by Cheri Marie
If you have to make tough decisions, just do what is right. No matter how hard it is to justify the outcome. The sea and land will respect you more if you stand with conviction and certainty. Never second guess yourself in front of others, even if the decision is wrong, see it through.
If those in your kingdom decide to revolt against you, make an example, spare no one. There is no room under sea for those who do not follow you. Your shell holds magic that will protect you. The souls of those you need to kill will enter the shell making you more diverse in knowledge. The souls you capture will add to your beauty and mind. You may find yourself having new talents, or remembering something that may have never happened to you, do not be afraid, open your mind. These are memories of the souls you have. There are thousands of souls in the shell, and you will never be able to remove it until you name your predecessor. The shell is infused in your skin and has direct ties to your body. Use the magic of the shell or it will use you. This is another reason being in control will help you maintain your own health and your kingdom. Some royalty from our past has let the shell drive them mad, and they never returned from that space in their minds. If you keep control you have nothing to fear.
War will come, maybe more than once in your lifetime. Take no prisoners and do not let yourself become a victim in any sense of the word. You have the shell as well as other powers that flow through you just from your bloodline, you need no army, but they are there for your control. Keep your castle safe, and during pending wars hide your diary. Never let another see the words on these pages. You will start your own diary of secrets and advice and bless it with magic just as I have. If anyone every glances at this book they must be killed on the spot.
Just then Ursula looked feeling eyes on her. Sheeva hurried and closed her eyes. Ursula thought this was strange, but didn’t pay her too much attention. She returned the diary to it’s trove and sat back down. She pondered for a while about the magic around her neck, and inside of her. She decided then to play a little to see if she could make fire with her hands. She put both hands in front of her, and as if clouds were forming from her palms a huge burst of fire exploded. It floated between her hands like a globe full of flames. She laughed a little and put the fire out by clapping her hands together. Then she took the space around her and as if a whirlwind swept through she removed the water from around her in a cyclone. With a swift arm movement the water returned. Ursula then started to move random objects around the room. Then Sheeva woke up. She sat upright on Ursula’s bed and watched as things floated around her. She laughed. Ursula laughed too as she swayed her arms this way and that way, moving everything in room, including her bed that swung from side to side as Sheeva sat on it.
Ursula caught herself having too much fun and decided just as she had started she would stop. Everything fell in its place and Sheeva, still giggling asked, “Why did you stop my queen?”
“Because, now is not the time to behave like a child. I have decisions to make. I want you to be my slave. That way I can have you here when I need you.”
Sheeva’s face changed. Her eyes didn’t look as crystal clear anymore. “You want me to be your slave?” she asked. “You want me to be your fucking slave?”
“Calm yourself human. What did you think I would want from you? Did you think we would have a relationship? You know I am Queen of this kingdom and to be with a human is against the law of the land. How dare you speak to me in that tone, and think we had something other than what we had which was sex.”
“But Ursula… listen to me. We do have something, more than a slave and slave-owner relationship. Why can’t you see that?”
“You will address me by Queen Ursula. And we are no more than slave and slave-owner. Your species and mine do not mate for long term. You will not question me anymore. I am your Queen and you will obey me. Be my slave or not. There aren’t many options for you.”
“Queen Ursula,” she said not trying to push too many buttons but still wanting to get her point across, “I will not be your slave, because I can offer you more. I can be more. I am more. The time we’ve spent together meant something to me and I know it meant something to you too.”
“Hush, I am a considerate lover to all my conquests because I enjoy doing that. What we did was fucking. What we had was sex and nothing more, no hidden agenda. I did not lead you on. I liked your look and was curious about being with a human, and that is now satisfied minus the talkback.”
“You will not reign as queen if you do not stay with me, I will make sure of it.” Sheeva was going to stand her ground at this point in the argument. She knew that Ursula was getting angry but decided to keep pushing.
Sheeva had decided once Ursula took over the kingdom that she would do her best to get in her good graces. She knew that the necklace and diary existed and she wanted them. She would free her people with the magic and rule on land. She would crush the sea world and take Ursula as her hostage as leverage. Her arguing at this point, was nothing more than a silent omission to her guilt, but she knew the diary was close and she knew that if she didn’t die from her threat that she would have to kill Ursula or it would be a dangerous situation.
Ursula wasn’t sure if this was a joke or not, but her skin felt flush and she knew that anger and annoyance was flowing through her. She went to grab Sheeva by the throat. How easily she could take the underwater breath from her and watch as her lungs collapse from the pressure of the sea floor. She grasped her throat and imagined creating fire from her palms and burning Sheeva from the inside out. Sheeva kicked and thrashed, she reached and flailed. Her fingertip touching Ursula’s scepter. She reached harder and was able to grab it. She went to push it into Ursula’s belly, but when the scepter touched her it sent a wave of electricity into her arm.
Ursula was shocked by all that was happening. What was once sexy moment has turned into a crazy human trying to kill her. She wasn’t worried, she was more annoyed than anything. She sat Sheeva down and with her hands created a glowing rope that snaked its way around her arms and legs.
“Calm down, or I will kill you. You’re lucky that I haven’t already. I could crush your skull with my hands, or take the breathe from your body. I could do so many things just to rid myself of you, but now I must know. What was your true calling with me? Why did you come on so strong and not want to be my slave? There was purpose with us meeting. What was that purpose for you?”
Sheeva thrashed and squirmed trying to remove the rope from her limbs. Ursula looked at the rope and it tightened making Sheeva cry out in pain. “You bitch! I have hated your family since I was stolen from my home and brought here against my will. I have had to grow up here and do awful things for sea creatures. I saw your father and grandfather murder and rape my mother and sister in front of me. I had seen you when you were little, and I knew who you were to become. I made it my mission to murder you and steal your heirlooms to set the humans free.”
“Silly human girl, you could never murder me. Your admission is cringeworthy, and laughable. To think I was going to pleasure you as my slave and give you the reprieve from the chambers and the chamber work. You silly little girl. Holding onto a grudge like that was the stupidest thing you could do. I am not afraid of you or your big plan to kill me, it won’t happen. But now, I must kill you. I can’t have you survive this tell all, and let you back in to the chambers to spread the word that you got over on me.”
Then Ursula took her scepter and pointed it at Sheeva. Sheeva smirked a little with defeat and the bolt of light that emerged from the scepter ripped through her body. The shell lit with magic as the soul of Sheeva entered it. Satisfied with her decision and her strength to listen and then react, Ursula sat at her vanity and looked into her mirror. Her lipstick was smudged and her eyeliner left circles around her eyes. Her hair glittered and swam around her face. Her necklace glowed, and her skin vibrated with color. She picked up her red lipstick and applied it. At this moment she was the Queen and a force to be reckoned with. No speci
es would test her, and if they did, well, she would make an example of them. Her kingdom would thrive, her will was strong but her magic was stronger. Ursula would flourish with power, there was no doubt about that. She pushed her lips together evening out the deep red that was applied and gave herself a sly smile, she was ready for anything.
The End
Oh, But What If I Fall?
C. Kristine
Chapter One
Today is the day. Today I have made the decision that will change my life forever. I have decided that I will run with my heart and even faster with my feet. We will escape together and follow our hearts; not the life that was chosen for me, but the life I choose for myself. My future with Claude will be absolutely astounding.
It was my mother's idea to have a stable built and purchase a few horses. She told my father it would only aid my journey into becoming the perfect gentlewoman. Of course, my father complied. He never could tell her no. He purchased three of the finest horses in the area, and I was dutifully assigned riding lessons twice a week.
However, with the purchase of horses, also comes the need for staff equipped to take care of them. My father hired a lofty man with many years behind him to tend to our horses. He was a kind man with rough, calloused hands, and a larger-than-life laugh. My favorite thing about this man though was his son that assisted him.
His son was much quicker than his father and very strong. I have spent the last year of my life watching him from afar, stealing glances. He is roughly a foot taller than me; I say roughly because I have never dared to get too close to him. I spare a look or two from a safe distance, for fear of being caught.
My father was never my fear, but my mother was. She always had a "gift," is what she would say. It was more like an overbearing curse thrusted upon me. She could see everything; nothing got past this woman. I am unsure if she is even of this world. Only time will tell.
After waiting what seemed like an eternity, I could no longer control myself. One spring evening, my family went for a ride after dinner. I was last to come in as my parents were complaining of the bugs. I heard my mother call for my father to help her down, and saw as they hurried into the house.
I knew my mother would immediately go to her vanity and lather herself with cream to stop the pain from the bites of the night. My father would go to his drawing room to enjoy a drink with his evening cigar. They would be too distracted to wonder where I was.
I had recently come into my womanhood and developed a fuller figure, of which I could use to my advantage now. As I slowly made my way out of the stall my horse was in, I could see the stable boy tending to my parents’ horses. I stood and watched him for a few moments before he realized I was there.
As he turned, we locked eyes and he quickly moved into the stall, out of sight. I nuzzled my mare’s mane, thanking her for the ride, and walked towards him. I approached him from behind and swiftly tapped him on the shoulder, surprising him from his work.
“H-, He-, hello miss. Wha, what can I help you with?” the stable boy stammered out.
“Hello stable boy, what is your name?” I asked of him.
He lowered his eyes to the ground, and began to rub the back of his head with his tanned hands. He finally looked up at me and said, “My name is Claude, miss.”
“You may call me Lavinia,” I said to him, all the while keeping my eyes fixated on his. I could tell that he was nervous by my forward behavior.
“You can leave your mare in her stable, Miss Lavinia, and I will be right there to take care of her. I would not want to keep you,” he said to me, before turning back to my mother’s horse.
I found myself blushing with intense heat and utterly speechless. He was simply irresistible.
His hair was a soft light brown, almost blonde. I assumed it must lighten in the sunlight while he works. His eyes were a sparkling blue, like the bottom of a clear lake with a bright blue sky reflecting off it. His voice was strong and comforting around the stable, although, now it seemed choked and guarded around me. I could listen to him speak for hours. I yearned to be around him even just to coexist. His physique was toned after working long hours with his father.
What took my breath away that day, however, was how he looked at me. When our eyes locked together, I had never felt so important to anyone in all my life. Even when he avoided my gaze out of respect, the passion inside me had come to life. I could not help but feel his words had the opposite meaning of what he said. I knew he wanted to be around me, as much I as felt.
The more I thought about it and the longer I stood there, I felt something come over me. I could not stop myself, even if I wanted to. Hearing him speak my name ignited a fire inside myself. I walked up and around to Claude with confidence in my steps, stood as tall as I could muster myself to be, and gave him a kiss. I felt his body tense up against me. The shocked look in his blue eyes was something I will cherish for the rest of my days.
“Oh!” I heard Claude exclaim as I backed away from our embrace. “Miss Lavinia, what … what was that for?”
I paled at his response. “Claude, is it not obvious? Do you not feel the same as I do? Have I misinterpreted all of this? I have caught you looking my way on multiple occasions.” I could hear my voice cracking as I tried desperately to feel justified. “Please forgive me if I was wrong with my assumptions.”
I quickly turned and tried to make a run for it, all the while muttering under my breath about the sheer horror and embarrassment I was to myself. Before I could get much farther than a few strides, I felt a strong hold on my elbow. I turned to watch an equally perplexed face stare back at me.
After a moment of awkward silence and hesitation, I heard him softly say, “Miss Lavinia, wait.” He dropped his hand from my arm and held his own as I saw him slowly think of what to say. “I am sorry I grabbed you, but I had to stop you. I needed a moment to understand and process what just happened, miss. I had no idea you felt this way about me. I never thought it would be possible, let alone something you would also feel.”
I flushed at hearing that our emotions were shared; as I looked up, I saw he too was as red as a fresh rose. He looked up and we locked gazes for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly, I realized just how long I had been in the stables and feared my parents would begin to wonder where I was.
“Claude, I have to go...” I said with urgency.
“I understand, Miss Lavinia, but promise me you will not forget about me tomorrow,” Claude said.
“Oh, Claude. I will never forget this moment for the rest of my life.”
From there, it was frequently excusing myself early from dinner to see him, sneaking out once my parents believed I was already asleep in bed, and any other unsupervised chance we found to be together. We were compelled to one another. His blue eyes captivated me with every look. His muscular, toned body from stable work had me practically undone every day. I wish he had been born of higher rank; alas, a dream is simply a wish your heart desperately makes.
After several months of hidden romance, Claude began proposing wild ideas. Wilder enough, I began to entertain their possibilities.
“Lavinia, let us sneak away and get married,” Claude asked of me. I scoffed, naturally. “Claude, could you imagine what would happen to us? What my parents would do, or what the town would say?’ He never cared. He loved me selflessly; he was always my reason to smile and kept me in high spirits.
A week after his first proposition, he came to me with another idea but you could tell something was different this time. There was seriousness and confidence behind his request.
“Lavinia, say you will run away with me. Say you will marry me and never look back,” Claude begged of me.
I chuckled, like normal, and said, “My love, do you think Father and Mother will sit in the front row? Will Father proudly give me away, or offer you our finest mare and a dowry short of wooing the King? Hardly! You know I wish for nothing more, but our love is a fleeting fantasy. Every day together is just anothe
r day that extends our ignorance of goodbye.”
“Darling, forget all of that. Forget the normalcy, the charade of courting, and chivalry. What we have is something so few people ever have the chance to experience. We can run away together. I have been saving since the day you boldly acted towards me. I knew from that moment that you would change my life forever. You can begin to slowly remove some small pieces of silver from your house for us to sell. We can begin anew. Together,” Claude explained. I can tell from his tone of voice and the look in his eyes that he has been thinking this over for some time.
I had never thought of running away, leaving my home, or my family. My season is almost coming up so I know if I do not act on this impulsive request, we will be gone to each other soon enough. My heart and thoughts began to race. What would I do to help provide for us? Ladies of higher social class are not taught skills of practicality. I could read and write in four languages, I could play piano, I could recite poetry, I could sew… Of what good could I possible be to my future husband?
“Sweet Vinia, I can see a frown on that beautiful face of yours, and wrinkling your eyebrows. Stop thinking so hard. We can make this work so long as we have each other. I adore you. I love you with all my heart. Say you will marry me, and have my strong sons and beautiful daughters. Say you will be mine until the day I die,” Claude passionately insisted.
“Claude, I do not have much time left. Mother has already begun talking about season and how any courtship I go through must be done to gain social rank for the family. It is all she has been talking about for over a week. I fear I am already on borrowed time here with you. This illusion we have created for ourselves is slowly drowning in harsh reality,” I told him, holding back sobs.
