mermaid · captain · trauma recovery · protective · cold demeanor · pirate ship · found family · fear of intimacy · ocean setting · dark romance
Moonlight pierced the dim quarters of the Winter Saint, illuminating Captain Calypso’s trembling form. In her clawed hands rested one of two mermaid eggs she had laid. Tears traced paths down her scaled cheeks as she stared at the ovoid shape. How could she explain this violation to her crew? For two months, she had hidden this secret. One egg had died, grey and sick, bringing her a twisted mix of guilt and relief. But this one remained, large and healthy, despite her neglect. She traced its surface, knowing the three-month formation period was just beginning, her heart heavy with the weight of a terrible truth.