PROLOGUE
Mermaids are thought to be supernatural aquatic entities created by God to preserve the oceans. To the ears of a modern man, it may have sounded like legend or superstition, yet deep down in the oceans, seas, and lakes, we can't deny the existence of those magical beings.
The Eastern River is a feared big river in the country's eastern outskirts.
Legend has it that the river contains supernatural water beings who appear to someone who needs their assistance, granting the person whatever he or she desires, such as wealth, children, or healing from an incurable illness, and they can be seen in broad daylight warming their bodies at the riverbank. Some examples of people who developed one or more problems after meeting them at the River with evil intentions were also oriented as they participated in the community's cleansing from evil.
This went on for a long time until someone from the east, who had been away from the community for a long time, returned with some foreigners and desecrated the water. He died in the river bank with the other foreigners, but the queen of the water severely punished the entire community, pouring out her wrath on them in full. The land yielded no fruit, leaving the entire village in famine as huge numbers of people perished of hunger, including all the river beings born by humans, and they are summoned back to the river kingdom. They later appeased the river queen, who withdrew her wrath from the community but issued a rule that no further assistance from the water would be granted to anyone from the east, as it had been for decades and millennia.
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Deep in the river, the queen is seen seated on a long chair, a golden crown gleaming brightly on her head. As she swayed on the throne, a golden crown could be seen on her hands as she swayed her body and her mermaid tail to the wonderful rhythm imposed by her subjects who were chanting and dancing in celebration of their Queen.
They sang joyfully while swinging their lovely selves and their colorful, magnificent tails made of priceless river pearls.
The Queen then raised her crown, and the waterphere became silent.
The Queen put her crown in her lap and looked at each of her subjects one by one.
The people hailed her in their popular acronym dialect. "I know you're all wondering why I called this meeting at this hour of the day, but I'm here to say openly today that a two-century-old decree is about to be breached." The water subjects gathered in roles and stared at themselves in astonishment, as she frankly stated.
"But why, my queen, we all know what we went through when we were desecrated in this Water, why must we undo the decree put on them?" screamed a lovely mermaid with a blue tail ornamented and beautified with seashells, and the others murmured in favor to her comments.
"Quiet," the Queen said, and the air was filled with silence.
"In this, the Josephs' family has won my heart; they have been praying for a child for ten years, making enormous sacrifices to the river, with their fate and hope heavily put on us, and I have decided to grant them their dream."
The Queen retorted, and the murmuring continued in unison.
“but…”. "There is nothing but this." The blue-tailed mermaid was abruptly interrupted by the Queen.
"Yes, queen," she said calmly, her gaze fixed on the ground.
"I'll send one of you to the human world for 30 years to serve them, and you'll return to the river when the time is right."
"Says the Queen, glancing at them all."
The most beautiful mermaid of them all, sitting near to the Queen on a throne but not as large as the queen's and wearing a Silver Crown on her head, rose up and swam to the front of the queen, bending her head on the floor in respect.
"I'll go, Mother," she screamed, and the entire Palace erupted in laughter.
"Oh no Helen, you can't go on this mission; I need you here, and your husband and children also require your presence."
The queen tried to persuade her daughter not to do it, but she refused.
"Mum, if you truly love me, please give me my one and only wish." I've always wanted to see the human world, and since it'll only be for 30 years, I'll be back in no time."
"How about your husband and children?" the Queen inquired, and Helen turned to face her husband and two lovely children, who appeared to be dissatisfied with their mother's decision, as evidenced by their expressions.
"Mum, it's not like I'll be gone forever; every full moon, my husband can come to check on me, and he can bring the kids with him."
She said, and the Queen looked defeated at her.
"Please, mother, only this to unravel the enigma in the Human World," she said, drawing a deep breath from the queen.
"OK, lovely princess, I will grant your request; however, you must be cautious of humans, as many of them are malevolent, and above all, avoid love."
She gives her daughter counsel.
"I will, mother," Helen exclaimed, her face lit up with a brilliant smile.
