by Debbie Dadey
“But Your Highness, we were on our way to the—” Echo started to tell the queen.
Pearl interrupted Echo. “We would be delighted to go on a royal review with you, Your Majesty.”
“Of course,” Shelly said. “It is very kind of you to take time out of your busy schedule to show us around.” She guessed they’d have to visit the royal guards after the tour.
Just then Lorelei floated over to them. She was wearing a white tailsuit and carrying a long, pointed sword.
She waved to Shelly, Kiki, Echo, and Pearl, then curtsied to the queen. “Auntie, I’ve been waiting for you at the jousting ring. Did you forget our fencing lesson today?”
Fencing? Shelly was shocked. She couldn’t believe the queen played with swords!
Shelly’s aunt must have noticed Shelly’s surprised look, because she chuckled. “Yes, it’s true! I’m not only queen, I’m also a fencing champion. And I’ve been giving Lorelei lessons.” She patted Lorelei on her shoulder. “But since this is Princess Shelly’s first trip to Neptune’s Castle, I’d like to spend the afternoon showing her the palace grounds. We can resume our lessons next week.”
Lorelei looked disappointed. “Okay,” she said softly, and floated away, leaving a trail of sad bubbles behind her.
Shelly felt terrible. “Please, Aunt Edwina,” she said. “I don’t want Lorelei to miss her lesson! We can do the royal review another time.”
“I won’t hear of it! It’s not every day my great-niece comes for a visit,” Queen Edwina told Shelly. “Now, let’s begin. We have much to see!”
As they floated down a path outside the castle, Queen Edwina said, “There’s the statue of Alanna. That’s where King Rudolph asked me to marry him.”
“So romantic,” Pearl said. Echo sighed dreamily. Alanna was a mermaid who had fallen in love with a human. She’d also been the first to encourage laws saying merfolk should not hurt humans.
“I’m sorry King Rudolph isn’t here, but he couldn’t miss the Vortex Water Polo charity event this year,” Queen Edwina explained. “He sends his greetings and looks forward to meeting you another time.”
Shelly nodded. “Please tell him I said hello.”
“Wow!” Echo cried. “Look at that!” She pointed to a large waterfall.
“Isn’t it unique?” Queen Edwina said. “And such a pretty sight.”
She turned to Shelly. “Now I’d like to show you our Shell Wars and water polo fields. I hear you are quite the athlete.”
Shelly nodded. “I do play Shell Wars on the Trident Academy team.”
“Hopefully you will play here someday,” the queen said.
As fun as it was, Shelly hoped that the tour would end soon. The mergirls still hadn’t visited the royal guards! Shelly tried to act interested in the rolling kelp fields, but all she could think about was the missing Crown of Joy.
She thought about it during lunch at the Coral Reef Café. She thought about it while they watched a water polo match. She thought about it during their visit to each of the palace’s beautiful gardens. Shelly’s favorite was a hidden garden almost completely surrounded by enormous clumps of hump coral.
By the end of the afternoon, Shelly felt desperate. When the queen finally dismissed the girls, they raced to the royal guards’ office, but it was too late! A sign posted on the door read CLOSED.
“Oh no,” Shelly said softly.
“It’ll be all right,” Echo said as they swam back to their room. It was time to get ready for the ball!
Picture Perfect
PEARL ADMIRED HER WORK. “Wow. I’m splashing good, if I do say so myself,” she said.
“Let me see,” Echo said, swimming around to see what Pearl had done to Shelly’s long red hair. “Ooh, it looks fin-tastic!”
Kiki nodded. “Mervelous!”
The mergirls were in their room, getting ready for the ball. Each wore a beautiful gown that matched the color of their tails.
Shelly smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Pearl had twisted Shelly’s hair around the top of her head and then tucked sea lavender all around. “Isn’t this Queen Edwina’s favorite flower?” Shelly asked.
Pearl nodded. “Of course! Maybe she’ll be so tickled by it that she won’t notice the Crown of Joy is missing.”
Shelly stopped smiling. She knew she’d have to tell Queen Edwina the truth, even if the queen didn’t notice. But Shelly didn’t want to ruin everyone’s fun. “You all look so pretty. I wish I had one of those human objects that could take your picture.”
Fortunately, Queen Edwina had thought of everything. As soon as the girls had finished getting ready, a tap sounded at their door. It was the royal artist!
“Greetings, merladies,” he said. “My name is Collins. The queen sent me to draw your portrait.”
Pearl clapped her hands.
“Now,” said Collins, “I need Princess Shelly to sit in the center while her mermaids-in-waiting float around her.”
“We are her merfriends!” Pearl snapped. “Not her mermaids-in-waiting.”
The artist nodded. “Of course. You are all very lovely. Please strike a pose and hold still.”
As Collins sketched their portrait on a large piece of kelp, Shelly tried to ignore the itch on the tip of her nose. Finally she couldn’t wait. She had to scratch! She did it quickly, but it didn’t matter because the artist said, “Ta-da! I’m finished!”
“That was fast!” Echo exclaimed. The four mergirls floated around to see the picture. Collins had drawn them perfectly.
“Ooh, Collins, you are shelltacular!” Pearl said.
Collins took a bow and told them, “I will make copies for each of you to take home, courtesy of Her Majesty.”
“My parents are going to love that,” Echo said.
Shelly nodded, but she couldn’t stop staring at the portrait, especially her hair. The flowers were pretty, but they weren’t a tiara.
“Enough fussing in here!” Helga’s voice boomed as she barged into the room. “It’s time to go! The ball is about to begin!” She thumped her tail on the floor impatiently.
Shelly gasped. “But I’m not ready!”
Echo gave her a hug. “Don’t worry about anything. Your aunt loves you. She’ll understand.”
Pearl glared at Helga. “And we’ll finally tell the queen what really happened!”
Belles of the Ball
ANNOUNCING THE ARRIVAL of Her Royal Highness, Princess Shelly of the Western Oceans, from the ancient lineage of Cronus, and daughter of the Duchess of the Galapagos Rise, Princess Lenore,” Thatcher proclaimed as Shelly stood at the top of a marble staircase. A conch shell sounded, and hundreds of merpeople in the ballroom clapped. Shelly saw Lorelei staring at her with a look of surprise. Many cousins frowned. All of them stared at the top of Shelly’s head, where the Crown of Joy should have been!
Pearl nudged Shelly, reminding her to nod and wave.
Thatcher read aloud from a kelp note in his hand. “Announcing the arrival of Merlady Echo, Merlady Kiki, and Merlady Pearl. They are ambassadors from Trident Academy.” Echo, Kiki, and Pearl smiled and waved.
“Wow, that was quite an introduction,” Echo whispered after they’d all floated to the bottom of the steps.
Pearl giggled. “Did you hear him call us merladies? I can’t wait to tell my mother. She’s going to faint!”
When Queen Edwina glided over, Shelly felt like she might pass out herself. “You all look so lovely,” the queen said with a smile. She leaned in to examine Shelly’s hair. “Shelly, I love those flowers, but where is the Crown of Joy? I thought you were saving it for tonight.”
Tears filled Shelly’s eyes. How could she tell her aunt the tiara was gone?
Pearl put her arm around Shelly and faced the queen. “Your Highness, something very strange has happened,” Pearl began.
“And what is that?” the queen asked.
“Well,” Pearl said slowly, “somehow the Crown of Joy was misplaced. It—it is missing.”
/> The queen fainted, but luckily, two royal guards caught her. “Aunt Edwina, are you okay?” Shelly cried.
The queen opened her eyes as another merservant brought a chair for her to sit in. “How could you? That tiara belonged to my great-grandmother!” the queen said with a gasp. “It is irreplaceable!”
Tears streamed down Shelly’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry!” she whispered.
Shelly didn’t know what to do, so she turned and fled. She could hear her friends calling after her, but she ignored them.
Shelly didn’t stop swimming for a long time. Finally she found herself treading water at the sea horse stables, where she collapsed and cried. The soft neighs and whinnies of the horses soothed her.
Many merminutes passed before Shelly heard a voice. It was Echo!
“There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you.” Echo floated into the stables, followed by Kiki and Pearl.
Pearl held her nose. “Ew!” she muttered. “Sea horse stink cannot be good for my beautiful gown!”
Shelly wiped her eyes. “I know I shouldn’t have left like that, but I didn’t know what else to do. I can’t face the queen!”
“It was very rude of you,” Pearl told her, only it sounded funny because Pearl was still holding her nose.
“Please come back,” Kiki said. “The queen is worried about you.”
“We have to tell her that Helga took the Crown of Joy!” Echo added.
Shelly shook her head. “That’s not right. We can’t be sure Helga took it!”
Pearl rolled her eyes. “She’s been mean to you ever since we’ve been here.”
“But that doesn’t mean she stole the crown,” Shelly insisted.
Kiki nodded. “Shelly’s right. We don’t have any proof.”
“Never mind,” Pearl said impatiently. “We have to get back to the ball. I didn’t even get to dance yet!”
Shelly nodded, and a few sea lavender petals floated away from her hair. She didn’t think she could face the queen again, but she knew she had to. She took a deep breath and followed her merfriends.
The Thief Revealed
INSIDE THE PALACE, SHELLY returned to the ballroom, but she didn’t approach her aunt. Instead she hid in a corner with Echo and Kiki, sipping shipworm punch. An orchestra of seventeen mermen and merwomen played beautiful music as dancers floated across the floor. François waltzed by with a glass of punch in his hand. He was wearing a sparkling orange mersuit.
“This punch is fin-tastic,” Echo said, but to Shelly it tasted like sea mud.
Shelly nearly choked on her drink when Pearl floated up to her with Queen Edwina. “Tell the queen!” Pearl demanded. “Tell her what happened to the Crown of Joy!”
The music screeched to a stop, and everyone turned to stare at Shelly.
Shelly shook her head. “I don’t know what happened. The Crown of Joy just disappeared.”
Echo whispered Helga’s name in Shelly’s ear, and Shelly looked up to see the merservant glaring at her. Helga was grumpy and mean, but Shelly couldn’t accuse her of taking the tiara when she wasn’t sure.
“I know who took it!” Pearl announced.
“Well then, please tell me,” Queen Edwina said, “so we can get it back.”
Pearl looked around the quiet ballroom and opened her mouth to tell everyone her suspicions.
But to Shelly’s surprise, someone else spoke up first.
“I did,” Lorelei said.
Sounds of shock came from the crowd. Even Pearl looked stunned.
The queen put her hand over her heart and turned to Lorelei. “But why?”
Lorelei bowed her head. “I was jealous of Shelly.”
“Jealous of me?” Shelly asked in wonder.
“I always wanted the Crown of Joy, but Auntie gave it to you instead,” Lorelei said softly. “I hid it in my room so you wouldn’t be able to wear it. I was going to return it, but then you took my seat at dinner and made Queen Edwina skip our fencing lesson. I was afraid you were taking my place.”
Queen Edwina shook her head and held out her arms for Shelly and Lorelei. “Oh, my sweet darlings. No one could ever take either one of your places in my heart. I gave Shelly the crown because it had belonged to her mother.”
Relief washed over Shelly as the queen hugged both her nieces. Her aunt wasn’t mad . . . and Shelly hadn’t lost the Crown of Joy after all.
Lorelei patted Shelly’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
Shelly knew she should have been angry at her cousin, but she wasn’t. Lorelei was just as scared as she had been. Shelly held her arms out, and Lorelei fell into the hug.
But Queen Edwina had another surprise for Shelly.
“Please forgive me, too,” the queen said.
“Whatever for?” Shelly asked.
“For getting so upset. I should have been more understanding,” the queen explained. “After all, it’s just a crown. And I’ve lost things myself. How can I make it up to you?”
“There is one thing,” Shelly whispered. She was afraid to ask, but this might be her only chance.
“What can I do?” the queen asked.
“Could Lorelei visit me in Trident City?” Shelly asked.
Lorelei’s hand flew to her mouth, and Queen Edwina nodded. “That’s an excellent idea, but I’d like to do something for you as well.”
Shelly hesitated for just a minute before blurting, “Can you give me fencing lessons too?”
Queen Edwina threw back her head and let out a jolly laugh. “Of course. I insist! Now, we must enjoy the ball.” Queen Edwina floated away toward her throne.
“That was so shelltacular!” Pearl said. “You asked the queen for two favors and you got them.”
Lorelei hugged Shelly. “Thank you for being so understanding. I know I was mean, but I really am sorry. Cousins and princesses should stick together. I promise that from now on, I’ll be the best cousin in the whole merworld.”
Shelly smiled. “That sounds totally wave-tastic!” she said with a laugh.
Postcards from Neptune’s Castle
REFRAIN:
Let the water roar
Deep down we’re swimming along
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
VERSE 1:
Shelly f lips her tail
Racing, diving, chasing a whale
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
VERSE 2:
Pearl likes to shine
Oh my Neptune, she looks so fine
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
VERSE 3:
Shining Echo f lips her tail
Backward and forward without fail
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
VERSE 4:
Amazing Kiki
Far from home and f loating so free
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
Author’s Note
WHEN I WAS A YOUNG girl, I loved visiting my grandmother, Lillie Bailey. She had beautiful antique dishes that I thought were so pretty. One day I broke one! I was so afraid that my grandmother would be mad at me. I thought about hiding the dish. Finally I told my grandmother the truth, and she wasn’t mad at all!
I thought about my grandmother when Queen Edwina got upset about the tiara. I believe we should not be wasteful and should take care of our things, but I also believe that people are more important than things. What do you believe?
Your mermaid friend,
Debbie Dadey
Glossary
BEACH MORNING GLORY: This lovely flower grows along the shore.
BELUGA STURGEON: Sturgeon were alive during the time of the dinosaurs, but now they are threatened with extinction.
BLUECHEEK BUTTERFLYFISH: This bright-yellow fish has a blue patch around its eyes. If a coral reef is healthy, it is sure to have many butterflyfish.
BONEFISH: This fish is indeed very bony. It is silvery with dark markings on its ba
ck.
BREADCRUMB SPONGE: In deeper waters, this soft sponge has a yellow color.
COLD-WATER CORAL: This is one of just a few reef-forming corals that live in cold water.
CORAL WEED: This red seaweed is dark pink when in the shade and light pink in sunny spots.
DOLPHINFISH: This fast fish can leap out of the water, showing its shiny green back.
EEL: Eels are fish, but they look very much like snakes.
GIANT BRAIN CORAL: This huge coral, which looks like a brain, can live to be hundreds of years old. It can grow to be as wide as a person is tall!
GIANT KELP: Giant kelp is the largest seaweed in the world. It can grow twenty-four inches in one day!
GULPER EEL: This eel has enormous jaws that allow it to swallow food as big as itself.
HUMP CORAL: This looks like a large, bumpy rock, but it’s really a living coral colony that sticks out its tentacles at night to feed.
IRISH MOSS: This is a tough red seaweed that is used to thicken ice cream and yogurt!
KILLER WHALES: Also called orcas, these are sometimes mistaken for whales, but they are actually dolphins. They often hunt in groups and eat fish, squid, seals, and birds.
LADYFISH: This slim, silvery blue fish will skip along the top of the water if alarmed.
PILLOW LAVA: When hot lava oozes out of ocean crests and meets the cold water, it forms blobs called pillow lava.
RABBITFISH: This fish, also known as a rat fish, is related to sharks. Part of its spine is very poisonous and can inflict serious wounds on humans.
SEA HORSES: Sea horses are small fish that look very much like tiny horses, except with tails instead of legs.
SEA LAVENDER: Common sea lavender grows along the shore.
SEA POTATO: This sea urchin digs in the ground and looks surprisingly like a baked potato.
