A Tail of Two Mermaids

Chapter Thirteen: LORELEI

Once Princess Lorelei had finished diligently working at the oyster farm with Pons for the second day, she wandered through the winding corridors of the Atlantean royal palace, for a little while. Upon coming across the Royal Library of Atlantis, which was located in the eastern wing of the palace, Lorelei was unable to suppress the urge to enter it. Libraries were the one place where her anxiety tended to fade away.

The Royal Library of Atlantis was by far the largest library in the seven seas. It contained at least one copy of virtually every book ever published in the merfolk world. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves carved from pearly white coral lined the walls, stretching as far as Lorelei's blue eyes could see. Those shelves were meticulously organized by subject, with intricate Atlantean script etched into the coral. Scattered throughout the Royal Library were cozy reading alcoves carved from giant clam shells and lined with soft, bioluminescent kelp cushions. Tucked away in a secluded section of the Royal Library of Atlantis was a collection of human books, salvaged from the surface world and specially treated to slow down the underwater decay of paper and help stabilize the ink.

When Lorelei swam into the Library, a Civilized Atlantic white-spotted octopus was using her many arms to shelve multiple books at once. The octopus smiled warmly at Lorelei. "Welcome to the Royal Library of Atlantis, young lady. My name is Agatha, and I'm the Head Royal Librarian of Atlantis. How may I assist you...?".

Lorelei returned Agatha's smile. "I just wanted to browse around the Library".

"You are free borrow any book that you wish to read, my dear" the Head Royal Librarian said.

"Thank you!". Princess Lorelei began reading the titles on the spines of the novels in the Young Adult section of the Royal Library. She saw one of her favorite books, Of Sea and Land: The Untold Story of a Mermaid Princess by MerLisa Dwyn, on a high shelf.

On a lower shelf, the Baltican princess found sea leather bound copies of "The Chronicles of Marmara" by Delja Gretchine, a series of four thick novels that she had thoroughly enjoyed reading when she was in secondary school. "The Chronicles of Marmara" was about a poor, orphaned mermaid who enrolled at an elite academy in a dystopian undersea kingdom with a rigid class system, and her forbidden romance with a young human nobleman, whose best friend was a magical dragon.

Lorelei grabbed The Submerged Kingdom, the first volume of "The Chronicles of Marmara", off of the shelf, and sat down in one of the Royal Library of Atlantis's reading alcoves, with her fins up. Under the bright light of a hydroelectric lamp, the true princess started to read the book. She found that she related to Meriel, the heroine of the novel, much more now than had when she was younger.

She was so engrossed in her book that she didn't notice Crown Prince Delmore float into the Royal Library at first.

"Good afternoon, Your Royal Highness!" Agatha greeted Delmore.

"Good afternoon, Agatha". When she heard the Crown Prince of Atlantis's voice, Lorelei put the book down.

Delmore swam closer to Lorelei. "Ah, a fellow bookworm!" he remarked. "What are you reading, Nixie?"

Princess Lorelei was touched to see that Delmore was wearing the bracelet she'd made and sent him last Feast of Amphitrite. She wished from the bottom of her heart that the handsome prince could call her by her real name, and not by Nixie's name. Her pale cheeks flushed slightly, as she held up her book. "Just an old favorite. It's the first book in the Chronicles of Marmara series by Delja Gretchine".

Delmore's emerald green eyes lit up like a hydroelectric lamp. "I've read that series more than once! Meriel's story is quite inspiring, isn't it?"

Lorelei nodded, feeling increasingly at ease around the gorgeous Atlantean prince. She sometimes felt less shy when talking about books. "Yes! I love how she navigates the challenges of her world. And the romance is so sweet!"

"I know, right?" Delmore said. "I've always loved how Meriel bravely perseveres in the face of adversity. And her relationship with Lord Keith is so beautifully written".

Princess Lorelei's eyes met Crown Prince Delmore's green orbs, and she felt a flutter in her chest. "I love how their love conquers all, despite the heavy odds stacked against them".

"Exactly! I think that's what makes their story so compelling. I must say, I'm kind of impressed that you're reading it again. It's certainly not every day that I find someone who appreciates a good book as much as I do".

Lorelei's cheeks flushed deeper, but she smiled. She felt a profound connection with Delmore that she couldn't ignore. "I do love diving deep into a good story".

"I know what you mean, Nixie. Maybe the two of us can discuss more books sometime? I'd really love to hear your thoughts on some of my favorites".

Lorelei's heart skipped a beat at the Crown Prince of Atlantis's suggestion. "I'd like that very much!".

"You know, Nixie, tomorrow is Open Library Day. It's a very special event which is held once per lunar cycle, when the Royal Library of Atlantis is open to the public. We could really use some volunteers to help out...".

Princess Lorelei's lovely face brightened with enthusiasm. "Open Library Day? That sounds so wonderful. I would love to volunteer".

She was sure that Marie, the head royal housekeeper, wouldn't mind if she helped out at the Royal Library that day, instead of laboring at the oyster farm with her grandson, Pons. Nixie, on the other fin, probably wouldn't be happy about her spending time with Delmore, but she recalled the encouraging words of Felipe, her bonded giant seahorse. I think you still have a chance to win Crown Prince Delmore's love and live happily ever after...

Crown Prince Delmore grinned from ear to ear. "I had a feeling you would be interested, Nixie".