COMPLETED
Nereida has always been shackled to her royal duties as princess of Triteria, and when her kingdom becomes involved in a series of mysterious vanishings and deaths she begins to seek answers. Rebels soon shatter her world, and she finds he...
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There was nothing more for us to do; the fates had taken Sam and abandoned us. When we returned to the ship, I slipped into Sam's quarters and locked myself away. I gave no orders—nothing.
I could not think.
Over the next couple of days, I fell into a madness I feared I wouldn't ever crawl out of. There was no distinction between reality and illusion; I saw Sam everywhere I turned. I would hear his voice in the silence, smell his hair in the air, and believed he would return to me every day. The only comfort I had was the pain in my chest, an aching that almost killed me, but also a reminder that he was real and everything had happened. I wouldn't let anyone inside the room as my mind unraveled.
I could not live with the guilt of what I had done—the sacrifice that destroyed my soul and stole my love also broke my mind.
There was nothing left for me, and I felt like a treacherous liar. To all, I was the 'benevolent Nereida' who started an age of peace. But in truth, I had created a new world from the blood of the man I loved the most, and I could not live with myself. I wanted to drink until I slipped into a hole where I could hide from that, but there was no hiding. I drank to forget, to try and forget, but when the fog lifted, I was left with the truth, and it tore me apart.
With no orders, the crew set course for Port Royal to escape the ocean for a while and recuperate. I felt the ship dock, and although Mr. Gibbs tried his best to free me from the room, I refused to show my face or see any light. I drank and drank; I wanted to cry, but I had no tears left. I had nothing. Losing a love like that killed me, and what remained after was a shadow. As the sunlight shone into Sam's room, a new day looming, I started it as I did every other since his departure—with a drink.
"You should not drink yourself into ruin, Nereida. It is unwise and leaves you vulnerable. I won't always be around to save you," a voice said. My heart raced, and hope filled me. Could it be Sam? I looked around, eyes wide and wild like a feral creature, but he was not the voice owner.
"I never asked you to," I mumbled as I swigged from the jug. Poseidon laughed and pushed himself off the ship's windowsill. He surveyed the room, inspecting it, failing to hide the judgmental look in his eyes. I couldn't defend myself, nor would I. The room had scattered jugs of whiskey, clothes, and food, and the smell wasn't the most welcoming; however, none mattered to me.
This was how I survived, not lived.
"Oh, come now, you've won! You challenged the order of things and got exactly what you desired. Humans and mermaids are once again working together. Many of the gods and goddesses are pleased with you, Niri. It can't all be that bad," Poseidon went on, his lack of sympathy testing my patience.
"I created a new world at the expense of the one I loved the most. I do not deserve any relishing. The fates should have taken me; I deserve their wrath," I ranted incoherently as I brought the whiskey to my lips.
