*Three days later*
Ursula sat up with a jolt, the sour taste of bile making her mouth watery, making her gag.
Ursula gasped for water, unable to inhale, her arms stiff and tight. Suddenly she lurched forward, then puked out a pink liquid substance which made her throat burn. Ursula suddenly stopped, then fell off her bed and convulsed, puking out blood. Ursula immediately stood up on her unused tentacles, hurrying to do her business.
Ursula returned to her room, feeling lightheaded, and without the faintest memory of what led her to waking up on her bed. The last she remembered was Eli's face looking forward, speaking, looking worried.
Suddenly there were bubbles everywhere, indicating someone opened the door. Ursula craned her neck to see who it was, and not much to her surprise, it was Morgana.
"Why do you look so disappointed sis?", Morgana sneered.
"Is it because I'm not Eli? He carried you all the way here. Even dropped you down the stairs."
Ursula glared at her.
"Shut up."
Morgana cackled, then said,
"What a raspy voice you have today, dear. Have you been eating sand in your sleep?"
This time Ursula could not hold back a grin. Then she frowned.
"How long have I been sleeping?"
"Three days. And Ma says I'm the lazy good-for-nothing one." Morgana scowled.
"What happened? Tell me. I can't remember.", Ursula demanded.
" Hello? How do you forget you went on a raid and blew up half a kingdom?", Morgana snickered.
Ursula blinked for a moment, then straightened up as everything came flooding in.
Morgana nodded while examining her nails.
"That's right, sweetheart. You and I led a successful raid and captured 227 fishfaces. 234 if we count the fat ones."
Morgana looked up and observed her for a moment.
"You look terrible. Like you just puked up the wreck you made. Let's go get something to eat."
Ursula trailed after Morgana, muttering,
"I just did."
As her sister headed to the kitchen, Ursula could no longer ignore the storm in her stomach.
"Could we go to Biv's? I'm starving."
"Of course you're starving, you haven't eaten in 3 days. But sure, it's been a while.", Morgana agreed.
"Good.", Ursula sighed,
" I could eat a whale!"
"Considering you used to look like one, you've come quite fa-". Morgana was interrupted by Ursula, who shoved her into the wall beside them. Morgana shoved her back, stifling a cackle.
Ursula ducked as little cecaelias raced above her, scowling as another one raced by and hit her shoulder. The Dark Empire was bustling with its usual affairs. Cecaelia mothers yelled at their kids and bought food, other male cecaelias worked at their jobs or were passed out in a corner, having had too much kelp beer.
Ursula resisted a laugh as the cecaelia who hit her shoulder was yelled at by his mother after smashing into a basket holding fish bones, used to make carvings and toys and supplies for weaving and such.
The houses were more like huts, made from sand and rocks and kelp, kept together by strong bones, the colors a mix of brown, green, and varying around those shades, including black.
Soon the two cecaelias arrived at Biv's, the most popular place to get food.
"One turtle bomb.", Ursula said, the hunger in her stomach taking over any manners she had had four days before.
"Right up.", Biv said, a female cecaelia with dark cyan and black tentacles.
"I would like a crab on a stick, please.", Morgan said politely. Biv nodded, her black and gray hair bobbing in a loose ponytail.
She handed Ursula her turtle bomb, which was a mix of little fish and turtle, chunks of crustaceans, and small cephalopodas, to which Ursula quickly muttered a grateful thanks and then dug in.
Morgana was about to take her first bite of red crab, when Eli snatched it and took a bite.
"Hey!", Morgana said, half annoyed, half amused.
Eli wiped his chin, grinning.
"Relax, Morgana! It's just a bite."
Eli turned to Ursula, about to say something when Ursula turned around and punched him.
Eli lay on the sand, holding his gut and wheezing.
"What was that for?"
"Dropping me down the stairs.", Ursula said simply whilst chewing.
Eli turned to Morgana, horrified. Morgana burst out laughing. He turned red, but smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry."
"You carried me.", Ursula said, enjoying his embarrassment. Eli's face turned redder than the crab Morgana was eating.
"Thanks."
"He was freaking out while you were shaking.", Morgana piped up.
Eli put his head down on the table they were eating in.
Ursula suppressed a laugh while Morgana freely cackled the rest of her crab down. Biv's eyes crinkled at the sight of Eli's humiliation.
"I heard you wouldn't stop hugging him on the way to the empire.", Biv raised her chunky eyebrows at Ursula.
Morgana slapped her forehead.
"Of course! How could I forget? While miss perfect was unconscious, you wouldn't stop shaking, so you decided to squeeze the livin' Tartarus out of Eli's neck!". Morgana burst out cackling, on the verge of tears.
Now it was Ursula's turn to cringe and be red-faced. Eli's chuckle could be heard from under his head.
Biv's eyes crinkled some more as she recalled her deceased partner. She said so.
"Ah... I remember when Old Ajax and I would spend all day together. We even planned to run away. He was my life."
Biv sighed dreamily.
"But then he got killed by those blasted guards from the Atlantic Kingdom. He wasn't a very good guard, however, so that makes sense."
Ursula smacked her head on the table, sulking for Biv's life story that she had heard more than 35 times, especially at a time like this. Biv grinned at Ursula mischievously, saying with a gentle tease in her voice,
"From what I've seen, Ursula, you've got your self a very good guard.". Biv nodded at Eli, who put his face to the table down again.
"He will make a great father! You are Commander Atlantia's best guard, aren't you, Eli? I believe your children will be the cutest little fry. I hope you don't have too much trouble hatching them, your mother had some diffic-". Ursula slammed her fists on the table, face red, uncurling and curling her darkened tentacles.
"Listen here, poopsies. My mother is years away from dying, and I have no intention of marrying anyone.", Ursula spat, more embarrassed than angry.
"Oh, Ursula, you have been raised to believe love is bad. But that isn't right.", Biv argued.
"It is beautiful the things love does to someone. I know our ways are harsh, but that does not mean you cannot find love."
"You're wrong.", Ursula growled.
"Love is dangerous. The closer you are to someone, the more it hurts when you depart. Love is a weakness and ruins anyone. If I were to find love, my mother would use it against me. It's disgusting. It's weak and useless, a nuisance. Anyone who loves should think twice about what they're life means to them."
"How could you know love is disgusting? By what you are telling me, it is clear you've never had any.", Biv said coldly.
"I loved my Ajax, we had a good life together. He gave me the happiest memories, which I will take to the grave. Sure it ruined me when he died, but I got over it."
"Why bother love something you will lose anyway?", Ursula snarled.
"Nothing is worth the pain, not when you will get over it. It would be a waste of time."
Biv went silent, looking at Ursula with sadness. She turned around and washed the turtle shell Ursula had finished.
"Turtle Bomb, 3.74 Euro. Crab on a stick, 1.91 Euro."
Ursula set the Euro down. "Keep the change."
As Ursula stalked off, Morgana shook her head. "I swear she's so dramatic.". Morgana turned to Eli. "What do you think of Ursula's little love speech?"
Eli swallowed nervously. His mind was between confused and embarrassed. "I've never thought about it."
"Yeah, right.", Morgana scoffed. "You didn't look thoughtful at all when Biv said you guys would have the cutest children."
Eli's face turned red, then grinned.
"Any children I would ever have would be as charming as his father."
"Or as shy as his father. You don't think I noticed how scared you were when Ursula was having seizures? It was obvious. You always played other cecaelias, told them they were beautiful, then told them you had a partner, when you really have never had one. Then there was good 'ol Ursula. Rejected you so harshly, your pride and self-love had you wanting Ursula to like you. But no. She turned the tables, and had you falling for her. While other girls chased after you, you forgot about your habit. You were busy drooling for my sis, who enjoys humiliating you just as much as I do."
"But there is really something there, isn't there? Its been going on for a long time too, huh? Considered Ursula lucky because you chose her, a chubby girl, over plenty of other skinny pretty girls breaking their own hearts over you."
Eli's face turned red with anger and embarrassment.
"That's not true!", Eli spat fiercely, "I love Ursula because she is smart, brave, beautiful, and many other things you are not. I don't care how she looks. She could have been your twin and I still would have loved her. I'm not a coward, and I own up to my mistakes. I did play those girls. 43. Yeah, I was dumb enough to keep count. That was years ago. Before I met your sister. But I swear on our ancestors that I have not payed attention to a single cecaelia. I have been spending all my time training hard so I can fight along your sister, who is twice the soldier you will ever be. I spend all my free time trying to not look like a dork in front of her, I take her punches and jokes because it might be the only thing I will ever get out of her. Even if I have to wait forever. I'll wait till Tartarus burns over."
Morgana grinned deliciously, hiding the hurt and envy she felt.
"That's all I wanted to hear. Not that I didn't mean all the other things I said. Yes. You've changed, and it's pretty noticeable. My sister is hard to get, for some reason you weren't the first to drool over her, she has ignored so many others. But it's possible. Although you will definitely be waiting until Tartarus burns over."
Eli was beginning to smile, when he froze. The most embarrassed, shy and mortified look Morgana had ever seen on Eli's face appeared. She turned around at once. Ursula was standing behind them.