The Little Merman
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Fathoms Below
The sun was shining brightly, the sky was a clear blue and devoid of cloud, the wind was blowing strongly and the sea crashed against the kingdom's finest ship, the Crimson Comet, as it sailed through the powerful waters with the aid of the kingdom's finest sailors.
At the helm of the ship was the handsome and strong Edward "Eddie" Thawne, the Captain of the Royal Guards. He was a good-hearted man with a sense of duty and honor. He was greatly trusted and respected by those who knew him. Whenever the Royal Family went out at sea, he would be at the helm and he served his position well, for there was no finer helmsman than he. He loved sailing as much as the Royal Princess did as it brought him a sense of freedom and adventure.
"Captain, sir, mightn't we sing a sea shanty?" asked a cabin boy, who was mopping near Eddie. "The boys would love it so."
"Yes, of course. I'll start off," said Eddie. He'd been feeling the need for a good sea shanty, and so he began and it wasn't long before the others joined in with him.
(Eddie)
I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue(Sailors)
And it's hey to the starboard, heave ho!
Brave sailor, beware, 'cause a big 'uns a-brewin'
In mysterious fathoms below!
Heave ho!
The sailors began to dance a bit as they sang and performed their duties.
There truly was nothing better than to sing a sea shanty while a sailor did his duties. It lightened the spirit during a long work day and sparked the imagination of the sailors who sung it. Sea shanties also acted as tales of great adventures, of woe, of warnings and parables, and tales to motivate sailors who sought their fortune. It was wonderful.(Eddie)
I'll sing you a song of the king of the sea(Sailors)
And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho!(Eddie)
The ruler of all of the oceans is he!(Eddie & Sailors)
In mysterious fathoms below!
Fathoms below, below!
From whence wayward westerlies blow!
Where the descendant of Poseidon is king
And his merpeople sing
In mysterious fathoms below!
The ship was captained by an experienced sea woman, the Crown Princess of the kingdom—Princess Iris.
Iris was a very beautiful young woman with dark skin, silky black hair, dark brown eyes and a dazzling smile. She was unlike the other ladies in her kingdom as she could be something of a tomboy, such as dressing in men's clothes when she went out to sea and sailing all over the world instead of sitting at home doing what a "proper" princess might do, such as needlework and other dull things. But even so, Iris was a lady of great virtue and courage and she was envied, respected and admired by those who both served and knew her.
Iris stood by the railing and gazed at the open sea.
"Isn't this perfection, Dad? Out on the open sea, surrounded by nothing but water! There's no greater freedom!" Iris inhaled deeply and then exhaled with great exuberance. A sailor's life was so freeing, so exciting in ways Iris couldn't begin to describe.
King Joseph, or Joe as he was called amongst his closest friends, was Iris's father and didn't share in his daughter's love of sea-fairing. He put up with it because he loved her. His dark skin had a greenish tinge to it as he leaned over the railing and willed himself not to give into the seasickness.
"Absolutely, Iris. It's simply…delightful!" Joe clutched the rail for dear life as the roughness of the sea got worse, as did his nausea.
Iris climbed up the ropes that led to the crow's nest and closed his eyes as she lost herself in her surroundings. The ship was rocking to and fro as the waves of the sea splashed against it. The air smelled of salt and blow so strongly, Iris felt as though he could fly if he were to let go of the ropes and jump.
For Iris, a life at sea was free and exciting with the promise of a new adventure every day, as opposed to the life she was accustomed to at the palace where she felt constrained and sometimes bored out of her skull. At the sea, Iris felt free to be herself without pressure to be something else or feel any fear of disappointing her loved ones and her people and she wished it could last forever. The salt on your skin
And the wind in your hair
And the waves as they ebb and they flow!
We're miles from the shore
And guess what – I don't care!
"As for me, I'm about to heave ho!" said Joe, as he then lost his lunch.
Iris laughed and felt sympathetic towards her father. She climbed down from the ropes and rubbed Joe's back to comfort him and ease off some of the illness.
"You don't look good, Grandfather. Should I get you some ginger tea?" asked Wally.
Ten-year-old Prince Wallace, "Wally," was Iris's nephew. Wally was the son of Iris's late elder brother Rudolph and his wife Mary, and since their passing two years ago, Wally had been in his aunt's care. Wally was a charming young lad and generally very well-liked, even though sometimes he was prone to mischief.
Joe could not reply so Iris replied for him.
"That would be excellent, Wally. Be quick about it," said Iris.
Wally nodded and quickly departed to the ship's galley for the tea.
"Nothing to see here! Back to work, boys!" barked Eddie.
Many of the ship's crew had ceased working when they saw how ill Joe was, but when the order was given, they resumed their duties and singing.(Sailors)
I'll sing you a song of the king of the sea
And it's hey to the starboard, heave ho!
The ruler of all of the oceans is he
In mysterious fathoms below!
After gratefully accepting the ginger tea, which cured the worst of Joe's seasickness, Joe scowled at the mention of the sailors' sea-fairing tales.
"King of the Sea? Iris, that's nautical nonsense! It's nothing but a superstition!" said Joe.
Eddie and the other sailors disagreed with Joe, and so did Wally.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, it isn't a superstition! It's the truth!" insisted Eddie. "You've heard Henry's stories and there's been recorded sightings for years!"
"Eddie is right, Grandfather. You'd best watch your tongue," said Wally, half-joking, half-serious. "You never know who might be listening. The Sea King might be, for starters, and you wouldn't want to make him mad! We are, after all, in his territory!"
Joe rolled his eyes but made no further protest as Eddie and the others sang again of the legends of the Sea King and the merfolk who lived down below in the sea.
(Eddie)
The king of the ocean gets angry
And when he gets angry, beware!
I'm telling you, lad, when the Sea King is mad
How the waves will buck, rock to and fro!(Eddie & Sailors)
Hold on, good luck, as down you go!
"Everyone quiet!" commanded Iris.
Everyone fell silent as the beautiful sound of a young man singing fell upon them. It seemed to lead them through the fog that had mysteriously arisen.
"Ah…ah…ah…ah…ah…"
The voice singing was unlike anything they'd ever heard before, for no human gentleman, however talented, could ever have such a captivating voice. Unable to help himself, Eddie steered the ship in the direction of the voice.
"I know that voice," said Iris. She seemed mesmerized as she walked to the edge of the ship's bow. She'd heard that voice several times before whilst sailing, but she'd never been able to find the owner of the voice, despite how much her heart longed to. "He's here. But where?"
Feeling concerned for his daughter, Joe placed a hand on Iris's shoulder and made the prince look at him.
"Iris, please. I think that's enough sea-faring for one day. You've got to get back to court and prepare to take up the crown," said Joe, gently.
Iris stubbornly shook her head. "The confined, restricted life of a queen isn't the one I want to lead, Dad! It should've been Rudolph succeeding you, anyway. And If I wish it, I'll abdicate and pass the crown to Wally. He has the potential to be a good king someday and you know it. Let me have my freedom. Besides, how can you be so sure I can be the queen everyone expects me to be?"
As the Crown Princess, Iris led a life of wealth, power and privilege, a life that anyone would've been envious of. And although Iris was grateful she had a good life and she was generally a responsible princess, it wasn't the life she wished to lead. Iris had no desire to become queen as she felt she wasn't fit to be one and a life at sea appealed to her far more than that of a life at court.
Joe opened his mouth to protest, but he was silenced when Iris held up her hand and looked captivated at the return of the mysterious voice.
"There it is again!" said Iris.
"Milady, the King has a point. Perhaps we'd best return to shore," said Eddie. "You should be getting ready for your birthday celebrations tonight."
"Rubbish. There's plenty of time before I have to get ready for that," said Iris, dismissively. She jumped down from the ship's bow and climbed up the rigging. "Now, follow that voice! To the ends of the earth if we have to!"
Seeing that Iris would not be dissuaded, Eddie nodded. "Aye-aye, Your Majesty!"
(Eddie & Sailors)
There's mermaids out there in the bottomless blue
And it's hey to the starboard, heave ho!
Watch out for 'em, lad, or you'll go to your ruin
Mysterious fathoms below!
Unbeknownst to the crew and passengers of the Crimson Comet, a handsome young merman was slipping back into the sea, smiling to himself before swimming to another location. He'd used his voice to steer them away from the rocks concealed beneath the waters and fog, to keep them safe and secretly, he hoped he'd see the humans on the Crimson Comet again soon, for he longed to be part of their world…
XXX
Deep beneath the ever-rolling waves of the sea, carefully hidden and protected from mankind since ancient times, lay the beautiful and majestic city of Atlantis, which was home to all manner of sea creatures and countless mermen and mermaids.
No kingdom of such beauty could be found on land and nor could there be any equal to that of the talented merfolk who resided there. There were craftsmen of metal, pearl and gold; the finest musicians, philosophers, workers of agriculture, merfolk of science, scholars, and so much more. And of course, each and every mermaid and merman was stunningly beautiful.
Unlike the humans, who were always at it with each other, the residents of Atlantis rarely had such discord and they'd had lived in peace and harmony with each other for many years. In the center of the kingdom was a glorious palace of gold and pearl, resided the Royal Family. The kingdom was ruled by King Harrison, a wise and brilliant merman of science who was said to be descended from Poseidon himself.
Harrison was a much-beloved merman as he ruled his kingdom as a compassionate, wise and just king, and he acted as the patriarch of his family much in the same way. He was a widower and had raised three sons and a daughter as a proud father and now he was much-loved grandfather of seven grandchildren.
Naturally, Harrison's six older granddaughters were all beautiful, obedient and accomplished mermaids and were what most merfolk were expected to be.
There was Tina, his eldest granddaughter. She was quite lovely with her sparkling white fin, dark hair and hazel eyes. She was quite brilliant and she had the ferocity of a great white shark.
His second granddaughter was Bette, a lovely mermaid with a purple fin, auburn hair and grey eyes. She was known for her integrity, stubbornness and skills as a defender of her people.
His third granddaughter was Lisa, a feisty mermaid with a golden fin and shining golden brown hair. She was a fast swimmer and had a mind of her own and no one with sense argued with her.
His fourth granddaughter was Brie, a golden-haired, black-finned mermaid who spent her time working up ways that would best benefit merfolk. When she set to work, she acted like a queen.
His fifth granddaughter was Shawna, a dark-skinned mermaid with a dark blue fin. She wasn't quite as lovely as her cousins, but no one could match her ability to appear and reappear at a moment's notice.
His sixth and last granddaughter was Tess, named for Harrison's late wife. She had an emerald green fin and hair the color of sunshine gold. She was brilliant, but also quiet and very compassionate. She acted as a confidant for her family and was closest with her grandfather.
Then there was Harrison's youngest grandchild and only grandson, Bartholomew or "Barry," as he was more commonly known. Barry was something of a fish out of water, but he was well-liked and majestic singing voice had no equal.
At that moment, all of the kingdom's merfolk were gathering to attend a special concert held at the palace. Harrison had decided to have a celebration in tribute to their many years of peace and honor his beloved grandchildren. It was a much-anticipated performance as there was nothing merfolk enjoyed more than that of the singing of the Royal Family.
When all in attendance found their seats, a dozen musicians played the royal fanfare and then the Sea King's herald, a small red seahorse by the name of Tornado, emerged wearing a yellow ruffled collar and a smile on his face.
"Presenting His Royal Highness, King Harrison!" he chirped.
The trumpet players resumed playing the royal fanfare as Harrison made his entrance in a grand chariot drawn by three strong dolphins. As the audience cheered and applauded, the Sea King raised his powerful trident and lit up the chandelier and set off a series of sparkling lights that showered down to the merfolk below.
"And presenting the distinguished Court Composer, Hartley Horatio Felonious Ignacious Crustaceous Rathaway!" squeaked Tornado.
There was a more polite round of applause as Hartley, a bright red crab with tiny round glasses, made his own entrance in a much smaller shell drawn by two equally small goldfish. Hartley was looking positively smug as he waved to the crowd and then swam up to the Sea King's side. Hartley was gifted little creature and had the Sea King's favor, but unfortunately it tended to make Hartley rather arrogant and disliked by others.
Harrison was smiling in excitement. "I'm really looking forward to this performance, Hartley."
"As am I, Your Majesty," said Hartley. "This will be the finest concert I have ever conducted! I have no doubt your grandchildren will be magnificent beyond words."
Harrison smiled and nodded in agreement. "Especially little Barry."
Hartley faked a smile and nodded as he said through clenched teeth, "Yes. He has the most magical voice. Barry will most certainly steal the show." As soon as Hartley was out of earshot of the Sea King, Hartley muttered to himself, "If only Barry would be on time for rehearsal once in a while!"
The lights dimmed and all fell silent as Hartley made his way to the conductor's stand. He pulled out his sheet music from his chariot and put it in place before grabbing his conductor's baton. He then tapped on the pedestal and then waved his tiny claws, signaling the orchestra members who then began to play a delightful melody of Hartley's own creation.
A curtain was drawn back during the course of the music and then three giant clams appeared and opened, revealing two mermaids each inside, who sang.
(Mercousins)
Oh, we are the grandchildren of the Sea King
Kind grandfather who loves us and taught us well
Tina, Bette, Lisa, Brie, Shawna, Tess, and Bartholomew!
From his place in the balcony, Harrison watched his granddaughters with immense pride on his face as the audience listened to every word they sang with immense admiration. Nothing gave Harrison greater pleasure than to see his kin so respected and admired by his subjects and to see their talents flourish. Their singing lifted Harrison's own spirits when he was down and he especially favored Barry's voice and couldn't wait to hear his grandson's solo.
In concert we hope to enlighten
The hearts of the merfolk with music's swell
Tina…
Bette…
Lisa…
Brie…
Shawna…
Tess…
After singing out their names, each of the six mermaids sang an individual note and performed a little dance before they encircled the fourth giant clam that came up from behind them. Their faces were bright with excited anticipation, for they too, loved their little cousin's singing voice above all others—even their own.
And then there is the youngest in his musical debut
Our seventh little cousin
We're presenting him to you
To sing a song Hartley wrote
His voice is like a bell!
He's our cousin, Bartholomew—!
The concert came to a screeching halt, quite literally, when the giant clam that was supposed to be holding Barry inside, opened up and was revealed to be empty.
The music ceased, the audience gasped in shock, and Barry's cousins looked as horrified as Hartley did as Harrison furiously roared out, "BARRY!"
8