A Tail of Two Mermaids

Chapter Eighteen: LORELEI

Nixie's public Cutting was held immediately in front of the Atlantean Indoor Shopping Centre. Princess Lorelei, the Royal Family of Atlantis, and hundreds of other mermaids, mermen, and Civilized sea creatures watched as Lady Marguerite, the Captain of the Atlantean Royal Guard, held Nixie's rusty Viking seax high above the false princess's head.

King Piscine confiscated the pricey seashell top that Delmore had bought for Nixie. The royal jewelry, which Lorelei's former Tailmaiden had stolen from her, was returned to its rightful owner. Clad in a plain shell bra, Nixie faced her undignified punishment with a surprising amount of stoicism and courage.

Princess Lorelei of Baltica felt mixed emotions as she witnessed the Cutting ceremony. She was relieved that justice was being served, but she could not help but feel a microscopic pang of sympathy for Nixie, in spite of her unforgivable actions. Finding out about her illiteracy made Lorelei view Nixie in a slightly different light. No matter who they were or what they had done, it was never pleasant to watch a mermaid's long tresses be roughly chopped off. Nixie tried her best to put on a brave face, but Lorelei knew that becoming almost bald would devastate the extremely vain mermaid.

"If you ask me, Lor, a haircut isn't a harsh enough punishment for her" said Crown Prince Delmore. His emerald green eyes narrowed in disdain. Princess Lorelei had never heard him sound so bitter before.

For the next few days, Lorelei and Delmore spent every spare moment together. They enjoyed riding their giant seahorses through the Atlantean Royal Gardens. I was right, Felipe had telepathically gloated. You won Crown Prince Delmore's love, and you're going to live happily ever after!

They never got tired of talking about their favorite books. In the Royal Library of Atlantis, Princess Lorelei and Crown Prince Delmore spent countless hours browsing the shelves, recommending titles to each other, and getting lost in conversations about characters and plot twists. It sure was nice to be able to converse with the handsome Atlantean prince in person, after only communicating through squid ink and kelp parchment for so long.

Lorelei's bright blue eyes widened in delight, when the Crown Prince of Atlantis took her to The Deepest Depths of Knowledge, the most popular book shop in the Atlantean Indoor Shopping Centre. Lady Marguerite trailed behind them.

The store was a refreshing anomaly among the sleek, modern storefronts of the Shopping Centre. Embracing a cozy, old-fashioned charm, The Deepest Depths of Knowledge drew in bookish merfolk seeking a respite from the fast-paced, high-tech lifestyle of Atlantis. The entrance was framed by weathered coral, its natural texture a stark contrast to the smooth, polished exteriors of neighboring shops. All of the bookshelves in the store were hand-crafted out of bleached driftwood.

"I read in the Atlantean Gazette that MerLisa Dwyn is signing copies of her latest novella, The Stolen Pearl, today" said Delmore. At least once a week, a well-known merfolk author did a book signing at The Deepest Depths of Knowledge.

Princess Lorelei's eyes sparkled with excitement as Crown Prince Delmore mentioned the book signing. "I'd love to meet her". MerLisa Dwyn was the author of Of Sea and Land: The Untold Story of a Mermaid Princess, one of her favorite novels, though the princess couldn't help but feel shy at the prospect of meeting such a famous mermaid novelist.

In a corner of the shop, a beautifully crafted wooden table bore a sign that read "MerLisa Dwyn: Book Signing Today!" in elegant Atlantean script. A display of her books, including The Stolen Pearl and Of Sea and Land, sat alongside the table, surrounded by merfolk and Civilized sea creatures eagerly waiting their turn.