The Hidden Jewel

     The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky as the ocean twinkled as if covered in a million stars. Below the surface, the reef showed beautiful coral with all kinds of creatures swimming within its borders and if you were paying attention you may notice the glint of a bigger creature swimming within the waves. Rocky cliffs rose high over the water that gave way to a beautiful beach untouched by man and hidden caves that had never been explored. If this secret paradise was found it would give way to the biggest secret of the ocean as the beach would be covered in beautiful colors ranging from the darkest blacks to the whitest whites and every color in between. But these were no ordinary colors you would find in the coral reefs or even on the fish that lived there. These were the colors of the merfolk. The tails of the merfolk were some of the most beautiful things you would ever see in the world and that was their beach that would be covered in the families of the most powerful creatures in the sea. Up until the fateful day that begins our story. ~      The sweetest sound floated on the wind as you follow it up towards the white sand of the beach finding the queen of the merfolk resting on the rocks holding tightly to her little squirming bundle in her arms. “I love to dance, dilly dilly, I love to sing. When I am queen, dilly, dilly you’ll be my king:...” The singing danced all over the cove as the merfolk listened to their queen.       She was the most beautiful with her pitch-black hair resting just below her chest in perfect ocean waves with her iridescent tail that put the shimmer of the ocean to shame. Everyone adored the queen and a legend went that her singing could heal someone if she wished it. The little bundle in her arms cooed up at her mother reaching up for her as her song finished. “My little Pearl you will be the best queen one day” she had said pressing a soft kiss to the baby's ruby-red hair as a merman swam up to the two.      He was graced with muscles that looked like they had been carved by gods. His hair sported the same ruby-red color as Pearl but his tail was a brilliant cerulean that matched with his eyes. “My love,  we should head back to the castle.” He said as the queen flashed him the biggest smile.        Ever so gently she laid their daughter in his large arms showing just how tiny the baby was before cupping his cheeks and pressing the softest feather-like kiss to her lips. “Take her to bed, my love. I will join you shortly. I just want to finish watching the sunset.”       The king nodded as he held the child gingerly in his arms feeling like he would break her as he slowly slipped into the water. Once his head disappeared beneath the waves that's when all hell broke loose. The screams of his people surrounded the King as his eyes shot to the surface seeing the water-soaked red from the setting sun but also from the blood of his people. As the families fled below the surface he swam quickly to the surface with his eyes on the queen but as he broke the surface he was too late. He watched as the love of his life had a harpoon shot straight through her heart watching her blood dropping into the water below painting the sands a blood-red. Tears filled his eyes as he watched the human's ships drawing nearer cheering at their discovery. Neron wanted to fight but the sound of his daughter crying in his arms made him realize what was important in his life now as he sank below the water unable to keep his eyes off the face of his dying queen. From that day forward no merfolk were allowed to be at the surface or face banishment.