Call of the Water (COMPLETE)

20. LOST PRINCESS OF THE REEF

Many tides ago there lived a Princess of the reef. Waters by the Towering Cliffs were her home, Aquantiens were her people. Slim and agile, she was just like them. Her eyes were dark, her skin was pale, her teeth were sharp. Although she was called a Princess, she did not wear a tiara. Her head was crowned by hair that seemed to change colour. Beneath the waves it was as green as the leaves of kelp that swayed, carried by the currents, while the sun rays elicited shades of brown.

Since she was a child she loved to roam around, finding endless joy in discovering undersea beauty. She would swim around for hours, often accompanied by other young Aquantiens. Although they lacked the tails of the sirens, their speed was still undeniable. Their long legs with finlike frills on the outer side of each leg, stretching all the way to the knees, ended with elongated feet. The webbing between their toes and their fingers allowed them to rush through the water effortlessly. As they swam, the water coursed through the gills high on their necks.

The dark-haired Princess enjoyed the company of other members of her people. She would spend hours swimming, playing and exploring with other children of the reef. They loved to spend time at the edge of the reef. There, in the middle of the coral forest, they could often find an old Aquantien they liked to call The Storyteller. He always had a story for them and each one would start with the same sentence: There is a grain of truth in every story...

During these wanderings, the Princess found a true friend in one of the children. Her name was Sanda, and all the reef people agreed that the two were very much alike. Both girls were looking at the world with their grey eyes, and narrow lips on their faces were always smiling. The dark hair on Sanda's head also seemed to change shades with the sunlight, but hers was a bit shorter, just barely touching her shoulders.

However, there was one significant difference. Sanda did not have the fortune of having a loving family. Her parents died many years ago, she could barely remember them.

For that reason, Sanda was being raised by her mother's sister. Although, to say that she was being raised would be over exaggerating. Aquantiens did not take on such responsibility gladly. Sanda had food on her plate, a place to rest her head and pretty much nothing else. Roaming around for hours was her way of escaping from her lonely life.

On the other hand, the Princess' parents were not too keen on letting their daughter out into the depths of the sea by herself. As she left her first decade behind, the Princess wanted to go further, and all they wanted was to keep her nearby.

Knowing that they meant well, and wanting to show them the respect they deserved, the Princess tried to please them. But something inside her was restless, a part of her yearned for more freedom. Freedom that seemed to be just out of her reach.

An opportunity to reclaim that freedom presented itself on the day Sanda first visited the Princess in the royal family palace. The Princess was filled with pure joy as she showed Sanda the coral gardens in the shallower part of their ocean home. They seemed like a slice of paradise, with lots of colorful creatures that found their home amongst the corals. The palace was carved into the rock beneath the coral reef, showered by the sunlight that was piercing through many openings and holes in the rock itself. The walls were encrusted with seashells, each chamber decorated in different color scheme.

Sanda was amazed. Growing up without parents, she never got anything other than what was absolutely necessary. And here she was even allowed to use the Princess' jewelry as embellishment. Just as she was admiring her own reflection in the large mirror, the reef King entered.

"You need to get ready," he said. "We are entertaining some distinguished guests at sunset."

Sanda just stood there, her wide eyes looking at the King.