The sun is about to drown in the sea horizon, makes the hue of the world seems orange colored.
There's a term of this time of the day among elders called 'the time between a dog and wolf', because the moments after sunset when the sky darkens and vision becomes unclear, making it difficult to distinguish between dogs and wolves, friends and foe.
Sunyi pondered while sitting in front of his shabby wood house, looking at the scary creature that creeping out from the beach. His body slowly morphed into a human being as he gets farther from the water.
The glistening wet silver scales all over his body gradually turn into tanned skin at some places, his damp jet black hair stuck all over his body, the length of his hair almost touched his waist. If not for his strong man body build with nothing on, he will definitely be mistaken for a woman with that beautiful cold face.
Even though that man still far away, sunyi can sense his deadly eyes with a glare that can penetrate people soul. Sunyi with a set of clothes in his hands, hurriedly approached him, afraid that his mood become even worse if he keeps sitting and just watching.
"You have arrived your majesty, here's the clothes I prepared for you to wear, it'll be more comfortable than the last one you wore because I picked according to your body size".
All those efforts of waiting and polite speech just to be ignored by the arrogant merman.
Solune just walks past him like he was never there, barging into the house like he owns it. Sunyi can just sighed and followed after. Just when he took one step inside, he hears the tyrant king irritated sound.
"Nebula… what are you wearing and what's happen with your hair?".
The tyrant stares dagger at sunyi, asking for an explanation.
Nebula then lazily answered him with her eyes still glued to her mirror.
"it's nothing brother sol, the little human just fetch some human girl clothes for me and tied my hair beautifully so it will be easier to wear the clothes, what was this knot called again, little human?".
"it called braids, the clothes called dress princess".
Solune pouted and throw something to sunyi, he got startled and fall off because of that heavy thing. It's turn out to be a sack full of unknown things, sunyi didn't notice that he's been carrying something from the ocean earlier because it was dark outside.
"Arrange that for the princess in her bedroom, no need to give her human clothes and things, we are different from a lowly human".
Hearing that her brother brought her stuff from the kingdom, nebula attention finally gets caught and she hurriedly approached the sack above the poor little human.
Beside her small built, she has a superhuman strength just like another mermaid so she lifted the heavy bag easily with one hand.
"Brother thank you! You're the best! Did you also bring my pearls and sea conch? But I'm not wearing my clothes because it's heavy while being in the land, besides I look really beautiful in braids and dress, I'll stare at the mirror you gifted for me all the time!".
The arrogant big brother growled at the foolish human, but he then let his sister do whatever she wants and left with a hard stomp.
Unexpectedly, the foolish human dare to stand on his way out.
"Your majesty, you need to wear clothes. It's dangerous if someone happened to be nearby and see your sparkling silver scales. Besides, the wind is always heavy by the beach at night time".
Before solune can even answer him with harsh word and rejection. Nebula talks faster.
"Wear what the little human provides brother sol, it's a courtesy for us as a guest. Also, it's weird seeing you without clothes in a human form brother".
Hearing what his dear sister said, solune swallowed his harsh word with a grim face and snatched the clothes from sunyi hands. He then walks outside and disappeared into the dark of night.
"Thank you for your help, princess nebula. But I think I need to catch after him, he looks bloodthirsty just now and about to eat someone".
"Rest assured little human, he won't. unless maybe a human tried to mess with him, besides he said that human tastes disgusting. Last time he bites your fellow human neck at the ship is because they're being annoying. He threw all that up after some times".
It's reassuring yet reminding him of those terrifying moments when he met the three mermaids. If it's not for three mere folks that accompanied his journey, it's a miracle that he can reach the land with a small lifesaver boat all the way from Bermuda ocean.
In the beginning, the tyrant king planned to capture sunyi as a prisoner that needs to cook for princess nebula on the crime scene, the big ship that he boards itself.
After a week being stranded with nonstop cooking, the ingredients slowly run out or go bad. So sunyi suggest that they go back to the land.
This idea was strongly rejected by the king because it's forbidden to merfolks crossing a human boundary, so does the human for crossing Bermuda. But alba, the other merman persuades his king with clever words.
'"The human has crossed the boundaries, and they can make it even by doing the same".
So, after a week being tossed by the ocean waves in this big ghost ship alone. Sunyi decided to take the smaller lifesaver boat to go back for avoiding people suspicion. He will be the miracle that survived Bermuda ocean with a small boat.
Now the people at the shore fish market pays a lot of attention to him hoping to hear a miraculous journey.
"boy did you happen to meet ocean god along your way? How come you didn't starve or dehydrated to death with that small boat and long distance? Did the ship even go as far as Bermuda ocean in the first place? Should we send marine from the capital to search for the ship remnants?".
The fisherman asking the poor boy that come here just to buy a fish, not leisurely chat. He sighed inward but still politely answer the curious old man when the question started to go south.
"I'm just fully prepared and lucky that encountered no storm along the way. The ship really is stranded all the way there and sunk to the bottom of the ocean, so it's no use to send people to look for it. That's all sir, now how much is this".
The fisherman displayed a disappointed face hearing this rather boring story, so he just count the price for the fish that sunyi carefully selected. After sunyi pays for it, the back of his clothes suddenly got pulled up, forced him to stand up from his crouching pose.
The tyrant cold face can be seen from above his head.
"what are you getting a fish for?".
"for you master.. or sir alba?..". Sunyi halted his words, before he added, "You seems to like salmon".
"that guy can catch his own food, and you're a nosy human. Doing useless things again".
"okay then, It's just for you master".
The arrogant king snorted, but he let go of his hold and started to walk back. It's a gesture to make sunyi followed him back, sunyi knows that merman habit after spending quite some times with him. He then obediently walk behind him.
The people that witness this can only guess that he's the master that the young cooks work for at the moment. The tall man accompany the boy every time he goes there, so people start asking questions.
Sunyi make up some lies that the master will occasionally come and live with him at his beach house for vacation, and people buying it. Sunyi even made a deal to call him master instead of your majesty when there's another human being. To his surprise, solune agreed to it quickly than the time when he ask him to wear clothes. The mind of a Tyrant king is really unfathomable.
The daily routine of sunyi have changed a lot since the mermaid princess stay at his house.
Every morning, either the king or his aide sir alba alternately visit to monitor the princess and sunyi whenever he needs to go. Solune forbid his sister, princess nebula to meet other humans and wandering around, so she obediently stay at home recuperating. Sunyi learned that solune has yet to be throned for the king title, so he's not that busy and needed at the kingdom. He often hand over the royal task to sir alba because he is more meticulous, besides solune prioritize his sister more than the kingdom. So as the time went by, sunyi rarely get to see sir alba.
It's a given because he's more comfortable with a moody king that easy to read and serve, he can always ask for help from his sister when the king attitude became a little hard to handle.
like at this moment.
"What did you just said you want to do?".
The dangerous air suffocated this small room as solune spoke. The trembling hand of a poor man that feels like he's been subjected to death penalty trying to stay calm, holding a scissors on his left hand and comb in the other. He tried to reason the angry king.
"you said that the leather cloak is heavy and you don't want to wear it anymore while going outside..so, I'll trim your hair and make it look like average human male hair, I also try hard to style it to cover your pointy ears your majesty".
"Do you know how valuable a merfolk king body is? Telling me to cut off part of it is a crime that can lead with death penalty you foolish human!".
Clang!
The scissors flew from sunyi left hand as Solune grabbed his wirst and pinned that to the wall, their body is dangerously close at the moment but sunyi tried to stay calm. The tyrant king growling like a hungry tiger that wants to swallow his human prey whole.
"Come on brother, don't scare the little boy, it won't hurt to cut your hair and you can always grow it back with magic coral back at our kingdom. That rules applies when the preparator have an ill intention, the human just want to help".
The mermaid princess always come for the rescue but she deliberately delays it to see her brother reaction, all of this seems like a little comedy show for her. Nebula picked the scissors up from the floor and started to get weird ideas.
"How about we both cut our hair so you won't feel lonely, hm brother?".
Solune turned his eyes to his little sister, his face gets ugly because of the wrinkles that formed in between his brows.
"it's a ridiculous statement that you think I'm being lonely, and I'm only tolerating those braids on your hair not any other else princess".
"Okay then dear my brother king, if you doubt the little human that much. I'll be the one to cut your hair, it will be fun! Even though I don't know how to use this weird thing.. I'll manage somehow. I'm a genius youngest magician back in the Bermuda kingdom Afterall!".
Nebula approached the two with an upside-down scissors in her left hand. Feeling a bad premonition, solune snatched the scissors with his free hand without a word. Both of them staring at each other, solune pondered while nebula pouted seems dissatisfied with his brother action.
The poor human stuck in between their silent quarrel while pinned to the wall. After a while, solune averted his eyes first from the glaring contest and put the scissors back to sunyi hand.
"You won, just make it quick".
Admitting his defeat, the tyrant obediently sits on the chair. Seeing is no longer fun to mess with his brother, nebula grab her conch and go outside to play a song or two at the beach. Sunyi can just sigh seeing these two siblings that never get tired of quarreling everday, even though they love and care for each other so much. Maybe that's a daily routine if you have lots of family member staying in one house, he has long forgotten how it feels like.
No, I still remember... and trying so hard to remember more,
but it's seemed that I've been forgotten completely
snapped from his brief daydream, sunyi approached the back solune, his tall figure only lessens by a head in his sitting position. Makes it a little hard for sunyi to see the top of his head. Sunyi estimated that this merman at least 200 cm tall, meanwhile he only 165 cm tall. He's indeed quite short compared to the average men in his neighborhood, so the difference between the two in height is too noticeable.
All the more reminded him that he's not a human being, no matter how hard he tried to disguise him. But after he finished cutting that long shiny black hair, he got shocked at the result.
"what's with your dumbfounded look?... did you cut my hair bald?! You little-".
"n-no! it's not that your majesty, I cut it just enough to cover your ears".
Sunyi slipped from solune hand that ready to strangle his neck, he's skillfully dodged that dangerous attack now that he get used to it. He then hurriedly grabs nebula's mirror that laying around and deliver it in front of solune face.
"here's a mirror, so you can see how beautiful you are".
Solune movement halted at the sight of his face, his hair was neatly trimmed, leaving a few strands a bit longer in the back of his hair but extra short in the front. A short hair defines his sharp jawline more, also his face feature because there's not a strand of dried out hair in front of it. He never wants to comb his hair even though it will get messy after getting out of water, lots of hair strands will get stuck all over his face when it dried.
Now that sunyi had trimmed it, it won't get messy anymore.
After lost in his thought for a while, sunyi get startled by a pair of silver eyes that stared at him. He just realizes that solune have been looking at him instead of the mirror. He then abruptly takes the mirror from his hand.
"don't steal the words that I only said for my sister". He walked to the door, then continued "and I'm not beautiful".
Looking at the moody king disappearing figure at the door, sunyi can only snorted.
He then chuckled while talking to nobody.
"Only for his sister huh? And what's with that maiden attitude by run off after being praised, so childish".
Sunyi tidy up the rest of solune long black hair that scattered all over the floor. Feeling it's such a waste to just throw that beautiful hair away, he put that into a bag and store it somewhere that tyrant could never found. It will be weird if he finds that he keeps the hair, worst case possible the tyrant will be in rage.
Actually, in his heart it's really a pity to cut solune beautiful hair, but it's became an urgent matter because he needs to go shopping at the central market again. It's been a month since the last time they went and a lot of ingredients has already run out. Sunyi also needs to make farther detour ahead the central market, he needs to get his savings from the bank at the capital. He hasn't told solune about this, but it'll take longer for at least three days trip so they have to take Nebula along.
Afraid of angering the tyrant king, sunyi decided to ask for his closest aide first about this plan. Luckily, it's his turn to visit the princess tomorrow.
When tomorrow came, to his surprise, he can't find that straitlaced merman anywhere this morning. The princess said he's visited her at dawn but go somewhere after, so sunyi can only wait for him to come back.
The ocean wave slowly rises as the sun sets, but sir alba hasn't come back. Nebula has been lazily sunbathing at the beach from this afternoon, while sunyi climbs a coconut tree nearby now that the fruit has ripen. The princess has been craving to try the coconut since sunyi told that it tasted sweet. Sunyi skillfully cut the stem of the ripest looking one and throw the coconut down the tree, after cutting four, he finally put his machete back to its scabbard and climbs down. Half the way down, he got startled by an irritated man voice from below.
"what are you doing up there foolish human?".
The machete slipped from sunyi hand but he fails to catch it, his other hand also loses the grip from the coconut tree and he fall down altogether with his machete.
Seeing that, solune deftly catch the falling machete and dodge sunyi falling body that make a loud thud when touched the sand.
He groaned in pain after feeling the hard impact.
"ouchhhh holy queen of the south coast. I think I broke my spine".
Luckily, sunyi throwed the coconuts farther from the tree earlier, so his body lands on a smooth sand. A tall figure standing beside his fallen body, casting a huge shadow.
"Who are you praising for? That witch has already been killed centuries ago by my father. You should praise me as the next king of the sea instead. I've saved your things from falling".
Said this unreliable king of the sea, sunyi can only sarcastically answer.
"Yes, thank you very much for your kindness, our holy king of the sea".
Solune sneered, "that's more like it".
He somehow seems so pleased, maybe there's finally some good news regarding their problem.
His eyes started to wander as if looking for something. Nebula that has been busy gnawing a coconut skin stopped her action, knowing what his brother looking for, she then said.
"Brother alba hasn't come back, I don't know where he went tough".
Sunyi endured his back pain and snatched the machete from solune hand. He then approached nebula to take the coconut from her hands. He skillfully prepares the coconut for nebula. Feeling an intense stare from the back, he turned around.
"I don't know where sir alba went either your majesty".
"I didn't ask you".
"..Just making sure".
Sunyi get back to his business, but that protruding eyes still latched onto him. He then noticed something that makes his giggled inwardly.
"I'll also prepare a coconut for you to try, your majesty".
Only then the tyrant king step away and go somewhere, presumed to look for his aide.
Not long after, sunyi have finished preparing three coconuts. He gives one with a spoon to nebula.
"Here princess, drink the water and then you can eat the white part after, scoop it with this spoon".
"Whoa, I thought the inside will have green yellowish colour, it's even coming with some water!".
Gulp gulp gulp
She drinks the coconut water with joy, feeling the sweetness spread all over her mouth. It also makes sunyi happy to see her drinking and eating leisurely.
Compared to the first time he saw her. Nebula have become much healthier. Her sunken cheeks are nowhere to be seen, replaced with a chubby flesh. He then sits beside her and followed after, drinking the fresh coconut water.
There's a tall figure with a leather cloak approached them, sunyi thought that the tyrant has come back but it was his aide sir alba.
"Welcome back sir alba. His majesty went looking for you earlier. Did you not meet with him?".
"I've returned princess nebula, mortal human. How long ago did he went? I've just came back from the old female human house to ask for something, but I get lost on the way".
"Welcome back brother alba, what did you ask from that white haired lady anyway?".
Alba hand over a red cloth to nebula, it turns out to be a dress that she accidentally ripped yesterday.
"My favorite dress! Did you ask her to fix it for me? Thankyou alba".
"It's my pleasure to help princess, besides the human was busy cooking and I have nothing to do, so I might as well get it fixed".
"I'm sorry sir alba, I intend to buy a better red dress when I go to the central market later. That's an old dress and the rips was too big for me to hand sewn it back together, but Mrs. kuta must have a sewing machine at her house".
"It's fine, you're in charge of princess health while I in charge of her amenities".
Hearing this statement makes sunyi heart at ease, but he's still pondering why can sir alba lost his way for a whole day even though Mrs. kuta house just three hundred meters away from here, near the post market where they often go.
'Maybe his sense of direction is just that bad'
"Anyway, sir alba, here try a coconut, I'll prepare another one for his majesty".
"..thank you, I'll try it".
Sir alba then sit beside the princess and drink the coconut water, he didn't say anything about the taste and just keep drinking it. That's enough to know that he likes it.
Sunyi thought that the three merfolks have softened with him. The daily routine of taking care the princess that sunyi do makes them trust him this much. Even though the tyrant king still being annoying and his aide still as stiff as a pole, it makes him happy to finally be accepted in their life. He thinks that this life isn't that bad, he can bear with it for a while.
Noticed that this is the right moment without the king presence, sunyi told alba and nebula about his plan to go to the capital together. Nebula became so excited and agreed while alba pondered for a second.
"Understood, I'll try to persuade our king brother to agree regarding this plan. But you also need to take me along".
"Oh, I don't mind but didn't you need to attend kingdom affairs in the stead of his majesty solune?".
"Not true, his father the current king just woke up from his illness two days ago, he's now getting better and capable of handling works again. That's why the crown prince solune is no longer burdened by kingdom affairs".
"So that's why his majesty seems rather cheerful today... is it okay for outsider like me to know this?".
Alba finished his coconut altogether then he stands up before saying.
"it's not like a mortal like you can do anything anyway. His majesty father illness is no longer a palace secret, that's why solune has occupied the king position even though the coronation ceremony is yet to be held".
He then bowed to a figure behind them that sunyi fails to notice.
"Welcome back. Isn't that true, crown prince?".
The person in question just snorted, it's hard to differentiate whether it's an acknowledgment or mockery. Solune face starting to get ugly and the evening breeze in this shore suddenly get so cold. Sunyi afraid that he's been here for a while and listening to everything from the start, he will be the doomed one if the tyrant king got angry. Unexpectedly, the moody king saying something that really out of context while looking at the ground.
"that's my coconut… why did you gave it to him?".
"…" (sunyi)
"…" (sir alba)
Nebula cackling nonstop hearing his brother sulking tone, nearly choked on a coconut water.
Sunyi can only helplessly get up and bring the last coconut to prepare, thinking that maybe solune personality revert back to a child because he lost his title as a king.
"We can go for that trip as you planned, but nebula can't cut her hair for disguise".
To their surprise, the conversation suddenly goes back to the main point. Before sunyi can even answer him, sir alba talks faster.
"Dear brother, didn't you know that it's normal for human female to have long hair? Even the old lady has one".
Nebula laughs even louder while adding, "For real brother?! You believe the time that I jokingly said I want to cut my hair? Hahaha, moreover you go with the little human everywhere. Didn't you pay attention to your surrounding back then?".
"How can I pay attention to anyone when my eyes have only been on the foolish human?!".
The four of them suddenly became quiet, even the one who just said that misleading statement in his defense is surprised by his own words.
The culprit of this awkward atmosphere the ran off to the house, it's so typical of him.
"don't you think our brother has come to like the little human too much?". Nebula asked.
"it's not that, he's the type to talks before thinks and he rarely talks. No wonder he often choses a wrong word. I should put more social gathering to his schedule later".
Sunyi continued to prepare the coconut while both of them talks, he only cares about finishing what he asked for. So, he delivered the coconut for solune inside the house. The dining room is empty and the bedroom door is shut tight, so he assumed that solune wants to be left alone.
He then put the coconut and the spoon on table.
Clang!
He accidentally knocked over something from the table, it's a bottle of massage oil that smelled just Mrs. kuta.
Maybe she accidentally left it here the last time she visited, why is it on the table though?
It's a good thing that he found this, his back is still hurt and it'll only get worse by tomorrow if he just left it alone. He will use this a little and gave it back to her later.
The next day, three merfolks and one human are getting ready to a three days trip. They have been preparing from dawn and ready to go in the morning. Before departing, sunyi went to Mrs. kuta house to inform their trip and give back her massage oil while at it.
"A three days trip to capital? Will you be alright? Your master going all the way here yesterday to ask for my help. He said that you broke your spine and ask for medicine but I only have that message oil on hand, you keep it".
Hearing this unexpected truth, sunyi unconsciously lifted the corner of his mouth.
"I'm fine thanks to you Mrs. kuta, I'll thank my master too later".
"Wait here, I'll pack you some food for the road".
She then hurriedly went back to the house and come back with a full food basket.
"Thank you so much Mrs. kuta. I'll make sure to bring back souvenir".
Sunyi went back home after waving her a goodbye.
The three merfolks have been waiting for him in front of the woodhouse.
Princess nebula, wearing her favorite red dress and leather boots without carrying anything but a mirror looks just like a character out of fairytale. Sir alba wearing a leather cloak that covered his silver long hair completely with a big bag pack, containing nebula belongings, he looks like a smuggler.
The tyrant king wearing a long black turtleneck T-shirt with a cotton trousers, and a pair of leather boots that covered his silver scales completely. He's so ready for a photoshoot.
It's hard to not stand out with their tall figure and ethereal beauty, but none of them wants to cover their face with a cloth mask so he just let them be. Meanwhile, sunyi only wear his usual summer clothing knowing August is the month when the heat at its peak.
A plain white T-shirt with medium cargo pants, an old sling bag plus the food basket from Mrs. kuta, towel around his neck and a straw hat. He looks more similar to an old fisherman rather than a cook.
None of the four looks like they want to take a three days trip to the capital.
On the road, sunyi remembered something and deliberately slowed his pace, slowly approached solune that walks in the back.
"Thank you for getting the message oil for me yesterday your majesty, you should've told me so I can accompany you".
Solune snorted, "I'm not some fool who got lost going somewhere by themselves, I remember that map territory in the back of my head".
"So, you do pays attention to your surroundings, but why the only human you remember is me?".
Sunyi brings up that embarrassing event from yesterday.
Just judging by his flat serious tone, it's unkown whether his purpose is just to mess around with the moody king or he genuinely curious.
Don't want to bother with his question, solune angrily answer then walk faster.
"You stick out like a sore thumb!".