The Mermaid's Hunter

Chapter Two

   Illia wasn't ready. Not in the least. It was the custom of all the maids who were eligible to be prepared by the female members of the family. Since Illia was royal and had no female family members, her staff attended her. Illia would've liked to say that she imagined this day since she was young, with her mother instructing her of all the things she should know as she clasped her headdress behind her head as a sign of her entering womanhood.
   But that wouldn't be true. Illia had no recollection of her mother. She didn't know what she looked like, her likes or dislikes and no one was allowed to speak of her per order of the King. It was too painful.
   Instead of Queen Lileah clasping the ceremonial headdress and smoothing her daughters long hair, it was Minea who pulled the delicate headpiece across her brow. It was a single line of small, iridescent white and light blue shells, pulled into a V by a single tear dropped pearl. The ends of the piece flowed out. Minea gently took Illia's flowing hair and twisted the length down, wrapping the ends of the piece around as she went, creating a spiral braid that went to the top third of Illia's tail. Her too covering had been removed and replaced by two white shells, wrapped around and secured against her back.
   Normally the top covering was removed on a mermaid's 18th birthday. It was made of the first scales that she shed from her tail, sewn together and wrapped around her chest and stomach. Illia felt completely exposed as she saw her reflection. She didn't recognize herself.  Her long hair, tucked securely in the thick braid, usually flowed freely. Pulled back, it only accentuated her long neck and oval face. Her green eyes seemed entirely too big, her nose too high, her lips too full. She knew it was just an illusion, it was still her, but she couldn't pull herself out of the trance.
   "Is she ready?"
   Illia finally turned at the sound of her father's voice. His gold eyes found hers and he smiled sadly. "You've grown up, child."
   She nodded. "I... I don't recognize myself, dad."
   He gently took her smaller hand in his. "Let's go, child."

   The gathering took place in the center of Niate-Liare in the King's Great Hall. The entirety of the kingdom appeared leaving Illia feeling quite closed in. How different of a feeling it had been then. While she knew she was still free. Merfolk drifted about in circles, mingling as they waited for the formal event to start. Every few moments a voice would ring out above the din, announcing another coming party. Tables sat off to the sides of the room, offering refreshments to any who desired them. She stayed near the exit, watching the festivities. She looked at her father just in time to see him give a slight not to the coordinator. Suddenly, the band in the corner stopped. Everyone looked to the king.
   "Honored guests," he began on the center dais, looking at everyone as he spoke. "It is my pleasure to announce the Gathering this year. Let the evening commence!"
   The onlookers clapped and voiced their approval and excitement as the mermaids of age and the unmatched mermen gathered in opposite parts of the large hall. Illia swam over to join them. It was completely quiet in the Great Hall as guests shuffled to the sides on the room, clearing the center for the ones participating in the dance.
   Time stood still as everyone watched the participants turn toward each other. Moon rays can through the openings of the rock castle walls. The still silence was broken by a single, prolonged note from a violin. Then came the movement. One by one, mermaids and mermen floated toward each other, then away, toward each other, then away again. The third time hands touched and they switched places, then shifted away to the next.
   Illia watched her partners at every pass, looking for some sign of recognition. She and Rune came together. As their hands finally touched, she only felt his familiar warmth. And then they moved on, one by one until the full circle had been complete. From the outside it looked like a living, pulsating circle. Finally the music stopped. They separated to opposite corners again. Chatter from the crowd rose up as the mermaids inspected their tails for new markings.
   Illia quickly looked back at the group of mermen. They were all laughing at some unknown joke. Her eyes found Rune's. He wasn't laughing. In fact, he was looking at her anxiously. Quickly she turned around bringing herself back to the chatter of the circle. Already markings were beginning to show. Some of the maids squealed as the markings glowed, etching their way onto the tails. One by one, markings were recognized as belonging to a merman.
   Illia looked at her own tail but saw nothing. Just the familiar iridescent, admiral blue scales flashing gray and white as the moonlight glinted off of them. She had no markings.
   The was impossible. Had she done the Manota wrong? Perhaps they were late in showing?
   All too soon the matches were to be announced. As each maiden was called forth, the merman she matched came, took her hand and was led away to an attendant who tied a gold cord around the wrists of their joined hands.
   Illia felt herself unable to focus on the pairs being announced and blessed by her father. She was anxious, looking down. No markings still.
   She forced herself to focus on the next pair and stared in shock as Aris stood with Naeiri. Aris' usual expressionless countenance was gone. Instead his eyes were straight ahead, his mouth set in a thin line, determination evident. Naeiri's face, on the other hand, was red and she refused to look at him. She forced a small smile as she clenched her untethered hand into a tight fist.
   Illia was not the only one who saw the ironic humor in this match. Naeiri was everything Aris didn't want. She was loud and outspoken, and had the same thoughts and feelings Illia did toward Aris, even more so, and made everyone aware of it.
   Illia smiled at Naeiri, willing happiness to her beautiful friend. She looked down at her tail. Nothing. This had never happened before. She was a disgrace.
   She was next. She was last. "Her royal highness. Princess Illia."
   The crowd stilled. The lively music stopped. All eyes were on her, staring at her unmarked tail.
   "Mother, where are her marks?" A young voice asked before it was quickly hushed.
   Illia looked at her father as he came toward her, shocked. Rune looked on, bewildered.
   "How is this possible?" Zorhan breathed. He was in front of her now. Illia felt the tears prick her eyes. She'd never seen that look in her father's eyes. Never directed at her, that disappointment.
   "Excuse me," she whispered. She swam through the open door all the way to her personal coral garden. She didn't know how long she sat there for, tears running down her checks as she stared ahead, seeing nothing.
   A sigh sounded next to her and she flinched, not realizing that someone had sat next to her on the stone bench. She turned her head finally to look at him.
   Rune put is arms around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. They say there like that for a few moments until Rune spoke. "You really know how to liven up a party. "
   She lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked at his face.
   "I'm sorry," she said softly.
   "Don't apologize to me. Your father was in there trying to bless couples, and send everyone home at the same time. Politely of course." He smiled down at her softly.
   "No," she said. "I know you were hoping that we would be matched."
   The smile he had so carefully placed slipped slightly. His strong hands pulled her closer for a second then relaxed.
   "You got what you wanted all along."
   "What?"
   "Freedom," he said simply. "No mate to keep you here. You can finally leave. Don't look at me like that. I know you, Illia. Your birthday on the day of the Gathering was your bane. You'd never get the chance to be unrestricted. But you are unmatched, unmated." He swallowed, gazing into her pure green eyes. "I only ever wanted what was best for you. "
   She nodded. "I know." She laid her head back on his shoulder. New tears silently fell. This time they were for her best friend and his warm heart. She knew he cared for her in a different way than she cared for him, even thought he loved her though he never said it out loud. She wished she could return it. But no matter what she could never be enough for him.

   A couple of days later Illia finally approached her father's study. She'd been avoiding him since the night of the Gathering. But, in truth, he'd been avoiding her too. They took separate meal times, never spoke to her in passing, never summoned her for petitions... He's disappointed in me, she thought. I've disgraced him. I wonder if the people still look at him the same way because of his defective daughter. She turned around. She couldn't do it. Couldn't see the look in his eyes again. She quickly swam away.
   She was just going to the river anyway. If anyone asked her she would tell them. It was her right now.

   As she swam she smiled. She felt the change in the water, less salt more light. Different types of fish swam around her and she stared at all of them as she passed by. The water color and vegetation were even changing. Gone was the colorful, bright coral, replaced with dark green leaves. She kept swimming, taking not of the changes. It wasn't that she was weak, rather she felt more nourished in the deep ocean. She noticed her breathing changed. Before it had been second nature. Now she needed to control it. It amazed her how a simple change could influence her so much. She could see why the younger ones weren't allowed to come this far. There were natural dangers, of course, but with the water even depleting an explorer the danger was even greater. She'd just have to build a tolerance to the change is all. The water was becoming more and more shallow as she swam on. Rocks from the bed would brush along her body and she now had to keep her head above the water. The air burned her lungs but she could breathe it. Great trees stood guard near the riverbank's edge. It was foreign to her. Specks darted overhead. Illia could only assume those were birds that her father's books talked about. She would sit and study his books when she was younger. Most of them were a different language, but a few of them were translated and she studied those, soaking up as much as she could. Illia looked around now, trying to identify as much as she could. She knew trees, rocks, birds...
   It was so noisy here. Not at all like the gentle current of the sea. Instead of feeling the current and hearing nothing, she almost felt nothing and heard everything. Every once in a while a light breeze would come by and brush across her face. It was still wet and the passing air cooled her. She felt a strange sensation and looked down at her arms that were still in the water. Tiny peaks had formed on them. She stared as she rubbed her hands along them.
   A sound, completely different than what she had heard before startled her and she ducked down just in time to see a figure come to the riverbank.
   It crouched down, had something in its hands running it through the water. Belatedly, she realized it was a human. Male.
   Her eyes opened wide. Get out of here! Her mind screamed and she turned and swam away as fast as she could trying it to draw notice to herself as she darted through the water. Part of her was excited. She'd only seen pictures of humans in the books in her father's study. The other part of her, however, was terrified. What if he had spotted her?
   She reached the edge of the ocean, sighing as the familiar water flowed over her, reviving her. She hadn't realized that it was such a struggle to move in the different water in the way back. She was in such a hurry.
   Thankfully, there was no disturbance in the water from the way she had come. She was safe.
   As she made her way back to Niat-Liare in a more calm state, she determined to study.
   She quietly slipped into her father's study. It was a smaller room, shelves lined two walls, holding various boxes, papers and books. In one corner sat a rock shelf intricately carved with a seat behind it. In the other corner a small cluster of chairs faced each other. She crossed over to the shelves and, after selecting titles, headed to her room.

   She had just finished the last page and closed the book when the moonlight filtered through the opening in Illia's room. The white rays hit he and she started. A low glow emanated from her tail, working upwards. Golden light worked its way in jagged lines diagonally from the front to the right side. As suddenly as it had started, it ended.
   Illia stared in shock. Four jagged lined started from the left bottom side of her tail, traveling up and across diagonally to the right side and peeked around to her back.
   It was clear that these were her markings. She had never seen any like these. No swirls showing rank. No circles for status. No curling tendrils, just angry lines. Even when I do get my markings, I'm strange, she thought dismally. But who's are these? She sighed lying down on the stone pallet that served as her bed. It was covered in kelp and other vegetation to take the hardness away. She stared at the distorted moon directly above her for a while before finally falling into a deep sleep.