The Empress of the Sea was dying. Her mermaid subjects, draped in black shrouds, were gathered by the multitudes in front of the Royal Coral Palace. Wailing, weeping, and praying, they pleaded with the Goddess for Ataris’ recovery. It was this somber sight that greeted Sola, the empire’s Mistress at Arms, when the palace came into view of her speeding chariot.
Sola was returning from the Empire’s western most frontier, where she had been leading a campaign against the barbarian tribes of the fishmen known as the Meru. Upon hearing that the Empress had been poisoned, she immediately quit her army, and raced to the capitol. She had pushed the six great red bodied, blue tailed sea stallions, which pulled her war chariot nonstop during the entirety of her journey. Now her and her exhausted beasts had finally reached their destination, the Royal Coral Palace of Al’Syrenka.
Swimming through the halls of the palace, Sola still wore her battlefront attire. Black steel covered her torso, and a red plumed helmet sat atop of her auburn haired head. The golden cape of the Mistress of Arms hanging from her shoulders flew behind while she swam. As she travelled down the hall that led into the waiting chambers outside the Empress’s quarters, a commotion reached her ears. Picking up speed, racing towards the sound she saw Kalis, the High Priestess, swimming in her direction.
Lines of worry were etched into the priestesses face, and her eyes were wide with fright. “Oh, Mistress at Arms,” she cried, ‘thank the Goddess that you’re here.”
“What is it high priestess?” Sola asked as she swam past her. “Has something happened to the Empress?”
The high priestess did a one eighty and followed on Sola’s shoulder. “No. It’s the princesses. They’re trying to kill each other!”
Kalis and Sola burst into the waiting chambers. There in the center of the couched and cushioned room Acrella was on top of Janri’s back. Acrella’s hair was a mass of live hissing snakes, her eyes blood shot red, and her fangs gritted tight. Looped in her fingers was the slack of Janri’s silver necklace, which she pulled tight against her struggling sister’s throat. Janri desperately clutched at her throat, her eyes bulging from her head.
“You’ve insulted me for the last time wench,” Acrella growled.
“Acrella stop,” Sola ordered, swimming behind her, and pulling her forcefully off her sister.
The High Priestess swam hurriedly to Janri’s side as Acrella released her grip. Janri fell to the floor gasping hard.
“I’ll kill her,” Acrella screamed and squirmed inside of Sola’s bear hug. “By the Goddess, I swear I will.”
“Calm cousin,” Sola soothed. “This is neither the place nor time for this. You have to get a hold of yourself.”
After a few more futile attempts of trying to break free of Sola’s strong grasp, Acrella began to calm. Panting hard, she stopped her struggles, and her features slowly reverted back to her brown locks and soft green eyes.
“Okay,” Sola said, “if you promise to stay calm, I’ll let go of you.”
“Its okay now cousin,” Acrella assured her. “I’ve calmed down.”
“Good,” Sola released her. “Now what is the meaning of this?”
“Ask her,” Janri said, rubbing her throat as the High Priestess helped her off the ground. “She’s the one who attacked me.”
“That’s because you accused me of poisoning mother, you witch,” Acrella snapped back.
“Who else would be motivated to do such a thing?” Janri accused.
YOU ARE READING
Growing up mermaid
FantasyWhen Nymia, the mermaid princess, finds a human baby, she decides to raise him as her own. But by doing this, she unknowingly puts the baby’s life in danger. To make matters worse someone has poisoned her mother, and thrown the whole Empire of the S...
