A Merman's Tale

Seirra: Chapter Twenty-Five

     I woke up in my own bed in the room that was designated for me in the castle. To be honest, the fortress was more like a home to me than our own coral house in the Celari reef. More often than not, I would be found patrolling the castle or training with my father to become a responsible Celari leader.

      At first, I heard no sound and saw only the blurred surroundings of my room. It was simple: my bed, a table made of polished coral and two chairs were the only other furniture that adorned the room. The only indication that made me certain that this was indeed my room was the Ardus sword that hung horizontally on the wall adjacent to the entrance. Glowing jellyfish swam freely around, serving as lights to my otherwise dark quarters.

      Movement caught my eye and I turned my head towards the entrance. The first thing I noticed was a tail that was more a shining purple than a lavender and green. It could only belong to one particular mermaid. Princess Marina was immediately let in by the tentacle door and she glided gracefully to my bedside. I blinked several times to clear my vision and to see the expression on her face. I lifted my eyes and saw that she decided not to bother with her looks as her blond hair was arranged in a simple ponytail, her face clear of any color or face paint. She smiled but her eyes told me that something was up.

      “How long have I been unconscious?” I asked in a surprisingly clear voice.

      “Just three hours as far as I know,” she replied.

      “Who rescued us?”

      “Aquanians who just arrived from scavenging. They saw the cyclone from afar and thought that Aquania was in danger. I was told they found us right after they saw you lose consciousness.” Marina didn’t sound too worried and I had to pause to gather my thoughts.

      “I assume they never saw the enemies.” She nodded silently and I continued, “Marina, what did you tell the King?” I took a deep breath as I remembered one important fact. With my heart racing, I stared at Marina’s eyes and asked the dreaded question. “What happened to Erwann?”   

      She took my hand in hers and squeezed before she replied. “Erwann’s still asleep.” Relief washed over me but when Marina averted her eyes, I knew she left out something important. I squeezed her hand this time, urging her to say everything. She looked back at me, her eyes almost haunted. “I woke up in time to hear one of the helpers say that the healers were struggling to keep him alive.”

      A tear ran down her cheek but she didn’t seem to notice. “It immediately got my attention and I forced the helper to tell me what else he knew about Erwann’s situation. He told me that Erwann was hit with a tremendous amount of power and the healers were only thankful it had not been strong enough to kill him immediately.” The clouds in her eyes began to clear and her voice held a stronger tone. “The news gave me enough strength to get up and look for him. I would have been dead had he not used his body to protect me, Seirra. I needed to save him.”

      Her hand was now gripping mine and I understood. The princess may be hotheaded and bitchy but when it came to people who matter, she could be a fierce protector.

      “You healed Erwann, Marina. He didn’t die,” I told her with a smile.

      She swallowed back her tears and nodded. We released each other’s hands and she wiped the tears that had stained her cheeks before she straightened her shoulders to tell me more of what happened.

      “After I helped the healers with Erwann, Sire Kalus arrived and escorted me to the Scribe Chamber. My father and the other royals were there.”