Chapter 21

Twenty-One

“ N ay!” cried Merrow as she watched Sebastian’s body hit the water. “Father, what have you done?” she screamed. “I love Sebastian. I would do anything for him.”

“Anything but turn human,” her father answered snidely.

“It’s all about our child. Your grandchild.” She put her hand on her belly. “If you won’t help us, then leave Mura at once. I never want to see you again.”

With that, she dove into the water, immediately feeling her tail and fins emerge. Sisters, help me to find Sebastian, she called out in her mind. “He is paralyzed from Father’s firebolt and cannot swim to save himself. Please, help me find the man I love.”

He’s this way, Galene called out in her mind. Merrow saw where she pointed and sped in that direction. Since she could swim faster than all her sisters, she made it to Sebastian first. He was doubled over and sinking fast. His eyes were closed and he looked half-dead. She had to act quickly.

The first thing she did was to pull him close to her and give him the breath of life. Then she put her arm around him and tried to swim to the surface, taking him with her. Unfortunately, her father was stirring up such a fuss that the ocean current was strong. Too strong for one sea nymph to successfully save a human in such turbulent waters.

We’re here, cried Melite.

We will help you, Galene assured her. Galene and Melite grabbed him too and the three of them tried to bring Sebastian to the surface. Their father was still too angry, and didn’t allow that to happen. Once again, Merrow gave Sebastian breath, but she was tiring quickly from fighting her father’s wrath as well as struggling against the sea.

Father is too strong. Too angry ,” she told her sisters in her mind. He will not let me surface with Sebastian.

We’re trying, but are not strong enough to help you , came Melite’s thought.

Three sea nymphs are no match against the God of the Sea, was Galene’s reply, and Merrow knew she was right.

Mayhap three can’t do it, but what about fifty? asked Merrow.

Merrow looked around to see all her sisters and even her brother swimming as fast as they could toward them. Her heart almost exploded with happiness and love. All of the sea nymphs worked together, managing to fight against the forces of nature as well as their father to bring Sebastian out of the water. As soon as his head broke the surface, the siblings all cheered aloud.

“Father, that wasn’t nice,” Merrow scolded him. “Now, release your magic on Sebastian and let him go free. He only summoned you because he knew how much it meant to me. I want to be able to raise our sea nymph child, if that is what she is, in a way that you would be proud of.”

“What’s this?” asked Nereus, realizing all his children had worked against him to help save Sebastian.

“Nereus, our children have accepted Sebastian and so have I,” Dee told her husband. “If you don’t grant Merrow her request, I am not coming back home.”

“Neither will we go back through the portal,” called out Galene.

One by one all of the female sea nymphs agreed.

“Nerites, get your sisters back through the portal now,” commanded Nereus.

Her brother hesitated, then answered. “Nay, Father, I won’t,” boldly said the sea nymphs’ only brother. “I have to admit, I agree with Mother and my sisters. Merrow loves Sebastian, even if he is human. And I, for one, would like to be able to see my niece or nephew growing up. Hopefully as a sea nymph. But that is up to you now.”

“Arrrrrrgh,” shouted Nereus, rumbling the air with his powerful voice. “I can’t do that. If so, others will view me as weak.”

Sebastian stirred in Merrow’s arms, opening his eyes and actually able to speak.

“You are not a weak king,” he told Nereus. “You are the strongest king I’ve ever met. Why would you worry what others might think of you? A wise woman once told me to do what I feel in my heart is the right thing to do. Not to live in fear of what others will think of me if I go against what is expected of me. Please, King Nereus. Grant us this one request.”

“She should never have gotten pregnant at such a young age,” snapped Nereus.

“Forgive me, Sire,” said Sebastian, still holding on to all the sea nymphs to stay afloat. “But Merrow is one hundred and fifty years old. By Mura’s standards, that is already almost three times longer than any of us live in a lifetime. She is not too young, I assure you.”

“Nereus, if you’ll think back, I was pregnant with your first child before we got married as well,” Dee spoke up. “Grant our daughter her wish. Let them marry, and let’s go home.”

“If I do this, will the rest of you, besides Merrow, come back through the portal? Will you return home where you belong?” asked Nereus.

“Yes,” they all answered one by one. All but Galene and Melite.

“I didn’t hear an answer from you two,” said their father, knowing exactly who answered and who did not.

“I like it here on Mura, Father,” said Melite. “I wouldn’t mind staying.”

“I feel the same way,” agreed Galene.

“It is all of you, or I won’t grant the request,” came Nereus’ final words.

“Merrow, I don’t want to leave you.” Melite cried and clung to Merrow.

“The three of us are so close,” Galene pointed out. “It won’t be the same without you.”

“If Sebastian agrees, you two can come visit and stay as long as you want whenever you want.” Merrow looked out to the rest of her siblings. “That goes for all of you. Mother, too.”

“I agree,” Sebastian answered, his teeth chattering together, feeling the effects of the cold sea. The nymphs continued to hold him to keep him afloat.

“Nereus? What will it be?” asked Dee. “I, for one, know how lonely it is not to see my family. I have had eight years to experience this emptiness and it is nothing anyone should ever have to go through. I think this is a generous offer to let the nymphs visit Mura whenever they want. We should take it.”

“We?” asked Nereus, his male pride showing.

“You,” answered Dee with a kind smile.

“All right, then. I grant you your request, Merrow.” Nereus waved his trident in the air, and Merrow felt the energy go right through her. “You can marry the human now. You’ll be in human form while on land, but once you feel the water you will be an undine once more. I’ll remove the curse on the human as well so he can move on his own.”

“Thank you, Father!” exclaimed Merrow. “Thank you for making me so very happy. Now I can be with the man I love.”

“Everyone, back through the portal,” Nereus commanded.

“Wait!” Sebastian called out, finally able to move his limbs once again. “I would like—we would like you all to stay at least long enough to attend our wedding.”

“Yes!” cried Merrow. “I would love that.”

“So would we!” Melite spun in circles in the water and Galene dove down and slapped the water with her tail.

“Sebastian, how quickly can we get married?” asked Merrow.

“We have the elven sage on board, as well as all of our new friends,” Sebastian answered, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. “That’s all we need. If you want, we can get married right now.”

“I’d like that. Let’s do it,” she told him. “I don’t want to wait a minute longer.”

The sky cleared up and the waves subsided. The sun came out just in time for everyone, gods, nymphs, magical beings and humans, to join together as one. They were all here to participate in the wedding ceremony between a human and a sea nymph, an event that would change things on Mura forever.