The Drowning Mermaid

The Betrayal Well Deserved

As the little maiden kissed his hand she felt her heart in more pain than any amount of walking. The morn of their wed would bring her the last sunrise to ever see. The heralds were about the streets, declaring their betrothal. perfumed oil was burning at the braziers of gold. The bride and groom joined hands as the bishop blessed them. The little maiden, clothed in gold and fine silk was holding up the bridal train; the festive music fell on deaf ears for the maiden, for she had lost everything, while another reaped the prizes of her hard work. Her golden seat had been erected next to the bride. The ship on which the wedding was held departed with a fair wind and easy water, as everyone cheered at the wondrous weather the little maiden cursed her father for allowing such calm seas. Cannons roared and the ship was strewn with purple, this reminded her of the first time that she laid eyes on her prince, of the bright festival, and her pois like a swallow with prey in her beak. As the night grew darker colored lamps were lit, and the little maiden danced on pained feet. She knew that this would be the last day that she would be with her prince, every cut was an insult to her work, she had turned tail on her kin and left for the land, given up her unparalleled voice, suffered unimaginable pains for him, and he knew not of any. This would be the last time to breathe his air, see his stars, and gaze into the deep sea with him. She had no soul, and now never will. All of the joy and festivities lasted through midnight. None around her could see through the veil of laughter and beauty, when death was all that was on her mind. The prince embraced his bride, and she played with his raven hair as they made their way towards their tent to rest. She left to go out and saw several figures whom the others could not.

"Among the daughters of the air," answered one of them. "A mermaid has not an immortal soul, nor can she obtain one unless she wins the love of a human being. On the power of another hangs her eternal destiny. But the daughters of the air, although they do not possess an immortal soul, can, by their good deeds, procure one for themselves. We fly to warm countries, and cool the sultry air that destroys mankind with the pestilence. We carry the perfume of the flowers to spread health and restoration. After we have striven for three hundred years to all the good in our power, we receive an immortal soul and take part in the happiness of mankind. You, poor little mermaid, have tried with your whole heart to do as we are doing; you have suffered and endured and raised yourself to the spirit-world by your good deeds; and now, by striving forth as you did you have been given an immortal soul."

There was none awake on the ship save the one on the wheel. The little maid sat with her arms dangling from the ship. Her sisters swam up from the water, their long beautiful hair no longer flowing in the wind, they were as pale as she who was awaiting her death by the rays of dawn.

"We have given our hair to the witch," said they, "to obtain help for you, that you may not die to-night. She has given us a knife: here it is, see it is very sharp. Before the sun rises you must plunge it into the heart of the prince; when the warm blood falls upon your feet they will grow together again, and form into a fish's tail, and you will be once more a mermaid, and return to us to live out your three hundred years before you die and change into the salt sea foam. Haste, then; he or you must die before sunrise. Our old grandmother moans so for you, that her white hair is falling off from sorrow, as ours fell under the witch's scissors. Kill the prince and come back; hasten: do you not see the first red streaks in the sky? In a few minutes the sun will rise, and you must die." And then they sighed deeply and mournfully, and sank down beneath the waves.

The maiden drew back the crimson curtain that was her prince's tent. There she saw his fair bride resting her head on his breast, both of them fast asleep. She had given so much, only for this sow to steal it all away. She raised the blade given to her by her sisters...

The little mermaid swam through the deep sea, her tail flapping through the water. She could still feel the knives cutting her tail just as they had her feet, the water threatened to engulf her. She had to get away, the water threatened her, the fish wanted to eat her, the deep dark was horrifying.

The little mermaid couldn't take it anymore, her tail, while in pain did only to terrify her. She took a blade from a sailor that had dropped it, dragged herself to a nearby shore, and cut, and cut, and cut until there was nothing left to be afraid of. Moments later she closed her eyes and found that her tail was still there, the spirits had not just given her an immortal soul, but an undying body to grant her wish of staying with her prince before she plunged that foul blade in his heart.