Of Mermaids and Princes'

How To See Beanth The Water

Argel's heart probably would burst from the excitement. She flipped around to see how tiny the humungous palace was in her view. She gave it one last looked and the thrust towards the northern shore. 

Argel had never seen humans. Her father would often tell them that there was nothing on the shore for merfolk. That human could be the cruelest beasts. Argel knew that wasn't true, her mother had told her stories of a nice prince who had given her gifts for saving him. One gift being the charm Argel wore around her neck. 

It was a clear jewel that shined when the sun would shine between the waves. It was made of some sort of glass. She wondered if they had more glass like this. In the sea, they had plenty of jewels and even treasures lost from pirates. But this one she couldn't find the name of anywhere in books or stories. 

As she approached yards outward of the crash she could see splinters of wood and broken barrels. 

She slowly swam through the rubble, she could see where many of the men had drowned floated among the surface still. Uneaten by any preditor. 

She shivered, her eyes welled up. This was nothing to boast about, Drifur had been cruel to sit back and do nothing. Yes, they were not merfolk, but these humans had family's just as she had. 

Argel emerged from the surface carefully scouting out any signs of life. For her, the shore was not far, but for these creatures with no fin, it would have been hours of swimming. She saw a human thrown upon a rock, most likely the cause of the crash. She swam over to see whether it was dead or not. The body coughed! 

She quickly pulled him onto her back and slapped her tail in the water throwing her forward. She made sure to stay above water and swim as fast as she could. This human must also have a family too right? 

The shore came into view along with lights that paved the beach. It may be his family she thought! they must be relieved he was alive. She bellied onto the shore pulling the heavy human off of her, here she finally saw it was a man human. He had black hair and paler skin. Frantically the humans ran to hum and one started to press on the man's chest. The others seemed to stare in awe at her. 

The light that they held was fire, they had put it on a stick and carried it to see in the night.

The man coughed up water and sat straight into the air. Argel smiled. She had done good, she had saved this man's life. 

The man looked into the night as his family dusted him off and helped him up. He had taken a moment to regain his composure, but the moment he looked over to see Argel, his face changed. His relief turned into a scowl. He looked furious. 

"Monster!" He growled. Argel frowned, how dare he. He stood up on the beech and looked around.

"Grab the monster," he screamed to two men in armor. They ran towards Argel and before she could reach the water their hands snatched her back. 

"What are you doing!? Let me go! I just saved your life and you tell these people to attack me?" She was baffled. She struggled and flapped around hoping to hit one of the men with her tail. 

"I never asked for your help monster. For all, I know you caused the ship to sink. Things like you don't deserve to be free or alive, you're too dangerous. Put it in a cage." 

Argels throat went dry, she had only wanted to help, and now she would become a magical prisoner of war. She should have listened to her father she thought, she should have stayed in the sea. 

"I am not a monster, I am a princess. Mermaids have never caused humans harm! I heard of the wreckage and wondered if anyone was alive. I saved you, I brought you back to the shore! You ungrateful b-" Before Argel could spew the swear word her mother had taught her, the men dragged and gagged her. She was thrown into a thick metal cage, hitting her head. Argel's head stung as she started to fade into black, the last thing she saw was the man she decided she should have never saved.