The Lily's Splendor

Chapter 6

I got up surprisingly early, too excited to keep on sleeping. Going to my closet, I fished for my white bathing suit before snatching a pair of shorts. I stuck my feet into my favorite pair of sneakers before gallivanting out of my room and down the stairs. I was just about to go through the back French doors when Jacques stopped me.“And where do you think you’re going without breakfast?”

“Um . . . I’m actually not really hungry and I was just going to the beach,” I said.

“At least take a little picnic basket with you,” said Jacques before turning around and walking back into the kitchen. I followed him to the bar where I leaned my elbows against the counter as I watched him pack a small basket.

“There you are. Don’t stay out too long. And be careful.” he said as he handed me the basket. His eyes were examining me in an odd way.

“I will.” I said my thanks as I walked away, feeling Jacques’s gaze until I walked outside and past the gardens. Tucking the basket inside a bush, I continued my walk down to the beach.

When I came to some rocky cliffs, I stopped. How do I know which cave it was?

I stood near the edge, hands on my hips as I stared down where the waves violently crashed against the rocks before pulling away and starting all over again.

“Great. Why didn’t you think this through?” I argued with myself.

Take off your necklace . . . Henry’s voice echoed in my mind. Lifting my hands to the back of my neck, my fingers felt for the catch on the necklace until it released. Now holding my necklace, my eyes searched the seas below me.

Should I just jump in and search for him? Well, what other choice do I have?

Shucking my sneakers and socks, I went over to the edge, deciding to leave my shorts on. I didn’t trust leaving my necklace out here so I wound it around my hand again. As I came to stand by the edge, I bent my knees and held my arms straight out in front of me before cleanly diving in with no fear whatsoever in hitting the rocks below.

It was remarkable to be under the water and somehow not float back up to the surface. Whatever I was, it made me amazing.

Even though I had— out of habit— taken a deep breath before diving in, I found it unnecessary. What had me worried though was that I wasn’t worried of the fact that I clearly wasn’t normal. Perhaps not even human.

Looking around, I saw fish of all kinds swimming in different directions, like a freeway. I stilled when a school of yellow fish swam over and stopped to stare at me.

“Hello.” I said without thinking. My eyes grew wide. I can talk underwater as clearly as if I was on the surface! The school of fish all said hello back, their childish voices echoing in my mind.

I can talk to fish too! We can understand each other! I took deep breaths, noticing how similar it was to breathing air.

“I am looking for a cave,” I began. My insides were full of excitement at these new revelations. I blinked innocently when all I could hear was their laughter.

There are lots of caves here, one fish said.

“Oh. Sorry, of course there must be about a million caves here. See, I am looking for someone. We met in this cave and I was hoping that I could find him there. If I only knew which cave it was.”

Who are you looking for?

“His name is Henry—” I began and was about to describe his features when all the fish gasped.

You’re looking for the Prince? many of their voices said. I just stared at the fish, dumbfounded. He’s a Prince? What is this, some kind of Little Mermaid story with a twist?

“Well . . . you see, he sort of saved my life.” I admitted as my fingers twisted with the ends of my hair.

Say! Now we recognize you! You are that girl that was in her small boat! They proclaimed.

“That’s me.”

You were drowning. And now you aren’t. How?

“I don’t know why. That’s why I wanted to see Henry so he could help me.”

We will take you to the cave.

“But I thought you said that you didn’t know which one?”

Henry has a special cave that he always goes to. We helped him find it.

“Thank you!” I said. The school of fish turned away and began to swim as I followed behind them. I mentally studied my surroundings so I wouldn’t forget how to get there. I suddenly felt a light tap on my arm and looked down to find a single fish looking up at me.

Was it romantic? Being saved by the Prince? Her small voice asked. I couldn’t help but smile as my fingers gently ran across her smooth body.

In a way I guess it was, I thought to myself.

Wow, she replied.

“Wait, you heard me?” I asked incredulously.

Of course, she said in a funny voice, as if I should have known that I could also communicate with them by thought. She swam back into the school that was now turning into a thin trench. I couldn’t help but touch the aquatic flowers that would usually close but instead, they seemed to stretch out their petals, thirsting for my touch. Odd.

Here we are. You just go through this cave and swim up until you hit the surface. Henry can always be found there, the fish said as they waited by the entrance of the cave.

“Thank you so much.” I said, sincerely grateful for their help.

Anything for the beautiful mystical being, they said with awed voices before swimming away, not giving me the chance to question their words. Shaking my head, I followed their instructions and swam through what would be a dark cave if it hadn’t been for my gifted eyes. I swam until I came to an area that had three tunnels; one leading up, the other leading down, and the third leading to the left. I took the tunnel that led up.

As soon as I broke through the surface, I searched all around me. Some things looked familiar from the previous night, like the dim-lighted green crystals, but the rest did not. I hoisted myself onto the cave floor until I was sitting with my legs folded underneath. Clearly Henry wasn’t here. I sighed, contemplating whether or not I should wait. I sat there for what felt like half an hour before I decided that I had waited long enough and that Henry wasn’t going to come to his cave today.

If only I had brought a pen and paper to leave him a note . . . but then the paper would get wet and become useless. Perhaps I could ask a fish to give Henry a message? Listen to yourself; asking a fish to relay a message to a merman.

“Why not?”I agreed as I went back under water. As I swam back the way I came, my head snapped to the right when I heard male laughter. Taking what would have been the left tunnel, I followed the laughter that was soon mixed with high pitched squeals that could only come from a dolphin. When I rounded the corner, I stopped as I watched the scene.

It was clear all around with the sun’s bright rays coming through the water’s surface, making the water look bright and aqua instead of its usual murky green. In the center of the rocky walls was Henry who was playing with a rather large dolphin that looked to be a full adult.

In this broad daylight, I was able to see the punctuated details of Henry’s physique, such as his lean and chiseled features and his light gray eyes that almost took on a shade of teal blue. His dark hair was black with brown highlights. Muscles rippled all over his slightly pale torso and arms, giving him an athletic build.

I smiled and waved when the dolphin noticed me and stopped dancing with Henry. Henry turned around to see what had interrupted their game and was surprised to find me as the cause.

“How did you find me?” Henry swam over until I had to look up into his face. The dolphin followed, staying behind Henry with his head peeking from the side to get a look at me.

“I had help from some of your friends.” I said as I held out my hand to the dolphin until his nose met with my fingers.

Mesmerizing, the dolphin’s male voice spoke. As my hand ran down his soft head, my eyes stayed on Henry who just watched me.

“I need your help,” I said.

“No you don’t.” his voice was cold. I stopped petting the dolphin, retracting my hand back to my side as I stared at Henry in shock.

“You obviously aren’t having any trouble adjusting to your new self,” he said as he swam away until he was on the other side. The dolphin looked his way but didn’t leave my side. He turned his head back to me.

Sad . . . don’t be sad. I will fix this, the dolphin said before dashing off to Henry and using his nose to push him towards me.

“Stop, Amiel!” Henry said with authority, but Amiel didn’t stop until Henry was in front of me again.

Amiel, you didn’t have to do that, I said to him with surprise.

Anything for the mystical one, he said.

“Is that what I am?” I asked out loud. Amiel only squealed as he bobbed his head up and down. “Henry. I am sorry for intruding on you and your time. I just thought that you might help me figure out what I am.”

“Look, I honestly don’t know. You aren’t a Siren or else you would have used your seducing charms on me by now. You aren’t a mermaid since no mermaid has your kind of beauty, nor have you sprouted a tail.”

“What do you mean by ‘my kind’ of beauty?”

“You obviously don’t see it. Or know what you do when you take off that necklace.” Henry studied me.

“I don’t know why I can do what I can do or why my skin crawls when men stare at me. I grew up thinking that I was a normal girl and just yesterday I found out that I am not. Unless I am going insane or I really did drown last night and someone found my body and I am somehow in a coma and this is what I am hallucinating.” I said, hearing the hysteria in my voice. Henry sighed.

“Who were your parents?” he asked, his voice going soft and compassionate as his eyes gentled.

“They were just two normal people. Well, at least I think they were. There was nothing significant about my dad except that I wasn’t enough for him to stay alive.” I choked out my last words as I hugged myself and looked away.

“Hey,” Henry lifted my chin up so I was looking at him. “Tell me.” he gently coaxed. His eyes said that I had all of his attention.

“A year ago, my mom and I went to visit my grandmother for our usual summer visits. One day, my mom had gotten up early and told me that she was going on a small boat ride and would be back for lunch. She never came back. But her boat did. We searched for months until the authorities told us that we had to accept the fact that she was dead; most likely drowned. My father became consumed by depression and just recently passed away . . . leaving me alone.” I finished, looking away when tears began to gather and spill down my cheeks.

I felt his arms gather me in a warm embrace and soon my arms were going around him as I wept on his bare shoulder, basking in his warm strength.

It was very hard to distinguish the difference between my tears and the ocean water I breathed.

“I’m sorry.” I pulled away, scrubbing my cheeks with the palms of my hands.

“Don’t be.” Henry said sincerely. He waited for me to pull myself together before asking, “Do you think that your mother is dead?”

“I don’t want to go through that again. I have had enough hoping that she would still be alive somewhere out there; probably with amnesia, which explains why she hasn’t found her way home yet. But I am done with false hope. I buried it the day I said goodbye to her at her memorial.” I said fiercely.

“I don’t mean to open up your wounds, but just think. One of your parents had to be not normal in order for you to inherit the same genes. I don’t think it was your father. Who gave you that necklace?” Henry gestured to my hand where my necklace rested.

“My mother.” I said, understanding where Henry was going with this.

“Why wouldn’t she tell me if I was different?” I asked as I studied the water lily in the charm.

“I don’t know. May I see your necklace?” Henry asked. My eyes must have gotten a panicked look because Henry lifted a hand up in assurance.

“Don’t worry. I won’t swim away with it. I just want to see it and then I will give it back to you,” he promised. I was hesitant but knew that deep down in my heart, I trusted him. I slowly undid my necklace until it dangled between my fingers, holding it out for Henry to take. He lifted the charm until it was close to his face, his eyes narrowing in inspection.

“Interesting.” he murmurs.

“What?” I asked earnestly.

“Do you know what this is?” he held the charm up for me to see.

“It’s a water lily.” I said, confused why Henry saw it as important and valuable.

“I can’t believe it. No one has ever seen one before in decades.” he exclaimed as he stared at me with awe.

“Seen what? Care to explain?” I practically yelled.

“This is incredible.” he kept on gazing at me with reverence and amazement.

“What?!” I exasperated.

“You must be a descendant of the Mystical Water Lily,” he finally said.