I'll Be Your Wings

Family Matters

Eden and August had tails- a feature I found quite envious at the time.

Eden dragged me along, swimming so swiftly that I had given up on trying to keep up with her. I hung limply onto her hand, and she continued forward without falter.

I glanced over at Maleficent, who also had given up swimming. Her broad wings were folded neatly onto her back and she grasped August's hand with both of hers.

The sky (well- the sea) was bright with the light of a crisp morning, and all around us were unique wonders that we had never experienced. Winged fish zoomed in and out of the surface above us and the occasional shark glided by, peaceful and mellow.

The ocean floor was covered in white sand, and decorated with all kinds of colorful corals and plants that waved in the crystal water.

"Here we are!" Said Eden, pointing ahead. We approached an enormous grey castle, with tall rock spires and with surrounding coral gardens.

"Is that- where you live?" I asked. I had not realized that our new friends were royalty. Eden turned her head to me, bashfully grinning.

Conch horns sounded as we glided through the coral gates. The castle itself reached high into the space above us, nearly breaching the surface.

"Welcome to the kingdom of Keyon." Said August, over the sound of the conchs. The horns faded as we entered huge, intricate wooden doors into the castle. The enormous entryway was surrounded by colorful walls of different corals. Above us spiraled a staircase (though, I'm not sure who would need it) up into a tower. A chandelier floated in the center, beaming rays of silver light that danced along the golden floor.

They led us to the right, past an incredible ballroom and down a long rock corridor. Near the end, they paused at a large silver door.

"Don't be alarmed." Sad Eden. "Our family... They get easily excited." She giggled, and they both released our hands.

"Yes." Said August. "Oh, and before we go in, are either of you carrying any kind of food?" Maleficent shook her head. I knew I was carrying a pouch of sunflower seed, my secret stash, but I decided not to say anything.

"Right then," Said Eden. "Let's go." She and August pushed open the door. An excited scream of children echoed through the hall. We cautiously followed August and Eden through the threshold, and were met by a wave of smaller, happier, louder, mer-people.

We were mobbed. (Well, I was mobbed.) the children clawed at my waist, yanking the pouch of sunflower seeds from my belt. I tried to snatch them back, yelling in protest, but the children pulled harder, and the pouch exploded, hundreds of seeds flying into the water. The children swarmed, snatching as many as possible from the air. Eden and August exploded into laughter, halfheartedly coaxing their siblings to calm down. After a few moments of chaos, the laughing children finally settled down and fell into a line, youngest to oldest, before us. I counted sixteen children in all, ages ranging from about four to twenty. All except Eden were boys.

"Alright. Are you ready for their names?" Eden asked, grinning. We nodded, mentally preparing ourselves to remember all sixteen names.

"Right." Said Eden, pointing to the end of the line, to a small boy with sandy blonde hair. "Arlo," She moved up the line. "Elian, Ian, Otto, Urson, Axen, Orion, Eton, Acer, Ash, Ellis, Oscar, Everett, Enzo, August, of course, and then me." My head spun with vowel names.

"Right." Maleficent said, furrowing her brow. She paused for a moment, then pointed confidently to the end of the line. "Arlo," she repeated. The small boy straightened himself, looking impressed that she remembered his name. "Elian, Ian, Otto, Urson..." She rattled off all the names. Maleficent's memory ceased to fascinate me many years ago, but it must have been impressive to everyone else in the room. A round of polite applause came from around us, and August and Eden shared a look of bewilderment. Maleficent beamed, taking a graceful underwater bow.

"Our father even has troubles with that!" Eden laughed. "Now, come, and I will show you to your room." Room?

Eden showed us out as playtime resumed behind us. She led us down the corridor a ways, stopping at another door identical to the children's.

"Here we are." She pushed open the thick door, and led us into a beautifully decorated bedroom. One canopied sponge-bed was surrounded by dark wooden furniture.

"Well, if you need anything else, I'll be down the hall with my siblings. I'll let you get settled." Eden said, turning to leave. Assuming this was Maleficent's room, I began to follow her into the hallway. She turned back to face me.

"I'm sorry- can I do anything else for you?" She looked genuinely confused.

"My- my room?" I asked, suddenly embarrassed.

"Oh. Oh! Oh. I thought-" she glanced at Maleficent, then at me. "I thought you were together-"

"No." I said, maybe a little too firmly.

"But- that's quite alright." Maleficent was at my side. "We can share a room- just for tonight. We mean no inconvenience to you or your family." I nodded in agreement.

"Alright... Are you sure?" Eden asked, looking suddenly uncomfortable.

"Quite." I answered. My stomach fluttered. This was going to be interesting.