Chapter Sixteen

Alex stood in the ocean. The water was up to his waist, and if anyone had looked at Alex from shore, he would like he was still a merman. Except he wasn't. Alex was now completely human along with King Triton and the other merfolk who had wanted to experience life on land for a day.

And with that came some changes.

The feet stayed, even when Alex had gone into the ocean. The smells he smelt before weren't as potent (thank the sea stars for that). But the ocean, his home, was now off limits. Just standing in one place was difficult. The tide came in and out, causing the sand beneath his new feet to shift and he had to move with it or fall down. Even his skin now rejected the water. If he stayed in the water too long, his skin began to age. Alex had never seen anything like it before until his swim meets with Melody. During one of their breaks on the rocks, Alex had caught a glimpse of her hand, the fingers all wrinkled. "Pruny" was the word Melody had used to describe it.

His eyes changed as well. Under the sea, there were plenty of places the sun couldn't reach where Alex could see perfectly well. The sun had set an hour ago, causing the human servants to come out and light things called lamps. These mini suns were needed to see where one was going.

And there was something else the world above had: wind.

There were tidepools and currents in the ocean. Strong forces that would suck you in and drag you off to who-knows-where. But wind was different. Wind just came to you and couldn't decide which way it came from. It would come from the east at first, only to decide a second later it was coming from the north. Wind brought cold and it was a gift that could not be returned.

Alex couldn't remember a time he had felt so cold. There were times he had swum into the deeper depths of the ocean. But the difference in temperature hadn't affected him then. Coldness or heat wasn't something merpeople sought out, though either temperature could be enjoyed.

"Alex?" Uncle Archimedes had walked up behind him. "I think it's best if you come inside and get some rest. We've been put in one of the guest rooms."

"I'm keeping an eye out for Morgana," Alex explained. "What if she returns? Or gets the trident before Attina? Or…"

"The soldiers on duty have their eyes out for Morgana and Saleen. You'll be of no help to anyone if you don't get your rest."

"Okay."

Alex followed behind his uncle to the palace. During the silent journey, Alex noticed his uncle was wearing new clothes.

"It's called a bathrobe," Archimedes explained. "And underneath it are pajamas. Pajamas are the appropriate attire for sleeping. It is highly inappropriate to wear the day clothes to bed. Now, the bathrobe must be worn over the pajamas whenever one is not in bed. Humans find it very embarrassing to be seen in their pajamas, although I do not understand why. It's just a suit made of lighter and looser fabric. It's utterly fascinating. There's an entire subculture around human clothing. Years could be spent studying that alone."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Uncle Archimedes stopped walking and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Alex, I do love human things and I'm fascinated by the land. And yes, I probably don't mind this…delay back to our other forms as much as the other merfolk. But the ocean is my home. It always was and always will be."

Another round of wind came by. Alex instinctively wrapped his arms around his body and found himself jealous of his uncle's bathrobe. But even with it, Archimedes couldn't help but shiver.

Just as another gust of wind made them shake from the cold, they came across Queen Ariel, who had her arms full of blankets.

"Here," Queen Ariel handed each of them a blanket. "I remember the night air can be very cold the first time. There are plenty of merfolk who can't sleep just now and are enjoying gazing up at the stars."

"I relish the new experience," Archimedes said through chattering teeth. He and Alex wrapped themselves in the blankets, shielding away the cold. Sure enough, the ground in front of the palace was spotted by people laying on the grass, covered in blankets that were gazing up at the stars. King Eric and a few other servants were passing out more blankets and refreshments.

"Have a cup of this, dearies. It'll warm you right up," Carlotta held out a tray of hot drinks.

Alex took two and gave one to his uncle. Unlike the drink they had served during the story, this time Alex appreciated the warmth emitted from the mug. He inhaled the scent and it was a pleasant mixture of fruitiness, earthiness, and sweetness.

"Blow on it first," the Queen cautioned. She had a mug of her own and showed them how it was done.

"And what drink is this?"

"Mint tea with honey and lemon."

Alex sipped some after blowing on it for a while. This beverage was much better than the hot chocolate. It was less sweet and not as rich.

"I'm fascinated by the variety of drinks the land has. For being a dry place, you certainly appreciate liquids. Or maybe humans appreciate them because it is so dry."

The two adults were able to laugh over the little quip. Queen Ariel ushered them to take a seat on a nearby stone bench for them to enjoy their drinks.

"Alex, now that things have settled down, I have to ask, do you know why Melody ran off after the story?"

"Not really." Alex noticed that Queen Ariel had the sealed book hanging by her side.

"I saw her in town, before we left for the palace. It seemed like something was bothering her. Can you think of anything of that could have upset her?"

"Nothing. We were with each other all day."

"Alex, what did you do?" Archimedes asked.

"I didn't do anything!" Alex insisted. "I promise," he added when the two adults didn't look like they believed him. "We pretty much just followed you. I mean, we went into the stables before we left the palace. She showed me her horse. Then we were in town, walked around, and then watched the dancing."

"Why didn't you dance?"

"With these?" Alex pointed to his feet. "Feet are stupid. They get hurt by the ground which is what they're supposed to walk on. Merpeople don't need anything like shoes. Our tails are enough."

His uncle and the queen exchanged a look.

"Alex, were you doing that all day?"

"Doing what?"

"Comparing everything here to Atlantica?"

"Well, yeah. We were talking about her home and mine. Why?"

"I think that might be why Melody became upset."

"What?" Alex thought back. Suddenly, the adults' admonitions made him think of the day in a different light. They hadn't just been talking about Tirulia and Atlantica. Alex remembered Melody's eager face as she showed him her favorite flower, her horse, and her favorite treat.

Alex gulped as he remembered how he behaved each time. He hadn't meant to be rude or mean. He had often watched his uncle marvel at human artifacts and then compare them to Atlantican counterparts. Alex thought he was just doing the same. Except, Melody hadn't known that.

I bet they have better stories in Atlantica.

That had been the last thing the princess had said before running away. Which caused her to be alone and defenseless for Morgana's attack.

"Oh," Alex breathed out as he realized what he had done. "Is it my fault Melody's stuck in the book?"

"Oh, no, child," Ariel patted his hand. "That alone is Morgana's fault."

"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," Alex confessed.

"I'm sure you didn't."

"She'll be okay, right?" Alex looked over at the book, Melody's prison, that was now nestled in Ariel's arms.

"Of course, she will. My daughter's a fighter."

"Just like her mother," Archimedes added.