to remain a sea nymph. He’d been so fearless, not caring what his loyal men thought of him. She loved him for that. And to actually marry her right here in the water was the most romantic thing she could imagine.

“All right,” grumbled Elric, standing on the bench of the boat, raising his hands in the air. “Since I hate being out here, this is the shortened version. Sebastian Ravenwolf, do you take Merrow as your wife?”

“I do,” he said, reaching up and kissing Merrow while her sisters helped him to stay afloat.

“And do you, Merrow Havfine, take Sebastian to be your husband?”

“Yes. I certainly do.” Merrow returned the kiss.

“Then you two are hitched. Do whatever you need to do.”

“Elric, thank you.” Sebastian swam to the rowboat and held out his hand for a shake.

“Whatever.” Elric reached down to take his hand. When he did, the rowboat shifted, Elric lost his balance, and he ended up in the water. He surfaced spitting water from his mouth.

“You big oaf, you did that on purpose,” screamed Elric.

“Sebastian? Did you?” whispered Merrow with a sly smile.

“Now, come on,” said Sebastian. “I am not a vindictive man. All I wanted to do was thank the elf. I can’t help it if he can’t keep his balance in a simple boat. Here, let me give you a lift back into the row boat.” Sebastian started to lift Elric but the little man didn’t want his help.

“Don’t touch me.” Elric used his skinny little arms to pull himself upward. He stretched one leg over the side of the rowboat, almost back on board.

“Congratulations,” called out Merrow’s mother, waving from the boat.

“Yes, I agree,” came the voice of her father. “Now, everyone back home through the portal. Right now.” The Old Man of the Sea blew the Calling Conch, causing the portal to open up. It wasn’t underwater, but atop the water this time. He dove through, and when he did, it caused a huge wave to tip the row boat over. Elric, Darium and Dee fell out and into the water.

Darium surfaced, laughing. Dee swam over to congratulate and hug Merrow. Elric’s head popped up, and he looked like a drown rat. The elf was surely not happy.

“Damn it, I told you this was a bad idea,” screamed Elric.“Someone get me out of this damned water. I can’t swim.”

“Take it easy, Elric,” said Darium. “Hold on to the rowboat. I see The Thunderbolt coming to pick us up now.”

Everyone had a good laugh and this time it was at the elf’s expense.

“Merrow, I must leave now,” said her mother. “Remember, just call to us in your mind if you want to visit and I’ll send Nereus to open the portal.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Merrow hugged her, followed by hugs to Melite and Galene.

“We’ll miss you, sister,” said Melite.

Merrow brushed back a strand of her young sister’s hair. “Just stay away from the Mystic Reef until I come to visit. I’ll take you back then to look for more shells.”

“I’ll make certain she does,” Galene promised.

“I can’t wait that long.” Melite pouted.

“Then I shall give you my shell necklace to wear until I return.” Merrow took off her necklace and slipped it over Melite’s head. Her sister’s face lit up in a smile.

“I’ll take good care of it, Merrow,” said Melite.

“I know you will,” Merrow answered. Merrow’s hand closed over her shell charm that was fastened to her hair. Strangely, she could still feel that it was a part of her feelings and emotions. Sure enough, when she touched it, it glowed. “Mother, I thought when I married, my charm would hold no more power,” she said in surprise.

“Remember, you’re still a sea nymph,” said Dee. “Your personal shell charm is there for your protection. Just don’t lose it again.”

“I won’t take it, I promise,” said Sebastian, using his fingers to make a cross over his heart. “Any passion coming from my wife from now on won’t be because I am causing it to happen.”

“Why, Husband,” said Merrow, purposely trying to sound sexy. “I will hope my passion is indeed stirred up by you.”

“You know what I mean,” he whispered in her ear, kissing her atop her head, making Merrow giggle.

“You two make a wonderful couple,” said Galene. “I hope the next wedding will be mine. I am sure you two will be very happy together.”

“I know that we will,” said Sebastian, giving the women hugs goodbye as well.

“Let us know as soon as the baby is born,” said her mother as Galene and Melite helped her to swim to the portal.

“We will, Mother. I promise. Goodbye,” called out Merrow, waving her hand over her head.

Merrow sadly watched as her family entered the portal one after another, and then the portal closed up behind them, leaving her alone once again.

“You’re not sad to have to stay here on Mura, are you?” asked Sebastian.

Sebastian’s ship approached the overturned rowboat. Rhys and Zann reached down to help the drenched sage up.

“You are all oafs, and haven’t got a brain between you,” whined Elric as they pulled him higher. “I’ll expect three pazzleberry pies just for me now that this stupid excuse for a wedding is over. Zann, you’re not pulling hard enough. Hurry. Or don’t you have enough strength to even lift an elf from the sea?”

Merrow saw Zann exchange glances with Rhys before they let go of Elric. “Oops,” said Zann as the sage once again fell back into the sea. A big splash and lots of swearing from Elric followed. The Blackseed brothers all laughed aloud.

“Sorry about that, Elric,” Zann called out. “I guess you were right that I’m too weak to pull an elf from the sea. Mayhap you’d better swim back to shore.”

“Dammit, you big oafs. This isn’t funny. Now get me out of here,” screamed Elric.

“Take it easy,” Darium told him from the water. “Having a bath once a year isn’t going to melt you, Elric.”

That caused everyone on the ship to laugh again.

“To answer your question,” Merrow said to Sebastian, “at first, I thought I might be sad staying here without my family. But the more I get to know the people of Mura and our new alliance friends, I realize that I am going to love living here after all.” She burst out laughing when this time, Elric used his magic to knock Rhys and Zann into the water with him. The Blackseed brothers were all in the water now, and seemed to be enjoying it, splashing each other and making jests. That only infuriated Elric even more.

“I love you, Merrow,” said Sebastian, holding her and kissing her while she used her tail to keep them afloat.

“I love you, too, Sebastian. And I can’t wait for us to be parents.” She kissed him back. “I must admit that when I first got sucked through the portal and got caught in your fishing net, I thought my life was over.”

“Nay. Not at all,” Sebastian told her. “Actually, it was nothing more than a new beginning. Destiny. Fate brought us together. A new life has begun between a sea nymph and a human, even though no one I know could have ever expected this union to exist.”

“You’re right,” she said with a grin. “After all, our lives quickly came together in a way no one ever expected. I guess it was meant to be.”

“That is the best kind,” said Sebastian.

“Best kind? What does that mean?” she asked.

“Our lives, being so different from each other, melded together just fine after all,” he assured her. “I say the best relationships are the ones that no one expects. We were so different, yet together, we realize we are really the same after all. Our lives are combined now, and that just makes us stronger. I have no doubt, sweetheart, that the best marriage takes place when two people like us allow our lives to become Entangled .”