The Little Mermaid's Name is Luna

Epilogue

"Are you awake?"

Luna felt a heavy darkness cloaking her body. She wanted to wake up... but it just felt so exhausting. She let her head roll to the side and sank back into the dream she'd been having. The Daughters of the Air had been telling her well done, the spell's been broken... but she knew better.

Was she dead?

No. She felt her breath rushing into her lungs, her powerful heartbeat. She was achy and tired. Feeling was coming back into her fingers.

"Are you all right?"

Was that Charles?

So this wasn't all just a bad dream. She really had done something stupid... something very stupid. She'd risked her life - and she realized, with a sinking heart, she was still going to die.

She moaned.

Her eyes blinked open. Standing over her was a group of people. Charles was the closest, his face just a foot from hers.

Her head pounded. Charles slipped out of focus.

Did I just hear my own voice?

Something was rocking under her... something hard. Fabric rubbed against her cheek. A groan rumbled in her throat.

Why does everything hurt?

WAIT!

She bolted upright, nearly smacking Charles in the face. Charles jumped back, along with every one else. She was on the ship, sitting on a coat. Her eyes were shocked by a bright blue sky.

What? Isn't it day three? Shouldn't I be dead? Is the spell broken?!

Opening her mouth, she tested her voice. It rang out, beautiful and sweet. Whoa! I never noticed how my voice tasted before! It's the sweetest thing ever. I'm never parting with it EVER AGAIN!

"Charles," she said.

"You can talk?" he asked, voice amazed. His eyes widened.

"I couldn't, but I can now."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes!"

"Then WHY DID YOU THROW MY WIFE OVERBOARD?!"

Luna flinched. "Who, Glory?"

"YES!"

"It's a long story. You probably wouldn't believe it."

He waited, furious.

She sighed, and began. "Well, see, I'm a mermaid..." She recounted on all she had experienced. When she finished, she said, "Apparently killing her was the only way to break the spell."

"Are you telling me you're a mermaid and the woman who was to be my wife was a witch?" Charles asked.

Luna nodded.

"I don't believe it," he murmured.

Luna looked down at her toes. Wiggled them. If the spell was broken, how come she wasn't a mermaid? She had her voice, she wasn't dead....

Oh, ooowwwwwww, she thought, remembering the pain that would surely come to her when she stood. Oh, oooowwwwwwwwww! Oh, that's gonna huuuuuuuuurt.

She winced.

"What's wrong?" Charles's voice turned tender again.

"My feet," she whispered.

"They stopped bleeding. Do they hurt?"

"They hurt when I stand. I don't know if they'll hurt now..."

"Let's see."

He took her hands and stood her up. Balancing, she realized her feet didn't hurt at all. She was all right. The spell was broken, for the most part.

"Do they hurt, darling?"

"No, actually... and my name's Luna."

"Luna," he said, a smile splitting his face. "I like that."

"Charles, I love you," she blurted.

"That's Prince Charles, madam," someone said from the crowd.

"Don't worry," Charles replied. He smiled. "Maybe we could court."

"Just court?" The words burst out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Well, after that... fiasco, I'm not sure I'm ready for marriage."

Luna nodded. "I understand. I can wait."

--

And wait she did. They courted four years before finally they were married aboard a ship - and they made sure to invite the royal family of Weslin, who really did have a daughter named Glory, who was nicer than the Sea Witch's portrayal of her. Glory and Luna became pen friends and wrote each other often.

Luna had a child within their first year, a daughter named Orca. Her second child was a son, who they named Charles Jr. and who became the second heir of Kent, the Land Kingdom. Third came twins, two boys, who they named Jackson and Jason.

Charles was crowned king of Kent at age 21, after his father fell ill and died. The kingdom mourned a week, and so did Luna and Charles, but after Charles was ready to rule. The queen became a trusted adviser, and Orca advised him as well when she edged into her older years.

Luna's family visited often by way of the beach. Claira visited nearly daily, beaching herself and talking about what happened under the sea as Luna recounted the news of the land.

Luna told her children her story when she felt they were ready. They listened knowingly, passing the story down to their children, until it became a fairy tale, and details and names were lost.

All told, the story ended happily, and Luna and Charles lived long, healthy lives. Luna wrote down her story to make sure it was preserved forever, hiding it in a drawer alongside the knife the Sea Witch gave her, which was recovered from Weslin. She never used it, not even for cutting onions when she helped the cooks.

Maybe the knife's still there...