ELEMENTS: Acquiesce

by Kathryn Andrews

  “It reveals one half of your family tree,” said Triton, “the half belonging to your father.”

  “And my mother?” asked Cordelia.

  “That’s still a grey area,” said Mazu. “I say we focus on your father for now, if that’s what you want?”

  “Who is my father?”

  “We believe your father is the King,” said Triton.

  “The King?”

  “That’s what your tail indicates,” said Triton. “You’re a direct decendent of the royal blood line.”

  “Presumably the King doesn’t know you exist,” said Mazu.

  “And since he has no wife or heirs…” began Triton.

  “That we know of,” added Mazu.

  “You have a very good chance of being next in line to the throne,” said Triton.

  “Do I have to meet him?” asked Cordelia.

  “It’s up to you Cordelia, there’s no rush,” said Mazu. “Take all the time you need to think about it.”

  “It’s a lot to take in,” said Triton.

  Mazu took Cordelia’s hand in hers and squeezed it gently, “We’re here for you.”

  The news didn’t sink in immediately. Cordelia had always been curious about her identity and since discovering she was a mermaid she had felt even more motivated to find out who her birth parents were. A sense of guilt lingered in her mind, a niggling feeling that finding her birth parents would be a betrayal to Flynn. She loved Flynn with all her heart but she also had an overriding feeling that part of the puzzle was missing. She wanted to feel complete. She didn’t know anyone else who hadn’t been raised by their own parents. Sure, Breck was living with his aunt but he was eighteen, he’d already been raised. Cordelia wasn’t sure how to respond to the news. Part of her desperately wanted to meet her blood family but the other part wondered why she had been abandoned in the first place. Why had nobody come to look for her? If she was truly descended from royalty, why had there been no mention of her? Cordelia wasn’t sure what to think. She wondered what was wrong with her, why they didn’t want her.

  “Cordelia, are you okay?” asked Mazu.

  “Zamira said I’d be rejected when they find out who I really am. She said the apple never falls far from the tree. What did she mean?”

  Triton thought for a moment before responding. “There’s uncertainty regarding your mother,” he began.

  Cordelia frowned, confused.

  “The day Flynn found you, rumours were circulating that a large egg had fallen into the water from Bishop’s Island. A large bird egg. You were the only newborn creature discovered that day, exactly where the egg had fallen.”

  Cordelia looked blankly at her elders.

  “Mermaids don’t come from bird eggs,” said Mazu.

  “What are you saying?” asked Cordelia with concern.

  “We’re not entirely sure,” said Triton, “we’ve been keeping a close eye on you since the day you were born.”

  “And you appear to be a mermaid in every way,” added Mazu.

  “As opposed to what?” asked Cordelia.

  “As opposed to something you’d expect to emerge from an egg shell,” said Triton.

  “You thought I might be one of them?” asked Cordelia, aghast.

  “There was always a possibility,” said Triton.

  Cordelia looked horrified. “Are you certain I came from that shell?”

  “The sea is a source of unfathomable wisdom,” said Triton, “there is very little doubt. The only doubt was what you would become.”

  “You’re saying I’m part mermaid, part Siren? Is that even possible?”

  “Anything is possible,” said Mazu, “though it has to be said, this has never happened before.”

  Cordelia began to breathe uneasy. “What if I’m like them? The apple never falls far from the tree. That’s what Zamira meant.”

  “Calm down,” said Mazu. “You’re not one of them. You’re a mermaid, a royal mermaid.”

  “That’s why they rejected me,” said Cordelia. “That’s why they don’t want me. They think I’m evil like the Sirens. What if they’re right? What if I am?”

  “You’re not evil,” said Mazu. “If you were like them, don’t you think we’d know that by now?”

  “Not all Sirens are bad natured,” said Triton.

  “Where’s my mother?” asked Cordelia.

  “We don’t know,” said Mazu.

  “It’s no wonder she didn’t want me, I’m nothing like her.”

  “The best thing would be to speak with your father,” said Mazu, “you probably have a lot of questions for him.”

  “I doubt that he told anyone about me. He may not even know I exist.” Cordelia rubbed her temples, “Does anyone else know about me?”

  Triton cleared his throat, “The staff know. We had to tell them for your own safety.”

  “Anyone else?”

  “Only Rafe,” said Mazu. “He was the one who brought you to safety when the Sirens attacked you. He noticed the markings on your tail but we’ve sworn him to secrecy.”

  “You won’t tell anyone else, will you?”

  “Not if you don’t want us to,” said Triton.

  “I’m not trying to put pressure on you,” said Mazu, “but if you want us to go to the castle with you, you only have to ask.”

  “Not yet,” replied Cordelia.

  “You’ve had a lot to take in,” said Mazu. “We’ll leave you to rest. I’ll come and check on you later.”

  Triton and Mazu left Cordelia’s chamber and walked briskly to Triton’s office where they hoped to speak in private but Morwen Vanora was waiting outside. She looked as though she was about to burst a blood vessel.

  “Morwen,” said Triton. “Are you back to your old self?”

  “Less of the old thank you. I was hoping to speak with you.”

  “Of course, come in,” said Triton, opening the door to his office with a large brass key. “You don’t mind if Mazu sits in, do you?”

  Morwen pursed her lips like a cat’s bottom. “I suppose not.”

  “What do you want to speak about?” asked Triton, leaning back in his chair.

  Disgruntled by Triton’s casual manner, Morwen took a moment to respond. “I want to share my concerns about that girl.”

  Mazu raised an eyebrow but kept quiet.

  “There are over one hundred girls in this school,” replied Triton, “which girl in particular are you concerned about?”

  “You know full well which girl I’m talking about, that beast you brought in off the sea bed.”

  Triton sat forward in his chair, his eyes bulging with anger. “That girl has a name and you’d do well to remember it. Call her a beast again and you’ll find yourself banished from this Kingdom.”

  Elegantly poised on her chair, Mazu did well to hold her composure. She had never warmed to Morwen, she found her cold and calculating.

  “You can’t banish me!” snapped Morwen. “She’s the one you want to be getting rid of. She’s caused nothing but mayhem since she’s been here. I’ve interviewed…”

  “Interrogated,” muttered Mazu under her breath.

  Morwen glared at Mazu before continuing, “I’ve interviewed every student in this school apart from Cordelia. None of them know anything. It must have been her.”

  “Even if you had proof,” said Triton, “which I’m assuming you don’t, there is nothing you could do about it.”

  “Nothing I can do?”

  “Have you lost your mind?” asked Triton. “She is of royal blood. Royal, and yet you have the audacity to question her integrity. To question her right to be here.”

  “I stand by every word,” said Morwen. “There’s something peculiar about her.”

  “Peculiar?” piped Mazu. “I think perhaps you ought to be keeping your opinions to yourself. We have a member of royalty in our care. Our whole purpose is to protect the Kingdom of Meren, is it not?”

  “Mazu’s right,” said Triton, firmly. “That girl h
as royal blood running through her veins and it’s our duty to protect her. Step out of line again and you’re out. Is that clear?!”

  “Yes,” muttered Morwen, quietly.

  “I didn’t hear you.”

  “Yes.”

  Morwen stormed out of Triton’s office with a face like thunder.

  At that very moment, a visitor was knocking on Cordelia’s door.

  “Who is it?” she called.

  “Rafe.”

  Cordelia paused before responding. Rafe had never knocked at her door before, but then boys weren’t supposed to visit girls in their chambers and vice-versa. She was suspicious but thought it only polite to invite him in after his heroics. Cordelia quickly ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her nightgown.

  “Come in.”

  Hearing the latch on the door, Cordelia took a deep breath. She never quite knew what to make of Rafe. Her head was all over the place where he was concerned. There was never any consistency. Rafe poked his head round the door and smiled. There was something about his smile that caused Cordelia’s heart to involuntarily skip a beat. She knew he was no good for her but his bad boy antics stirred excitement deep within her soul.

  “Quick, close the door,” she said, “you’re not supposed to be here.”

  “How are you?” he asked, finally closing the door.

  “Improving, thanks to you.”

  “Oh, it was nothing,” said Rafe, coyly.

  “Seriously, you saved my life. Thank you.”

  There was a moment of silence while Rafe stood with his hands in his pockets. Neither wanted to be the first to mention what they both wanted to talk about.

  “I never know where I stand with you,” said Cordelia, eventually.

  “What d’you mean?”

  “I can never tell if you like me or not.”

  Rafe chuckled, “Are you serious?”

  “Sometimes it seems like you do, but then other times you seem to mock me with Max.”

  “That’s just lads messing about.”

  Cordelia raised her eyebrows.

  “I’m sorry,” said Rafe, “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

  There was another silence.

  “So what were you doing at Slate Island?” asked Rafe.

  “Trying to rescue Flynn.”

  “Is he your real father?”

  “No, but he raised me. That makes him my father.”

  “How did he end up there?”

  “The ravens took him the night of the storm. He’s been there ever since.”

  “He’s lucky to still be alive.”

  “That’s one way to look at it.”

  “I’ll go back there with you, if you want.”

  “You’d really do that for me?”

  “Of course, just don’t mention it to Max.”

  “I thought you were friends.”

  “We are. He has issues.”

  “Issues?”

  “He wonders what you plan to do when you rescue Flynn. Where’s he going to live?”

  Cordelia didn’t have an answer.

  “Might be something to think about,” said Rafe. “Some might be concerned if Flynn comes here, you know, with him not being like the rest of us.”

  “Oh,” said Cordelia, her heart sinking. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”

  “Who’s Breck?” asked Rafe, changing the subject.

  Cordelia wondered where this was going. “A friend.”

  “That’s something else Max isn’t too happy about, you telling half the town about us.”

  Cordelia frowned. “I haven’t told half the town anything.” She could feel the blood simmering beneath her skin.

  “So who did you tell?”

  “Only Breck, I know I shouldn’t have. It’s complicated. You know, you seem to be ever so concerned with what Max thinks, what do you think?”

  Rafe shrugged. “I met Breck, he was worried about you.”

  “He’s a good person.”

  “I know what he is. He showed us.”

  “So that’s your insurance, we’ve a mutual trust with him.”

  “He’s no good for you Cordelia; you’re water, he’s fire.”

  It wasn’t the first time Cordelia had heard these words. She wondered if a relationship with Breck would ever be accepted, but she herself was born of love from different beings.

  “And who do you suppose would be good for me?” she asked.

  Rafe shrugged again, “I don’t know, perhaps someone of your own kind would be a good start.”

  “Someone like you?”

  “I haven’t really put much thought into it,” lied Rafe.

  “So what have you been doing?”

  “This and that. Convincing Morwen that I had nothing to do with her being turned to ice and stored in a cupboard.”

  “She’s been found?!” Cordelia’s mind was wild, wondering if Morwen had any recollection of her unfortunate situation.

  “Yeah, she walked into the briefing about the Kelly men.”

  “What makes her think you had anything to do with it?”

  “She doesn’t. She questioned every student in the school - apart from you.”

  Cordelia’s stomach flipped. “Does she know who did it?”

  “I don’t think so. Funny though.” Rafe held Cordelia’s gaze a little longer than necessary.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked.

  “I’m thinking you’re a dark horse.”

  “How so?”

  “You kept that quiet, didn’t you?”

  “Kept what quiet?”

  “You know what I’m talking about,” said Rafe.

  Cordelia wondered which of her secrets she’d been caught out on.

  “Perhaps I should call you your highness,” teased Rafe.

  Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief. “Mazu said she’d sworn you to secrecy.”

  “That’s right, and I haven’t told a soul, but I never promised not to speak to you about it. Do you want to talk about it?”

  Cordelia shrugged.

  “May I?” asked Rafe, sitting on the edge of Cordelia’s bed.

  “I didn’t know,” began Cordelia. “I told you, I was raised by Flynn.”

  “Did you know Flynn wasn’t your real father?”

  “Always. He never made a secret of it.”

  “Did Flynn know who your real parents were?”

  “I don’t think so. When I lived on the boat with Flynn he used to tell me the story of the day he found me. I used to imagine all sorts of things about my real parents. I imagined I was the daughter of a magnificent explorer, or the daughter of a famous pirate. Stupid really. Those were just fantasies of course.”

  “Finding out you’re royalty must blow those fantasies out of the water, not to mention discovering you’re a real life mermaid.”

  “I don’t know. It’s hard to feel excited when I know they didn’t want me.”

  “They don’t know what they’re missing. Strange though, isn’t it?”

  “Life is full of mystery.”

  “So when are you going to the castle?” asked Rafe.

  “I don’t know if I will.”

  “Are you mad? Think of the life you’d have.”

  “What if they reject me?”

  “Then they’d be fools.” Rafe leaned over to kiss Cordelia.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, avoiding the kiss.

  “I can’t help it,” said Rafe, “you’re my weakness.”

  “Liking me is a weakness of yours?”

  “No, I didn’t mean it like that. I think about you all the time. I thought I was going to lose you at the island and it made me realise how much I care for you.”

  “I’m flattered, I really am and I’m so grateful to you for saving me. If you meant what you said about returning to the island I’d gladly accept your offer. As for anything else, I’m only interested in friendship.”

  “You can’t blame me for trying,”
said Rafe.

  “You’d better leave before someone finds you here,” said Cordelia.

  Rafe walked to the door. “Let me know when you’re going back to the island.”

  Once Rafe had gone, Cordelia got out of bed, her ankles stiff after laying horizontal for so long. She dressed and went in search of Marilla. Standing outside the snow dome, Cordelia steadied her breathing before knocking twice on the door.

  “Come in,” said Marilla.

  Cordelia turned the handle and pushed the heavy, wooden door open. Marilla was reading at her desk as snow fell softly all around her. Marilla read to the end of the page and then peered over her glasses, immediately rising to her feet when she saw Cordelia standing before her.

  “Forgive me Cordelia, I shouldn’t have kept you.”

  “It’s no bother, really. Is it a good book?”

  “It passes the time. How are you keeping? Are you fully recovered?” asked Marilla with genuine concern.

  “I’m fine,” said Cordelia, watching the snow. “I wanted to thank you for keeping our secret about Morwen.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” said Marilla, “it’s I that should be thanking you. I’m the one who hid her in a cupboard.”

  “And I’m the one who turned her to ice.”

  “She already had a heart of ice so there’s no harm done there. I told you, you’ve nothing to worry about.” Marilla could see the cogs ticking in Cordelia’s mind. “What is it?”

  “How do you suppose she defrosted?”

  “Ah. Well there’s a very good reason for that,” said Marilla. “You were the one to freeze her and frozen she remained, until you hurt yourself. You were so badly injured that any mind work you had in place simply came undone. Was there anything else you had in place?”

  Cordelia shook her head. “No.”

  “How are you Cordelia? Really.”

  “I’m okay. It’s a lot to take in.”

  “If you need help with anything or someone to talk to, even someone to listen, you know where I am.”

  Cordelia smiled mischievously, “I do have a favour to ask you.”

  “Go on,” said Marilla, smiling.

  “Rafe knows about me, where I’m from. I need him to forget, for now at least.”

  “My dear, you could do that yourself if you wanted.”

  “But that’s your speciality.”