A/N: I appreciate you taking time to begin the sequel to The Princess Wars: Sleeping Beauty! I can't promise two updates weekly as with the first story, but I hope you'll all still be pleased. Thank you, friends!
"I don't think this is such a good idea, Dalis," said Ruby, Dalis' best friend.
Dalis pushed a handful of Ruby's fiery red mane out of her face as it drifted up in the water. "Shh!" she whispered. "Do you want someone to hear us?"
"In all honesty, yes! Before we do anything stupid. You're always getting me into trouble. If you weren't a princess, my mother would never let me hang out with you."
"Oh, stop being such a wimp, Ruby!" Dalis peeked around the corner into the next hallway. "Clear!" she reported happily. Ruby followed her to the window at the end of the hall. A few thick bars that ran up and down the window was all that stood in the way of their freedom.
"How are we supposed to get through there?" Ruby asked with an expression of triumph.
But a scheming Dalis grinned as she easily pulled three bars off the window leaving just enough space for them to squeeze through.
Ruby gasped, "Dalis! That isn't safe. What if someone knew about this and came in during the middle of the night?"
"No one would dare sneak into my father's castle. They'd be insane!"
"You're insane for trying to sneak out! If he finds out about this, you're dead." Ruby bit her nails nervously. "Or worse, I'm dead!"
"He won't find out. We'll be back in plenty of time for breakfast."
"Why are we doing this again?" whined Ruby.
"I overheard someone talking about a shipwreck not too far from here. Dad's pretty upset that it landed so close to Titania. He said it's 'just another human blight' he has to clean up."
Ruby's tone was unenthused, and her head bobbed side to side as she said, "And you want to check it out."
"Of course! They always have such cool stuff! Dad never lets me do anything with humans. That king and queen in High Waters have tried getting to know us, but he won't even talk to them. He'll only talk to their fairies."
"Humans are dangerous," whispered Ruby uneasily.
"They aren't any more dangerous than you or me. They aren't any more dangerous than that fairy that went rogue on her people and became a witch."
"Marina?"
"Yeah! She threatened to kill a baby! Plus, I think she's after more than what she lets on. I suspect that she'll make her way to the sea in no time. My dad needs to straighten out his priorities and start building bridges rather than tearing them down."
Ruby pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Dalis. "Have you been talking to your brother again?"
"Why do you say that?" asked Dalis innocently.
"You always sound more political after you've talked to him."
"Merrik is the smartest man I know! My father should listen to him more often."
"Yeah, well, Troy is next in line to the throne, and he agrees with your dad about these things. Face it, nothing's going to change for awhile, so you better get used to it."
Titania was soon out of sight, and the girls' worries began to fade away. "See, I told you we wouldn't get caught. We'll look at the ship for a few minutes, and then we'll come right back," Dalis promised.
"Well, I guess this is okay. As long as no one sees us sneaking back." As they drew nearer to the ship, Ruby's demeanor lightened, and she laughed with Dalis. "Not too loud, Dalis," she chuckled, placing her finger over her smiling lips.
Dalis mimicked her gesture playfully. "Okay, Mom!"
Refracted moonbeams revealed the sunken ship, and the two friends marveled at it together. "Wow!"
"You were right, Dalis. This is so worth it."
They swam quickly toward the ruins and began exploring. Dalis had done this many times before, so she knew exactly where she wanted to search first: the captain's quarters. The back rooms always have the best stuff! she thought excitedly.
Ruby trailed closely behind her examining items here and there as they caught her interest. "Look at this," she said, but Dalis had her eyes fixated on a locked trunk.
She searched all the typical areas for keys, and she found a ring full of them inside a desk drawer. "Aha!" she exclaimed. She began testing the keys in the lock one by one. "Third one's the charm." She smiled as the lock opened and sank to the floor. Pulling open the lid, a gown began lifting from the chest as the water carried it upward. "Ruby," she gasped, "look at this."
Ruby drifted toward her and beamed when she saw the dress. "It's beautiful! Hold it up to you." She stood behind her friend as Dalis admired her slightly distorted reflection in a tall mirror, holding the dress against her body. "I bet that would fit you," Ruby commented.
"Dalis?" a foggy voice called. "Dalis? Did you hear me?"
Dalis awakened from her thoughts and refocused on the present. "Hunh?" she asked.
"I bet that would fit you." Audrey pointed to a gown positioned on a mannequin.
Dalis grinned and nodded her head. I bet I'd look better in that wedding dress you're wearing, she thought enviously. I'm the one who's supposed to be getting married anyway. Audrey was engaged to Peter, the prince of High Waters and its surrounding kingdom, and Dalis was in love with him. She hadn't meant to fall in love with him. She was a refugee in his family's home, and she had fallen in love with him at, unbeknownst to her at the time, his engagement party.
"Why don't you try it on?" Audrey urged.
Dalis tried to hide her rolling eyes as she picked herself off her seat and asked the store attendant to assist her in putting on the gown. They stepped into a dressing room. The dress was a perfect fit. Audrey and Peter's mother, Queen Francis, lit up when they saw her step in front of the plethora of mirrors filling the room. "What a dream!" the queen raved. The outfit was pretty, but Dalis would never admit to liking it. It was made of light pink silk and was unique to other ball gowns she had seen. With an off the shoulder boat neckline, it hugged her curves to just below her waistline, accentuating all the best features of her body, and it flared out at the bottom. Her long brown red-streaked tendrils contrasted beautifully against the color of the dress.
"We call it mermaid style," the attendant informed them.
"How fitting," Francis said simply. "We'll take it."
Still examining her reflection, Dalis suddenly caught a glimpse of something in the mirror passing the store windows behind her. She spun around and saw Peter's troops returning from King Anthony's kingdom. Lifting the bottom of the gown, she rushed toward the door and exited the shop. Audrey and Francis were caught off guard by her unexpected action and remained inside, while the attendant chased after Dalis calling, "Princess? Princess! I need to help you out of the gown!"
Dalis looked up and down the line of soldiers as they marched through the streets, but she didn't see Peter. Many of them were wounded, and every one of them looked exhausted. "Dalis?" she heard someone call. Then she saw Peter pushing past several people making his way toward her. She couldn't help but smile widely seeing him healthy and uninjured. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a long hug. "You look beautiful," he breathed softly.
She had almost forgotten about the dress. Her smile faded as she answered, "It's for your wedding."
"Oh," Peter said grimly. He lifted his eyes, gazing dismally into the store window. "You're with my mother?"
"And your fiancée. She's trying on dresses too." Sympathizing with the unhappy expression in his eyes, she decided to change the subject. "I'm glad you're okay. What happened to Marina? Is everyone alright? Nobody really seems that high-spirited."
"Rose tried to save her family by taking a potion Marina concocted, and it changed her for the worse. She left with Marina to find her son, Declan."
Dalis gasped, "No!"
"Phillip's devastated. Everyone is. Anthony sent us all home soon after the battle in order to report back to our leaders all that's happened. He said once he comes up with another plan, he'll send word." He glanced up at the shop window apprehensively. "I have to speak to my father. Will you just tell them that?"
"You mean Audrey and the queen?"
Peter nodded. "I just -" he hesitated. "I just can't right now."
Dalis understood. Since the announcement of his engagement, she felt like she and Peter shared the same disappointment. At first she felt betrayed by him because he had doted on her the way a man does when he courts a woman, leading her to believe that he wanted her, but he failed to inform her of his betrothal. Since that day, she avoided Peter at all costs. She had even tried running back home to Titania several times, but her father always sent her straight back. She wasn't sure whether or not Peter was truly in love with her, and but she did know that he didn't want to marry Audrey. "I'll tell them."
"Thank you." Peter rejoined the others and continued toward the castle.
As soon as he disappeared from her sight, Audrey and the queen joined her outside. "Are these our troops, returned?" Francis asked both excitedly and nervously.
Dalis nodded.
Audrey lifted her hand to cover her mouth. "They all look so worn. I hope Peter is okay."
"He was just here. He said he needed to debrief with his father. He knows you'll understand."
"Oh, of course," said Audrey sadly.
Francis took Audrey's hand. "Dear, you are going to be my son's wife, and a duty of a wife is to remain at her husband's side no matter what. You should go to him. Dalis and I will finish here and meet you back at the castle."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! Go be with Peter. Who knows what he's been through? He needs you right now," Francis reiterated.
After changing into her normal clothing, Audrey climbed into the carriage and rode toward the castle.
Great, now I'm stuck with her alone, Dalis mourned. Francis paid for the pink gown as Dalis undressed, and another carriage arrived to transport her and the queen. "Dinner, please," the queen instructed the driver.
"We're going out to dinner? You and me? Alone?" Dalis was confused. "I thought you would want to see Peter."
"You already told me that he's alright, so I'll visit with him once he's had a chance to speak with Thomas. Until then, I was hoping you and I could spend some time getting to know each other a little better."
"Really? Why?"
Francis chuckled, "Why not?"
Dalis shrugged uneasily and stared out her window. On the way to the restaurant, she fiddled with her fingers and repeatedly glanced at Francis who kept a continual grin on her face.
"I know why you feel so awkward around me," she mused.
"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Dalis. "I don't feel awkward around you."
Francis laughed, "Oh, Dalis. Look at you! It's obvious you're uncomfortable right now. I've seen you with others in our court. I've seen you with Peter. You get along with everyone so well, and everyone loves you immediately. But you behave differently around Thomas, Audrey and myself."
"I'm sorry if I've made you feel uneasy, Your Highness. If I'm behaving differently, it's unintentional."
"There's no need for an apology. I haven't felt uneasy at all. I know why you behave differently around us."
"I really don't know what you're talking about," she lied. What does she know?
"I knew from the moment you two danced together at his engagement gala that he had fallen head over heels for you, and I was right. You made such an impression on him that he begged us not to announce his engagement to Audrey. When we asked him why, he told us that he thought he was falling for you."
"He did?" Dalis tried not to smile, but she couldn't force away the curvature of her lips.
"He did," Francis continued, "but we couldn't do that. We had been working on finding him a suitable wife for quite some time, and everyone knew the party would end with his engagement announcement. You seem like a sweet girl, and I'm happy we can keep you safe in our home, but we've only just started getting to know your father, and an interspecies marriage has never been done before. Since the beginning of time, merpeople have never dealt with the surface population, and I wouldn't want to do anything to impede the progression of the alliance we've only recently developed. Do you understand?"
Dalis bit her bottom lip as she gave Francis a grievous nod. She couldn't bring herself to look Francis in the eye, so she kept her eyes on her lap instead. Then she returned to gazing out her window. Dalis held so much contempt for royal politics.
"Thank you for understanding," Francis continued. "I'm sure you also understand this means you should spend as little time with Peter as possible."
"Yes," Dalis said, swallowing a sob and willing away her tears.
Throughout dinner Francis behaved as though everything was fine. She's talking to me as though I actually care. Why is she acting like nothing happened just now? It's just me here; she doesn't have to pretend. Dalis hardly looked at Francis while they ate. She merely nudged the food on her plate back and forth, taking sips of her water every few minutes.
"Dalis, you've hardly touched your food. Are you not hungry?" Francis asked.
"I guess not," she replied plainly.
"Oh well. If you get hungry later, you know the kitchen is always open at home."
Home, she thought disdainfully. Your palace is not my home. Dalis missed her family, and the feeling only grew with each passing day. She sighed remembering how much she used to daydream about living on the surface. She'd pictured herself dancing, sunbathing, playing in the streets. But now she found herself wishing more and more that she could be back in Titania with her family - fin and all.
Dalis followed Francis into the castle when they returned, and began trudging up the steps to her bedroom. Peter stopped her. "Dalis?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes, Peter?" She tried to return his happy gaze.
"I know we weren't able to before, but I really need someone to talk to. Do you have time?"
Francis' words still echoed in her ears. "Sorry, Peter, but I can't. I'm just really tired tonight. Maybe another time."
"Oh," he said disappointedly. "Okay. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Tears flowed down her cheeks the entire way to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her, threw herself onto her bed, and sobbed into her pillow. After a few minutes, she cried herself to sleep and began to dream.
She was thirteen again, exploring the sunken ship with Ruby. She had slipped on the dress, and the friends laughed at the unusual garb. "How can humans wear things like this?" asked Ruby.
"I think I can see it," Dalis said, tilting her head and examining herself in the mirror once more. "It's pretty."
"It is pretty, but I think I'd rather stick to our outfits. They're more practical." Ruby glanced down at her green, midriff-exposing tankini top. "And we don't have to worry about that other stuff they wear on their split fin, or legs, or whatever they call them," she added.
"Put this one on, Ruby." Dalis handed her another dress from the trunk.
"Okay," she laughed.
Dalis bowed at the waist with her right arm behind her back. "Lady Ruby," she joked in a haughty tone, "thank you for coming to our ball. I hope you enjoy the dancing."
"Why, thank you for the invitation, Princess Dalis. And yes, I always love the dancing."
They held each others' hands as they spun in a circle pretending to dance. "I think it would be so fun to be a human," hummed Dalis. "I wish I had legs so I could really dance."
"Your wish is my command," hissed a voice from the shadows.
The girls hugged each other and backed away toward the wall. "Who's there?" asked Dalis nervously.
A sea serpent slithered into the light. Her scaly body was dark green, while her face, arms and torso were smooth and a lighter shade of green. Her blood red lips smiled, revealing pointed white teeth.
Dalis found her frighteningly beautiful for a snake. "What do you mean? You can give me legs?"
"That and anything else a human needs to survive. I can give it to you for a minimal price," she pledged.
"Who- Who are you?" Ruby stammered.
"My name is Simella. I have the power to help people, but I'm not a charity. You must pay me for my trouble."
"No way!" shouted Ruby. "Let's go, Dalis."
"Ah! I knew you were Princess Dalis. I could feel it in my soul. I'm offering you a day as a human, and all I want in exchange is..." she hesitated, glancing atop Dalis' head. "Your crown."
Dalis reached up and graced her golden tiara with her fingertips. "My crown? I don't know." She gazed at Ruby in trepidation. "I don't think my dad would approve of that."
"Is it special to you? Is it more important than a day as a human?" Simella asked.
"Well, I don't know..."
"Then why not trade it for a day of perfection?"
"No, Dalis," whispered Ruby. "Let's just go home."
Dalis contemplated silently, but only for a moment. "Okay, but you can't have it until after I return from the surface."
Simella grinned, "Deal."