by Eric Vall
“Th-they are my wives, Your Majesty,” I stuttered. The societal rules and rites of Fairyland were so new to me that I had no idea how the king would feel about this piece of information.
I also reallllllyyyyy hoped he didn’t ask me about the bonding ritual.
“I see,” King Liron said with an unreadable expression. “And you said you encountered Eudora the other day. Can you tell me a little more about that?”
“Eudora seems like a very powerful witch,” I admitted. I wasn’t exactly proud of the way she’d hypnotized me, but Ariana had told me her father had experienced the same thing. I wasn’t going to mention that, of course, but it made it easier for me to admit. “At first, I fell a bit under her spell, but when Princess Cienna and Princess Jessamine assisted me, I was able to come out of it.”
“Father, he’s being too modest!” Ariana exclaimed, and she glanced over at me with a red face. “He was able to strike Morgar with a blast from his sword, and he even deflected a poison attack back at Eudora.”
“His sword, you say?” The king regarded me with serious eyes. “I see you are wearing a sword on your belt, Joe. Would you mind showing it to me?”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” I replied, and I pulled Genie’s Wrath from its scabbard. Its gleaming gold blade shone lustrous in the bright light of the throne room’s chandeliers, and the purple stone flashed for a moment as if to reassure me of its power.
“The Hero’s Sword,” the great king muttered, and a chill went down my spine. “Tell me, where did you find this?”
“To be honest… I picked it up from a random soldier during the course of my travels,” I explained. “I’ve had a lot of success with it, but I’m not really sure where it came from. The man who had it didn’t seem to deserve it, not that I’m sure I do…”
As I spoke, I wondered why Liron called my weapon “The Hero’s Sword,” but the king began speaking again before I could ask.
“Mhm,” the king said as he looked down at me from under his eyebrows. “I see. Princess Cienna, you’ve been quiet. What do you think about all this?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” my blonde wife said in a quiet, respectful voice. “I wasn’t present for the events in Jessamine’s kingdom, but I was there for Jamar’s defeat. I have to admit I was a bit cynical at first about the concept of the hero, but I wouldn’t have married Joe if I didn’t believe he was the one. And, I don’t mean to presume, Your Majesty, but it seems from the way you are talking you also believe there are magical objects in the world that can support a hero’s quest.”
“Yes, you are correct in that,” King Liron replied. “Please, go on.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Cienna nodded. “Princess Jessamine, Joe, and I have been concerned recently about the fact that there seems to be a link between all the villains we have encountered. Jamar, and now Eudora, both seem to have ties to Chernabog. My stepmother, the Lady Fontaine, is a terrible person, but I don’t think she has any magical powers. Nonetheless, even she seemed to have intelligence she shouldn’t have.”
“Yes, I see.” The huge blue merman waved his hand behind him. “Guards, you are temporarily dismissed. Please wait outside the entrance of the throne room for me and await further instructions.”
The uniformed mermen followed his directions and began to swim toward the door of the giant room, and when the men were out of earshot, Ariana spoke.
“Father, are you sure that’s safe?” the redhead asked as she wrung her hands. “I hate to think of you being unguarded.”
“Ariana, sometimes safety is defined not by who is around you, but by who isn’t there,” her father explained. “I feel like this conversation has gotten to the point where only royalty should be present for it.”
Had he just called me royalty?
“Yes, Father,” the mermaid princess said with a nod. “I understand.”
“Now, Princess Cienna!” King Liron boomed once all the guards had exited the room. “I don’t think you’re wrong. There are eyes and ears everywhere, and while there have been villains for all of history, they are more interconnected than ever before. For example, I’m sure you have guessed the Serpent’s Curse was named after Morgar, so he and Eudora are nothing new. What may be new is their alliance with Chernabog, which I fear is making them stronger. Nonetheless, I can’t say too much about my own personal travels, but rest assured, I am well aware of the intelligence networks that now surround us.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Jessamine said, and she bowed slightly. “When we were out on the open seas, our ship was attacked by pirates, and the pirate captain was specifically looking for Princess Cienna and me. Someone out there has put a bounty on our heads, and I fear it is because of the work we have been doing to try and save Fairyland.”
“I don’t doubt you,” King Liron replied before he turned to his daughter. “And Ariana, I see you have come to trust these humans in a short amount of time. Can you explain why?”
“Yes, Father.” Her cheeks darkened to crimson. “Th-The first time I saw Joe defeat someone, it was on the pirate ship Jessamine was just talking about. I saw him use his sword to defeat many men at one time, and it was one of the strongest displays of magic I have ever seen. What you are now calling the Hero’s Sword incinerated all the pirates on board while leaving the princesses and their crew unharmed.”
“Spying on ships again, I see.” The king clicked this tongue at his daughter and crossed his huge, swirling blue arms, but then he chuckled and turned to me and my wives. “Ariana’s spying hasn’t led to much good in the past, but maybe this time is different. I don’t know how much she’s told you about the human she used to be married to, but I never saw Aaron try to fight Eudora, or save our people, so there is that.”
“I know it has only been a couple of days, Father, but I have been through so much with these people I now trust them with my life,” Ariana told the king, and I could tell she was imploring him with her eyes to believe her.
The king looked down on Jessamine, Cienna, and me, and it was as if he were trying to peer into our very souls. I really, really hoped I was making a good impression, because I’d fallen for Ariana fast and hard, and we hadn’t exactly told him the big news yet.
“Okay,” the giant merman sighed. “I will admit it seems like the three of you have a good sense of what’s going on up on the surface. Your picture is still incomplete, and I can’t fill in all the pieces, but there are some things I can tell you.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Cienna replied with a relieved smile. “I hope you now believe we only have the best intentions for your daughter and your kingdom.”
“Yes, I am starting to,” King Liron told the blonde princess. “Oh, and Joe? I had already heard of your heroic deeds, but I was even more impressed by the humility with which you talked about them. That is the mark of an honorable man.”
“Thank you, your majesty.” I thought I was going to pass out with relief, and I suspected the king noticed, because he now regarded me with a kind, if amused, smile. I was pretty sure he knew my intentions with Ariana, but we still hadn’t exactly laid all the cards out on the table, so I wondered how much more he was going to put me through before this meeting was over.
“Yes, Joe is wonderful!” Jessamine could always be counted on to give me a rave review. “The hero has helped us with so many battles now, and he’s a wonderful husband, as well. In fact--”
“In any case, there is no doubt Ariana needs more support while I’m gone,” King Liron interrupted Jessamine with a smirk. “Her sisters are so busy, and Marinus has been so ill. It’s a large burden for one mermaid to carry, especially when such horrible attacks are occurring. Ariana, maybe I have wanted to protect you too much, so I haven’t told you enough about what I’m doing. I think I can tell you now that my travels are in support of Fairyland as a whole, and I, too, am working to defeat Chernabog, in my own way.”
“Have you--have you been above the surface?” Ariana asked her father
, and her aqua eyes grew wide. “I thought that was the one thing you never wanted to do.”
“Well, my daughter, times are changing,” King Liron explained with a pained expression. “The things happening up on land are affecting all of us down under the sea more than any of you even know. I can’t tell you exactly what I’ve been doing up there, but that’s for your own protection. All of you. It’s not a matter of trust, but I wouldn’t want you to be in a position where someone could torture my secrets out of you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, we completely understand,” Cienna replied in a confident tone. “We have also decided amongst ourselves that everything is on a need-to-know basis. Of course, we have decided now to trust you with many of our secrets, because we value your experience and wisdom.”
The great blue king nodded, and the motion of the swirling designs on his body seemed to be slowing. I spaced out for a second and stared at the incredible effects on his skin, and I wondered if the patterns were affected by his mood.
“Joe!” The king boomed at me, and I snapped back to attention. He had clearly caught me staring at him, and I straightened my shoulders and looked him in the eye.
“Yes, Your Majesty?” I asked.
“I wish to tell you more about the hero’s legend,” the giant merman explained. “I understand you were brought by the genie, and this has all been very confusing for you. When you have traveled to a strange place, and the role of hero has been thrust upon you, I imagine it can be overwhelming. But I believe only you can decide if you are the hero of legend. As the hero, your deeds fulfill the prophecy as much as your identity. In other words, being the hero isn’t so much about who you are, and where you came from, but about what you do to save Fairyland.”
I thought about King Liron’s words for a minute, and they rang true to me. I’d never thought about getting to make a decision about whether or not I was a hero. When I looked back on my old life, I had, in fact, helped a lot of people. I was no Captain America, but if I saw an accident, I always stopped to assist. And since I had gotten to Fairyland, I’d somehow managed to help a lot of people without even thinking about it.
If the deeds made the man, was it possible that I could consider myself a hero after all?
“Yes, I am the hero,” I said it out loud for the first time as the king held my gaze, and I could have sworn I felt Genie’s Wrath burning at my hip.
Jessamine squeezed my hand, and I thought the sparks between us were stronger than ever before.
“Well, then, hero, you have a lot of responsibilities to take on,” King Liron told me, and he narrowed his eyes. “The sword itself will call upon you to save many people. I saw the way it reacted to your touch, and I immediately knew you were an honorable man. Will you show it to me again? In fact, might I hold it?”
I pulled out Genie’s Wrath, walked closer to the king, and handed him my weapon, and he looked down upon it with an almost loving expression.
“Father, have you seen this sword before?” Ariana asked, and I could tell she was puzzled by the look on his face. “It seems like you’re familiar with it.”
“Yes, I do know of this sword, though it has been many years, or even centuries, since I have known who wielded it,” King Liron explained to Ariana and handed the blade back to me. “It is ancient, and many men have handled it, some worthier than others. Tell me, Joe, what have you named the blade?”
“Genie’s Wrath, Your Majesty,” I told him, and I noticed my palms were sweating. I was definitely glad to have won the king’s respect, but declaring myself the hero had somehow made me even more stressed out.
“Yes, that’s a fine name,” King Liron mused. “And you found it where?”
“If I may interject, Your Majesty…” Jessamine began to speak. “Joe, I hope you don’t mind, but I feel like it’s important for everyone to understand that you didn’t just pick a sword off a random soldier, you took it from a very, very bad man who could have used it to kill Cienna. You didn’t just find this sword, you rescued it.”
“Indeed, Your Highness.” The giant blue merman steepled his fingers in thought and nodded. “But be assured the sword’s powers are only availed to those who are worthy. Anyone can stab someone with it, but only few have been able to wield its magic powers, and, Joe, you are one of them. But what Princess Jessamine said reminded me of something. There’s the matter of taking care of the women…”
“Th-The women?” I stuttered. I still wasn’t sure if he’d inferred Ariana’s plans to join me and the other princesses, although I thought it was obvious from the way she talked about me that there was something going on.
“Yes, Joe, the women,” King Liron repeated matter-of-factly. “In many ways, the princesses are the most powerful people in Fairyland. I know enough to tell you the prophecy is true, and the princesses must unite to fight the greatest evil. There is no other way, and these are only some of the warrior women you will meet on your journey. But these princesses still need a hero by their sides, to support their magic, and yes, sometimes to even protect them.”
“Yes, I have every intention--” I began, but the king interrupted.
“And yes, Joe, I realize my daughter is one of these women,” King Liron cut in with a kind smile. “I’m sure that’s a lot of what’s been worrying you today. Ariana has been married before, of course, but this feels a little different to me, and it’s not just because of the… unconventional… marriage. It’s hard to send my youngest daughter off into the world and know that by nature of the prophecy, she will be placed in danger. I trust Ariana with my kingdom, as you know, and she is one of the bravest people I have ever met. But the horrors of Fairyland run deep, and I know that, if she marries you, she will eventually have to leave our undersea kingdom and travel the world. Ariana can be a little naive--”
“Father!” Ariana exclaimed with her usual pink cheeks. “You yourself admitted I had been a married woman, and that I am tough enough to defend our kingdom while you are gone. I don’t think that’s fair!”
“All I meant is you haven’t spent as much time on the surface as the others, Ariana,” the king explained. “You don’t have to get upset… especially since I haven’t made my ultimate point yet.”
“Fine, Father, what are you trying to say?” the red-haired princess sighed.
“Joe, Ariana, I give you permission to get married,” King Liron proclaimed. “Joe, you are a man of honor, and I can see the way my daughter feels about you. I’m not a fool, after all.”
Bam, there it was. I breathed a huge internal sigh of relief, though I tried to keep my face neutral.
“Sir, Your Majesty, I just want you to know I will always take care of your daughter,” I promised him as I lifted my chin. “And we don’t have any plans to leave your kingdom until the problems here are resolved.”
“That’s wonderful, and please, call me Liron,” the king told me, but he couldn’t keep a straight face. “I was actually kidding about that, and Your Majesty will be just fine.”
“Heh, good one, Your Majesty,” I laughed weakly, and I thought my knees might buckle from the stress of the situation, so I gripped Cienna’s arm for strength.
“So, you’re going to get married again, Ariana…” the king began, and for the first time, the great merman looked faintly ill. He recovered quickly, however, and clapped his giant blue hands before he looked at me meaningfully. “Joe is a great man, and this will be the path forward to defend our world against evil.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for supporting Fairyland and our mission,” Jessamine interjected, and, as usual, I was grateful for her ability to smooth over awkward situations. “I, along with the citizens of my kingdom, are very grateful to you.”
“You’re welcome,” the ruler thundered, and it appeared he had gotten his mojo back. “Joe, I know you will help my daughter, and the other princesses will as well. And now, Ariana, I have to tell you I am off shortly on another overseas mission. But everything I have seen here today tells me
you will be safe in my absence. Thank you, Joe, Princess Cienna, Princess Jessamine, it has been an honor. And now I would like to speak with my daughter alone for a couple moments, if it is no trouble.”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” I said, and I didn’t think I’d ever been so glad to be dismissed. “Thank you for everything.”
“Joe, everyone, I’ll meet you in my chambers in a few minutes,” Ariana told us with a quick smile.
Cienna, Jessamine, and I curtsied and bowed one last time to pay our respects to the king, and then we finally got to make our way out of the gigantic chamber.
When we made our way back outside to the palace grounds, I was pretty close to collapsing.
“Holy shit!” I gasped. “That was intense.”
“You did amazing, Joe,” Jessamine reassured me with a bright smile. “You said all the right things. Have you ever even talked to a king before?”
“No, never, let alone to get permission to marry his daughter,” I said and wiped at my brow. “That was crazy. Can we go chill out now?”
“Yes, Joe, we can go ‘chill out,’” Cienna laughed. “I hope, anyway. It made me feel good to know a powerful man like King Liron is on our side.”
“Me, too,” Jessamine agreed, and she grabbed my hand. “Let’s go up to Ariana’s chambers and wait for her.”
We swam back up toward the tower housing Ariana’s room and entered the chamber. Then I flipped the switch on my leg with a sigh and settled back into a surprisingly comfortable coral armchair. It seemed I had another fiancée for the time being. I supposed I was getting pretty comfortable here in Fairyland, because I felt surprisingly nonchalant about marrying another princess, even though the thought of the ritual made me all prickly inside.
Cienna and Jessamine sat down in chairs opposite me, and they both started to smirk.
“So, redheads, huh, Joe?” Cienna did her best to stare me in the eyes, but I looked away and snickered.
“What, you don’t like her at all?” I asked, and I was shocked when Cienna actually blushed.