This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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By Water’s Edge
Kidnapped from the sea by a fierce dragon, Aria must help her fellow mermaids escape before it’s too late.
Going to the surface is forbidden. Casting your gaze on dragons is forbidden.
Princess Aria knows the rules, but the chance at seeing one of the winged beasts soaring through the air proves to be too tempting.
She should have listened to the warnings. She should have stayed below the water.
Plucked from the sea, Aria and her young friend Dyna are thrown into a large tank in the Dragon King’s castle.
Imprisoned under false pretenses, Aria must find a way out of the tank holding her captive and back to the sea, where she can warn her father about the dragons’ true intentions.
Will Aria escape? What is the real reason the dragons are kidnapping mermaids and holding them hostage? Read By Water’s Edge to find out!
1
“Where do you think you’re going?” shouted a guard clad in steel armor.
Spinning around, I clutched my hand to my heart. “Crest, you scared me.”
“Answer me, Princess Aria,” he demanded.
My eyes flicked to the slate colored scales lining his tail.
A crease formed across his forehead. “Were you trying to leave the kingdom boundaries?”
I debated lying, but decided to stand my ground. “Yes, I was. You and I both know they need our help.” I motioned to the expansive sea in front of us. “They have nothing!”
The merman’s shoulders fell. “And you and I both know that I can’t let you leave.” The tone in his voice softened, but remained firm. “It’s too dangerous out there. The criminal outcasts from the kingdom would be the least of your worries!”
“I’m not scared of sharks or jellyfish!” I had learned from a young age that if you treated others with respect, be it mermaids or great white sharks, they would likely return the favor. Plus, worst come to worst, I had a small spear stashed away in the canvas bag holding my supplies.
“The King would be devastated if anything happened to you,” Crest urged. “Your family has already lost so much.”
A twinge of pain shot through my heart. He had played his best shell by bringing up the one reason that could always reel me back in…
Crest let his head fall slightly to the left. “Please, come back with me. You don’t want the King to worry, do you?”
I glanced over my shoulder. I could make a swim for it. I was certainly faster than Crest with all of his heavy armor weighing him down. I adjusted the canvas bag filled with kelp bars over my shoulder. But, before I could make a break for it, my mother’s face floated through my mind. She would be proud of me for helping others, but she wouldn’t want me to cause my father any more distress. Losing her had almost cost him everything.
“Princess… If you do this, I’ll alert the King and he’ll send his entire security force after you. Is that what you want to happen?” He held his hands out, as if trying to beckon me closer.
“If it was your family out there, you’d want me to help,” I snapped. I didn’t mean to come across so crass, but no one would take me seriously when it came to helping the outcasts.
Crest dipped his head and closed his eyes for a moment. “Please don’t make this so difficult, Princess.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I secured the bag over my shoulder and pushed past him. “Move, Crest. I’m going to take this up with my father, again!”
“NO! The answer is still no,” bellowed the King.
“But, Dad! She is the fifth merchild that has gone missing this year,” I insisted as servants swam in and out of the Great Hall, gathering the dishes from our evening tea.
He adjusted his large jewel-encrusted crown and let out a sigh. “Aria, darling. Why can’t you be more like your sister?” The vein poking out of his forehead started to pulse.
He turned and motioned to Gemma, who sat on a smooth marble perch applying silver kori to her tail. Her fingers were covered in the thick cream as she reached for a woven kelp towel. “Mmmm,” she murmured happily as she wiped her hands off and buffed her shimmering, iridescent scales.
Right, Gemma, who doesn’t care about anything or anyone but herself.
“Yeah, you should be more like me.” As soon as our father turned his head, she scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue.
I rolled my eyes. “If you worried about anything as much as you worry about your appearance, maybe you would feel the same way as me.” Even though we were only eighteen months apart and inseparable growing up, everything changed when we lost our mother.
“Doubtful,” she said, applying a layer of lustrous lip gloss and smacking her lips together. She made a series of faces in the mirror hanging directly in front of her.
“What if I went missing?” The exasperation in my voice had reached its peak. “Doesn’t that concern you?”
Nasasha, one of the many mermaids working in the castle, quickly retrieved the silver tray holding Gemma’s beauty supplies and slipped out of the room without saying a word. She had been witness to similar conversations in the past and probably knew better than to stick around.
A deep crease formed across my father’s brow. “Darling, these children, they’re all from the outskirts of our kingdom. Chances are, they either swam away or perhaps explored the deep and were taken by a shark.”
“Just because they were cast out, doesn’t mean they’re not important.” I put my hands on my hips. “Won’t you at least ask Uncle Tryon to talk to the families? If your head of security doesn't investigate, who will?” I knew I was pushing it, but I didn’t care. I needed my father to take action! “What if you don’t do anything and things get worse? What if we go missing?” I asked, pointing to myself and Gemma.
My father let out another sigh. “Fine, fine. I’ll ask Uncle Tryon to look into the disappearances, but only if you promise to stop going to the outer boundaries of the kingdom.”
My jaw dropped. “But that’s not fair. They need me!”
He shook his head and gave me a small smile. “Life isn’t fair, Aria. Plus, you shouldn’t be consorting with criminals.” He flicked his deep blue tail, sending hundreds of little bubbles floating toward the vaulted granite ceiling of the castle.
My insides ignited with frustration. “Criminals? They’re being exiled for petty offenses. They aren’t dangerous, they’re just hungry and scared. Before Mom—”
Holding up the large gold trident he always carried, my father bellowed, “Do not bring up the past, Aria!”
I pressed my lips together and blinked back tears. He rarely raised his voice, but when he did, you could hear him two oceans away.
His face softened and the corners of his lips turned up. “I’m sorry, darling. I just want you to stay safe. You’re right, if something truly bad is going on, you should stay as far away from there as possible. I can’t risk losing you or your sister.”
Gemma, who watched the entire exchange, stuck both thumbs into her ears and wiggled her fingers.
“Brat,” I muttered under my breath.
The smile vanished from his face. “What was that, young lady?”
I dropped my head, staring at the teal and turquoise opalescent scales covering my black tail. “Nothing, Father.”
My father’s smile returned. “Now, why don’t you go play with your friends?”
I forced a smile on my face. Go play with my friends… I’m eighteen years old! I don’t need to go play with
anyone. Plus, our people need food and supplies. If I don’t bring it to them, who will?
As I wove in and out of the marble columns lining the Great Hall in our family’s castle, I pictured my mother’s gentle smile. She had always fought for those in need. She made sure that no one in the kingdom went to bed hungry or worried for their children’s lives. After she passed, my father had struggled to see the good in people. When he appointed Uncle Tryon to the council as head of security, things had only gotten worse.
I loved my uncle, but he ruled with an iron fist and would cast out families for minor infractions. In the past, only the worst criminals were cast from the safety of the kingdom. Now, stealing a kelp bar to feed your starving children could get your family banned for life.
I continued to swim until I came to my favorite place in the massive castle. A statue of my mother and father. Each sat in their own thrown, but they held hands. Such a simple, sweet gesture.
Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes as I studied her face. We shared the same ebony hair and violet eyes. Our grey and black iridescent tails both shimmered with flashes of turquoise and deep amethyst.
Wiping my face with the back of my hand, I turned to my left and continued to swim. She had been my role model, my best friend, and my entire life. I would never get over her loss, but I would continue her work by helping those in need.
I continued to swim down the long corridors, which were adorned with murals created from precious stones.
One of the murals featured a landwalker holding a shield in one hand and a sword in another. He stood proudly as hundreds of enemy soldiers advanced from the enemy’s lines. My father would often comment on how brave he was for standing up to an entire army.
I on the other hand, had a different view. The landwalkers were known for their brutal wars and the use of prolific weapons that not only wiped out their race, but nearly destroyed the planet as well.
The last bomb they dropped caused the climate to drastically change. Icebergs melted, expansive stretches of land sunk into the water. Mother once told me that our castle came from a place called Europe. She also said that great human kings and queens once lived here, but they all died once the bombs spread their poisonous gasses and blocked the sunlight from reaching the earth.
With the demise of the human race, the dragons and the merpeople rose to power. Of course, we had always been here, just hidden away in the deepest trenches or in the dragons’ case, in the highest of mountains. Mother said that we once lived in peace and the world was prosperous for all. But the unquenchable thirst for power sickened the minds of the kings and queens of the dragons and merpeople.
Over the course of a lifetime, thousands of dragons and mermaids perished as they clashed on the surface and beneath the sea. Finally, a treaty was signed. The dragons were sequestered to the land and the skies, while the merfolk were allowed all bodies of salt water. The surface was forbidden for both creatures.
I wish I had asked her more questions. My father refused to talk about it and now I had no one. I wanted to know more about the nefarious dragon race. Notoriously selfish and violent, they were rarely spotted by mermaids. If you did see one, it meant that you were too close to the surface, in violation of the treaty.
While I never told my father, I did tell my mother in strict confidence that I had seen a dragon once. I had been exploring an underwater cave, something strictly forbidden by my father, when I came across a chimney stretching above the water. Not only was the top open, but there were missing stones from the sides, allowing me to see the surface of the water.
Even though I didn’t climb on land or emerge above the breaking waves, I had laid eyes on the night’s sky, which was a major offense. King Triden had recently excommunicated a mermaid who made a similar mistake.
That’s when I saw it. A dragon. A massive horned beast gliding through the air, its fire-red scales skimming the surface of the sea for several seconds before shooting back into the clouds.
The encounter had left me breathless. Hiding behind the makeshift rock structure and unable to move, I searched the skies for the fire-breathing monster, but failed. It had disappeared into the heavens just as quickly as it had appeared.
I waited for it to return for hours. Finally, after my teeth began to chatter and the night grew late, I made the difficult decision to swim home. Equally disappointed and thrilled, I recalled racing through the chilly water back to the castle.
As soon as I got home, I told my mother everything. “It was magnificent! Its wings were longer than thirty great white sharks! And it had long pointy horns! They twisted and curled toward the sky! I’ve never seen anything to fierce.” I remember pausing to catch my breath.
“My sweet little pearl,” she had said, using her favorite nickname for me, “you have had quite the day. I’m proud of you for being so brave.”
I continued tell her about the dragon, stumbling over my words as they poured out. My mother had to ask me to slow down several times. She took in every word as if it were the most important she had ever heard. After I told her, she smiled and asked questions, but afterward swore me to secrecy. We were never to discuss it again.
Sighing, I meandered through the maze of expansive halls until I reached my bedroom. Tears welled up in my eyes as my mother’s face flashed through my mind. She had been the most selfless and kind mermaid I had even known. She always made time for me, even though she had extensive duties as the Queen of the Kingdom of Coral.
Not only did she take the time to listen to her merpeople, she looked after them as if they were her own family. She had a special gift, an ability to make everyone feel important, no matter their standing in the kingdom. Under her watch, shelters had been constructed and programs set up to help wayward mermaids. The kingdom was a better place because of her.
Closing my eyes, I let out a slow exhale. Her legacy couldn’t end; the merpeople she once helped were too important to forget or push to the side. I would stand up and, while I would never hold a sea grape to her legacy, I’d do my best to help.
Looking over my shoulder, I closed the door behind me and made my way to a large stone chest.
I shoved it out of the way and pried my fingers under a loose stone in the floor. Once it came up, I pulled out a stash of kelp bars, medicated seaweed wraps, and other supplies the outcast families desperately needed.
I thought back to my mother’s final words to me. “Promise me, you’ll continue to look after our people, my sweet little pearl.”
Wiping a tear away, I filled a large canvas sack with the supplies. Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll continue your work, no matter how big the risk.
2
A loud clang in the hallway sent my shoulders up to my ears. I shot to the door and opened it a crack.
“Sorry, Princess Aria,” apologized Walsh, one of my father’s guards. He bent down and picked up his spear.
“Distracted by thoughts of Shellia again?” I asked, trying to keep the quake in my voice at bay.
He grinned, his aquamarine tail swishing beneath him. “I plan to ask her to marry me next week.”
My heart swelled with joy. “I’m so happy for you!”
He placed the spear across his chest. “Thank you, Princess. I must be off now. I’ll be sure to let you know, assuming she says, ‘Yes.’”
“Of course she’ll say, ‘Yes.’ She’s been in love with you for as long as I can remember.”
His cheeks turned a deep shade of red before he bowed and swam off.
I closed the door behind me and shot over to the window. I’d have to keep an eye out for Walsh, but he was typically fairly easy to evade.
Waiting for the stillness of night to fall over the castle, I paced in my room. Looking around, I felt guilty. I had everything I would ever need and more. A four-poster bed made of luxurious seaweed fibers, stunning mosaics on my walls, and a jewelry chest filled with crowns, necklaces dripping with precious stones, and stunning diamond earrings.
A
shamed of my family’s wealth, I reaffirmed my vow to help those in need. Now all I needed to do was wait for the perfect time to sneak out. Realistically, the only safe time to leave would be once everyone was in bed. Even then, I’d have to be careful not to be spotted by any guards.
As the sounds of the kingdom finally fell silent, I slid the bag of supplies over my shoulder. Adjusting the strap that lay across my chest, I took a deep breath and slipped out my bedroom door. As I closed it behind me, the kelp bars shifted, making a rustling sound. Flinching, I accidentally pulled the door too hard. It closed behind me with a loud click.
I froze and scanned the hallway. Luckily, the guards must have been in a different part of the castle. Phew!
Gliding through the water, I reached the hidden staircase in the west wing without being caught. The staircase led directly out the back of the castle and typically wasn’t guarded. Gemma and I used to play hide and go seek when we were little and the secret stairwell was one of my favorite places to hide.
The lower I swam down the stairs, the colder the water got.
A chill snaked through my body, leaving starfish bumps in its wake. My father would be furious if he found out what I was about to do, but I didn’t care. I wanted to help my people, not be a stuck-up princess who only worried about myself. Most importantly, I wanted to continue my mother’s work.
With the coast clear, I snuck out the door and pumped my tail. I shot through the water at a breathless speed until I reached the safety of a kelp field gently swaying in the current on the other side of the castle gate.
Catching my breath, I set my bag on the ground and pulled out a small glass jar filled with bioluminescent algae. As light from the glowing organisms filled the area around me, I let out a sigh of relief. Crest hadn’t caught me this time.
Holding the jar out in front of me, I headed away from my safe home and loving family, and into the darkness.
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