A Promise

Flashback

Grace sat on the bed, not paying much attention to Alice as she rambled on and on about everything that was on her mind. She only listened when Alice said, “I'm part Siren.” Snapping her gaze up from the floor, Grace gaped at Alice. “Isn't that wonderful?” Grace didn't know if that was wonderful or there was some higher power pulling strings here.

“What?” was all Grace could say, not believing her own ears. It was such a coincidence especially after what the mermaids told her.

“Grace,” a tall, purple tailed mermaid said softly, floating over to Salome and her. Salome bowed deeply, arms spread to her sides. Grace tried to do the same, show respect to the mermaid before her. “you have come a long way.” Floating in the water, Grace waited, watching this female. She flapped her tail only once to come before the two. “It is such an honor,” the mermaid said softly. Grace looked at her confused. She looked over the female. Covering her breasts as with all other females was seaweed, splayed over the round mounds. At her waist was a jeweled belt. At her sides were a shell, large and slightly pink.

“A honor? I don't think I understand,” Grace said softly, bowing her head as if she said something wrong. The mermaid glanced at Salome and she shook her head, looking down sadly.

“You have no knowledge of who you are? Did your mother not tell you?” the unnamed mermaid asked, setting her scepter down, leaning it against the pillar. It was long and simple. Gold with a blue gem at the top. Grace shook her head, looking down at the sand, shells, and rocks that covered the floor.

Respiring softly, Grace looked back up, plucking all the courage within her to not cry. “She disappeared twelve years ago. One night, when a storm came through the port.” Both mermaids looked towards each other before turning to Grace.

“A tragic fate. To be put in such a position now. I am Queen Tamara.” The purple tailed mermaid said with a slight bow of her head. “You, Grace, should know not all is as it seems. The people you have associated with have secrets, some darker than you may want to know.” Tamara grasped Grace's shoulder, pulling the girl towards herself. “Don't be fooled by your eyes.”

Alice tilted her head, looking at Grace as she seemed deep in thought. “That reminds me, where did you go? I saw the mermaids attack, which that in itself was a sight, but you disappeared.” Grace raised her gaze, meeting Alice's. Something flashed beneath the surface of the dark honey eyes, something that Alice wasn't suppose to know, not yet. Grace couldn't tell her. Not when this was so new.

“I got separated.” It was a simple answer and the truth, just not all of it. Alice creased her brow, knowing her maid was hiding something.

“Tell me,” Alice stepped closer, not liking her maid keeping things from her. She needed to know. “now,” it came out as a demand; harsh and unrelenting. Narrowing her eyes, Grace ducked her head, clenching her teeth. She couldn't say. Not to this Alice.

Standing up abruptly, Grace stormed out of the cabin, still having Lorenzo's jacket on her shoulders, and headed to the bow of the ship. She avoided the crew mates, not even bothering to answer any of the greetings thrown her way. She knew she would have to apologize, but right now Grace just needed time to think. Stationary, watching the water, Grace let her mind wander, thinking over the words of the mermaids and her own thoughts. Her mind even dug up the memory of the night her mother disappeared.

Laying down to sleep, Grace pulled the blankets over herself, hiding her face from the storm outside. The windows rattled and thunder sounded in the distance. She never liked thunder. It was a loud roar of the sky that never came to do good. It just rolled over everything in its path, scaring the children preparing for bed. Her mother told her a story once. A story how the thunder became so loud. It was because a man was separated from his love by the gods. Not that she believed in gods or even one god.

The man searched and searched for her, but never found her. In his anger, he threw himself from a tree, falling into the sky. Her mother said, thunder was that man, still looking for his love after all these years.

Grace didn't believe the story, but it did help to think of thunder like that. It took away the frightening part of it.

She closed her eyes, covering her ears and hoping, praying sleep would come to her this night. Her mind started to wander into dreams, dozing lazily through. She even dreamed of her mother coming to say goodnight, giving her a kiss on the forehead. Grace smiled at that dream, but she awoke, finding something wrong. It was a feeling.

Something is not right.

Sitting up, she looked around her room, searching for that something. It didn't come. Tossing the blankets from her nightgown clad form, Grace padded around her small room before wandering out into the hallway. No one was awake, expect the guards and only a few servants just in case something happened.

Walking down the hallway, she wandered to her mother's door, opening it. She peered around the large door, searching for the familiar lump in the bed under the window. There wasn't one. There was no one in the room. Pushing the door open farther, Grace walked in, whispering her mother's name, “Eve?”

Only the storm answers, striking down with lightning. It hit nothing, but flashes light into the room and the dark world. Grace stood there frozen, not knowing what to do. Her mind thought of all possibilities of what could keep her mother from her own room.

When the next flash came, she raced downstairs, heading to the kitchen, wishing her mother to be there. Slamming open the door, scaring the poor night cook, Grace didn't find her. “Dear lord, child. What 're ya doin' out of bed at t'is hour?” Hilda, the night cook, asked. Her rosy cheeks glowed in the candle light.

“Have you seen Eve? She's not in her room.” Hilda furrowed her brow, thinking on it, but gently shook her head. Her blond curls tangled themselves at the nape of her neck. “I can't find her.”

“Perhaps ya should go to sleep and wait 'til morning. She could be caught out in tee storm, havin' taken shelte'.” Grace knew she couldn't explain it, not to anyone, but she felt she wouldn't see her again that Eve was gone. But all the same, she went back to her room, to wait until morning, like everyone expected of her.

Grasping the bulwark, Grace leaned out, looking down at the water, trying to see pass the waves, brushing against the sides. She sighed, letting her arms hang down, resting her chin against the wood. How can I tell her? When she is so excited about being a siren? What would happen then? Shaking those thoughts away, she tried to focus on something else, anything else. She was nothing but a servant, someone beneath Alice. Alice had every right to demand something of her.

Grace exhaled loudly, groaning as she felt the spray of the ocean against her face. Her hair whipped back over her shoulder, flying away. It tangled with itself, and she wouldn't be able to get it out for hours.

“I should never have come,” the words slipped out before she cringed, thinking what would happen if she did stay at the Marquis' home. She would be punish if not booted out the door. For Alice as her responsibility.

“Then why did you?” his voice startled her. Standing up straight, she turned to the captain, staring. She didn't expect him to talk with her, not after she avoided his questions. “Why come out to sea to find a Lady, your lady, kidnapped by pirates?”

“Because it is my duty to follow her,” Grace stated simply.

“Don't you ever think of yourself?” Lorenzo stood next to her, facing the ocean as Butcher was manning the helm. “Out here, there is no lady, mistress, king or queen. There is only people.” His eyes glanced over at Grace as she too looked back to the sea.

She stood there, statuesque. Blinking, he saw a shadow, flickering into sight. One that disappeared as soon as he noticed it. A line formed above his nose, showing his concentration and confusion. The captain stared at her, surveying her form, wondering where that shadow came from. It's not from the light. It just appeared and disappeared.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Grace turned to Lorenzo, locking with his own. “There is a captain of a ship. A leader. There will always be someone above. I will always be a servant.” She knew this would upset the mermaids. It might even upset Lorenzo.

Tamara gestured for Salome to come forward. “You have done well. Go be with your family. They have missed you.” The blond mermaid smiled softly, silently thanking her queen before swimming away. “Grace, you are at a crossroads.” The servant clasped her hands together, fearing what she might say. “You are no ordinary human. You are something more rare and valuable.” Grace swallowed the lump growing her her throat. She didn't want to know the rest. She didn't want to keep a secret, not if it is this big. “You need to make a decision before the next full moon.”

Lorenzo gaped at the woman. He didn't know what to say to her. He had never met someone so closed off and willing to stay chained to their class like Grace. “This is not healthy,” finally spilled from his lips. His fingers tangled themselves in his hair, brushing it back. Grace's eyes followed the hand for a moment before surveying the rest of his face. Her eyes lined the mustache, clipped and tidy. And the scruff along his chin as if not shaving for a day or so. She found it fits him. Shaking her head, she turned away, embarrassed that she was staring at him like some love sick puppy.

“It's not a matter of being healthy or not. It just is.” Walking away, Grace paused, tugging at the sleeve of the navy blue jacket. Taking it off, she turned back to Lorenzo. “You can have it back.” Holding out the jacket, waiting for him to take it, she kept her face blank, feeling something screaming at her. Breaking and wrestling within. Some part of her wanted to break free and be with him. Not that was ever going to happen.

Lorenzo stomped towards her, snatching the jacket away, glaring at her before storming off, heading to his cabin. Grace could guess what he was going to do, but she dared not follow him. Instead, she headed up to Butcher, finding his presence, even though intimidating, calming at this moment. Standing beside the bulk of a man, she watched the sky above. Clouds rolled lackadaisically by. “Made ta cap'n mad. Wha' did ya do this time?” The question, no matter how harmless in tone, stabbed at her.

Sighing heavily, she sagged against the bulwark, sitting down on the deck. Her head sitting against her knees. “I said something that upset him.”

“Upset him? Da'ling, ya made him storm.” She looked up at Butcher, watching his emerald green eyes look over her own features. “Wha' did ya say ta him?” He turned back to the sea, spinning the wheel just a bit, going around something. His face was passive, not showing any emotion as he steered the ship within the blue waters.

Grace turned back to the floor, not really wanting to talk about it. She glanced at Butcher, waiting for the demand of her to tell him, but it never came. He just stood there, waiting patiently. It frightened her. No one had done that before. She was told what to do, to say. This was new to her. Her heart thumped in her chest, getting faster and faster the longer the silence stayed between them. She feared what this could lead do. She didn't want to lose another person that she could talk with.

After long, agonizing moments of silence, her stubbornness and determination broke. Releasing a breath, soft and nearly silent, Grace stretched her legs out, ready to tell him. “I said I am a servant and that it will stay that way.” Butcher glanced down at her. She kept her face blank, trying her best to keep all emotions inside, to be released later. But he saw the sadness and contempt in her gaze. The one place she couldn't hide anything.

“Why?” Grace lifted her head, furrowing her brow, not really understanding why he was asking. “He'e, ya be free. The'e be no servants on this ship. We all do our pa't.”

“Then why a captain?” she asked, wanting to poke holes in his resolution. Wanting to show that this way of thinking was not flawless. Wanting to, but not succeeding.

“We all be leade's on this ship. Cap'n just makes the final call. We do wha' we do best.” She nearly sneered at the thought. It didn't make sense. Not to her anyways. Born as a servant. Knew next to nothing besides being a servant. She didn't know how to respond to that. “All ya ha'e ta do is do wha' ya do best. Think fo' ya self.”

“But I can't think for myself!” she shouted, gripping her hair in anger. Her emotions started to boil. “I was bred to be a servant. I think for others. How can I change that?” Hot, angry tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked up at Butcher, glaring slightly, but not at him. Not really. She was just glaring, angry. “I am a servant. It's been beaten into me from birth.” Her voice cracked as she held back sobs, wiping away tears. “I don't know any different,” it came out as a whisper. Grace curled up, hugging her knees as two large, strong hands lifted her to her feet. They stayed on her shoulders as she looked up. She stared surprised at Butcher.

He grinned, showing his discolored teeth. “We sta't now. Think fo' ya self. Voice yur opinion on anything and e'erything.” Grace tilted her head as she wiped a few tears away. She shook her head, feeling that would get her punished. She would have more marks. Her fingers instinctively traced the scar on her left hand. It was about an inch long right in the middle of her palm, running parallel to her fingers. “Now, sta't with tellin' the cap'n why ya said wha' ya did. He be an understanding fellow, sometimes.” Grace shook her head softly. She couldn't do that. It was the leader, the captain of the ship. She could be thrown overboard or walk the plank.

Butcher noticed her hesitation. Her apprehension. He knew all she needed was a good push. “No. Ya have ta sta't somewhere. Now go.” He pushed her towards the stairs, watching her every move as she slowly descended them. She tried to think of some way out of this, to say she did it, but not actually do it.

Glancing up behind her, she saw Butcher still watching her. Sighing once more, she wiped her eyes, knowing she should avoid looking Lorenzo in the eye. She had to do this. You are at a crossroads. It rang in her ears, reminding her this was her time to change, to become something different or embrace something that was already there, but never let loose.

Sucking in a deep breath, she headed into the captain's cabin, hoping whatever Lorenzo was doing was now done. Twisting the handle, she pushed open the door, listening. Not hearing anything, she headed in, glancing at the bed. In that moment, everything changed. Her new found courage and fortitude disappeared within a blink of an eye. All because of what she saw.