The Siren Queen

Chapter Seven

After Nerissa and Stormer had been trekking north for about a week, they came across a colorful garden of rare sea flowers that reminded her of the splendid royal gardens back in Pacifica. She felt a pang of homesickness as she admired the lovely, fragrant flowers, which were clearly cultivated by the hands of highly skilled merfolk gardeners, in contrast with the wild plants that were omnipresent out in the Wilderness.

At the edge of the sweeping garden was a Venus Jellyfish Trap, an exceedingly bizarre plant that Nerissa had read about in books, but had not ever seen with her own turquoise eyes. A carnivorous plant that trapped and digested jellyfish, it appeared to have a huge mouth filled with sharp, shark-like teeth. "Scary plant..." commented Stormer, and Nerissa certainly didn't disagree at all.

Behind the garden was a cavern. A boulder, which was painted bright red, blocked its entrance, indicating that it was most likely occupied by merfolk. Lo and behold, an elderly mermaid pushed back the large rock, and swam out of the grotto.

The Crown Princess of Pacifica made an effort to remember her manners and not stare. The old mer-woman was, in all probability, the strangest-looking individual she had met in her entire life. Nerissa was a relatively petite mermaid, but the aged mer-woman was a full foot shorter than her. Her whole body, from her face to her green tailfin, was covered in wrinkles. Thin, snowy white hair was piled atop her small head in an old-fashioned updo, and she wore a style of seashell top that went out of fashion centuries ago.

Merfolk, unless they foamed due to illness or injury, could live much longer than humans. After reaching their thirties or forties, they usually aged ten times slower than humans. This odd mermaid must have been several hundreds, if not thousands, of years old.

"I am Greta..." the ancient mer-woman introduced herself in Archaic Pacifican, a language that Nerissa thought no one used in casual conversation these days.

"I see you have met Howard, child. He's such a good boy, who helps keep the jellyfish population in check". Greta motioned to the Venus Jellyfish Trap. Luckily, she mostly spoke in simple enough words that Nerissa, who was only semi-fluent in Archaic Pacifican, having studied the tongue for years, could understand her just fine. The Princess of Pacifica definitely found it weird that Greta had named her plant, but she was far too polite to say so. "I much prefer the company of plants and coral to that of my fellow merfolk..."

That explains why she chooses to live in the middle of nowhere...Nerissa mused.

"Although I do quite like merchildren, like you. What is your name, child...?"

"Nerissa...". She wasn't sure if it would be wise to disclose the fact that she was royalty. Something about the old lady's demeanor made her feel uneasy. The word "child" also grated against Nerissa's scales. Since she had undergone the Ascension ceremony, she was supposed to be considered a young adult in merfolk society.

Greta tilted her head in surprise. "My daughter's name was Nerissa...". She glared at Nerissa as if she was looking at a ghost.

"You look so much like her...you must come inside and see her portrait...!"

Nerissa hesitated. She was smart enough to realize that entering an eccentric stranger's dwelling could be problematic. Furthermore, in her note, she had promised her family that she would return home from the Far North as soon as mermaidly possible, so she did not wish to waste any time. "Ma'am, may you please tell me how far are we from the Far North...?" the Crown Princess of Pacifica inquired.

"The Far North...? Why would an innocent little mermaid like you want to know a thing like that...?"

"Well...I..." Nerissa stammered.

"You must come inside my humble abode, Riss-Riss..." Greta persisted. She forcefully grabbed Nerissa's pale hand.

"I beg your pardon, Ma'am...!" protested Nerissa. Stormer neighed loudly as Greta, a creepy expression on her weathered face, swiftly pulled the princess into the cavern. The tiny old woman was evidently stronger than she looked.