With the divorces done with, quiet returned to the grotto. Empress Orlena went home, but Cassius remained, much to Marinus’ displeasure. At least Cassius had not been set to sleep in Crassus’ house.

But the young prince did not give up in his pursuit of Theanore. He made her flower crowns every morning and wrote her poems, which he then read to her at sunset.

That made Marinus step up his game too. He made Theanore wooden carvings of different animals and original merfolk art. He made her figurines of clay with seashells sticking out of them and told her stories every time it was their bedtime. Not only that, but he held her hand as they slept and even went with her to give a brush down on Marferik every afternoon after their nap time.

The dragon was amused by the efforts of the two boys. He advised Theanore to not accept too many gifts per day, no matter how much the boys tried to guilt-trip her into doing so.

Marferik also enjoyed that the boys would frown at him. As far as they were concerned his advice had made Theanore swear off boys for now and so it was the reason neither of them could marry her, or in Cassius case, remarry her.

The week passed peacefully, and yet the two boys kept trying to get Theanore’s attention. They had a bigger problem than each other now. Another boy who claimed he wanted to be only a friend of Theanore, but the boys knew better.

Archibald Strauss was one of the orphans of the grotto. But not of the original 300. He was a newcomer, only one-year-old, and followed Theanore everywhere like a lost puppy.

He would cry when they get separated, and it would make Theanore sad, so she let him tag along and sleep in her bed during bedtimes. To everyone else, it would look like a toddler raising a baby. To Marinus and Cassius, it looked like their nymph being taken away.

All four of them were making flower crowns by the lake. Well, the three of them were, and Archibald was eating the flowers and smiling emptily as he clutched at Theanore with his free hand.

The boys knew they shouldn’t let a baby eat flowers, but they hoped that Archibald will get sick because of it and be forced to a bed. Theanore didn’t know better, as she was a baby herself.

When Claudia found them, she immediately went to Archibald and made him spit out the flowers.

“Weren’t you two watching over the babies? Why did you let Archie eat the flowers?” Asked Claudia. Both boys lowered their heads at being caught. Theanore looked at Claudia and tilted her head to the side.

“The flowers are green, auntie. Greens are good for babies.” Said Theanore with all the wisdom of her seven months’ worth of age.

“Theanore, some flowers are poisonous. If you can’t take care of Archie, then I will take him away.” Said Claudia, and she tugged at the baby boy. He gripped Theanore’s dress tighter and began screaming and crying.

Theanore hugged him and calmed him down, and she looked at Claudia guiltily.

“I am sorry, auntie, I didn’t know. I sometimes eat flowers too, but I don’t get sick.” Said Theanore. Then Claudia rounded on the two boys.

“But you two must-have known! For shame, risking a baby’s health out of neglect. I will tell Esmer and Crassus about this.” Said Claudia, and then she took Theanore by the hand and, together with Archibald, they went back to the houses.

“Good job, prince. Now we are getting grounded.” Said Marinus. He threw his half-finished flower crown in the lake and stood up.

“Me, duke? You kept silent too. You are cruel to wish ill on a baby. Poor Archie doesn’t even have parents. Theanore is his closest friend.” Said Cassius, trying to shame Marinus when he himself was guilty of the same.

“I am no longer a duke, remember? I bet you can’t get to the houses before me.” Said Marinus, and then he ran off.

“That is cheating!” Screamed Cassius as he ran after the merman.

That night, both boys were grounded to stare at the walls of Crassus’ house in silence. Theanore was made to read a book on baby care by her mother, who claimed that if she was going to raise Archibald, then she needed to know what she was doing.

As they both stood there and stared at the wooden walls, both boys got an idea, though they didn’t know they shared it. If Archibald saw Theanore as a mother, then the baby could see one of them as a father.

Once they become a family of three, then Theanore will agree to marry whomever the baby called father for his sake. It was the perfect plan, as far as both boys were concerned.

When their punishment was served, the boys went and hugged Archibald, who fussed and got out of their arms. He hit each one of them over the heads and went to cuddle with Theanore, who was reading the book.

“Archie, that was mean.” Said Theanore to the baby boy. Archibald grinned at her and hugged her. Theanore found she couldn’t be mad at such an innocent baby, and she extended her arm to hug him while she kept on reading.

But the boys had noticed what each of them was doing. Marinus shot Cassius a glare and pointed at the door. The prince nodded and they exited the house.

“I will be Archie’s father and Theanore’s husband.” Said Marinus, and he set his foot down.

“Archie is blonde like me; you can’t be the father. I will be the father.” Said Cassius, and he set his foot down too.

A crow cawed in the trees as it was startled by the noise of two boys wrestling on the ground. Esmer got out of the house and tugged them by the ear back inside. More staring at the wall was in order.