The Pirate Princess

Chapter 9

"You're my mother?" I asked, and she nodded, "I don't understand; they told me you died after I was born." We sat down on some rocks, and she began to explain everything.

"I did die." She said, "But, since I was buried at sea, the water was able to heal me, and I was able to live; but, since your father and everyone was under the impression that I was gone, I thought it best to stay gone." I had so many questions to ask, but the only thing that was currently running through my mind at that moment was,

"So you abandoned me?" She placed a hand on mine,

"Not by choice, my daughter." She said, "If I had the choice, I would never have left you."

"Then, why?" She chuckled a bit,

"You know that world better than I do," she said, "I think you know just as much as I do that if I came back after being pronounced dead, they would think I was a witch or something." I thought for a moment, then nodded, realizing she was not wrong. "But, I have been keeping tabs on you." I raised a brow,

"How?" She nodded, telling us to follow her.

We came into an empty chamber except for a pedestal in the center with a giant clamshell on top. "This shell has special abilities." She tells us, "It's said that Ea, the original merman, enchanted it so he could watch the humans who worshiped him, but soon when the first mermaid appeared, he gave it to her, crowning her as the Queen of the mermaids. Atargatis used it to learn about humans so we might be able to protect ourselves from them." I sigh,

"I'm sorry," I say, "this is just a lot to take in." My mother smiled sweetly,

"I understand, my darling. Perhaps you should stay here with us and learn about who you are." She suggested, but I shook my head,

"I can't. I have to go back." She looked at me curiously, so I showed her my hand, "I'm married; I have to return." My mother looked at my ring and was furious,

"Did you want to marry this man?" She asked; I shook my head,

"Father tricked me." I told her, "He said that the only way for me to inherit the ship is if I marry, but instead of bestowing my birthright as Captain onto me, he's passing it to my husband."

"And your husband is?"

"Hunter Anderson," I replied; she nodded,

"Gregory's son, I'm guessing." I nod, "I see." She began thinking, and I only knew that because she shared the same expression I make while I think. I smile at this newfound similarity to my mother. "Gregory never cared for me." My mother said, "Said that my thoughts were too, what's the word he used, unworldly, I suppose. He wanted to get rid of me, but when I became with child, he couldn't do anything."

"That doesn't make sense," I told her, "He's only ever spoken kindly of you." She scoffed,

"The only thing that man has wanted since the day I met him was to be the Captain. Looks like he's gotten his son to make sure the Anderson name captains that ship." I began to think about it, and what she was saying started to make sense. Why Hunter wanted to be friends when we were children. Why he always tried to kiss me when we were sixteen. Why I was forced into a marriage that I never wanted. It was all so he could become Captain.

My anger began rising. Was he in on this? I wondered. Adella placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to help calm me down. Then my mother stared at us curiously, "How did you two meet?" She asked,

"I freed her from some netting," I replied,

"I had gotten tangled up in a fishing net and managed to get away, but I couldn't swim home, so I found a secluded portion of the beach to hide while I tried to free myself."