The Mermaid and the Princess

The rush of air that hit Aurelia’s face was too much at first. It was so strange, like being affected by nothingness. In water, you can feel it move around you, conforming to your body, but air? It was like a ghost that would suddenly appear and then, gone. The young mermaid opened her eyes to the new world and it took her breath away. The sun was setting on the horizon turning the blue skies into a symphony of colors. Bright reds, oranges, and yellows streaked the sky. She had never seen such vivid colors and so bright and warm compared to the cool blues and greens of the ocean. Her heart ached at the beauty of it all. The sun was warm on her pale skin, like being wrapped in a blanket and cuddled. The mermaid started to float on her back, taking in the last of the evening sun.

All of a sudden, Aurelia heard a movement behind, like a giant pod of whales passing by. As she looked up, she saw what looked like a building floating on the water. It scared the little mermaid and she dived under the waves to escape. But this was her only chance to see the world above. How could she just run away from something so wonderfully new? She stopped in her tracks and emerged from the water one more. It seemed as if the building didn’t notice she was there and that it was just passing by. Curious as she was, the mermaid swam a little closer to it.

As she observed the ship, she saw people on board. Real live humans on the building floating across the water. That’s when Aurelia remember the story her sister Kelleria told her when she went to the surface on her birthday. She told of a wooden structure floating across the waters. It was big like this one with humans on board. apparently it was called something strange like kip or shup but she couldn’t recall. She did now that this vessel was something humans floated on to get from place to place since none of them can swim for long or breath underwater.

On closer inspection, the young mermaid could see rather robust men on deck, doing labor around the vessel. And there was another man yelling at them who was finely dressed. he must be in charge she thought. But then she saw another human, but this time it was a woman. She was looking off the boat and into the waters at a group of dolphins that sprang from the ocean. The girl smiled and giggled at the sea animals showing off as they often did. The girl had brunette hair that framed her face in curls. She had a soft looking face with large eyes and dimples that showed off her lovely cheekbones. It made Aurelia have a funny, unfamiliar feeling in her heart, like a sudden pang of freight but not really. It was like the world didn’t exist but the woman and herself. The mermaid wanted to touch her soft face, hold that danity looking hands of hers. Maybe even kiss the dimples when she smiled. The little mermaid was so confused and in such awe that when the young girl turned to meet her eyes, Aurelia couldn’t do anything else but stare back into those hazel orbs. Should she swim away? should she say hello? She didn’t know what to do. But before she could say anything to the girl, someone else in funny looking garments came over to her and they started to talk. The mermaid took this time to disappear in the waters.

After resurfacing to the other side, she saw the man take the girl below deck, away from where she could see the gorgeous woman. It made her a little sad to see her go away like that. The human reminded her of the statute in her grotto. Maybe she was the goddess in human form, teasing the mermaid on her birthday. All at once, a clash of thunder clapped over her head. She looked up to see angry storm clouds rolling in over the floating building. A smile grew on Aurelia’s face. She had heard a storm before and saw the little bits of water dance on the surface, but never had she seen one this close. The air took on a different smell and before long, it started rain over head. Gone were the pretty vibrant colors and instead white, gray, and black reigned over the skies. The mermaid felt the cold raindrops splash her face and smiled. It was such a sensation that she giggled allowed and threw her hands above her head to catch the falling wet sky. Such noise it made on the surface that she could barely hear the ship rolling past. She looked on deck again to see the humans, but they didn’t seem to like the rain at all. She could hear shouting and see men pulling at ropes and riggings. They seemed panicked and not at all enjoying the water from above.

The waves went from calm lapping into rolling walls of heavy sea water, tossing the ship to and fro. Aurelia started to ride the waves like a child, giggling and loving the tickle it gave in her stomach when the waves let her down. But as she looked over again, the panicked men turned into screaming sailors with terror on their faces. What would make them so unhappy? But it occurred to the little mermaid that if a human would to be tossed of the gliding building, they would perish in the waves. this boat was their life source and taking that away would kill them. There was nothing the orange haired girl could do but watch and see what happened next.

The storm grew worse with yet passing minute. Tons and tons of water found it’s way unto the ship and below deck was beginning to flood. Giselle and her lady in waiting, Margaret where now up to their knees in water. All of their belongings wafted through the cabin in the water and nothing could be saved.

“Oh madam! Your dresses will be ruined. And your jewelry is lost!” Margaret complained.

“Hush woman! Now is not the time for crying over lost things. I would rather have my life then all the silk in China. Now quickly, we must get above deck before we drown.” Giselle shouted at the mad woman.

“But the captain. . .”

“Blast the captain! This ship is going under!”

“Ahh. . .young lady! Such vulgar language from a princess. Your father. . .”

“Is not here.” Giselle interjected. “Now lets go!”

The women raced to get to the top of the deck, but walls of water kept pouring into the bowels of the ship along with constant wobbling from the waves tossing them around. It was a miracle Giselle even made it up the stairs dragging lady Margaret with her all the way. On deck it was a mess. Men scurried from place to place trying to keep the ship in order but nothing seemed to help. The ship was in the hands of the sea now and it was taking it to it’s water depths. Giselle raced around the deck, getting hurled with seawater that was making her dress weigh near thirty pounds extra then it should. Finally she saw the captain and dashed to him.

“Sir, we must make use of the lifeboats!” She shouted at him as the wind and sea decided that the noise level was to be at max capacity.

“You don’t think I have thought of that! The boats have been washed overboard!” He shouted at her.

“Your highness, we are at the mercy of the elements and I can’t help you. But please stay below deck.”

“Below deck is nothing but water now!” shouted the princess. A panic settled into the captains face.

“Then stay out of the way.”He demanded as he walked away to take the stirring over. Then a wave a size no one has seen before started to work it’s way up in the air. Giselle could not believe her eyes at the size of it. At that moment, the princess knew that she would not make it to her uncle and that she and countless others were about to be killed. There were so many things yet undone in her life and she wished she had enjoyed her time with her family more than she had already. She took Margaret's hand in hers and whispered.

“God save us.” As she uttered these words, the wave crashed into the ship and swallowed it whole, capsizing the ship and breaking it into piece with a mighty crash. The last thing Giselle saw was water crashing into her body and then, nothingness.

Aurelia gasped as she saw the young girl on the ship and it’s other occupants be sent into the mouth of the giant wave. The mermaid looked away from the scene. It was all so horrible. It was like she felt the pain of the humans, their souls leaving their bodies at the mercy of her home. As she looked over again, the ship was gone, sinking into the depths of the unforgiving sea. But what of the girl on board? She could just let her drown.

The mermaid drove under the water, looking for the young brunette in the sea. She found sailors swimming around in the darkness, but no females around. After searching for awhile, she found the girl drifting down towards the bottom of the ocean. She looked peaceful, like she was sleeping. Aurelia went over to her side and grabbed her body. She was as soft as she thought she would be. But she was very heavy from the dress she was wearing. The mermaid tried to swim with the girl, but the dress was weighing her down. The mermaid saw strings holding it together in the back and plucked at them with her pale fingers. She finally got the girl free from the constricting garment and it went floating down to the bottom. The girl was wearing more clothes under the dress which the mermaid was confused. How many layers did a human have? Was this like a shell on a turtle? Did it protect them from things? Aurelia wanted to ask so many questions, but she remembered that this human girl could breath underwater and needed air.

Swimming fast up to the surface, both Aurelia and Giselle made gasped for breath as they reached above the waves. It was hard work dragging the princess’s almost lifeless body and it was wearing the mermaid down. She got into a position where she could float with Giselle on her chest, keeping the girl’s head from coming in contact with the water. it seemed like hours before Aurelia found a beach to rest herself and her new human companion. The mermaid rested as she let the waves take them to shore of a beach with nice soft sand to rest on.

Exhausted, Aurelia let herself close her eyes and breath deeply for a moment. She soon turned over to look at the young brunette she had saved. How curious this creature was. This human looked so much like merfolk, but with long legs and feet with little tiny toes attached. Curious as she was, the mermaid scooted closer to the human and looked at her in awe. She was so beautiful and fresh faced. The brown curls of her hair were set free from it’s earlier bun and now plastered themselves on her face. The mermaid leaned over her body and swept a piece of it from her face. The girl wrinkled her face from the tickle of the hair moving. Aurelia jumped back a little, scared that she awakened the sleeping princess. But the girl stop stirring and slept. Though soaked and disheveled, the mermaid thought the girl to be gorgeous still in her own way. She found herself tracing the line of her lips, her nose and eyebrows as well. She had never touched a human and wanted to know everything she could. She looked upon the humans chest, rising and falling with every breath she took. Aurelia couldn’t help but feel the slight curve of the humans breasts and put her hand between them. She felt a little thump coming from it. She slowly but her ear to the thump and heard a most incredible sound. Thump, thump, thump, it went. How curious these humans were!
Aurelia soon took the girl in her arms and rocked her back in forth, singing a little song that her mother use to sing to her at night as a lullaby.

“Take my heart and soon you’ll be dancing where the shore meets sea. A lass my love ten year it be till I belong to thee.” It was a sad, haunting song of a sea goddess who gave her love to a human. But she couldn’t come ashore to meet him but only every ten years for she could leave the sea unattended. So after tens years of waiting, the goddess comes ashore to find that her heart at been given in vain, for her lover was now loved by another. Her heart broke and she turned into sea foam never to be loved again.

The sun was coming up over the calm waters. if Aurelia thought the sunset was beautiful, she found the sunrise with her precious human in her arms to be all the more glorious. She turned to the brunette who was still sound asleep and kissed her forehead. Then, in a very bold move, Aurelia touched her lips to the princess, barely grazing them with her own. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to the girls in quiet passion. Her soft pink lips seem to burst into flames as she kissed the human. Her body felt like it was aflame and her heart seemed to want to beat out of her chest.
A sound came abruptly from the beach. Aurelia parted her lips from Giselle’s and looked up to see a white building with a wooden cross on the top above the strange ringing sound. It hurt her ears to listen to it any longer. Soon she saw humans coming out of the building and coming her way. She knew she couldn't stay and so decided to leave the beach without her human.

“I’ll come back for you.” She whispered to the girl as she kissed her cheek. The mermaid took the necklace she was wearing around her neck and place it on the girl. “Don’t forget me.” she said before she dove back into the ocean.