Underwater excursions.
Chapter one.
"Isabella!" I jerked awake, falling out of my shell, onto the floor. "Honey are you ok? Sorry, I'm just excited about today!" my mother told me softly, helping me up, while Rosalie floated around backwards repeatedly chanting, "You're seventeen, you're seventeen, your seventeen..." 'Oh, God!' "Rosalie, we get it, baby sister is seventeen today." Jasper said laughing at his over-excited twin. He smiled at me, rolling his turquoise eyes at her, I grinned back. Then I glared, finally processing what he said. I got up off the floor and swam over to him, "Hey! Don't call me a baby! I'm seventeen!" I yelled, punching him on the arm. He laughed, "Just kidding Isabella, but to us you are the baby of the family." I pushed him out of my way, swimming to the other side of my room. I perched on my coral chair, glaring at his reflexion in the mirror, he waved at me, shaking with laughter as I ignored him.
Rosalie finally stopped chanting and came over, running her fingers through my long, wavy chestnut coloured hair. "I think I'll braid the front parts of your hair, so it shows your face..." She mumbled to herself as she focused on twisting some of my hair into intricate braids. "Mother, do I really have to have a huge parade, just because it's my birthday?" I asked pouting, I hated big celebrations. "Yes Isabella." She replied, sounding annoyed, I complained about this a lot recently after jasper accidently told me. "You're a princess, it is your seventeenth birthday, and the kingdom wants to celebrate your special day with you." I sighed, then suddenly thought of something. "Why is this birthday so special? What's so different about it to any of my other birthday's?" I questioned my mother and siblings suspiciously.
"Because of something you will find out later, but that can wait; Happy birthday Isabella!" I looked up into my mirror to see my Father swim into the room. I dropped my pout, replacing it with a smile, as I met my father's crinkly-eyed smile. I raced towards him, hugging him. "Thank you father!" I cried. "You're welcome; Renee, let's go downstairs, the parade is soon to start. Jasper, Rosalie, Isabella, you need to be downstairs in ten minutes at the latest, ok?" He stated firmly to us, before exiting the room with mother. "Rosalie, Jasper, why is today such a big deal?" I demanded of them, Rosalie shifted guiltily, we never kept secrets from each other, and jasper looked away. "Please tell me." I begged, bringing out the most devastated expression I could manage. "Sorry Isabella, we're not allowed to tell you-" I frowned, upset. "-but you will find out after the parade, you just need to be patient." Jasper finished, giving me a hug, I felt an extra pair of arms, and realised Rosalie had joined in our hug.
We made our way out of the palace gates, each of us perched on a beautiful dolphin, to be greeted by a huge cheer from our people. I gazed around; everyone was smiling at me, some waving. I descended calypso's (or Cally as I referred to her.) back. She swam off after I affectionately patted her head. "Thank you everyone, for being here with us today to celebrate the seventeenth birthday of Queen Renee and I's youngest daughter, Isabella Marie. Let the parade begin!" He called to everyone. They cheered once more, and the parade began. We had some of our best singers performing, followed by dances, and shows of tropical fish and sea horses swimming in formation together. As all this was happening, I made my way through the crowd, mingling with our people, thanking everyone who stopped to wish me a happy birthday. Eventually I found Rosalie and Jasper talking with some of our friends, they waved me over. "Happy birthday Isabella!" Tanya, Tia, Kate, Peter, Garrett and Benjamin all shouted at the same time. I thanked them, as they all talked, I couldn't help but be distracted, wondering what I was soon to find out.
As the parade finished, I saw Charles swimming towards us. "Your majesties, the King and Queen want you to go to the throne room." We said goodbye to our friends and headed back into the palace. I shot them confused glances, wondering what this was about. Once we finally reached the throne room, we all stood in front of our parents, waiting for them to finally speak. "Jasper, Rosalie, Isabella, we have an important announcement for you all, but first, we think now would be a good time to give Isabella her gifts." My father declared, his voice ringing through the grand room. "Oooh we need to go get them, c'mon Jasper, we'll be back in a few minutes." Rosalie divulged, grabbing jaspers hand and swimming off, her deep red fins flipping behind her as she dragged Jasper along. I laughed at the look on Jaspers face. Oops, he noticed. Damn! He'll get me back for that tomorrow.
"Oh my god! I love it!" I squealed, excitedly, looking at the necklace Rosalie gave me, it was a simple gold chain, and from the bottom hung a sapphire in the shape of a heart, so blue, it looked like it was pulsing,. Jasper started clapping while laughing; we all stopped and looked at him, "Sorry about that, I was just getting a strong vibe of excitement from everyone, especially Isabella. "Ok, my turn." Jasper announced, handing me two small blue boxes, I took them, wondering what he could have gotten me, I unwrapped the first, I was rendered speechless as I felt myself fill with love for my brother, in the box was the most beautiful bracelet I had ever seen, it was gold, and in the middle there was an incredibly rare powder blue pearl, it was surrounded in a circle by diamonds and part of the bracelet chain was encrusted with small glittering diamonds. He smiled at me as he picked it up, and fastened it around my wrist, "Jasper, it's amazing, tha-" he clamped a hand over my mouth. "Before you thank me for the bracelet, you have yet to open your other gift from me." I nodded, he smiled at me, and freed my mouth, I picked up the smaller box, and opened it to find a ring, it also had one of the rare powder blue pearls, that I had no idea how Jasper had found them. The ring was also gold, with the pearl at the middle, and diamonds running along the gold band. I placed it on the middle finger of my right hand, and flung my arms at him, knocking both me and my brother to the ground. I could hear my parents and Rosalie laughing softly behind us. I met Jasper's shocked eyes and grinned, releasing him, so he could get back up. I then hugged both my brother and sister and thanked them for the gifts.
"Isabella." I released Rosalie and Jasper as my parents called my name, I swam other to them, my siblings following to stand on either side of me. "It is time for us to give you our gifts and tell you something extremely important." My father declared, I drifted down to the floor, tucking my tail underneath me as I sat down to wait. Charles swam into the room, carrying two blue velvet boxes. He handed them to my parents then left the room, they made their way over to me, until my parents and siblings and I were sitting in a little circle. My dad picked out the smallest box and handed it to me, "What is in that box will be very useful and important from now on, we trust you to keep it safe and to look after it." He told me proudly. I gulped as I started to open it, inside was another necklace, but this was much different. I felt possessed as my hand reached out for it without my command, it felt almost like there was a pull between me and the necklace;, as my fingers came into contact with it, I felt something close to relief. 'What just happened?' My family had watched me closely while this had occurred, all with intense looking faces. I looked up, curious yet apprehensive. Jasper grabbed my hand as this registered with him. I smiled back, relaxing. "Isabella, this is your very own power crystal-" I gasped, I had heard about these in lessons. Jasper gave my hand a squeeze, I relaxed as he sent a cloud of comfort over me. "-now that you are seventeen, you will have powers start to show their presence, as did jasper and Rosalie when they turned seventeen, this crystal will help you discover and gain understanding and control over your gifts. It is very unique, as only members of the royal bloodline have this happen, we have no idea what your powers will be as they are unique to each royal merperson. From now on you will be joining your siblings in a class on how to develop your powers and control them." He finished. I looked at him, amazed, no-one had ever told me this before. I looked back at the crystal, it was hanging from two beaded strands twisted together, and there was a plain gray crystal, but what made it stand out was the random streaks of the brightest blue running across its surface, it almost seemed alive in that moment. "Don't worry Isabella." Jasper told me, sending a wave of reassurance my way. "It's very overwhelming at first, but me and Rosalie both picked it up quite quickly, it'll be easy as catching a sea horse." I peered over at him and Rosalie, only now noticing their crystals, they were both similar to mine, but Jasper's crystal was a bright emerald colour, and Rosalie's was a deep glistening red.
Opening the next velvet box, I was nervous, considering what I had found in the previous box. I looked up at my parents and they smiled encouragingly. I squeezed Jasper's hand, and opened the box. I wasn't prepared for what I saw, it was astonishing. Nestled into the box was a stunning tiara. I lifted it out of the box, taking in every inch of it with my eyes. It was made up of silver, pearls, diamonds, and beautiful sapphires, it was lined with pearls at the bottom, then diamonds, which curved upwards, the sapphires resting where the curves met. I sat there, staring at it, with my mouth slightly open like an idiot for I don't know how long, before someone decided to nudge me, I tore my awed gaze away from the tiara to see them all smiling, They all got up and led the way to a huge mirror with shells encrusted around it, when we all stopped, my father took the tiara gently from my hands, and placed it gently on top of my head, where it contrasted against the colour of my hair. It was so beautiful. "Oh my god! I have to show my friends!" I cried, my voice high with excitement. Father came over and put his arm around my shoulders. "Sweetheart, there will be time for that, but first we still have the big news to tell you." He told me softly. I pouted, but went and sat back down where we had been previously. They all joined me, I looked at them expectantly. Father sighed.
"You already know that as a princess, you are not allowed out of the city without me or your mother present. You also know that our people aren't allowed to leave the city without their parents until they reach the age of sixteen, it is the same for royal merfolk, except they can explore beyond the city limits once they are seventeen, instead of sixteen." My father told me slowly, calmly. I was surprised, no-one told me this before, Rosalie and Jasper turned seventeen last year and they didn't tell me about this or the crystals either! Reading my emotions as they passed, Jasper sent me a wave of calm, I relaxed. "As you are seventeen today, you are allowed to explore outside if you choose to, but if you do, we need to tell you, you can go to the surface, and if there's secluded area where you wouldn't be seen by anyone, then you're allowed onto shore, also though, we must tell you, while you are gone, do not talk to humans, we are a mystery to them, a myth, some people believe, some don't, so if you see any humans, come back into the ocean, or hide until they have gone." My father finished. I leant back on my arms, taking this all in. What did he mean go onto shore? As I sat there thinking about this, I noticed my family were very quiet. I peered over at them, and smiled reassuringly, they smiled back. I drifted upwards, "Can I go? Can I explore outside now?" I asked, not concealing my excitement. They nodded smiling, I started to leave, then turned back, "Thank you, all of you, for a great birthday, I'll be back in a while, I love you all." I told them. My mother and siblings' shouted "we love you too's" were almost drowned out by my father's loud "Don't go too far!" I smiled as I exited the palace, swimming down main street towards the gates.
Some of our people crowded after me as they realised I was about to go for my first excursion, I stopped just a few feet from the open city gates, people cheered me on, I swallowed, and swam out. As I swam further and further away, not sure where I was going, I noticed something up ahead, I reached a beautiful coral reef, full of tropical fishes, some I had not seen before, and a variety of colourful corals. As I tried to take everything in at once, I noticed some shadows, there were people swimming by, not merpeople, but humans. Remembering what father said, I hid behind a wall of coral, watching them cautiously. They were nearly past me now when one stopped; the others didn't notice and kept going further up the reef. I looked back at the straggler, he was a male, and had very weird coloured hair, coppery like the shells that decorated the palace. He floated in one spot, as he observed the sights around him, like I had done only moments before him. Oddly, I felt safe, even with a strange human only a few metres from me. I watched him, noticing little things about him, like how his chest was very muscular yet he was quite slender compared one of the others that had passed. His skin shone softly in the light shining into the reef, very pale, almost white. His hair was extremely messy and was floating around his head right now in the gentle current. After about five minutes of him floating there entranced by the coral reef, and me staring at him, taking in every little detail of him, he looked up, seeming to sense my gaze. As he looked over at me, our eyes met, his eyes were the brightest ochre I had ever seen, and I felt a tingle from the top of my head to the fins of my tail as golden eyes met my chocolate brown.