Ursula's Beginning

35. Repented, Seen the Light, and Made a Switch (continued)

"For all your days, Princess Attina," Ursula pronounced over the cooing infant. Baby Attina flailed her arms as the protection spell enveloped her. She looked around the room with eyes as green as her late Uncle Alphon's, and wisps of chestnut hair like that of her grandmother, Galataye.

Galataye smiled at the sound of the coos. She leaned her head against Psamanthe's and sighed, staring blankly ahead. Her eyesight had begun to rapidly deteriorate a few months ago, just after Ursula had returned to the kingdom. She was now completely blind. She knew Ursula was behind it, but the best magical and medical minds of the temple could find no trace of foul play, so Triton had told her to drop the matter. The only expert she hadn't consulted was Ursula herself, who terrified her. Galataye knew if she spoke against Ursula it would cost her her life.

Ursula smiled directly at Galataye, then extended her grin to Psamanthe and Halimede, seated on either side of the Royal Mother. They bowed their heads in return. Ursula adjusted her strand of pearls, which set off her white hair nicely, as she approached the next infant.

"For all of your days, Princess Alana." The baby giggled, and Marielle looked up at Triton with a tight lipped smile. Alana had black hair and violet eyes, and this odd resemblance to a younger Ursula made Marielle uneasy. She had timidly asked her husband if Ursula could have possibly cursed her pregnancy and determined this child's features, and was chastised for calling a healthy baby a curse. Marielle had never spoken of it again.

"For all of your days, Princess Adella," Ursula concluded. Adella squealed with delight. She had intelligent teal eyes--just a shade different from her mother's brilliant coloring--and the same bits of brown hair as her firstborn sister, Attina. The crowd laughed. Quite an assembly had been gathered to witness this naming and blessing ceremony.

Ursula moved to take her place next to Venerable Ephram, out of the way, as Marielle placed Attina in Galataye's arms. King Triton scooped Alana and Adella into his own. Sebastian, a red dot to spectators watching from a distance, scuttled onto the platform and motioned to his musicians below. Everyone waited for Marielle to come forth.

"We've prepared something for you!" the young queen began. "Sebastian has composed something marvelous for the princesses, and I am humbled to sing for you today." This was met with thunderous applause. After a long instrumental introduction, Marielle delivered a fifteen minute solo packed with runs, trills, theatrical arm movements and operatic facial expressions that suggested something other than humility was powering the performance. Triton watched his beautiful wife with rapture.

Ursula forced herself to applaud when it was finally over, and rose reluctantly as everyone else leapt out of their seats. On the opposite side of the platform, Ganeon matched her halting pace. He was not clapping. Sebastian bowed repeatedly as he walked sideways off the platform. Marielle was flushed and her chest was heaving, the outrageous clam shells rising and falling with her engorged breasts as she endeavored to catch her breath. Ursula and Ganeon were the first to seat themselves, their movements simultaneous, while Marielle bowed and curtsied and responded to cheers for another full minute.

"Thank you. Thank you!" Marielle was motioning for her fans to seat themselves. "What a blessed day in Atlantica. I am thrilled to call this kingdom my home now, because I am inspired by the talent and generosity I witness here every day. Thank you Ursula, and thank you Sebastian, for your gifts to our daughters today." She led everyone in another round of applause.

Marielle let her gaze linger over Ursula longer than was comfortable. Then she turned to blind the crowd with another winning smile. "I'm always hearing stories about gifts around here. Shortly after I wed His Highness, I heard a touching tale about the oysters of Atlantica gifting someone three hundred of their finest pearls to express their gratitude to the individual, and to lift the receiver's spirits. I thought that was wonderful! And I know if I should want three hundred pearls for each of my daughters, and six hundred for myself, I would receive it...for that is how loving and boundless the citizens of Atlantica are." Another smattering of applause. "In light of your strong gift-giving traditions here, I'm so pleased to announce that my former home of Pacifica commissioned three statues for the royal courtyard here, in honor of the triplets' birth! I invite you all to come see their unveiling right now!"

Amidst gasps of excitement and delight, Ursula and Ganeon locked eyes. As everyone poured towards the exits, chattering and buzzing with anticipation, they found each other and silently slipped away from the crowd. Ursula could sense Ephram noticed, but no one else. He would pardon this; she had done her duty well today. 

Ganeon was leading her to an unfamiliar part of the palace. He opened the door to what appeared to be a cave and she followed him inside. The door closed behind them as she peered into the dark, making out piles of books and scrolls.

"This is your room?" She was already ripping the pearls over her head. She flung them to the floor.

"Don't let her get to you."

Ursula whipped around. She was clawing at her hair to remove the nautilus pendant, which she had concealed in her updo. That's how she kept it on her person without anyone protesting of late. "I'd like to know why I can't wear this, but she can wear those ghastly clam shells with Roch and however many other clams sitting in the audience!"

"She's an embarrassment," Ganeon murmured. "You should see the statues."

"What do you mean?"

Ganeon swam to the windows set into the back wall of his quarters and slid two golden panels apart, with some effort, to let in a bit of light. "They are all of her."

'You can't be serious." Ursula was clutching the nautilus in hand so hard her knuckles were turning white.

"One of them is just her. One of them is her and Triton and the triplets. And one is her with the triplets gathered round her fins, looking up at her like she's Poseidon Himself. I saw them early this morning."

"This is a disgrace! There's not one statue of the King of Atlantica by himself in our kingdom, but we are to pretend this is in good taste?!" Ursula's grip on the pendant tightened.

"We will have to find a way to reign her in, before she embarrasses Atlantica any further," said the prince. "Let me help you with that." He wrenched the pendant from her hand.

Ursula turned around and swept her hair to the side, exposing her lavendar neck. Ganeon brought the pendant to her throat and tied the black cord into a knot at the back of her neck. "Stay like that," he murmured seductively, as his hands found her waist. He pulled her against him and kissed a trail down the side of her neck.

Ursula shivered as her eyes closed. "Ganeon, I--"

He whipped her around and covered her mouth with his before she could protest. Ganeon kissed her with a degree of skill that surprised her. Well, well. What have you been up to over the past year, Prince Ganeon?

"Finally," he whispered as he broke away. "Finally, you belong to me." He was plunging his fingers into her silky pale locks.

"Don't be a fool, Ganeon. I belong to no one."

He gave her hair a sharp tug. "So you say. But unlike my brother, I have the courage to claim you. That changes things."

Ursula slapped his arms and he laughed, then let go of her hair. "I won't let anything jeopardize my becoming High Priestess," she snapped. "I won't carry on another secret affair. I've had enough of living in the shadows."

"Very well," he replied. His copper eyes were burning with intensity. "Then take your place as Priestess and I'll stake my claim then."

"Everyone will protest and you know it."

"Triton is frantic to keep the peace with you and to repair his relationship to me. He still feels guilty about my grief. So I believe we can do whatever we want."

Ursula turned away and traced the perimeter of his room, surveying its contents. "Ganeon," she purred after she had completed a lap, "did you know I rendered your mother blind?"

"Yes. I'm not blind, after all."

This stopped her in her tracks. "You should be afraid of me," she answered sharply. "Both of your brothers developed a healthy amount of fear."

The prince shot over to her and gripped her upper arms. "I'm not like my brothers," he said, just as sharply. Ursula surrendered to another searing kiss.

No, she thought as it deepened. Surely you will be more useful to me.