2013.10.27 - A Request to a King

It had been a few days since Namora had encountered Namor last. She had taken the time to reflect, and taken care of her duties. But with her latest encounter, and the one previous with Kaydin new concerns were developing.

After she had finished with her day's duties as princess (Today, it was helping install a new technology on a far outpost) she came to Namor's Villa, and knocked against the door. She gazed upon the crest as she waited a responce. Hoping he might be there.

She was dressed the same as the last time he saw her, her current "uniform" of sorts. But had a small bag slung over her shoulder.

Namor answered the door, this time water rushed in to fill the air that was behind the door, "Aquaria. I didn't expect you to be honest. Come in."

He moved to the side to allow her entrance, "Do you wish to breath water or air?"

It was a rare offer for him to be able to give?

"Air is fine, actually. It has been some time."

She stepped into his Villa and looked about. It was an impressive home, certainly larger than her own but that was of no concern. There was moments of silence before she spoke again, "I apologize for my outburst. You can imagine how seeing you again would come as a surprise."

At the moment, Namora was not the brash and highly emotional woman he saw just a few days ago. She was the cool, collected princess of Atlantis. One who puts out the fires of the kingdom more than makes them.

Namora's response meant two things, they could barely speak Atlantean to each other since it translated much better when there was water as a medium, and that Namor now knew it had been a while since she had been to the surface.

As the water drained out of the entire complex and oxygen placed in it. He looked over Namora, something he wasn't allowed to do before because of the immediacy of everything, "You look well, Aquaria. I've missed you to be honest."

Namora took in a breath of the air. It is a different feeling than breathing water. As the sensation rushed over her she immediately decided to take a trip to the surface as soon as possible. Funny, how time passes you by before you realize it, especially when trying to help run a kingdom.

Namora rolled her eyes and laughed, the eye quirk something she developed from the surface world. She responded with, "To be honest? That is all I get?"

She stepped forward and was no longer Namora, royal princess of Atlantis just the tomboy Namor grew up with. She drew Namor in close with a long drawn-out hug. Now that she is used to the idea, she is only glad that he is alive. She spoke softly, close to his ear, "Words can not express how I have missed you, Namor. I am glad you are alive, and have found yourself back into our waters."

Namor frowned as he held her close to him. However he did speak "Aquaria, I've only remember who you ever were for five months. When I battled Destine, I saved you.. all of you. And it was as the Logomancer said: Don't leave today because the blonde hair child was born and it means nothing but doom for you."

Namor let go of his cousin and added, "And it was my doom. I walked alone on the surface for nearly four decades. I was a homeless bum named Mac. I remembered nothing of the rest. I didn't even remember you."

He walked away slightly, "What..." he muttered for a moment, "I'm almost afraid to ask," he then said louder, "What happened to Betty Dean?"

Namora broke the embrace and gently patted his shoulder afterwards, "Betty is well. We exchange letters once a year, it is our 'Christmas Tradition'. She wants me to come to the surface for a holiday feast, but I doubt her family would hold it to as high a regard as she. Betty would be glad to know that you are alive."

Namora looked him over, "And barely changed I might add. A little older, but perhaps a bit more handsome. I'll keep that out of this year's Christmas letter."

She placed the bag aside as she looked over the place, "Nearly forty years forgetting who you are. How dreadful. Did you make a life for youself, before settling back into this one? Do you have other things to deal with as this...Mac?"

"No life, just arm wrestling." Namor said sadly, though truthfully he wanted Namora to tell him where Betty was, he wanted to hold her in his harms once again. The woman that sold him on the surface, who Namora had lived with for years. She deserved to know that Namor was still alive.

"I went from homeless shelter, to homeless shelter. Only knowing the name Mac."

A frown fell upon Namora's face. This all would have been a bit easier if she had known Namor had some sort of life in his 'death' but it seems that was not accurate. That made it all the more sad, in her opinion.

She dropped her bag and riffled through the contents, "I see. Then life has dealt you a rough hand of cards, as I remember the phrase? I wish to return this to you."

She rose holding a small dagger. Engraved into the hilt and handle are Atlantean runes, Namor might remember it as a dagger his grandfather gave to him so many years ago that he often used to wear underneath his belt, before he truly knew his own strength. This was a time when he was still trying to discover who he was. Aquaria lowered to one knee, as she gave the object the respect it deserved. And for a long time was the one thing in her possession that reminded Namora of her adventures with Namor, "I give back to you, your dagger a gift from Thakkor. I have held onto it since your absence. It seems right you have it now."

Namor took the dagger and looked at it, "Aquaria... seriously where did you find this."

He looked at her and then went back to admiring the dagger, "You are not just bringing back something from four decades ago, you are bringing back a piece of my childhood."

"I remember when we raided that privateer ship," Namor continued to look at the dagger, "The man, the captain, had a hook for a hand. I remember we taunted him about it."

"I told him I was the boy who would never grow up... I wonder how true those words actually are."

Namora rose to her feet and looked to the side, brushing her fingers through her long golden locks as she remembered memories from long ago, "Hard to say, Namor. However I found myself remembering your long lost dagger once you were lost to me, and took some time to find it. I needed it as a keepsake, and am glad to return it to you."

She turned her eyes back towards Namor's, who he himself barely looked aged a day. It was like a dream. Were she a weaker woman she would have wept, but that was a private response. But she kept her regal demeanor, "I will imagine there is a lot you do not know, underneath the surface. However for now I come to you with a request. One of our own in need of help."

Namor sheathed the dagger and handed it back to her. He said, "You keep it then. I don't need it anymore."

Namor sighed, because he knew this was not going to win this argument, but he needed to hear what Namora was hear for, "Last time you were hear you tried to attack me."

He marched quickly to his coral throne and laid his hand on the Trident of Poseidon... a treasure that could easily prove that this was Namor, "-Namora- I know your not hear just out of the kindness of your heart. So let us get official bussiness over with so I can ask my cousin about her last four decades."

Namor returning the dagger was a sign that he understood her sacrifice, and by understanding her sacrifice, he was handing to her all that was him. It was his inheritance, from his grandfather, yet it was now hers... because he trusted her to have it.

Namora rose as she returned it to her bag, "Then I will own this dagger in memory to my devotion to the surface world, and that of my long since deceased cousin, Namor."

She slid the knife back into her bag as she rose to her feet, meeting her eyes with the stoic green eyes of Namor and responded with, "Since I am intruding I will be brief, I have a youngling who is not Atlean, but is of our waters named 'Dolphin." She reminds me of my daughter but is younger. The girl is younger than my daughter but she is lost, I would assume your nobility and kindness exists to this day."

She reached forward and touched his bicep, Namora stepped closer, her mouth just next to his ear, "I await her answer but I assume you will give her the respect, security, and privacy as I would assume. She has no where else to go. Should you violate this in any way I will not talk to you again. "