The Sleeping Mermaid

[Oberon]

Όνομα Συγγραφέα: Oberon (Auberaun)

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Βία; Όχι σ'αυτό το κεφάλαιο

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Αυτοτελής; 1ο από 12.

Σχόλια: Η φάση ξεκίνησε από ένα art project στον εικονικό κόσμο του Second Life. Από ένα συνοδευτικό κειμενάκι για κάποιες εικόνες γεννήθηκε η ιστορία αυτή, βασισμένη στο γνωστό παραμύθι Η Ωραία Κοιμωμένη. Με πολλές αλλαγές, έμφαση στη δύναμη των γυναικείων χαρακτήρων και τοποθετημένο σε έναν υποθαλάσσιο εξωτικό κόσμο, γράφτηκε (και ξαναγράφτηκε) σε 12 μέρη στη διάρκεια 7 περίπου μηνών. Οι εικόνες που συνοδεύουν το κείμενο προέρχονται από το art project και είναι φτιαγμένες από μένα, χρησιμοποιώντας βέβαια 3d models και με κάποια επεξεργασία στο Photoshop. Οι residents που πόζαραν για τις εικόνες έχουν δώσει την άδειά τους να τις χρησιμοποιήσω.

 

 

 

 

~*~*~*~ The Sleeping Mermaid ~*~*~*~

 

 

by Οberon (Auberaun)

 

Chapter 1.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Once upon a time, so many thousands of years ago that even the continents of the Earth itself were different, there was a small and prosperous, underwater kingdom called Aquasia. The kingdom was located on the edge of an enormous, submerged continent. The people of Aquasia, who were all merfolk, liked to think that their land had always been underwater and never a part of the dry lands above the surface.

 

The little mer-country was ruled by a wise king and a, probably wiser, queen, Sirenaeus and Tritania. Its people were blissful and kind-hearted, peacefully milling about their business every day, and creating numerous, exquisite works of art. Little swimways, strewn with iridescent shells, were lined with sea anemones on either side. The lace-like paths intertwined to create a beautiful, colorful labyrinth. All the roads converged on the central, sea boulevard that led to the majestic palace.Thousands of multicolored corals, gems and, exotic-looking, shiny stones gathered from the sea bottom, coruscated off the walls of the palace. Its turrets rose up, hazy and glistening, from the arcane, liminal field that permeated the entire kingdom and every being that lived within it.

 

 

 

 

 

The merfolk of Aquasia were as magical as all creatures that remember and recognize magic are. They worshipped the Great Sea, whom they called Life-Giving Mother, and the Moon, the Divine Night Dancer who gave rhythm to their lives, like she commanded the waters above. They also worshipped the Sun whose light shone, dappled and diffused, even under the water. They called the Sun the Great Weaver as his movement through the sky was like a spinning wheel.

Along with the Moon, he helped the Great Mother create all of existence and all beauty in their lives and their kingdom. Together, the Sea, the Sun and the Moon were the sources of the liminal field of Aquasia, the sources of all their magic.

 

Effortlessly, the gardener mermen charged their hands with energy, slightly nudging the corals to sculpt themselves into delicate, lacy patterns. Huge trellises, hanging from ledges and cliffs, were decorated with exquisitely intricate designs, the result of this empathic collaboration between the gardeners and the living corals of the land. They knew their magic came from the balanced and benevolent influences of their three deities.

 

The Royal Mermaid Guard, a group of amazonian females, called their seahorses, communicating with them empathically as well. Coaxing them into going on a ride, they explored the myriad of miracles found all over their paradisiacal realm of Aquasia. In the process, they made sure the kingdom was safe from external danger. They, too, knew it was the Great Sea, the Sun, and the Moon that gave them the ability to relate to, communicate with, and co-exist in harmony with every living creature under the waves.

 

It was no wonder then that, in front of the palace, a huge statue of the Life-Giving Mother had been erected. She held the Sun in her hands, like a spinning wheel, and the Moon was her crown. The sun's rays were the threads around the spindle from which she created everyone and everything in the world!

 

When the sun set, its fiery, orange light penetrated the blue waters, giving the palace the appearance of an otherworldly abode. It seemed both real and unreal, as solid as rock and as ethereal as moonlight. At that special time of day, all of Aquasia looked toward the phantasmagoric palace and the statue that glimmered in the setting sun's rays. From the grinning gardeners and the singing seamstresses, to the ladies-in-waiting and the wise, elder mermen, the merfolk stopped doing what they were occupied with. They smiled then, realising how happy, content, and blessed they were. But, as if a dark cloud had hidden the sun, their smiles faltered momentarily. Turning to look at their neighbors' faces, they knew full well what each was thinking, without needing to utter one word.

 

Not everything was perfect in their kingdom and no one could be perfectly happy. The ladies-in-waiting who accompanied Queen Tritania on her daily pilgrimage to the highest tower of the palace, solemnly sighed and shook their heads. They remained silent, barely glancing at one another. Upon reaching the top, the procession found itself as close to the setting sun -- as close to the Great Weaver -- as it could, without swimming up to the surface. The queen raised her arms to pray, and her prayer, her supplication at the three deities, was always the same. She prayed with all her heart and might that she and king Sirenaeus be given a child!

 

Merfolk are very long-lived but they are not immortal. The time would come for them all to reunite with the Great Life-Giving Mother, the sea. Sirenaeus and Tritania were worried that their kingdom would be left without an heir. For so many . . . so many years they had been trying to have a child but the queen would not conceive.

 

They had gone to sea witches and midwives, to ask for child-bearing spells, or marital advice that would lead to conception. Protean wizards had cast arcane incantations to attract the soul of a mer-baby. They said it'd incarnate in the queen's womb. It hadn't! Piscean oracles who predicted the future from the movements of fish schools had often said Tritania would be pregnant soon . . . or not-so-soon. The Royal Mermaid Guard had been sent to locate a wise hermit living in a dark cave near the abysmal trenches leading to the core of the earth. He had given them sage, albeit obscure, advice, but it was all to no avail.

 

Tritania had drunk hundreds of magical concoctions, but they hadn't worked. The royal couple had organized meditations where all the inhabitants of Aquasia thought of the same thing -- Please, let the Queen conceive, so the kingdom will be perfectly happy and whole again --, but even that hadn't worked!

 

None of the merfolk of Aquasia were more saddened, though -- aside from the king and queen, of course -- than the realm's most magical inhabitants. Many years ago, three sisters had come to visit, attracted by the unusually strong, liminal field that surrounded the kingdom. The royal couple and their subjects, who had quickly grown to love them dearly, asked them to make Aquasia their home. The middle-aged sisters

(as far as age goes for merfolk), decided to stay. Taking an oath that fused their own powers of enchantment with the sources of Aquasian magic, they made it one of the kingdoms they were sworn to help and protect for as long as they were needed. In effect, they became Aquasia's "faerie god-mers!"

 

Atlantha, the oldest faerie god-mer, had azure-green eyes, a silvery-blue tail, and platinum-white hair that she wore in a regal pompadour. Her name meant "Flower of Atlantis". Those close to her called her by her full name, because Atlantha thought that a diminutive name, diminished her 'self' and the wisdom she had acquired in her long life. Everyone else, with the exception of the king and queen who privately called her Atlantha, addressed her in the appropriate manner of her title as marchioness: Your Ladyship, or Madame!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deliànassa, the second-born faerie god-mer, had pale, amber-colored eyes, a reddish-orange tail, and red hair that she wore in a beautiful, wavy updo. Her name meant "Queen of Delos", after a mythical island of a faraway country. Her sisters and friends called her "Delia". She was a seer and, like her namesake island, she could make clear what was hidden. Most of the time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thalassina, the youngest faerie god-mer had dark-grey eyes, a greenish-blue tail, and curly, brown hair that she wore in two wavy "seahorse tails". Her name meant "Little Sea". Everyone in Aquasia called her "Ina" or "smiley-ina" because she was always, or almost always, cheerful and laughed very easily.

 

 

 

 

All three sisters were pleasantly plump and very close in age, so, aside from their complexions, and the color of their eyes, hair, and fins, they looked almost like identical triplets.

 

 

"I wish there were something we could do to help Queen Tritania and King Sirenaeus have a child . . ." said Thalassina. Her tone was sad, unlikely as that was for 'Smiley-ina'. The three sisters looked toward the palace from the mansion they lived in, which had been granted them by the royal couple.

 

"There is nothing we could do" said Atlantha. "The magic of life is greater, much greater than our own combined", she added matter-of-factly, reminding her sisters what everyone in the kingdom of Aquasia already knew. "Although, there is absolutely no reason why Tritania can't have a child. She is perfectly healthy and capable!" she added, almost to herself.

 

"And yet . . ." added Deliànassa, curling absent-mindedly an already curly strand of hair with her finger.

 

"What is it, Delia?" asked Thalassina, eagerly. "Are you having a vision again? Is Tritania going to . . .?"

 

Atlantha shushed her youngest sister. "Don't interrupt her" she whispered, nudging her with an elbow. Deliànassa's visionary talent was erratic but her visions always came true, although they were never clear enough to know exactly what would occur before it occurred.

 

The middle sister remained silent for a few seconds, looking at the distant, diffused rays from the sun that was setting somewhere in the western sky above the sea.

 

"No . . . I can't see what will occur. But change . . . change is coming. Big, irreversible change . . . " she muttered.

 

"Is it good change or bad change? Black change or white change?" asked Thalassina.

 

"It's never black or white!" said Atlantha sternly. "Everything is shades of grey, tending toward 'almost white' or "almost black". She extended her right hand first and her left hand then to emphasize her words. Then she clapped them together. "It's never clearly . . ."

 

"This time . . . this time it is" said Deliànassa then, as perplexed as her sisters had ever seen her.

 

"What do you mean?" said Atlantha.

 

"This time it's just in the middle. It leans toward neither black, nor white" she explained."

 

"That's impossible!" snapped Atlantha then. "That's as unlikely, indeed, as impossible as something being totally white or totally black! Totally good or totally evil! It's impossible for this to happen!"

 

"And yet, it is so" said the middle sister again. "My vision of the change leans towards neither!"

 

"What are we going to do?" said Thalassina in a worried voice, her tail fin twitching with apprehension.

 

"I don't know, Ina . . ." whispered Deliànassa.

 

"What we've always done" sniffed Atlantha resolutely hitting her right palm with her left one. "We'll nudge whatever the change Deliànassa has felt proves to be, towards ... white. Towards good! Be on the alert, sisters!"

 

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

The palace doors were unguarded. No guards had ever been assigned to the royal home. Every living being within Aquasia loved the ruling couple so much that it was inconceivable anyone could wish any harm to them nor, for that matter, to anyone else in the kingdom. Its corridors at night were subtly illuminated by rows of phosphorescent plants, carefully and tastefully set at regular intervals. Naturally producing a soft green light, they mellowed the dark shadows of the night. A school of exotic fish, that emitted their own colorful light, swam in concentric circles near the ceiling of the royal bedroom, bathing the place in a riot of subdued hues. The King and Queen slept on a bed sculpted out of hundreds of polished, iridescent shells. It was strewn with soft, fresh seeweed and decorated with living flowers, that danced slowly in the calm, nocturnal currents, lulling the loving pair into a peaceful sleep.

 

No one saw the hunched, shadowy figure swimming hurriedly through the palace's corridors, as if it had just been spawned from the darkness and was protected by it. Its tentacles twisting and turning in the phosphorescent, green light, the figure entered the bedroom and stopped just in front of the royal bed.

 

It was an old merwoman, hooded, her eyes burning yellow, her mouth scrunched up into a grimace that was part smile, part malevolent sneer.

 

"Wake up, your highnesses," she whispered. Her voice reverberated from the walls in a cacophony of hushed, discordant echoes. It was like the distant boom from a raging storm above the sea, which startled the circle of light fish. The sound was more than a whisper, yet less than a real voice, made even more menacing by its unearthly quality. "Wake up", she repeated, "and face your . . . destiny!"

 

The royal bedroom was almost dark now, the light fish having run away terrified by the old merwoman's whisper-cry. The hazy, green light emanating from the hallway outside made the shadows more pronounced and hostile than they'd be, had the bedroom been completely dark.

 

"W -- what?" said King Sirenaeus, the Queen stirring next to him. He sat bolt upright, his blue eyes looking intensely at the old merwoman. She tried hard to make her smile seem like something more than a grimacing mask.

 

"Who are you? What are you doing here? Don't you know it's extremely rude to enter anyone's bedroom?" he bellowed, passing annoyed fingers through his long, sleek, black hair. The Queen was awake now too, peering at the old merwoman, her full lips, half-open in surprise and wonder.

 

"I am here to offer you your heart's desire. I am the answer to your prayers, your Majesties" she replied simply and calmly.

 

"What do you mean? You can't mean . . . " whispered Queen Tritania. No matter how many attempts and failures she had had to endure all these years, no matter how many frustrations and disappointments, her heart had never abandoned the hope of having a child.

 

"Oh, another concoction, spell, juice, more marital advice" said the king indifferently. "You could have come tomorrow morning when I and the Queen hold our daily audiences with the realm's people!"

 

"I could not do that, sire" said the merwoman. "You see, I am . . . shall we say . . . transient! I travel all over the world, and upon arriving here yesterday, I heard about your wish. Like a faerie god-mer, you could say, my poor, old, kind heart bled with your plight for an heir. My one and only desire is nothing short of granting a healthy child to you both!"

 

"Well, that's no reason to . . ." said the king, but the queen nudged him lightly with her elbow. "Perhaps, we ought to hear what the 'goodie mer' has to say" Tritania suggested mildly, looking at Sirenaeus with that special gaze she reserved for her husband, the meaning of which was 'don't you dare say no!'"

 

The king harrumphed, his black tail fins swishing nervously, and agreed. He had seen the flicker of hope in Tritania's eyes despite the semi-dark surroundings -- not to mention that special gaze --, and his love for her was such that he found it impossible to enforce protocol or, indeed, deny her anything she wanted. After all, what Tritania wanted more than anything was exactly what he wanted too. An heir!

 

The old woman fumbled inside her cloak and produced a small, stoppered vial that she held with her left hand. It was black as lava and decorated with red, arcane symbols.

 

"This is the path that will lead you to the fulfillment of your dream," she began, tapping the vial with one gnarly finger. "If you agree to my terms, then Her Majesty will drink this, and nine months later you will give birth a beautiful, healthy heir!"

 

"If only I had a fish for all the times I've heard this ..." snapped King Sirenaeus but Queen Tritania shushed him.

 

"Do I know you? Have you been here before, goodie mer?" asked Tritania, eyeing both the hooded merwoman and the black vial. "I am not going to try again something I've already . . ."

 

"I am sure you haven't, ma'am" she hurriedly assured her. "As I said, I am transient, and to the best of my knowledge I've never before been to Aquasia. I would remember such a beautiful kingdom!" she added matter-of-factly.

 

"What are your . . . terms, madam?" asked the King.

 

"Oh, just my terms of payment, your Majesty. After all, a poor woman like me has to survive too, hasn't she?"

 

"Proceed", replied Sirenaeus.

 

"Well . . . although this potion took years to master to ensure its success, it cannot work by itself. A bit of magic is needed, and a price, of course. Magic you have a-plenty in your kingdom, but the price will be steep!" said the old woman carefully.

 

"Name it!" exclaimed Tritania, nervously pushing away her blonde hair as it swam all around her. "Name it and it will be yours!"

 

". . . After the birth of our child!" Sirenaeus's penetrating, blue eyes bore into the old sorceress's yellow ones.

 

"Naturally, naturally!" laughed the old mer sorceress, her face cracking in a grimace that on any other person's face would be . . . glee. "What I want, what is needed actually, is this: You will have a healthy son or a daughter, and for sixteen years your child will live here in the palace. When your child turns sixteen, it will be given to me to raise and educate until the time comes for it to be crowned King or Queen of Aquasia. Then I will return your heir to you!"

 

"Out of the question!" yelled the king, furious at the absurd proposition. "Get out of here before I call the Royal Mermaid Guard and make you even more 'transient' through our kingdom than you intended to be!"

 

"We cannot accept that" added Tritania, looking pleadingly at her husband. Then, she turned to the old woman again.

 

"We cannot give you our child. It will be crown prince or princess of the realm and we shall not part with him or her. Ask anything else, anything. My life itself, if you desire it, and I would give it gladly to you."

 

"Tritania . . . " whispered the king touching her arm gently. The queen continued:

 

"I would gladly die after I give an heir to my husband and to Aquasia. But do not ask us to give you our child, even after sixteen years. It would be like giving away the soul of our land itself!"

 

"Isn't there anything else we could give you?" the king offered then. "Aquasia is a rich kingdom. You can have a palace to rival our own, lands, you can be a lady-in-waiting for the Queen, a duchess even, if you so desire. . ."

 

The old woman shook her head no.

 

"I am not interested in material wealth, your Majesty" she sniffed. "I prefer spiritual gifts, gifts of the heart and the soul. I am most ancient, and a very powerful sorceress. Had I desired, I would not be here now, travelling where the sea takes me. I could have had all the riches our Sea Mother gives us in my hands."

 

"Then what . . . " whispered Tritania. The King glared at the old woman but remained silent.

 

"Oh, my poor heart really bleeds for you, and I am deeply touched and moved. I can see it in your eyes how much this child means for you. Ach, I have always been such a softie" she lamented, grasping her bony cheeks with her hands and shaking her head as if she were in deep pain. "So, I will give you another deal. Keep the child and your riches. When the time comes for the child's naming ceremony, I shall be its sole god-mer and only I shall bestow gifts and blessings upon it. No other god-mers will be invited! None, whosoever! If it's a boy, his name will be Lucifer. If it's a girl, her name will be Lucinda!"

 

"Is that all?" asked the Queen, feeling the bubble of happiness forming in her pounding heart, ready to burst. Then she frowned and looked at her husband. "How will we tell our own faerie god-mers they will not be invited to the naming ceremony? They have helped the kingdom so much . . ."

 

"They are our subjects, Tritania!" Sirenaeus's voice was as serious as befit a King. "Atlantha, Deliànassa, and Thalassina want the best for our kingdom like we do. After all, while very powerful users of magic themselves, they too have been unable to give us a child! The three marchionesses, our faerie god-mers, will understand!"

 

"Very well then," agreed Tritania.

 

"It's a deal." Sirenaeus's expression remained serious. The merwoman's wrinkled face was beaming triumphantly.

 

"But understand this," he warned in a stern tone. "If your potion fails, you will never show your face anywhere in my kingdom. Not now, not a thousand years from now! If you do, you will be arrested and . . . executed! Is that perfectly clear, madam?"

 

"Absolutely, your Majesty," she bowed confidently. "But my potion will most certainly not fail!"

 

"What must I do?" asked Tritania, trembling with barely contained eagerness.

 

The old sorceress raised her hands and her booming voice reverberated all over the royal bed chamber.

 

"You will swim up to the surface at dawn, wearing nothing more than what our Great Sea Mother has given us at birth. You will hold the vial with your left hand.

 

When the Great Weaver, the Sun, rises in the East, let his first ray touch the vial. When the Divine Night Dancer, the Moon, sets in the West, let her last ray be cast on it. You will unstopper the vial then, and drink the potion in one gulp. That first sun ray will be the thread that begins weaving a child in your womb, and the last moon ray will be the beginning of the dance of an expectant mother.

 

Return to the palace after you conclude the spell, and speak not of what you have done to anyone! No one, whosoever! Only you, the King and I must know! Very soon, you will feel a new rhythm. The Rhythm Divine, of a child's life growing in the nurturing chamber of your belly, protected and given form by the . . . by the Life-Giving Mother herself, my dear!"

 

With a flourish, the sorceress offered the black vial to the queen. Tritania took hold of it and pressed in to her chest with both hands as if it were the greatest, most dear treasure in the world. And it really was!

 

Then, the sorceress bowed again and swam fast out of the bedroom. No one saw her leave, no one saw her exit the palace. It was as if she had melted once again into the darkness that had spawned her.

 

Only an echoing whisper was heard by Sirenaeus and Tritania, bearing the old mer sorceress's voice. "When the time comes, remember your promise. Invite me as the child's god-mer and I shall come!"

 

 

 

END OF CHAPTER 1

 

~*~*~*~

Edited March 14, 2011 by Oberon

[Oberon]

Όνομα Συγγραφέα: Oberon (Auberaun)

Είδος: Παραμύθι

Βία; Όχι σ'αυτό το κεφάλαιο

Σεξ; Όχι

Αριθμός Λέξεων: 4520

Αυτοτελής; 2ο από 12.

 

 

 

 

 

~*~*~*~ The Sleeping Mermaid ~*~*~*~

 

 

 

 

by Auberaun

 

Chapter 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

 

Faster than a school of racing dolphins, the news that Queen Tritania was pregnant travelled through the kingdom and beyond in no time at all. Neighboring and distant countries, from Hydrabad and Amphitritos, to Nereialis, Eridania, and the empire of Cytherea-Sous-La-Mer, sent congratulatory messages to the royal couple of Aquasia.

 

The grand market near the palace was always full of people, admiring the goods, haggling over prices, and buying all kinds of merchandise, proudly displayed by their creators, farmers, or other business folk. Delicate works of art, pottery made of magically-enticed stone to assume beautiful forms, potions to ensure private . . . marital -- and non-marital -- bliss, and even much-coveted items found in shipwrecks at the bottom of faraway provinces.

 

Every Aquasian felt such joy, and jubilant exhilaration that, for days, no citizen could concentrate on their work, and no other topic of discussion occupied their thoughts more than the new baby.

 

"Oooh, I can't wait! I feel my head will burst!" chirped a palace seamstress. "I even cast a bubble oracle to ask whether it'll be a boy or girl!"

 

"Oh, who cares?" sniffed a pottery merchant. "A healthy boy or girl! That's what matters! Her Majesty could even have twins! Or triplets!"

 

"I hear the Emperor of Cytherea-Sous-La-Mer wants to arrange a marriage between his youngest son and our princess; or his youngest daughter -- the Empress had twins recently, you know -- and our prince!" exclaimed a lady-in-waiting who was at the market to shop and . . . gossip! "Wouldn't that be dandy?"

 

"With all due respect, no, ma'am, it wouldn't!" interjected a helmeted mermaid who was a member of the Royal Guard. "It has never been our custom to marry off our royalty for political reasons. The princess, or prince, will decide by themselves who will be their spouse!"

 

Every sunset, the queen visited the palace's highest tower to pray as she had done for so many years, but now, it was not a supplication anymore. It was a prayer of thanks to the Great Sea Mother, the Great Weaver, and the Divine Dancer of the Night. If she possessed tear-ducts, she would have cried tears of joy and gratitude. But the tears merfolk shed from their hearts are truer and deeper than the salty drops of human eyes, because the heart can never lie. And the queen's heart was full of ecstatic happiness. So much so, that every single thought toward the baby growing inside her each passing day, was nothing less than a rapturous epiphany.

 

All Aquasians turned to look towards the glimmering palace at sunset, as always, but now their smiles did not falter any more. Not for one instant. They became larger grins, more mirthful giggles, contented sighs, belly laughs full of happiness. Giddy expectation made them tremble, their tails swishing around as if they wanted to caress their queen's belly. Their land's soul was whole once again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

Atlantha sat near the mansion's view window. Her sister Deliànassa was seated next to her. Their youngest sister, Thalassina, hadn't been able to stop screaming, and laughing, and dancing, and breaking dishes, for days after the 'News'. She was swimming here and there, her eyes two bright stars of absolute delight!

 

"What are you thinking Atlantha, dear?" Deliànassa knew her question was silly. If Atlantha wanted to share her thoughts, she would.

 

"Nothing . . ."

 

"Is the 'nothing' you are thinking the same 'nothing' that has been on both our minds, or are you thinking of another 'nothing'?" she prodded, trying to coax her stern, older sister to open up.

 

"I am not in the mood for frivolity, Deliànassa" Atlantha stated simply. "And do not pretend that you are, either."

 

Atlantha had been as happy as everyone at the news of the queen's pregnancy, of course. What faerie god-mer wouldn't be? But lately, she had grown more thoughtful and silent, exuding an air of worry that was as unlikely for her as feeling depressed was for Thalassina.

 

"What's the matter with you two girls?" exclaimed the latter, hugging her sisters' shoulders. "Delia! Antha! We have so much work to do, and you are moping about like lovesick jellyfish! We have less than six months to design our blessing spells, polish our ceremonial wands, brush up on protocol, aaaand . . ." she added emphatically, " . . . the Royal Head Seamstress has already sent messages for us. We must work with her on our gowns for the naming ceremony! Won't that be fun?!"

 

"Very" murmured Atlantha, so obviously lost in her private thoughts that she didn't scold her youngest sister for calling her "Antha", a normally hated diminutive!

 

"Oh, poo! Don't tell me you are still thinking of Delia's vision from a few months ago! It was probably about something else!" Thalassina waved her hand dismissively.

 

"About what, Thalassina?" snapped Atlantha then. "What else can be a big, irreversible change for Aquasia? Livio, the second-oldest son of the Royal Messenger Guild master, being caught smooching with Alinda, the youngest daughter of the city's Head Gardener, by his own fiancé, Tresilva, who called the marriage off? Is that your idea of an irreversible change of the utmost importance?"

 

"Don't be mean to her" Deliànassa reprimanded her sister mildly. "She means well."

 

"Well, it may be irreversible and of the utmost importance to them . . ." uttered Thalassina, taken aback by her sister's severe scolding. "But you are right . . ." she exhaled, her smile fading as a new thought occupied her mind. "Do you . . . do you think Delia's vision means something may be wrong with the baby?"

 

Deliànassa shook her head no. "The baby will be fine. It's not that. I've been meditating for months, trying to determine what my vision meant. Although I can't be certain of many aspects of it, I think I know now some of the ramifications made clear to me after replaying the vision in my head all this time. That's the 'nothing' I was thinking about, Atlantha." she tapped her temple with one finger, looking pointedly at her older sister.

 

"Then, what is it?" exclaimed Thalassina throwing her hands up in exasperation. "If there had been any danger for the kingdom, we'd be among the first to sense it. The magical field is stable and more beautiful than ever since the news about Queen Tritania being pregnant was announced!"

 

"That's just it!" Atlantha punched her right palm with her left fist. "Such a change should tend toward . . . toward white, toward good. It doesn't! What Deliànassa sensed didn't move either way!"

 

"I'm not sure I understand" shrugged Thalassina shyly. "Since the baby is fine, and Aquasia's liminal field is full of light and more positive than ever, what can be wrong?"

 

Atlantha snorted. While she loved both her sisters equally she was of the opinion that Thalassina could never see the big picture. What all of them instinctively knew, as faerie god-mers of the kingdom, Thalassina only practised in small, everyday ways without theorizing or verbalizing. She preferred to help shape 'living', while she, Atlantha, would rather help shape 'lives'!

 

"Yes, it doesn't really make sense at first glance. Why would an event that we've all wished for and prayed to come about, give me such an ominous vision?" Deliànassa led her youngest sister to sit next to her and continued her monologue. "Occurences in this world, from the most minute to the biggest, tend toward evil or toward good. Nothing is pure good or pure evil. We nudge things to go more toward good, but we do not force anything. That's what faerie god-mothering is all about."

 

"Well, yes!" Thalassina scratched her arm impatiently. "It's not something to think about though. It's something we just do!"

 

Atlantha opened her mouth to comment, but Deliànassa touched her hand urging her to remain silent.

 

"I'm not lecturing you, Ina, dear. But sometimes we must reiterate the obvious to understand and clarify the subliminal" she reassured her. "Even metamorphing wizards don't force their bodies to change. They make possibilities known to them, urge their bodies, and nudge them to assume a different form and, perhaps, help them along the way."

 

"Look at it this way, Thalassina" Atlantha interrupted her middle sister. "Stay on the surface, basking in the sun for too long, and a mer's skin will dry and crack. After a little time, like dolphins, you will not be able to breath only air anymore. You will need to get back to the blue depths of the sea or you will die! And yet, the sun gives us light and warmth. It nurtures us and makes life possible. The sun is good. But too much of sun's 'good' turns to evil!"

 

Thalassina nodded. "Kissing is good. Too much kissing, particularly with the wrong person is bad. Like that unfaithful dogfish, Livio, poor Tresilva . . . and that little tart Alinda!"

 

Atlantha rolled her eyes toward the sky, but knew that her sister was basically right despite the trivial example. "Go too deep into the dark abysses of the ocean and your body will rupture because the sea pressure is too great" she emphasized the last two words. "The heat, too, coming from the fiery core of the earth, will kill you. But have the right combination of heat, pressure, and life-giving waters, and the reality of Aquasia and all other underwater kingdoms is made possible! That reality, that balance, is right. The protective body of water above us that weighs down on us, thus maintaining the right conditions, makes life possible too. Dark doesn't mean evil, nor does light mean good. Too much of either is what differentiates good from evil!"

 

Atlantha stopped to take a breath.

 

"Great! We all know that!" Thalassina was getting tired of this 'course on basic principles' that, she felt, was more suitable for little merlets before the first time they swam out on their own, than a trio of marchionesses and seasoned faerie god-mers. "So, why is this a problem? Our queen's pregnancy is good. Very good, indeed. Isn't it? So, it's in the middle. It's balanced, and when the baby comes, everything will be right with the kingdom. Hence, Delia's vision must refer to something totally different!"

 

"My vision . . . my vision, a little time before we heard the news about Tritania's pregnancy itself, was different" sighed Deliànassa then. "That change is right in the . . . in the middle! It's neither light nor dark. Neither good nor evil. But it's not balanced. The birth of such a greatly desired child should tend toward good from the beginning. This is . . . just in the middle. As immovable as a rock. It felt controlled, as if it were . . . not a natural occurrence!"

 

"Like something someone put in there on purpose!" Atlantha jumped in as her sister stopped speaking. "There was no nudging, no helping along, no guiding. There was deliberate 'planting'! It follows that the person who did the planting will also assume control when the time comes! That's the blackest kind of magic there can ever be!"

 

Thalassina's dark-grey eyes opened wide like two big discs. Horrified, she put her small hands on her mouth. The implications of what her sisters were talking about were enormous. That was something she hadn't realized before. It would be like a faerie godmother . . . hypnotizing the prince into falling in love and marrying the girl she who was her charge. Or, like casting a spell on Livio to cheat on Tresilva because the godmother had decided to take Alinda's as her charge! That would be evil! Ever the optimist, though, after a few seconds she exhaled.

 

"Well, it's not necessarily bad. I mean, the child will be loved by everyone in Aquasia, despite the manner in which it was conceived. It will be blessed by us, and we'll be its god-mers. It'll have the best upbringing and education, that much is certain! We'll make sure our prince or princess grows up in love and light! If there is some darkness in store for our heir in the course of his or her life . . . " she paused for an instant to gather her thoughts and feelings into words. When she spoke again her voice had a steely determination ". . . we, and the entire land, will make sure to dispel it as soon as it appears!"

 

They all remained silent for a few seconds looking at the fading light of the setting sun that painted the sea above them in a riot of diffused orange and purple hues.

 

"And we can not be certain the royal couple entered into any kind of . . . of contract with . . ." Thalassina added in her usual, pleasant tone, but didn't feel confortable to utter what she was really thinking.

 

"Not that we know of, no. At least, not yet." said Deliànassa, curling a loose strand of hair absent-mindedly. "Sirenaeus and Tritania did not elaborate at all about how they managed . . ."

 

"Oh, come on!" laughed the youngest sister. "You don't expect them to describe in front of the whole kingdom what they do in their bedroom, now. Do you?"

 

"That's not what she meant!" retorted Atlantha angrily. "Don't play the buffoon with us, Thalassina! If Queen Tritania had conceived her child naturally, Deliànassa wouldn't have had such an ominous, strange vision. And we all know that regular, magical spells or potions cannot create life where life is not supposed to be! They can help make it better, or worse, but only conniving, black sorcerers would claim they had found a magical way to create a living being!"

 

"Then . . . Tritania and Sirenaeus . . ." whispered the youngest god-mer.

 

Atlantha nodded. "They would either have to use black magic themselves, in which case the liminal field around Aquasia would be thrown so totally off balance that even mollusks would feel the shift, or . . ."

 

". . . or somebody else, outside the kingdom, used black magic to make the queen conceive." Deliànassa completed her sister's sentence.

 

"Would a black magic potion be able to do that?" asked Thalassina. "It doesn't make sense. If a positive force, a force of life like our brand of magic can't do that, why would a negative force, a force of death, like black magic, be able to create life?"

 

"Well, sometimes you utter something that makes sense, my dear!" smiled Atlantha, with mild sarcasm, but not unkindly. "That's exactly what the most baffling aspect about this is! There is absolutely no magic that would have such power. An . . . an evil brand of our art creating life is a contradiction in terms! Black magic's sources of power and aims are control, death, and total darkness! No kind of life-giving blessing can come from it!

 

Deliànassa nodded. "We are not certain, of course, that the king and queen contacted a black wizard or witch. We are only theorizing. Tritania's pregnancy may very well have been a natural occurrence. Perhaps even a blessing from the Life-Giving Mother herself."

 

"Yes, it could have," Atlantha looked intently at her sister for a moment, and then continued in a resolute tone, "Then again, as the kingdom's appointed faerie godmothers, or god-mers as Aquasians call us, I believe we ought to . . . nudge their majesties for an explanation!"

 

It took a few seconds for her sisters to realize what she had said. When they did, Deliànassa ohhh'd and touched her cheek with her hand. As for Thalassina, her eyes popped, and if a passing crab had seen her mouth open so wide, it'd have moved inside without a second's thought!

 

"And that's exactly what I'm going to do very soon, with or without you two!" concluded Atlantha in such a tone of voice that any arguing with her was both out of the question and totally futile!

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

 

The special diacritics on the reply shell that the King and Queen sent to the faerie god-mers a few days later, had been designed especially for them. Correct interpretation of the series of marks was necessary for the message to be translated by only the party concerned. All nobles had knowledge of their rank's particular codes for communicating matters of the highest importance, and no two sets of diacritics were alike. The message was written in the Aquasian, swirly, ideographic language, etched on the shell by the palace's Scribes. It was an artform, like everything else in the merfolk kingdom. The Scribes took great pride in their work, and wrote all ideograms and diacritics perfectly and beautifully, although they themselves could not interpret the latter.

 

But Atlantha and her sisters could. Deliànassa and Thalassina huddled over their oldest sister's shoulders, while she read the royal couple's reply. Their request for a private meeting -- as soon as possible, Atlantha had written -- had been granted.

 

That night, as darkness engulfed the underwater land once again, the three merwomen swam toward the subtly glimmering palace. No one could have guessed who they were, as they had chosen to dress in the most incospicuous manner possible. For all intents and purposes, they looked like farmers' wives from some remote settlement, dressed for work at a kelp farm. Atlantha swam toward the central gate to enter the palace, but her sisters pointed towards a small side door. The message had said Sirenaeus and Tritania would meet them in complete privacy in a small room off the palace's kitchens.

 

Nothing but a single, green, phosphorescent plant illuminated the room when the three god-mers entered. The king and queen, dressed in a very casual manner, were seated on simple coral chairs arranged in a circle. Atlantha noticed that Tritania was fidgety, while Sirenaeus' face was carefully unreadable. Their expressions spoke volumes to her!

 

The three god-mers bowed and the king pointed toward three identical coral chairs.

 

No one spoke for a few moments. It would not do to speak before the royal couple addressed them. The two younger god-mers were already as nervous and fidgety as the queen seemed to be.

 

"Well, mesdames!" Sirenaeus finally broke the silence in a studied, pleasant tone. "What is so important that needs to be discussed without a moment's delay?"

 

"Thank you, your Majesty!" the three sisters said, although only Atlantha's voice was clearly audible. "I trust Her Majesty's pregnancy advances in perfect health?"

 

Tritania nodded.

 

"Atlantha, let us dispense with formalities, shall we?" Sirenaeus' tone was abrupt, almost impatient. "I am glad you decided to ask for a private audience, because I and Tritania have been meaning to speak to you three too!"

 

"Oh?"

 

"Yes. But first, let us hear what you three have to say. Tritania should be resting now and she needs her sleep. If not for the respect you ladies have earned throughout our kingdom, your request would have been denied! So, please be succinct and brief!"

 

"We do not hold with being . . ." Atlantha felt her temper rise at the king's curt reply, but her sisters elbowed her, forcing her to cut her phrase short. She breathed deeply and continued. "What we have to say, sire, is nothing short of extremely serious. I trust you and the queen will listen to our concerns, because Aquasia may very well be in grave danger!"

 

Tritania gasped and Sirenaeus' brows creased in an unfathomable frown.

 

"It may prove to be just an inconvenience, your Majesty, and if it turns to be thusly we shall apologize" whispered Deliànassa then, trying to placate the rising tension between the King and Atlantha. "But it is our duty as the kingdom's appointed faerie god-mers to make known to you every potential trouble for the land we've sworn to protect. Isn't it?" she added looking at the king pleadingly.

 

"Certainly. Please, proceed, madam!"

 

"Deliànassa has had a vision that may mean nothing or it may mean everything. Before she relates what all three of us have been discussing for the past two or three months, I have a question that must be answered by you and the queen, sire!"

 

Deliànassa felt her heart beat faster, and Thalassina whimpered looking pleadingly at Tritania, who also seemed very perturbed, covering her belly with her hands.

 

The king nodded, his eyes glaring at the eldest sister. She remained unperturbed. "We are listening, Atlantha " the king said.

 

"How did Tritania's pregnancy come about?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The king's mouth opened wide, while the queen covered hers with a hand. Atlantha raised her own hand and continued. "I am not asking a . . . a base, biological question, the answer to which ought to remain in the . . . in the bedroom, of course. I am asking about the circumstances surrounding this fortuitous, wished for, and . . . blessed event! In as brief and succinct a manner possible, as per your instructions, your Majesties: Did Tritania's pregnancy, the conception of the kingdom's heir, occur naturally?"

 

Her words seemed to echo from the room's walls. A hollow silence, dark and awkward, engulfed the space around them. Instead of the subtle greenish glow that was the source of light in the room, the shadows now seemed more pronounced, more real, more powerful.

 

"If anyone . . . anyone, marquis or duke, earl or untitled subject of the kingdom had the gall to ask such a question, he or she would be tried for treason and exiled -- or worse -- madam!" The king's voice was full of suppressed anger, his green tail twitching nervously, sending little waves all over the room.

 

"I should like to remind His Majesty that our titles as Marchionesses are honorary and we are guests in Aquasia. Furthermore, our oath clearly states that we shall remain within the kingdom for as long as we are needed or wanted, and . . ."

 

Deliànassa looked at her sister. Her glance betrayed that the seeress was more serious than the she had ever been. Her eyes' message was, for once, quite clear to her older sister. "Do not antagonize the King!" Atlantha scrunched her mouth but remained silent. Before the King, whose face was growing redder by the second, had a chance to retort, Deliànassa asked permission to speak. Sirenaeus nodded.

 

"Sire, my sister did not imply any doubt about the blessed child's parenthood, or suggested any intent to question your decisions." Deliànassa spoke in as calm and composed a manner as she could. "I should venture to say it is I who ought to be held accountable for this, not Atlantha or Thalassina. It is I who had the vision, you see."

 

"What vision was that?" Tritania's voice was full of worry. "The baby . . ." Despite feeling slightly nauseous and faint, Thalassina got up, swam toward the queen, and hugged her.

 

"The baby will be fine, Tritania, dear," Deliànassa continued. "But my vision was ominous and full of dread in relation to the circumstances around the child's conception, as well as the kingdom's future."

 

Forgetting his anger at Atlantha, and after the queen stared at him with that particular look he knew so well, Sirenaeus nodded. "We are listening."

 

Deliànassa proceeded to describe her vision, the discussions with her sisters, their doubts, fears, and conclusions. She barely had finished when Tritania screamed and fainted. In complete empathy with the queen, Thalassina fainted too.

 

"If something happens to Tritania or the baby, you three shrews will be executed!!" bellowed the King, rushing to his wife and slapping her softly to bring her back to consciousness. Deliànassa too swam as fast as dolphin toward the queen and her sister, both of whom floated unconscious.

 

"I am under the impression that you will have to answer to the kingdom itself, as well as to your deities, Sirenaeus!" yelled Atlantha, losing her usual, composed disposition. "What have you done, by the Sea Mother's name?!"

 

Tritania and Thalassina, who had regained their senses in the meantime, looked horrified at the altercation between the king and the oldest faerie god-mer. Tritania swam between them.

 

"It's time for the truth, Sirenaeus" she stated resolutely. "Our beloved god-mers are not the enemy here." She turned toward the three merwomen then. "Like you, the King and I have had many discussions these past months. No one has been happier than I, feeling our child growing in me. And I have been thanking the Life-Giving Mother, the Great Weaver, and Divine Moon every day for this gift of life that they are weaving for us and Aquasia. I've been praying every day but no one knows that my prayer has been also one for protection, not only gratitude. You are right, Atlantha, Deliànassa, Thalassina. The conception of our child did not, unfortunately, become a reality naturally. I used a . . . a potion before 'Renus' and I performed our marital duties."

 

King Sirenaeus and Queen Tritania told the whole truth about their encounter with the mer sorceress, and their agreement in exchange for the potion, without omitting the slightest detail.

 

Pale sunrays signalled the coming of a new day when the three sisters left the palace. Silently, they swam through the central avenue, then followed the path that led to their mansion in the outskirts of Aquasia's capital city. They were mostly silent, their minds occupied with a multitude of thoughts, and their hearts as unsettled as they had never been before. Even Atlantha seemed at a loss for words.

 

"Could it be . . ." began Thalassina at length, knowing that the unspoken question was exactly what her sisters were wondering about too.

 

". . . her . . . after all this . . ." mumbled Deliànassa.

 

"I wouldn't put it past that abyss-spawned scorpion!" Atlantha's voice sounded hoarse and strained.

 

"But the potion worked!" sighed Thalassina perplexed. "How is that possible?"

 

"Don't be daft! It's not!" snapped her oldest sister.

 

"Then how . . ."

 

"That's the most inexplicable thing of all! But . . . we'll find out soon enough!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

No more than ten days later, the entire kingdom was abuzz with the news about their three faerie god-mers going away for an undisclosed amount of time. It was said they were sent on an urgent diplomatic mission to far-off Cytherea-Sous-La-Mer, at the behest of Empress Mélusine Rusisque Adinée La Cinquième.

 

Naturally, no one gave a second thought to the sight of three old merwomen, dressed in utilitarian, drab clothes, leaving the city on the backs of three dolphins. The voyage would not take them to any far-off empire, though. Their destination would be to one of the most distant counties of Aquasia, near its border with Amphitritos. A mostly uninhabited county few people thought of, if ever. A part of the kingdom famous only for a series of labyrinthine caves deep within a huge, undersea forest and nothing much else!

 

 

 

END OF CHAPTER 2

 

 

 

~*~*~*~

[Oberon]

Όνομα Συγγραφέα: Oberon (Auberaun)

Είδος: Παραμύθι

Βία; Λίγη

Σεξ; Όχι

Αριθμός Λέξεων: 3424

Αυτοτελής; 3ο από 12.

Σχόλια: Κάποια ονόματα και κάποιες σχέσεις ανήκουν σε φίλους και φίλες από το Second Life. Δεν έχουν άμεση σχέση με την ιστορία αλλά μια που τη διάβαζαν, τους/τις τοποθέτησα έτσι "τιμής ένεκεν". Φυσικά, τα ονόματα (Κrasno, Tyrian, Elaera, Gratia, Zolina, Hamanda) δεν είναι αυτά που έχουν σαν residents. Oι υπόλοιποι χαρακτήρες του κεφαλαίου είναι εντελώς φανταστικοί.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~*~*~*~ The Sleeping Mermaid ~*~*~*~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Auberaun

 

Chapter 3.

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No living being in Aquasia could sleep that night. The news that Queen Tritania was in labor kept everyone awake. Silently, as if their own heartbeats could somehow disturb their beloved ruler, they went about their business. No one had a mind for any kind of work, though. Their expectant mood was mirrored by the liminal, enchanted field around the country. The waters were as silent, the fish as still, as if the Sea Mother herself was ready to walk among them, making them sense the awe and wonder of a coming life!

 

"It's too bad our god-mers aren't here this night," sighed Tresilva, a red-haired mermaid, as she snuggled closer to her new husband, Livio.

 

The lithe merman nodded and sighed too. "I hear one of the royal twins in Cytherea-Sous-La-Mer suffers from a serious health problem, and that's why our god-mers were needed there!"

 

"Oh? Who said that?" asked Tresilva in a curious tone.

 

"Al . . . uhh . . . I mean . . . a girl!" he replied, hastily stroking his wife's hair. "You are so beautiful tonight!"

 

Tresilva slapped his hand away. "If I suspect you have even looked at that trollop, I'll . . ."

 

"She is a dancer at the ballet. I can't help but see her. I am dancing at the naming ceremony too, darling!" Livio defended himself. After all, he was part of the troupe that would perform "Hydravel's Bolero" at the prince or princess' naming ceremony on the seventh day after the birth.

 

"Don't you 'darling' me, Livio!" Tresilva's voice was full of menace. "If not for Smiley-Ina, I would have never forgiven you for kissing Al . . . that trollop. And she promised to both Ina and her sister, Atlantha, that she would leave you alone!"

 

Livio shuddered unwittingly. A talk with Thalassina, full of emotion and sympathy, was enough to make him feel awful for cheating on Tresilva a few days before they were to be married. And then, a look from Atlantha, full of 'everything else' that wasn't included in Thalassina's words, clinched it for him! He knew voluptuous Alinda had been visited by the youngest faerie god-mer too. She had not even looked his way again!

 

He nodded. "She has, my love!" Then he sighed. "I miss them too. They should be here, although I'm certain they are on the way back to Aquasia, as we speak! They are the baby's god-mers, after all!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tresilva sat up then and inhaled sharply!

 

"By the Goddess and the Great Weaver! Livio! Livio, can you feel it? Can you?" she screamed, her hands on her heart, her tail swishing nervously here and there!

 

"Yes! Yes, I can! I can!" said Livio and hugged her. The merfolk couple danced around for a few seconds and then swam out the window!

 

A huge shout of joy reverberated from every corner of the kingdom! Every mermaid and merman, every fish and sea flower, the water itself, the entire kingdom, united in one thought and one soul, screamed for happiness!

 

"The baby is born! It's a girl! Our princess is here!"

 

The waterways and paths of the capital city that led to the illuminated palace filled with Aquasians who danced, laughed, cried, and with the exception of Livio and Alinda, hugged and kissed each other as they swam toward the royal abode!

 

The liminal field around the kingdom made everything shine from an internal light that was stronger and more palpable than it had ever been! The first ray of the Great Weaver shone down under the water as the last ray of the Divine Moon Dancer disappeared, and the night gave its place to day! The most glorious day Aquasia had seen in many years!

 

King Sirenaeus appeared on the high balcony above the central gate of the palace, with several midwives around him. Naturally, Queen Tritania could not appear yet!

 

He held a bundle in his hands, a tiny mer tail peeking through one end. His smile was the happiest his subjects had ever seen on the king's face. Raising the little bundle he unfolded the clothing, as tradition demanded, and presented the baby to the people.

 

"The Queen and I want all Aquasia to know: This is our daughter! Aquasia's princess who one day will be Queen of the Realm! This is . . . Princess Lucinda!"

 

The unified field, strengthened by the souls of all merfolk, transported the news to every corner of the country and beyond. Every Aquasian knew the princess had been born!

 

The King gave the baby to one of the midwives and entered the palace again in a hurry. He wanted to be near Tritania again, of course, but he didn't want his subjects to see his smile falter for just one instance; his joy diminished by the dread growing in his, and Tritania's, hearts. The glorious naming ceremony would take place in seven days. An event that made every Aquasian heart beat faster, an event for which they had been preparing for months now, filled him with fear!

 

Sending the midwives away, Sirenaeus stared at Tritania's peaceful, sleeping face, the baby girl sleeping on her mother's bosom. He caressed his wife's cheek and touched lightly, with one finger, his daughter's puffy, rosy skin.

 

"Sleep well, my loves." the king whispered. "My heart, my Tritania, you were ready to sacrifice your life to give our kingdom an heir. Know this, beloved: I will sacrifice my own life without one instant's hesitation if you or the baby are threatened by anything or anyone. I swear to you, Tritania, and to you my Lucinda, by the Life-Giving Sea Goddess herself, that I will protect you until my last breath leaves my body in a final bubble of death!"

 

Leaving the room, he nodded at the midwives and ladies-in-waiting who were outside. He swam up then, ascending higher and higher, ever nearer to the surface, until he reached the palace's highest tower. The dappled sunlight illuminated his grave expression, his crown jewels glittering like a multi-colored constellation. The water felt warmer up here, although the Aquasian ruler wasn't sure if it was the temperature that made him feel hot, or the anguish of what he had to do.

 

He raised his hands toward the sky, invoking the land's energy field, and shouted: "Benevolent mother, you who gave us the ability to make our hearts' wish a reality! Honored God-mer, bless us with your presence! You are hereby invited by me, King Sirenaus of Aquasia, and my wife and mother of our daughter, Queen Tritania of Aquasia, to be the god-mer of the kingdom's heir! Her name will be Lucinda, like you desired! Come, and bless the princess, and the kingdom!"

 

A murky shadow passed over the sun then, but Sirenaeus didn't really notice. A dark cloud clutched at his throat, but the groan he felt coming from his heart was much darker. Feeling chilly, he swam down, his expression thoughtful and sober.

 

~*~*~*~

 

The Royal Mermaid Guard stood in two lines on the avenue that led to the majestic, coruscating palace, with their seahorses proudly floating next to them. The avenue was decorated with intricately woven, lacy coral sculptures, an entire forest of kaleidoscopic colors and forms. Schools of fish swam here and there, in perfect unison, their iridescent scales shining in the silver-blue light.

 

Throngs of merfolk dressed in their best and brightest clothing, bejeweled and smiling, were gathered around the sides of the avenue, looking toward the statue of the Life-Giving Mother. She was holding the Great Weaver in her hands and the Divine Dancer of the Night was her crown. The statue shone brightly in copper-gold hues, accentuated by the sunlight filtered through the sea water above, liquid reflections of the environment, creating the illusion of movement on its surface.

 

Above it, a troupe of mermen, mermaids, and dolphins, performed "Hydravel's Bolero". Swirling spirals, compositions of movement, dance and water acrobatics, the complex ballet recreated the history of Aquasia in a liquid motion without beginning or end. Each movement, each new choreography becoming more complex, more sensual, more beautiful and wonderful to behold.

 

A choir sang from somewhere, siren voices carrying the melodies of the aquatic race as far away as the surface above. If a human ship happened to pass by, its sailors would have heard the elusive echo of a haunting melody coming from the briny, deep sea. A melody so full of feeling and dream-like projections that penetrated into the heart and soul, filling them with nostalgia for a world that was there, but just beyond their grasp; like the phosphorescent lights they sometimes saw emanating from the depths of the sea at night or, perhaps, like the stars above. What was nostalgia for the humans, was the 'now' of the merfolk of Aquasia. And that 'now' was filled with exuberance, mirth, and joy!

 

The ornate gate of the palace was open to welcome the guests who were already arriving to witness the princess' naming ceremony. Unlike the more common folk, the esteemed guests would be received inside the central hall of the palace. A circular room, enclosed by heavy curtains, was the place where the faerie god-mers would bestow their gifts to the baby. Only the king, queen, and the child's god-mers would be allowed to enter during the rite. A few elderly maids were fussing over the curtains, over the bubble cradle where the baby would lay, over every little detail that had to be just so! So many guests were expected that the palace officials had to ask for extra, volunteer maids and waiters weeks earlier!

 

"His Royal Majesty, Alain Léon Déandre II, Emperor of Cytherea-Sous-La-Mer" called out the royal announcer in a stentorian voice. He proclaimed each and every name in the same manner, as the foreign dignitaries passed through the gate.

 

"Where is the Empress?" wondered a merwoman loudly. Her neighbors shook their heads and shrugged.

 

"She isn't coming, Elaera!" said another matter-of-factly. "She can't leave her sick child, now, can she?"

 

"No, of course not, Zolina. But . . . I thought our faerie god-mers would be here by now! I assumed they'd come with Cytherea's Emperor. But I don't see them!" Elaera half-whispered.

 

"Oh, I'm sure they are already in the palace preparing for the ceremony. There are so many details to take care of, they probably sneaked into the palace incognito! Surely, they wouldn't want to solve the myriad of little 'life-and-death' problems all Aquasians bring to them today! Chances are they are trying on their gowns with a school of seamstresses working hard around them!" chuckled a silver-haired merman, who was standing next to the ladies.

 

"Oh, hush, Tyrian!" Elaera slapped his arm teasingly. "It's not like you and your partner, Krasno, haven't spent the last week deciding what to wear for the ceremony!"

 

"I was helping him! After all, he IS a noble!" retorted Tyrian in a mockingly hurt tone.

 

"The Most Honorable, Lady Gratia Callidus, Founder of Secure Seas Institution!" called out the announcer again.

 

"The Honorable Ladies, Amphiclea, First Electorate of Amphitritos, and Virilidis, Second Electorate of Amphitritos!"

 

"Her Royal Majesty, Ashmara, Maharanee of Hydrabad and His Highness, Prince Consort, Rijn of Eridania!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the last couple disappeared inside the gate, a very old, hooded merwoman suddenly materialized, as if from out of nowhere! The hunched, wretched creature swam slowly, black tentacles undulating from under ragged robes. Her dark hood revealed only the lower part of a thin, taunt face. She was smiling, but the merfolk who were looking at the procession felt their voices drown in their throats. What was that . . . that beggar doing there? Who was she that had such gall as to walk among the foreign dignitaries?

 

"Madame . . . uhhh . . . Madame . . . " the announcer coughed a few times and double-checked his list carefully, losing his rhythm. He looked at the old merwoman, then his eyes focused on the flat, elongated, half-shell clipboard in his hands. After a quick harrumph, he tried to speak in his usual, cultured, educated voice, but he sounded almost scared.

 

"Madame . . . The Faerie God-Mer of Aquasia! By royal decree . . . by royal decree, Keeper of the Name and Guardian of Her Royal Highness, our Princess!"

 

Time seemed to stop for an instant. Even the dancers looked toward the procession, unable to move. The gentle, caressing water currents became still. Silence followed disbelief, and then realization of the meaning of the announcer's words. The collective gasp that emanated from every throat could be heard for miles around. Everyone in the country felt, at that same instant, the change in the kingdom's liminal, magical field. A shadow, an unknown element had taken hold, and mermen, mermaids, merchildren, every living being, in actuality, felt shock and . . . fear!

 

The gasp drowned in a flurry of bubbles as exhalation came, and then a tempest of voices, chaotic, unintelligible, and discordant. Ηamanda, the choreographer of "Hydravel's Bolero", would later say she had never, ever had so much difficulty with pulling herself together in order to help her dancers go through the motions and finish the ballet.

 

"She is here . . ." whispered Queen Tritania, terrified. Her husband, sitting next to her in the Great Hall, took her trembling hand in his own and pressed it softly.

 

An unnatural hush fell over the room. The dignitaries and other guests, who until then were chatting merrily with the Aquasian rulers or among themselves about the princess who had been presented to them earlier, stopped speaking. They stared aghast and amazed at the old merwoman who stopped in front of the twin thrones and curtsied deeply.

 

"Madame, we are pleased for the honor your presence bestows upon our land." Sirenaeus spoke the appropriate words, but they sounded hollow and devoid of meaning.

 

"Thank you, your Majesties! The honor and pleasure is all mine, I assure you!" Her voice echoed off the walls, reverberating from every surface, and penetrating the core of every mer who was present. A kind of fear most visitors had never experienced before chilled their hearts.

 

"I trust you will find everything to your liking, madame," uttered Tritania, pale and ready to faint.

 

"Oh, I am more than certain it will be, your Majesty. After all, you have honored me more than I could ever hope for, by your decree. I am the kingdom's Faerie God-mer now, am I not?"

 

"As per our agreement," replied Sirenaeus.

 

"Rumor has it, though, that you sent your former faerie god-mers away, my liege. That was not part of our agreement" the mer sorceress commented with a distinct hint of amusement in her voice.

 

"They . . . they were needed elsewhere, madame. The decision to leave was theirs, and theirs alone!" The king's voice betrayed growing impatience.

 

"I see. Perhaps, they were . . . not pleased with the terms of our agreement?" she offered.

 

"Perhaps. Shall we . . .?"

 

"But of course! How silly of me to dilly-dally with insignificant matters. Where is my god-daughter?"

 

Tritania looked at her husband. She could feel her heart beating so fast that she was afraid the sorceress, and everyone in the hall, could hear it! Sirenaeus' face was as unfathomable and expressionless as a rock.

 

"The princess is in the ceremonial room. Although our tradition demands that only we, her parents, you, her god-mer, and the princess herself be present in the room . . ." His voice faltered.

 

"Yes, sire?"

 

"Due to unforseeable circumstances, I have placed six of our Royal Guardians there as well, for protection!" he finished his sentence breathlessly.

 

"I see . . ." she replied simply and bowed.

 

The king and queen got up and swam towards the heavily curtained chamber. The sorceress followed one tail-stroke behind them. The rest of the merpeople in the Grand Hall remained silent, looking worriedly and perplexed at one another.

 

Sirenaeus and Tritania opened the curtains. The sorceress, as protocol demanded, entered the circular room first. A big, iridescent bubble was at the center. Sleeping calmly with her thumb in her little, rosebud-like mouth, the baby princess floated inside it. A table set with the best cutlery and plates made of gold and silver, was full of exquisite dishes, pastries, and tasty, exotic fruits. Huge shells were set on another table at the opposite side of the room. Containing the presents for the faerie-godmer, they were the best and most beautiful items Aquasia could offer! Jewelry, clothes, laces, dainty, gemstone-encrusted pieces of furniture, statues of the Life-Giving Sea Mother made of solid gold, and dozens of other gifts!

 

A small door that led to a hall at the rear was the only other exit. Hurried, elderly maids were still coming, curtseying and bobbing, setting more dishes and gifts on the tables and then exiting even more hurriedly. Six mermaids of the Royal Guard stood in a circle in the perimeter. Spears in hand, their gazes were fixed on the sleeping princess.

 

The sorceress approached the iridescent bubble, her yellow eyes glimmered bright as she looked at the princess.

 

"Ohhh, precious beyond words!" she exclaimed, as a clawed hand caressing the bubble's surface.

 

Tritania tried to stifle a whimper, but failed.

 

"Is something wrong, my dear?" The sorceress had heard the queen.

 

"N . . . no, no! Absolutely nothing, madame!" uttered Tritania. "I am only . . . only worried that you might not like our gifts. Perhaps . . . perhaps you would like to . . . to rest for a little time before the ceremony? Look at the gifts our best artisans made for you? There are beautiful gowns and . . ."

 

The sorceress chuckled.

 

"Where are my manners, by the Goddess? Here I am, at my own god-daughter's ceremony, in front of the King, the Queen, and their guests, and I look like a peasant!"

 

She clucked her lips then, shaking her head. Shooting one arm toward the sky, she uttered a word that sounded like rumbling thunder! Dark robes and hood began to swirl, blurring with the water as if they had been liquified, shimmering green and yellow, and . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. . . where the old mer sorceress once stood, was now a tall, stately merwoman, dressed in a flowing black gown! Her sleek, dark hair was coiffured in a most elaborate way, an unusual, exotic hairstyle fit for a queen of the darkest deep! Black, shimmering jewels adorned her ears and neck. Two small fish swam around her. Her face, regal and austere had little in common with the hunched, bony sorceress she had been just seconds before. Only her shining, yellow eyes were the same! Exactly the same! With a smile, more confident than a queen's, more powerful than an empress', she turned and looked at the rulers of Aquasia, petrified where they stood. The Royal Guards, disciplined as they were, did not take their eyes off the sleeping baby, the tightening grip on their spears turning their knuckles white!

 

"Do not be afraid, your Majesties" the sorceress laughed. "I am not your enemy, but I most definitely am not a beggar or a peasant, as you can see!"

 

"Who are you?" whispered King Sirenaeus, holding his wife who seemed ready to collapse.

 

At that moment, the back door opened and a maid entered the room, followed by two others.

 

"I am . . ." began the sorceress.

 

"SHIRKANA!!!" screamed the maid.

 

"What?!?!? Who?!?! Who are you that knows my name?!?!"

 

"How dare you?!?!? How dare you show your demonic face here?!?!"

 

The plump, white-haired maid, was dressed in the simple manner that the country's protocol demanded. Cheeks burning red, her azure-green eyes glared at the mer sorceress like white-hot lava. She swam between the bubble and Shirkana, facing her. Even though the other merwoman was much taller and infinitely more imposing than the plump maid, the latter seemed unafraid. Raising her hand, she slapped the sorceress with all her might!

 

"You asked who I was? That's who, Shirkana!!"

 

Startled momentarily by the incredible audacity of the slap, the dark-clad god-mer took a step back. Her irises narrowed like a reptile's, and then opened wide with awe and fury, as she recognized the maid.

 

The "maid" nodded and laughed without humor.

 

"It is I, Shirkana! Your younger sister! Atlantha!"

 

END OF CHAPTER 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~*~*~*~

Edited March 16, 2011 by Oberon

[Oberon]

Όνομα Συγγραφέα: Oberon (Auberaun)

Είδος: Παραμύθι

Βία; Λίγη

Σεξ; Όχι

Αριθμός Λέξεων: 2856

Αυτοτελής; 4ο από 12.

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~*~*~*~ The Sleeping Mermaid ~*~*~*~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Auberaun

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4.

 

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

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The flames of hatred emanating from Shirkana's eyes could have burned anyone to a crisp, or petrified them like the eyes of dreaded Medusa did. Atlantha remained resolute, staring furiously at the dark sorceress.

 

In a fluid movement, Shirkana turned toward the royal couple. Deliánassa and Thalassina -- the other two 'maids' -- swam near Sirenaeus and Tritania. The youngest god-mer gasped when she saw her oldest sister being slapped by Atlantha, and was as much at a loss of words as the queen seemed to be. Deliánassa put her arms around Tritania and whispered in her ear soothing words. Shirkana glared at all of them.

 

"So, Sirenaeus! Even though I fulfilled every term of our agreement, you cheated me! You called these three here, when I explicitly stated that no other god-mer would be present here today! You tricked me into believing they had been sent away for good! Of course I had my sources confirm that! And yes, they were away from the kingdom, but here they are now! The Faerie God-Mers of Aquasia!"

 

The King drew a deep breath. "Madame Shirkana, they have not been invited as god-mers. They are . . . maids and, well . . . observers, due to extenuating circumstances! Perhaps you know that I sent them away from Aquasia for several months," he asserted, although his voice betrayed a growing sense of worry.

 

The mer sorceress sniffed. "Extenuating circumstances? Is that why you've broken tradition by placing those warriors around the room? Do you consider me a threat now, my liege?" Her tone was sarcastic and a thin smile appeared around the edges of her lips. A smile that could send chills down the spine of every living being as dark power was hidden behind it.

 

"You are nothing *but* a threat to the entire world, Shirkana!" exclaimed Atlantha then.

 

"Madame Atlantha, please!" begged Queen Tritania. "She is our royal guest, after all, and I wouldn't want . . ." Her voice trailed as Shirkana's smile widened.

 

"My dear queen, if you are afraid that my goddaughter would come to any harm, I would like to assure you that is most definitely not my intention!" Shirkana's tone was not reassuring, despite the velvety words.

 

Atlantha snorted.

 

"I shall deal with you later, dear sister!" the dark merwoman hissed. "Now! Sirenaeus! As per our terms, I am to be the sole god-mer of Princess Lucinda. I shall, quite magnanimously, forgive this insult to me if you send these three women away this very minute!"

 

"No" was the king's simple and calm reply.

 

"No?" uttered Shirkana incredulously.

 

"No, madame. Not before you give us a few answers. I trust our three god-mers. I admit your potion has done something to help the queen and me have a child. The marchionesses, though, contend that using a potion to create life is impossible. Furthermore, I find it rather disconcerting that you appeared to us as a beggar at first, and then revealed yourself as a rich and powerful sorceress who also can change shape. What is your true face, Madame Shirkana? How can I trust you to be my daughter's god-mer if you present a different face every time we meet?"

 

Shirkana's eyes sparkled in barely contained anger.

 

"My true shape is no different than theirs!" she hissed pointing at her three sisters. "And it's none of your business! My potion . . ."

 

"Your potion did nothing!!" yelled Atlantha, swimming in front of the sorceress again. "For all we know, since you are a Protean, you could even have used another potion to render the queen . . ."

 

Atlantha didn't finish her phrase. With a snarl, Shirkana swiped her left, black-nailed hand in front of her sister's face, as if she wanted to make her close her mouth. The muscles on Atlantha's face contorted and blurred for a split second and then . . . with eyes wide from horror, the royal couple and the other two god-mers saw that Atlantha's face had disappeared! Her lips, her eyes, and her nose were gone and only smooth flesh covered the area between her brow and chin.

 

"Protect the princess!!!" yelled the King.

 

"By the Goddess!!" exclaimed Thalassina and Deliánassa. The Queen screamed and tried to lunge toward the bubble where the baby, awoken by the furor, was now crying helplessly, but she didn't make it. The two little fish that swam calmly around Shirkana shimmered, blurred, and began getting bigger and bigger, until two huge sharks stood in their place!

 

"Kill her!!" screamed Tritania at the Royal Mermaid Guards.

 

"If you even dare approach, if even one of the guards as much as raises her spear against me, I'll have one of my sharks kill the king and queen, and the other kill your princess!" screeched the dark-clad merwoman, her eyes two yellow pools of molten hatred. "You cheated me, you stupid, little king. And those three gorgons who have made you think they are of your kind, are not the oh-so-honest faerie godmothers they appear to be. They have brought destruction upon you!"

 

Tritania collapsed. The king looked horror-stricken at Shirkana and the two sharks that circled the baby's bubble cradle slowly. Confused and bewildered, the guards looked both at the two, dangerous sea monsters and at their king.

 

"What do you mean . . ." he whispered, his voice trembling. "They aren't . . ."

 

Shirkana laughed then, and her laughter was a dark thunder that made the room's walls shake. With a flourish, she uttered a spell and her form changed. Instead of tentacles, she now sported two . . . legs!

 

"You merfolk are so stupid, so backward! You have all this magic, this source of endless miracles, such power that boggles the mind, and you use it for . . . for coral chairs and dainty little statues!" she laughed. "The one who controls the magical field around your land, can control everything and everyone in this and any other realm! Why do you think all these magic users from all worlds come here trying to get to the source of it?"

 

"We . . . we give magic freely. . . there was no reason . . ." whispered the king, holding his unconscious wife in his arms, shocked at the sight of an accursed human being who posed as a merwoman. A human, a legendary 'demon' some old merwomen invoked the image of to scare little merlets into obedience. Deliánassa and Thalassina attended to their older sister who seemed to be in shock, although her featureless face was redder than ever.

 

"Only enough for trifling tricks to impress peasants! All those magic users who gave potions to your queen . . . hah!! You can bet your kingdom that, unless they were charlatans, they all wanted to have access to the source! To the unusual, liminal field around this little insignificant country of Aquasia! And the best way to do it was to become . . . nobles, state wizards or witches, or . . . god-mers to your child! But that queen of yours wouldn't conceive, because . . ."

 

Shirkana paused then and her face contorted into a mask of such malevolence that the King felt his throat constrict with terror, even stronger than the two terrifying sharks that still encircled the princess' bubble.

 

"Because she made sure it was so . . ." whispered Deliánassa, while Thalassina whimpered and stroking Atlantha's disfigured face.

 

"I don't . . . understand" King Sirenaeus' voice was full of fear, confusion, and despair.

 

Shirkana laughed and nodded. "You are the least foolish of the three, little Delia! Ach, you could have such a great future if you had followed me instead of that manipulative, delusional pufferfish, Atlantha!" She turned toward the king again.

 

"Do you remember our first meeting that night in your bedroom, Sirenaeus? Your wife asked if she had seen me before! Well, she had! You see, my plan was set in motion several years ago when you and Tritania began getting desperate about having a child. That's when Tritania came to me, as she did every time a new magic user passed by Aquasia! I did sell her a philtre then. But it wasn't a philtre to conceive a child . . ." The evil sorceress' voice trailed for a few seconds.

 

Sirenaeus remained silent, his eyes two daggers of molten lava. His tail slapped around so hard it could have killed a human being. A human being like that demonic creature that stood and mocked him and his wife. His face was as red as the reddest coral. He turned to look at Deliánassa. She nodded sadly.

 

"It's as we suspected, my liege" she uttered, trembling. "The queen had always been able to conceive a child. It was only a matter of time. But you were so worried and wanted and heir so badly that after a few years you began feeling desperate. That was when Tritania started going to sea witches and other magical users. Because she felt she had betrayed you and she was not worthy to be your wife. A king's wife. A worthy queen of Aquasia . . ."

 

"Then . . ."

 

Shirkana's face was full of malicious glee.

 

"The philtre I sold her made sure she would NOT have a child! I would wait for a few more years and when you and she reached the level of despair that I desired, I would appear and . . ."

 

". . . give us the antidote . . ." Sirenaeus looked down, heartbroken, betrayed, and sadder than he thought it was ever possible to be.

 

"Exactly, my dear, little king of Aquasia! I would give you the antidote, and you would give me anything I asked for! I knew you wouldn't give me your son or daughter, naturally. But you would make me the kingdom's sole god-mer. That would guarantee total access to the land's source of magic only to me! And then . . . a lot of things would change in the underwater lands! Empress Shirkana the First! It has a lovely sound, doesn't it?" she cackled.

 

"Just a minute, Shirkana" said Deliánassa perplexed. "How did you know the queen would conceive after she drank your antidote? It could take years, and you had promised to the royal couple . . ." The faerie god-mer's face turned pale then. All color left her face as the realisation hit her like a monstrous tsunami. "My vision . . . my vision . . ."

 

Shirkana winked mischievously. "Quite simple, Delia, dear. The queen WAS ALREADY PREGNANT WHEN SHE CAME TO ME! MY PHILTRE MADE SURE THE PREGNANCY WOULD NOT EVOLVE UNTIL SHE HAD THE ANTIDOTE!"

 

The king's scream of rage and pain was so loud that it rattled the room. Voices from the great hall were heard and the nobles tried to burst through the door but it wouldn't open from the outside as it was one of the most sacred rooms in the entire palace.

 

"I am going to kill you!" screamed Sirenaeus. "Guards! Attack!" He lunged forward but came face to face with one of the sharks, the sea beast's mouth opened and three rows of jagged teeth were ready to devour him.The guards threw their spears toward the two sharks, while flanking the king. Shirkana screamed an order to attack. A mermaid yelled in pain as one of the sharks tore into her arm. Thalassina yelped, her eyes popping with terror but she swam over the queen, protecting Tritania with her own body. Atlantha tried to swim toward the place where the bubble cradle that contained a totally terrified baby would be, but Deliánassa held her back. The king fought with the shark, blood spurting from where the beast's teeth had grazed over his body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shirkana placed her hand inside the bubble, grabbing Lucinda. She raised the baby toward the sky.

 

"You betrayed me, Sirenaeus" she screeched. "You broke your promise and I would not have been able to use the land's magical sources if any other faerie god-mers were all over the place! You betrayed me, like others have done in the past! That was very, very stupid, your lordship!"

 

She looked at the battle around her with an evil glint in her eyes.

 

"But I will give my blessing to this child! I have given many blessings over the years, you see! I can spare one more! When your daughter celebrates her eighteenth birthday, she will swim up to the surface like her mother did when she used my potion that led to her birth! When the first ray of the sun appears in the east, while the last ray of the full moon disappears in the west, Lucinda will die! She will burn and become nothing more than a lump of coal, like you will all burn one day and I shall be the one to light that fire!"

 

Letting go of the terrified, screeching baby, Shirkana raised her arms again, turned into the old merwoman she had been, and . . . disappeared along with her two sharks.

 

Freeing herself from her sister's hold, Atlantha swam toward Lucinda and hugged her. Strange bumps had appeared on the disfigured god-mer's face where her eyes, nose, and mouth would normally be.

 

The room was nothing more than a scene of chaos. In bloodied water, the mangled bodies of two members of the guard floated dead. Dishes, foods, boxes with gifts, and pieces of shark skin floated about. The queen was still, mercifully, unconscious. The king's face was taunt and pale, his mouth grimacing from the painful wounds he had suffered. He looked at the little princess and at his wife. Thalassina sobbed holding Tritania.

 

Deliánassa swam towards Atlantha and the princess. She examined her sister's face carefully. Sirenaeus seemed at a loss for words, as slowly, imperceptibly, he saw the bumps on the eldest faerie god-mer's face become more pronouced, acquiring outlines, color, the flesh getting more detailed, until Atlantha's red lips, nose and eyes appeared once again. Her eyes were closed. A few seconds passed before she opened them again. She gazed at the baby that was sniffling now, but seemed much calmer. Her lips moved and she grimaced as if in pain. Her whisper was barely audible: "Give your blessings to the princess . . ."

 

"What does it matter now?" asked the king, his voice full of sadness. "Unless you can undo that shrew's curse, no blessing will really help. Not to mention, there are a lot of questions that must be answered, ladies!"

 

Atlantha glared at him and at her sisters. "Give your blessings!" she demanded.

 

Still sobbing, Thalassina approached the baby.

 

"She will grow up to be . . ." she choked, trying to hold back the well of sorrow pouring from her heart, ". . . beautiful and fearless."

 

Deliánassa gave a strange look to her oldest sister, but she too stood next to her and the princess.

 

"She will grow up to be . . . kind and intelligent" she said simply, without any relish or joy.

 

The room that had been set up for a joyful occasion had turned into an abysmal nightmare, and there was no celebration, no ceremony. Everyone turned towards Atlantha, the oldest god-mer.

 

"When Princess Lucinda turns eighteen, and assuming she actually goes to the surface, when the first sunray and the last moonray join together on her face, she will not die! I hereby give her all the magical power bestowed upon me as Aquasia's senior faerie god-mer, through the country's liminal field. Every sparkling, star particle of magic, every ounce of every spell I would ever have cast, had I retained my powers of magic, I bestow upon her! In one blast of protective magic, she will use it instinctively at that moment! The princess will not die! She will turn into a black obsidian statue. A statue of a sleeping mermaid until such time as another pure, blast of the magic of love wakes her up!"

 

"By the Life-Giving Sea Goddess, Madame Atlantha. . . ." The king's voice sounded hollow. "What have you done?"

 

"Proving that not all magic users are after absolute power, Sirenaeus. Proving what it means to . . . no. Not what it means to be a faerie god-mer. What it means to love!" replied Atlantha.

 

As the three god-mers concluded the blessing ritual, a golden, sparkling ray descended upon the room, engulfing the baby inside its beautiful light. It expanded then to cover, like an umbrella, every other person in the room, making their bodies shine and coruscate in a healing, protective bubble. Only the bodies of the two dead mermaid guards could not be healed, and only one other body did not bathe in the golden, arcane light. The liminal field around Aquasia did not consider Atlantha part of it anymore as she would never be able to use magic again.

 

 

END OF CHAPTER 4

 

~*~*~*~

[Yuuko Ichihara]

Πού είναι τα υπόλοιπα κεφάλαι, monsieur? Σου είχα πει οταν διαβασα τα πρωτα πως πρεπει να την τελειωσεις. Τι κάθεσαι και χαζευεις αντι να ξεμπερδευεις με αυτη τη νουβέλα? Χρειαζομαστε τα παραμυθια μας. Α. Και να τη μεταφράσεις και στα Ελληνικα.

[Oberon]

Ε, θα την τελειώσω κάποια στιγμή. Έχω άλλα 4 κεφάλαια (τα έχεις διαβάσει, μην βάλεις τις φωνές. Είναι αυτά που είχα εκδόσει inworld) αλλά αμέλησα να τα ποστάρω εδώ.