As expected, Ariel's declaration prompted the guards to exchange wary glances. Moments later, they shed their black scale armor, revealing gleaming silver beneath. They were once again the loyal guardians of Atlantis. Their allegiance to the eldest prince had been a temporary diversion; their true loyalty belonged to the Sea King. Every mermaid was a follower of the Sea God, and the Sea King was his appointed voice. The eldest prince's brief reign had hinged on a false claim to the Sea King's authority. Now that Ariel held the scepter, their rebellion dissolved.
...
After rousing his treacherous elder brother and extracting the location of their father, Ariel imprisoned him in a separate dungeon beneath the palace. There, in a hidden chamber, they found the Sea King. Aquaman appeared as an aged version of Ariel, his hair gray and his beard long and white, but his physique remained as powerful as his youngest son's.
Tom and the others remained discreetly in the background, allowing the father and son their privacy.
"..."
Aquaman gazed at his youngest son, a mirror image of his younger self, with a torrent of emotions. The fishtail was gone, replaced by legs, but that did not diminish his love for Ariel.
"Ariel…"
Aquaman swam over, clapping Ariel on the shoulder with a satisfied expression.
"Father!"
???
Aquaman's face mirrored confusion as Ariel spoke. What in the world? Why does my son sound like that?
Ariel, sensing his father's bewilderment, quickly explained the situation. Upon hearing the full story, Aquaman sank into deep contemplation. He weighed the possibility of simply handing the throne back to his eldest son. Despite his rebellious streak, the eldest prince at least possessed the inherent authority of the Sea King.
But Ariel…
The Sea King's gaze drifted to the three starfish adorning his foolish son's chest. He worried that Ariel's authority as "Sea King" would rapidly erode, dwindling to nothing after he inherited the throne.
Fortunately, Tom beckoned Ariel aside once more.
"Here, a little trinket I just finished."
Tom placed a small seashell in Ariel's palm, indicating that he should attach it.
"..."
Having been deceived once before, Ariel hesitated. However, remembering that Tom had "risked his life to come and save him," he steeled his resolve and decided to trust him. Removing the starfish, Ariel fastened the seashell in its place and spoke again.
The words that emerged from the seashell left him speechless. It wasn't his original tenor, but a voice imbued with an undeniable air of command.
Aquaman, noticing the change, swiftly intervened to assess the situation. Seeing the small seashells adorning both Tom and Ariel's chests, he instantly understood. He expressed his gratitude to Tom, promising to reward him with a selection of Atlantean treasures.
Ariel followed suit, vowing to bestow upon Tom the most precious item in Atlantis, second only to the trident, to repay this debt!
This declaration filled Aquaman's gaze with a complex mix of emotions. However, perhaps due to Ariel's new voice, his eyes still held a considerable degree of affection. After all, to his ears, this voice was far more befitting the role of "Aquaman" than Ariel's original tenor.
Yes, he had made up his mind: Ariel would inherit the throne once more.
Hmm… a youngest son with biceps as mighty as mine is preferable.
Such were Aquaman's current thoughts.
Tom remained unfazed. He had little interest in anything in Atlantis except the trident. Ariel had revealed its origins: the weapon of the Sea God, entrusted to his descendants to rule the seas after his departure. It was undoubtedly a divine artifact.
Unfortunately, Ariel had also mentioned that only those with Aquaman's bloodline could wield the trident. If Tom possessed Merlin's power, he would simply "borrow" the trident and diligently "train" it to suit his own style.
Alas, he wasn't quite there yet.
Moreover, with the Elder Wand in his possession, he didn't feel compelled to obsess over a mythical weapon that didn't perfectly align with his needs.
Thus, Tom, showing little interest in the promised "gift," swiftly moved on.
He suggested retrieving the starfish, not due to its practical value, but because he anticipated Ariel's eagerness to discard it.
To his surprise, Ariel wanted to keep it.
Tom raised his eyebrows slightly. He didn't deny Ariel's request, but casually teased, "You haven't become addicted to speaking like that, have you?"
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"..."
Tom also fell silent, subtly glancing at Aquaman, who was still grinning foolishly, seemingly lost in thought. Does this man not realize his successor has developed some… quirks?
Then, as if struck by a sudden revelation, Tom's lips curled into a wicked smile, a grin that sent a shiver down Ariel's spine.
Aquaman, snapping out of his reverie, instructed Ariel to take him to the First Prince. He also ordered his men to arrange accommodations for Tom and his companions.
Watching the two hastily depart, Harry wondered, "Weren't the problems resolved? Why do they still look so troubled?"
"Could it be Aquaman's trident that's missing?"
Hermione casually picked up the trail, "We haven't seen that trident they're talking about even once."
This revelation piqued Malfoy's interest, and he launched into a discussion with Harry about the supposed trident artifact.
Cassandra, however, had other concerns. She turned to Tom, who was gazing out the window at the seabed, seemingly lost in thought, and inquired, "Teacher, did you acquire the item?"
Hearing this, Tom turned to Cassandra and casually replied, "Yes."
"So… shall we depart now, or shall we remain here?"
Nagini echoed her question.
"Wait! You… you're all leaving?"
Eric, who had remained silent until now, grew anxious. He knew the purpose of Tom and the others' journey: to retrieve something. Though the nature of that something eluded him, they had evidently succeeded.
But none of that mattered. He didn't care about any of that. His only concern was that Tom and the others, his companions of barely three days, with whom he had faced life and death, were about to leave.
---