Disclaimer: I own all.

Author's note: Well, I'm kind of on a roll with this story so, here's chapter eight and I'll try to get another one up really soon. Really! I will try. I have noticed my chapters get longer every time. That should make you readers happy. If you don't understand something look back at the other chapters they can help or if you're still confused just let me know via review.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I wanted to ask you guys if you would hate me very much if I added a new character that could change the story?

Reminder:

"/Words/" = Common/ English.

"Words" = Melena's home language - Athenian

{Words} = Written words in Athenian

{Words} = Written common/English.

~They want WHAT? ~

Melena and Robert's heads snapped toward the sudden sound; Robert glaring ice shards at Tianine, who was grinning and clapping, while Melena glared flames at Elesea. 

"/I am sorry. We have been quite rude. Robert was distressed when he learned I could speak and I was only calming him, /" Melena lied through her teeth. She knew everyone could tell it was a lie but no one said anything.

"/Please excuse me. I am tired and I should be going to bed./" She said after a few moments of silence.

"Of course darling. You just go on to bed and fix that spell of yours if that is your wish." Robert hissed again.

"/Good night then./" She said, leaving the table. "And I'd watch my tongue were I you princeling." She whispered as she walked past him, laughing as his face paled when she called him a princeling.

~*

Melena had collected her lap harp before going to her room. The harp was an old metal thing. Probably iron or bronze but it was impossible to tell because of the tarnish covering the frame. The strings were very fine, made from some animal's hair that she dared not think about.

When she was sure she was alone she began to play. The same tune she had played for Robert and Deacon only hours before now filled her room. Opening her mouth she began singing the words she had learned so long ago.

Immediately after she began singing she stopped. Her voice was different than it used to be when she had sung for her grandmother. The spell would not reverse itself with out the voice. With dismay she dropped the harp which made a muffled clang as it fell to the carpeted floor and she slid from her bed to the floor as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"I cannot even turn back a simple spell. No wonder my sisters wanted to kill me. I am useless." She cried hopelessly. "I should have just stayed at the bottom of the ocean. At least there no one would be angry at me."

A soft scraping of shoes against wood and then carpet did not bring her head from her hands although a hand on her chin did. She kept her eyes down even though the hand on her chin forced her face upward. "Who are you?" Robert asked her softly. Her eyes snapped up to look him in the eye.

"I am me." She answered puzzled.

"What are you?" he asked still as soft as before.

She began to catch on. "I am a being of the earth." She giggled. "You should leave the water now. For if you don't I'm afraid that you may be harmed."

"And what is in this water that could harm me?"

She opened her eyes extremely wide and said in all seriousness, "Sharks."

"It really is you, my savior." He leaned down to kiss her, but she pulled her chin out of his hands.

"I am no savior. I did what I thought was right and was punished for it afterwards. But yes, I did pull you from the storm." She got up and began pacing the room.

"Why will you not speak of this? You saved my life making you my savior and now you refused to admit it."

"That was a long time ago. I have not thought about it in years, until the song. When you shook me, I knew it was you." She stopped pacing and looked at him. "Is that what you want? I know who you are. I won't say anything to anyone. Elesea is the only one who understood me at table anyway." She looked away and continued pacing.

"No, no! I care not if they know. I did not tell them because I did not want my brothers to find me. They are looking for me you know."

"Why? What do they want from you?"

"They want a marriage; to a horrible woman twice my years. I refuse and they chase me."

"Ah. At least your family only wants you to be married…" she trailed off.

"And yours does not? I thought that was why you chose to come here." He was puzzled.

"Nay. It is not something as trivial as that. My father is dead, my mother is dead, my grandmother has no power, and my sister Kalia holds the thrown right now. She and my four other sisters want only one thing from me; my death." She looked away.

"That cannot be truth. They are family, how could they wish you death." He refused to believe it.

"I am beautiful." She stated no trace of conceit or pride in her voice. "It is only the truth."

"It cannot be. I cannot believe they want you dead. How could they not love you?" he smiled at her disbelievingly.

"Were you not listening to me? You do not understand. My sisters are jealous of me and will stop at nothing to see that I am no longer a threat. The males of my society have always noticed me and they feel neglected," she blushed and looked away.

"I assume you did not like the attention?" he raised an eyebrow and snickered.

"Nay, I did not. For it made my sisters hate me and wish for my death." She looked at him angrily. "I do not see how you cannot understand that, but being a human prince could change your perception on life I assume." She left the room rather quickly.

*~

The prince stared after her, obvious confusion lighting his face. He was utterly puzzled when she talked about her family. If someone in his family had tried to kill him, he would have had them executed. Why could she not do the same? It seemed so simple to him.

He followed at a slower pace and saw Melena stumble as she moved to enter the living area of the house. He ran to catch her but he was too late; she was already in the room and resting in Deacon's arms. It seemed he had been sitting on the dark brown couch closest to the door when Melena had entered and she had collapsed into his arms.

~*

"/Melena, are you alright?/" Deacon was surprised and worried.

"/Just a bit dizzy. Thank you for catching me. I will be along in a moment./" Her speech was slightly off. Deacon felt her forehead and found it quite warm.

"/No, no. I think you should rest. You do not seem to be feeling well. I will get Elesea./" he corrected her, gently placing her on the couch while he got up and grabbed Robert's arm dragging him along as he walked to the kitchen.

"/Ele, darling, I am afraid our Melena is ill. I also fear it may be his doing./" He shook Robert's arm.

"/Oh, it canna been his fault De. Where is the girl so I can see to her?/" Elesea was impatient.

"/On a couch in the living room./" Deacon was clearly worried. In the two weeks they had known Melena she had become like a daughter to him and Elesea and a sister to their children.

When Elesea entered the room she found the former mermaid asleep on the couch, a deep blush staining her cheeks and sweat beading on her brow.  The older woman hissed. "/Nay, it cannot be!/"

"/Cannot be what?/" Deacon had entered the room in time to hear her exclamation. He had sent A still confused and slightly angry Robert to the forge to finish a decretive dagger he had been working on.

"/Oxygen- poisoning./" Her voice was grave.