Flowers

Chapter 2 [Mes]

I smiled and waved as I jumped down into the water. I couldn't believe it. A human, a real, living human! Mother said they were vile creatures, man was she wrong!

Silver was the nicest person I had ever met. He was kind, and funny, and patent. I thought of him as I swum through the coral, past a group of mermaids. They started to whisper as I went by.

"It's Mes, it's her!" They whispered. "She never comes out! I wonder what made her finally swim around," "Maybe it was a boy!" "No way!" They said to each other. I laughed slightly at the irony, and twirled around, going through my seaweed door into my room.

In the middle of my room, a large shell stood tall, filled with soft and fluffy corals and sponges. My seaweed blanket draped over it from where I had jumped up earlier.

I plopped down onto it, feeling the warmth. Somehow, it made me think of Silver. Especially his smile.

"Mes?" Mother called. I flew up, sitting properly for a council members daughter. I had a high statute, and I had certain things I had to do. Sit properly, act properly, talk properly. It was a long process.

"Yes mother?" I said back to her as she swam in. Her purple tail swung behind her. Her dark blue sea shell top shined as the faint sunlight hit it. Her blond hair flowed behind her, in an eccentric hair due. I was envious of her.

"Did you..." She paused. "Did you go out?" She asked. I smiled and looked down.

"Yeah, I did. Is there something against that?" I asked nicely. She was taken aback.

"N-no. Not at all." She said. She took a breath in and fixed her posture, turning serious. "I have to tell you something. You won't like it, but you won't have a choice," she said. My eyes widened a little. This could bad...

"What is it?" I asked, impatiently.

"The other council members have started to assign," she said. I looked to her, then to my hands.

"You can't be serious," I said, mostly to myself.

"Don't talk back," she snapped. "They'll start meeting you tomorrow. Make sure you're ready," she said before nodding and swimming out. I frowned.

I clenched my hands. Why do council members have to interfere with my life! Who says they get to assign me suitors! They 'assign' them, and I have to choose one. It's a terrible burden. Being forced to marry someone. Simply terrible.

Tears fell as I laid on my bed. What was a girl to do! How come we don't get a say? Because that's how it is, I told myself. I cried as I thought about it more.

"Mes! I heard the news!" Marina said as she quickly swam in and over to me. Marina was a pet seahorse that my father had gotten me for my first birthday. She grew up with me, and was one of my only friends. Including Silver of course.

"I can't believe this!" I said through my tears.

"Oh Mes... You knew it would happen one day," she said, nuzzling my arm. I sniffed. She was right. I knew ever since I was little that this would happen. I just never thought this soon. I'm only seventeen!

"But I met someone!" I exclaimed. She was surprised.

"Who?" She asked eagerly. She's been trying to land me a date since I was twelve.

"You wouldn't know him," I said. Then an idea popped into my brain. "I'm going to meet him tomorrow! Come with me!" I said. She smiled and nodded.

"Wait, what time? You have assignments till 2:00," she said. Wait, how does she know that?

"Hey Marina," I said.

"Yeah?"

"How do you know when they are?" I asked. She instantly smiled smugly. "You know who and when they are! You looked on the sheet!" I exclaimed. She nodded and shushed me. "Who's first?" I asked her. She looked around before getting closer to me.

"Cadence," she said. I groaned and fell into my soft sponge. "He's not that bad," she said. Cadence. Him of all people.

Cadence was the son of Council member William. He was a year older than me. Everyone believes that he is to be my soul mate. I strongly disagree. He's a total ladies man. Every week he has a new lover.

He's annoying too. Always trying to get my attention in school. "Hey Mes," he'd say flirtatiously.

"It's Mesdhetar," I would say before hurrying to class. We had to go to special council school, where we learn our manners and how to act at Royal events. It seemed like a big waste of time.

"He's the worst person ever," I said to Marina. She giggled.

"Well, you might have to learn to like him. He's quite handsome you know," she said. She was right, he was quite handsome. He had a stunning figure, but a stupid brain.

"Ew," I said. "How revolting,"

"Oh stop," she said with a faint smile. We laughed as I impersonated him. I used the deepest voice I could and stuck out my chest, like he does when strutting. Eventually, we laughed till we cried and finally fell asleep. I had a long day tomorrow.