“Thank you, dad. It means a lot hearing about her. And thank you, for always doing the best you can. It can’t be easy, and as critical as I often am, I know your heart is always in the right place,” I said.
He pressed his lips onto my forehead and let out a deep sigh, “your sisters and you are my life’s greatest joy. I know I’ve made things more difficult at times, and I’m sorry. It’s not any of your fault that I’m still trying to learn how to be it all.”
“Dad, we don’t need you to be it all. We just need you to be you and be here for us. Honestly,” I said pulling back from him, “I really hope you’d consider what my sisters proposed at dinner. You’re an amazing coach and mentor. You don’t need the added stress and time that the center sucks out of you.”
His smile reminded me so much of Tina’s. There was so much of my father in her and I finally understood why she was the way she was. In trying to protect the man she knew better than any of us, she went a bit overboard causing the rift. I didn’t think she’d realized how out of control she’d gotten, and my dad probably couldn’t even recognize it since Tina had stepped in to help as soon as our mom was gone. Then I remembered. The funeral? If my mom supposedly is alive, then who was buried?
“Dad, may I ask you a question that might be too difficult to answer?”
I didn’t want to lose any more time, but I had to know. I had to prepare myself emotionally just in case Mason was playing a big prank on me.
“Dad, when mom died. When was the last time you saw her? I mean, at the funeral?”
The expression he carried was of a bit of shock, “that’s kind of an odd question, Arya. Why do you ask?”
“You had to identify the body, did you not? I’m just wondering what she was wearing and if she took anything special with her. I suppose I’ve always wondered.”
It wasn’t necessarily untrue. I remembered a stuffed dolphin toy I had. It was like a dream, her playing with me. But then I didn’t own one, so I often imagined it had been buried with her. At least that was what I’d told myself.
“Her cousin, who I’ve never saw again went to the morgue with me. When the time came, I couldn’t do it. I turned and walked away before they exposed her to me. Her cousin, he was the one that stayed behind in that room and identified the body. And when we were making the funeral arrangements, I made a hasty decision to have a closed casket, not wanting to expose you girls to that image of your mother. She was a beautiful woman and I wanted your sisters and you to remember her the way she’d been in life. Her sweet tender smile always present on that pale alabaster face, with her fiery locks flowing over her shoulders.”
“It’s okay dad. I’m sorry I asked. I guess I kind of knew since I didn’t have any memories of anything around that time.”
I reached him to embrace him once again, “thank you.”
“No, thank you for reminding me. It was a very traumatic event. But I owe it to Thalia to not shield you girls form the details. Now, why don’t I drop you off so you can get that swim in? I’m going to head to the aquatic center and figure out the next phase of our lives,” he said with a reassuring smile. I knew it was a clear sign that he was truly ready. We all were.
I asked my dad to not bother pulling into the parking, and just leave me at the bus stop. I wasn’t ready for him to see Mason, just in case he was already there. I didn’t want him getting the wrong impression about him.
When I reached Mason on the beach, his broad back was to me. The muscle definition was impressive. Nothing over the top, it was just enough. A very nice trim physique. I cleared my throat to get his attention. Appreciating the feel of the cool morning sand in my toes. The sea air was moist, telling of the impending weather change.
“Hey,” he said briefly looking over his shoulder before returning his gaze back toward the water.
“Everything all right?” I asked. Wondering if there was cause for concern due to the weather.
He finally gave me his full attention, “not at all. I guess it won’t just be your mother paying us a visit. Her father, King Atlan seems to have gotten word about you and along with his entourage will be joining us on Tesoro Island. The weather? That would be him, bending it to his will.”
I let out a lighthearted laugh. It couldn’t possibly be true, I thought to myself, wondering if swimming out there was even a good idea anymore. But the look in Mason’s bright hazel eyes was very telling. He believed every word he spoke, and I did too.
“King Atlan, huh? Well, this is all going to take some serious time to get used to. I guess we better get it out of the way before I lose my nerve,” I said removing my clothes.
My turquoise one piece brought out my features the best. It was a great color for my red hair and bright green eyes, I thought as I second guessed myself for a moment. Realizing that if what Mason was saying was all true, in a little while, I’d be face to face with my mother.
Overcome by a swarm of emotions, my knees gave in, but the sand captured me. As if waiting for this moment to happen. I gripped at it, unsure of how exactly I was supposed to proceed. The fear was real. Crippling. My heart had never beat so hard as it did in those moments of uncertainty. The sound matched the growing roar of the waves breaking against the rocks to the side of us. I tried focusing on my breathing. The last thing I wanted was to have a full-blown panic attack, just before meeting my mom.
My mom.
I believed Mason. Of course, there was skepticism on my part. And rightfully so.
The breathing eased my nerves and when I looked up, he was full of empathy, his eyes looked on me with a sweet mercy that I knew I couldn’t be imagining.
“Okay,” I said standing to my feet determined to get the nerves out of the way.
When my feet met the ocean, a feeling of belonging pulled me in. The water was warm against my skin, keenly aware of how natural swimming deep into the ocean had become.
The fascination I was developing within the depths even with the absence of the sun made me more of a believer that there truly was something else to me, because I could still see clearly in the water.
Mason caught up and turned to smile. It was true. He and I were more alike in a way that we could not share with the world.
We pushed faster, side by side, making me aware of an internal sense of direction I did not know I had. Or maybe it’d been ignited with the revelation of who I was?
Above I could tell the ocean was waking from a good night’s slumber, as the waves rushed, causing a dynamic swirling around us. Mason reached over pointing for us to dive lower, so I followed his pattern.
There was a strength inside me that was waiting to be used, as I tightened my core and kept up with Mason’s amazing speed.
And out of nowhere, a frenzy of sharks circled us, but Mason looked over with a reassuring smile.
The water grew colder in their presence. I should have been afraid, yet I wasn’t.
I was in awe with how synchronized the breasts of the ocean were. Great Whites, behaving as if something greater directed them.
A change in the water temperature alerted me we were moving toward the surface, and the Great Whites parted to the sides, as if they were cavalry, guarding our lives as we broke through the surface and catching our breath. A storm ensued in the distance over the mainland, rumbling through the sky, as thunder cracked through, breaking its way through the clouds. The waves angrily roared in the distance, rising to unseen heights, while creating a perfect clear bubble over Tesoro Island.
I watched incredulously, grasping the realization that somehow the weather system was being manipulated by whomever we were about to meet.
When we reached the beach, Mason paused, giving me a moment to collect my thoughts. I could see it written on his face, as if to tell me to take my time. Still, I wanted to press forth, knowing there was no sense in prolonging the inevitable. I walked beside him as we circled a small stretch of the island, keenly aware that in the hidden cove, my mother most likely awaited me.
One by one, they each bowed their head to us, and unsure of procedure, I nodded reciprocally.
Ahead, a team of men stood directly facing us. An older man, stepped forward, “Princess Arya, Mason,” he said bowing, “King Atlan and the Crown Princess Thalia await you.” He said, turning to command his men to open the path for us.
My heart pounded and I felt like I was going to be ill, but Mason reached out and gripped my arm to help calm me. I attempted to lick my lips, yet the saltiness from the ocean entered my mouth only making me queasier. And that’s when I saw her. There was no mistaking. I knew her face like I knew my own. She stood a few feet away staring directly at me through marble like piercing green eyes, with fiery red her tousled to the side.
She wore a skin tight shimmery aqua green bodysuit, emphasizing every curve of her body.
Thalia. My mother. She didn’t look a day older from the photo I had of her.
She took a few steps toward me, when I noticed a large golden shaft stop her in her tracks. A strong tall man stepped ahead of her, dwarfing my mother in size, as his formidable frame left no questions unanswered. He was the King, and from my understanding, my grandfather.
“Arya.’ He said moving closer toward me, forcing Mason from my side. He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but the man who’d greeted us, pulled him into line with the others, as if to remind him of his place in the presence of the King. “I am King Atlan. You will address me as such, just as you will address the Crown Princess by her royal title.” His gravelly voice made me quiver, yet on the surface I stood tall. Proud. Unafraid. There was something about the King that I found challenging.
I wanted badly to run to my mother, and the look on the King’s face told me he sensed it, “we have rules in Atlan which Sergio will go over with you. He’s the one who made the formal greeting. He’ll be your guide while you are visiting.”
I wasn’t sure what came over me, but I refused to allow the man to intimidate me, “I have no intention of visiting your world. I’m here to learn the truth of my mother,” I said defiant. “I appreciate your welcome, but if you’ll excuse me, sir, I don’t have much time.” I stepped around him. I thought I’d gotten away with it, but his shaft penetrated the ground before me, putting up a shield. Preventing me from moving forward. It was invisible. Glass like. Naked to the eye.
“What on earth are you doing?” I hollered, “you have no right!” I said tautly, turning to face him.
“Silence!” His voice commanded.
“No.” I replied, “you may rule Atlan. But here, we are on the surface and that is my mother. You’ll have to kill me to keep me from her.”
He let out a throaty laugh as he turned to my mom, “she’s very much like you.” He said, except, it didn’t seem he was paying her a compliment, as my mother’s head dropped.
I pounded on the invisible glass, “let me out of here!” I said scornfully as I took deep controlling breathes. He didn’t bother to acknowledge my words as he proceeded toward Mason.
“Did you not explain our ways?” He demanded.
“King Atlan. As much as I could, yes. But she…”
The King cut him off and lifted the shield as he encroached upon my personal space, “you are a half breed, and most will not welcome you with open arms. Very few of our people’s offspring our born with our abilities. And when they are, they either quickly comply with our ways or stripped from ever entering the waters again.” His eyes glimmered in the light that broke through the clouds.
“May I speak to my mother now?”
He stepped to the side clearing my path.
I ran into her awaiting arms, “oh Arya I’m so happy to see you,” she said through gently sobs, quietly whispering into my ear, “please do not upset the King. It will not be good for either of us.”
“Mom! It really is you!” I cried, “why did you leave us? We needed you.”
“Shh shh,” she soothingly pushed my hair from my face as it started to dry. “As Mason already explained, my people have rules. But I’m here now.” She looked away from her father, “please tell me about your sisters.”
There was a deep sadness in my mother’s voice, something I could only imagine she was feeling.
“They are good. Everyone still lives at home and are very much involved in helping the household run smoothly, along with the business. You’d be proud of them, mom.”
The tears spilled from her eyes as she nodded, “I am, my dear Arya. I’m proud of you all.” She reached back to embrace me, “I missed you so much my sweet little girl. And I’m so sorry I had to leave you. I wish I didn’t, but my duty is to my kingdom of Atlan.”
“What of your duty to us?”
I didn’t want to hurt her further, still, I needed to know. What could be more important than her own daughters?
“In time you’ll understand for yourself,” she tried to cheer up, but I could see it was a farce, “now, would you like to go to Atlan?”
I turned to where Mason was standing, there was a look in his eyes that told me it was a bad idea. I wanted badly to follow my mother there, but my gut told me otherwise.
“Perhaps another time. Right now, I’d like very much if we could just sit down and talk. Catch up?”
Everyone was listening to our conversation, but it was Sergio who moved in closer, “Princess Arya, it is not safe for the Crown Princess or the King to be on the surface. We’ll have to move you all to Atlan or arrange for a visit another day.” He said with more empathy than the King was physically incapable of showing as he stood menacingly a few feet away.
“Is that really the only choice I have right now if I’m to visit with my mother?”
He nodded.
“Very well, I’ll go. But only for a few hours then I have to be back because my father will be worried if I take too long.”
At the mention of my father, I noticed my mother perk up and I knew she was probably wanting to ask about him, yet it was clear that the topic wouldn’t be broached in the presence of the King.
“Mason will have to join me. Or I can’t go, mom.”
She looked to her father waiting for his approval. He didn’t say word. Opting for an irritated sigh as she turned to the water, “we need to be on our way.”
Sergio and his small unit of men immediately flanked the King, and my mother, Mason and I followed in tandem, as the rest of the guard flanked us.
It was an impressive entourage, yet still very much out of the norm.
As we swam into the depths of the ocean, I could see the sun break through the water as the sky cleared.
Did King Atlan truly yield that much power that he could manipulate the elements? I wondered as I watched the Great Whites rejoin us as we swam deeper at a speed, I never thought possible.
Mason avoided all eye contact with me. I wasn’t sure why and I wasn’t sure why it bothered me as much as it was in that moment, but it was. I decided I’d found out soon enough.
For the time being, a massive underwater world awaited us. I was curious. Excited even. Most importantly, I couldn’t wait to sit down and catch up with my mother who was very much alive.
11
The civilization underwater was called by many names. However, I was now one of very few who knew its real name of Atlan, and the truth to why its ruler had sought to hide from the rest of the world. The stories of Atlan had been at the heart of many stories and captured the imagination of some of the most respected scholars and Hollywood filmmakers alike.
A utopia awaited us, unlike no other as we penetrated a barely visible transparent shield and returned to walking the marvelous paths made of the sea. Lush gardens with exot
ic plants I’d never seen in my life abound. The mesmerizing vibrant colors brought life inside the sphere, while rare precious metals created structures somewhat like what one would have imagined the Greek Gods to live in.
The Great Whites could be seen swimming above the sphere, guarding what was inside. Us. I thought to myself.
Many of the men stood guard as we approached what looked like a town center, only the fountains water glowed an incandescent blue.
People walked around enjoying each other’s company until they noticed our arrival, and quickly took to bowing to the King. He made no effort to acknowledge them, but I was happy to see my mother did as she warmly smiled upon each person, she made eye contact with.
It was clear to me, King Atlan was somewhat of an egotistical maniac. I supposed being King made him feel entitled to do as he pleased.
When I looked ahead, a massive building like a Parthenon stood before us, and the rest of the guard stood watch as others took over when we walked past the massive stone pillars and into the magnanimous building.
Beautiful marble sculptures decorated the entrance, as we walked into a main hall, where an opening in the dome welcomed a brilliant light.
At the end of the rotunda, a massive staircase elevated a throne where the King sat, accompanied by his elite squad of men, except Sergio who stayed behind with me.
“Welcome to Atlan, Princess Arya,” he quietly said.
“Thank you. It truly is beautiful.”
My mother motioned for Mason and me to stay behind as she joined the King for a private audience. We couldn’t hear a word they were saying, yet it was clear whatever she said to the King only brought indifference upon him. His demeanor toward her angered me. In fact, everything about the King put me on edge, as I realized he was most likely the cause as to why my mother had to abandon us.
“Princess Arya, Mason, please follow me,” Sergio said as he led us away from what I now realized was the throne room and into a hallway that lead off to the side and away from the Parthenon. The path wound for a bit until we entered a private living quarter. “This is the Crown Princesses chambers. We will wait for her here. I’ll have some refreshments brought in. Please, make yourself comfortable. I’ll return shortly.” He said as he disappeared back into the corridor we’d arrived.
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