The Pirate and The Mermaid

2: The Heart of the Ocean

🧜🏻‍♀️The next day in the throne room🧜🏻‍♀️

Luna's POV:

"Now girls, as you might have heard from a certain someone," "Sorry mother," Aqua said. Though she's the queens daughter, we still bow our heads to show respect to a high title and the throne. "Now as I was saying. There is a surprise today. Especially for you, Luna." I knew it.
"Now as you girls know, we will be having very important guests coming over for the party. But they are not just any guest." Drum roll please.
"They are the Kings—along with their sons—of the other six kingdoms." Holy shrimp.
My mom has a serious look on her face, a queen never lies unless it's needed. This isn't a lie. "Now I know you girls behave like princesses when we have important guests coming. But I need you three at your finest," she put an emphasis on finest, I can't believe this is real. "Especially you, Luna. Now you two are dismissed, but Luna, I need you to come with me to my chambers." "Yes mother," we all said in unison.

🧜🏻‍♀️in moms room🧜🏻‍♀️

"Now Luna, I have something special for you," oh boy, early birthday presents. "It couldn't wait any longer." I don't know what she has in store for me. But it must be so important, that it's hidden under the shell bed matrices. "This gift is normally given during the birthday ceremony. I had it brought in from the vaults because I think you're ready for it early." She has an old box with the symbol of our kingdom: A blue moon, in the middle of it a trident with a deep blue diamond in the center in the shape of a heart. Inside that old box . . . is the diamond that fell. It didn't have to be on the trident to keep the ocean in balance. It just has to be in good hands. "No mom, I can't—"
"Yes, you can. I've heard and seen the things you've been doing since you turned eighteen. You're ready." "Mom I—"
She didn't even let me finish, she just went and put it around my neck. "I know you can do it. You're brave like your father, and intelligent like me. I know you'll do great as queen. Especially with this around your neck." Deep, deep—I'm taking ocean trench deep—down I know she's right. But with this around my neck, you won't pay attention to me, you'll be looking at what's around my neck.
"Well I guess I'll—"
"No no, there's one more thing I have to talk to you about." "Which is?"

"The princes aren't just guests at your birthday. But also your suitors."
"They're what!" I don't think I heard her right? she said something about suitors, as in someone to marry? "Now honey I know what you're thinking, but it was either tell you now, or on your birthday, or hearing it from one of the kings." Two big surprises in one day. "Mom, I don't want to marry at an early age." "I didn't say you'd have to marry early, you just have to pick one of them."
" . . . This is for an alliance, isn't it?"
". . . Yes dear, it is." My mom had to go through this. She didn't want to do it either, but that's how she met my dad. "I know you don't want to, but this will help both the kingdoms if there's ever danger from above waters. And who knows, you may fall in love with him over time. Just like me and your father." There's a picture of my mom and dad on their wedding day on my moms bedside drawer. "Now you should go to your room and think about it. And don't let anyone find or see the necklace, especially your sisters." I did as I was told. But when I left the hallway, I swam so fast to my room that I left a trail of bubbles behind me.

🧜🏻‍♀️time skip🧜🏻‍♀️

Since I'm not sure where to put it, and my ladies-in-waiting do my bed in the morning, I just put the necklace under my pillow. It's something too beautiful to just put in a jewelry box, it makes the other jewelry look like trinkets. I spent the rest of the day in my room—having lunch and dinner in my room, not wanting to be disturbed—half the time taking a glance under my pillow. "I need some fresh air." A mermaid should never go above water, there's danger out in the open, the danger being humans. Well I'm feeling rebellious today, and besides, I know some nice rocks to sit on, and they're just a mile away.

🧜🏻‍♀️time skip🧜🏻‍♀️

It's nice and peaceful, no hard waves, just a lovely sunset on the horizon with a little dot in the middle of the sun. "What is that?"
The closer I got, the more the sun went down. By the time I got close enough, the moon was coming up, and that dot became a ship. I don't know why some merpeople are afraid of ships. I see nothing bad about it, I hear music, and I think these humans are dancing with what they call, feet.
"Way to go, Alfred, you spilled another bottle of rum on the captain."
"Oops, sorry." "You wanker! Why did I ever make you my right hand man?" Captain? this must be a Pirate ship. Someone came close to the edge of the ship. The moon shined on him at just the right angle, because he looks handsome. Blonde hair, emerald green eyes, wired bushy eyebrows and—
"Captain, hurricane coming from starboard." Some ocean water splashed me in the face. There was a hurricane coming, a hard one at that, but I've seen harder. The ocean waves had me moving left, right, back and forth, and that ship had a hard time moving. The winds were blowing so hard, that I think someone fell off.
"Captain overboard!"