Unexpectedly Meeting You

Chapter 6

*William Fox*

We arrived at my apartment.  Drop our bags and silence is still in our midst. I can’t stand it anymore, I needed some explanation!!

“Can you now start at the very beginning?” I told her. She looked at me and pressed her lips.

She sighed. “ I’m a mermaid…” she said waiting for my reaction.

I exhaled loudly. “Yes… and?”

“As I was saying before, there are two kingdoms reigning in the Pacific Ocean, it’s the largest ocean in the world. King Amasis ruled the north and my father king Xerxes rules the South, east, and west.”

“It doesn’t sound fair, why does King Amasis only rule the south?”

“Because he was the second born, so he is not the priority. The first born is my father king Xerxes.”

“Oh… now I get it.”

“My grandfather gave him the thrown and to rule the whole Pacific, but my uncle King Amasis made a revolt and some of the Altheans who has a dark conscience and doesn’t want my father as a ruler joined him… and now they are ruling the south.”

“So your father is not a good ruler?” I asked.

“He is, there are just some Altheans that wants the power that my father possesses and they don’t like him because he is too generous to his fellow Altheans.”

“Okay… so how about those Vam… Vipers?” I almost slipped into calling them vampires.

“They are the creatures that King Amasis had summoned to be with him, they are trackers. The dark crystals on their chest, it’s an orra, an amulet that can give them that power. But my father gave me protection before he sent me away, this.” She said and touched the transparent crystal on her chest.

“So.. you have an orra too, so why not use it?”

“All of us have an orra, it has different uses. Mine is the most powerful, that’s why they want me dead.”

“Why did your father gave you that dangerous thing?”I asked.

“It is my Kadri… my destiny. I am next in line with the thrown so I have this, but it was buried to me too early that’s why I lost my voice physically. This orra should not be buried until my 10th natal day or you humans call birthday.”

“What? Can you say that again?”

She sighed. “it is my kadri…” she really is going to say it again.

“No not that part… that natal part..”

“Oh my 10th natal day or birthday?”

My mouth dropped open. My eyebrow rose.

“You’re tenth birthday?”

“Yes… is there something wrong about that?” She said.

“uh- yeah… so your only nine years old?” I feel like a Dirty Old Man.

“Yes.”

“How… how did you grow up like that?”

“I don’t know… it’s just how we are.”

There was a moment of thinking for me. No wonder she looks innocent cause aside from her being a mermaid… she is innocent. I though.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?” she said.

“okay.. so what will happen in your Natal day?”

“That will be the time that my orra will be on its full power. It will have the colors of the rainbow.”

“And how about your eyes? I changes colors?”

“It’s my emotions.” She said.

“Yeah I knew that… but does it really happen… I mean to you guys?”

“Only to the royal mermaids, our eyes tell it all. You can also distinguish us with our tails from those who made a revolt. Before, my father told me that all of our tails has the same color except for the royalties. Ordinary mermaids and mermen have silver colored tails but the royals have violet tails, but among the royalties I am the only one who possesses the eyes of violet. My father told me that It is a sign that I will become a powerful ruler, much powerful than anyone could ever be.” She said.

I was in awe. This is too much.

“What about the tails of the ones who made a revolt?”

“They are cursed; they can never go back to their beauty. Now the colors of their tails are dead gray.”

“Oh… then you got attacked in you kingdom right? So where is your sister?”

Her eyes turned into orange. “We we’re both escaping but we got separated on our way because of the Vipers. I’m hoping that she will be alright and that she found her knight too just like me.”

“I’m sorry… and about me being the knight?”

“I already told you that the moon chose you, now the shield that appeared back there was because of the earring that I gave you and your will to protect me… and thank you for that.”

“This earring has a power? Why did it choose me?”

“Yes it does have a power and it will only do as what you desire, not for things though. I don’t know why it chose you either… but I know that It’s your kadri.”

“Kadri…?”

“Your destiny.” She said. “All royalties are bound with human protectors, so you’re not the only one who knows about us.”

“Can you contact your sister?”

“I’m afraid not for the moment. We can only communicate outside the sea, if she founds her protector.”

There was a brief silence until another question pops in my mind.

“Oh… then why didn’t you change into a mermaid when you took a bath?”

“I can control me being a mermaid and being human.” She said.

“That’s new, most mermaid stories I read is they turn into mermaids when they got into some water.” I said.

“Really? You have mermaid stories? About us?” she exclaimed.

“Yeah… that’s why I never thought that you really exist.”

“what are the stories all about?”

“Amm.. aside from about the mermaids… it’s also about love.” I told her.

“Love?? what’s that?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know what love is?”

“No… tell me about it.” She said.. oh yeah I forgot she’s a mermaid and she’s 9 years old turning ten, I don’t know when. I bet her father won’t tell her about that.

“amm.. it’s… ahh love?” Argh. Trying to explain what love is, is a hard thing to do. “It’s when you do everything just to make that person happy. When you make special things to surprise her… you want to be with her always… and loving that person is the only thing that you will think of for that rest of your life.... and... " I paused think about what love is for me. " Love is knowing that you can be with somebody forever, despite your differences."

She just stared at me.“ It is beautiful... I mean Love. Have you loved someone?” she asked. I looked at her. Did she really asked me that?

“amm.. yeah.. I did.”

“Where is she then?”

“amm.. she… married another man.”

“What?... that is so sad. Why?”

“It’s not her fault. She fell in love with my best friend and my best friend fell in love with her too, so now they are married.”

“Married?”

“Yeah,.. it’s the thing humans do when two people are in love with each other.”

“How about you?” she said.

“I’m… fine… especially now that you’re here.” I said honestly. I completely forgot that I was there because I had my heart broken.

“Don’t worry, I will marry you.” She said with such determination on her face. I almost choke.

“Pft… sure.. I guess.” I patted her head.

“but you have to wait until my 10th Natal day… that’s the only day that I’m allowed to get married.”

“What? You’re only allowed to be married on that day?”

“Yes, the next would be in my 20th Natal day.”

“You guys are so weird”

“What’s weird?” she asked.

“Nothing… its human thing.” I said to cut off some major explanation.

She yawned.

“You tired, let’s go to sleep.” I told her.

Later we changed into our night wears. I took her to bed. And again she didn’t let go of me, so I just sleep beside her. I’m so tired to protest with what my moral is telling me.

“Good night William” she said.

“Good night.” I told her and she curled up in my arms.