#caleen

❛... What do you mean, we're not friends? I thought we were...❜

❛Maybe in your mind we are. But friends are equals. We can't be friends if you never listen and always bring the subject back to yourself.❜

❛I do not do that!❜ Calypso almost yelled, not realizing that she was literally cutting short Yasmeen and, therefore, proving her right. ❛You make me sound like a spoiled, selfish brat, which I'm not!!❜

❛It's okay, really. I know you're used to people giving you all their attention and energy, and I know you used to believed they did it because they care, not because they feared your father. But that's not true. That's what the reality check is so brutal since you came in here.❜

❛How could you say that?...❜

❛Like I said, I like our relationship a lot. But I can't let you fool yourself with illusions again and let you call yourself my friend.❜

The little mermaid was out of words. She felt sad and almost crushed by her maid's words, maybe because it was, once again, a new reality check. She had too much of them since she was there, and she hated that. Not only that, but she did not know why everyone wanted to show her how much she was wrong, but this habit of people here was annoying as hell to her.

❛But we are friends! You eat with my brothers and I, and you call me by my name, which I'll never let a regular person do.❜

❛Really? Let's see... I know pretty much all of your important childhood memories, including what places you liked to run away to the most. I could rightfully name at least 75% of all the human items that are hidden if your secret cave, since you talk about them all the time. I know your favorite game you used to play with Nate and how sad you were when he had to go train with Kai and you weren't invited. I know you held on to every bit of details you had of Ursula and had this image in your head of how you'd meet her, and she'd be your perfect sister, and I know you've been heartbroken ever since you actually met her. I know about your time in the aquarium and how you dislike and try to hide your feelings for Aeron. I know you miss Nessie and the Caribbean Sea the most. What do you know about my life?❜

Calypso took a deep breath and was ready to answer but, once again, nothing came to her mind. She could not answer to Yasmeen. She realized that she truly was self-centred, and barely knew about Yasmeen's life. She did know things, obviously, but things that, maybe, she wished she did not know, and Yasmeen did not have to live either. Calypso felt tears coming to her eyes –which was happening so much lately, she felt as if being out of the sea means her wants to cry was more apparent. Taking a deep breath again, she clenched her fists, and it was obvious she was more angry than sad now.

❛You did not have to humiliate me this way.❜

❛This wasn't my intention. I was just stating point. The fact that you're now angry shows that I am right.❜

❛Well, this isn't my fault if you do not talk about you. This isn't my fault if I have to fill the gap in our conversation, because you do not talk to me about you!❜

❛Your majesty is right. I forget myself.❜ Yasmeen said with the most honourable tone she could have before curtseyed.

❛Stop don't do that! You know what, perhaps you're right, maybe we're not friends after all. Maybe I have mistaken our relationship I gave you too many liberties, and maybe I should stop.❜

❛If this is what you're thinking, then it will be.❜

❛... Maybe I should have another maid, so you'll be my friend for real without feeling obligated to be. Perhaps that's the solution we need... I don't know which one it is, for now, I just want you to leave me alone!❜

She arrived at mid-sentence, and only Morgana seemed to have noticed her, because she was facing her, but also Calypso was quiet, not because she was trained to, but because she didn't wear shoes, so obviously barefeet on the floor was noiseless. Only the smell of the ocean that she was always carrying with her, like a perfume, was what gave her away, and Yasmeen was used to this scent so much that she turned around, frowning, once she was done talking. All Calypso could do was watching the woman she thought was her friend, after she gave away her biggest weakness; her loyalty to her family and people she loved.

The mermaid only felt betrayal once before. When she trusted Aeron, and gave him her bracelet. Biggest mistake of her life, she won't deny it. But this betrayal was worst for her. Like a cold shower. Worst because she thought she was done trusting people too easily. That Aeron was the only one who would have been able to fool her. She should have known better. And being betrayed by a friend seemed to hurt way more than being betrayed by a so-called lover.

❝Oh, Calypso, it is lovely to see you here!❞ The High Queen said, but the young girl knew she wasn't really sincere. Morgana couldn't lie but somehow, Calypso knew it was one. Sort of.

❝You asked for me, Your Majesty.❞ Those last words were very hard for her to say because she never was used to say them. Morgana's smile became bigger to the fact that she came to the right moment. But the mermaid couldn't tell, her eyes full of sadness and confusion were back on Yasmeen again who didn't move.

❝Did I? Oh... My servant must have done a mistake, I didn't plan a meeting with you...❞ She seemed sorry, but once again, Calypso knew she wasn't completely sincere.

All the girl did was nodded. What was she supposed to say anyway? She just witnessed who she thought was her friend talking behind her back. Somehow she knew it was all Morgana's doing. She didn't know why, maybe she wanted to make Calypso suffer even more, to ostracize her as if she wasn't enough already. The girl of the sea didn't move. She felt her heart beating faster in her chest, and her eyes starting to hurt because she wanted to cry, but she couldn't let that happened, so she blinked so many times that her head started to spin. Morgana was talking but she didn't listen, all she did was looking at Yasmeen who couldn't even look her in the eyes right now, because she was ashamed? Or because she was embarrassed? Calypso couldn't tell.

❝... Anyway, you both can go now.❞

Morgana didn't have to say it twice. Calypso walked so fast that her feet hurt but she didn't care, she just wanted to be out of this place. She was followed by Yasmeen, who said her name a few times, but the Princess didn't plan on replying now, it was only once they were out of the throne room reached that she turned away, facing Yasmeen.

❝What was that?!❞ She realized only now that with each footsteps she took her sadness and feeling of betrayal became anger. It's only when she heard the tone of her voice that she noticed that she wasn't sad. She was mad.

❝I... I just...❞ Yasmeen started but either she couldn't say the words, or she was forbidden to say them, or Calypso was too impatient listen to her words right now.

❝Are you spying on me?! For the Queen?❞

❝That's not what I-❞ Yasmeen started again, but then she sighed and nodded.

This silent answer hurt Calypso even more. She was hoping she was mistaken. That there were another explanation. To be honest, Yasmeen could have come with any lie she would have found, and the Princess of the ocean would have believed her. This is how lonely she felt and how badly she needed a friend, and the idea of knowing her only real friend, besides the little Princess Lyra, was spying on her this whole time was unbearable.

❝That's on me, isn't it? After all, I ‘love blindly and recklessly, even if it consumes me.’ right?❞ She quoted Yasmeen with a sad laugh, and the very urge to not let her precious tears fell on her cheek. Instead, it started to softly rain outside, a way for her to not cry. ❝Everyone warned me to be more careful here but I didn't listen. I stupidly thought you were different. But I guess I was wrong all this time.❞