Page 28 of The Noble's Merman

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” He took it from Mo, the wetness of the slick seaweed tickling his hand as he brought it closer to his face. “A white lily? How would a mermaid know what one looks like?”

“She said she received one from a human, can you believe it?”

“Really?”

“Yes, I was surprised. Merfolk are usually wary of humans, you know, so it was nice to hear of another mer being friendly with one.”

“That is nice.” Kent smiled and placed the gift on the ground, moving it around carefully so as to not get his book wet. A mermaid being friendly with a human, huh? Mo said ‘friendly’, but the way the merman’s cheeks flushed darker told Kent there might be more to it than that. He didn’t wish to pry—perhaps Mo didn’t know the details either way—but as Kent thought harder, thinking of being more than ‘friendly’ with Mo stirred something pleasant within him, a pressure behind his navel.

“So, on another note, I have a proposition for you,” said Kent, and Mo perked up. “How would you like to meet my sister? She’s awfully curious about you.”

“Really now! Well, I’d love to meet her.”

“Would the next visit do?”

“Sure, I’ve no qualms with that.” Mo smiled sweetly.

As he gazed at Mo’s lovely cheery grin, butterflies filled his chest. Those ocean-blue eyes stared back at him, inviting, wanting.

Kent wanted to be with Mo, there was no denying it.

“I brought the book along, like usual,” he started, setting the book down beside him, next to the seaweed lily. “But there were some things on my mind, questions I wanted to ask instead of going right into reading.”

Mo nodded. “Of course, ask anything of me that you’d like.”

“All right.” Kent gulped. “Well, first, um…” He tugged a little at his cravat. “I was wondering… does merfolk society take issue with sodomy?”

Mo gave him a puzzling look. “Sodomy? I—I’ve never heard that word before.”

“Ah, that makes sense you haven’t. Right…” Kent let out a nervous chuckle. “It means… um… when two males are sexual with each other.”

“Oh! Oh, all right.” Mo’s face flushed beet red, eyes wide, oh so very adorable. “Well, I wouldn’t say merfolk take issue with it, but it’s not… encouraged. It’s not celebrated, like how a marriage between a merman and mermaid is.”

“Really now? Could you… elaborate?”

“Sure.” Mo nodded. “Plenty of mermen couple with other mermen, same with mermaids with other maids. And then you have mer, who’re merfolk who don’t align themselves to either gender. But marriage is strictly dictated between a merman and a mermaid—or one merman can have multiple mermaid wives—with the prospect of fertility, procreation, and having younglings. Thus, it is more favored by our society if you are in a relationship that can further your lineage, if you understand. But it’s certainly not criminal to have relations with your own sex.”

“I see.” Kent licked his lips. “It’s… somewhat similar in human society, with how marriage is only between a man and a woman. How they can have children, but it’s also about the joining of families too.”

“Yes, same for us. Weddings are huge celebrations, and when one occurs, every mer, and I mean every mer who can attend is invited. Everyone rejoices for the prospect of another family expanding, and they are wonderful parties. I’ve been to many myself.”

“Oh, wow!” Kent smiled. “That does sound great. Here, usually only family and friends are invited to weddings. But if someone has more status, more notoriety, more people are invited. But—that’s not the only difference with humans, however.” Kent’s smile fell, his eyes looking down. “Because… not only can two men not marry, but if they are found having sexual relations with each other… they are punished. They could be killed for it.”

“What?”

Mo’s eyes flew open wide with shock. And it must’ve been such an incredibly enormous shock; Kent didn’t blame him. If merfolk society was the way Mo had said, such a notion would seem ludicrous.

Kent would have to agree.

“Yes, it’s true.” He nodded, joylessly. “It’s deemed unnatural, since two men cannot have children, like a man and a woman. But not just that, it’s also deemed immoral, whether it be religious beliefs or what have you. Perverted, tainted, corrupted from the ‘natural way of life’, as it were. That’s how I’ve always heard it, all my life.”

“Kent, that’s…” Mo covered his mouth, looking down at his hand. “That’s terrible. That means, if I were to live in human society, then—then I could be…”

Kent understood then, especially, what Mo meant without him needing to finish the sentence. “Well, my sister reassured me that there are men with those preferences who do live happily, albeit somewhat secretly. By not letting gossip spread, not letting any sort of proof be found, and only telling those who are trustworthy. And, as someone of status as a noble, I have a bit more safety in that regard.”

“I see.” Mo moved his hand back down to his lap. The sun was setting further; yellows and pinks now shading the paleness of his skin. “Yes, as you might be able to tell, I prefer males. It just strikes me as surprising with humans, though, because I’ve seen things that show it all quite differently.”

Kent raised a curious brow. “What do you mean?”

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