The Siren Queen

Chapter Three

Much to Nerissa's relief, both of her parents fully approved of the plan to give her fins a rest for part of her Ascension by riding Stormer. "As I'm sure you already know, Rissie, seahorses lack the necessary adaptations for air breathing", stated King Poseidon, "so Lord Zale's sea-stallion cannot go all the way to the surface of the ocean with you, but he can certainly help you get up there, my precious pearl. It is admittedly rather unorthodox, but...". Poseidon's blue eyes twinkled affectionately in Queen Melinda's direction. "So is a merman king falling in love with a human and making her his queen..." she finished for him.

Nerissa really appreciated how, even though they had been married for twenty years, Poseidon and Melinda still seemed to be deeply in love with each other. She dreamed that she too would someday have a marriage as happy as that of her parents apparently was.

Prior to the official Ascension ceremony, an intimate birthday party, just for Nerissa's family and close friends, was held in the ballroom of the royal palace. Lengthy strings of pearls and blue and green seaweed streamers decorated the coral walls, creating a festive atmosphere. Nerissa's four-layered birthday cake, which was made of sweet kelp flour and frosted with creamy clam juice icing, was situated on the center of a wide driftwood table on the left side of the capacious room. As was the Pacifican custom, sixteen tiny seashells were placed on top of the cake, representing each year of her life.

"Happy Birthday, Crown Princess Nerissa of Pacifica!" bellowed King Poseidon, Queen Melinda, Lord Zale, MerLisa, and Poseidon's five younger sisters, Thalassa, Oceana, Pearl, Marina, and Aquata, in unison as Octavia cut the cake with a piece of sharp coral. MerLisa had been surprised at first that her Princess invited her, a mere tailmaiden, to her personal birthday celebration, but Nerissa had assured her that she considered her to be one of her closest friends.

"Rissie, I have a birthday present for you, that's as one-of-a-kind as you are" Zale said, in between bites of the delectable cake. He had been hiding a small, square box, wrapped in seaweed paper, behind his broad-shouldered back.

"Oh, Zale, thank you...". It was a handcrafted bracelet constructed of lavender, pink, and light blue pearls, the exact same hues as the shimmery scales on Nerissa's fishtail. "Rissie" was neatly engraved on six of the pearls. "It's so beautiful..."

"I made it myself, out of pearls harvested on my family's manor. They always say that handmade gifts are so much more meaningful than something bought at the marketplace". Lord Zale gently put the bracelet on her dainty wrist.

An enormous crowd of merfolk and civilized sea creatures had gathered in the open water on the edge of the kingdom in order to witness Nerissa's Ascension ceremony. King Poseidon blew into a giant conch shell to signal the start of the ceremony. "Good evening, my fellow Pacificans! Thank you for joining us in celebrating the Ascension of my only daughter, Crown Princess Nerissa!" He paused for a second and turned to face Nerissa. "My dearest daughter, Nerissa. Sixteen years ago, I held a tiny merbaby, with big eyes the color of the ocean and an adorable tuft of auburn hair, in my arms, never dreaming she would grow into such a lovely young lady, both inside and out. Remember, my pearl, that your journey is only beginning, and your future will hold both wonders and challenges. I trust that you will embrace them with both courage and compassion. May our love and support flow around Nerissa like a powerful current, guiding her through wild, uncharted waters!"

Poseidon hugged his daughter, and the crowd cheered and applauded. Then, the Elders of Pacifica chanted an ancient blessing in Archaic Pacifican, praying that Amphitrite, the Goddess of the Sea, granted Nerissa protection and guidance.

Before she launched into singing "Mare Pacificum", Nerissa proclaimed, "This song is dedicated to my dearest friend, Lord Zale Delmar of Catalina Hall, my confidante, my anchor, and my partner on this adventure". As she sang, accompanied by an all-crustacean orchestra, she tried to settle her nerves by pretending she was serenading only Zale and not performing in front of an audience of hundreds.

When the song was over, Nerissa and Zale jumped onto Stormer's back. Everyone called out "May the currents be in your favor!", which was how Pacificans wished each other good luck. As they rode closer and closer to the ocean's surface, the water grew warmer and warmer, and gradually shifted to a brighter shade of turquoise.

"Thanks for the ride, Stormer!" laughed Nerissa, dismounting from the giant black seahorse. She lightly petted his mane. The Princess of Pacifica sometimes longed for a bonded seahorse of her own, that she could telepathically communicate with.

"Stormer says, 'You're most welcome, Princess!'. He's more than happy to wait for us underwater while we Ascend" Zale said. "Are you ready, Rissie...?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I suppose..."

Lord Zale held Nerissa's hand as they broke the surface together. The chilly autumn night air smelled of sea salt. She wrinkled her nose. "Does it always smell like this...above the water line...?"

"Give it a few minutes, Rissie. You'll get used to it...or not"

"It does look better than it smells up here". The sky was filled with dozens of shining white dots, which was unlike anything Nerissa had ever seen before in her whole life. "Stars..." she murmured. "Mymom had told me about those...". . There was also a crescent-shaped sliver of light in the sky that she believed was the moon.

"I don't know what's prettier...you or the stars..." asserted Zale. Squeezing both of Nerissa's hands, he gave her a quick, gentlemanly kiss on the cheek.

"Oh Zale..." Nerissa sighed contentedly.

All of a sudden, they could hear a haunting voice singing just below the surface.