Meanwhile far out in the wide sea where the water is as blue as the loveliest cornflower and as clear as the purest crystal, where the water is deepest, at the very bottom of the sea where the eyes of any surface dweller could not see them, there resided a palace. A most grand palace with walls made of coral, windows of amber, and rooftops made from mussel-shells. And within this palace, a merman and six mermaids were gathered at the center throne room.
The merman and his mate were over two hundred years old chronically but bore the appearance of one in their late forties, their hair was golden but the male had eyes of sea foam green and his tail was rough and strong like a shark's. The female at his side had eyes the shade of violet and a fish tail that glimmered and glowed. They were Lucifer and Lilith, rulers of the South Seas.
Their five daughters, all over a hundred years of age but physically looked the age ranging from twenties to thirties, had glittering tails like their mother but the rest of them each had an array of physical traits that they had inherited from both their parents and their late grandmother who had possessed bright silver hair and pale blue eyes.
Some of the girls were golden haired and some were silver haired. Some had green shaded eyes, and some had purple shaded eyes. But all of them were indescribably fair of face with perfect skin, enchanting eyes, and silken hair. It was a known fact that the daughters of Lucifer were by far the loveliest creatures in the entire ocean, and the most cunning and deceptive like their father. Though his youngest daughter had been the most beautiful, the most gentle, and the most caring.
That daughter was Charlotte and her recent departure from home had put her parents and her sisters in a state of great fear and worry. For days they had been searching and searching for her, leaving no shell unturned, no coral unexplored. And when they finally learned that she had swam off somewhere extremely close to human civilization it had them in a panic.
"Father what are we going to do?" Asked the silver haired and lavender eyed, Helena. "We can't really allow Charlotte to go through with this. It's much too dangerous."
"We have to bring her back." Said the silver haired and sea foam green eyed, Beatrice. "You should command the tides to pull her home."
"Lucifer you can't." Lilith said. "You know if we force her back here, she'll be more difficult than ever."
"I know Lilith but as each day passes I become more and more worried that something is going to happen to her." Her husband replied. "I should have never agreed to that deal. We were foolish to propose it."
"What else could we do? If we hadn't of made that deal then she would have never come home."
"She's right Daddy." Said the golden haired and mint eyed, Aurora. "You know how stubborn Charlie can be. There was no way she intended to come back unless there was some compromise."
"I can't understand her decision to leave in the first place." Wondered the golden haired and indigo eyed Evelyn. "Seviathan wasn't that poor of a mate choice."
"Yes and why she would to actually want to save the human race is beyond me." Added the silver haired and peridot eyed Delilah. "They're such an ugly species."
"Not to mention brutish." Beatrice said. "They're malice incarnate. The sooner we're rid of them all the better."
"We mustn't be too hasty sister." Helena advised. "Charlotte does not see them as such things, to eliminate them now while she believes them innocent would only distance her from us sooner."
"Exactly." Lilith said. "After spending the Summer observing them, Charlotte will see what humanity is really like and she will get over this compassion she feels for them. We must be patient. We must wait."
"Wait for what?" Lucifer responded. "Wait for our youngest child to be ensnared by one of those heathens?"
"She is no longer a child my love. That is why it is wise for us to wait. If we attempt to control her then we may lose her."
"Are you saying that I was wrong to betroth her to Seviathan?"
"No but you could have gone about it in way that kept her view point in mind. After all these arrangements do seem unfair at times."
"What do you mean? Our daughters are perfectly content with their mates and your father ordered you to mate with me and we couldn't be happier."
"Yes dear but you weren't exactly my first choice. Even I had reservations when facing betrothal."
"What?! What reservations?!"
"Well in the beginning I had hoped that my father would have picked Michael to be my mate."
"You originally wanted my brother?!"
"Uh-oh, drama." Delilah said which caused her sisters to giggle.
"Now don't take it so hard beloved." Lilith said. "Back in the day I was more attracted to the athletic types and you were quite the nerd."
"Well Michael didn't have any brains at all. Only muscle!" Lucifer said.
"I know and he didn't appreciate my musical gifts like you did. He never serenaded me, or wrote me poetry or brought me jewels from sunken ships." She moved closer to her husband and slid her arms over his chest. "Or held me close to whisper sweet nothings into my ear as we swam under the moonlight reflected in the water."
Lucifer smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Remember that unforgettable night when the seas were especially calm?" He asked. "The two of us, alone in the coral blossom fields, and it was at that moment we finally decided to mate."
"Father! Mother!" Helena gasped appalled. "How vulgar!"
"Can't you keep conversations like that private?" Beatrice asked.
"Don't put those images in our heads." Evelyn pleaded.
"Too late for me!" Delilah gagged. "Great, now I won't be able to mate with Mephisto for at least a month."
"Honestly guys." Aurora said. "Do you just forget we're right here sometimes?"
"Sorry my darlings." Lilith apologized with a blush. "Sometimes your father and I get carried away with how deep our love is. I'm sure you all can relate?"
"Hopefully not too much Mom." Aurora said. "Remember, my anniversary with Damian is next week and he's had it pretty rough these last few days."
"Alright girls, we'll discuss more on what's to be done about your sister tomorrow." Lucifer declared. "Go on home now, my precious jewels, and get plenty of sleep."
"If I do sleep I'll probably have nightmares tonight." Delilah said.
Lucifer dismissed his older daughters and then retired to his own chamber. Upon arrival, he glanced over at a painted portrait of Charlie as a seven year old, learning to play music on the calliope with him and Lilith. The three of them smiling, laughing, so full of joy and love.
He sighed and slowly caressed the child's face.
He barely understood his youngest daughter but he loved her from the bottom of his heart. He loved all of his daughters above everything. Apart from his mate, there was nothing else he lived for. Yet despite his love, he was not a perfect parent and he made many mistakes. His worst one may have been the one he made the very last time he spoke with Charlie before she left.
"I can't mate with Seviathan Daddy." Charlie had argued. "I don't love him."
"You'll love him in time." He counter-argued. "Just as your sisters loved their mates in time."
"I don't think I'll ever love him. There's a feeling, a voice inside, and it says that I'll never be happy with him."
"There is no other merman who is more suited to you."
"You mean there is no other merman more suited to fill out your goals."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I know what this is really about. Your obsession to destroy humans. You want me to mate with him because you'll have access to his father's forces which you can use to flood the earth and drown hundreds of lives."
"Cruel and ruthless lives who have threatened my kingdom for years."
"Daddy the humans don't even believe in merfolk anymore. They're no threat to us."
"They're dangerous! They can create weapons and they have this magic called science that no one down here can use or understand. They could easily destroy us all."
"And what makes you so sure that they're all evil? You've never really taken the time to learn about them like I have. They're not all evil and destructive. Some of them have families like we do. Families with children."
"Is this about that human you rescued from drowning again? I still can't believe you did that. You could have been seen by one of those barbarians! What the hell were you thinking?"
"I had to save him. He would have died."
"One less human to worry about."
"He was only a boy!" She reacted in horror. "Barely older than I was at the time! A child! You wanted me to just let an innocent child die?!"
"Innocent human children grow into evil human adults."
"I don't believe that! You should have seen the way his mother reacted when she thought she was going to lose him! The way she held him, the tears in her eyes. It was no different to how you and Mom react whenever you're afraid something could happen to me or my sisters! She loved him just as much as you love me."
"Love?! Humans are not capable of love! They're spineless, savage, heathens and they must be destroyed!"
"You can believe that all you want but you can't make me believe it! And you can't use me in your genocidal overtake! I won't have any part of it! I won't mate with Seviathan just so you can appease your irrotational hatred!"
"Then you're no daughter of mine!"
Charlie became stunned.
"If you truly value the lives of these humans over the safety of your own people, and have such little respect for the grief they put us through when they took your sister, then you cannot truly care for your family or your kingdom!"
Each word stabbed her like a knife.
"It's time you decide where your loyalties lie Charlotte! Come the next full moon you and Seviathan will be mates or you can just find another ocean to live in!"
Charlie couldn't bring herself to respond. She just remained motionless and speechless. But as Lucifer was leaving her room, he heard her break down into a sob. It made him feel a twine of guilt. He didn't mean to hurt her but he felt that he had to get through to her somehow. She'd understand eventually.
But now he deeply regretted his words. He still believed that the betrothal and the over take was in the best interest of his people but he should have never said words that would imply he would disown her. He'd never do such a thing. Even if she hadn't listened to him. But with the tone he had used, how could Charlie not believe his threat?
Now she was out there alone and dangerously close to human territory. At the potential risk of having her body destroyed and then changing to sea foam. Just like his other daughter.
"Oh what have I done?" He hung his head in despair. "What have I done?"