Chapter Thirteen-Cordelia's Past.

Cordelia sat on her rock in the centre of the Lagoon. She pulled her brush, (a clam with a sea urchin attached with seaweed), through her blonde hair that swirled down to her waist. Her blue tail dangled just above the water and Cordelia smiled. The top half of her body was bare, just as all mermaids are, and she relished in that aspect. She never had to cover herself in silly clothes like that Wendy had to.

All the better to seduce Peter.

She gazed over the lagoon in the pale moonlight that had arisen after the warm sun had sunk down below the waves for the night. As she combed, her thoughts drifted into the past…

Cordelia was combing her hair under the moonlight of the lagoon when a spry, red-haired boy leapt down from the rock onto the bank before her. Cordelia quickly covered her exposed breasts with her hair and leant forward to see him clearer.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hi" The boy replied.

"Cordelia."

"Peter Pan."

"Nice to meet you Peter." Cordelia smiled.

"Yes it is, isn't it?" Peter smiled.

Cordelia laughed, she liked this boy already and knew she had to have him. She parted her hair a little bit, with only the ends of her hair wet, to let the tops of her breasts be seen. The water kept her hair in place.

Peter's eyes quickly darted down and up to her eyes again. She smirked as he realised she had caught him looking. He quickly changed the topic. "I'm on an adventure."

"Mmm? Really?" Cordelia flirted as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

"Y...yes!" Peter stuttered. "I'm off to explore this island and find some more men to recruit! Then we are going to make a hideaway!" Peter grinned.

"That's sounds interesting." Cordelia replied, making her voice lower and more seductive. She leaned down lower and smiled as Peter blushed.

Peter overcame his embarrassment and flew closer to Cordelia. He was about to say something, when he suddenly stood up and looked around, startled by a sudden noise only he seemed to hear. "I have to go!" He cried and flew up into the night.

Cordelia waved and flicked her hair behind her back again; it felt good to be free in the moonlight.

Cordelia smiled at the memory. Those were the days when Peter had first come to Neverland. Cordelia was intent, just as much as she was now, to make Peter hers. She tugged at the brush when it became caught in her beads throughout her hair, not caring that some of the beads broke, echoing as they bounced off the rock into the water below.

A hand reached up out of the water and caught a bead mid-fall. Cordelia looked down to see who it would be. Nerin popped her head up above the water and waved to Cordelia, showing off her catch in her other hand.

"What?" Cordelia snapped.

Cordelia studied Nerin's appearance for what seemed the millionth time that day. Cordelia couldn't understand why she loathed Nerlin so much. Maybe it was the fact she was the prettiest mermaid of them all, apart from their Queen Meredith, or maybe it was the fact she was the Queens daughter herself. Cordelia sighed and waited for Nerlins dark brown eyes, the colour of sea-sponge to settle on her.

"We have a meeting." Nerin replied before she smiled, moved a stand of black hair away from her eyes and flipped into the water, her light purple tail marking her departure.

Cordelia stared daggers into the water where Nerlin was swimming and continued brushing her hair. She sighed. It was hard to be a jewel against the Queens daughter. She knew one day she would be the Queens favourite. Her demeaning attitude and her pushy ways left her in favour of Meredith, but her daughter would always remain the favourite. A boundary Cordelia was threatening to push.

Cordelia smiled when Peter returned. Ever since their first meeting, he had come to her every night, telling her of the latest battles he had won. Cordelia had kept their visits a secret; she didn't want the other mermaids finding out her prize that she would soon obtain.

Every time Peter visited, her hair would part further away from her breasts, until one day, she had no need to bring her hair across to her stomach at all. Peter didn't mind by then, he was used to seeing her. She used every trick in her book to seduce Peter, and was beginning to win him over, leaning forward a little bit at a time.

Cordelia looked at Peter and smiled. His eyes looked into hers and she swore she could see her future. She felt the butterflies in her scale covered stomach and leant in for a kiss. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his.

Peter's eyes were wide open in shock.

She let her lips linger a little longer on Peter's, making sure he had a taste, before pulling away and looking into his eyes. She smirked and licked her lips, before grabbing Peter's chest and flinging him down onto the rock for another kiss. He landed on the rock and sighed, stunned, as Cordelia lay across his lap, tail hanging over the rock into the water. She moved his hands so that one was touching her tail and the other supporting her shoulders.

Cordelia was sure Peter could feel everything that was burning inside of her, of her passion for him, of how she yearned to see him every waking minute and spend every night in his arms. She conveyed her fire into her kisses, making Peters lips become red with the force she was applying. As a sweetener, she licked his lips to heal them before biting them again, awakening a need far greater than just to simply be with Peter.

Cordelia grinned at the lack of response from Peter, surprising even herself with how fast she was moving. She let her hands trace his arms as she kissed his lips, smiling as she held his shaking hands onto the rock while applying pressure, forcing him to lie down.

Cordelia could feel Peter's hesitation and mumbled soothing words to tell him what to do, how to touch her. She knew she would have more of him yet.

When she had finished with his lips, she began to move down to his neck, trailing lingering kisses and allowing Peter to open his eyes. She brought her hands up to his chest and began to untie his top for a better view of underneath.

Cordelia felt the wind shift and had barely enough time to move her hands out to catch herself against the rock, when she turned around and saw Peter on the bank.

"That's enough!" He cried, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Peter!" She screeched.

He shook his head and jumped, flying into the night.

Cordelia started after him. Suddenly the rock felt too cold. She had so many confusing thoughts racing through her mind. Wasn't she pretty enough? Why didn't he like her? Was it because she was a mermaid? Didn't he like what she was doing?

Did he like it too much?

Cordelia smiled. That had to be why. Peter enjoyed it too much but didn't know what to do! That's why he was still! She laughed; he was yet to be hers and what she had tasted of him, was not enough to satisfy her needs.

Cordelia finished her last strokes and dived off the rock where she had met Peter all those years ago, into the water. She brought her blue tail down on the water hard, the 'splash' echoing across the lagoon. Her thoughts were filled with her mistake and how Peter pretended nothing had happened between them when he showed Wendy to her. That was a big mistake.

Cordelia swam deeper to the bottom of the lagoon, where the palace of the Mermaids was. Peter did not know about this. Cordelia shook her head. She had offered him so much, but received so little in return.

She swam down and the water became darker with every level she descended. She emerged between some rocks and looked upon the majestic sea sponge castle that was ahead of her, the castle walls never the same colour, making the castle look like patchwork due to the different colours of the sea sponges. Shells were the roofs over the castle, looming off every tower that beckoned over the impending sea. She sighed, the beauty of the castle, her home, never failed to marvel her.

She manovered her way to the entrance, swimming her way into the Queen's chamber, where the meeting was to be held. This was not the first time she had been here, but she wished she could have remembered her first time on friendlier terms.

Cordelia was nervous, meeting the Queen in person for the very first time. However, every mermaid knew that if you had a problem, the Queen would help you solve it, no matter the cost. Cordelia steeled her nerves, not letting her fear of the Queen get in her way. She stood against the purple double doors, the royal purple symbolling her royalty in the mermaid line, and waited.

"Enter." A powerful voice commanded.

Cordelia obeyed and opened a door to glide her way through. She emerged in an open room with fishes swimming around the room, free to leave through the open spaces in the wall at any time. The Queen sat in her throne, the gold shells decorating the magnificent feature. The queen had flowing brown hair, that reached past her waist and her features reminded her of flawless marble.

The Queen had full pink lips with deep blue eyes, bluer than the ocean itself and her purple robes billowed around her seated body.

"My child, I welcome you." The Queen stood up and floated on the current to Cordelia. "Many are brave to seek my help, but a youngster? I commend you. Your want must be great."

"It is your majesty." Cordelia curtsied.

The Queen let out a laugh that sounded like wind chimes. Cordelia couldn't help but smile too.

"Please, call me Meredith."

"Cordelia, your… Meredith" Cordelia smiled.

"It is my pleasure." Meredith cupped her hand on Cordelia's cheek, smiling warm at the timid mermaid before her.

"I need… I want Peter Pan!" Cordelia blurted.

Meredith looked at her with a new interest. "Peter Pan? You do know who you are talking about?"

"Yes! I know with all my heart who he is!" Cordelia smiled.

"And what exactly do you want with him?" Meredith enquired. She knew all too well what she wanted, many a mermaid had asked for this before, and she had declined every single one. She moved away from Cordelia and sat back on her throne to listen to this mermaid's story.

"I need Peter by my side, every day and every night! I need him to love me! I need him to love no one else but me and I just, want him so badly…" Cordelia broke off, too overcome by emotion.

Meredith looked at this child and saw the emotion in her eyes. "You need my help. I will give it to you."

Cordelia looked up to Meredith, tears in her eyes. "Is what you're saying true?" she hoped. She floated forward, eager for Meredith to accept her needs.

"Yes my dear, now tell me, what are you planning to do?"

"I have an idea…"

The double doors opened for Cordelia once more, as they had a hundred times before and she glided through. The mermaids were all around a table, a new addition to the room, and Meredith sat at the head with her daughter beside her. The mermaids chatted amongst themselves, different colours of their tails swishing through the water and mermaids comparing breast sizes.

Cordelia sighed her disgust and glanced over to the Queen.

Meredith and Nerin were too much alike; Nerin inherited every look her mother had given and more.

"Welcome Mermaids!" Meredith called, her voice ringing throughout the room as she stood to attention.

"Welcome to this important meeting" Nerin continued, still seated.

Cordelia quickly looked down, unable to meet the Queens gaze, and took her seat at the end of the table.

"We know what Hook is planning to do, and he has asked for our help!" Meredith beamed with pride. "Hook has asked me, that for a sweetener to his side of the deal, if we could keep watch over Tigerlily in Crocodile creek while he takes care of Wendy!"

The mermaids chattered to themselves excitedly, eager to hear more. They all leant forward to hear more news. Cordelia remained silent, hoping not to miss anything.

"This is an important part of the plan, as we will get rid of Wendy, and Hook will be motivated to uphold his deal as we will have Tigerlily." Nerlin whispered.

The mermaids cheered. They would have Peter to themselves once again.

Nerin sighed to herself in her pearl-encrusted seat. The jealousy of mermaids. They had no idea about the consequences ahead. If they got rid of Wendy, what would Peter do to get her back? The mermaids will never be trusted by Peter again.

And that would shatter Nerins heart.

Nerin had grown up alongside Peter, tried to help him overcome Cordelia's beauty, and encouraged him to meet Wendy, after he had talked about her for hours on end. She looked over to Cordelia, malice clear on her face. Nerin knew Cordelia was enjoying this too much, the quickest path to revenge blocking her hindsight.

Nerin thought throughout the whole meeting, only involving herself when it was important to, and then thinking about Peter again. Her mother would be disappointed in her for not paying attention. She glanced to her right and smiled at her mother, giving her support. Meredith smiled back and continued with what she was saying.

Once the meeting was concluded the mermaids chattered away, the breast comparing had started again and some were even daring to whisper what they would do to Peter once they had hold of him.

Nerin sighed as her mother beckoned her towards their rooms, it was going to be a long night full of planning and disappointment.