Once A Merman, Always A Mermaid

Chapter 11: The Plan and The Brigade

Zellice and Brisand, the strongest sisters, rushed forward and grabbed their sister from the cauldron bottom. When she was nestled safely in Brisand's arms, the mermaid sisters turned and looked questioningly at Alzisorin. "Wherever can we hide her?" Trinell asked, voicing the question all on their minds, and the mermaid sisters waited with bated breath for Alzisorin's answer. "You will take her to the Starry Night home. Maridessa knows the place. I only forewarn this, it will look abandoned, but appearances are deceiving. Tell them I have sent you and leave Antoinette there. When you return home, you are to say she is dead. The rest I shall let fate decide. May Iris's eyes shine ever gratefully on you all." With those words, Alzisorin spread his arms and the current whisked them away. Once they deposited Antoinette at the safety home, they delivered the news of her death to her father. On that day, church bells echoed throughout the kingdom though the day and night. The townspeople were all draped in black and over dinner, glasses were clinked and murmurs of "May Zeus rest his soul." were cried thoughout. Meanwhile, Antoinette had been living safely at the Starry Night home. She had been reunited with Asa, formerly Marietta, a servant of hers that had been cast out when it was found he was not a girl. Antoinette had never felt safer or more accepted as the people there were as she was. Every week, a different sister would visit and deliver her news from the castle. On one particular afternoon, Sariana was visiting and brought, in addition to news, the hatching of a plan. She signed, "Daily, we send servants out to fetch items for us. If you and your friends were to meet our servant at the locations, they could trade. You can easily sneak in through the servant's entrance. Under the guise of fetching the king his trident or returning it to the weapons room, we can make off to the seawizard's."

And Antoinette signed back, "Father only trusts himself to take the trident back and to retrieve it. My sister, have you not thought of this?"

Sariana was quiet as she signed, "My sister, I have thought long and hard. If we were to bring him a drink laced with a sleeping drought then that would resolve our problem." Antoinette could think of no other issues and began to choose those who would be involved in this mission. In the end, Asa, Antoinette, a woman named Melody, a person by the name of Dre and another woman by the name of Safron were chosen for the mission. Antoinette was to be at the town bank for the servant Brill. On the day of the storming, each of the chosen people awaited the servant's arrival. When the switch was made, they stole back to the castle after completing the tasks they had been sent for. Antoinette, in the kitchens, was called to pour the king a glass of his favorite wine. When no one was looking, she slipped powder into it. Safron had bought the drought from the apothecary on the pretense that Zellice was having trouble sleeping. When the king's taster prepared to make off, she grabbed their arm and signed, "Drink not the wine for it is laced with a sleeping drought." as she slipped a few coins surreptitiously into their pocket. They nodded quietly and hurried off. Before long, the rumbling sound of the king's snores was heard. As Antoinette arrived in the throne room, four servants carefully carried the inebriated king out. Antoinette rushed forward and grabbed the trident, signing, "I will return this for the king." However, no sooner had Antoinette grabbed the trident, then the king's trident, then the king's guard instantly surrounded her, "We will escort you there," said they. Antoinette, panicking, wished for them to go. With an almighty bang, the trident blasted a force of energy, sending the guards crashing against the walls. The little mermaid, shellshocked for a moment, began to swim as fast as she could. Whether it was by the power of the trident or that Alzisorin had sensed that she had it, but she arrived within seconds. Alzisorin was already outside, and he grabbed the trident from her outstretched hands. Soon, the both of them were flying back towards her kingdom. Alzisorin awakened the king. "King Triton," he pronounced. "You are hereby banished to the dungeons by decree of your seven daughters, for the crimes and hatred you have committed against those like Princess Antoinette." The king, barely coherent, mumbled a response as he was dragged into the dungeons. Alzisorin banished every law that had been made against those born in a different gender than they were. And Maridessa was crowned High Queen. At her coronation, Antoinette looked desperately at Alzisorin and signed for her voice to be returned so that she may speak. A small orb, orange, floated towards her throat and quietly flickered back in. As she stood before her people dressed in the dress of indigo, repaired by Trinell's swift fingers, she raised her hands for silence, "My people, today wehave a new queen. My sister Maridessa. The hatred and crimes against those like me has surely died down with a new monarch. Yet, it will continue. We will continue to fight, for a better day and a brighter future. May Zeus forever bless this kingdom!" The people cheered and the kingdom restored its peace. After many a decade of unrest, all was well.

The End