Dance of the Mermaids

Chapter 7 – The Fishermen's Lament

Alexander

My father was much better the next day. I wondered if he was genuinely sick the day before, but I shook off the traitorous thought. Knowing that he was again occupied with addressing the villagers' problems in his Throne Room, it was easier to set off on an adventure on my own. I dressed down as much as I could, wearing khaki jodhpurs that reached my calves and a white long-sleeved shirt. I completed the look with suspenders, a dirty pair of boots, and a newsboy cap. I had a dagger sheathed on my right hip.

"Where are you going?"

I exhaled audibly, annoyed. My disguise was not as good as I thought it would be. Then again, it was my brother who caught me. Of course, he would recognize me. We were about the same height, a few inches over six feet tall. We also had the same athletic build that we honed with swordplay. Our father also did not want us growing up as "skinny sissies," so he had us perform some hard labor in the stables and grounds with the servants. As young children, Evan and I found it hilarious, fun, and diverting at the same time. During those moments, we were allies. Sometimes, we were rivals, too.

"Up and about," I answered lightly.

"Mm. Little Alex has a secret rendezvous," Evan teased, a smirk on his face and a glint in his eyes. His face still looked bruised, but he was his usual self. "Aren't you going to invite me?"

"No," I snapped.

"Are you going to our mysterious guest? It's not fair that Father wants me to keep away from her while you sneak out to meet her."

"I'm not meeting with her, Evan!"

"What’s up with your clothes, then? Why the secrecy?”

“I’m going to the village,” I said, anyway. I still had a long way to go learning how to lie. “You don’t really want me to wear princely regalia there, or do you?”

That meant all the trappings, like my father sending me with a carriage and footmen.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to ruin your little rendezvous for you. I’ve got other things to do.”

Now, it was my turn to be wary. I thought he was going to volunteer to come with me, and I almost considered the idea.

“I won’t take long,” I promised.

“Oh, take all the time that you need,” he winked. “Leave Father to me.”

I scoffed. There was nothing that could dissuade Evan from his present train of thought. I had to leave. The village was not that far away, but it would take me almost an hour to get there on foot.

It was a cool day. It was just right for brisk walking. The sea wafted the smell of saltwater from my left side, though the view was blocked by trees. Nobody could get lost as long as they kept the sea to their left.

Seagulls screamed while a lone crow cawed not too far over my head. I walked even faster, energized, trying to get there before the hour was up. I kept a pocket watch in my leather pouch. I had made sure that the pouch looked battered as if it had been passed on for generations, an heirloom rather than a luxury.

After a few more minutes, I smelled not only saltwater but the strong blends of mud, fish, and rain. It seemed that this side of the kingdom had just been blessed with a downpour. I was lucky not to have been rained on in the path towards the village.

It was also noisy, filled with horses’ hooves, people’s footsteps, and vendors screaming for a sale. I saw that while my outfit was like many of the young men’s own, mine seemed far too new against the grimy ones the peasants wore. I wondered if it was a good idea to be there at all.

Still, I had walked more than two miles and my feet are sore. The dirty boots I wore were barely used in reality. The leather pinched at my toes. We had too many pairs, and this one had been there for about a year. Seeing the people in the village, however, made me ashamed of my problems.

Guided by my nose, I found a fish shop. Different types of fish hung from strings. Some of them were piled on top of each other. They looked and smelled fresh enough, although I was no expert. Merlana, the cook, said something about checking the eyes. Then again, I was not there to buy any fish.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” I addressed the vendor. “I heard that there was an incident about some fishermen the other day.”

“Are you going to buy fish or not, lad?” she grunted.

Fair enough. I was asking questions. What indeed would she get in return? I looked left and right, ensuring that nobody saw me pulling a few coins from my pouch.

“I’m not buying fish. Not today, ma’am. However, I’m here to buy some information,” I said, placing the coins on her grimy, outstretched hand. She grinned, showing several gaps in her teeth. The rest that was left were stained black.

“Very well, son. There was a lil’ incident in the sea. The waves tossed the fishermen’s boat. Some of them men did not make it alive, but the ones who did reach the shore were screaming in pain an’ horror.”

“Horror?” I asked, although I knew the answer.

“They said they wus attacked by mermaids. One of 'em could barely speak, but you can talk to Caiel. That one is a hard one. He still delivered fish yesterday and today as if nothin' happened.”

“Where is this Caiel person?” I asked.

“You see that man over there with the wide-brimmed hat and the tobacco?” the vendor asked, pointing at a man sitting on a stool. His eyes were focused on the sea as he sat there, not caring about how everyone milled around him. Some even bounced into him and his chair.

“Yes. I can see him.”

“He is purty easy to spot, ain’t he? Go ahead, lad. Don’t be ‘fraid.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“Well, at least hold on to your coins. The eyes over ‘ere are purty sharp. You dun wanna go home to your pa and ma with every one of them gone.”

Was that a threat? She assumed that I had everything I had in the world with me. I guessed that was safer than having her know who I was – a prince. I strode towards the man, almost getting bumped by several people. Although I was a good head taller than most of the throng, it was easy to get overwhelmed in the sounds, smells, and overall crowdedness of the village market.

“Good day, sir,” I greeted.

“Good day, lad. What can I do for you?” he asked, barely looking at me. His eyes seemed transfixed. I bet that if I looked closer, I would see swirling blues and greens reflected there.

“The lady over there told me that you were one of the surviving fishermen.”

“Yes, I am. Still, that ‘un over there is no lady.”

“She seems to sell your fish,” I tried to find something nice about the woman. I did not know why I was trying to resolve whatever enmity there was between the fisherman and the vendor.

“Ah. Yes. Precisely. She pays very little coin for fish we worked hard for.”

There it was. It seemed like the vendor loved coin a little bit too much. It did not make sense not to give the fisherman a few gold coins, too. This time around, I was a little careless. I took some coins from my leather pouch and forced them right into Caiel’s palm. He fought them off at first, but gave in.

“Young man, everyone can see you have plenty of coins in your pouch. Be careful around here,” the fisherman warned. His face was older than I first thought. Under the wide-brimmed hat was a face that was browned and lined by age and the sea. “Who are you, really?”

“I am nobody,” I said hastily.

“I don’t think so, my lad. Look behind you. Discreetly like. Two thugs had been watching you. Even those hooligans know that you are different.”

I subtly turned my head to the right and let my eyes drift towards my back. True enough, two burly men were watching me with naked interest.

“Forget about who I may be, what happened to you and the others at sea?”

He took off his hat and I saw that there were some lacerations on his temples. He narrowed his eyes at me, daring me to say something then.

“Were there really mermaids?” I continued my line of questioning.

“I must admit I did not see any mermaid, but I saw a swish of a tail. It seemed to retreat from us right after the wind picked up and our boat capsized. The others were screaming until the waters filled their lungs. Teddy could no longer talk. He sits at the asylum, noddin’ his head at the wall. Joshua goes around town, talking about how he saw the mermaids.”

Caiel seemed honest. He made no blatant claims that he saw a mermaid. However, the tail, the sudden surge, and the other fisherman ending up in the asylum all seemed to say the same thing. The little girl was right. The mermaids had attacked the poor fishermen.

“Thank you, Caiel. I may come here again to find out more about the mermaids.”

I was about to leave when I heard his stuttering words.

“Are you – are you?”

“Yes, Caiel?” I asked apprehensively.

“Yer him. Yer one of the princes. Are you the one with dark hair? Oh, yes you are. I can see a little bit of your hair. I’ve met yer father a long time ago. The other fishermen had brought the merman to him.”

“A merman?” I echoed Caiel.

“Yes, Your Highness. Some fishermen caught a merman. He – he,” Caiel’s face revealed horror and revulsion.

I guess it was out in the open now. I was grateful for how he whispered the words, careful not to let anyone else hear them.

“What did the merman do?” I demanded, voice rising despite my plan to keep myself calm.

“The merman did not do anything, Your Highness. It’s what they did to 'im. He was all in pieces. I think you and your brother were there.”

Flashes of red jolted me. I was there. Caiel was referring to that same incident that I recalled from that time.

“Yes, we were,” I admitted.

“I don’t know which side is worse, Your Highness. I saw a tail in the water, but I sometimes wonder if they have a reason to despise us, too.”

“They are freaks of nature, Caiel. They are godless or do not have the same god as we do.”

“I guess you’re right, Your Highness,” there was uncertainty in his voice. I reminded myself that a man had ended up in the asylum. What man would feel so much fear that his mind broke? It could not be a simple storm. Fishermen were used to storms.

“I bid you goodbye, for now, Caiel,” I said, smiling.

“Goodbye, Prince,” he said, his voice choking a little. I noted that the whites in his hair outnumbered the blacks. He must have been older than Father. My heart squeezed at the thought of people his age still laboring for some food to eat.

I turned. I should make it home before twilight. I felt like I kept on losing time, as the sun seemed to fade sooner than expected.

I forgot that two thugs were waiting for me. I remembered them when a large fist connected with my jaw. I cursed in my head. Again? What was it with me and getting punched nowadays. I had a dagger with me, but I would try avoiding having to use it. They did not know I was a prince. I could be sent to a little jail cell in the village if I severely wound or kill one or both of them.

I fell on the muddy ground, my hands breaking the fall behind my back. Then, though my jaw was smarting, I went into a crouching position. I unsheathed my dagger and s***h through one of the men’s trousers, hitting his shin. Blood spurted out and he howled in pain. I quickly sheathed back my dagger. Then, I punched him in the face. Twice. I went between the two thugs. No, I was not going to hide. I had to get this over with. The other man slugged at me with his right fist. I docked and his fist connected against the nape of the other man’s neck. In the confusion, I took my dagger again, bent low, and slashed at one foot’s Achilles tendon. There. It would bide me some time. I took out the rest of the coins in my pouch and threw them at the two thugs. They could have just asked nicely.

Then, I made a run for it. I ran and ran. I had not been in many fights, but it seemed that I had been attracting them lately. Panting, I only stopped after I was sure I was far enough. I was probably a quarter through my journey. I had covered a kilometer without breaks. Great. My father would be proud of me. I was not just a prince who always slept with a book on my belly and an empty bottle of rum under my bed.

Exhausted, I walked the next few meters slowly and with my hands on my hips. After a few more minutes, I was walking briskly again.

Just when I thought all danger was gone, I saw the strange little girl with the greenish strands of hair standing in the middle of the path.

“What?”

I blinked. Then, she was gone.