Heir to a Kingdom

A thin line of light separated the ever-darkening horizon, but it was not the setting sun. This light did not reflect off the ocean, it was too weak and was not actually on the water. It trailed around the cove coming ever closer. They were coming.

I watched the line grow ever closer until I saw the bob of the lanterns. The line turned into silhouettes holding the lanterns high, marching in unison. As the lights grew closer more silhouettes became illuminated, hiding behind the lanterns. Laughter drifted over to me; it made me sick. There was nothing festive about this night.

I did not move as the party came upon me, I continued to lounge watching the party whisper to one another. The procession didn’t stop in front of me, it continued down the beach only stopping when the last chaise stopped in front of me and was laid down on the sand. I knew who it was, I remained where I was. “It is time child,” a deep voice came from the other side of the fabric.

I continued to stare at the chaise, unmoving. He wouldn’t even take the effort to pull the fabric back. “Do not make this difficult Aerwyna. You know what must be done. There is already enough rumor going around of this situation.”

“Aw, father it is so kind of you to care what others think,” I bit back. He could careless about me, he cared for his reputation alone.

“You know your duty.”

“My duty? I have no choice in the matter, because our people are to selfish to accept their fates. Instead they sacrifice one of their own hoping that the ocean is satisfied for another ten years. Our people broke a promise and now I must pay that price. How is that fair?”

“Life is not fair. If we are to survive as a people, sacrifices must be made. We have tarried too long. Let us go.”

“No, I will not let you dictate my life any longer. My entire life I have never made a single decision of my own. I was forced to be prepared for this day with no say otherwise. I am not going to be a part of this ridiculous tradition.”

There was an audible sigh from behind the fabric, then a single bell ring resounded. Before I could move, I felt two pairs of strong arms grab me by mine pulling me up from the sand. Fear finally began to settle in my stomach. I was dragged across the sand, towards the gentle crashing waves. The party of chaise’s shifted to envelope me in a semi-circle. The lanterns were placed into the sand and curtains flew open. The royals piled out onto the beach, excited chatter carrying over to me. I felt the water lap against me feet as the two men continued to drag me to a circle of lanterns in the water with a large pole in the center. The deeper we went I felt the itch I had initially attributed to the salt began to grow into a burning pain. By the time we made it to the pole it was travelling up my legs and becoming exuriatingly painful. What was happening?

“Quickly, the ocean has already began to accept her. We are running out of time.” A figure stepped around the pole that had obscured him before. He was dressed in light blue robes that shimmered silver. The light dancing off of his robes made it difficult to make him out; like a fish.

I was having a hard time focusing, the pain was still climbing up my body. I wanted to fight. Everything in me wanted to kick the two men holding me and run for it. It was like I was numb, there was nothing I could do. I tried to think of the last girl that was sacrificed to the ocean. Had she fought back? No, since the tradition began each girl selected had graciously excepted their role. They had let the ocean take them for the sake of their people. The men dragging me pulled me up a little out of the water, leaning me against the pole. They did not let go. The man in the robe ran behind the pole and wrapping a thick piece of cloth around my mid-drift. It wasn’t rope, why wasn’t it rope?

“This will be less painful than rope, since you are already in pain,” He seemed to read my mind. I glared at him, as the two men stepped away from me and began to make their way back to the beach. He knew I was in pain. They all knew and still they followed blindly. “I know you are angry. You are the first one to fight against our tradition. Futile of course, but understandable. This however, will bring another set of plentiful years to our people. We will continue to rule the land and be protected by the ocean. Our prosperity will be continued through your sacrifice.” Prosperity? This wasn’t about survival? I was a sacrifice so that our people could continue to live in luxury?

I gasped, the pain had made it to my chest and I felt the breath leave me. The robed man thought I was gasping from the realization of what was actually happening, “We must continue as we are. Our people will one day be able to rule more than this island. These sacrifices will guarantee this.” He pulled something from his robes. The shadows hid it for a moment until he reached up to my head. Through my now blurring vision I barely made out its shape. A crown.

“You will be rewarded for your sacrifice as a queen. May your next life bring you happiness.”

He turned to the beach, leaving the rising waves to swallow me. I wanted to shout at his receding figure. To curse him and every one of them that were dancing and singing on the beach. I tried; nothing left my lips. The pain intensifying with the rising of the waves. Each crash against my body sent shots through my body and continued until my entire body felt on fire. I didn’t think it could get worse, and thank the gods my body decided to begin to shut down. My body went numb from the pain. I couldn’t feel it, but I also knew that my body was giving up.

I cursed them all. My final thoughts I cursed the people and their selfishness. I cursed them that the ocean would send its wrath. Before the darkness enveloped me, I cursed them that they would meet their fate.

**********

You are safe now Aerwyna. They cannot hurt you anymore. Aerwyna?

I was dead. I knew it. The ocean had consumed me so that my people could continue to live in luxury. My sacrifice, was not for survival, it was for nothing.

You are alive. Open your eyes.

I felt my eyes open. They felt heavy, and they stung. I instantly shut them.

No need to close them. Your eyes will take but a moment to adjust to the salt.

Salt? I opened my eyes again, letting them sting until they didn’t anymore. What I saw before me I had only ever seen in paintings by the ancients. Fish of every color zipped through the water; they reminded me of the skittish birds on land. They were surrounded by strange looks plants that swayed against the current.

“Whe—” I tried to speak, but instead of words bubbles came out. I was underwater, I was alive and I was going to drown. I tried to push off the plants I was laying on. My legs didn’t obey. They felt stuck together. I looked down to see a giant fin in place of my legs.

Slow down, its okay. You are not going to drown. You don’t need air to breathe here.

Who keeps talking to me? Why does it sound like it is in my head?

I am speaking to you telepathically. I am behind you.

I clumsily turned in the water. Sitting on the reef right next to where was laying down was a man. A man with a tail. A tail like mine. I had a tail!

Please come sit. I will explain as best I can.

Again, I clumsily tried to move towards him. He reached an arm towards me extending his hand. I grabbed it and let him pull me next to him.

“Wh—” I spoke bubbles again.

Use your mind. Think of what you are saying as if you are talking out load, he nodded for me to try.

Who are you? Where are my feet? How are we not dead yet? I shot my thoughts out frantically. He looked like he chuckled.

Okay, you are not dead. You have been changed, to your natural form. You are the only one I have seen that has survived the change in the past hundred years.

Change?

Yes, from the mortal landform, I believe your mermaid form now knows them as humans. They thought they could trick me by sending weak blooded sacrifices but I found the right lineage eventually. Only the true heir to the thrown can survive the change.

Hold on, you are saying that all the other sacrifices were wrong all these years? What happened to all the other girls?

They died during the change, he shrugged. Their bloodlines had been diluted with the land people that your people made a deal with all those years ago so they can never return to the ocean. Your line was not diluted however, and as you can see have survived the change.

I looked back down at my tail trying to understand all of what was happening. I had never really understood the stories of what happened to our people and why we left the ocean. After what happened at the ritual I was even more confused on it, and now this man, if I was to call him that was telling me that they were also wrong in whom they sacrificed.

I am sorry I don’t understand anything of what is going on. I was told that my sacrifice was for keeping my people safe from the ocean. While I was being sacrificed… I was told that it would be to protect my people so they could continue to live in prosperity not for protection. Now you are telling me I am an heir?

He gave me a sad look, not pity, just sad. I took a longer look at him finally looking at him. His face was shaped by long dark brown hair that wasn’t in the water would fall to his shoulders. It gently flowed around his face like it would in water but was not fully pulled by the current surrounding us. His skin was tanned a golden brown not white, which I realized I had always thought mer-folk were because they were under the water all the time. He did not have on a shirt and I noticed that his skin glistened a little against the water, similar to the man in the robe. A closer look and I could see his skin had patches of scales. In place of his legs was a dark blue tail that shimmered green and lightened at the tail fin into a light blue. The tail fin looked like a light curtain and flowed out coming out to almost as long as his tail. It was gorgeous, unlike any fish I had seen. Definitely nothing like the fish caught for the market.

I understand your confusion. There have been lots of lies surrounding what happened to your people and why they became land folk. I hope with time I can help you understand your role in all of this and how important you are to saving your people.

I do not want to save my people. They sacrificed me for a false cause! Why would I want to help them?

They do no understand the gravity of what is happening, but if we do not help them, despite them betraying me then the line of mer-folk will disappear and then we will not have anyone to protect the ocean. You are the heir and with your help we can save them.

I looked down at my lap, lost with all of the information coming at me. For the last two years I was set up to be the next sacrifice for my people. I fought against it all but in the end it didn’t matter.

Why can’t you save the people yourself? That came out sharper than I had intended

Another look of sadness came over him. It was not directed at me however. When your people made their agreement that turned to betrayal they bound me to keep me from interfering. The only way to break that was to have the true heir enter back into the ocean. Once, that happened they would have to accept their crown and roll to bring them back. By being here you have partially broken the bond that held me from interfering. There is one other stipulation however to breaking my bond.

He looked at me, pleading in his eyes, what is it?

I must take the heir as my wife. Not only will she be the queen that saves her people she will be the queen of the ocean as well.

Oh.

This is all a lot to take in. I have seen what happened upon land with all sacrifices before you and your situation. You were right to question the legitimacy of the ritual, but I cannot help think that it was also a blessing that you did go through it. I however, understand your initial hesitation for you to accept this role. I cannot force this on you; I will not do that to you. You are your own person and you must be the one to choose.

If I don’t choose to save my people though what happens? They will die as mer-folk and become land-folk. The ocean will become a savage land that I alone will not be able to maintain it on my own. They do not want me to be its sole ruler however; they wish to be the sole ruler. The ocean is too vast for that. The mind of mortals is always a curious thing. Again, I will not force this upon you. Ultimately it is not your sole responsibility to save your people or the ocean. You must make the decision on your own.

What will happen to me if I do not accept?

You will continue to live your life here with the remaining mer-folk and make a new life.

It was silent between us for a few moments. I didn’t want to save my people, but I also didn’t want to ocean to lose control. He said I had a choice in the matter but it didn’t feel like it. He could easily have forced me to help him, but he did not seem to like that idea. He saw how my people forced girls to be sacrificed and all of them had ended up dead. I was the only one to survive. I was really his only hope but he was allowing me to choose to help, to better understand what happened to our people and to keep the ocean safe. Why had my people tricked such a benevolent ruler? I felt like there were so many lies and betrayals behind all of it. I wanted to know what happened, which meant I would need to help him.

I will help you. I have one thing first? He beamed with joy at my answer, Yes, what is it?

I don’t know your name. If we are going to help one another I need your name. He burst into laughter, bubbles shooting out of his mouth but I also heard his laughter in my head.

Fair enough. My name is Zale. Welcome to your kingdom Aerwyna.