Esmeralda
I woke in a panic. Memories of why I would never return to a land plagued my mind. "I can't come with you." The human man said in frustration, tossing the hand of the mermaid back into the water. He had been trying to convince her that he could not accompany her and their child to the ocean for some time now but she wouldn't take no for an answer - even with his pleading, sadness and sympathy and now, it had boiled into frustration. He was standing on a rugged ship - I had heard that they were called pirates; these men that trailed the seas on rugged wooden boats. When he moved far enough away from her, she finally accepted her fate, drifting down into the ocean. I watched as she drifted, her belly swollen and her eyes marred with redness. Sobs escaped her lips and I wanted to cry. At my young age, I had never seen so much sadness, and I never wanted to again. I swam back home as fast as my tiny red fins would allow me and vowed never to go back to the surface, no matter how much Violet begged.
A few weeks later I was tracing my bored little fingers along a giant piece of ivory coral when I heard voices, "You will be safe here little one. I cannot provide the home for you here that I wanted. Take home here and I will be back for you one day." The mother I had seen crying only weeks earlier, was leaving her baby girl here in Islanda all alone. I gasped in horror as I watched on, from my now hidden place behind the same piece of coral. The child cried, as infants do but the mother just placed her softly on the sand and swam away with sobs, too fast for her child to catch her. When the mother was out of sight, I rushed to the child, picking her up in my own tiny arms. My arms would only reach around her shoulders, so that's how I carried her all the way back to the center of Islanda, where the adults were. When she cried, I cried with her, as I knew how hard it was to lose your parents.
When I took her up to the king's throne, where the adults were laughing and chatting amongst themselves, the king gasped horrified at the sight of me with a baby. "Where did you get that child?" My aunt flaunted over quickly, taking her from me. They all asked me repeatedly where I had found her but I didn't say anything. Instead I backed away shyly. The village raised her as their own, naming her Isla, after our city Islanda. Over the years they had asked me where I had found her but I simply claimed to have forgotten. I told Isla her entire story as I knew it when she was a little older and the secret remained between us for one day her mother may return and collect her.
I shook my head to rid the memory. One day I would be back with Isla, but for right now, her secret was safe with me.
I looked over at Mika who was delicately arranging seashells and planting chunks of coral in the sand. She was a natural homemaker - so contradictory to her forward and brasen nature. This kingdom was already filled with statues, a throne and everything to make it a home before I had gotten here, but I had needed to add some of my own touches, which were now in place. I felt that now, all it was missing were occupants. I knew however, that it would take time to build up enough of Violet's secrets to take her down.
Vallea had a foundation of emerald and jade. Rugged wooden ships that had sunk to its bottom, accentuated it like a dream. I had come to realize that the foundations of most mermaid kingdoms - at least the ones that I had seen, had shipwrecks, like they had been handpicked because of them. There were many uses for shipwrecks in a mermaid kingdom, such as meeting places, beds and rooms, dining, and houses of secrets, if you were lucky enough to snag one all to yourself, like Violet had.
"Mika," I twirled a strand of my red hair. I had been watching her for a while. "Where do you come from? Tell me about your home..." I said, when she turned to look at me absentmindedly.
"I had a home once," She admitted, "It was really nice, from memory. It shimmered like the beams of light that shone through the ocean. After that, I became sort of a drifter." She admitted, but she didn't seem embarrassed as I would be if I were telling someone that I was a drifter.
"Hmm" I sighed, becoming more uninterested in the story the more she went on.
4 months later
I told Louie to come back when he was ready; and by ready, I meant, with lots of secrets. So when he came back and said the words, "She's pregnant." They were not so well received. "You weren't supposed to get her pregnant! You were just meant to keep an eye on her and report back!" I shouted as my heart broke like a clap of thunder. Time and time again, I thought I had built up a wall against him, but every time he came back, he would just tear it back down again.
"But I love her..." he said slowly. The words shattered any lingering hope I had left of us being together.
"You told me to marry her.. what's the difference?" He sounded confused by how he had gone wrong, which only hurt more. We had been flirting back and forth and I had just assumed it was reciprocal. "You married her of your own volition. I just thought that it would end any suspicion on her end, which is why I let you do it. I thought it would cement any lasting doubts she had about you not being who you say you are." He had not understood the assignment.
"I am devoted to you." He took my hands and looked into my eyes reassuringly. My muscles relaxed , even though deep down I was in a war with my mind. "Have you got the necklace back in your possession?"
"Yes," He held it up for me. I touched it longingly, eagerly waiting for the day I could have it back. So far this mission had taken him close to a year and I wasn't enjoying waiting around for him. The longer he was gone, the more I felt myself unraveling. I was feeling homesick and wanted my home back. I considered time and time again just apologizing to Violet and surrendering to her, but then I would remember that I too, deserved to be queen and had devoted my life to the role. I stopped going on trips to the surface... Violet had not.
I wondered how she was using her magic. Was she growing more powerful than me while I just waited around, unable to use my powers? I wanted my necklace back. Maybe now that she trusted Louie, I could have it back and he would still be safe. It was at no risk to him now if he gave it back, as he had a home here or there. "Louie, I want my necklace back." His face churned. "You still have my promise of ruling with me. You know you can come and go as you please. You have a home with Violet now too. It will be at no risk to you.
He hesitated, "No."
"Why not?" I gritted my teeth. It was more of a statement than a question.
"I don't trust you." he said. His face was panicked and I didn't know why. Was he worried about losing his place next to me on the throne, or something else?
I turned my back to him, snarling in pained frustration. When I turned back, he was already gone.
I wanted nothing more than to be able to talk to my mother at that moment. She would understand. She would know how to soothe me and hug away my pain. My parents' death still killed me silently, even though no one in Islanda thought I had remembered the news of their death. Being a baby, I had felt their absence when the nurturing pull I had with them suddenly dissipated and mention of them arose throughout my childhood. Every question I had of them had been answered but it was never enough. It would never replace their presence.
I sighed, trying to hold in the oceans of mistreatment, pain and betrayal that had come my way since I had met Louie and even before him. I closed my eyes. Pain pain go away, come again another day, when I can actually handle you because I have such an amazing life, that you won't bother me.
