The Cursed Mermaid

Chapter 1: learning to be free | Nam

I pitied those who never got the chance to see the sunrise.

I'd removed my shoes, holding them in one hand, so that my bare feet could fully embrace the soft, cool surface of the sand as I walked across the beach, transfixed by the light that shone along the horizon.

The sky was was a combination of light blue, pink and gold shades. This phenomenal view could only be seen from the beaches that I was at now, for the sun rose on the east, and most of the eastern side of the land were covered with thick forests that took forever to navigate if one didn't know their way.

My sister and I had awoken when the sky was still dark, and headed out with the intention of watching the dawn with our very eyes.

It might seem foolish, wanting to see the sunrise so badly, and waking up early and hiking for an hour or so just to arrive at the beach on time, but my sister and I...we had been enslaved for our entire lives.

We'd only been a few months old when the late Queen Lucy came to our village and forcefully moved us and the rest of our people to her castle, where she kept us in the dungeons, only to be used when she needed healing. She barely had any use for us, to be honest. She was undoubtedly the strongest being in the land, even more powerful than her husband, the King. But she was selfish, her soul having been corrupted by darkness long ago, and she'd only locked my people away because she didn't want anyone else in the land having access to our healing services.

My sister and I were her favourite healers, because we were the best, yet we were only better because we were twins. Twins were known for having enhanced magic. Yet Queen Lucy never realised that we were twins, and neither did her daughter, Princess Jennifer, otherwise my sister and I would have been murdered long ago.

More than half a year ago, a pair of twins had snuck into the castle and assassinated Queen Lucy, finally putting an end to her tyrannical rule. We had wanted to rejoice, until Princess Jennifer took the throne in a bloodthirsty rage. She'd sworn to kill every twin that existed in the land, and for weeks, my sister and I had been terrified, thinking that with every second that ticked by, she would discover us and kill us.

My people had begun to lose hope, thinking that our race would die out, there in the palace dungeons, until one day we were rescued by an auburn haired girl that was revealed to be Queen Lucy's first child, and the rightful heir to the throne.

It was a shocking discovery, but it reignited happiness and faith in us. Overjoyed with the feeling of being free once again, we supported Princess Kameron and the rebels in attacking the palace and overthrowing her younger sister.

A fierce battle raged, ending with the death of Princess Jennifer. Princess Kameron was then appointed as the new Queen of Hearts, and had been working hard, along with her new Royal Council, to improve life for all.

I'd spent the past few months experiencing what it really felt like to be free, to be out of a life of slavery. My people had returned to our old village, and we had set up a healing centre, where anyone from any part of the land could come, and we could do our best to heal them.

Like usual, my sister and I were still the best, so we found ourselves more busy with healings than most. But we didn't really mind. It was for the greater good.

Queen Kameron had come to visit us a few times, always praising us for our work, and occasionally bringing gifts. I had been genuinely surprised at how kind she was, how her personality was so drastically different than her sister and mother. Yet I'd heard the story - Queen Kameron had been born and raised in a different world, a world that I didn't even know had existed. A world without magic.

But even though she hadn't grown up here, I was sure that we were all grateful to have her as our Queen.

I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is Nam. I am one of the Dorlae, who are the renowned healers of our land, Jendilya.

And currently, my twin sister Kim and I were watching the arrival of dawn.

I scanned the sea, just beginning to glitter as it reflected the sun's rays. The ocean was empty as far as I could see, which puzzled me. "Isn't the island of Delmitii located off these waters?" Delmitii was the island of the sirens. The general population of sirens (which weren't that many, quite like the Dorlae) lived there, although I knew a few who lived on the mainland - for example, my friend Sarah.

Kim scrutinized me, her face a picture of disapproval. "No, idiot. Delmitii is in the west. These are eastern waters. You remember we're on the east side, don't you?"

"Yeah," I muttered, putting on the most annoyed tone I could muster, even when it wasn't at all convincing. Kim only laughed at me, kicking up sand with her shoes as she jogged ahead of me.

"Hey, Nam," Kim continued as we made our way across the sand, me stepping close enough to the edge of the water to feel the blissful cold on my toes, "I had this idea, but I don't know if it's a good one. Do you think the Dorlae would want to be taught in self defence?" When I stopped and stared, she blushed. "Like, if they knew how to fight back, they would never be easily caught and put into slavery again, you know? That's good, isn't it?"

Astonished by the fact that Kim had put so much thought into improving things for the Dorlae, I rushed to say, "I think that's a great idea, sis. You should do it."

Kim brushed back her extremely long ebony hair over her shoulder. "Will you help me?"

I hesitated, instead turning my head to gaze at the waves as they came into shore. I couldn't help but be drawn to waves. They were free, powerful, and untamable. They were everything I wished to be, but never could be.

How could I, when I knew nothing more but a life locked away in chains?

I was learning to be free, but it still wasn't enough. I didn't know how she did it, but Kim became accustomed to our new lives much more quickly than I did. I admired her, and I wished I was more like her. "I don't know," I admitted, feeling ashamed and weak at the same time. "I'm not really the leader type of person."

It was strange. When we were trapped in the dungeons, I was usually always the one who took charge. In ominous situations, I took action. I was good at acting purely on instinct. But acting for the good of the people, acting as a symbol that inspired others? That was more of Kim's thing.

Kim was brave and confident. She had that aura around her that made people want to listen to her. She was a born leader. As if sensing my discomfort, she placed a hand on my shoulder. "I understand if you don't want to. I'll ask Rin to help me, since she knows some stuff on self defence. But you'll still come support me, right?"

"Of course." It was an ingenious idea, trying to teach our people to fight. For our entire existence, we were known as the passive healers of the land. Perhaps it was beneficial for us to change the stereotype of the Dorlae that had formed over millennia.

And if the Dorlae knew how to fight, it meant that if in the next century or so, if there was ever another ruler who was nearly as terrible as Queen Lucy and Princess Jennifer, they wouldn't be forced back into slavery. Not without putting up a great deal of a fight, at least.

My sister would give the Dorlae an opportunity they'd never had before.

Suddenly, Kim gasped, stopping in her tracks. Since she'd been slightly ahead of me as we walked, I crashed into her back, my feet slipping in the wet sand.

"What is it?" I questioned.

Her eyes were wide, and she pointed with a shaking finger. "Nam. Look."

I followed her gaze, and saw a dark green lump sprawled out across the sand. Compared to the overall serene paradise look the beach gave, it almost seemed like a violation. At first glance, I thought it was seaweed, but it was too big to be so.

"What is that?"