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Catherine

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I was looking forward to the evening meal; it would be the first time in weeks I would have a decent amount of time to spend with Erik alone. Our wedding drew nearer with every day, and soon we would be lawfully wedded.

But for all the years I had loved him, he had become distant lately. The time we spent together was never long, and when it was, it seemed as if his mind was somewhere else entirely. I told myself that it was because of Christian's worries of someone plotting treason, but still some nagging doubt hounded whispered devilish little lies in my head. It would be good for me to go to church for a time besides Mass, I decided.

I shot two birds with one stone by bringing Hanne with me to the church. Though no one had told me, I had taken the girl under my wing in showing her the ways of palace life. For all her beauty and kindness, she was spectacularly naive. The men adored her, while the women abhorred her with passion. But better yet, she took my mind off of my troubles with Erik. She and him were two separate parts of my life, and when I was with one I forgot to focus on the other.

Hanne tapped my shoulder, and I turned my head to look at her. She placed her hand on her chest and did a slight curtsy, then indicated the church. I looked at her in confusion for a moment; she repeated the motion, the apparent frustration growing in her eyes, ever more confirming my belief that she would never talk again. After several more frustrating hand motions and gestures, I realized she was trying to thank me for bringing her to the church. I smiled and shook my head.

" You mustn't curtsy, people will think you're a servant," I reprimanded gently for the hundredth time.

A footman opened the door for us, and I walked in, Hanne gliding effortlessly behind me. She paused to gape at the magnificent cathedral ceiling and the exquisite stain glass windows depicting the life of Christ. The tapestries and the dark wood floors gleamed with splendor, and the faint, heavenly sound of a choir echoed through out the church.

" Hanne, come down here," I told her, watching her enrapturement with the beauty of the church.

Her odd, intense eyes roved over the spectacular architecture, and I involuntarily shivered. For all of Hanne's kindness and beauty, the color of her eyes spoke of witchcraft and the devil. I crossed myself, just for reassurance. We were in a church, after all.

" Ah, my lady Catherine," Father Josef called out, making his way down the aisle to greet us.

I smiled and bowed my head slightly in respect. The portly priest was a merry and thoughtful man of god, with a smile always on his face and a bible in his hand. His curly black hair had a tendency of hanging in his face, and green eyes were always kind.

" Father Josef, I hope the day treats you well. I've brought a donation," I told him, selecting several silver coins from my purse and placing it in his palm.

He smiled in appreciation, and gestured to the rest of the church. " There is no better place to give then in god's own home," he replied gracefully, touching the golden cross that hung around his neck.

Hanne continued to stare at everything with curiosity, particularly the crucifixes. I frowned; it was almost as if she had never heard of Christ or anything biblical. Immediately I pushed the thought from my mind; the girl possessed no witchcraft, though my mind continued to let my thoughts wander in that direction.

" Ah, I suppose this is the lady I have heard much about from my lord prince," the priest said, turning his green eyed gaze to Hanne.

She smiled openly, and nodded her head shyly. As she nodded her head, some of the sun rays streaming in from the majestic stain glass windows caught her jewel colored eyes, making them seem almost a golden purple. Father Josef took note of it, and studied them closely.

" You have eyes of foreign color," he began to tell her, but I quickly cleared my throat.

" She cannot talk, though she understands well enough," I told the priest loudly, before he began to engage her in conversation.

Hanne's cheeks were tinged pink slightly at my words; I knew she tired of not being able to talk.

Father Josef nodded, the merry smile still on his face. I realized Christian must have already mentioned this.

" Ah, trouble yourself not, little Hanne. God cares not for what your mouth may say, only what your heart may say," he told her kindly, then bowed slightly. " I must go attend my duties, now, as much as it pains me to leave you. Good day, and I will see you both on Sunday."

As the portly man resumed walking back up the aisle, I turned to Hanne. Her face still shone with a radiant happiness, and I marveled that this girl could even be human.

We left the church after an hour of praying, me still feeling troubled and Hanne looking content and innocent as she always did. A beggar boy raced up to the steps, making a run towards us.

" Kind ladies, a coin if you have to spare it!," he shouted, and I placed him at about ten. Not long before he would go spend it all on drink at the tavern, if he wasn't already.

Before he could touch us, one of my guards picked him up swiftly and tossed him down on the cobblestones. His head made a thud against the stone, and I breathed a sigh of relief that the guards had removed him before he had touched my skirt.

" Milady, you musn't do that!," I heard my maid, Mary, shout out.

I whipped my head around to see Hanne bending over the boy, looking concerned. She glanced at the guards and myself, frowning. I bit back an impatient sigh. I was eager to return to the palace before lunch, and didn't have time for a display of compassion and pity. Besides, I had just donated a healthy sum to the church; surely that should of appeased the charity in her.

" Hanne! Don't touch him, for gods sake!," I cried, then turned to Mary when she continued to ignore me. " Make her stop and come along."

Mary hesistated. " The boy isn't moving milady, perhaps we should do something."

I looked her straight in the eye. I didn't know why I kept her around, she was one of my most insolent maids. " Mary, do it now, or you will find yourself out of job," I clipped harshly, my good mood nearly entirely gone.

As she bent down with Hanne, I sighed. I was trying to be agreeable and pleasant, but it seemed as if the world wanted anything but that. I turned wearily to one of my guards and gestured at the boy.

" Take him inside the church and give him to Father Josef. I can't have anymore delays," I told him.

Perhaps that would placate my overly concerned companion. Sure enough, once Hanne was reassured that the boy was being taken care of, she rose and walked toward the carriage with me. I ignored her; I was tired, and she wasn't improving my day at all.

But as the footman helped me into the carriage, I felt her light hand tap my shoulder. I turned to look at her, praying it wouldn't be another outlandish request. She gave a hesistant smile, and to my surprise, mouthed thank you.



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ERIK

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" I don't know why I love the smell of books so much. Maybe I'm crazy," I told Pearl, grinning as we sat in the library after yet another evening meal.

She grinned mischieviously and nodded her head emphatically. I laughed and thrusted the quill at her, thumbing open a page in a dusty novel of a seaship commander.

" Copy that," I told her, and watched her purple eyes flick nervously as she gripped the quill in her left hand.













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Pearl

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I was swimming deeper and deeper into the Kelp forest. The slick green plants grew more and more tangled, but still I plunged onward. I was searching desperately for something, though I had no idea what it was. I could hear the blood curdling shriek of the Keahi, and felt the powerful currents of water coming from their tails. I heard the melodious, tinkling laughter of the sea witch, so different from the ugly, brittle chuckles she had emitted when I had first met her. It echoed all around me, growing louder and hysterical. I looked up and saw Erik floating dead at the surface, his pale face vacant and empty. I swam up at fast as I could, but the moment I touched his shoulder, he laughed and I realized with horror that it wasn't him at all, it was Kalius. He grabbed my hand and began swimming back down toward the Keahi, whose gaping mouths and yellow eyes became closer and closer..........

My eyes snapped open and I flung myself upright, breathing hard. It was only a dream, Pearl, I told myself over and over again, hugging my knees close to my chest.

A cool ocean breeze floated into the room, gently blowing the blue gossamer curtains. I carefully stood up and tip toed toward the window for a glance of the ocean. My feet screamed in pain, but I tried to push the pain out of my mind as I took in the everlasting blue sea, quiet and gentle in the night.

I stared at the ocean for several moments, exhaling. No matter how much I loved being human and living on land, my bond with the sea would never disappear. I would always feel that internal tug and pull to return. While I pondered, another voice invaded my thoughts, one that sounded as lovely as a mermaid singing. It grew stronger, and I found myself completely jolted from my thoughts as I realized it wasn't my imagination. It came from the dark rocks far out in the sea. It was one of my sisters.

Quietly I slipped out of the chestnut doors of my chamber and into one of the expansive hallways of the palace. It was dark and filled with a rich silence that was easing on my ears as I glided toward the great marble staircase that led into the sea. Two guards stood posted at it, but I glided through while they spoke quietly with each other. Perhaps the only benefit that had come from the sea witches potion was uncommon grace and silence on land. I could walk through a room, and no one would hear or see me until I was nearly with them, unless they were looking directly at me.

My pale feet touched the moist sand, making a soft imprint. I held my cloak that I had put on as an afterthought close as the chilly breeze picked up. It was a cold summer, and the water bitterly reflected that as I strode out into the icy water. I opened my mouth to sing back, but remembered that I no longer had a voice.

More voices joined, slowly weaving an ethereal harmony and melody that brought tears of joy to my eyes. In many ways the human world was superior to the one of the sea, but nothing shall ever replace the beauty of the voices of the merfolk.

I waded out further, my white sleeping gown floating at my waist. I felt fish swirl around my feet, and a few leaped out of the water beside me. I went in deeper and deeper, until my aching feet no longer touched the ground, and my maroon hair fanned out around me, unintentionally weaving itself with seaweed.

It was then, in a single beautiful gesture, my sisters slid out from behind the rocks and swam in towards me. Conchita, Emeralia, Sirenia, Oceania, Chella, and Meryliese-all six of my beautiful sisters swam toward me. Emeralia reached me first, and embraced me fiercely, and with the aid of Conchita and Chella, helped me onto one of the craggy rocks.

" You came at last," Chella breathed, and hugged me fiercely with her pale, long arms.

Her wet brown hair clung to my own shoulders, and tears of happiness streamed down my face. So in that respect the sea witch had been right; my sisters had forgiven me.

After our hugs and kisses were done with, Sirenia pointed at my legs. " Pearl...you have two tails!," she exclaimed wondrously, and in a quick movement, touched one briefly.

This seemed to trigger a chain reaction, and the rest of my sisters briefly laid their fingers on my legs, eager to see what it would feel like. It was so odd and comical, I couldn't resist a silent laugh.

It was upon this sight that their smiles disappeared and were replaced with concern. " Pearl, why did you go to the sea witch? Was Kalius truly that bad? And what could you possibly trade the sea witch for a pair of tails?," Conchita whispered, grabbing my palm. I leaned against my older sister, and tried to think of how to tell them what had happened.

They knew I had visited the sea witch-that was obvious, there was no other way a mermaid could obtain magic so powerful.

I mimicked Kalius as best I could, of how he acted when no one else was around. I then commenced to describe the sea witch and the journey down in her realm. But scarcely none of my sisters noticed; Oceania caught my hand gracefully and halted it.

" Pearl, can you not speak?," she asked, her voice scarcely more then a whisper.

I shook my head no.

All six sisters gasped at the exact same moment.

" She took your voice?," Meryliese demanded, her sea colored eyes flaring up in rage.

All of them began speaking at once in anger.

" How dare that..that witch take your voice! Oh Pearl!," Emeralia finally sighed, hugging me tight when their voices finally began to die down.

I bit my lip and tried to gesture that I had given it freely, but my sister just shook her head.

" It is a code of honor; she should not have taken, little jewel. Even a pair of tails is not worth the loss of your lovely voice forever," she said sorrowfully.

I suddenly recalled the sea witch's grudgingly given bargain. I frantically shook my head no, and gestured toward the moon, which was half full. As she had sworn, when the moon was full and the moment I stepped in the water, I would have my voice back for the night.

After several moments, my sisters grasped my meaning and gestures. Conchita laughed.

" Why am I not surprised my little sister drove a bargain with the terrifying sea witch?," she mused, her eyes dancing with laughter.

" Tell us the entire story, Pearl!," Sirenia begged, and all six gathered around me as I began gesturing and motioning as best I could.

I have no idea how much time elapsed through out my tale. The sky remained dark, and my sisters remained rapt in my attention. I described Erik, and all the wonders of the palace to them. Occasionally they would ask questions, but mostly their eyes danced with curiosity, and every few moments they would turn around to look at the magnificent palace by the sea. We must have looked like one of those portraits that hung in the fine rooms of the palace. Six mermaids clustered around a single human girl on a rock, their long hair rippling in the wind and the night stars twinkling far above their heads.

After I had finished my story and all their questions were done, a few occurred in my own mind. What had happened to the Baltic alliance?

Before I could even begin to gesture, Emeralia swiftly brought up the subject.

" Father searched the sea when you were discovered missing, Pearl. He worried more then you might think. Chella is to be given to Kalius in your place, Grandmother had prophesied that it would be the wisest choice."

I glanced at Chella, the sister closest to my age. She was determined to rally the people and lead a nation, I could see that in her eyes already. Immediately a great load was lifted off my shoulders, and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The alliance had gone through.

But how had my sisters known to find me? I gave them a questioning look, which they read automatically.

" Grandmother said it. We thought she was joking at first, she said it in such a kind way. ' Pearl has left to the place she belongs to. She was never meant to be a queen, our Pearl.' That was all she said! But the more we thought about it, the more we realized you had to be above the surface somewhere! You can't hide in the ocean hardly, not with your eyes. And where would you go? We began scouring the coastline, without fathers help. We finally saw you, a few nights ago..when you were with him," Emeralia told me in her gentle voice.

" He's handsome for a human!," Meryliese giggled, tossing back her near dry blonde hair.

I smiled at all my sisters, embracing the warm feeling of love that washed over me.

Thank you for finding me I whispered silently, and could not resist giving them each a fierce hug once again. Their damp bodies soaked my wet gown thoroughly, but I decided to deal with it later.

I sneezed loudly, startling myself. My sisters jumped as well; sneezing was a strange human habit.

" Your teeth are chattering. You shouldn't be out here, or you'll catch a human sickness!," Conchita suddenly piped up as I wrapped my arms around myself.

I knew my eldest sister was right. Smiling, I eased myself back into the water to paddle back to shore. The icy coldness let loose a gasp from my lips, and my sisters exchanged bemused glances. I knew they hardly felt a chill.

With their help, I swam my way back to shore. When my feet hit the sand, they halted, and I kissed them all on the cheek once more. I motioned for them to come again.

" We'll try to come every night," Oceania told me, squeezing my hand as she turned to leave.

Soon all of my sisters had disappeared into the depths of the sea, save for Chella. She had lingered behind, and when it was finally me and her, she gripped my palm tightly.

" Pearl, I'm happy to be betrothed to Kalius. It's alright with you, isn't it?," she asked, her eyes shining and so desperately seeking my approval, I marveled that it was I who was the youngest.

I smiled and nodded my head emphatically. She smiled, and the rest of the world seemed to light up. But before turning to swim away, she paused.

" Grandmother was never really mad at you, you know. The rest of us were, granted-not now, of course. I asked her about you, once when it was just me. She just smiled sadly and said that you would finally be happy. You're happy now, aren't you Pearl?"

I smiled, and wished I had words to express what I wanted to say. In this beautiful world, I was happy. I would always love my sisters and the sea though-nothing could ever replace that. I had no gestures or hand motions though. But perhaps they weren't needed, for Chella looked straight into my eyes and smiled back, as if she heard every word I said.

" I knew you would be," she whispered, and kissed me on the forehead.

Then, in a glimmering motion, she dove gracefully back into the dark depths of the ocean. I blew a soft kiss after them, and trudged my way back up to the beach. Soon I was on dry land, and the fish that swarmed about my feet returned back to deep water.

Thankfully, it was still dark outside. I slipped in the same way I came, though this time more sloppy. The guards jumped and glanced my way, but I had already slipped into darkness, leaving nothing but a wet footprint or two. I made my way silently through the halls, nearing my chamber.

As I passed through one corridor, I halted in surprise. Duke Balduin, one of the friends of Erik and related to the King, quietly prowled the halls, searching on the ground for something. I inhaled sharply in surprise to see another person besides the guards about the palace at this time. Instantly I regretted it; Duke Balduin glanced up to see me, and jumped nearly two feet into the air.

" Lady Hanne. What a surprise to see you strolling about the palace so late at night..and in such interesting attire," he drawled, bowing slightly.

His eyes rested on my chest. I glanced down at myself; my white dressing gown was soaked through. Though I felt no embarrassment, I recalled the first time I had met Erik, and how he had averted his eyes away from my breasts. Humans seemed to find it good conduct to dress appropriately, and I suddenly realized that, in my nearly see through gown, I was not. I carefully folded my arms over my chest and straightened myself, ignoring his lewd stare. He stepped closer to me. I dimly recalled being introduced to him at the party I had first seen Erik as a human, and recalled his way with the women.

" Being the Prince's pet isn't enough for you, is it? I'd wonder what other men you'd be servicing in here. Best not to be wandering around when the hours don't permit, little one," the Duke murmured, and drew a line with his finger across my bodice.

I snatched his finger away, and drew myself to my full height. I wished I had words, to make some demands of the man myself, but there were none.

" Watch yourself, little one. You may be as lovely as the sunrise, but if I catch you doing mischief in the corridors late at night, I'll be forced to report it to the prince," he told me, gripping my wrist as he dragged me in the direction of my chamber.

I twisted away from him, and dared him to answer the questions that were in my eyes. What was he doing about the hallways so late, anyway? But I couldn't bear to humiliate myself by using gestures and hand motions with this man-I knew he'd laugh and mock them later.

He made no attempt to grab my wrist again, and instead bowed, his mouth twitching into a smile.

" Good night then, my lady Hanne," he said, and turned and left the corridor.

I stood there for a moment before turning and making my way back toward my chamber. For all of his questions, why had Duke Balduin been doing so late at night?





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A/N: thank you for all the reviews I've been getting, particularly to Ledia for the defense. Happy holidays!