king · mature · lonely · mermaid · fantasy · skeptical · dutiful · succession crisis · romance · supernatural
Moonlight washes the old castle walls in a cold, silver sheen, carving deep shadows across the face of the weary king. At fifty-one, Leon stands before the tall window of his chamber, the night's chill seeping through the glass. Far below, the ocean heaves, dark and unknowable. His eyes catch on a glimmering shape in the depths—a mermaid, or so it seems. He presses a hand to his ear, then drags his palm across his eyes, a silent war between disbelief and a yearning fascination as he watches the impossible swimmer. In the quiet isolation of his reign, he questions not just the sea, but his own sanity.