The light sparked and scattered, vibrant and lively as it skipped across the water. Beneath the waves, its motion was a more sedate danced with shadows on the sand and over the sea grass, rippling away from the shapes that swam with easy, undulating motion just beneath the ocean’s surface. Ten distinct shadows moved with eager synchronization towards the nearest rocky shore, the sole representatives chosen by the Hafsa and her daughter for the first moment of meeting with the princess. The Pyriei clan was large enough to merit taking into account the king’s mention of her dislike for crowds, but they had not wanted to make the moment too private. To do without witnesses would have been a poor method to thank the human that had thought to include them in his politics.

Too, they were a little unsure if their notion of a crowd was different from the princess’. Mers were gregarious by nature, a little crowding was perfectly normal in their society. Lack of it was rather more lonely than less.

So, ten it was. Glancing around her, trilling a low note of encouragement to her younger brother, who was tired out from all the excitement, Iri folded herself backwards and slipped beneath her uncle to come around under the pup. She was not the least bit fatigued, despite the effort she had put into her own preparations and the sleep that anxiety had stolen from her. Nerves were very readily buoying her reserve just as she buoyed up her brother, reminding him to take a breath of air if his gills weren’t up to the chore of breathing for him.

He squeaked at her, embarrassed, and up ahead, Hafsa Shanira let out a fluting laugh as she heard the exchange. But she didn’t bother turning around. As second eldest, it was Iri’s privilege to look after her younger siblings. As the mother, it was Hafsa’s privilege to let her. The oldest was already bound to another, and had her own pup to look after.

Ignoring his protests, she lifted him on her back and chirped until he gave in and grabbed onto her shoulders, when she picked up the pace once more, he clung like a limpet and squealed in her ear, the extra weight didn’t bother her, and she caught up with the others quickly. The rest of the journey was made in silence until they came to the large, flat rocks they usually left to the humans. They were too easily walked across by land predators, dangerous territory for a heavy mer wanting to soak up a little sun.

Heads poking out of the blue water, hair trailing like kelp about each set of shoulders, large, black eyes stared at the land, considering this place they’d chosen for such an important moment. It looked the same as it always had, white surf and glistening rocks, wide pools left by the high tide and purple mussels clinging to the lower reaches. The humans wouldn’t come out so far though, low tide was safe, but high tide came in fast. Iri turned to look at her mother, and then to the green haired elder who had been Hafsa before her. They would have to climb over those big rocks, there and back. And only the word of a walker that this would be safe. She blew bubbles expressively, but when no one else made the first move, took it upon herself to approach the shore, brother still clinging tight, and voiced none of her misgivings.

She’d already had her say, and Hafsa, not her mother, had listened and explained the better reasons to make the attempt. They had heard of humans in other places chasing mers away from their homes, building places to put their ships and spreading out across the water with their nets to take all the food. So far, the walkers here had been considerate, but there was never any certainty until this offering had been made. It was a good thing. Once done, they could be confident in their neighbour’s good intentions, and would be neighbours no more, but one clan. And clans did not ruin themselves.

Rushing the slick boulders riding a swell, she scrambled as far onto the rock as the wave’s momentum would take her, tail lashing behind her, narrowly avoiding tumbling over her hands as they caught under her belly. Tsuin, on her back, pressed his face to her neck and wrapped his tail around her middle as she looked around, the jumble of rocks suddenly looking very alike and monstrously large. His weight was no longer as easy to ignore, but she didn’t tell him to get off, it was comforting, having him so close. At least there’d been no one else to see her graceful landing…

Huffily, once she knew the coast was clear, Iri continued on, dragging her long tail and waddling slightly from side to side. Behind her, the others followed one by one, each stumbling in much the same fashion onto the stone and then starting after her. It was a curious sight, their little troupe. With the exception of Tsuin, who had yet to come into his growth, each was twice the length of any human, most even longer. There was a great deal of power in each lashing tail, and the arms that could pull that weight forward were no slender twigs. Still, it took them an hour to cross what would have taken even a child little more than ten minutes. And they collapsed atop each other in a heaving coil of limbs and cramping tails when they reached the rendezvous point.

Now, Iri understood the wisdom in her uncle’s suggestion that they give themselves plenty of time to settle there before the human delegation would arrive, as she was much too breathless and tired to even lift her head off the ground just then. <<You are heavy for so small a pup, Tsuin. Off my back, I need to breathe.>> She managed to gasp the words, and wheezed as her snorted at her, little scamp, and crawled his way to their mother. She could follow his progress by the trail of huffs that accompanied his weight on the others’ backs and, after a few more breaths unencumbered, lifted herself onto her elbows, using the elder’s tail to support her weight off the ground and lift herself up a little higher.

Glancing about, she could see that the weather was good, there was no water in the air and the sun wasn’t too bright. They were still on the rocks here, though they were dry and seemed to have rarely been touched by the waves. To one side, the land rose up into a bluff, and on the other, the rocks levelled into sand, and then into high grass. She didn’t know how the humans were going to reach them, but there seemed just as much land in front of her as there was ocean behind her. It was a little unnerving, and she sank back, tail jinking up behind her until she was pressed against the others and could wrap it around her like a shield.

This was the world her bounded was to come from. This was the world her bounded’s people came from. And she knew it not at all… Fingering the light arm ring she had spent the last month shaping from the imendrel beds into the little spikes of a fish’s spine. It looked delicate, but had suffered not at all from the climb across the rocks, and was far stronger than it looked. She planned to offer it to the princess by way of greeting. She had no way of knowing if it would fit, but she hoped the thought alone might count for something. Had they been able to meet before this, she could have been sure, as it was, now that they were here, little fish were swimming in her stomach and, as she recovered her breath, they only grew stronger.

Quickly, she reached back to undo the knot that held her hair out of the way, letting the long, wet strands fall forward to cover the pouches at her neck where her gills retracted. Then, full of nervous energy, she set about badgering her companions into some semblance of dignity. A pile was all well and good for sleeping, but it would never do as a first impression.

"Princess Ayana.." came the calming but professional voice of a royal guard. Normally, one would respond civilly with a polite smile, but Ayana instead gave the guard a glare from over her book. The princess was sitting in her desk chair, wearing a non-traitional, short, pink dress that was still meant for weddings, trying to bury her nose in a book to forget her impending doom. It had been working until her name was called and all the fear and frustration flared up again into anger, but the guard didn't seem phased by it. He was wearing functional, but ceremonial white armor that had golden spirals and the king's crest of a lion stamped to the front, his open-face helm under his arm. "His Majesty is requesting your presence in the courtyard." It was simple as that before the guard showed himself out and was gone, leaving Ayana alone for a few moments.

Slowly, she put the book down and closed it slowly, letting out a long, frustrated sigh. She was scared and angry that not only was she going to be with a man, but also of another species. She certainly wasn't racist, she knew that, so deep down it was mostly just being upset at having to be with a man for the rest of her days. Ayana felt hurt that her father knew she couldn't stand men that way and yet saw it fit to force it on her anyways - she would never be happy. The princess had let the king know, very vocally, of her disapproval before storming out of his room and to hers and they hadn't spoken since. Combing her hair backwards with her hands, Ayana began to prepare herself that she would have to face her father now.. and in only a couple short hours.. see the man that would be a part of her life from here 'til death.

Down below and several moments later, the chatter from the guards quickly settled as they all saw the sight of the princess pushing open the castle doors open. Brown hair and blue eyes gave the sight of a pink wedding dress slight pause, but it somehow suited her, as if her entire personality was somehow wrapped into the unusual tailoring. Ayana was sure at least a couple of them wished they had been the man she would marry, but it didn't matter at all, because no man would ever get her into bed - that thought alone caused her to shiver in discomfort. Biting her lower lip, she gently climbed into the carriage, the door being opened and closed by guards, and saw her father. He seemed infuriatingly happy as she sat down on the red-cushioned benches, just giving her a proud look as if there was nothing wrong. "Ready dove?" he asked.

The question alone caused her to huff and wiggle herself deeper into the bench, as if it was somehow hide her away from all of this. She only nodded silently and turned her gaze to the window, determined not to make eye contact with the king. After how everyone treated her, it seemed he wasn't all that different after all. The carriage jolted slightly as the horses in front began to stride forward down the path to the beach nearby, with all the knights and guards beginning to ride along, the chatter of marriage gossip slowly working it's way back up in volume.

An hour passed on by before Ayana finally looked at her father, who seemed to be looking out the window himself in thought, however as if sensing her movement he returned the gaze only a second later. "What is it, dove?" he asked calmly, gently, though he had to admit he was slightly amused by the misunderstanding.

"I told you..." she started with a flare of anger, though it was calm enough not to be seen as disrespect among all the subjects - if they could even hear them at all. "You know.. you know I don't want to be with a man. I-..." She looked out the window again, balling up her fist in a mixture of anger and depression. Her sharp gaze snapped back to her father. "I don't know why you're doing this."

King Keltin shifted back against the carriage uncomfortably and pursed his lips in thought. As much fun as the surprise would be, he could see how much it was actually upsetting her. It wasn't wise to keep her in the dark if this was that kind of stress it was causing her, so taking a slow inward breath, he explained. "People can't just take things all the time without.. something happening in return. Knowing that we have neighbors means it's not only rude, but nearly an act of war to encroach on their seas - even if it's just for fish or exploring other lands. This is to bring our people's together with love and understanding..." He paused, seeing that Ayana had turned her eyes back to the window in irritation - he knew she didn't want to hear that, but it was just as important as what she needed to hear. "... and you never gave me a chance to reply yesterday. Despite all your assumptions and fears, dove.. you are marrying a woman."

The release of tension was almost so great that one could feel the air get lighter, his daughter slowly looking over to him in confusion, but with a relief that made the older man grin. "W-what?... r-really?" she stammered in almost ecstatic surprise. The king only nodded gently. Before he knew it, she had jumped across the way and was hugging him tightly around the shoulders in silence. Giving one last squeeze, she moved back to sit next to her father as her mind worked furiously to imagine the new scenario. "Oh... I'm so sorry father.." she gently apologized, getting a gentle pat on her hand in response. As her eyes went up to his, she gave him a small smile. "Is it okay I'm a tad nervous, now?" They both shared a happy chuckle.

The next hour was Ayana sitting quietly as butterflies over took her stomach, leaving her biting her lip often in a flurry of nervousness and daydreams and curiosities. She wasn't sure how it'd work between two different species, though she wasn't so put off by the idea as she was genuinely interested, having daydreams of getting to know one another, getting to touch and explore her partner's skin, and simply wondering how it might feel. The princess kept many thoughts in her head to make the hour pass by quickly, such as where they'd live, how she'd be received, and the such. All she really knew was just like any other marriage, Ayana would be left in the care of the other's family, but this was special. Though official planning for a unique home hadn't been fully fleshed out, they had brought with them the very best camping gear they could muster to set up a semi-permanent residence for the princess until something could be worked out between both Humans and Mers.

The carriage came to a slow stop just as Ayana was thinking of being inside her little tent and whether her partner would stay after or go back to her clan and leave her alone. The full stop caused all those thoughts to suddenly wash away though as her nervousness was literally embedded into every single nerve ending, causing her to tense up as the king got out. It was customary for the king to greet them first before the princess was presented, but she had no clue how any of this was going to work - her father had kept her mostly in the dark..

Outside, the knights and guards slowed their horses and eventually dismounted, mostly in an ordered fashion befitting a ceremony. Some of the squires began to tie up the horses to a nearby tree while servants came out of the second carriage to begin setting up the nearby tent site, others gathering around the front to be told what to do with the ceremony preparations. Anyone who wasn't busy was curiously staring at the regal looking band of sea creatures and whispering among themselves. Eventually the king approached and gave a polite, gentle bow to signal respect before offering a friendly smile. "Welcome honored guests..." The king continued a short greeting and approached the elder to begin finalizing how the day might plan out. Meanwhile, in the distance, Ayana decided to poke her head out - despite traditions - and looked over the group of Mers, biting her lower lip as she wondered who she was to marry or bond to.

They had brief warning of the humans’ approach when Hafsa, who had been dealing with them off and on for some time now, recognised the thumping in the ground for the beat of hooves against it. Horses, she explained to those who had never seen them, were very large and would probably hurt if they stepped on you, but could be startled away with a simple hiss and threat display. But they should try to avoid startling the beasts when they had a human on their back… The wry manner with which passed on her warning told Iri that she probably mentioned that from experience, but was unlikely to tell her the story, no matter how much she pestered.

The temptation to try it for herself and see what the result was crossed her mind and kept her distracted until the beasts and their burdens came into view.

Never mind startling them. She was going to stay as far away as possible from creatures that size, even if they only ate grass. What if they took exception to her lying on top of it?! No, thank you, she was going to stay right here on her rock where it was safe and she could observe the hubbub without being included in the fuss.

Beside her, she could hear the others remarking on the flurry of activity that seemed well rehearsed, as not a one of the tall humans (and they were all tall, having the advantage of being able to stand upright) stepped into another’s way. They were extremely coordinated in a way that mers could never have emulated on land. It was interesting to watch. And she wanted to know what they were doing with the horses and the ropes and the huge cloth and what was in the big basket-thing the horses were pulling.

She’d seen them about before, of course, and had occasionally gone as close as she could to the nearest ocean town, but it was rather different to know that these humans had come to see them, specifically, rather than that they’d all met up by chance. There was no small amount of awkward gazes being met and flitting away again as curiousity matched curiousity.

Iri’s own gaze eventually began to sort through each of the humans, trying to guess who she might soon be bound to, but she hadn’t any notion. Would a princess be put to work? What did princesses do, anyway? She had been summarily informed that a princess was her own gender when she’d snarled at her mother about the whole not getting to choose who she performed the rite with, and that they would both be unable to choose and it was for the good of their clans. As far as she was aware, a princess was the daughter of a king. But she did not know how to tell a male from a female, or a king from a-… Actually, the human approaching them looked promising.

Dignified, tall, so she guessed he was older… Did humans keep growing? How small did they start out? And he was coming towards them, which surely meant he was important enough to feel he could speak to them. Not that she wouldn’t have said something to even a beggar’s brat, had one been available and saying hello, but no one else was looked willing to say a word to them, so, she assumed…

When he bowed, she glanced at her mother and the elder and tried to imitate their own version of the gesture, dipping her head and bending her elbows a little. Then, because she had every right to be part of these proceedings now that the day had arrived, she hauled herself over to join the elder and the Hafsa, squeezing in between them without concern for interrupting the proceedings. From her lower vantage point, she stared up at the human, considering. She had learned the language from the elder on her left, but had had little chance to practise and was a little unsure of her manners, but she’d already given her mother all the opinions she could ever hope to want concerning the ceremonies, and didn’t want to wait any longer. “Hello. I am Iri. Where prince-ess?”

She was promptly grumbled at by her mother, and had her hair pulled by Tsuin. Hissing, she turned to glare while the Hafsa sighed. “A good day, King. My daughter, Iri. We are hoping they might meet so they do not come together strangers. A tide to talk, as we speak of ceremonies, yes?”

His majesty just chuckled at this display, giving the mother and daughter a warm smile, making it obvious he hadn't been offended in the least. "Yes, of course," he then quickly agreed and twisted his torso so that he could see his daughter's head poking out of the carriage. Lifting a hand, he waved her over, signaling for her to let herself out and come join them. He then stepped aside while keeping his front to the Mers, giving a sign of respect by not turning his back but also allowing Ayana room to approach and feel included.

At the carriage, Ayana nearly ducked her head back in when she realized she wasn't in trouble, but rather she was being beckoned over. She slowly moved over to the small door and took in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and keep her mind calm, even though it was only partially effective. Ayana gently pushed the door open, treating it like it could snap at any moment before stepping down and closing it just as softly, her eyes drawing across the beach until she focused on the group of Mers. 'Here goes,' she thought to herself, biting her lower lip.

The princess made her way over at a decent, but very deliberate pace as to keep herself from fumbling or going too fast. As she pushed past the crowd of servants, she could hear the small whispers of both curiosity and excitement with dabs of fear. She wasn't entirely sure what to feel herself, but she knew fear wasn't among one of them. Instead it was some cocktail of anxious, nervous, excitement, and shyness. She had never felt so intense in her entire life and it was causing her body to tremble a little with all the adrenaline. Finally, she made it and stepped a few feet next to her father, giving him a nervous smile while trying to figure out who her bonded would be.

Finally, the king smiled and motioned to Ayana, standing just a little taller in pride. "This is my daughter, Ayana - the princess." Giving only a moment for it to sink in, he then gently motioned towards Iri with a reassuring look in his eyes. "Ayana.. this is Iri." Not entirely sure how to address Iri, he simply left it at that, letting his daughter focus her gaze on the woman.

At first, Ayana smiled shyly, biting her lip once more as she tried to figure out the defining features that made Iri a female, but in truth just knowing was enough for the moment. "H-hello.." She replied, lifting her hand into a nervous wave towards Iri, her gaze starting to bounce from the ground to her future bounded. She could feel her legs trembling beneath her, trying to muster all of her will into keeping them still, even though they refused to obey. In an attempt to gain some control over her body, she moved her hands behind her back and clasped them together tightly, almost making her knuckles white from the strain. At that moment, Ayana wasn't sure what else to say or to do and simply waited for Iri or someone to react in some way.

While both the Hafsa and the elder were grateful to see the smile on the king’s face, Iri was not altogether aware that she’d done anything wrong. Most especially as there was no consequence. So, she smiled back, a toothy sort of friendliness, and followed where he looked.

She could see someone else was in that basket-thing. It was very easy to notice when they were peeking out of it and when they stepped out, she squeaked excitedly at anyone who would listen. See? Do you see her? Look, oh look, I am scared. But with her mother’s encouragement, and Tsuin looking on in curiousity, she lifted her head as high as she could when the king introduced them and tried again to offer that bow the way her mother had. It felt silly to bob her head about, but it seemed important, so she did it, and then, as soon as the other girl’s lips moved, she clambered over the elder’s back so she could go around the king and close the distance between them.

It took her a moment, the elder was not a small mer, and shifted beneath her with a grumbled complaint about her claws. But she made it eventually, and was very soon staring up at this princess Ayana who was to be her bonded with obvious curiousity and no small amount of consideration. Short hair, but a nice colour. Funny cloth hiding her legs. It was a colour she did not readily know, though it did come close to the stinging anemones she preferred to avoid. At the very least, however, she knew that a human would not be wearing something that stung. They touched too many other things to accept the risk that they might hurt something they did not want to scare away.

The trouble, really, was that although Ayana was not exceptionally tall for a human, she was still higher than Iri’s arms could lift her, and she did not have the proper spinal support to hold herself up with her tail. So, she moved around Ayana’s feet, curling in behind her and coming around the other side before patting her flank invitingly. “Here. You… put self here.” She did not know the word for lie down or sit, as one was rarely done by any mer and the other was always done, so she’d never thought to ask about it. “Then close ear to mouth and no… no look up.”

She was not at all bothered to be offering herself as a chair, as it was exactly what she would have done with another mer if they wanted to speak without misunderstandings or to develop their friendship. She could not hear very well beyond a certain distance, and Ayana had a very quiet voice. Well, to her, anyway. The king had spoken loud enough to hear, he knew noise was necessary. The princess did not seem used to this fact.

“Please?” She added as a quick afterthought after a reprimanding cough from the elder.

Ayana's eyes widened a bit as her soon to be bonded practically climbed all over her kin towards her. As she came closer, the princess bit her lip and smiled, looking down at Iri with interested. Her eyes started to comb the rest of the Mer's body, finding it extremely interesting how long she was! The color and texture of her scales was somehow pleasing to her eyes too, causing her cheeks to glow slightly as she realized how she could find Iri pretty. Then she heard herself squeak softly when Iri started to circle her, feeling the tail rubbing up against her calfs and focusing right back on her future bonded when she patted her own tail.

Ayana tilted her head a little, giving a shy, but genuinely sweet smile at Iri telling her to sit. Though the next words would a bit confusing in how it was presented, she figured Iri just wanted Ayana closer so it was easier to see her. Thinking more about the idea of sitting on Iri's lap, she felt her cheeks grow a much brighter red before slowly sitting herself onto the Mer's tail. It was interesting in how it felt - cool, rough, and yet somehow it wasn't uncomfortable in the least, causing her to actually relax more - especially seeing as the offer gave her shaky legs respite.

"... it's.. um, nice to meet you Iri.." she spoke shyly, though her obvious interest in examining the Mer was not the least bit slowed down by her own bashful nature. Instead, she kept looking into Iri's eyes for a moment before slowly, hesitately looking at her hand while she felt the scales of the woman's tail. She bit her lip and blushed again, giving Iri a sweet smile. There was one thing she did enjoy about Iri already - her forwardness - and she was more than content to let her continue being forward.

Her father watched most of the exchange, smiling at his daughter, knowing that she might find this arrangement agreeable. After all, if anyone knew Ayana right now, it was him and just the notion of someone being so interested and forward was a big deal to her - not to much the exotic nature of the Mers. He turned his attention to the Hafsa and clasped his hands together gently. "M'lady... I thought on the ceremonies and traditions of your people and mine and came up with an idea." Keltin had been an unusual ruler, but everyone loved his straight-forward causal manner when appraoching people, even though many of the other kingdoms could not comprehend his distaste for politics. "When they are speaking their intentions to one another... we can have everyone gather around and do the handfasting for our part - I'm sure you remember the symbolism. Otherwise, after this it is customary for the bride... well, my daughter in this case... to be under your care. You can then continue along your ceremonies as you see fit. Does that sound reasonable?" he asked, though quickly interjected. "Of course if you need anything from us for either of their comfort... please let us know. I hope in the days to come we can become more familiar with each other.." Unclasping his hands, he gave another smile, though it was mixed with happiness and sadness, knowing one of his daughters wouldn't be filling up the hallways of the castle anymore. He knew she needed this though, he'd just miss her.

Pleased that she’d managed to make herself understood, Iri felt the wait of the princess settle on her tail and grinned over at her mother. It might have taken a little prompting, and she might have hesitated a little, but she was sitting. So, humans could be friendly and aware of you that way, too! It was something she had been worried about from the moment her mother and the elder both had warned her against being overly familiar with those she met, keeping her hands to herself and everything else at what they said was an appropriate distance for humans. It had seemed monstrously vast, to her.

Well, maybe they just needed to be taught differently.

Hafsa, who knew exactly what her daughter was thinking just then, merely huffed quietly, but nodded encouragement back because anything else would have been discouraging for the pair.

“And nice it is to meet you… Yana?” She wasn’t sure she’d heard her father correctly when he’d introduced them, but was not perturbed at all by the curiousity the other seemed to have for her scales. Touch was a good thing between mers, it proved each other acknowledged. So, Iri only bared her teeth happily, their sharper angles making it a slightly intimidating gesture, though she meant well. Then, as the king began to speak again, she turned her attention back to him, not sure if he was addressing them as well, of just her mother and the elder.

For her own part, Hafsa had nodded through the offer, then gurgled her approval when he had finished. “That is well thought. We had decided that you would have your words and moment during our waiting, but it is better that happens before. Yes, it will do well. The speaking things can be done there?” She moved Tsuin from the crook of her arm to her back as she spoke, so she could bow again with both arms supporting her, and then wave her arm towards an outcrop of rock where sand had crept into its cracks and poor grass was trying to grow. “There is one here, Plehn. He knows more of what is needed for making the princess comfortable.” She paused to point out a male almost as large as the elder, and even older, who had had plenty of experience with humans and building. He was, in fact, their best maker.

“Now though, we ready what is needed, and give them space, yes?” Smiling gently, she turned to eye the two girls who had been utter strangers not two minutes ago and gestured the rest of the mers away as she started hauling herself and her son towards the shade of a tree. “Here, we will talk more, King.”

Iri, watching them leave, was vaguely alarmed at the idea of being alone with someone she didn’t know and whose opinion of her was going to matter for the rest of her life. But after her initial squeak, she pulled back, unconsciously looking for comfort from the only body nearby, and, taking as deep a breath as she could, turned again to look at Ayana. “Now we have a tide for talking and I do not know what is to say.”

King Keltin nodded in agreement, easily following the direction of the Hafsa. There was not much to be said as they walked towards the comfort of shade, merely explaining that the princess only needed solid ground to stand on over a rocky surface, that her more boyish nature tended to give her an advantage of not having to mind a minor hike of sorts. Of course, there was also the mention of the servants, but it was not a stretch to keep them further away on the softer ground - the distance being more than enough for humans to hear from at least. They only needed the ribbons, which they brought, to tie their hands together after the speaking. Other than these things, the king did not feel there was much else to discuss besides getting to work on preparations. He waved over one of the head servants, explaining that he and all the other servants were at the Mer's disposal.

After Iri's squeak and an obvious plead for guidance, Ayana pursed her lips to the side in thought. Slowly, she snuggled herself slightly more onto Iri's tail, hoping to comfort the Mer even though it brought a slight blush to her cheeks again. "It's okay," she reassured her softly. "And it's Ayana - but you were really close." She smiled, biting her lip for a second, surprised that she was going to be the one leading the conversation for the moment. It was endearing though, in a sense, seeing this forward woman being so nervous - it was actually a little cute. "Well... she started, brushing back her brown hair with her fingers, trying to think of something to talk about. "I figure humans might be a bit strange to you, huh? I mean, with us having legs and all.. among some other things.. like much softer skin." Ayana wiggled her legs a little and watched Iri's reaction with intent curiosity.

"I guess I worried a little.. if you might find me pretty, but, uh...." Ayana looked away for a second, feeling her cheeks glow again - goodness, she was blushing a lot! "And you are different.." Again, she slid her hand across Iri's tail before looking back up. It was true, when the Mer smiled, it almost seemed like a predator - but what facial expressions there were, she could tell it was meant out of happiness. In a way, it had it's own beauty, she only had to get used to it. "But.. I actually think your scales are very pretty.... and.. um, I'm.." She rocked side to side very slightly, looking up while she rolled her eyes, smiling. "I'm a bit of a learner.. I read books a lot, so... uh, I guess.. I like looking at you - you're very interesting." She only hoped Iri would enjoy the compliments, or that she would take them in the way Ayana meant them, and not have some odd cultural norms skew their intentions.

Plehn, elder and Hafsa all listened to what the king had to say, eager for any explanation of things they might have missed to ensure his daughter’s comfort. And rather grateful that he kept his pace to theirs. They could, of course, move faster when required, but the effort was rather more than any of them wanted to make under the sun, and the two old mers were slow. They had more weight to haul over the rocks and sand-grown grass.

When he called over one of his servants once they’d all made it to the tree, the few other mers with nothing to do trailing behind to slump together into another pile and doze, Plehn drew the servant aside so they could discuss the needs of the princess once the ceremony was finished. There had, of course, already been much talk of living necessities, food and shelter, and drink once the mers had been made aware of its importance. There was a little floating cabin being made, but though it was looking very well-built, it was not yet finished, and they wanted to ensure that, despite the king’s reassurances, his daughter would be comfortable while she awaited its completion.

“Aaah? Ayana?” Apparently she had already gotten something wrong, but Ayana did not seem concerned by it. So, Iri tried again, the other girl still speaking a little softly for her preferences, but, being closer, she was hopeful she’d heard her name properly this time. And then their differences were brought up, and she realised that was a very good point. They had absolutely nothing to say to each other because the only thing they had in common was that they knew very little about the other. And that was a good place to start. Asking questions and finding answers was a very good way of finding something to say without needing to worry that you might be making the other person bored. Or not like you.

Curious, just as Ayana thought, she bent around farther so she could look more closely at the princess’ legs when they shifted. “Yes, legs are funny. Like crab.” She snorted and tossed her head to get her hair out of the way, looking up when she continued, her skin changing colour. Not quite as smoothly as a cuttlefish, but certainly just as fascinating for the moment. She hadn’t know that humans could do that. She lifted a hand to touch her cheek, and grunted in surprise to find it warmer than she’d expected. But had different thoughts just then that she wanted to address. “What is books? And pritty?”

Ayana giggled softly at some of Iri's reactions, mostly the comment about her legs, though a small chuckle escaped her lips when her cheek had been touched as well. Though Ayana had to admit, she wasn't entirely sure how well this was going, with all the cultural boundaries and the like which made her a little nervous. "Well.. um.. pretty means that... you're pleasing to the eye, but it's a feminine form of the word - or the female version of it," she began to explain, slowly melting into her more scholarly mode. "When you find a female pleasing to the eyes, you can either say they are pretty.. or a more intense compliment would be saying they are beautiful. While for the males, you normally only say they are handsome and there's only one word instead of two." She smiled softly, making it easy to pick up on the fact that she loved sharing information or perhaps just loved teaching.

"There is another word... it's called 'cute.' That's more used for when it brings feeling of... endearment. Like many human women often find babies or.. uh.." Ayana had to pause, looking upwards a little as she tried to search for a term that Iri might recognize better. "Cub? Pup? A newborn! Yes... but other adults can be cute too." She nodded, excited she likely found a better way of explaining it all.

"As for books, they are the way we pass on stories. You probably have an elder that passes them by word of mouth?" she ended it with a question, not wanting to assume. "Well, we cut down trees and slice them thin into what we call 'paper.' Then taking ink... we write down symbols that represent words onto it. So later, we can pick up a book, and read the words that had been scribed down on the paper - reading is basically recognizing the symbols and what they mean in speak." Ayana had been pretty sure she had covered everything, though she stopped to see what Iri's reaction would be and if the understanding would sink in or if she would be even more confused than before. The princess had run into that sometimes when she went off like that - people looking at her with a blank stare. She had to admit, she always hated not being understood.