Name

Zenevieva

Age

20 years

Gender

Female

Appearance

She has a round oval face. She has dark curly hair that goes to her waist. She has dark rounded eyebrows. Her cheeks are quite full and round, taking up eye space, causing her eyes to constantly be squinted in a friendly smiling cresent way. She is known to be constantly smiling, and she almost always has a friendly face. When her face relaxes, she has round eyes with large black pupils. The iris is a light blue that really pops in contrast. Her eyes are rimmed in dark lashes. Her teeth are small and pearly, and her lips are full and wide.

She would be described as round, and has many cresents, because of the creases in her face. She has a reddish brown skin tone. Her nose is flat and wide similar to a pacific islander. She has a thick middle which has black markings similar to a Blue Tang, but it is a beautiful bright purple, royal blue. Down her back she has a very short dorsal fin that runs down her whole back starting from mid back. Her dorsal fin is black on the tip, but ombre to the same blue that is on the rest of the tail.

She has a full bust giving her the rounded apple body shape. She has two smaller ventral fins, which are yellow on the tips. Her tail narrows down to a rather small horizontal caudal fins. They are edged on both sides with black, and in the middle is a bright yellow. The end of the tail edge is flat. She has gills on the sides of her torso. On the bottom of her tail, where it is blue, she has another fin, very similar to her dorsal fin.

Personality

She is a little overprotected, and she feels like a fish trapped inside an egg. She wants to be let out to see new things. She is very curious and enthusiastic about life. She know she has the means, so she wants to visit other places, and meet new people. As a princess, she gets lonely. She might have ladies in waiting, but they aren't equals, so they often bow to her will or try to unnecessarily butter her up, trying to gain favor. While she might not be the brightest person, she is used to spotting court machinations around her.

She might not know how to counteract them, but she can see them pretty well, and she finds them exhausting and mind boggling. Unless she has siblings, there isn't really anyone for her to hang out with. She has trouble finding people she can truly trust, because of this, and she often feels lonely for such a social creature. She is a little uncomfortable with the concept of guards, because her life is being prioritized over theirs. She feels that that is wrong. However, she finds small consolation that all the guards must be willing. (Some have been coerced but that is a different story.) She tries to do little things for others to make their life more pleasant.

She has a direct moral compass, and she hates the thought of a creature being in pain or not being helped. She finds meeting new people quite interesting. She likes to watch people almost as much as she likes talking to them. Because she doesn't often get the opportunity, she is more likely to bolt, if she sees an opening in her "baby sitting system." She is a princess, and is quite confident, because of her station. As one of the most highest ranking, she is used to setting the terms, instead of reacting to others. She is more willing to push the boundaries.

As a ruler, she has to be prepared to speak out, but she is still young and immature enough where it comes out as cheeky and not diplomatic. Even though she can be a bit snarky and/or cheeky, she doesn't want to be mean. Even though she is surrounded by many who would do her work for her, she is determined to be able to be independent and take care of herself. To those who don't know her, she might appear as a kind, benevolent push over, while others view her as a child. She is very much a threat, if she thinks that someone is going to hurt someone she cares about.

She hates for someone to be hurting, but she values those she loves above those she doesn't know as well, even though she would be willing to sacrifice herself for a stranger. She often likes to go searching for excitement. She tries to be dignified and avoid complaining. She would much prefer to get hands on experience, however, she works hard at whatever task her family gives her. She can be a little temperamental, and become easily annoyed. After all, she is a princess, and is used to her every word being obeyed, and for everyone to concede to her wishes.

Outgoing, energetic joyful She doesn't deliberately try to be independent, but she doesn't let anything stop her. Outwardly fearless. Cheeky, stubborn

Family

Friends

Other stuff

Name:

Pandora Aurothos

Age:

22 years may be adjusted

Gender:

Female

Appearance

Based off of a bill fish, mainly a blue marlin

She is long and slender without curves. She has a little more up top, and it slenders down to her tail flukes. If she were a human she would stand around 5’ 8. She has a medium to small bust. She is pretty slim, and there is no obvious excess weight to drag her down. Her hands aren’t chunky, but they are proportional to her size. Her arms are rather toned, and they are small and knotty if you feel them, however, she doesn’t really show any outward appearance of muscle gain. She has a dark gray blue dorsal fin that ends around her mid back and ends near her tail fin.

Her tail fin is horizontal and goes up and down like a dolphin or whale. It is small and rather pointed at the tips of the flukes. She has two pectoral fins further down past her waist. Her tail is a dark grayish blue on the top, and a silver on the bottom. On the sides, she has a golden color. Her tail flukes are a dark gray. She has light silver stripes down her sides. She has a nice short pixie cut that is a little longer and more spiky in the front. Her hair is sort of that salt and pepper hair color, except instead it is silver and dark blue gray. It has little waves in it, that stick out in multiple directions. However, she normally has to keep it in a cap or helmet, so that she can move faster, and it won’t cause any drag.

Her face is long and oval, and she has defined cheekbones and she has a small slightly raised nose. The bridge is medium high, and the slope isn't as steep as some. The tip of her nose is high and isn't spread out. Her nose is longer than average. She has vibrant eyes. Her eyes are mostly light icy blue, has dark blue gray, and she has medium length and thick eyelashes. She has silver colored soft arching eyebrows, which are shaped to be neat, but still appear natural. Her eyes are large and round, giving her an eerie vacant expression.

She has thin narrow lips, which are light pink. Her skin is rather light, and almost carries what in a human would be considered an unhealthy grayish tint. Her skin goes from the front to her waist, but on her back near the center around the dorsal fin, she has more scales. From her skin to her waist it melds gradually from skin to scales. She has three gill slots right underneath her chin on her neck. Instead of the normal human ears, she has larger pointed ones that are a silver color with scales.

Personality:

Proud, cocky, confident, sarcastic, meticulous, won't let people get close to her, suspicious, aloof, motivated, determined, survivor, tenderhearted, easily heartbroken, depressed,

She gives off a cocky confident exterior. Knowing that women are considered tougher, she feels the need to project that confidence to everyone she encounters. She can become detailed oriented, and she forgets to look for the big picture. She can be self centered and concentrates on herself too much, when she should be keeping an eye on her principal. She hates any form of failure, and witnesses are the worst. This fear of failure is a very large motivation in her life. She maintains a frosty impassive, cutting exterior.

She is very pragmatic, not allowing herself to dwell on what ifs for too long. She doesn't think too far ahead, because it stresses her out dealing with only one thing at a time. She does try to plan ahead, but it normally doesn't work out. She is willing to do what is needed to be done. She pays very close attention to people, so she expects the same scrutiny in her direction, which makes her worried how others view her. She works hard because she wants to have something to depend on. She is really smart and hard working.

Even when she doesn't feel like it, she completes jobs, chores, etc. that she has been assigned. She often makes goals for herself and completes them. She has a really low tolerance for stupidity. She has a quick sharp tongue and she isn't afraid to use it. She does have self control and doesn't criticize outloud half of the things she thinks. She has been working on her negative outlook on most things, feeling that she is spiraling helplessly out of control. She expects the best out of everyone and everything. She can be very critical and gets annoyed easily.

She's come to find others disappointing. She is very rigorous with her discipline and finds it astonishing that others do not hold themselves to the same reguard. They often don't hold themselves to as rigorous a standard and are therefore less reliable. While she may appear very put together on the outside, often she has no idea what she is doing or where she is going next. She only has her routines to give her some continuity. She works to hard on containing herself and not showing any part of herself, that she doesn't have the time or energy for anything else.

She has seen a lot of things in her life. From a young age she was trained by her family to fight and encouraged to do something with that, proving her mettle and worth and winning glory for the family name. While she can hide a lot of feelings, it doesn't change the fact that she has a lot of fears, or that her experiences have bothered her. Her face is actually quite expressive and not really impassive, however she has trained herself to mask emotions such as fear with others such as annoyance, or to remain a blank sheet.

She would never tell anyone, but she quickly becomes attached to others. However, because of her personality and demeanor she has chased everyone off, leaving her to either have a very small group of friends or her being alone. She's very insecure because her parents thought that tough love was the best training method. It did cause her to work much harder for their praise, but it made her think she was never adequate, and filled her with despair that she could never meet their expectations. It caused tension with her brothers, because she got all of the attention, even if it was harsh.

Pandora desperately wants connection with others, but tests them making sure they won't run out on her. She can be quite cynical. Since she is normally one of the best trained, someone is always wanting something from her. Intrigue is not her forte. She much prefers to dealing with things straightforward. She prefers to be honest, and blunt with each other. She doesn't really know how to stave off others from using her, so she has come to stop trying to fight. She can be easily manipulated.

Abilities/Strengths/Weaknesses

She is a very fast swimmer. One of the fastest. She is very agile. She is strong, and is deceiving, since she doesn't look particularly muscular.

She often gets cold in these deeper waters.

Her skin would get burned in too much lighter water.

She knows a variety of martial arts. In addition, she is very profecient with a trident.

She isn't used to protecting another like a bodyguard. She is used to fighting alongside someone who is supposed to help protect her back. So she might be prone to letting the person she is guarding to get hurt, because she forgets about them.

She doesn't have one of the prettier siren voices, however, she is entrancing to a human.

Pandora tossed on her bed, trapped in a world that was trying to kill her. They were coming for her with weapons drawn, and she found her feet stuck. Adrenaline was coursing through her, and she could feel a cold chill sweep over her as she realized the inevitable. Finally, realizing this sleep was pointless and more tiring and stressful than being awake, her eyes flickered open. For a few moments, she lay there still seeing the images moving behind her eyelids, especially, when she blinked. She woke up feeling rather hot. Would these cursed dreams never evaporate?

She sat up for a moment, her tail hanging over the edge, and rubbed her forehead with her temples. Finally awake, they disappeared, and she could barely remember exactly what had been going on. Her dreams were vivid and chaotic. There was lots of screaming, and bloody clouds drifting away from stiffening corpses. She could barely remember a time, when these dreams didn’t plague her. Her parents had let the soldiers take her. They wanted her trained from as early an age as possible, bringing honor to the family name. She was their firstborn.

She had been lucky that her trainers didn’t push her onto the battlefield early like they did with some. They had seen her potential, and didn’t want it wasted, so they had waited until she was finished growing, before they had placed her on the battlefield. They were struggling to keep up their army with their constant losses against the Aquatisians. It would have to stop eventually. At the moment there was peace, because there were rumors of an effort to form a treaty. Pandora had been allowed to step down, and now she was struggling to find a way to provide for herself.

She hadn’t thought it through, but she was a little sick of this war. It frustrated her that she was weak enough to try to escape fighting. There was a certain allure to using your body as a weapon. There was a certain exhilaration you could get nowhere else, however the fear of dying, and watching acquaintances fall was tearing her apart. Without the Hydran army feeding her, she had no other skills with which to earn money. Nobody wanted to invite a highly trained killer into their home to straighten up their living space like a maid, which was one of her few skills. Tidiness.

Perhaps, eventually, she would convince those around her to hire her as a fighting tutor. Until she gained repute, she was resorting to the Arena. She had one other option, that would be very distasteful. She’d rather starve than endure that kind of humiliation. In the Arena there was more bloodlust, for those who couldn’t be satiated with a war. If they wanted to fight so much, she didn’t understand why they didn’t give their lives a little purpose by joining the army. She supposed no one wanted to do all of the chores that would be assigned them, or the discipline and lack of freedom.

She changed into something sleek and a little less flowy than her bed clothing, so she would have a bit of added speed. As much as she thought she looked stupid with a jellyfish cap, it helped her swim that little bit quicker, which could be life saving in the Arena. It was a short swim before she came to the entrance of one which was quite popular in the area. She ducked down under a low doorway. She carefully kept herself upright in the slight current by gently moving some of her fins. They kept this Arena a secret supposedly from anyone in the law enforcement.

Gladiators were illegal, yet this business thrived. Hydrans loved to pit themselves against one another physically, and those who weren’t as skilled loved to watch. If it was considered “friendly sparring,” it meant that they weren’t going to use weapons to stab and bash at each other, instead preferring to do it with their bare hands. If there was betting involved and there was more at stake, they would use weapons. (Unlike Roman gladiators who were slaves to the lanista, many Hydrans volunteered themselves for the Arena, believing it to be good practice for war.) If someone was unsuspecting, yet a good fighter, they could find themselves forced to become a slave with little chance of escape.

Occasionally, there would be a manager of the Arena who kept gladiator slaves for fighting, especially, when volunteers were slow, but more commonly the average citizen or a soldier down on their luck would volunteer themself. Pandora’s muscles were rigid and alert, however, she carried herself in a confident manner that implied that she was relaxed and at home here. If someone had been at their grog for too long, they would become unpredictable, and she had long ago learned her lesson for that kind of mistake. The only way to survive her lifestyle was to continue learning.

Someone swam up to her, and she stared at him impassively. She could see him looking her over, as if she were an object without feelings, and she prepared to show him just why females were valued in Hydra. Everyone knew that females were made to be stronger and endure longer. “Can I help you miss?” his voice was silky smooth. “I am here to fight. I am here to make a profit.” She made sure to leave off any honorifics of any sort. His brow wrinkled for a moment before he backed off, “The manager is over there. I’m sure he’ll help you out.”

She headed over in that direction. After a little trouble registering, she was allowed to go and assess the weapon that she wanted to choose, and see if it would hold up under the strain. In some ways a weapon that snapped in her hands could be an advantage. She was trained to use weapons, and her body was an efficient weapon. If it snapped in her hands, and she was aware that it was going to happen, her opponent might hesitate, and then she would have’em. She let herself a small smirk, that only those close to her would be able to read. Otherwise, it was a tiny bit of the corner of her mouth crooking upwards. She stood ready one of the first to fight waiting for her opponent.

Maleko

Plumes of blood swirled around in the dark water, floating to circle Maleko's pointed face. The harpoon lay stuck in the hard rock wall, wedged right through the midsection of a small shark, which flailed about to no avail. Maleko's lips turned up into a sick amused smirk, and his arm dropped to his side as his eyes glinted with pride. His tail powered through the water as he swam forward, placing one hand on the sharks head while yanking out the harpoon with the other.

The shark continued to flail, trying to escape, but Maleko's grip was strong. After spending a few moments examining the creature, he slipped his fingers inside its jaws. In one swift movement, he pulled the jaws apart with a loud snap. The shark instantly fell still, its body going limp in his hands. He peered down into its mouth, his eyes scanning over the lines of small sharp teeth. A small lightweight bag was strapped around his waist, and he shoved the shark inside of it with no care at all.

Father will enjoy this for dinner. he thought. He would be furious if I didn't bring it home to him. Not only would his father be angry, but everyone who found out would be angry if it was discovered that he'd killed a food resource and just discarded it, when everything about it could be used. The meat, bones, and hide could all be taken and used. Living in Hydra provided difficulties, for it was in deeper and colder water where food was more scarce and you had to really work for what you got. Maleko often times found himself laying in bed fuming at the Aquatisans and how much they had and very likely took for granted, living up close to the surface where many kinds of fish roamed free in numerous clusters.

Maleko moved through the dark water, harpoon at his side and the bag thumping heavily against his waist as he swam. He reached the inside of the palace, which was somehow darker than the outside of it. It mattered not, for his eyes adjusted and switched automatically to allow him to see clearly within the darkness. He pushed himself through the entrances, taking off the bag and tossing it into his father's room. The king would not be here for a few hours yet, but he didn't much care whether or not the food was found. Despite Hydra'a lack of resources, Maleko had a certain disregard for most things.

Like most days, he felt a certain pricking on the nape of his neck, the same prickling feeling that came every time he felt the urge to fight. A couple of guards roamed the halls, but they were nothing that Maleko couldn't handle. Who was really going to stop him anyway? His family didn't care that much about him, and he made it very obvious that he didn't care about them or their rules. Deep down he knew that his sisters were valued much more than him, but his arrogance would not allow his outward appearance to show it.

He swam around with his chin lifted as if he was the most important one in the room. Sometimes, he certainly was. Sometimes he was the most important one in the room, and most often times he genuinely was the most intimidating. Out of all the princes, Maleko was by far the most feared, for his mind was unstable and he was known to flip out on the innocent. Not to mention that his looks were pointed and scary enough to see within the darkness. He wasn't the largest mer by any means, but he was deceptionally strong.

"Where are you going?" One of the guards shouted to him as he swam past, his voice booming with authority. Maleko halted, turning around to face both guards. The younger guard's face suddenly became less hostile, and she lowered her weapon, but the guard beside her, the one who had called, swam forward, his eyes staring coldly at the young prince.

"May I ask why it matters to you?" Maleko retorted, his words slipping cooly off of his tongue, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smirk. "You can't touch me Brunwin, so I suggest you take your pointy little weapons and shove them in someone else's face." The prince swam closer to the large guard, rising up to put his face inches from his own. His canine teeth glinted sharply in the dim light as he gave him a toothy grin, his electric blue eyes glowing brightly against his grey skin.

"Unless you want to come along with me and find out for yourself where you'll end up." The guard lowered his weapon, setting his jaw and staring silently into the prince's face. It was obvious that he hated being upped by someone younger than him, but knew he could not harm him for he was part of the royal family. Harming the prince would result in his death, and if it wasn't by the hands of the executioners, it would be by Maleko's own.

Maleko gave him a suddenly friendly grin, but his smile was laced with an evil from deep within. He gave a sinister wave before turning and swimming away, leaving the guards in a stream of bubbles.

It didn't take him long to reach the Arena, for it was a path he frequently traveled. He swam right away up to the manager, a mer who never smiled or showed any trace of life whatsoever, really. As always, it was no trouble to register, since the mer knew exactly who he was and what he was here for. He knew several of the gladiators here who he'd won against and enslaved, and he wondered who he would be pit against today. It wasn't uncommon for him to be bet on and win, so he would be here for several hours for several rounds, fighting until he couldn't anymore.

"Mermaids and mermen....we welcome you to yet another ocean splitting fight that will shake you to your very core! Bets have been placed, prizes are ready..." Maleko felt the excited shiver run through his body as he waited behind the gate, hefting the harpoon in his hands. It was not his own harpoon, but it was similar and familiar to him. It was what he used most often in fights, and even then he usually dropped it for his hands near the end.

"Mermaids and mermen I give you...Pandora and Prince Maleko!" The announcer quickly darted upwards and out of the arena, his tail leaving a stream of bubbles behind him. The gate slowly lifted, the familiar suction beginning to pull him slightly forward in the water. Once the gate was opened, he swam slowly into the arena, the familiar smirk on his face. He lifted the harpoon above his head and spun it twice around and then around his back like he always did, giving the audience time to chant and cheer. His electrifying eyes soon landed on his opponent, and his gills flared with amusement.

The mermaid before him looked slim and dare he say...weak. Of course he was from a distance, all the way across the arena, but she was even smaller than him, which boosted his arrogance. He was the smallest of the Hydran princes, so everyone he'd fought in the arena had been bigger than him. For the first time he was sparring against someone around his own size, and even then she didn't at first glance look like anything to be worried about.

Another win down. he thought arrogantly to himself. Come on mermaid, show me what you got. Give me your best shot, and we'll see how long this lasts. Maybe I'll let it drag out a little, give you a fighting chance.

Kaiholo

"Go! Go! Under the belly, against the weapon, tail smack, spin!" The words echoed in Kaiholo's ears as he followed the instructions, bubbles flying furiously around the training guards. His father stood watching, shouting commands as they sparred. "Duck!" Kaiholo ducked and smacked the blunt end of the harpoon against his opponent's chest, sending him stumbling backwards. The fellow guard had no time to react before Kai had his hand around his throat and pinned up against the coral wall.

"Fantastic!" His father shouted. Kaiholo's gills fluttered wildly as he tried to breathe, his opponent's muscles finally relaxing as Kaiholo released him. The two guards nodded to each other respectfully, and he swam away, unharmed but shaken. "Well DONE Kai!" His father praised, slapping a hand down upon his shoulder. "You my son...are ready." Kaiholo turned to face his father, his expression falling back into its typical solemn one. His jaw tightened as he set it, his knuckles turning white as his fingers gripped the harpoon.

He ran his free hand through his hair, the current causing it to flow down in front of his eyes. "I've informed Queen Leilani already that you were close to being ready. Markana!" he shouted. Right away, the watching guard swam to his side, her body rigid with attention. "Tell Leilani Kaiholo is ready, and we will be at the palace in half an hour." Markana dipped her head respectfully before swimming away, disappearing quickly before their eyes. Kaiholo's scales shifted color, turning a pale grey with black plumes and flickering yellow.

"Oh come now," His father crooned, sounding a bit disappointed. "Don't be nervous. You've proved yourself many times, and you ARE ready. You will do fine my son." Kai nodded, clenching his jaw in annoyance. I hate it when he reads my scales. he thought. I need to learn to better control them, or everyone will soon learn to decode my feelings.

"Half an hour?" he echoed, a little late to questioning his father about the time. "Why so long?"

"To give the queen some time to prepare her daughter." Again, Kaiholo's scales changed, more black than before inking into them. He quickly and deliberately forced them to change back to his normal royal blue and orange, wiping away the uncertainty and disgust. He didn't want to be a personal body guard for the princess, he didn't ask to be in this position. But he knew his father was among one of the oldest guards and couldn't keep his position for much longer. Kaiholo was the only one of his sons who'd shown any promise, and so his parents had jumped on the opportunity as quickly as possible, beginning training as early as ten years old. Fifteen years worth of training had finally got him to this moment; and for what? What gain did he get from this?

To serve the royal family. he told himself. To provide them with the protection they need in a time where safety is rare. So many of the guards had vanished, either dead or held captive at the hands of the Hydrans, which gave the captain of the guard an even better reason to push his son further. "Gather Arnav and the rest of the new west wing guards, and bring them to the outside of the palace to meet the queen and her daughter." Kaiholo nodded to his father's instructions before swimming away.

"Kai," Markana greeted him at the palace door. "Congratulations. The princess is kind, don't fret. I hardly believe you'll have trouble. You've done very well through the years, and you make a fine addition to the Royal Guards." She dipped her head, and Kai did the same, offering her a kind smile.

"Thank you Markana." She pushed open the door for him and he swam through, nodding politely to any who waved his way. It was a long swim to the west side of the palace, but once there he traveled quickly to the guard's chambers. He pushed the door open, his pale green eyes resting instantly upon the five inside. Arnav stood in front of them all, but even his face appeared nervous.

"It's time," Kaiholo announced to them quietly. The group of new guards all exchanged glances with each other, and Kai swam inside the room, every mer clasping hands for a brief moment.

"We made it, Kai." Arnav said breathlessly. "We made it. You made it." Kai felt a small smile grace his lips without his permission, and he quickly wiped it from his face.

"Let's go now," he instructed them kindly. "Remember to stand to attention, and be respectful to the queen and princess. Show them what potential we have, prove to them that we are worthy of the ranks we got." Each of the guards nodded, and once again Kaiholo felt a rush of energy that felt surreal. Although all of the guards were new, every single one of them was older than he was. Arnav was the youngest of the group besides himself, and even he was over thirty years old. It was a great honor and a huge showcase of his talent for him to be standing here today, with the rank he had on his shoulders.

"When is the branding ceremony?" Arnav asked cautiously. Kaiholo's gills fluttered.

"After the meeting with the queen." he answered. "It's nothing to worry about, we've been through worse." He reassurred them. They all nodded, and Kai led them down the corridors and outside the palace, where his father had instructed him to. He lined them up and commanded them all to attention, and stood in front of them in the center, one arm behind his back and the other gripping the harpoon, the blunt end delved into the sand.

Soon the palace doors opened and Kaiholo felt his heart instantly speed up upon seeing the two mermaids. He had seen both the queen and all of the princesses from a distance, but never up close. Instantly his heart melted gazing into Zenevieva's face. He quickly washed away any sort of softening his expression may have taken, lifting his chin and looking directly at Leilani.

He dipped his head and bowed slightly as the queen finished speaking, then outstretched his arm to showcase the guards behind him. "My Queen, Princess Zenevieva, this is your new West Wing Guard. Arnav is in charge of them while I may be attending to your needs. They are assigned to help watch the West side of the palace, and to replace the guards there whom we have lost to the war." He lowered his arm and once again put it behind his back, still standing straight and proper.

"As forementioned, my name is Kaiholo, and I will be your personal guard to assist you when needed and protect you in and outside of the castle under any and all circumstances." He said, his honeydew eyes shifting to Zenevieva. She flashed him a polite smile, and it took everything he had not to return it. He was taught to be kind and respectful, but not sweet or vunerable. If he showed any sign of too kind, he would be stripped of his position and replaced with the next best option.

"Fifteen years of training to stand here before you, princess," he answered politely, his tone respectful and kind yet serious as it should be. "My father was quick to get me into preparation for this, and I will do my best do provide you with everything you need, and to do it well." He shifted his gaze to Leilani. "I promise to serve you and your family as if you were my own, and I pledge to you my undying fidelity."

If he was here, he could take a bruise, but could he take a stab wound? How would he cover that up? This could easily become a severe disadvantage for her. He didn't even need the money. What was he doing here? Didn't he have trained guards to train and practice with? She had heard of his skill, and she doubted anyone in a gladiator ring would be able to give him more of a fight than his guards, especially if he sparred with multiple of them. She fixed a more determined look on her face, wondering if she should use some of her taunts that were coming to her mind. She wasn't sure if he was the type who would react badly to taunts and fight better or lose control and give her a slight advantage.

She entered the Arena standing straight up and confident, and doing a few showy twirls with her weapon. She kept her face grim rather than smiling, as she wasn't in the mood.This was the time to win the crowd, though she was disappointed to find it was more of a polite cheer than shouts of acclaim. No one was willing to potentially face the prince’s wrath. They'd be more willing to give what could be called tips, if she was favored later, throwing coins or other items at her like some would throw roses at a performance. It was kind of hard to beat Maleko's popularity. Who would dare defy him? She tried to get her head in the game, and turned away from the crowd.

She focused on Maleko taking in how he was smaller than the usual mer. She was on the smaller side also, because many of the Hydran mers were large as whales or dolphins. They were only as large as the smallest, because they couldn’t get big as those creatures, but they were still rather intimidating. She was used to fighting big bullies. She believed that she would be a lot faster when it came to moving through the water, such as if she felt the need to run away, but if they were locked in close combat, there was no reason that he wouldn’t be as fast as her.

Immediately, her eyes were drawn to the satisfied smirk that sprawled across his face. She felt a knotted feeling in her chest flow out, until she was burning with anger. This arrogant prat had the audacity to fight here. He was on her territory, and nobody was allowed to touch him. Her face hardened, as she began visualizing different attacks, trying to figure out what would be the best method. She began to visualize moves that she had used in the heat of battle. She felt her mind drifting away, and she had to stop being so angry, and take it back to the present. She couldn’t let herself get so distracted. If she kept her anger under control, she fought a little better. More determined, more aggressive. There would be no hesitation from her to take the shot.

Unbidden, her lips began to form words, and she used her lungs to project, so that those nearby would understand. "Hello princess. What are you doing here? Come to play with the bad mers?" She shook her head at him, "It hardly seems fair that the princess can't be touched, because everyone around here would lose their livelihoods, entertainment, and possibly lives, because they aren't allowed to touch you. Are you that intimidated by me already that you need this protection?" Even if he agreed to being stabbed like everyone else, she still had to be more careful. She knew that she had far from the most impressive build, and she wondered how she could use that to her advantage. Should she continue with confidence to sow deception?

Obviously, she wouldn't be here, unless she had some talent. She also knew that those in power could be very petulant, if they lost. If she was more skilled than him, she would try to let it end in a tie, but if he were close to her own skill, it could become a fight for her life. She was probably better than Maleko at mass brawls, because she had fought in the war, but she didn’t know if her individual skill would be able to beat him. She had always held her own, but most didn’t want to fight someone so small, underestimating her. When the gong was hit to announce the beginning of a bout, she felt it thrum through her vibrating in the water. She immediately launched herself from her standing position and attacked.

She was tempted to get the first blood, because it was a mental victory, but she wanted him to underestimate her. It would have been nice to know to what extent he was planning to hurt her, but she didn’t want her skills to falter, because she thought he might go easy on her. She didn’t need to have it in the back of her mind, that she had a back up plan of any kind. She had to concentrate now on the moment, stroke by stroke. His strokes were making her wrist hurt, so she dodged them every now and then instead of taking them on her weapon. She was becoming more tired, and the headache was coming back from her rough night. She was becoming finished with this whole deal. She made one move hoping to end it. Trident at his throat. Her weapon hadn’t shattered.