Kira wondered what Cody was doing at that very moment. Wouldn’t he love to be down here with her, watching fish with spikes and whiskers, some of them glowing green. There were fish that looked like tiny ping-pong balls with fins, and others that resembled brown sticks. And the elegant winged rays gliding by like regal eagles. It was all so fantastic.
Kira thought how fortunate she was to have found these dolphins. They were going out of their way to help her, a stranger, and not even a member of their species. She remembered books she had read, and movies she had seen that featured dolphins. She had always thought they were the most beautiful and intelligent animals on the earth. One of her dreams was to watch a dolphin show in Florida, and perhaps become a dolphin trainer some day. To work and play with them seemed like the perfect job, until she discovered she was a mermaid. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“Steen, did you know that humans train dolphins to do tricks, and put them in shows for people to watch?”
Steen gave her a quick sideways glance but said nothing for a while. “Yes, we know. It is a tragedy for those dolphins and their families.”
“Oh,” Kira said, surprised. “They always seem to be having so much fun. And don’t they get cared for, and get all the fish they want to eat?”
“All is not what it appears to be, Kira. Some may be treated well, but many are not. They are prisoners, taken unwillingly from their families and their homes.” Steen gave her a stern look. “Have you ever been kept in a small space, Kira? With enough room to move around, perhaps, but without the freedom to go where you wished, to play or to spend time with your friends, or eat the food you wanted?”
Kira thought for a while. At first she wanted to say no, but then she remembered the times she spent in classes she hated, or in the house doing chores when she wanted to be outside.
“And worse still,” he continued, “to be kept in cramped spaces knowing you will never be allowed out again. For a dolphin, it is the end of life, it is death.”
Just then, Kira noticed a glow from the sea floor ahead of them. Steen flipped over on his side, and the other dolphins all flipped in unison, like a formation of fighter jets in aerial display.
Then a sound that Kira barely heard: “We approach the palace,” Steen whispered.
Kira didn’t know if she should speak. She whispered back, “What palace?”
“Merhaven, where the merrow king and queen reside. They rule over this part of the ocean. They will probably know who your parents are, or where your family is.”
“Why are we whispering?” Kira asked.
“Shhh. Just swim for now. Do what we do.”
With that, the ball of dolphins moved closer to Kira in the centre and descended toward the palace. At this distance, the palace shone brightly and Kira could make out movement all around it. Amongst the tall waving forest of kelp, there were merrows—dozens of them. She could feel her heart expanding with excitement.
They stopped and hovered before they reached palace gates, watching several large male merrows wearing shiny helmets approach them. Steen swam ahead to meet the guards.
“Greetings, merrow folk and palace guards,” Steen said, bowing his head. “We have accompanied a merrowling who is lost and looking for her family. Will you allow her to be presented to the king and queen?”
One of the merrows gave Kira a hard look. She thought perhaps his helmet was pressing too hard on his brow, all wrinkled from the weight. Perhaps he had a headache. But he did not look the type who might appreciate such thoughts. She wondered if she should be afraid of him. What if the king and queen did not want to see her?
“We have sent a messenger to the court,” the guard replied curtly.
While they all remained in position, the merrow guards staring with suspicion at Kira, she noticed that their scales were all silver, not gold and pink like her own. She looked at the other merrows swimming around the gates, some going in with baskets or armloads of clams and seaweed, others coming out. Many of them stared back at her; others ignored her and went about their work. All of them were various tones of silver.
Kira began to worry that perhaps this was not her clan of merrows. What if the colour of scales indicated family relationships? If they weren’t related, perhaps the king and queen would know where her kin might be. At this point she was weary and hungry, and not keen on swimming much farther. If she had to continue her journey, perhaps they might offer her a place to rest before she carried on.
A merman swam up to the head guard and whispered in his ear.
“The merrowling may enter the palace,” the guard announced, and motioned at Kira to come forward.
Kira swam up to Steen first. She wanted to give him a hug, but that seemed too human and undignified. Instead she touched his pectoral fin lightly. “Thank you, Steen. If there is anything I can ever do for you, please let me know.”
“You already have, young Kira. May your path be clear, and your heart light, merrowling. Farewell.” With that, Steen and his companions flipped around and swam away. Kira felt the force of their propulsion as they pushed off. They were powerful swimmers, much faster than she was. Suddenly she felt abandoned and vulnerable.
“This way, my lady,” one of the other guards said to Kira, and he bowed, offering a hand to her. Tentatively Kira took his hand and together they swam past the crystal gates and into the palace. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all, she thought.
Chapter Thirteen—
Merhaven
Passing through the palace, Kira was dazzled by the gleaming white crystal ceilings and pillars. Some of the rooms were separated from each other by curtains of sea grass in shades of primrose, pale carnation, and fuchsia pinks. The walls had a golden sheen, and Kira wondered if they were made of real gold. Several merrows bowed as she and her escort passed by them. Some gave her wary looks; others gaped in surprise. They must not have many visitors, she thought, especially with gold and pink scales.
Finally, they arrived at a set of ornate gold doors that reached to the high ceiling above. Two large, well-muscled mermen pulled the doors open to reveal a huge room with pillars lining each side. Pink and gold tiles in the shape of starfish formed a path to the far end of the room, where she saw the two royal thrones. The merman and mermaid who sat on the thrones wore tall gold crowns studded with flashing gems. Shiny gold capes draped their shoulders and spilled over their laps, nearly hiding their tails. The mermaid queen had the longest, blackest hair Kira had ever seen. The strands reached down to her tail fin and swirled around her like hundreds of uncoiled sea snakes.
Kira’s escort leaned over and whispered, “Never stare into their eyes. It is disrespectful and not allowed by common merrows.”
“What happens if you do? By accident, I mean,” Kira whispered back.
“Just don’t do it,” he warned.
If she hadn’t been underwater, Kira was sure she’d be sweating by now. She had never met a king and queen before. She decided she’d look at their chins instead. Perhaps it would safer to look at their feet, or rather, their tails.
They stopped about twenty feet from the thrones. An elderly merman who had been standing next to the king moved forward slightly and asked, “Who is this merrowling come before the king and queen?”
The escort answered, “I know not, My Lord Chancellor. She came accompanied by Sir Steen. He says she seeks her kin.”
“Indeed,” said the chancellor, stroking his long grey beard while he studied her. Kira noticed that his scales were the colour of lead. Perhaps that happened to older merrows. Or maybe they just needed a good polishing like her mother’s tarnished silver at home.
“Tell us, merrowling, where do you come from, and how did you find Merhaven?”
Kira proceeded to tell her story, of how she was rescued and only learned much later that she was a mermaid.
“And why are you gold? H
ow did you acquire this form?” he asked, scowling at her.
“I, I don’t know, Sir. It just happened that way. I had no control over it,” she said, her voice starting to tremble. The queen leaned over to whisper to the king and Kira noticed that the scales peaking out from under the queen’s cloak were pale silver, while the king’s were a dull bronze. So, the colour of scales was important after all. Was she from an enemy tribe of merrows, perhaps? Was her life in danger here?
“Oh, you silly man,” the queen addressed the chancellor in a high, shrill voice, “don’t you see this must be a relative of the former king and queen? It’s obvious! Look at her skin. Come here, little one, let me have a closer look at you,” she commanded.
Kira didn’t dare raise her head, but she moved up along the stairs to the throne where the queen sat. The queen reached out with a large webbed hand that ended with claw-like fingernails, and lifted up Kira’s chin. Kira closed her eyes tight.
“Oh, bother, you can open your eyes. Let’s have a look.”
Kira opened one eye a little, then the other. She wasn’t sure she liked what she saw. The queen had small dark eyes that darted back and forth like captive minnows. Her skin was chalky white; she had thick, black eyebrows, a long narrow nose, and large front teeth. She pursed her thin lips, reminding Kira of a puffer fish she had seen that morning.
“Hmm, she could be related. Those eyes...” She turned to the king. “What do you think, Nim?”
“It is possible, I suppose,” he mumbled, barely glancing at Kira. He turned his head away as if she was not worth considering.
Kira took a quick peek at him. The king appeared to be short and round, though it was hard to tell as he sat on the throne. His wavy hair was coconut brown, and his features ordinary except for his green eyes.
“What is your name, merrowling?” the queen asked.
“Kira.”
There was a great murmuring in the hall and the chancellor rapped a long staff on the ground.
“Silence!” he ordered. He glared at Kira. “Humans are ignorant. They have taught you poor manners and no decorum. When you address the queen and king you always say, Your Highness. Is that clear?” he boomed at her.
Kira shuddered under his scowl. “Y-yes…er, Sir.” As frightened as she was, she still resented being berated and shouted at. Especially in front of all the other merrows.
The queen waved an impatient hand. “Now, Kira, what is it you want from us?”
Kira swallowed. “I just want to find my parents. Your Highness.”
A few titters from the hall followed.
“Well now, that may not be something we can grant you. Assuming the former king and queen were your parents, they went missing a long time ago. I suppose around the same time you were rescued by those humans. We have no idea what happened to them, but we assumed the worst. So we stepped in as the nearest kin. I am your aunt.”
Kira stared at the queen. No way! How could this merwoman possibly be related to her? The queen frowned at Kira, whose mouth was gaping. She closed her mouth and hung her head. That was it? She had come all this way and her parents were probably dead, just as she’d always been told.
“Do I have any brothers or sisters?” Kira asked in a tiny voice. “Or other relatives, Your Highness?”
The queen’s high-pitched grating laugh made Kira shrink back.
“No, you were their only child, no other relatives but us. You have two cousins, you know, Borin and Amelie.” She tilted her large head and smiled in a way that made Kira shiver. “You should stay with us a while here at Merhaven. I am certain you would enjoy getting to know each other. You are about the same age.” Without waiting for a reply, the queen waved her hand and two mermaids approached. They took Kira by the arms and led her away.
She did not resist. Kira was exhausted, hungry, and demoralized. She decided to rest that night then return home. If these were her only living merrow relatives, she did not care to remain any longer than necessary. The last thing she wanted now was to worry her human parents if they returned home before she did. Her quest for the truth, her mission under the sea, was over.
Chapter Fourteen—
Borin and Amelie
Kira could barely keep her eyes open as she ate a meal of fresh pale-blue fish served on a bed of delicious, chewy seaweed, all laid out on a gold plate. Her room was like the cabin on a boat, dark and small and snug, and her bed a berth with pink fluffy sea grass to lie on. She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep as soon as she lay down and closed her eyes.
She awakened to the sound of giggles. For a moment Kira didn’t know where she was and began to panic. Was she in a prison cell? Then a young mermaid appeared at her side, staring down at her. The girl looked to be about ten years old, with long raven-black hair that fanned all around her like a cape.
“Are you awake yet?” she demanded, boring into Kira with her intense black eyes.
Ah, Kira thought, this must be a cousin. “Yes, I’m awake. Who are you?” she asked as she sat up. She didn’t want to make any more mistakes about how she was to address royalty.
“I am Princess Amelie,” the merrowling announced, and proudly drew herself up. “But you may call me Amelie because you are kin.”
“Hello, Amelie. I’m glad to make your acquaintance.” Kira bowed her head slightly as she rose from her bed.
At full height, Kira was much taller, or in this case, longer than her cousin. Amelie immediately swam higher so her head was above Kira’s.
“They told me to ask if you wanted something to eat. You call it breakfast, they said.” Amelie wrinkled her nose in disapproval.
“I am a little hungry,” Kira admitted. She wondered what they called their meals, or if they even ate at set times of the day.
“Follow me, then.” Amelie swam out of the small room and Kira followed her through a maze of hallways. They entered a large spacious room where several mermaids were preparing food. The layout was not much different from the kitchen at the diner where Kira’s mother worked, but there was no sink or fridge or stove, just long counters everywhere. Hanging from the ceiling were clear sacs holding swimming fish, clams, mussels and lobsters, and on the counters huge piles of seaweed. A plump, fair-haired mermaid approached Kira with a long string of purplish seaweed covered with lavender-coloured balls the size of cherries.
“Here you are. Have some loram puffs, m’lady.” She held them out to Kira who took the string of puffs and stared at them as they waved about in the water.
The kitchen maid smiled at Kira. “Have you not eaten them before?”
Kira shook her head.
“Here, you just twist off the puff and pop it into your mouth, like this.” She demonstrated for Kira, and smiled shyly as she chewed.
Kira plucked a puff from the string and did the same. The puff was juicy and the flavour reminded her of cranberries—only these berries were salty-sweet, not tart.
As she ate the puffs, Amelie swam around the kitchen, pouting. “Why do we always have to eat so much seaweed? It’s so boring. I’d rather have seahorses,” she said. “I like how they crunch and they’re spicy.”
Kira shuddered at the picture that created. Those sweet little seahorses, how could anyone eat them?
Amelie tugged at Kira’s arm when she ate her last loram puff, and they left the kitchen. After swimming through more hallways and rooms, they entered a large open courtyard. Inside the high white walls were two unusual structures. One of them, a peach-coloured dome pierced with several holes, looked like it was made of coral.
“That’s a maze for the little ones. See that big blue one back there? That’s for me and my brother. But you can play in it, too.”
They swam up to the blue maze, which was the size of Kira’s house back on land. Amelie beckoned her in and Kira swam into an opening on an upper level. It was as complicated inside as the re
st of the palace. Though she’d been right behind her, Amelie had disappeared down a tunnel and was lost from sight. Kira began to wonder if she’d ever be able to find her way out again.
Suddenly, out of a dark opening, a large grinning face popped out, right in front of hers. Kira braked to a quick, heart-popping stop.
“Ha! Scared you, didn’t I?” he laughed, then flipped around and disappeared. The other cousin, Borin, Kira thought, her heart still pounding. He looked a lot like his younger sister, only his hair was brown like the king’s, and his teeth seemed rather long. Her cousins had an unusual way of introducing themselves. She’d have to keep an eye on them.
When she finally exited the blue maze, there was no sign of Amelie or Borin. She found it curious that there would be an open, unprotected area of the palace where the youngsters were allowed to play. There were no guards visible anywhere. Kira decided to swim up to the ramparts and have a look out. As she reached the top of the wall she smacked the crown of her head on something very hard.
“Ouch! What the…?” Kira backed away and looked up as she rubbed her throbbing head. Far below, she heard her cousins laughing. How rude, she thought, and decided to ignore them. Reaching up, she felt a smooth clear ceiling above her. It looked like glass, but was not as slick. If the palace was made of white crystal, perhaps the ceiling was clear crystal. No wonder they didn’t need guards hovering nearby; it was just another room in the palace.
Borin and Amelie swam up to join her. Kira did not want to let on how much her head hurt, but she was most annoyed with her cousins. “So, you must be Borin, the Brave?” she asked.
“Prince Borin,” he said, glowering at her.
Kira noticed that both of them had silvery tails like most of the others. “Very well,” she said, and drew herself up to her full length. She noticed, with satisfaction, that she was longer than Borin by an inch or so. “You may call me Princess Kira.”
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