HIS ATLANTEAN PRINCESS

“Where is the princess?” Queen Daryah asks the mermen who stood as sentinels at the pearl palace castle, gifted to the princess of Ashira on her eighteenth birthday by her father, king of Ashira. “She would be in her littoral Queen mother.” Without uttering another word, Queen Daryah walks the long corridor decorated with exoskeletons of various molluscs. “Queen mother.” The mermaids called Stúlkas assigned as servants to the princess greet upon seeing their Queen, and Queen Daryah waves them off. “Is the princess inside.” She asks, and the stúlkas shake their head. “No My Queen, her majesty is taking a swim by the reefs.” One stulka replies to the Queen with a bow and Queen bellows. “By the reefs. Are you insane? You let your princess go swim by the reefs alone. What sort of dummies are you.” Queen Daryah screeches loud in anger and the Stulka flinch in fear moving away from the Queens hand reach for they know anger never looks or ends well with their Queen. “We are sorry Drottning. Her majesty insisted to go alone, commanding us to stay back we couldn’t disobey her command.” The head, Stulka says, bowing her head as she bleeds and Queen Daryah slaps her square in the face and her claws tore through the skin of the head Stulka. “What insolence. How dare you make up excuses for your incompetence? Your duty is to be at her beck and call. Protect her when she ventures out. You know how adventurous the princess gets. I didn’t save you from Triton just for you to stand like dead fishes at her door. Go fetch my daughter your princess before I melt you all into nothing.” The Queen screeched, and the Stulkas didn’t even dare to cover their bleeding ears. If they weren’t mermaids, chances are, they could have gone deaf from the power Queen Daryah’s voice carries. “Mother?” As the Stulka scramble around in fright to go get the princess, she arrives at the scene, with her wet hair flowing down her waistline and she glares at her mother the Queen. “My gracious princess. You worried me.” Queen Daryah’s countenance immediately changed from the daredevil she was minutes ago as she spreads her arm for her daughter. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop shouting at my Stulkas?” Princess Lorelei says in disapproval, glaring at her mother, the Queen, whose scorned expression turned into a huge grin. “Daughter, I did none of that. I was just asking your Stulkas of your whereabout and correcting some of their mistakes.” Queen Daryah says smiling at the princess who raised the upper part of her lips. “They are under my Grace mother, it is not up to you to correct their mistakes perhaps my honor as princess and command as heir to the throne means nothing to you.” Princess Lorelei says, huffing as she walks past her mother, who uses the opportunity to snarl low at the Stulkas. “Of course they mean everything to me, my princess. Heir apparent to the throne holds as much command as the King and Queen of the coast, especially one who is of age. You are almost of the age where you stand to rule over our kingdom. I very well must respect your command, but remember, I am your mother. Reigning Queen of this Kingdom and my command is final above the King’s and yours my precious princess.” Queen Daryah says not failing to input her authority as the current Queen and she smiles curtly at her daughter. “What is it you want Queen mother?” Princess Lorelei asks, emphasising on the word Queen mother as she forced a smile. Ever since she came of age, both mermaids have had something going on between them like a silent competition. Both mother and child love each other dearly but it’s always been a thing of old for female Mer-folks A reigning Queen and the princess to always have this slight jealousy. It isn’t to harm one another or endanger the other, no, not that of jealousy, just an innocent envy caused by the Royal bloods flowing through their veins. The princess always feels the need to prove themselves capable of commanding respect and authority while the reigning Queen uses every little opportunity to assert their rule in power. “I came to discuss something important. Precisely to share news with you.” Queen Daryah states with a stern face, completely loosing her smile and the princess knew whatever her mother had to say is serious. “Zaire, have your sister’s excuse us whilst you stand post with the sentry, mother after you.” Princess Lorelei instructs, then gesturing her mother towards her littoral. The Stulkas dispersed, as instructed by the princess. Murmuring profanities at the Queen as soon as they were out of earshot. “I can’t wait for the princess’s coronation. She treats us better than all the royals in this quarter.” one mermaid grumbles and the others nod. “I already know her reign would get known throughout kingdoms. Just being around her brings you peace. Her charms bring serene to tribulations and I can see her using that to push Ashira forward. Unlike the Queen mother, her presence is excruciatingly suffocating.” Another mermaid puts in and the others murmur their agreements. “Put a lock on your jabbers the molluscs have ears.” Zaire scolds the younger Stulkas as she brings them out of Princess Lorelei’s palace. “Is everything alright mother. I don’t like your expression. Is the kingdom under an attack?” Princess Lorelei asks her mother the queen as she guides Queen Daryah to sit on the waterbed made from water and sewn seaweed crafted by a group of mermen known to have distinct powers that enables them to put anything together and seal it with their magic. “No, we are not under any attack. The news I have to share. I’ll need you to be strong and take it with good heart knowing that your father and I want the best for you and this kingdom.” “You are scaring me, mother, just say what it is. I do not have the desire for the suspense.” Princess Lorelei says, and Queen Daryah nods. “You are betrothed, to the sirens.” The Queen says, breaking the news, and princess Lorelei stared at her mother’s mouth opened. “WHAT!?” The princess exclaimed, springing up from her waterbed. “Did I just hear you right, mother? I am betrothed to who?” Lorelei almost screams, but she held herself back. “Perhaps I need to rephrase that. You are a betrothal of TRITON KING EL’EGRO of the siren kingdom. Before your birth your the kingdom was in Gr.....” “Stop, stop. JUST STOP RIGHT THERE MOTHER.” Princess Lorelei screeches, and Queen Daryah stops talking. “Can you hear yourself? That evil Triton? I am betrothed to him and you made this decision before my birth. What in the seven seas are you sprouting, mother. How can you confidently tell me; I have to spend the rest of my life with that pure evil? El’egro mother!. He wiped out half of his own people because they had more Sirens than Triton. A kingdom once ruled by Sirens is now under the control of a Triton, one who has no regards for traditional, nature or gods of the seas. And you tell me, I am his? What in the holy coast mother.” Princess Lorelei did not seek to hide her disbelief, no disgust as she stared her mother down, finding it hard to digest what she just heard. What happened to tradition, what happened to the customary rights of a princess doing the ceremonial passing once she’s come of age to reproduce and choose for herself a merman of her choice. What happened to having the finest mermen of royal lineage shows off their prowess in her presence whilst she plays with them until she finally finds that one merman that suits her soul. Princess Lorelei’s mind weaved through all these unanswered questions as she waited for her mom to tell her this was a terrible prank. “My princess, you need to calm yourself. Yes, I know we El’egro is and so those your father. We knew him centuries before before you were born. And those sirens he killed they weren’t all innocent. Those sirens almost tore Ashira apart, killed your older siblings, kidnapped your father because their Queen wanted him for herself. They rendered this kingdom without a king and a Queen mother without a king is of feeble heart. I was alone with your older brother. I had just given birth to him then. While I tried to device ways of rescuing your father, I was also trying to keep the people of Ashira safe and some elder folks were plotting to take the throne. Until El’egro rose to my aid. He helped me save this kingdom from the claws of the sirens, and he brought your father back to me. Centuries passed and all our attempts to have another child failed I already lost your brother another. El’egro helped us conceived you and we promised you to him immediately your father and I knew I was with seed. It is tradition, my princess, and that called a truce between our kingdoms. He killed those sirens for you, his future queen, so you can find peace in his kingdom. And it is a tradition that we give you to him. “ Princess Lorelei listened with rapt attention as her mother explained a bit of their history to her, and only one thing was on her mind throughout. Fvck tradition and custom. “I don’t care, mother, do not care what he did and who he saved or who he killed for me. I did not tell you to seek help from him. And your sob story makes no sense. You are QUEEN OF THIS COAST, mother. You are like a deity to most people we are creatures of water that bring forth life how can you tell me it was impossible for you to bear another child. Mother, it makes no sense. And no, you will not pass me to that evil Triton. I’ll rather die than become his. He is 75 decades old mother. “ “Careful what you say, child. Although I did not come here to narrate our history to you but the siren Queen poisoned me. You know next to us they are powerful they are like the opposite of every good thing that we are. Only one of their kind had knowledge of how to remedy what their Queen did to my body, and El’egro knew. The late Siren Queen was his mother, after all. I know this is confusing to you, my princess, and I understand. Which is why I told your father it’s better if I break the news to you. They want you to do passing soon but I insisted you won’t have the passing until you are of the right age to do it. We have to respect Custom and traditional must. Besides, El’egro might be 75 decades old and you are almost eight decades old, my princess. I know you prefer to use the human calender which makes you only 20 years old but in our world here and our season calender it says otherwise.” Queen Daryah tells her daughter, bringing Princess Lorelei, notices to the age gap and the differences in their world and the outside world. While twelve months made a year in the human calender, one season makes one year in the mermaid world. So in one year calender of the human, a mermaid has already lived four years. So whilst a human baby is marking their one year birthday, a merman/mermaid celebrates their four-year-old party. Although princess Lorelei is eight decades old in the Merfolk world [80 years old] In the human world and according to the human calender, she is only two decades old [20 years old] and princess Lorelei prefers using the human calender. Living in a kingdom under water doesn’t mean she is ignorant of some knowledge about humans. They had libraries that held folklores of Merfolk relations with humans in the past and how it ended. What made the ancient ones forbid Merfolks from ever having anything to do with people who walk dry land and why both species never have good relations until this day. Princess Lorelei has read enough modern and ancient journals to gain knowledge about humans and for her aside from their calender year nothing about them was fascinating. Humans can walk on two legs, so can she and other Merfolks. Being a mermaid gave her the perks of being able to walk on leg or shape-shift into her tail when required. And their kingdom wasn’t as the ignorant humans perceived. Humans think all they do is swim about in the depth of water, but those mortals didn’t know there was more to Merfolks and their species. Princess Lorelei scoffed at her thoughts about the humans and how ignorant they are. “That isn’t for me, is it?” Queen Daryah asks, bringing the princess’ attention back to the present, and she shakes her head. “Mother, isn’t there a way to give up this betrothal. You are the Queen, mother, can’t you do something? I don’t want to marry El’egro, anyone but him mother. You got to choose dad for yourself why can’t I choose my King?” Princess Lorelei pleads, hoping her mother can revoke the betrothal. “There is nothing I can do to stop this union. The only thing I could do was telling them to wait until your 21st birthday [84th merfolk calender]. Besides, this union would benefit both our kingdoms. The reef is closing in on our dry lands and the Triton might have one or two things up his sleeves to help stop that and push back the reef. I only came to tell you so that you can prepare yourself.” Queen Daryah says, standing up and leaves the princesses littoral after giving her a warm hug. The entire idea of getting married to the Triton and become his Queen angered Lorelei to no end, but she knew there is nothing she can do to stop this union if the Queen herself cannot stop it. She had always dreamt of how magnificent and divine her ceremonial passing would be. Little did she know of her betrothal to a monster. All these seasons she remained chaste, saving her virtue for that special merman she would choose on the last day of her passing, not knowing she has to give it up for a monster. Just the rational thoughts of the Triton breaking her chaste and taking pride in her divine treasure angered princess Lorelei as she shuddered in disgusts. “If they won’t give me the chance to choose my desired King, then I would not give him the honour of taking pride in my chastity. I’ll rather loose it to an ignorant human than lay down my pride to that savage King.” Princess Lorelei grumbles to herself as she opens her chest made of various ocean gem stones and she fishes out the map she’s hidden there for a long. Thus begins her plan to sneak out of her world to the human world every night. She would enjoy herself with those ignorant mortals for as long as she can before being forced to live with a Triton for the rest of her life. “Such vile creatures.” Princess Lorelei mumbles as she puts on her charmed pearl necklace. She moves back to her water bed laying on it as she patiently waits for the sun to set and the kingdom asleep before she embarks on her first dry land adventure.