Carter looked to Mulir, slipped the memory wipe potion in his bag alongside the others. “We should probably get going… Arria’s in there all alone…” Carter wrung his hands, already inching towards the cave exit.
“Yes, go. I have things to do.” The witch practically push the two mermen out the cave and towards the others before slipping back into her cave.
“So, did you get something?” Gallion asked.
“Yeah, she gave us a potion. It should wipe the prince’s memory if Arria.” Carter explained, but he was already swimming back towards the direction of the city though. The longer Arria has to stay… He felt a tiny pain start down the center of his tail, and he quickly grabbed one of his potions and swallowed it, wincing a little.
“You good there Carter?” Gallion asked looking slightly concerned, “I don’t think Arria would forgive us if we let you drown.”
Carter raised his eyebrows, fully expecting a question about what the potion even was. He had figured that the three of Arria’s friends would’ve found out eventually, but now? “Wait— What? But- wait-“ Carter turned, squinting his eyes a little and looking each one of them in the eyes, “How did you know?”
All three rolled their eyes, “Arria can’t keep secrets from us, Carter. We’ve known since… since he went on land with you but that’s not the point, we need to keep going.” Herla said, starting to swim towards the city.
Carter raised his eyebrows even higher but kept swimming anyways. That explains why they didn’t ask earlier… He smiled a little bit thinking of sneaking onto land with Arria, even if it ended badly, he missed his sea boy. Carter picked up the pace a little, all the way until the lights of the city shone through the water.
The party at the castle was still on going as they arrived back there, which would make it easier for them to sneak away from everyone without being caught. Herla tensed a little as they entered but didn’t say anything, “Right, let’s go find Arria…” He muttered.
Carter survey the ballroom, eyes darting around looking for that familiar shade of hair, or maybe a flash of his fin, or anything that could possibly mean Arria. Where is he…? Carter chewed his lip, swimming upwards a little bit to get a better angle and see if he could see Arria.
After a few moments, Yuri swam into the ballroom, fiddling with something in his hand. Arria wasn’t with him, “There. There’s Yuri.” Mulir muttered to Carter, keeping his gaze on the prince.
Carter glued his eyes to the prince, already starting to swim towards the evil merman without a plan. Where’s Arria…? He snatched the memory potion out of his bag, holding onto it tightly.
Mulir swam after Carter and grabbed his arm, “Carter unless you have a plan I say let’s just watch where he goes and then follow him, okay?”
Carter sighed, keeping his eyes on the prince, and reluctantly stopped as he muttered, “You’re right, I just want to get back Arria…” Carter forced himself to relax, watching the prince carefully.
“I know you do.” Mulir sighed a little.
After a while Yuri started to swim away and Herla motioned for them to follow him.
Carter followed, nervously shifting the potion from hand to hand. He chewing his lip, watching the prince with narrowed eyes. Where is he keeping Arria?
After a while, Yuri pushed open a door and left it ajar slightly. As he entered, muffled one sided conversation floated up. Eventually after minutes of silence there was a slap, a whimper and an apology.
Carter felt pure rage flare up in him, and it took everything in him to keep from charging in and strangling Yuri. Arria, no, please, Arria… “What can we do? We need to get him out. Now,” Carter whispered to Arria’s friends, clenching and unclenching his fist.
“I know we do, what we need is a… drink.” Gallion trailed off as he noticed a cup of sorts a little way down and swam over to grab it, “Poor the drink in, we can Okay it off as some… party drink or something.”
Carter poured the potion into the cup, just barely containing his anger. I just need to get Arria out, just a little bit longer… He put the empty bottle in his bag, holding the cup carefully. “Should I- Should I go in?” Carter asked, watching the door carefully.
"No. Best you don't go in and one of us does." Herla said, keeping an eye on the corridor.
"But who? Yuri will recognise all of us…" Gallion replied, sighing a little.
"Actually, Carter should go in. Just do it quick and when his back is turned. Do what you have to, force it down his throat if you need to." Mulir said.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Carter said, taking the cup and looking at it for a second before saying, “You all should probably swim off, or else he’ll know something’s up. I’m going to at least try to fake it for as long as I can.” Carter swam just a little farther away from the corridor, bringing up his best acting. This is when it actually counts… He swam to a group of bystanders, asking loudly, “Hey, have you seen the prince?”
The three mermen swam the opposite way to Carter, hiding around a near by corner.
"No, I haven't seen the prince?" One of bystanders said, shrugging his shoulder.
"I saw him swimming down that corridor with another merman a while ago. Yuri came out a couple times but his… friend hasn't come out since." A girl replied.
“Oh, thank you,” Carter swam, keeping his pace casual as he approached the corridor. He called out, “Prince Yuri? Prince Yuri, are you over here?” Carter slipped into the corridor, praying he could be convincing enough.
Yuri poked his head out from the door, "Who is it? What do you want?"
“Oh! Prince Yuri,” Carter made the effort to look shy, holding the cup in front of him with both hands, “Uh, hi, I- I know that- Well, you know we aren’t on the best of terms. I was just worried, a little bit. You- well you are the prince and-“ Carter forced a blush, thinking of the moments when the potion had run out that time and he hadn’t had a pair of shorts. “I brought you a drink, just to say I’ll- I’ll back off.” Carter offered the drink, no more than a guy nervous to be cross with a prince.
Yuri cocking his head to the side a little and frowned, "How… nice of you." He took the cup from Carter and cautiously took a sip. After a few moments, he drained the cup and handed it back to Carter.
Carter stared for a second after he took the cup back. That was too easy. “How does- How did it taste?” He asked cautiously, making the effort to fidget with his hands. Please, please, just leave so I can get Arria out…
"What was that? My head is spinning…" Yuri said, rubbing at his forehead, "What did you do to me?" He asked, looking at Carter and frowning.
“I didn’t do anything,” Carter put his hands up, “I just wanted to share a drink.” He looked over Yuri’s shoulder, trying to see if he could see Arria. Please be okay… please…
"Don't play dumb with me. You put something in the drink, didn't you?" Yuri's frown turned into a glare, "What was in that drink, Carter?"
