The Mermaid and the Princess

After a few hours in the carriage with Lady Margaret, Giselle’s mind was still wrapped around what she saw earlier. If only she had little more time to investigate, surely she would have found something. Would it have been the angel? A sea creature? Or maybe just a woman, fish, or bird? She couldn’t figure it out and it was giving her a headache. Then suddenly, the carriage came to a halt. Where they finally there? The doors opened and there for the first time, Giselle laid her eyes on Her uncle’s plantation mansion.

The house was a pearly white jewel surrounded by lush green gardens with all sorts of colors merging with the tropical surroundings. It was a two story mansion with red shutters on every window, a wrap around porch, and a big mahogany door with intricate carvings embellish on it. On the porch she saw two familiar smiling faces beaming down at her. Giselle couldn’t care less if her running towards them was not very lady like and very childish, she just wanted to embrace them with a hug.

“Uncle Wilhelm! Aunt Josephine!” Giselle shouted as she ran to her relations.

“My dearest niece!” Wilhelm said as he embraced the princess. “Welcome.” he picked her up from the ground as if she were still a child and swung her around before letting her down with a hug once more. Oh how the princess missed her loving uncle.

“Oh my Wilhelm. Is that something proper to do with a young woman?” said her Aunt Josephine.

“Dearest aunt!” said Giselle as she pulled away from her uncle to give a hug to her. “It’s been too long.” As she gave her a hug, Giselle noticed something on her aunt’s person. “Why my dearest aunt! Did you forget to mention something?” Giselle asked as she stood back to look at her aunt’s protruding abdomen.

“I wanted to mention it before, but Josephine wouldn’t let me write to you about it.” Wilhelm said.

“It’s not proper to tell everyone of my condition. Besides, I wanted to keep it a surprise for when you got her.” her aunt said as she broke out into a huge smile.

“I am indeed!” Giselle said. “I wonder what little cousin is in there.”

“We are praying for a boy.” said her Aunt.

“But a girl would do nicely as well, darling.” Wilhelm said as he crossed over to his wife, putting a hand behind her back and another to her belly. The look of love in his eyes as he shared a moment with his pregnant wife was so strong, it made Giselle want to weep for joy. Her Uncle and aunt had been trying for so long to have a child, but it seemed that God had a different plan for them. Now that Josephine was with child, the happiness that surrounded the family was just powerful. “But most of all, we are glad to know that you are safe. When we got that letter from St. Mary’s Convent, i couldn’t believe what I was reading.”

“I couldn't believe, and I still don’t believe that I’m standing before you today. But I’m here now and the past is in the past. Let’s look forward to the new things in our lives.” said Giselle.

“Spoken by a true princess. That little girl I knew has grown up too much for me.” chuckled Wilhelm.

“Dearest, let’s get you in and unpacked before we start any adventuring.” said Giselle. “And I must call on my dress maker. Convent clothes do not suit you my dear.” Josephine replied. “But first, let us have some supper.”

As the afternoon went on, Giselle had told her aunt and uncle about her journey from England and how surprising it was that her father had let her go.

“How long until you are to be this Swedish prince’s wife anyway?” asked her uncle.

“As soon as I return at the end of the summer, I am to prepare myself for a wedding.”

“A bride so soon? But I guess you are coming of age. I just can’t look at you and not see the little girl who wept in my lap when her puppy ran away.”

“Oh uncle, will I always be a little girl to you? I am nearly seventeen.” laughed Giselle.

“Yes, you will so be content with that. How’s your Swedish coming? Du tror att du är bättre än din farbror?”

“Åh, men naturligtvis är jag kär farbror. Jag har tränat i fyra år nu.” said Giselle. Her uncle laughed.

“I believe you will capture that young svenska prince and won’t let him go!” chuckled her uncle.

“I’d hope so, he is to be my husband after all.” Giselle then went on to discuss her adventure on the sea and the night of the horrible storm. But then she started to speak of the miracle that happened at sea and the angel that had saved her. The image was burned into her memory still, of the beautiful woman with the long red hair and the song she sang to her. She couldn’t remember the word she spoke, but the melody was still in her head. It was the most beautiful voice she had ever heard and she wanted to hear it again one day. It was a high soprano, sounded as light and airy as a nightingale. Then she told of waking up on the beach with a strange necklace and a promise from the angel that she would return for her.

“How odd Giselle.I have not heard of this happening before.” commented her aunt.

“I have,” said Wilhelm. “She was saved by a sea nymph.”

“Why do you say this,” questioned Giselle playfully.

“Well, you saw a beautiful woman, heard a beautiful voice. What else could it be?”

“An angel dearest.” said Josephine. “An angel of mercy. Not some pagan sea creature.
You should be thanking God for saving you my dear.”

“Oh I do. I thank him everyday that he sent that angel to save me. I feel as if he has saved me for some special purpose. There is something I need to do before I leave this green earth of His.”

“And you are right to believe so my darling.” said Josephine, taking her niece’s hand in hers. “Believe in him and his blessing will shower on you.”

“Listen to this nonsense.” Wilhelm interjected.

“You blasphemer! You know as well as I that this child of ours is a miracle from God himself! You best match your mouth my dear, or else I might become a widow because God saw it fit to strike you with lightning.”

“Calm yourself woman! You’ll hurt the child. Besides, I only jest.” After discussing the matter some more and then on to other things, it was time to retire for the evening for it was getting very late.

“Good night Giselle.” said her uncle, kissing her on her forehead as she stood in front of her bedroom door.

“Good night uncle.”

“Dream of your wild human saving mermaid!” he chuckled as he started walking down the hall to his own chambers.

“I will,” she said as she opened her door. lady Margaret had fallen asleep already and Giselle was not going to wake her to help her dress for bed. She smiled at her sleeping companion. She might not be with her too much longer either. Who knew if the Swedish court would let her take a lady in waiting with her after the wedding. It wasn’t done so in many countries. But maybe her husband would let her have a friend from home. Her husband. What a queer thought it was. She was to be married to a man she had never met before. It wasn’t an uncommon practice for a wife not to know her husband before the wedding.Giselle just prayed he was as kind as she had heard he was. A locket had been given to her with his portrait inside. He looked like a handsome youth, but then art could be deceiving as well. From the picture, she saw that he was a pale blonde youth with bright blue eyes and cherry red cheeks. But that had been almost two years ago, so who even knew what he looked like now. He was twenty two if Giselle could remember right and his father was in poor health. That meant her succession to the throne wouldn’t be too far in the future. She didn’t want to be a queen at all. But what princess really does?

Giselle undressed and put on her night gown. She then took a brush and started to pull it through her brown curls. As she did this, she opened the door to the balcony and walked outside. She could see the sugar fields rolling on, but after the green ended she could see the sea and the beach that the water lapped against. The breeze was rolling inward and she could feel it brush up against her skin. Again, it was as if the water was calling to her, begging her to come down and walk in it for a while. But it was late and she needed her rest. Aunt Josephine had plans for her tomorrow and she needed all the strength she could get. Leaving the window open, Giselle went over to her bed across the room’s from Lady Margaret and went to sleep.

The next more after having breakfast and having morning prayer with her aunt, Giselle was being outfitted for new dresses from Josephine's personal designer Madame Jeunet who worked for all the wealthy ladies on the island. As she was being poked and prodded, Giselle heard noises coming from down stairs. Soon, the other ladies took notice in the room.

“What could all that commotion be?” said Margaret out loud.

“I will go see to it.” Josephine said.

"As will I.” said Giselle as she got off the stool with all the pins and needles in her bodice and followed her aunt down the grand staircase to the entrance.

“But mademoiselle, I am not finished! Vous m'entendez?” Said Madame Jeunet. But it was lost on deaf ears as the ladies paid no mind to her. As they went out the front door, Giselle saw something strange. She saw two male slaves from her uncle's plantation walk up to the front steps with a girl in tow. Not just any girl, but a very naked one with only a white ragged shirt from a slave hanging from her thin body. They basically had to drag the poor creature for it looked like she had lost the use of her legs. But oh was she beautiful with thin pale limbs and very long red hair. he head was hanging down as if she had gone through a lot.

“My goodness gracious! What has happened here?” cried Josephine. “Tell right this intense!”

“I not know mistress.” said one of the black slaves with his thick Jamaican accent. “Found her on beach! I swears it. Not lie.” the man said to her. Giselle went down to the poor girl and lifted her head up. The power that the girl’s beauty had made Giselle want to cry. The girl looked so, familiar it seemed. The pale blue eyes opened at last to look back at the English princess. The girl suddenly made a weak smile before she collapsed in the slave’s arms.

"Quick! We must take her inside! Some get a doctor!” yelled Giselle’s aunt. But it was like the girl’s eyes had made Giselle frozen in place. She couldn’t move for a moment.

“Giselle, help get this poor girl upstairs.” said her aunt. It seemed to have woken the princess up for she started to help move the girl to one of the upstairs guest rooms. What an odd day this was turning out to be.