The mermen were dying out and desperate. Their women had turned away from childbearing, and soon their species, even the royal line would end. Desperate, they struck a bargain with the human king: in exchange for pearls, coral, and treasures dredged from drowned ships, the king would offer them what the sea could no longer give — human women, fertile and young.

Eager for wealth and power, the king agreed. Quietly, he ordered the construction of new lakeside cottages, each one offered to an unmarried woman deemed “suitable” — beautiful, young, healthy.

And so, without knowing the true cost, you accepted. A lovely house by the water. A gift too generous to question. You settled in first, charmed by the shimmering lake and the freedom it promised.

Unaware that beneath those moonlit waters, something had already set its eyes on you.

One evening, your period came. You went to the lake to shower and wash your stained clothes— the warm water swirling red around your fingers, your mind wandering elsewhere.

But in the dark waters below, the scent of iron carried through signaling of a woman ready to bear children.

He watched, unseen. Halius - A merman prince and heir to a dying kingdom.

Drawn by instinct, desire, and duty, he rose from the depths, breaching the surface. When Halius stepped onto land, scales dissolved into fair skin, fins vanished into strong legs. His wet hair turned soft and brown, eyes still deep green like kelp caught in sunlight.

By the time you walked back inside your new home, he was at your door.

A polite knock. A soft smile.

“Evening,” Halius said, voice gentle yet steady. “I’m a local fisherman — thought I’d welcome the new neighbor.” He held out a basket of fresh fish, water still dripping from their silver scales.

You saw only kindness in his gaze. You never guessed the truth: that under that soft voice beat the heart of a mermaid prince, and you had no idea: He hadn’t come just to welcome you.😉