The Little Mermaid's Name is Luna

5: The Second Day

"Where are your shoes, my darling?" the prince finally asked.

Luna blinked. The vehicle had come to a stop. They were now in a busy town square. People milled around, walking in and out of boxy buildings. Peculiar sounds - much like the ones she'd heard on the prince's birthday - played into the air. Their source was a group of people on a street corner, blowing into shapes Luna had never seen before. She was enticed, so much so that she forgot the prince had ever asked her a question.

"What would you like to do?" the prince asked. Even the driver looked at her expectantly.

Luna pointed to the people blowing at the street corners.

"You want to listen to the music?" Charles asked.

Music. What a perfect word to describe the sounds. They were beautiful. Luna nodded.

"All right," Charles said. The servant who had leaped onto the back bench now climbed down and opened the door. Luna and Charles stepped down, and the servant hopped back onto the bench, and the vehicle moved away towards some unseen place. Luna, unconcerned, walked over to the music, her heart lifting. There had never been anything like this back home in the Sea Kingdom. The waters were silent back home, and even the songs of the whales seemed dull now. And the song of the mermaid, more beautiful than the songs of man, seemed too uniform now, next to this diverse and beautiful music.

Luna stood in front of the music, listening to it. The song changed every now and then, and some who were dancing changed their dance routines as the songs changed. Luna just stood and enjoyed it, ignoring her burning feet, even as the sensation spread up into her legs and some part of her started wanting to sit.

When the sun was directly overhead, the prince, bored of the music already, tugged Luna's arm. "Why don't we do something else now, milady?"

Luna, suddenly breathless, nodded. Pain racked her body, and she felt like she would be sick. Charles held her arm and led her to one of the buildings. Inside were wooden shelves filled with creations made of a clear stuff much like that of water, only frozen in place. Luna, forgetting her sickness and pain, pulled free of the prince and admired each creation.

Then froze.

It was sitting on the shelf. A jellyfish. The jellyfish had been frozen into the watery substance - which, she noticed now, resembled the stuff that the palace windows consisted of. She couldn't believe the creator had captured a jellyfish and frozen it.

The creation next to it was like a miniature squid, waving its tiny tentacles in eternal terror. Luna's stomach turned.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Prince Charles asked, pulling her against his side. "We could buy it if you want."

"NO!" Luna cried - or tried to. But her voice refused to come. The ground started tilting. Wasn't there a term the humans used? Sea legs....

"Milady! Are you all right? You look ill." The prince grasped Luna's arms so tightly it hurt. The world came back to her sharply. Luna realized she had neglected to breathe. She took in a deep breath, and upon exhaling, burst into tears.

The prince pulled her close. She grasped his thin white shirt and cried, breath heaving and ragged. The shopkeeper came to check on them, hungry to see what the racket was about. Luna tried to stop sobbing. She managed to shakily pull herself together. All she wanted in that split moment was to go home. Be back under. Protect the sea and all that was in it - wasn't that her duty as a mermaid?

But then she looked up into the prince's face, and her heart melted. She wanted him, too, and she wanted the music, and even some of these diabolical creations. She wanted everything the land had to offer. The ocean would never be the same to her again.

In that moment, she wanted to kiss the prince. The wanting clawed at the inside of her chest, but she reined herself in. He hadn't known her as long as she'd known him. It wasn't time yet.

Time. Tomorrow was her last day. After that...

I'm going to die!

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She was certain she was going to die. But, she thought, at least I will get to spend my last days here.

--

The next place they went to was a place with paintings trapped inside golden frames. Scenes of beaches and oceans surrounded Luna, and they made her feel even more homesick than before. She caressed the painted waves, thinking of what lay beneath.

Home.

The Sea King.

Her sisters.

She missed Claira most fervently of all, because she was the second-youngest sister and the closest in age to Luna.  She remembered her sister's white skin and strawberry-blond hair. She remembered her love for fun, and how she would break the rules whenever she wanted. Luna had grown to be a very different mermaid, but as a young child, she'd admired her. Her heart ached for Claira, but she knew she couldn't see her again. She smiled at the beach scene, then turned from it. The prince was admiring a forest scene, which, in Luna's opinion, had too much green in it. She walked lightly over to the prince, her feet stinging the whole way, and watched him admire the painting. He was beautiful, with his chiseled cheekbones and towheaded, muscular form. Her heart swelled with love all over again. She wanted to be near him, drinking in his smell. She tried to pinpoint his scent, like all the girls did in the love stories she was told. Her strengthened mermaid nose allowed her to smell him from her standing point, a foot away.

He smelled like the ocean.

She looked down at her bare feet. They were dark, like the chocolate chips in her pancakes this morning. She wiggled her toes; it didn't pain her to do that. The movement was fascinating but, while standing, it challenged her balance. I could never do this as a mermaid. I only had boring fins, but now, I have toes, like the humans! Grinning, she wiggled her toes again.

Prince Charles finally turned to her. "Hello, darling," he said pleasantly, as if just realizing she was there. "Are you ready to leave this place? We can move on, if you want. We might grab a little lunch, if you're hungry."

Luna shook her head. She was still full from this morning's breakfast.

The prince smiled. "All right," he said. "In that case, I would like to take a walk with you. I shall have the driver take us to the forest, and we shall walk to the pond, where I have always dreamed of taking a girl I was courting."

Luna's heart leapt. Courting! They were courting already. Although the walking part didn't sound fun, she was glad she'd get to spend time with the prince who was courting her!

Excitement whirling through her, she nodded enthusiastically. The prince nodded in return, before grabbing her hand and pulling her along. She barely cared about the pain in her feet anymore. She simply sunbathed in joy.

--

Sorry this chapter was so short, but I feel like her time with Prince Charles in the forest and on the pond belongs in another chapter. I hope you've enjoyed The Little Mermaid's Name is Luna so far.

Thanks for reading! (And especially for reading this awful chapter. Promise the next one will be better!)