ΛЯΛ | The Last Mermaid ⏸

Birthday

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" a few voices rang, waking me from my distant slumber. I hesitantly opened my eyes and snap up, smiling as I saw a small jellyfin cake lit with sparks of crystal ice. My five sisters surrounded the delicious looking cake as they waited for me to say something.

"Thank you sisters" I smiled, gently running a finger against the base of the cake. It looked lopsided but delicious. My older sister Aressa rolled onto my bed, staring at me curiously as they waited for my reaction. I pushed a finger towards the base and dipped it into the dark purple water jelly near the edge, pushing the sticky jelly to my mouth. "Mmmm!" I nodded, pleasantly surprised at the burst of flavors. It actually tasted delicious!

"Where is father?" I asked, suddenly noticing his absence.

"He had to talk to the chefs or something? They wanted a final taste test for your banquet tonight" my other sister Meria bragged, trying to break off a piece of the cake.

"Ahh! I cannot wait!" I clapped excitedly, daydreaming of the fun I would have. I was the youngest of six sisters. For many years my father, the sea-king, had been a widower. I don't remember much about my mother or our relationship. All I know is my father hated her. He didn't say it aloud but I could tell by his change of demeanor whenever I asked about her out of curiosity.

Either way, whoever she was, she ended up having six girls. I was the youngest and apparently the most beautiful of my sisters; that is what the people of our kingdom claimed. I loved my sisters and thought each of them were as equally beautiful even though we looked nothing alike. Aressa had skin as pale as a clam pearl with hair as vibrant as the sea corals the bloomed in the low tide. Meria had dark brown hair with crystal blue eyes and skin that was smooth as the surface of a polished ring. I for one had ric, umber brown skin and dark black hair that had coiled into thick locks of dreads. I could see a resemblance to my father but even with that, we looked more dissimilar than alike. I guess it was our bond that made us sisters rather than our similarity in looks.

Since we were the only royals in the kingdom, we each wore white pearls at the end of our fishtails. Aressa the oldest wore 6 since she was the oldest, then Meria had five since she was the second oldest and Lyria four. It continued like this each sister until it came to me. I only had one pearl but it was a cute little golden bracelet my father had made for me so I was content.

My sisters rolled around my bed, picking at the sticky jelly cake its icing that had dropped to the sea floor. Arias, my fifth sister looked over to me curiously as I watched them whisper amongst each other.

"What?" I smiled wondering the reason for her prolonged gaze.

"So...are you excited?" Aressa asks, twirling a strand of her vibrant red hair.

"Excited wouldn't be the word.
I am exastatic!
Overjoyed!
I get to go to the surface of the ocean!" I clapped, spinning around before swimming to find the perfect top to wear.

My sisters smiled as they saw my joy but quickly followed after me. "Maybe I will see a human!!" I sigh, daydreaming of how handsome he would be. Nothing made me happier than to hear about the human world above. My older sisters each told me of their encounter with the beings above. Aressa told me all she knew about ships and cities, people and animals while Arias told me about human boys and how their skin looked so rich in comparison to ours. Meria told me of the earth and how the flowers had a scent and how green the forests were and about these flying fish called birds!

When each mermaid turned 16, they were free to touch the surface and explore the seas near earth. That is how my sisters knew all that they knew but now I was 16! I would not hang onto every detail of their stories because I would be able to see it myself!

"Ara" Aressa calls my name again. Her eyebrows turned downward as she looked into my eyes. I wondered for her change in demeanor but thought nothing of it.

"Don't tell her Ari" Lyria begged.

"Tell me what?" I pout, pulling my thick black curls into a messy bun. I swam over to my reflective glass and hold the colored seashells across my chest. I guess the color looked good against my umber skin. I didn't know what wear to touch the surface. Seashells or starfish? I wondered if I would see a human or even a ship. I wanted to look my best but not look to dressed.

"Well..." my other sister Hana sighed, "the surface might not be all you planned out to be."

"I know. It will be everything and more!" I smiled confidently. My sisters exchanged knowing glasses amongst each other but remained silent.

"No Ara..." Aressa interrupts my giddy nature, "remember what father told us about the sirens and how us mermaids are being watched?"

"Oh, father always pushes his worry into us! Sirens aren't real! It was a myth made up by parents to deter their children from ever leaving the territories of the seas." I shrugged, swimming to dig another set of shells from beneath my bed.

"Ara, just be careful when you go to the surface okay" Aressa warned. I turned from the reflect glass and looked over at her as I heard a hint of fear in her voice.

I knew it was better not to pry and I only nodded my head. "I will be careful" I say, looking at her and then each one of my sisters. Once I let some silence pass, I held up my seashells for their approval. "Do you think this will look fine?" I asked them.

"That depends. Are you trying to look good for a human or Prince Fai" Lyria says unmistakably.

"No! I barely even notice him" I lied trying to hide the smile forming on my face. Prince Fai had certainly caught my attention over the past few months. From the little luncheons and banquets my father had thrown between our kingdoms, we had developed somewhat of a relationship? Long bursts of intense staring and eye catching soon progressed into late night chats and conversations. I was growing quite fond of him.

Hana came to my body and pressed a palm against my cheek. "She's lying sisters! She's blushing with heat!"

"Out! Out!" I frown, pushing the five of them out so I could dress for the banquet tonight. They giggle girlishly before swimming away. "Make sure you're not late to your banquet Ara!" they shouted before leaving my room.

Silence was all that was left in my room. I swam over to my bed and sat at its base observing my room. "I am finally 16" I whispered to myself.

I giggled at the revelation and push myself back, hugging a soft bed of seaweed. Even as I thought of my life and all my fond memories of growing up as I princess, I couldn't help but feel a sort of uneasiness in the pit of my stomach. I had been feeling it for the past couple of days but always pushed it to the back of my mind. Maybe it was just my nerves got turning older?

I knew what would get my mind off of worrying! A trip to thé sunken ship! I swam to find my little seahorse Tails so we could explore in the rubble near the sunken ship one last time before my banquet.

Author Note
Hmmm what could be that nervous feeling?