To Enchant a Mermaid

by S. L. Williams

  “Dearest daughter,” Father’s voice cut through the awkward silence. “Come sit with me in the study.”

  “Uh-oh.” Caressa hid her smirk behind her hand.

  I stopped and stared. The study? I hadn’t been in the study since Mother passed. He made it his space where he went to meditate when he grew tired of the court and his advisors.

  I swallowed the painful knot that formed in my throat. “I was going to go dance—”

  “Now.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” I lowered my head and followed him back to the main palace. He didn’t say one word during the ten-minute swim back.

  He opened his door and allowed me inside the warm room. I didn’t understand how he could sit in the stifling heat. There were no windows to allow fresh water to circulate, and the stone walls were lined with shelves. A skeleton of a whale was strung from the ceiling, and statues of my great-great-grandparents were placed in random spots in the sand.

  Father swam up to his prized possession, Sclena’s trident, and removed it from its glass case. “I remember the day my father passed this trident down to me,” he reminisced. “My life changed. I had to grow up and become the man I am today.”

  “May the goddess bless him,” I mumbled.

  “So may it be.” He placed the trident back and faced me. “I understand how you feel. Everything that is happening is unexpected. I know you’re upset with me, but I want you to know it’s for your own good.”

  “You’re trying to get rid of me.” I clenched my fist. “How is sending me off for my own good? What can an unknown mermale do for me that you can’t?”

  “Protect you.” He threw his hands in the air.

  “I am my own protection. I don’t need anyone.” I crossed my arms. “No one would dare touch me knowing what I can do.”

  Everyone knew what I was capable of. If anyone was foolish enough to try and harm me, I could easily put them in a trance. I had done it to entire armies as practice, and he knew that.

  “You may be strong, but there will always be someone stronger and wiser than you. I won’t live forever, and I can’t guarantee your protection.” The trident began to glow.

  “You’re only one hundred and forty-six. You have many more moons ahead of you.” I didn’t understand where his worry came from. Sending me away and breaking up the family would only weaken us. We didn’t know the suitors’ true intentions. They weren’t here for love.

  “Time is not promised, dear daughter. And as king, I have to prepare for anything.” He handed me the trident and frowned when the light that he had called flickered out.

  “Father, if this is about the walker…it was nothing. I was curious, that’s all.”

  I had concluded that the walker’s song would always remain with me. Fate had us cross paths for a reason. He’d opened my eyes. I was meant to see more.

  “Curiosity kills. I have warned you a million and one times, and the first time I give you freedom, you disobey my orders. Your curiosity is a risk. You have to learn that actions have consequences.”

  I had eight other oceans to see and an entire world above that. I would find a way to the surface. A husband wouldn’t stop me. “I’m only seventeen. I have barely seen the world—”

  “You have seen all you need to see. The world is a cruel and dangerous place. It wasn’t made for you, Sarai. There are some out there that would do anything to get their hands on you. I promised your mother I would keep you safe, and I will sacrifice anything to keep my promise. Even if it means losing your affection.”

  My heart broke at the sight before me. The pain of Mother’s loss was obvious in his eyes. Father still grieved her loss. We were all he had left. He was all I had, and no matter what he did, I couldn’t bring myself to hate him.

  He was willing to send me away to keep me safe. That was a sacrifice on its own. I hated myself for breaking his heart, but he just didn’t understand. I could take care of myself. I didn’t need a husband to lock me away in a castle for the rest of my life. I would rather die.

  “I will always love you.” I wrapped my arms around his waist. “No male will ever be able to replace you. None will love me like you do.”

  He smiled and placed his cheek on my head. “Ah, Sarai. Heart of my heart. You are divine. Never forget that.”

  “Yes, Father.” I squeezed him tight before backing away and handing back the cold trident.

  “Go on and get ready for bed. Today was an exciting day for all of us.” He took off his crown and began to unravel his beard. I noticed strands of white mixed in with the blue-gray.

  His bronze skin looked dull, and he was losing weight. He looked tired, and it wasn’t the bags beneath his eyes or the emerging silver that made him look that way. He seemed to carry a weight on his shoulders.

  “Goodnight, Father. I love you.”

  His shoulders rose and fell. “I love you too, little fish. Never forget that.”

  I swam into my room and removed the silly jewels the servants had painstakingly attached to my tail. I took off my circlet and the heavy coral bracelets. I wiped off the thick lip paint and the silver liner.

  Go home and face your destiny, the sea hag’s voice filled my head.

  “I won’t marry. I control my own destiny.” I snatched out my silver pearl pins and unraveled my tight braids. “Father doesn’t understand. He got to choose what he wanted in life.”

  I buried myself in my bed and sobbed my frustrations away. Everyone thought they knew what was best for me when they knew nothing about me. Why had they spent all that time training me if they thought I was incapable of caring for myself?

  Mother would have understood. She knew what I was capable of. She knew I was strong. If Mother were still alive, she would have supported me and helped me find a way to the surface. She never found me lacking or called me an embarrassment. She loved me unconditionally.

  Hours later, soft singing pulled me from the depths of sorrow. The voice was familiar but strange. It wrapped itself around me and promised that I would be okay. It filled me with a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in a long time.

  “Calethea must have written a new song.” My thoughts began to fade away, and I fell into sleep’s welcoming embrace. For the first time in many nights, I didn’t dream of dead men and stolen hearts. I dreamed of storm-filled eyes and bright magic.

  Chapter Six

  Sarai

  I slept well for three nights and didn’t dream of the man once. I felt refreshed and ready to face the day and whatever was thrown at me. Nothing could ruin my day.

  “I will take breakfast in the garden this morning,” I told the servant who was molding my hair into two thick twists.

  “Yes, Princess.” If she felt any shock from my request, she hid it well.

  “What is your name?”

  “Xiomara, my lady,” she said softly.

  “Xiomara.” I raked through my mind. “You haven’t been here long.”

  “No, ma'am. Have I done something wrong?” She stared with wide, unwavering eyes.

  “No. You are doing an excellent job.” I smiled.

  A new face was exactly what I needed. I was tired of the other servants running back to Father and Grandmother with gossip. “I like how you work. Will you come by every morning?”

  “Me?” She stared with wide eyes.

  “Yes. You.”

  “I would be honored.” She placed my circlet on my brow and bowed. “Thank you for the opportunity.”

  “Thank you for your kindness and your amazing braiding skills.” I smiled as I rose from my seat. “I will be outside.”

  I swam onto the balcony and looked at the colorful gardens. I had picked out the fish and coral myself. Bright orange clownfish swam in and out of purple anemones. Pink and yellow starfish crawled across the black volcanic rock Father had delivered from Bimini.

  The gardeners had braided the kelp and tiers together to form arches over the stone-lined paths where crabs and stingrays fought over shrimp.<
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  The garden had once been a sanctuary, the place I went to when I missed Mother or needed space from Father and my sisters. Grandmother started to complain that I spent too much time daydreaming among the fish instead of focusing on my magic and started sending servants whenever she saw me out.

  I stopped going when the last servant caught me singing to the statue. She told Grandmother, who threatened to have it demolished if I did it again.

  Deep in the center of the garden stood a marble statue of a merwoman holding a moon in her outstretched hands. Strange flowers decorate her hair. Flowers that didn’t belong in the ocean, that could never grow beneath the salty water.

  One night, many moons ago, I caught my mother singing to the marbled woman. Her sad song spoke of home and the sickness one feels when gone too long. It was the memory of a life lost, forgotten by all but you.

  When she sang, a strange humming had filled my bones, and the garden changed. The coral, anemones, and various types of kelp all vanished. In their place, immense trees with dark green leaves began to grow.

  A woman and a small white creature appeared. She was tall and curvy, with long beautiful curls that went down to her waist. What shocked me more than anything was the fact that she had legs. And so did Mother.

  I tried to leave my hiding place, but an invisible wall stopped me from passing into that strange world. The small white creature caught sight of me first, then the woman. Her smile vanished, and her eyes became hard. When Mother saw me, her jaw dropped in shock.

  She turned and spoke to the woman. “This is Sarai.” She placed her hand on my head. “She is the one.”

  “Come here, girl.” The woman waved me over.

  I wrapped my arms around my chest and backed away. “Momma,” I whimpered.

  “It’s okay.” She nodded. “Don’t be afraid.”

  hI swam forward and crossed the invisible barrier. It felt like swimming through warm water, but when I came out on the other side, I was dry, and my fin was gone.

  “Momma!” I screamed at the sight of two stick-thin legs.

  “It’s okay, Sarai.” Mother dropped down to my eye level. “You’re a brave girl, remember?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I swallowed my fear and stood on my new wobbly legs.

  “Sarai.” The strange woman joined Mother. “You are a beautiful girl. You look strong.”

  “I am.” I stuck my chest out proudly. “I sing better than Caressa and Calethea.”

  “Do you?” She smiled and tugged on one of my braids. “Well, Sarai, the goddess has blessed you, hasn’t she?”

  Mother frowned and elbowed the woman in the ribs.

  “What?” the woman huffed.

  “Sarai,” Mother said softly, “my friend and I want to see how strong you are, okay?”

  “Do you want me to sing?” I stood on my toes and tumbled forward.

  Mother caught me before I could hit the ground. “No, baby. Not today. I need you to trust me.”

  I didn’t like the way her eyes had looked when she said it. There was a deep sadness inside Mother that I never noticed until that day.

  “Okay.” I stood still.

  The woman placed her hand on my head and looked at Mother. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” She used her hand to close my eyes. “Sarai, take a deep breath.”

  I did as I was told. Pressure built in my ears, and white-hot pain struck the top of my head. I tried to pull away.

  “Momma?” I flailed against the woman’s hold. “Mommy, help me!” I screamed as the fire ravaged my body.

  “Breathe, Sarai.” I felt her arms wrap around me.

  My eyes flew open, and the breath I had taken was knocked from my lungs. I looked down at my tail and then at Mother’s. Our legs were gone as if they had never existed in the first place.

  “Sarai?” Mother called.

  I looked around the garden. The woman, the beast, and strange plants were all gone, and it was only me and Mother.

  She looked down at me with sad eyes. “I told you to stop playing by the statue.”

  I looked down at the sand where the moon lay broken in half. “Where did she go?”

  “Who?” Mother looked around. “I sent the servant inside to get help. That statue almost tumbled on you.”

  “Where did our legs go?” I said with force. I wasn’t going crazy. I knew what I had seen and felt. “My head.” I grabbed my temples.

  “Legs? You were hit harder than I thought. Come, let’s take you to the healer.”

  I had gone back to the statue many times after her death, but no matter which song I sang, the magic never appeared. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t replicate Mother’s song. Sometimes I wondered if it all had been a dream.

  Time passed, and I stopped trying. Instead, I tended to the gardens. I fed the anemones, made sure the kelp was trimmed, and kept the fish who lived there healthy and happy. Our garden was beautiful in its own way, but it was nothing like the one I had seen.

  I swam down and sat by a bed of lacy Carolina algae. Its delicate fans were bigger than my hand and ready for picking. I was pulling out a particularly large cluster when something caught my eye. Clinging to the sandy roots was a silver chain with a half-moon locket. Its small hinges were rusted, and I couldn’t pry it open. It was an old thing, probably as old as the garden considering the amount of rust on its rough surface.

  I had never seen my sisters with such a thing, and I wasn’t sure if Mother would have owned anything like it. Something like this would have been treasured by the owner, not buried in the sand.

  I took the locket and placed it around my neck for safekeeping. It would look lovely among my jewels, and maybe I could have the jeweler add a stone to it after it was cleaned.

  “Princess, I have brought your meal as you requested.”

  Xiomara sat with me as I ate, and I got to know her a little better. It was nice having someone to converse with without it being awkward. She was a lovely mermaiden with tons of stories to tell. Xiomara came from the coastal area. She was used to more sunlight and warmer waters.

  To her, a ship passing over was a normal occurrence, and she had seen many walkers up close. I was engrossed in her stories when Father appeared.

  He eyed the servant and the plates before us. “Girl, go prepare the princess’s seamare.” He sucked his teeth.

  Xiomara quickly left her seat. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Sarai. You will join us on our ride this afternoon. You need to spend time among your suitors.”

  I bristled at his command. There was no need for such ferocity so early in the day. Breakfast was barely settling in my stomach, but already, it felt sour.

  “I have to take the Carolina to Chef. He may use it for dinner.” I picked up my bundle.

  “Chef can come pick his own algae.” Father crossed his immense arms across his chest. The two golden clasps around his arms slid down.

  “I need to change my top. The Carolina stained it.” I turned my back to Father and faced my balcony. “I’m sure the suitors would prefer a clean wife.”

  “Sarai…” He shook his head. “Be at the stables in ten minutes. If you don’t—”

  “I will go,” I snapped. “But it will be a waste of our time. They could be dipped in gold, and I would still refuse their offer.” I dropped the algae and watched as it broke apart and fell to the floor.

  “You will not embarrass me again.” Father scrubbed his hand down his face. “Please don’t make me look like a fool, child of the sea. There are whispers that kingdoms have been making schemes against us. Do you know what they will do to you and your sisters if they see me as weak?”

  He placed his hand on my shoulder. “You don’t because you’re incapable of seeing past your nose. You are so absorbed in your own world that you haven’t noticed the danger around you. It is time for you to grow up. We will need secure alliances if or when things go sour.”

  ∞∞∞

  I arrived at the stables and
paused outside of the stalls. A sharp voice was fussing. “Ignorant slave. Do not touch my sea stallion. Next time you do, I will—"

  I swam into view and found a young stable boy crouched against the stable. The suitor with the blue eyes was standing over him, his face red and his fist raised.

  “What is going on here?” I swam up to him and lifted my nose in distaste.

  “Princess.” The boy left the corner and bowed.

  I looked at his small shaking frame and was instantly filled with anger. How dare he speak to one of mine in such a way? Especially a child!

  “You may leave.” I touched the boy’s cheek. “And take the rest of the day off. I will care for Brizo when I return.” I turned to the ill-tempered suitor. “You have no right to speak to my servants that way.”

  “The slave fed my stallion old kelp. It will ruin his skin.” He yanked on his horse’s reigns.

  “He is not a slave.” My voice was a sharpened blade. “Do not refer to him as such.”

  “Paid or unpaid, they are the same.” He spat over his shoulder. “Where I come from, we keep them in check. A knock to the side of the head and they act right.”

  “That may be, but you are not home and your ways do not matter.” He was an obnoxious male. Entitled, with a horrible attitude to match. “Where is my father?”

  I was already irritable, and my day had been ruined by this spontaneous trip that I never asked to go on. The least Father could have done was wait for me.

  “He left not too long ago. He asked that I wait for you.” His eyes twinkled with a sharp gleam, that of a great white stalking its prey. “We can leave when you are ready.”

  I went to Brizo’s stall and slowly led her out. She was a magnificent beast, glossy blue skin with lavender rings and pink spines. Her color pattern was unmatched by any other sea horse around.

  She nipped the palm of my hand and whinnied softly. I chuckled, pulled a shrimp from my bag, fed it to her, and rubbed her snout. I swam onto the saddle and settled myself in the seat.