The Mermaid's Reckoning | ONC 2024

Chapter 1

There was nothing like summer in Aecora. It was late afternoon, and the sun was bright in a cloudless, cerulean sky, shining brilliantly down on the seaside kingdom. Gulls cried cheerfully, dancing on updrafts as they soared across the coast and swooped around the sandstone walls of the kingdom's glorious centerpiece, the Pantons' royal castle. Less than a mile from the structure, waves lapped at the beach in an even rhythm. Young children raced their siblings and parents alike along its path, laughter drifting into the air as they dodged patches of sea foam.

It should have been a perfect day, and for any of the kingdom's other residents, it may have been.

But for Pretie Panton, princess of Aecora, it was anything but.

The girl stood by the half-open window of her spacious bedroom, her eyes catching on a couple making their way down the street below. They strolled down it at a pace that indicated that they were in no rush to get anywhere, their linked hands swinging between them. As one of the two leaned over to whisper something in the other's ear, a pair of matching grins spread across their faces.

A shiver of envy, viscous and green, slid its way into Pretie's mind and she forced herself to look away. She would never have that—not now, with her arranged marriage imminent and every minute drawing her closer to a future she wanted no part of.

Running a hand down her face, Pretie wandered to her dressing table, sitting heavily down on the stool and staring into the mirror before her. Her brunette locks, usually curled to perfection, looked more like a bird's nest on top of her head. Her hazel eyes were shadowed with bags. 

For a moment, she considered calling for Juva, her handmaiden, to freshen up her appearance for her. The woman was always eager to help however she could, her hands well-trained to coax the tangles from Pretie's hair and replace them with all sorts of intricate braids. The princess decided otherwise as she considered the one downside to her helpful handmaiden: the woman couldn't keep her mouth shut for a second. Pretie couldn't stand the thought of sitting through her never-ending stories, no matter how juicy the castle gossip was.

The girl reached for a brush and began tentatively tugging out the knots in her hair—proving with each involuntary wince that she wasn't nearly as graceful at the feat as Juva—and let out a shaky sigh. Less than two days from now, she would be married to someone she had never met, the mysteriously anonymous prince of San Clivus. She could still hear her father's voice echoing in her mind as he announced her fate.

"I have excellent news, my dear!" The man had greeted her not too long ago.

Pretie had thought he was joking with her, and responded in turn, "Oh? And what could that possibly be?"

"I've officially arranged for your marriage." He had told her instead, offering her a grin. She could still remember the exact moment her own teasing smile had slipped from her face. "At the month's end, we'll be solidifying the alliance between Aecora and San Clivus with your union to their youngest prince."

Much as Pretie hated to admit it, the alliance made sense. San Clivus was the source of most of the land's agriculture and livestock; by making a deal with the seaside kingdom, they could access the ports Aecora had to offer while simultaneously providing the latter with a better deal on the produce they already had to import. But why, for hells' sake, does it have to involve me?

The hairbrush jolted to a stop in her hand as she came across a particularly large tangle. Gritting her teeth, Pretie ripped the brush through as quickly as she could, eager to be done with the process. A grunt left her lips and she let go of the brush with a wince. It remained dangling in her hair, trapped.

Why am I even bothering? She thought to herself, plucking the brush out and setting it down on the table. Nothing in my life has ever been in my control. How can I expect that to suddenly change?