The Dragon Curse

A princess

Amy slightly looked back at her, but immediately turned away in anger. I slowly swam closer, not sure if Amy wanted to see me. As I swam closer I could hear her sobbing quietly.

"Who was she?" I asked when I was close enough and I scared Amy a little.

She turned back and saw me, so she quickly tried to calm down and pretend as nothing happened. She swam past me, but I followed her.

"My sister Avery," she said.

"She looked really worried," I said and she just stopped to angrily look back at me.

She didn't say anything, but I saw that she wanted to shout at me for that. Her expression though softened and she was about to cry again.

"Are you okay?" I asked and she sank to sit on the sand so I tried to follow her to sit next to her.

"I don't understand them sometimes. I just want some free time. Why does she have to babysit me?" she said and then looked at me. "I'm old enough to protect myself."

"She is worried because she loves you. You are her sister." I said.

"They think I will end up like mom," she said looking at her hands resting on her tail. "They are afraid of humans."

She looked back up at me and chuckled pathetically.

"Looks like not humans are the only ones who are afraid of the different." she looked back down and continued. "My mother was a human actually, but she fell in love with my father. However, the witches didn't help her. Neither of them. So they couldn't be together."

"But you and your sister... how did you... "

"She gave birth to us once she was down here. She could breathe with the seaweed-like you. But it wasn't enough for a longer time. When she returned to the land the villagers found out everything and then they killed her. I was only four years old at that time." she whipped the tears from her cheeks as she remembered her mother.

Silence fell in. I wanted to ask something to break it, but then I thought it wouldn't be the best moment for it, so I just waited for her. She took a deep breath then looked back at me with a little smile on her face, but I could still see the pain in her eyes.

"Anyway, let's go," she said and grabbed my hand to swim with me. "You have to get back on the land safely. Maybe your friend is looking for you everywhere and he is worried."

We swam a little bit in silence, but then I had another question as well. Her sister said that her father would send the royal guards after Amy. Does this mean that Amy's father is the king? Then it means that Amy is a princess. Which means she has to marry a prince.

"So, back there your sister said that your father would send the whole kingdom after you. Are you a..."

"A princess?" she finished my sentence and looked back at me. "Yes, I am."

"So you have to marry a prince then." I continued and she chuckled.

"Only if I want to be a queen," she said. "My sister is the heir of my father's throne, so my only chance to be a queen is to marry a prince."

"And do you want to be a queen?" I asked, hoping that she would say no.

"No, absolutely not. I wouldn't have free time then," she said. "And I wouldn't be allowed to marry someone I love."

I smiled and relieved that I might have a chance, even though I dismissed this idea, especially after I heard Amy's mother's story. She probably wouldn't say yes after what happened to her mother. She stopped and I saw that she was thinking when she looked at me.

"Why are you asking all these questions?" she asked and I just looked away.

"Nothing, I'm just curious that's it," I said, but she was still thinking.

"Okay, then." she turned back and we were swimming.

Soon we were swimming towards the surface more, which meant that we were close. As much as I wanted to be on land again I didn't want to leave Amy though. But I have to continue my journey with Jack. I have to help him.

"We are here," she said after we stopped and she looked up. "You have to swim up and then you will see the shore."

She looked back at me and I think she saw that I didn't want to leave her.

"I can't go any further," she said.

"I understand." I started swimming towards the surface, but I stopped and swam back to Amy. "Come with me."

Her eyes widened at my sudden ask, so I continued before she could say anything.

"Please," I said. "We are looking for a witch who can help Jack. She might be able to change you to human so you can come with us."

"I don't know Mark," she said and looked away. "If my father finds out that we met he will kill you."

"I don't care."

"Mark..."

"He won't find you on land," I said as I grabbed her hands and looked deeper into her eyes. "Please, Amy. I... I feel like I wouldn't be able to leave you behind. I..."

"I want to go with you," she said and it surprised me a little. "I honestly do, but I'm scared. My father is really powerful. If he wants he would find us on land as well. Right now it's safer for both of us to stay this way."

She hung down her head and wanted to leave, but I didn't let go of her hand. Instead, I pulled her closer which made her look at me again. I know it's not right, but I love her. I love her and I'll show it to her too. I slowly leaned closer and lightly kissed her on her lips, which at first surprised her, but she leaned in as well to kiss me more. I didn't want this to end. But it had to. We parted and she looked at me.

"I will come back. I swear... I won't... "

"Shh." she stopped me again. "I will be waiting for you."

"Here," I said as I reached to the back of my neck and took off my necklace. "It's a crystal. My mother gave it to me and said that it would protect me"

"No, you can't give me that," she said as she refused to take it.

"Please," I said and I handed it to her. "It will protect you now. And one part of me stays here with you in that crystal."

She smiled at me and she started thinking. She swam to a rock and sat beside it so I swam closer to her to see what she was doing. She grabbed something from the sand and showed it to me.

"It's a seashell," she said and she opened it revealing a beautiful pearl inside.

She reached to her tail and gently took a yellow scale from it. She winced in pain, but she was fine after that. She emptied the shell and put the yellow scale inside the shell. She closed it and she put it in my hand.

"Now I'll be with you too." she smiled and I gladly accepted her gift, but then I looked at her tail and the wound where the scale was missing from. "Don't worry. It will heal fast."

We swam back closer to the surface and with the last kiss, I said my goodbye. I let go of her hand and started swimming up, but I said a thank you one last time and she waved at me. I reached the surface and I saw the shore immediately. I looked back down, but she wasn't there anymore. I started swimming towards the shore and when I reached it I laid down on the sand for a moment to catch my breath.

"Mark?" I heard a familiar voice from behind me, so I quickly sat up and looked at the direction where the voice came from.

Jack.