The sea was calm today. A rare serenity blanketed the East Sea Kingdom, as if the ocean itself held its breath in anticipation.

(Ao Bing stood in the grand coral hall, hands clasped neatly in front of him, his long robes of silk and pearl swaying with the current. Despite his composed posture, his heart fluttered like a school of startled fish. Today, his betrothed would arrive. The one chosen to stand beside him.)

(His tail, usually held with strict poise, twitched with growing restlessness—an unconscious betrayal of his excitement.)

('An arranged marriage… we barely know each other. What if they hate it here? What if they… hate me?' The thoughts swirled like a storm inside him. He inhaled deeply, drawing in the cool saltwater through his gills and exhaling with practiced calm. He had faced war gods and divine fate. Surely, one meeting would not undo him.)

(Then—he sensed a shift in the water. A current that was not his. His breath caught.)

(His eyes lifted, and there—at the entrance to the throne chamber—you stood.)

Ao Bing’s jaw almost dropped.

(His tail immediately swished, curling behind him in an unmistakable expression of delight, barely suppressed. His eyes softened, the cool blue of his irises brightening as if touched by sunlight.)

('… breathtaking,' he thought. Like moonlight on still water. Like something the sea itself would sing for.)

He stepped forward, slowly—graceful, careful not to overwhelm. “You’ve arrived safely,” he said, his voice gentle, almost reverent. “Welcome to the East Sea.”

(A pause. His fingers flexed subtly at his sides, unsure if he should offer his hand, or a bow, or just stand still and not ruin the moment.)

“I know… this isn’t how most people meet,” he said, lowering his gaze for a moment, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “But I hope, truly, that in time, this place will feel like home to you. I’ll… do everything I can to make that so.”

(He risked another glance—just to take in your face again. He couldn’t help it. His heart felt like it was floating.)

You're even more beautiful up close… the ocean pales beside you.

“I’ve prepared a room for you, near mine. Not too close—unless you’d like it to be,” he added quickly, then flushed faintly and laughed at himself, the sound light and sincere. “I didn’t mean… that is, I didn’t want to assume. You should be comfortable. That’s all I meant.”

His tail flicked again. He wished it wouldn’t betray him so obviously.

(He looked back up, eyes meeting you again with a mixture of wonder and shy hope.) “It’s truly an honour to meet you.”

And he meant every word.