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Philip had just come out of child birth and woke up to a sight no one should ever go through. His child was born dead and his mate had abandoned him. Sure his mate had been a partner selected by his parents to strengthen family bonds, but to end up in shame and dishonor for not being able to produce a healthy heir and then to have a man he had come to love leave him while he recovered broke his heart. The silver scaled merman didn't know what he was going to do as he weakly tried to get out of the bed wishing that it were daylight if only so his struggles were lessened slightly. Perhaps this was part of his punishment for not being able to create a family properly.

A few days after Philip had been abandoned he ventured out of his home looking thin and sickly. He was still in mourning and most of the neighbors avoided him. It was common practice to avoid anyone that didn't produce a healthy first child as it was assumed that the mermaid or man couldn't bare healthy young and was no longer useful to society.

Philip looked up in surprise when he heard someone say his name having already resigned himself to being alone until he either left or died. What surprised him more however was that the voice was coming from his prince a man that was compassionate for his people so he shouldn't have been surprised. "My prince, it is an honor to have you come here." Philip said doing his best to bow to the prince before he failed miserably. The silver failed male heard his prince's question and looked down shaking his head weakly. "Please do not concern yourself with me. I am alright." He lied before looking away.

Philip was keenly aware of others watching them and he didn't want his prince to be viewed with someone weak so he tried to appear fine to the other male. "It is natural for one to mourn alone." The male stated knowing he couldn't ask or let Vaele help him. He had to find a place to bury his child having been too weak to do so right away. "Thank you for your concern however." He stated looking down his tail flicking slightly to try and remain in one position.

((I had him be 19 in his profile, but I can change the age.))

Philip knew that he couldn't hide his weakness from his prince, but he tried to do so anyways. He looked up surprised when he felt Vaele grab his arm to hold him upright. "Maybe no one should go through it, but what is done is done and I cant go back." Philip said before letting out a sigh. Hearing what some of those around them said the male looked down and shook his head. "They are right. You shouldn't waste your time with me when there are other things more important."

Philip was going to swim back inside until he heard his prince speaking of burying his child. Fresh tears started to stream down his face and he shook his head. "No, this is the first time I've made it out of the house." He said softly pain fresh in his eyes before he looked away. "I have to do this alone." The male said before he excused himself from his prince and went back to find the body of his son wrapped in blankets. "Im sorry I wasn't strong enough to keep you alive."

Philip picked up the little bundle that had been his child and gave it a small kiss on the forehead before he started to swim for the sanctuary. He knew it was best that his child was brought somewhere to be buried then letting it be found if he went out to bury it himself.

When he swam out of his home once more he saw that Vaele was still lingering around but he didn't comment before swimming off. He wasn't as fast as he would normally be but that didn't seem to matter. Once he got to the sanctuary he was tired and rested outside of it for a moment catching his breath.

Swimming into the building the merman was a bit lost as to what he should do now. He wanted to have his child buried, but at the same time he didn't think he had anything to give. He just wanted to be sure his baby was cared for even if it wasn't living.

((Not sure what to do here... Vaele can come in and speak with Philip again or one of the priests/priestesses))

The merman tensed up as he felt someone come in behind him only to learn that it was the prince. As one of the priestesses swam up to them Philip held the still form of his child closer to his chest. He knew that this was the best thing that could happen for his child. It hadn't lived long and being stillborn meant that its life had ended before he had a chance to really know or form a lasting bond. Still, he had carried the baby and it hurt to have to bury it. As the female swam away and Vaele spoke Philip looked at the man. "Why is it that a man who doesn't know me is willing to stay with me when my own mate abandoned me before I had even recovered from the labor? I know it had been an arranged pairing but I honestly thought he loved me." Philip said softly looking down and shaking his head. "I don't wish to be alone, but how can I expect someone like you to remain with me for even a moment when Solaris didn't? I was unable to produce his heir and became useless to him." It was clear that Philip thought the abandonment of his mate was his fault. If he was able to have a healthy child then none of this would have happened.

Philip looked at his prince clearly confused before he shook his head. "Perhaps not to you, but I was led to believe it was my duty to produce an heir for Solaris and I failed him and our families." He stated softly before looking away. "It might be a biological malfunction as you put it, but it was something that shouldn't have happened at all! It only made sense for my mate, my former mate to leave and seek out someone else who could provide him with that needed heir." He didn't think the prince could ever understand what he was going through. After all, no one would ever leave him for someone else or because he couldn't produce a healthy child.

Philip didn't understand how Vaele could say that his family, his lover were terrible because he was made to believe it was his duty to have his lover's child. "Isnt that what one does when they are in love? I wanted to provide Solaris with his child, our child."

Hearing that Vaele was going to remain caused Philip to wonder just what he should do. He still held onto his child seeing Solaris in the baby and in the silvery blue scales of his tail.

"I don't know what to do. I love Solaris, but he wont want me back, for all I know he is being paired with another. He should be the one here with me, I am sorry. That is rude of me for turning away your kindness." The younger merman said before letting out a small sigh. "I don't even have a name for my son and I have to bury him." No parent should have to go through that but here he was burying his child alone.

Philip wanted to come up with a name, but he wanted his son to have a father as well, though the only male that seemed to care about his child was the prince. "Prince Vaele, would you... help me come up with a name? To be his, honorary father, though I understand if you do not wish to do so. I.. just want my child to have two people that would care for him. I know I am asking a lot of you in this." He said softly before he looked away from his prince and at the child once more.