As we walked in I heard the sound of hushed speech and classical
music that I had always heard in muted tones from my room. I remembered the
nights I had lain awake listen to those sounds and thinking about Dylan,
wondering what he was doing, what he was saying. Now I was here with him.
For the first time, perhaps because of the enchanted black pearl I wore, I
wondered how much of an influence magic had on our undersea lives. Was it
responsible for our form, our breathing, our hearing and speech? Could
humans hear this music if they came close enough, came deep enough? How
much of us, how much of Dylan, how much of me was human? How much was even
real? I felt a horrible, panicky, ominous nausea rise up in me.
The sick feeling increased as almost everyone in the room turned to look at us, and stared at us rather than returning to their conversations. Dylan let go of my hand and held on to my arm instead. I turned my head to whisper in his ear.
"This was a bad idea. Very bad. I'm going to leave." Dylan's grip tightened on my arm.
"Wait, what's the matter?"
"Can't you see? All those people are looking at me."
"Why shouldn't they? You look very nice."
"But they know who I am!"
"No, they don't. That' s part of why they're watching you. They're wondering who you are. They're trying to figure it out."
I realized that he spoke the truth. I had never met most of these people in my entire life, and those that I had met hadn't seen me in years and did not recognize me. I smiled boldly.
"Do you want to dance?" he asked.
"Sure."
We danced for a few songs, when who should I see but the queen and her daughter. I froze, and another dancing couple crashed into me.
"Dylan, they're here! I can't let them see me!"
"Why not?" he asked. "You're leaving tonight anyway."
"I know, but I'm afraid of what the queen will say, or do."
"All right, we'll sit down then." he replied. But it was too late. The queen and Marina were approaching us. I was sure the queen was about to confront me. I had never been so afraid in my life.
To my surprise, the my step-mother and sister swam right by me to speak to someone else. I let out a sigh of relief.
"I don't understand. It was like she didn't even recognize me." I said under my breath.
"She didn't. She's probably looked at you everyday the same way she looks at her servants. That is, right through them. And you look very different, with your hair and makeup and all." he said. I nodded.
"You sure are thinking rationally tonight," I said. "Thank the gods someone is." He laughed.
It was one of the most nerve-wracking nights I had ever had, but it was also the most unforgettable, the most wonderful. Dylan and I danced through the night, chatted together, ate the gourmet dinner. This is the beginning of my new life, I thought. A life of freedom. A life of happiness. A life of fun. A life with Dylan.
The waters grew darker and darker as the night progressed. Caged neon glowing fish lit the ballroom in tones of pink and orange. I looked around, admiring the beauty of the room at night, when suddenly a servant approached Dylan.
"Your Highness, your presence is requested by her majesty Queen Dorissa." Your Highness? I thought. What the hell? There must be some mistake. I turned to tell him, but he and Dylan were both gone.
"Dylan?" I called out. "Dylan!?"
Servants were hushing the crowd as Queen Dorissa swam towards the ceiling to address the guests. When the room was completely silent, she began to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know, you have been invited here to celebrate the anniversary of our Princess Marina Anquilla's birth." She paused as the crowd clapped and cheered politely. "However, what you may not know is that the kingdom of Atalanta will soon be allied with the kingdom of Pacificus through marriage. I felt that my daughter's thirteenth birthday was the appropriate time to announce this."
I felt the horror rising within me as I saw Dylan approach the queen with Marina by his side. "No." I whispered, feeling faint.
"Citizens of Atalanta, I am pleased to announce to you the engagement of Princess Marina Anquilla of Atalanta to Prince Dylan Sachiel of Pacificus."
The sick feeling increased as almost everyone in the room turned to look at us, and stared at us rather than returning to their conversations. Dylan let go of my hand and held on to my arm instead. I turned my head to whisper in his ear.
"This was a bad idea. Very bad. I'm going to leave." Dylan's grip tightened on my arm.
"Wait, what's the matter?"
"Can't you see? All those people are looking at me."
"Why shouldn't they? You look very nice."
"But they know who I am!"
"No, they don't. That' s part of why they're watching you. They're wondering who you are. They're trying to figure it out."
I realized that he spoke the truth. I had never met most of these people in my entire life, and those that I had met hadn't seen me in years and did not recognize me. I smiled boldly.
"Do you want to dance?" he asked.
"Sure."
We danced for a few songs, when who should I see but the queen and her daughter. I froze, and another dancing couple crashed into me.
"Dylan, they're here! I can't let them see me!"
"Why not?" he asked. "You're leaving tonight anyway."
"I know, but I'm afraid of what the queen will say, or do."
"All right, we'll sit down then." he replied. But it was too late. The queen and Marina were approaching us. I was sure the queen was about to confront me. I had never been so afraid in my life.
To my surprise, the my step-mother and sister swam right by me to speak to someone else. I let out a sigh of relief.
"I don't understand. It was like she didn't even recognize me." I said under my breath.
"She didn't. She's probably looked at you everyday the same way she looks at her servants. That is, right through them. And you look very different, with your hair and makeup and all." he said. I nodded.
"You sure are thinking rationally tonight," I said. "Thank the gods someone is." He laughed.
It was one of the most nerve-wracking nights I had ever had, but it was also the most unforgettable, the most wonderful. Dylan and I danced through the night, chatted together, ate the gourmet dinner. This is the beginning of my new life, I thought. A life of freedom. A life of happiness. A life of fun. A life with Dylan.
The waters grew darker and darker as the night progressed. Caged neon glowing fish lit the ballroom in tones of pink and orange. I looked around, admiring the beauty of the room at night, when suddenly a servant approached Dylan.
"Your Highness, your presence is requested by her majesty Queen Dorissa." Your Highness? I thought. What the hell? There must be some mistake. I turned to tell him, but he and Dylan were both gone.
"Dylan?" I called out. "Dylan!?"
Servants were hushing the crowd as Queen Dorissa swam towards the ceiling to address the guests. When the room was completely silent, she began to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know, you have been invited here to celebrate the anniversary of our Princess Marina Anquilla's birth." She paused as the crowd clapped and cheered politely. "However, what you may not know is that the kingdom of Atalanta will soon be allied with the kingdom of Pacificus through marriage. I felt that my daughter's thirteenth birthday was the appropriate time to announce this."
I felt the horror rising within me as I saw Dylan approach the queen with Marina by his side. "No." I whispered, feeling faint.
"Citizens of Atalanta, I am pleased to announce to you the engagement of Princess Marina Anquilla of Atalanta to Prince Dylan Sachiel of Pacificus."