Mer Madness

Chapter 4

          You'll probably think I'm a wimp, which I probably am, but when I saw the before-mentioned dark shape standing over me, I panicked. I start flailing everywhere and yelling strings of curses that my mother would have exiled me for saying.

         "Princessa! Princessa! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Oh, wonderful, I recognized that voice. I had fainted, thinking it was a shark or something equally as deadly coming my way, when it was actually just one of my mother's guards, and the biggest and sweetest one at that.

           I hauled my sorry princess booty up off the sand. "Yeah, yeah. No harm done. It's okay, Julius." Even with my consolation, he still looked disappointed in himself. "Again, I'm very sorry, Princessa. Next time I will not, ah, what is the word, barrel towards you."

           Julius is from France, or so he tells me. All I know is that he can never speak more than 2 sentences in Spanish without reverting back to French.

            "It's quite alright. Now, what was the news you were so eager to tell me about?"

           "Well, Princessa," All of the sudden he acted as though he was tasered. "Oh! The queen has been in a terrible accident! Come quick!"

             His words hit me like a slap in my face. "WHAT?!?! She was JUST OVER THERE!" I turned and pointed to her makeshift throne. But when I turned and saw her throne, I knew Julius wasn't lying. There was bits of steel and gold floating around, and the sand looked like it had been severely disturbed. The worst part about it was that there was bits of red in the water. If that was blood, I was going to cry and vomit at the same time. Now, when mermaids cry, we can't make tears, because we're in the water already. Our irises sparkle with diamonds the same color as our scales. I could feel my eyes starting to burn.

           "What happened? Why didn't you stop it?! You're her guard, for Christ's sake!" All my grief transformed into anger. I pounded on Julius's chest with my fists, but I'll admit my heart wasn't in it. Julius didn't speak, he just let me cry and folded me in his arms.

           "It's okay, Princessa. She is not deceased. Some sharks came in and attacked everyone they could find." He gave me such a sympathetic look, it just made me cry harder.

           "Is-Is-Is she okay?" I don't think I would be able to bear it if she wasn't. Julius patted my back. " She is doing as well as can be expected, Princessa. Although she has major gashes along her stomach and tail fin, and is developing pneumonia, she's expected to pull through, even if she might be sick for a while." When he said she was developing pneumonia, I got skeptical. "You can't develop a major sickness in an hour or two, Julius. What do you mean she has pneumonia?" 

             He had the gall to look embarrassed. "Well, you fainted and hit your head on some coral and was unconscious for about a day."

            "What? I was out cold and no one woke me up?!"

           "Well, you see, Princessa, that no one could wake you. We tried everything. You wouldn't wake up." It was only then that I noticed my surroundings. I was swimming around now, but I had been laying on a bed of seaweed. I took a shaky breath. "Can you take me to her?"

            "Of course, Princessa. Right this way." This is why Julius is my favorite guard. The others sneer behind my back whenever I give them orders just because I'm 16. But, to my face they play nice because I will be queen someday. But not Julius. He genuinely likes to help and serve my mother. 

            Julius leads me to Mom's royal infirmary. I rush over to her beside and take her hand. Then I notice that Ophelia, Gabbi, and Lilianna are all asleep in chairs assembled in a semi-circle around her bed. There was even an empty chair for me, which made me tear up a bit. I cradle Mom's face and speak soothing words to her. 

           "Mom? It's me, your little Marci. You're gonna be okay. Can you hear me?" She looked up at me. "Marcia? Thank Triton you're okay. You had me worried there, my little starfish." I could tell she was trying to swallow her pain, not make it as evident to me. Even when she's on Death's doorstep, she still tries to be strong for us. Seeing her, my usually regal and powerful mother weak is what finally made me lose it.

            I sat on the edge of her bed, bawling my eyes out and talking to her until about 11:00 p.m, then the nurse stated that I had to leave. As I sat there, torn, I noticed Ophelia and Gabbs waking up.

           "Marcia? What's going on? When did you get here?" Gabrielle rubs her eye blearily. I reply in a soothing voice. "No, it's okay, Gabbi. Go back to sleep." 

            Gabrielle can't seem to find a reason not to. "Okay." She shrugs. Ophelia is the next to wake up, and thank god because I don't think I would've been able to carry both Lil and Gabbs back home. But, Mom asks that we stay as the castle for the night, and even Ophelia isn't going to argue with Mom, in her condition. The guards escort us to our rooms where we'll be staying for the next couple days. Lil and Gabbs in one, and Ophelia and me in another.

          "Hey, Marcia," Ophelia says as we are getting ready for bed. "do you think Mom'll make it?" This is the first time I've noticed that her body language and everything about her right now screams dejection. So, naturally, I try to comfort her. "Totally, Ophelia. You'll see. Mom's so stubborn she won't die just to spite Death." I tried to sound light and carefree, but as soon as I said it, I realized that it was entirely too soon for me to be joking about Mom's situation.

           "I hope you're right. Listen," Ophelia's voice broke."I wouldn't be able to stand it if she died. And I don't want her to die before I could say I was sorry for fighting with her. I just don't want my last words with her to be, 'You're so unfair, I hate you!'. That would majorly suck." She took a shaky breath.

           "I get it, Ophelia. I do. But you can't do Mom any good if you're too tired to stay awake at her bedside. So, chop, chop! Get your hair brushed and a tank top on and go to sleep!" I make the universal gesture for hurry up with my hands. 

          Ophelia gives me a funny look. "When did you become the wisest sister?"

         "When the former-wisest needs a break."

        Ophelia giggles as we ease ourselves onto our beds. I gladly welcome sleep after the day I've had.