The Princess Who Wasn't

Chapter Fifteen: Together, At Last

Merilla was just floating with the boat, exhausted but too wary of what may be waiting to sleep when the tugging pull turned into something more comfortable, warm, and inviting. Unknowing what it meant she didn’t question it too hard but instead welcomed and accepted it. Obviously, the feeling had something to do with her tail and she hoped to find out all its secrets soon enough. In this moment though, the feeling soothed her just enough that she drifted into a soft sleep.

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There was a small brown boat in the distance and hanging onto it was the girl they had been searching for. Her red hair shone in the sun just as her mothers did. As they swam closer Queen Mirabelle noticed the girl, her daughter, was hunched over and gasped as she made her tail move faster than it ever had in fear that something bad had happened. It didn’t take but a second for King Jasper to move up beside her, his tail going equally as fast and Bryon moved slightly ahead as his tail was stronger and therefore could move more water.

Mere minutes had passed when the three mer-people approached the girl and her boat. They noticed she was skinny, tired looking, and not harmed but sleeping. Lightly, hesitantly, Queen Mirabelle reached out and touched her daughters cheek; making Merilla jerk awake and accidentally propel herself backwards. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the woman who looked like her but well fed and older. The man who bobbed in the water close to the woman with soft eyes drew her attention next and next to him she saw a man older than the other too with a big smile that reached his eyes and every small wrinkle around them.

Queen Mirabelle was the first to hesitantly speak, “What is your name child?”

Merilla focused onto the soft spoken woman with the quivering voice, “My name is Merilla.”

The mother smiled and replied, “Merilla, you do not know us but we know you. We have loved you for over 15 years. We have searched for you for 14 years, and I know we startled you but we are so happy and relieved to have finally found you… daughter.”

Merilla gasped as the words hit her as hard as any hand ever had. These were her parents? Her parents loved her? They searched for her? Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the three adults in disbelief before her feelings turned accusatory, “You left me! You wanted me dead! I was just a baby! You n-n-never loved me!” The last sentence was choked out of Merilla’s mouth as all the feelings she had pressed down over the years welled up to the surface.

“No!” The queen cried out in true sorrow over her lost daughter, “We would have never left you! There was a swell 3 months before your first name day! It ripped you out of my arms and tore us apart. We have been searching for you ever since and had almost given up hope when just over a week ago we felt the smallest pull towards you! Your father and I immediately followed it and Bryon accompanied us to help locate you. Please, please, we do love you!”

Tears were pouring out of the four sets of eyes, mixing with the salty water that they floated in. Queen Mirabelle swam forward and wrapped her arms around Merilla hugging her and kissing the top of her head, wished the depth of her love would be felt through this action alone. Seeing the need Merilla had to be loved and to be shown that the love for her was true King Jasper also moved forward and wrapped his arms around his daughter from the other side. Merilla didn’t dare hug the two back but allowed them to hug her. It was the first time she had ever been shown any type of affection and even though every logical thought had told her otherwise she relaxed into it.

The family stayed like that, united at last, for hours and when they did finally separate the queen and king did not move far from their daughter. It was as if they feared the ocean would be so cruel as to rip them apart again. Much to their delight it did not. The four mer-folk talked for many more hours before coming to their senses and starting the many day journey back to where everyone but Merilla called home. During this time Merilla warmed up to her parents and tentatively started calling them “mom” and “dad”. It wasn’t all good, however. As Merilla filled her parents in on all she had endured they were appalled and so very angry at the humans who had tortured their daughter and made her life miserable.

Upon learning she had been named “Merilla” out of spite and sarcasm, dirtying the name that was meant to mean “worthy of admiration” and “prosperous”, Queen Mirabelle asked if she would like it changed. No one but them never needed to know the name given to her by the monsters on shore. But Merilla declined the offer, she would live up to her name and be all of the things her name said she should be. Her past, she decided, wasn’t something to be ashamed of. It was something that would make her stronger, make her smarter, and make her kind hearted without being soft.

She laughed, cried, and raged with her parents and Bryon on that several day journey. Each of them taking turns pulling the boat with them but Bryon did most of the work, as he insisted. Merilla became more and more comfortable with her parents and yet part of her still did not completely trust them. It was to be expected, however, she had never had one individual who had ever given her reason to trust and she wasn’t sure she even knew how. She would try to be open to trusting them though. She did believe that they searched for her, and that she was loved.