"I have a great idea," Dylan said swimming towards me with a flash of
his infectious white grin and an excited swish of his tail. He carried a
pack with him.
"It better be the idea of the century. I've been waiting here forever."
"I know, I know, I'm late, but trust me, there's a good reason."
"OK, let's hear it." I said.
"All right, here's the first part. You're coming to the ball with me."
"What? I can't! First of all, I don't own anything to wear to a ball. All I have is this," I protested, indicating towards the basic top of woven kelp that I wore, as most women of lower stature wore for modesty's purposes.
"Oh, yes, you do." He reached into the pack and took out a gorgeous bustier made of mother-of-pearl shells layered upon fabric like scales, and a lovely pearl necklace. "They match your tail." he said shyly.
"Dylan, they're beautiful! Wherever did you get them?" I gasped.
"I borrowed them from my twin sister. She'll never notice that they're gone, she has so many things."
"This is amazing! But, Dylan, you know I can't go. My stepmother and Marina would be furious. They'd never let me forget it."
"That's the other part. Nerita, you could come to live with me. You could live your life the way you want right now, instead of waiting until you're older, and you'd never have to worry about your step-family again. You'd love it in Pacificus, I promise."
I could only drop my jaw in shock. This was happening so fast. A way out of my wretched life, a chance to see Dylan every single day, and to top it all off, the opportunity to attend the royal ball, on my horrible step- sister's birthday of all days. I couldn't believe this was true. Suddenly I rushed towards Dylan and threw my arms around him, as tears involuntarily spilled down my cheeks.
"This is wonderful! Oh, Dylan, this is the best thing that ever happened to me! Of course I'll come with you! Both tonight and...and for good! I can't wait!" I kissed him on the cheek.
"You're welcome. It'll be nice to have you around. I get so bored and lonely all by myself at the balls, and at Pacificus too, to tell you the truth." he said as I released him. "Why don't you go try this on?" he suggested, handing me the top.
"I will." I took it from him and swam behind some rocks. "No peeking!" I called out. I changed, and to my delight the top fit perfectly. I came out from my hiding place to show him.
"You look pretty." he said.
"Thank you," I said, beaming. "You don't look so bad yourself. Could you help me with the necklace?"
"Sure." I gathered my swirling hair, and he reached around me and clasped the pearls around my neck. "There you go." he said.
I turned to face him. "Dylan, I can't thank you enough for all this."
"Your smile says it all." he said, giving me a light punch on the shoulder.
"You're the best friend I've ever had, Dylan."
"I feel the same way about you." he said, his face suddenly serious. "Now enough of this sentimental junk. Let's go play pirates or something before we have to show up at that stuffy ball." I smiled.
A few hours later found us at the castle walls. I was still wearing the mother-of-pearl top and pearl necklace, and had elaborately braided my hair, having had plenty of practice on Nerita's. I felt so nervous, even knowing that I would be leaving this terrible place forever that very night.
"Wait here," I told Dylan. "I need to pack a few things before I leave."
"OK." he obliged, and I stealthily swam into the castle towards my room carrying his pack. I lived in the servant's quarters, so I had little worry of being caught by Dorissa or Marina.
I entered my room and began to pack my few precious belongings, small trinkets my parents had given me that I had hidden away from my greedy stepfamily. One of these things was some cosmetics from the surface that had belonged to my mother. I applied the coral pink lipstick to my lips as she had taught me. I looked in the small mirror I had affixed to the wall. I drew my breath; I barely recognized myself.
Another heirloom was my black pearl ring. It had been made for me when my father was still alive and I was still considered a princess. Black pearls were very rare, and had exactly the right composition to hold enchantments and be made into talismans. Only royals were permitted to own and use them. This particular ring's magic would transform the wearer into a human being on dry land, and back into a merperson if the wearer was submerged in water. Luckily, the queen had forgotten that one was given to me. I slipped it onto my left ringfinger, grabbed Dylan's pack and left the tiny room forever.
Dylan was still waiting for me outside the castle. He looked so handsome there, his emerald tail treading water as he nervously ran his fingers through his auburn hair. I approached, and he turned to face me, his aquamarine eyes burning into mine. "Ready?" he asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be." I replied. I reached out to take his hand, and together we entered the castle and headed for the ballroom.
"It better be the idea of the century. I've been waiting here forever."
"I know, I know, I'm late, but trust me, there's a good reason."
"OK, let's hear it." I said.
"All right, here's the first part. You're coming to the ball with me."
"What? I can't! First of all, I don't own anything to wear to a ball. All I have is this," I protested, indicating towards the basic top of woven kelp that I wore, as most women of lower stature wore for modesty's purposes.
"Oh, yes, you do." He reached into the pack and took out a gorgeous bustier made of mother-of-pearl shells layered upon fabric like scales, and a lovely pearl necklace. "They match your tail." he said shyly.
"Dylan, they're beautiful! Wherever did you get them?" I gasped.
"I borrowed them from my twin sister. She'll never notice that they're gone, she has so many things."
"This is amazing! But, Dylan, you know I can't go. My stepmother and Marina would be furious. They'd never let me forget it."
"That's the other part. Nerita, you could come to live with me. You could live your life the way you want right now, instead of waiting until you're older, and you'd never have to worry about your step-family again. You'd love it in Pacificus, I promise."
I could only drop my jaw in shock. This was happening so fast. A way out of my wretched life, a chance to see Dylan every single day, and to top it all off, the opportunity to attend the royal ball, on my horrible step- sister's birthday of all days. I couldn't believe this was true. Suddenly I rushed towards Dylan and threw my arms around him, as tears involuntarily spilled down my cheeks.
"This is wonderful! Oh, Dylan, this is the best thing that ever happened to me! Of course I'll come with you! Both tonight and...and for good! I can't wait!" I kissed him on the cheek.
"You're welcome. It'll be nice to have you around. I get so bored and lonely all by myself at the balls, and at Pacificus too, to tell you the truth." he said as I released him. "Why don't you go try this on?" he suggested, handing me the top.
"I will." I took it from him and swam behind some rocks. "No peeking!" I called out. I changed, and to my delight the top fit perfectly. I came out from my hiding place to show him.
"You look pretty." he said.
"Thank you," I said, beaming. "You don't look so bad yourself. Could you help me with the necklace?"
"Sure." I gathered my swirling hair, and he reached around me and clasped the pearls around my neck. "There you go." he said.
I turned to face him. "Dylan, I can't thank you enough for all this."
"Your smile says it all." he said, giving me a light punch on the shoulder.
"You're the best friend I've ever had, Dylan."
"I feel the same way about you." he said, his face suddenly serious. "Now enough of this sentimental junk. Let's go play pirates or something before we have to show up at that stuffy ball." I smiled.
A few hours later found us at the castle walls. I was still wearing the mother-of-pearl top and pearl necklace, and had elaborately braided my hair, having had plenty of practice on Nerita's. I felt so nervous, even knowing that I would be leaving this terrible place forever that very night.
"Wait here," I told Dylan. "I need to pack a few things before I leave."
"OK." he obliged, and I stealthily swam into the castle towards my room carrying his pack. I lived in the servant's quarters, so I had little worry of being caught by Dorissa or Marina.
I entered my room and began to pack my few precious belongings, small trinkets my parents had given me that I had hidden away from my greedy stepfamily. One of these things was some cosmetics from the surface that had belonged to my mother. I applied the coral pink lipstick to my lips as she had taught me. I looked in the small mirror I had affixed to the wall. I drew my breath; I barely recognized myself.
Another heirloom was my black pearl ring. It had been made for me when my father was still alive and I was still considered a princess. Black pearls were very rare, and had exactly the right composition to hold enchantments and be made into talismans. Only royals were permitted to own and use them. This particular ring's magic would transform the wearer into a human being on dry land, and back into a merperson if the wearer was submerged in water. Luckily, the queen had forgotten that one was given to me. I slipped it onto my left ringfinger, grabbed Dylan's pack and left the tiny room forever.
Dylan was still waiting for me outside the castle. He looked so handsome there, his emerald tail treading water as he nervously ran his fingers through his auburn hair. I approached, and he turned to face me, his aquamarine eyes burning into mine. "Ready?" he asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be." I replied. I reached out to take his hand, and together we entered the castle and headed for the ballroom.