That was a name that I hadn't heard in a long, long time.
For millennia, there had been an immortal creature that lived under the sea, tasked with the responsibility to keep eternal peace within the ocean. The creature rarely presented itself to anyone, and it had ceased to appear to the eyes of the public for a thousand years, ever since the historical war between the ancient sirens and the creatures of the sea. In fact, it had been gone for so long, that many of my people believed that it was just a legend.
It was only us, the royal family, that knew otherwise. Our father had told us himself - the creature of the sea paid a visit to every newly crowned monarch, and he swore to us that he had seen the creature with his own eyes. He would not disclose details, save for one thing - the creature's name was Walter.
It was the name we had grown up idolising, fearing, and waiting for.
Tom and I stared at each other in horror, and it dawned on us at the same time how filthy we looked, due to having dueled with the land dwellers. "We need to - " Tom started, putting his hand on my back, but a voice interrupted.
"So, these are Rohan's children."
We whirled around, and honestly, I was disappointed. I had been expecting some sort of regal creature, but floating in front of us now was a sea lion, its fur a brilliant white, and its dark eyes holding a millennia of wisdom within. The creature's voice was not how I imagined it to be either. In fact, I'd thought the voice had come from a merman my age, due to the similarities in their voices.
I couldn't help myself from correcting the creature. "Well, half of his children." Tom pinched me using the hand that was on my back, silently ordering me to be quiet. I heard him let out a tiny sigh, as if he were thinking: oh gods, Arya's screwed up again, and now we're going to die.
Thankfully, we didn't die. Surprisingly, the creature bowed to us both. "Prince Thomas. Princess Arya. A pleasure to meet you both."
It was hard to take a sea lion seriously, even when it was actually the immortal creature of the sea, so I struggled to keep myself from smiling in a way that could have seemed offensive. Tom bowed also, pushing my back downwards so that I was mimicking his movements. "Likewise, Holy One." At that, I almost snorted. Not because I held any disrespect for the creature, but because...out of all forms, he had chosen to be a sea lion.
As merpeople, we viewed sea lions almost like pets. Of course, they were allowed their own freedom and rights, but the way they were treated made it obvious that we were the superior race. Seeing us acting so formal to a sea lion went against everything I was used to.
"Please, call me Walter," the creature replied, patiently waiting for us to straighten back up.
I couldn't stop the weird grin that came to my face as I imagined a sea lion being called Walter.
"Arya!" Tom scolded me, before saying in a rush, "I apologise for my sister's behaviour. You see, she's the youngest and - "
Walter held up a fin to silence him, chuckling softly. "Both of you are very like your father." We gaped at him, and he added, "You and your other siblings."
Did he just tell me that my father, the strict King, was like me? "You must be mistaken. I'm nothing like my father. I'm too..." I trailed off, looking at Nam, who just blinked back.
"Reckless," Tom finished, and my face burned scarlet in response, knowing he was right.
"Your father had all the qualities that shine in the four of you today," Walter quipped. "Responsibility, intelligence, ambition, and determination." He didn't elaborate on which trait belonged to who, but it really wasn't that hard to guess. I felt strangely proud, hearing Walter label my rash personality as determination.
YOU ARE READING
The Cursed Mermaid
Fantasy[Fairytale Series, Book 4] The underwater kingdom of Narmia had been left alone for millennia. It was forgotten from history books, and never appeared in maps. Princess Arya, fourth in line to the throne, had grown up with the knowledge that Narmia...
