Esmeralda
"Finally!" I jumped up a little too quickly out of my throne as Louie swam up. I composed myself, trying not to be at risk of looking like a desperate housewife, waiting for her husband to come back to her after a long trip away. His face was refreshed and youthful, as though he had gotten much rest and had been well looked after under Violet's care. It made me a little jealous. I wondered if she had grown into a natural caretaker in the last year. Warm feelings started to bubble up to the surface again as I thought of her, but I pushed them down and coaxed back my anger.
He cleared his throat and I knew there was going to be some big plot in place that I wasn't going to like. I braced myself for the crash. "I'm going to marry Violet." I don't even know what expression his face held because it shot out of view. My head heated, my temples burned against my brain, causing waves of pain. My chest followed the pattern with a wave of pain and finally, the breaking of my heart. I didn't think I had any heart left the break, but here it was, happening all over again. As if Violet hadn't broken me to pieces before, once wasn't enough.
"Hey who's that?" Louie's voice broke my trance of eternal pain. "What?" I stammered, holding onto my temples, trying to regain some sense of focus.
"Hi, I'm Mika." a hand extended past me. No, this can't happen. I pushed between them, pushing her away from him and away from me. I needed to snap out of this pain and keep them apart - at least for now. They can't know yet, or my whole plan will be destroyed. Waves of pain radiated through me but I couldn't cry. Nothing could come out. It physically couldn't and I wouldn't let it. And then I realized that Mika hadn't told me this information. How had she not prepared me for this heartbreak? Now I was forced to face it head on. I pushed down the anger for her. I would deal with her later.
All I wanted to do was curl up and sleep off this feeling, but Louie was here for a reason, "I have to hurry, but I have an update for you."
I turned to face him, "Louie, you are free to go back to your new life. It was nice to know you." I had to go and prepare myself now for his betrayal, and the comedown of my kingdom now that Violet would surely know of my plans. "Wait!" he hastily pulled on my arm. "I'm not abandoning you. It's quite the opposite." My shattered heart stopped beating; Its mangled pieces coming together for one last try at being a functioning heart. He was still in... That meant I needed to pull it together and be in it too. I looked at him blankly, not able to form any emotion or response until he spoke more words. And he said , "I'm still on your side Esmeralda." He took my now lifeless hand, which was starting to regain some color, "You are my home. This is the home that we are building together, and I want every part of it." That was it, my mangled heart started to beat once again. "You are, I will rule this place together, no matter what my title is with Violet."
"Wait, what?" I managed to utter the words in a small voice.
I shook my head in confusion. Mika... I had forgotten she was there. I snapped my eyes around to glare at her.
"You didn't tell me that Violet had so many secrets..." Louie's voice hummed in my ears as I lay relaxed on the large bed within the large room I had created when he was gone. Mika was off somewhere sulking.
"Secrets? What kind of secrets?" My ears pricked at the word, while my red smoke of hair blew out around me, matching the ambiance of the mood.
"First of all, she had a human down here! Did you know that?" He exclaimed in a frantic- excitement.
I blew out air, "That's old news... what else you got?"
"What? You knew about this?" His expression said it all.
"Look, just trust me that I have my reasons for not trusting her and wanting to take her down. That girl has many secrets, I'm sure. You shouldn't trust her louie. In Fact, you should find out as many secrets as you can since you are going to be married to her. That is the perfect opportunity."
He sighed, "What is the story with that alluring mer over there?" He nodded his head in the direction of Mika.
I waved her off. "Don't worry about her, she's just passing through. She will be gone once I'm done with her."
"I thought you wanted to build up this palace?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, with the mer that were stolen from me!" I snapped, panicking - buying time with anger so he would leave it alone.
"Okay, well I better get back. I just wanted to check in. Violet was preoccupied with some magic, so I thought it was a good opportunity to sneak off."
"Some magic? She already knows how to do everything within the limits of our magic. That was one thing she could actually do. What could she possibly be practicing?" Something was off... Louie was retreating...
"Um... I don't know... I better go, Esmeralda."
I ran my eyes over his body, noticing suddenly how bare his neck was. "Louie, where is my necklace?"
"It's in a safe place." He fiddled with his fingers by his side.
"Let me see it." My skin burned.
"I don't have it. I mean I do but it's back there."
"In Islanda?!" I shrieked. I couldn't help it. How could he leave my only possession near Violet?
"I mean, she doesn't have it. I'm sure she won't find it.
"No wonder she is getting new magical strength! If that thing is anywhere near her, she will get stronger. God Louie! Get back there now!" I screamed, as he recoiled and shot out of view. I didn't even think about that fact. We were always stronger when we were together - our necklaces combined.
Mika appeared behind me. "What was that about?" She asked passive-aggressively, still pissed I didn't include her. "Nothing. Just a mer I have doing chores for me."
"You want me to be your right hand but you won't include me in things like that. Why?"
"Mika," I turned to face her, "Remember your place." She turned to leave but I snapped at her, bringing her back, "How could you not have prepared me for this? You were meant to be watching him."
"I was... This must have somehow escaped my attention. He looked like he was avoiding her. And then something else caught my attention."
"Something more important than watching Louie?" I snapped.
"Maybe not, but it was interesting nonetheless."
"Well, what was it? Get on it with it." I snapped again. I was bordering on wanting to kick her out for her uselessness.
"Well, this pregnant mer was arguing with this very attractive male mer. I heard her say his name... what was it? Oh yes, Aalton!" She said excitedly. She meant Isla. Those two talking was strange but not enough to pique my interest. "Is that it?" I droned, bored of this conversation.
"They were arguing. She said he was the father of her baby but he wanted nothing to do with her."
"What?" I yelled, pushing her backward. My eyes were open so wide, I thought they were going to fall out of my head.
