When he saw Eli's home land, Gil nearly cried out with joy. He was reaching his limit of how hard he could push his muscles to swim. His arms felt like lead, his tail felt unbearably heavy, and when a wave appeared he gladly coasted it to the shore. When he washed up, he pulled himself further inland before he shakily loosened the pouch around his neck and removed the black pearl, his pearl. What had Clarida said? He was so tired, but he had repeated her instructions throughout the swim so it wasn't hard to remember. He kissed the pearl three times, and placed it back in the bag. She hadn't told him he'd need the pearl again, but he didn't want to risk not having it with him, just in case.
Almost immediately he felt his body changing. His gills closed up, his back fins sunk into his skin and were fleshed over, and his tail felt like it was being split into two halves. It was a little painful, but luckily the transformation was indeed quick. He rolled on his side to take a look. Feet... Toes... He wiggled the toes. It was such a bizarre feeling! They were like fingers on his feet! And his legs, they looked so strong but felt so weak. Well, he had never walked before, so of course they would feel limp. And in between his legs-
"Oh my heavens!"
With a jolt Gil rolled over and sat up. Staring wide-eyed and mouth agape at him was an older woman with a young boy at her side. She quickly covered his eyes, to which he complained, "Geez, Ma, I got one too! What's the big deal?!"
Gil's first fear was that they had seen him transform. But as the woman hurriedly dug in her basket and produced a linen he realized they were just shocked that he was naked. His face reddened as the woman wrapped him in the sheet.
"Dear heavens, my poor boy! What on earth happened to you?!"
"I, uh..." Shit, his mind was blanking! Think, Gil!
"Were you part of that shipwreck, mister?" the boy asked.
Gil latched onto the question like a hawk. "Y-Yeah! I didn't make it to any of the rowboats..."
"Well, it's a wonder you made it here! That's quite a ways from shore." The woman kneeled by him and felt his forehead. "How are you feeling? Don't feel sick, do you? Hungry? Thirsty?"
"D-Do either of you know where Eli is?" Gil asked, feeling it was safe to ask them.
"Who's that? Don't know an El-ee, but we know an E-lie," the boy answered.
His reply made Gil rethink his question. They didn't know Eli, so they probably only knew her as Princess Elizabeta. And in hindsight, if he was supposed to be a surviving crew member, maybe he should be asking about his captain instead of the princess... "What about the captain? Where's he?"
"Captain Bary made it back safe with most of the other crew members. They just returned to the castle this morning, actually." The woman frowned. "I waited and waited for my husband to come back home but noooo, the instant they made port they were ordered to march off to the palace! At least let the poor men rest first!"
"If they're at the palace, I need to be there too!" Gil made to stand but his legs wobbled under him and he fell back to the sand.
The boy laughed. "Lost your landlegs, have ya? Here, I'll help ya!" He offered Gil his shoulder. "I might not look it but I'm strong!" His words reminded Gil of Eli, and he grinned as he took the boy up on his help.
"Thanks, kid. You can teach me to walk then!"
The woman and her son helped him to the palace gates, where they informed the guards that Gil was one of the survivors of the shipwreck. Gil thanked the kind humans as the guards allowed him in. His feet were still a little unsteady, but he could at least manage to walk without falling now. The boy's tips on balance had really helped.
As the guards escorted him, Gil looked around at his new surroundings. The palace was fancy, that was for sure. Everything was so ornate, so detailed. It truly was a building crafted by humans. And it was enormous. Gil was certain if given the chance he would get lost wandering the halls by himself. He would need help finding Eli for sure...
They were permitted entry into a room, where Gil was relieved to see the captain. He was talking with another man, who was dressed much fancier than everyone else he had seen. But his position was given away by the crown he wore. So he was the king. Eli's father.
"What have we here?" the king asked, noticing the intruders. "Who is this man and why is he in nothing but a sheet? It's disgraceful!"
"One of the survivors that washed ashore," one of the guards answered as Gil hurried to bow as they did.
The captain was staring at Gil, but thankfully not in a way so as to draw attention. As he straightened, Gil stared back for a moment before the king addressed him.
"Name?"
"Um... Gil, My King. Gil... Beilschmidt." He pulled the name from a book he had loved to read when he was younger. It was from a shipwreck and it was the story of a brave knight. Sir Beilschmidt... He could use that bravery now.
"One of yours?" the king asked the captain. "Or someone looking for a payout?"
"...He's one of ours, Sire. A favorite of Elizabeta's, if I may add to his favor," Captain Bary added, much to Gil's surprise.
"Hmph." The king did not make clear how he felt about the compliment. "Are you telling me he deserves a reward or something, Captain?"
"The boy has mentioned interest in a service position," the captain replied. "That is all."
Gil couldn't believe his luck. The captain was a good man after all. He must have known Gil was here to find Eli. He honestly hadn't thought about asking for a servant job himself, but it made sense... If he could get a job in the palace, he would be in the same place as Eli, one step closer...
"Hrmm... We don't really need any more servants."
Gil stepped forward. "If I may add to my own favor, My King..." He loosened the pouch where the pearls nested and pulled out the black one. "I would offer this for any position here in the palace," he said, presenting it to the king.
The captain, guards, and the king all stared at the black pearl, amazed. Gil tried to keep his face neutral as the king snatched it from him, examining it closely.
"...Captain Bary, just how rare is a black pearl? I've never seen one with my own eyes before. Especially since the shark tooth necklace's pearls were just dyed black." The king shot a disgusted look at the captain. Gil bit his tongue to keep from laughing, as he knew the necklace in question was the one the crew had taken from him. They had thought those were real black pearls? Merfolk loved to collect things, but even they didn't have that much luck! What a joke!
"I am truly sorry for your disappointment, Sire. Truth be told I've never seen one, either. Perhaps that is a question better suited for the treasurer?"
A man Gil hadn't noticed in the corner quickly stepped forward, eager to be of use. "If I may take a look, My King?" Begrudgingly the king handed over the black pearl, and the man brought it almost to his face, rubbing its surface. "By heavens, I do believe this is genuine! There is nothing alerting to me about it... Certainly no coating coming off... This black pearl is real!" The man glanced at Gil in awe as he added, "They are 100 times more rare than a white pearl, My King! Extremely rare, highly coveted!"
The king was handed back the pearl and he gestured it at the captain. "You had no idea he had this?"
The captain looked dazed as he replied, "No Sire, he must have found it on his journey back."
Gil remained silent, afraid to speak. This was his chance to stay in the palace, to find Eli. If he was forced to return outside the gates, he might never see her again. He would absolutely try to sneak his way back in, of course, but he might very well be killed if he was caught. This had to be it... This was his shot.
"I find it humiliating that you think this black pearl is equal to a servant's job here."
Shit. Shit. Shit. He fucked up. He-
"Humiliating for you, that is. You realize you could have kept this and sold it for a fortune, boy? Ha!" The king's eyes were locked onto the pearl greedily. "But if a servant's job is what you want for this, then you shall have it. Nothing more!" He looked to the captain. "As of now Mr. Beilschmidt is no longer in your service. He is now a palace servant. Understood?"
"Yes, Sire."
"Guards, escort Mr. Beilschmidt to the servants' quarters. They can assign him."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"And Mr. Beilschmidt, don't make me regret this. You cause any problems I will have the guards kick you out, without your pearl returning to your hands. Understood?"
Gil could barely contain his excitement. He quickly bowed. "Yes, My King!"
The king waved a hand in dismissal. "Off with you all. I have other matters to attend to."
Once the doors were shut behind them, Gil turned to the captain. "Thank you so much! I don't know what to say!"
Captain Bary gave a warm smile as the guards began to usher Gil away. "You are very, truly welcome!" he replied. "You've come all this way. It's the least I could do!"
Gil's eyes kept darting around as they walked, hoping to spot Eli in a hallway or room. No such luck was had, and before long he found himself in the servants' quarters, being assigned a small bedroom.
"Right! You must be exhausted, so just change, rest up for today and we'll put you to work tomorrow," the head servant told him as she opened the door to his room. "Let me know if something doesn't fit right in the closet, but I'm pretty good at guessing sizes. And the bed's all made up for you, so you should sleep easy! I'll have someone bring you some food and drink to tide you over until dinner. You must be starving!" She started ticking rules off her fingers: "No loud noises, lights out by midnight, you're responsible for your own laundry and keeping your bathroom clean... I suppose that's it for now."
Gil blinked. He didn't recognize some of the words she had said, but it would probably raise questions if he said so. "Thank you."
She closed the door and he was alone. He looked to where she had pointed for him to 'change'. He opened the 'closet' and discovered there were clothes inside. Ah. He quickly got dressed, though he had a bit of trouble with the laces on his new shoes. Next was the thing called 'laundry'. He sat on the bed, racking his brain for what the term could mean, but soon gave up on it. He'd figure it out by watching the other servants, maybe? His attention then went to the 'bathroom'.
He walked inside to find various things he was unfamiliar with. There was a rectangular container along the wall, similar to the tank he'd been put in on the ship. It wasn't as pointy on the ends, though, and it was elevated a little by metal stands and it had a metal fixture inside it on the one end. Strange... He turned one of the adjacent knobs and water spouted from it. He quickly turned it off. Humans would get wet sitting in all that water once the container was filled. It must be where they washed themselves.
He looked in the mirror. At least he was familiar with that. Shards of glass and other shiny objects were often turned into mirrors at home. He ran his hands over his neck, where he used to have small gills. The skin was smooth to the touch, as though it had always been so. He was alarmed at how tired his reflection looked. He knew he was tired, but still! His eyes fell to the bowl below the mirror. It was similar to the other container, but rounder. What for? If someone wanted to wash themself, wouldn't they just use the bigger one?
There was another bowl-like object, but bigger and connected to the floor. He lifted the lid, saw there was a little water in that as well, and scratched his head. What the hell was with all these bowls for water? He pulled the chain beside it and flinched at the abrupt noise it made as the water swirled down the bowl. It slowly filled back up as the noise faded. Huh...
There was a knock on his door. "I brought you your food!" a voice called.
"Uh, sure, come in!" Gil walked out of the bathroom, still very much baffled by the last contraption. He opened the door and a man about his age grinned at him.
"Settling in okay?"
"Yeah... Um..." Gil was torn between asking for clarification on the bathroom and laundry or just letting it go. Ultimately he decided to risk it so he wouldn't regret not asking later. For all he knew the contraptions might be important. "Say... I can't remember some stuff. Must have hit my head during the shipwreck."
"Oh yeah, we all heard about that! Word travels fast between the staff when we get somebody new!"
"Yeah, so... Can I ask you some stupid stuff?"
"I guess?"
"Great!" Gil took the tray of food and water from him and set it down on the bed. "First, what's 'laundry'?"
The man chuckled. "It's when you wash your clothes and bedding, mate! You really did mean 'stupid stuff', didn't you?"
"I did. Next thing..." He waved the man to follow him into the bathroom. "All of this. Except the mirror."
The man blinked. "Uh... Seriously?"
Gil grit his teeth. "I had to have a kid teach me to walk today, alright? Bear with me!"
"Holy moly, are you sure you're okay...? Should I get a doctor?"
"Nah, I'm fine! Just tell me what these do!"
The man still looked both amused and concerned, but he pointed to each mystery object in turn and explained their uses. "That's the bathtub. You wash up in there. That's the sink. You wash your hands there. And that's the toilet. You, uh, take a piss in there. Or a shit. Then flush."
Gil's eyes widened. "You're kidding me!"
"Uh... No, I'm not..." The man started to anxiously back out of the room. "Hope you don't need me to show you how to piss, 'cuz, uh, I ain't doing that."
"It's the thing between my legs, right?" Gil guessed. "It's starting to feel like I need to do something with it."
"You got it. You probably do. Just aim and you're set. Now if you'll excuse me..." The man slipped out the door awkwardly, leaving Gil alone once again. He looked down at the toilet and laughed.
"Ha! Never would have guessed that! The contraptions humans have are so weird..."
Returning to the bedroom a few minutes later, he sat sat down to eat. He didn't recognize any of the food. Some of it was cooked, some wasn't. And there were shiny little tools on the tray as well. One looked like the merfolk's bone and stone knives, and so he assumed it was for cutting the food. One of the tools looked like a miniature trident, possibly for stabbing? And the last object looked like it had a bowl on the end. It couldn't possibly hold much, though. He picked up the trident-looking thing. Generally merfolk ate with their hands. They didn't have much use for whatever these things were, other than the knife. He sat staring at the tools, but his mind was growing weary with tiredness and he cast them aside to eat normally. He didn't have the patience to learn their purposes now, he was starving, damn it! The last he had eaten was on the second island with Eli, two nights ago...
After he was finished eating, Gil tried to sneak out to explore but the head servant spotted him and marched him back to bed. "You're in no condition to be wandering about! Get some rest, young man! You look like a ghoul, and it's not your eyes, but the bags under them! Go, back to bed!" she ordered, her grip on his shoulders firm and demanding, her voice sharp and honestly a little scary.
Frustrated, Gil collapsed onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. He thought he had rested enough, now that he was full and had freshened up. He didn't want to sleep, he wanted to find Eli! But he supposed he probably wouldn't get very far just walking through the palace, as big as it was. He would get lost, probably be questioned by someone about what he was doing... He wished he knew where the captain had gone off to, but Captain Bary had given him enough help. He didn't want to get the guy in trouble for helping him more. And for all he knew, he might not even still be in the palace...
He wondered what Eli was doing at that moment. Was she with her father? Alone? With servants? Where was she? Was she just a couple halls away? No, he supposed the servants' quarters wouldn't be anywhere near the royalty's rooms. Probably far on the other side, perhaps even a level up. His thoughts kept him awake until it was time for dinner. He was called to dine with the other servants at their meal room, and as he sat down at the table he felt multiple sets of eyes on him. Of course they would be curious about the new servant, but their inquisitive gazes unnerved him.
"Don't make the poor boy any more nervous than he already is!" the head servant warned the others. "Mind your own business and dig in while the food's still hot, everyone!"
As they followed her orders and the chatter started up in groups, Gil quietly observed the people closest to him. So you stabbed the food with the small trident and cut it with the knife... Made sense to cut the food into smaller portions, but couldn't they just... take smaller bites? And the handled bowl was for scooping things up. He still saw food spilling over the edge, though. What was the point, then? Just tilt the bowl and drink the liquid! He became quite fascinated with the different ways the humans were eating their food, and quite frankly forgot that he was supposed to be eating as well.
Of course the head servant noticed. "Aren't you hungry, dear? Eat, eat! There's plenty of food, Gil!" she urged.
Gil picked up the small trident, then put it back down. Now that he understood how to use the eating tools, he wanted to give them a try. But what if he messed up and only drew more attention to himself? If the head servant deemed him unfit to work tomorrow, he might not be able to explore the palace. "...Actually, I'm not very hungry right now. Could I take this to my room for later?"
She gave him an understanding smile. "Of course! Just leave your dishes outside the door when you're done. Get your rest!"
He nodded and awkwardly left the table with his meal and drink, feeling multiple eyes on his back as he did so. He could hear muffled whispers, but his human ears just couldn't make out what was being said. Oh well. Let them talk.
By the time he had finished his meal and set it outside his room, Gil was satisfied with the practice he had gotten in eating like a human. He would be able to eat at the table with the others next time without worry.
His thoughts once again circled back to Eli, and he imagined her doing this human stuff every day. What must it be like, for these things to be normal to her? He was thinking about these new experiences so much, while she probably didn't think about them at all. He hadn't realized until today just how different their lives were. The thought of her being so used to life as a human began to itch its way into his mind again. Being human was so natural to Eli, it was what she was born as. What if she didn't want to become a mermaid? What if what he wanted wasn't what she wanted? Had his selfishness really affected the goddess's gifts?
Sleep did eventually overcome him, but his dream was not that sweet. He dreamed he did find Eli, but when he told her about the white pearl turning her into a mermaid permanently, she flung the pearl away and shoved him out through the palace gates. He kneeled at the gates, yelling her name over and over, but she never came back.
The dream was still fresh in his mind when we woke to the sound of knocking on his door. "Gil, breakfast is ready in the meal room!" the head servant called. "Work will start in an hour."
He groggily sat up and rubbed his eyes. Day two of his transformation. As he got around his mind focused on Eli. He had to find Eli today, or at least where she was being kept and how he could get to her. He'd try his best to get some information from the other servants, but he had to be careful not to make himself seem suspicious.
He sat down for breakfast at the table with the other servants. Good, everyone was chatting with their own groups. Maybe he could worm his way into a conversation. Just act casual, he told himself as he listened to the coversations on either side of him.
"-received news my daughter had her baby finally! Her belly was full to bursting!"
"-to believe summer's almost over, isn't it? Where did the time go?"
Neither of those sounded promising. Across from him, though...
"-still aiming to get the princess wed by fall! At this rate I think he'll take the next proposal, no matter how much of a fuss she makes!"
Bingo.
"The princess is getting married?" Gil asked nonchalantly, squeezing his way in.
The servant nodded and turned her attention to him, glad to have someone new to gossip with. "Mark my words, the king's patience is all used up! This next proposal they're getting today, from the prince of, oh, where was it again...?"
"That's a shame. I would have liked to thank the princess at least once before she's gone from the palace," Gil remarked, sounding sincerely crushed. "She saved my life during the shipwreck! Pulled me away as wreckage was falling. I could have died!" he added for dramatic effect.
"Oh, she's a real treasure!" the servant agreed. "She's always so kind to us, even if it enrages her father! You wouldn't know she was royalty from the way she acts!"
"Is there any chance I might get to see her?" he asked, hope inching into his voice.
She shook her head. "There's a set group that serves her. Although..." She glanced over to an old man at the end of the table. "Ro might be able to swing you a favor, if you explain it to him and offer to do something else for him. He's one of those that serves her, and his back's bothering him today. Might help to play on that," she winked.
It was all Gil could do to wait until breakfast was over. His legs were itching to jump up and rush over to the man, but he forced himself to be patient. He ate, chatted with the servants beside him, and when everyone stood to clean up, he made his move, mixing with the crowd and making his way over to Ro.
"Excuse me, sir?"
The old man turned to him. "Ah, Gil, was it?"
"Yes, sir. I was told you might be able to help me. If I help you, of course."
"Well, let's hear it. What can this old man do for you, lad?"
Gil told the false story of how the princess saved him during the shipwreck, how he only wanted- no, needed- to thank her for her heroic act. He embellished a few details here and there, and throughout his plea the old man listened, rubbing his back pointedly.
"So what do you say?" Gil asked, his eyes fixed on the man's in hopes of seeing his answer before he said it.
Ro chuckled to himself. "You're certainly ambitious, my boy! First day on the job and already asking for favors... But you mentioned helping me in return, so I can't really say no, can I? Not when my back's aching up a storm today..." He winced. "...We'll talk with Marya. She assigns the jobs. Perhaps I can convince her to let you aid me today."
Gil grinned and reached out to shake the man's hand. "Thank you so much, sir! If you can convince her, I'll gladly help you every day, with whatever you need!"
Another chuckle. "Don't get ahead of yourself. ...But I might just take you up on that offer if you prove yourself today." Ro turned. "Marya! Marya!"
The head servant rushed over. "What is it, Ro? We're cleaning up! Oh, hand me your plates! Why are you two dilly-dallying in here? Assignments are in five minutes!"
"About that, Marya... I was wondering if this young lad could assist me today in the stables."
"Assist you? Oh, I don't know, Ro, I don't like the idea of a new servant being that close to the princess. If he makes a mistake in the presence of her father-"
"He'll strictly be in the stables cleaning. He won't have any interaction with the king. You know His Majesty abhors stepping foot in there, what with the smell."
Marya furrowed her brows. "...Is your back really that bad today? Can't you have one of the other boys help you? Someone more experienced?"
Ro gave a sharp laugh. "Ha! You know as well as I do how hard it is to get someone to volunteer for stable duty."
"They're just horses," the head servant sniffed. "Honestly..."
Her statement confused Gil. Horses...? Did seahorses exist on land? The thought was bizarre to him, but it was only his second day being human. For all he knew maybe they did.
The old man waved a hand. "It's not the horses, it's the shit! No one wants to shovel horse shit!"
Gil blinked. Uh... What exactly... was he going to be doing...?
