Pretty Fin
A
Smokey Moment
Novel
This book is fiction based on the imagination of the writer. Names, characters, places and incidents are creations of the writer for entertainment purposes and any resemblance to actual people, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
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Acknowledgments
Dedicated to all the readers who love a good book that keeps you guessing, laughing, cursing, crying and all caught up in your emotions. A good book is powerful. You get to escape and use your own imagination to fill in the blanks. You get to travel all around the globe. Sometimes even to another planet. Possibly discover a new species. A good love story will have you daydreaming and fantasizing about what is and what could be. Or it could have you shaking your head in disbelief while you watch the train wreck of a life unfold. And then you hope that fate intervenes and saves your potentially awesome love story. Whatever type of books you like, the one common theme amongst all book lovers is we want to enjoy them. I hope you enjoy this story. It was written with you in mind!
Table of Contents
The Story of Fin
Unanswered Questions
An Unfulfilled Life
Father Knows Best
Something in the Water
Berries Oh Berries
Love and Loss
A King’s Demands
Unimagined Love
Longing
Anointed
A New Dawn
The Power of Love
The Story of Fin
T
he crackling sound of thunder made Isla uneasy. She peeked out from under the sheets. Her father had told her she needed to be a big girl. “You’re a big girl. You’re a big girl,” she chanted, her eyes tightly closed. She wanted to be. If her father could only see her, he would be so proud. But he was sound asleep in the room down the hall. It seemed he was miles away.
She was still in her own bed. She was being brave. Thunderstorms would take some getting used to. But the sheets over her head helped. Being wrapped under the warmth kept her calm, as the weather made its presence known. Her father was training her to sleep in her own room. But the crashing sounds were powerful. It shook their home.
Lightning shot through the sky, dancing like electric arms. It was all very dramatic. Isla closed her eyes. Thunderstorms felt intense. Her sensitive ears amplifying the intensity. Everything was an experience. She usually looked forward to the discoveries. But not this one. It was too much for her delicate spirit.
“Daddy,” Isla called out. Soon her small feet hit the floor. She scurried down the hall towards her father’s bedroom overlooking the water. Their large contemporary glass and stone home was impressive by most standards. Isla climbed into her father’s bed. “Daddy wake up,” she said, as she shook his shoulder.
“Huh,” he mumbled, then turned his back to her. He was unaware that his precious baby girl had climbed out of her bed and into his. “Daddy, daddy,” she shook him again. He rose, still half sleep and taking a moment to gather himself. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky taking with it the remnants of his peaceful slumber.
“What baby girl,” he said, as he turned his head, his eyes half open. “What’s wrong? You can’t sleep?” he asked. “No! I’m scared. I want to hear the story. Read me the story,” she said. Her father smiled. It was the same thing with Isla. Sleepless nights, followed by a request for her favorite book. The story always soothed her. She was always able to go to sleep soon after.
He stacked the pillows so she could lay back. Isla got comfortable. Her father looked dotingly at her. He adored her. She was all he had of a love he lost. A beautiful reminder of the woman he gave his heart to. And Isla was a splitting image of her. Even down to her personality. She was so full of life. So clear in what she cared about and what was important. What she loved and didn’t love. And what she loved above all else was her father.
The person whose love never waned. Her loving yet fierce protector. His patience was admirable. If he only got two hours of sleep each night, it would be worth it for his baby girl. She was adjusting well, given the circumstances. And he would see to it that she was comfortable and happy.
Her father kissed her on the cheek. He laid back, cleared his throat, then opened the book to page one. He chuckled as she wiggled her feet in anticipation. He turned the page. A familiar sight. Before the words, there was the woman. Isla smiled at the beautifully etched drawing. It was perfectly accurate. A mermaid. Her scales small and well-defined. Her long hair covering the top half of her well-toned body. She looked happy. Something in her eyes looked authentic.
He started at the beginning. He had finished the last part a few nights before He had a feeling Isla was already aware that this story was special. He wondered how bright she really was. She was gifted. And he didn’t doubt that she knew more than what she led on. Lance opened the book. “Ok Issie. We’re going to go back to the beginning. We read the whole book already. You sure you don’t want to read one of the books your uncle Allan gave you,” he asked. Isla shot him a look. Her adorable pout on display. “No daddy. I want to read Pretty Fin,” she said.
He kissed the top of her head and then started at paragraph one. Isla became giddy. She always acted as if it were her first time hearing the words. Each time he read it, she listened with the same intensity. The story sometimes making him emotional. It was therapeutic for him. Theirs was an epic love story. Something dreams were made of. He had never known love could feel so complete. And Isla’s little face, a constant reminder that he was not dreaming. Mermaids did exist. And he would give his daughter a piece of an extraordinary woman. One page at a time.
The sounds of the storm seemed insignificant. Its power fading into the background. Her father glanced at her. He gave her a moment. She stared at the drawing. The eyes seemed to stare back. The artist who drew it, had rendered it in remarkable detail. Her hair. Her eyes. Her small delicate hands. The fading of color along her tail. Her exquisite and undeniable beauty.
Isla looked up at her dad again. He smiled at her then turned the page. He could see she was ready. She’d had her fill. Isla still bore the scars of a child without its mother. She had the memory of an elephant. She had not forgotten the mother she had been separated from since she was an infant. The story helped ease her deeply rooted pain. A void that was felt every day. He hoped her mother would return. Until then, he would tell her about a woman of the sea. A story about tw
o people from different worlds, who found love against all odds. This was the story of Fin.
“Get back here. Fin! Come back,” Queen Aterra yelled. “Uh,” Finora grunted, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Her strong, small legs fast enough to keep a significant distance from her mother. “Should I stop her sir,” the kings trusted young guard Lark asked. “No. Let her go. She’ll be back,” King Zander replied.
Lark had been by his side since he was nine years old. He was now a fifteen-year-old young warrior who protected the king fiercely. King Zander was beloved by all of his subjects. He commanded Mojarro fiercely yet fairly. And he made himself available to them. Going into the villages and talking with the citizens, face to face. He loved the people. His army. The city. His castle. He ruled over the city with pride. The land was one of the richest in Madaka. And he had plans to make Madaka great.
But of all King Zander’s prized possessions, his most valuable was his outgoing, outspoken and free-spirited daughter he affectionately called Fin. He doted on her. Gave her a wonderful life. But there was one thing he could not give her. The freedom she so desperately sought.
Finora was getting frustrated with the rules that imprisoned her. She darted out the door, several times before, out of anger. Usually the king would send Lark to catch her. But there was something different about this time. King Zander saw it coming. She was inquisitive. She was asking a lot of questions. She wondered why she was not allowed to do things others could. And the same explanations were no longer working.
Things weren’t adding up. Fin was smart. She could see through the mask. She could read between the lines. She wanted to go in the water like all nermeins did, yet she wasn’t allowed. She wanted to hold her mother’s hand and travel the easterly or westerly rivers into town. Go shopping or visit the locals, as all the other citizens did. The king told her it was for her protection. That she could not mingle with the common people.
And for a while that explanation worked. Until Fin asked to swim in her own backyard. In the Trojian Sea, right behind the castle. And when the king gave his final answer, she rebelled in defiance. She was told terrible tales about the water. That she was different and could not go in it. But the princess seemed determined to do just that. And nothing was going to stop her.
“Fin no!” the Queen continued to yell. Finora continued to the cliff’s edge. She could see the vast sea. Its beautiful clear blueish green hue had spoken to her soul since she was too small to walk. Finora had a fascination with water. A desire to feel it. Move in it. See the aquatic-life contained inside. It didn’t seem fair that she was not allowed.
Her father warned that she would die if she submerged herself. Finora wanted to see. That wasn’t likely. Everyone got in the water. It was a way of life for them. She didn’t understand what made her different. Why she would not be able to partake in the same activities, other little mermaids her age did.
“Stop!” the Queen yelled. Her young and defiant daughter was not stopping. She hadn’t even slowed. King Zander ran behind his wife. His personal guards Sparrow and Arfusei, alongside him. Running close behind them was Lark. He was like a son to the king. Lark was the son of King Zander’s fallen guard. A man who died in the waters of the Palimora Sea. And after the death of the boy’s mother, the king allowed him to stay in the living quarters behind the castle. He promised himself he would look after the orphaned boy. And Lark was turning out to be a fierce and loyal addition to his inner circle.
“Aterra!” the king yelled. She ignored his calls, running after her daughter and nearing the edge of a steep cliff. He hoped his beloved queen wouldn’t make a mistake and fall in. She didn’t swim and the currents could pull her under. “Aterra no! I will get her. Stop!” the King yelled.
But she couldn’t stop. Not until she got to the edge and saved her daughter. It could end badly. If she didn’t change, the waters could take control. The Trojian Sea was rough. The currents were strong. It was a vast and deep sea. She would need a tail. And more importantly, gills.
The truth was, neither of them knew for certain what would happen. They both feared their young Princess would have the same struggles as her mother. No affinity to water and unable to sustain inside its unique composition.
Aterra didn’t go in the water. She hadn’t gone in since she was a young girl. She had no tail. And she had no gills. Perhaps a genetic flaw. No one knew for sure. She grew up raised by King Zaire and his wife. She was told she was an orphan, discarded at his door. And he hid her secret from the world. And now she too had a daughter. And she vowed to protect her in the same way by keeping her from the water. Something easier said than done.
Finora was her spunky and independent six year old daughter. She was wise beyond her young years. She questioned everything; Her parent’s decision to home school her. Her lack of playmates. The reasons behind her mother not allowing her to swim. Her mother’s own reasons for not swimming. They were an aquatic species. Half human and half fish. Able to change their legs to tails, in order to aid them in the water. Fin had seen it. She was fascinated by it. She knew how. She had practiced in her tub when her mother wasn’t looking. It was a joyous occasion. And she yearned to test it in real water. The Trojian Sea.
Her two toned dark blue and aqua colored scales were beautiful. Different from her father’s tail, which she knew was black with silver undertones. Finora believed the color difference was because he was a man.
He had an impressive tail. And it made her want one just like it. She would sneak and form her tail in her bath and giggle at her abilities. Then change back, as Aterra walked in. But she hadn’t changed in a while. Her mother hired an assistant named Lillia, who was a constant in Fin’s life. And the loss of freedom meant no more changing in the tub.
There was only one person who knew. Fin looked back at him. Lark smiled. He understood her better than anyone. Fin had run from the castle just weeks prior. The king sent Lark after her. He chased her into the forest and right up to a large lake.
“Fin! Don’t,” he yelled, as she ran on top of a downed tree stump and jumped in. Lark sighed and went in behind her. The murky waters clouded his ability to see her clearly. Fin purposely stirred up the sediment to keep him from finding her. But he did. And he saw her tail. “Come on Fin. Your father is furious,” he said. “No! He doesn’t believe in me. I can swim,” she replied. Lark gave her a moment. Fin swam around the lake. But soon Zander could be heard calling out. It was time to go. “Fin! He’s coming. He will get in the water. He’ll see you,” Lark said. Fin reluctantly exited the water.
Fin could see him in the distance. She hurried past him. He looked at her then at Lark. “Did she just get out of the water?” he asked. “Just near the edge,” he replied. Zander gave him a look. Fin was soaking wet. More than a mere dip on the water’s edge, had her drenched. Fin continued running. She smiled all the way back to the castle. It was the day she found the courage to prove to herself, who she was. A day she would never forget.
And now she was ready to show the world. Her pride and strength had her standing, ready to jump. Finora planned to close her eyes and turn her legs, just as she did in the tub. “Ok Fin. You can do it,” she said, as she calmed herself. She balled her small fists and closed her eyes.
“Fin please,” the Queen pleaded. “No mommy! Stay back. Or I will jump,” she warned. Queen Aterra looked back. Her husband and his guards were approaching. “She won’t listen,” she said. King Zander stepped up. The Queen took a step back. Her husband would handle it. Fin would listen to him. He had a commanding way. A strong presence. He was visually intimidating. Tall and muscular. A full beard and mustache and thick eyebrows. His face always serious. His voice deep and powerful. And Fin only went so far with him. He seemed stressed lately. A side of his personality that Fin seemed to be bringing out with her stubborn and unpredictable behavior.
“Don’t you dare take another step young lady. The water is deep. It is a far drop. You will hurt yourself. Step away fr
om the edge,” he said. Fin didn’t understand his fears. She stared at the beautiful water. It was more than ten feet below the edge of the cliff. It was a long drop. She had never jumped from that height. The water was green and blue with a gold shimmer. Much too beautiful to cause pain. She looked back at her father. He looked serious. He needed to look strong and stern, in an effort to get her to listen to him. The king doubted she would. His heart raced.
The cliff was majestic. It normally had a calming affect for King Zander. He had stood at that very spot during times of reflection. And now he stood there, terrified. Fin was scared. He could see her shaking. But she wanted to prove that she was right. That the water was safe. That she would know how to change. She wanted to show them. This was more than proving something to herself. If they saw she could handle the water, maybe they would allow her to swim in it. Fin was skilled. Graceful. She was one with the water. Their fears were unfounded.
Fin closed her eyes tight and leaped. “No!” he shouted, as he tried grabbing her. “Fin!” the Queen shouted. Their fears made worse in an instant. Fin hit the warm water and turned her legs into a beautiful tail. She looked at her body. She was thrilled. She had changed in an environment she could now swim freely in. She looked around trying to gage where she was and where she wanted to go. It was all so new and exciting. She looked at her tail again. She didn’t see it clearly in the lake that day. But in the greenish blue clear water, it was visible. “Wow!” she marveled.
Sea life swam near. She giggled at her resemblance to them. Many different creatures, swimming about, as though they hadn’t a care in the world. Some of them seemed drawn to her. They approached her curiously. She tried to reach out. She became startled when a yellow tailed fish got close, then quickly darted away. Fin noted the way he moved. The way he swam. She was amazed at the way he used his fin and tail. His ability to turn and avoid her touch with the quickest precision.
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