Between Waves and Clouds

36 - War of the north

Since the beginning, the merfolk people had been divided in two different clans. On one hand, there was Santaklaussen, living in the great reef city. On the othe hand, there was Sinterklass, the enchantresses, living in the glaciers. Both clans were jealous of the other. Enchantresses had amazing powers, wielding water, wind and ice. Reef merfolk had the ability to breath both water and air, turning their tails in legs as they wished, while Sinterklass needed magical totems to do so.

Through the years and generations, jealousy and envy turned into tension and irritation, the clans growing apart further more. None wanted to even hear from the other clan, none save from the young prince Nörth, who was twenty five of age at that time.

Since his childhood, he had been fascinated but the enchantresses and their magic, and he was convinced there was a way for the two clans to get along and even live together. Since he was the heir of Santaklaussen's throne, he thought he could establish peace between the clans. Yet his father was vehemently opposed to this idea.

One day, the prince, despite his father's warning, went to the glaciers to meet Sinterklass. Their queen was kind and tolerant, she accepted to hear him out and was pleased by his peace speech. It could have work out, peace could have been establish thanks to these two sovereigns. But the tension within the people was still there, and anything was enough for everything to go down.

And the 'anything' was Nörth falling in love with Sinterklass' princess, Alizee. If the queen accepted their love and mariage, it was not the case of Santaklaussen's king. Convinced the enchantresses had cast a spell on his son so they could claim his kingdom, the king waged war.

A full-blown war started, a disastrous and murderous one. Both clans suffered heavy damages and lost countless lifes. In the middle of this chaos, Nörth, Alizee and their new-born baby tried to survive under the protection of the queen. However, they were found out, and both clans reacted violently. For once, both agreed. Both agreed they had to kill the child, both considering him an abomination. He was the very first hybrid, after all.

The queen helped her daughter and family to escape, but the enchantresses denied her and punished her for treason before designate a new queen. Nobody knew what happened to the former queen, but most assumed she was dead. Nörth hopes he could find help and shelter from his father, but the king proved even less compliant. He executed Alizee publicaly and forced his son to kill the baby himself.

It was all Selina could tell the vikings about the two clans' history. She had heard so many stories when he was a child, her sisters and brothers from the clan were still as angry and resentful towards Santaklaussen. In their opinion, the reef merfolk had stained and destroyed their beloved princess and had corrupted their admired queen, forcing them to punish her and replace her. The enw queen was even more spiteful towards the reef city.

Selina had never believed in this story, for her the tension between the two clans made it impossible for two foe merfolk to fall in love. However, when she had seen Frost in his true form, she had been made a believer. He was the hybrid, the prince of the two clans that everyone thought was dead.

The vikings felt bad hearing this story. All of them sitting on an ice block, wrapped in warm furs and squeezed against oen another to keep themselve warm, they kept on listening to Selina's tale.

''I suppose king Nörth couldn't kill his only child, and that's why he kept him locked in. So he could stay alive.''

''Oh no...'' Zephyr gasped. ''Poor Frostie... That's not a life.''

''We have to get him out.'' Nuffink stated.

''That won't be easy.'' The mermaid assured. ''Even if she manage to break in the palace, we have to find a way to get him out without anyone seeing him.''