The Sea Princess and The Storyteller

Chapter Eight: JEWEL

At first, Jewel had assumed that Prince Deri of Marmara was just as insincere and spoiled as some of the other young, aristocratic mermen she had the displeasure of meeting at her annual birthday/Feast of Amphitrite balls for the past three years. His passion for charity certainly came as a major surprise to the Crown Princess of Reddia. By sheer coincidence, she had actually planned on finally gathering the courage to suggest to her father, over dinner tonight, that the Reddian royal family do something, though she wasn't sure what exactly, to help the many underprivileged merfolk in their kingdom. It was almost as if the eccentric merman had read her mind.

"Wow!" Jewel couldn't resist exclaiming, when she laid her large, dark eyes on Deri's Sea-Carriage. The luxurious vehicle was pulled by a gorgeous, pure white Arabian sea-stallion. She sometimes enjoyed riding the giant seahorses who were kept in the palace's stable, but this would be her very first ride in a Sea-Carriage, as merfolk usually only used them for long-distance transportation. Its interior was spacious enough to seat Jewel, Prince Deri, and Marion, the Reddian Royal Force officer ordered to escort them, comfortably. The sensation of soaring through the Scarlet Sea, at the breakneck speed of forty nautical miles per hour, was downright exhilarating! When the Prince of Marmara's tan hand brushed against Jewel's own left hand, her entire body, all the way down to her violet fins, felt warm and tingly for a fleeting instant.

The Sisters of Amphitrite Home for Orphaned Mer-Children was located on the polar opposite side of the merfolk kingdom of Reddia as the royal palace. The orphanage was a square building, constructed of well-worn, gray, barnacle-encrusted driftwood. It's a fraction of the size of the palace, Jewel silently observed to herself, as she followed Deri, who was carrying a big kelp bag, out of the Sea-Carriage. A lone soldier in the Reddian Royal Force was stationed by the front door of the Home. He was unarmed, but his distinctive red Sea-Satin vest and matching arm band identified him as a member of the Force.

The guard's eyes widened when he saw them. "Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Jewel of Reddia, and Prince Deri of Marmara, wished to visit the Sisters of Amphitrite Home for Orphaned Mer-Children", Marion explained.

"My fellow warrior of His Majesty's Royal Force, I'm afraid you must leave your spear in the Sea-Carriage, in order to enter the Home. No weapons of any kind are allowed within the Home, as the Order of the Sisters of Amphitrite are extremely strict pacifists".

Marion reluctantly did as he was told. He knew better than to disobey the direct order of an officer in the Reddian Royal Force.

The heavy stone door of the Home swung open to reveal a stark contrast to the opulence that Jewel was accustomed to. The rough-hewn driftwood walls, which were decorated with faded murals that pictured mer-children frolicking amongst coral reefs, had been worn smooth by countless touches. A single jellyfish lantern hanging from the beamed ceiling was the only source of light, so it was depressingly dark inside.

An elderly mermaid, with a white scarf covering her head, swam up to the visitors. "May Amphitrite, the Goddess of the Sea, bless you! I am Sister Cansu! You must be Crown Princess Jewel!". She smiled gently at Jewel, though there was a tinge of sadness in the Sister's hazel eyes. "We do not receive many visitors these days. Your Highness, you are the spitting image of your late grandmother, Sister Baquia, may her memory be a blessing from Amphitrite!"

"Prince Deri of Marmara, at your service, Sister Cansu", he introduced himself, with a respectful nod of his head. "You do accept monetary donations, right?". He stuck his hand in his woven kelp sack, pulled out a pile of sand shekels, and placed them in the Sister's wrinkled hands.

"Oh my...!" cried out Sister Cansu. "Amphitrite bless you, young merman!". The old mer-lady's jaw dropped, and her eyes appeared ready to pop out of her head. "We are ever grateful for any contribution, as the past several years have been challenging for our Home for Orphaned Mer-Children".