Authors: Sheri L. Swift
“Tell her that one day the mer will thank her in person
,
” s
aid Prince Titus.
“The mer want you to know that one day they will thank you in person
.
”
Lana
smiled to her lovingly, knowing what that would mean to her
.
“Tell them that I look forward to such a day
.
”
Miss Perry smiled brightly. Then there was a break in the music and some of the faculty began making some announcements. Miss Perry got up and said, “Well, I better get back to the refreshment table, I promised to help tonight. I hope you have a wonderful time Lana.”
Then she darted across the floor.
Lana looked up as she heard her friends coming over towards her. “Okay Lana, no fair just sitting over here all alone,” said Rick.
“Yeah, would you like to dance the next one?” Jody asked.
“Sure, if you’re sure you want to take a chance on getting stepped on,” laughed Lana. Then the music started up again, Jody took her hand and began to lead her across the floor. “If you don’t mind Jody, I’d like to just stay over here. Crowds make me a little nervous,” said Lana remembering Prince Titus.
“Okay, sure,” Jody put his hands around her back and Lana put hers around his neck. It was a little uncomfortable for Lana to be so close to him. She had never allowed herself to get that close to anyone before. The slow love song that was playing only added to her uneasiness. Then she heard Prince Titus speaking once more in her mind,
“I am not sure that I like you dancing with this boy.”
Lana sent her thoughts to the Pr
ince, “Look, this was your idea
not mine.”
“You look so pretty t
onight Lana. I don’t think
I ever really noticed your eyes before. They’re really beautiful,” said Jody a little too affectionately.
“Thanks, yeah silver eyes, you don’t see them every
day,” Lana said letting out a nervous
giggle
.
“I like the way you’re wearing your make-up now,” said Jody still staring into Lana’s eyes.
“Yeah, I toned it down a bit,” said Lana trying to look away. She was beginning to feel awkward and she couldn’t help but notice how Jody’s hands were pulling her even closer to him.
Okay, the creep meter just jumped to ten
, Lana thought.
“What is he trying to do? Who does he think he is to be so common with a Princess?” Prince Titus yelled in Lana’s mind.
“Okay, now how do I get out of this one?” Lana asked the Prince as she didn’t like the situation at all. Just then, a huge splash of water rose up and over the railing coming down on top of Jody’s back.
“Did you see that? How did that happen?” Jody said as he shook the water from his arms. Everyone that was close enough to see what happened looked over the railing and saw a grey dolphin jump up and out of the water. “Of all times for a dolphin to splash me,” said Jody angrily as he took off his jacket and wrung it out.
Everyone was laughing and Lana went and sat back down. Then she sent her thoughts to ask the Prince, “Did you do that, or was it Tempest?”
“It was not Te
mpest,”
answered the Prince.
“Well, thank you; he was getting a little weird.”
“I quite agree.”
“Okay, I had my dance, I think I’m gonna he
ad home to my dock. You wanna
come?” Lana asked the Prince.
“I am sorry, and I am not so sorry, that you wish to leave. Yes, I would love to meet you at your dock
.
”
Lana waved bye to her friends as they were dancing and she quickly left before Jody could find out where she went. She was so excited that Prince Titus had come to the pavilion and was even more excited that he would soon be waiting for her at her dock. She practically ran the whole way home.
When the dock came into view, Lana saw Tempest jumping out of the water just beyond. She tried to slow her pace and not
look so interested, but inside
her heart was pounding. She had thought of nothing else but the Prince Titus since he had escorted her home that night. She was beginning to wonder if she would ever see him again. She finally reached the end of the dock and sat down on the edge.
Okay, be still my hear
t!
Prince Titus s
urfaced and gave her that smile
of his that made her heart beat even faster. “Will you come for a swim with me and allow me to show you how the mer dance?” asked the Prince with a smile and a raised brow.
“I’m sorry, I can’t. I promised my dad that I wouldn’t put one foot in the water until after graduation,” said Lana sadly.
“I see; when is this graduation?”
“It’s in two weeks
.
” she
smile
slightly
.
“Well, I suppose that is not too long. I was hoping to be able to show you some of my favorite places,” he said a little disappointed.
“I would love to see them, and I will in two weeks, okay?”
“Yes, I guess I will just have to wait until then”
H
e smiled once more.
Lana began to put her fingers in the water and Prince Titus carefully pulled off one of her gloves laying it gently on the dock. Then Lana turned and laid down on her stomach and pulled off the other glove. She let both her hands swirl in the water. She couldn’t help but notice that Prince Titus had the same hands as she did with the webbing between each finger. “I used to think that my hands were ugly, but yours aren’t
.
”
S
he smiled
at him
.
“Your hands are not ugly. There is nothing ugly about you Princess Lana
.
”
H
e beamed his brightest smile and Lana was shocked to sense the love he was feeling for her. The funny thing was; that it wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling like it had been with Jody. There was something so special about the way the Prince felt. It was like watching the sunrise in the morning to a clean and bright new day.
“There is something that I wish to give you to mark this special occasion,” said the Prince as he unwound a string of
large
grey pearls that had been around his wrist. He let one end fall and he held it up with his hands and placed it
over Lana’s
head and
around her
neck.
“Thank you P
rince Titus, I love them, they’
re just like the ones I saw your sister wearing on her head,” said Lana smiling appreciatively.
“Yes, all the Princesses wear a crown of pearls, as will you when you come to greet our people once more
.
”
H
e smiled again and Tempest came and splashed them both. Lana laughed and the Prince sent Tempest a swish from his tail that was so hard that it caused the dolphin to roll in the wave he sent. Lana laughed again to see the two having such fun. Then the Prince looked at Lana seriously and said, “You do not mind missing your dance tonight?”
“No, I’d much rather spend it here with you,” she said and then was surprised she had.
“What was that you said?” asked the Prince as he fanned out both of his ears and curved them forward making Lana laugh so hard that she had tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. “Are you m
aking fun of my ears?” he asked
as he continued to wiggle them,
pretending to be offended.
“No, no, it’s just that you can be so funny,” she barely got out the words as she now lay on her back laughing and trying to breathe.
“Well, I am not sure if that is a good thing or not, but at least you are happy,” he teased and sent a little splash from his tail to her face.
“Okay, that’s not fair
!
”
Lana sent a splash his way that he easily dodged and then she continued to scoop her hands in the water as fast as she could trying to get him. The Prince gently took both her hands into his own and stopped her. They both froze and looked into each other
’
s eyes and then he slowly released them.
“I am sorry. I did not mean to do anything improper,” he said s
eriously
.
“You didn’t, it
’
s okay,” said Lana smiling at him
again
.
“Perhaps I do understand a little of how that boy must have felt holding you,” said Prince Titus looking into Lana’s eyes once more.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I was beginning to think I might not see you again,” Lana said softly, amazed how much his eyes matched her own.
“I have always been near, I was not sure if you wanted to see me again,” he said seriously.
“I wish I’d known. I’d have talked to you sooner
.
”
“Then it is my fault. I will always be near your dock should you wish to speak with me,” he said with such comfort in his voice.
“I like that, knowing you’ll be near,” she said softly once more.
“I am glad, I cannot help but wish to be near you
.
”
H
e smiled and tenderly brushed his fingers beneath her chin. Lana smiled and blushed. She felt butterflies roll within her stomach. “I should allow you to go, though I do not wish to,” he said with a half grin.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure my dad’
s been watching all of this
.
”
S
he giggled and they both looked towards the house and
saw her father
standing in the doorway. Then Lana sighed rolling her eyes and let her thoughts tell him goodnight. He did the same and the Prince and Tempest swam away.
~~~~~
As Lana headed to the house, her father turned and went inside. When she came into the kitchen, he was sitting at the table and she didn’t like the look on his face.
“Dad, what’s wrong?” Lana asked confused.
He gritted his teeth and said, “Prince Titus is such a fool for giving you those.”
“Do you mean the pearls?” Lana held them up.
“You don’t even realize what you’re wearing Lana,” he said sternly.
“Dad, it’s just a necklace
.
”
She was
still confused by the way he was acting.
“Lana
those are black pearls! You are wearing a small fortune around your neck and men have killed for less!”
“Dad, I don’t think anyone realizes what’s real anymore.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Ther
e are many on the island that’
s heard rumors of them and the mer. If they see you wearing those, they’ll start putting two and two together,” he said seriously.
“I don’t think Prince Titus meant any harm Dad, he just wanted to give me something special for the prom,” she said softly.
“I know kid, but it can put you and him in danger.”
“I won’t wear them outside this house if it would make you feel better.”
“I’m not sure I even want you wearing them outside your room
.
”
H
e relaxed and let a half grin show.
“Thanks Dad, I didn’t know their value, I just liked them because he thought to give them to me,” she said as she stared at their iridescent glow.
“I know that he was honoring you with such a gift, but it was still foolish. You remember how I told you that King Titan and his people were peaceful?”
“Yeah
.
”
“Well
that was true, until something happened later that forever changed the mer family. I told you how my father gave me a boat when your mother and I got married. It had been my gran
dfathers and she was named the
She
ri Lynn
. She was a sixty foot schooner and she sailed like a dream. We
t
raveled
at least once a year to the South Pacific. There the water is warm and the islands are beautiful.
King
Titan and his people worship
God,
only they call Him Arius; even the Mer need air to breathe.
They don’t do it with crazy rituals, but with the way they live. They treat the entire pod as if they’re one family. They genuinely love and care for each other. They value all life, even human life. They would even risk their secret to save a drowning human and have m
any times. Most that they save vow to never tell that they’
ve seen a mer. Occasionally, there might be one that tells, the mer know and they leave that area
for a time. I guess eventually
no one believes their story. They even only kill what they eat.
There is a place that only the mer can go in the South Pacific; it’s near the Challenger Deep which is the deepest part of the ocean. There they know where the black pearls are. They only harvest the oysters every ten years; that causes the pearls to grow to the size you have. Your mother wanted to gather some for a crown for you, because the mer usually give their princess daughters a crown when they turn the age of twelve. You had just turned three and she knew this was her chance to get them. Your grandparents went along and helped gather the pearls.
It was in the middle of the night and you and I were sleeping on the
Sheri Lynn
. A thick fog had rolled in and made it impossible to see. The mer have what you might call soldiers; that patrols the waters and keeps guard over
the pod. There was a mer named Prince Tarrock
and he was the head of the guard. He was also Prince Titus’ older brother and my closest friend. We were like brothers. The second in charge of the guard was named Darious. He is one of the dark ones...”
“What’s a dark one?” Lana asked.
“They’
re the mer that long ago mixed with the Native Americans that first lived on our island. They ha
ve long black hair, dark eyes
and a dark blue tail. They have always been considered to be equal to the others, only their line comes from King Titan’s sister and not from the royal line.
You might say that we were quite a threesome. Prince Tarrock and Darious kept guard under the surface and I usually kept guard on top. That night, everything went terribly wrong. I know I told you that your mother drowned. You might say that it was my way of keeping you away from the mer.”
“But why Dad, what happened?” Lana asked more interested than ever.
“Because of what happened that night. All I can think of was that your mother was so anxious to get back that she and her parents went ahead of the others. The guard hadn’t realized it until it was too late.
There w
as a large Tuna Clipper named, t
he
Misty Blue
. She had a crew of tw
enty. She must have run silent
because I never heard her. She had let down her net. Your mother and her parents didn’t see it until it was too late. The men quickly hauled up the net, and from what I was told by others, the Captain took one look at the pearls on your mother and grandmother’s heads and called for a harpoon. Some of the men on the
Misty Blue
must have seen past the pearls and saw the wonder of the mermaids. They tried to stop their Captain, but it was too late.
He ran your mother, grandmother
and grandfather through without any care. When the guard arrived, they were just in time to see it. Darious called for the death of them all and Prince Tarrock called for restraint for the innocent. Darious would have none of it. He and the others ran the
Misty Blue
into the coral reefs and ripped her apart. Some say that what Darious and the others did was unthinkable to the crew. They were torn limb from limb.
Prince Tarrock thought to get to King Titan in time, before they could kill them all, but he didn’t. I woke to the shouts of King Titan and soon realized what happened to your mother and her parents. I was full of rage and glad that Darious and the others had exacted justice. I defended them with every breath in my body. I was sure that
if
I’d been there, I’d have helped to do the same.
King Titan was angry and would have banished Darious and the others if not for my pleading their cause. He agreed to let them stay with a warning to never do such a thing a
gain. The really sad thing was
for the first time, Prince Tarrock and I was at odds with each other. The next
morning
they found Prince Tarrock ripped apart, just like the crew of the
Misty Blue
and all knew that Darious and the others had done it. He had fled along with about fifty or so.
I couldn’t bear the grief of what I had caused. Not only was your mother gone, but Prince Tarrock too. I couldn’t face King Titan or the rest of the mer. They had been such a peaceful people and now their family was torn apart. I sailed to the first port and sold the
Sheri
Lynn
right on the spot at a cheap price. It bought us our airfare back to
Safe
Harbor
with a little left over to start our life there,” said her father as tears rolled down his cheeks.
“I’m so sorry Dad. I’m sure King Titan doesn’t blame you. He must have seen that it was Darious’ fault,” Lana said kneeling beside her dad’s chair.
“I wish I’
d listened. It wasn’t five years later and we had our third shipwreck in a month, when there hadn’t been any
dangerous weather. Then I knew;
it must be Darious and the others.
The Har
bor Master and I drove his boat
out past
Gull
Island
where the last wreck was. Sure enough, there were dismembered bodies floating in the water. Then I sensed Darious and heard his thoughts. He and the others were just about to wreck our boat when I shouted his name in my mind and told them to stop. They backed off and Darious recognized that it was me. He told me that only be
cause I defended him that night
and that I
was a descendant of his family, was I allowed to
live. He said not to count on it in the future.
King Titan and the pod returned to
Gull
Island
shortly after. I met with him and warned him about Darious. He sent out a decree that Darious and the others were to be killed on sight if they ever came near
Safe
Harbor
.”
“Did he tell you that it wasn’t your fault?”
“Yeah
, but it was too late for me. I
’
d made a life here with you. My father had just passed away and I became the lighthouse keeper. That also made me the last guardian of the mer. I told King Titan that I would do my best to guard them and he said that they would do the same against Darious and the others for us. Now you know why I’m not a big fan of your pearls,” said her father as he looked down at her necklace.
“I’m glad you told me Dad. I’ll keep them hid away. Please don’t be angry with Prince Titus for giving them to me
.
”
“It’s ok
ay Lana, I know he’s a good guy;
I didn’t mean to get so upset. I’m glad I was finally able to tell you what really happened. Just please be careful and not even tell your friends about them,” he said kissing the top of her head.
“Sure Dad, it’s not like I can tell them about my merman friend anyhow
.”
Lana
laughed
.
“Yeah, I guess you can’t,” he chuckled.
“So, what was Prince Titus like in those days?” Lana asked with a half grin.
“Let’s just say, he was pretty protective of you and he used to make you laugh
.
”
H
er dad smiled.