10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Meria

“ W hat is this I hear, that you are singing about mer having legs?” Father glared at me.

How in all the fathoms did he know such a thing? Only Finn and Edmar knew about my questions. Neither of them would ever betray me. Had someone overheard us?

“What?”

“Please, Meria, do not insult me. Edmar told me what you told him. You are spreading lies. The mer people are sea beings. We were never meant to go onto land. It is a deep betrayal of our people to even think, let alone sing, about such things.”

My heart sank.

Edmar told my father?

I had only asked his opinion, and he felt the need to tell my father? That betrayal caused anger to rise within me.

I cannot even trust my future husband? How can I marry him if I cannot trust him?

Too many things were against Edmar, and I could no longer ignore them.

I could not marry him.

“Father–”

“You have betrayed your people, just like your mother. I should have known with a tail such as yours. I was so hopeful when you came to me and asked for my guidance in a match, but this!” he interrupted.

“Father—”

“You were raised better than this,” he cut me off again. “All I asked for was silence and obedience!”

“I have been, Father, as best I can, but sometimes, I have thoughts–” I sang rather weakly.

“Thoughts? What thoughts?”

“Yes, like why would there be a book about us transforming if we were not once able to do so freely?”

“Some made up tales.” He waved his hand in the air with obvious frustration. “It is not true. Your mother was driven to madness with such questions. I tried to help her the best I could, but she was convinced of those lies. They poisoned her soul and mind. She had to be banished before she confused our people and spread her lies.”

“But has anyone ever checked? Has any mer ever gone on land to see if we can change? From what I read, it is an easy transition. If someone would simply test it out, then we would know for certain. Maybe, that would have helped convince Mother–”

“Silence! I will not hear this!” he stopped me in my tracks.

“Sorry, Father,” I said, hanging my head in shame.

I did not know what was coming over me. I never raised my melody, and I never disobeyed my father, or even my sisters. Maybe it was the betrayal of Edmar or my father telling me that I was just like my mother, or everything finally piling up, but I could not stop myself. All the traitorous things stored up in my mind spilled from my lips. For the first time in my life, my anger erupted, causing me to sing freely.

“But–Father, what if there is more to us?”

“How dare you!” he boomed, swimming closer to me, his face only inches from mine, and his glare full of so much hatred that it made me afraid. His melody, too, was darker–not light and happy.

Did I just cause that? What is wrong with me? Why do I have to question things and be this way?

“Father, I am sorry. I did not want to cause any trouble. I love the ocean, I do–I do not want to leave it. I just wanted to know.”

“All you need to know is what I tell you. Be silent!” he shouted.

“I’m sorry, Father,” I repeated, and I flinched, doubting I had done the right thing by speaking my thoughts at all. I was not sure what I believed anymore, but even so, seeing my perfect and solid life dissolving and my father’s faith in me wavering—that made me ache inside.

What if I was being led astray? What if my heart and soul were being swept away in a current where I was never meant to swim? But what if that current led me to waters where I truly belonged? What if that current, when explored, could save all the merpeople who needed the Marren Lights just to survive? What if I could make my father understand I was not going against our ways, only trying to help.

My rebellion would not stop, even though I really was sorry that I had caused my father anxiety, I thought, Perhaps, if I get everything out now, I will end my traitorous thoughts, and come to trust my father again. I couldn’t let it go, so I continued in my traitorous line of reasoning.

“I am sorry, Father, but I cannot help but wonder–what if the reason our lights are fading is a sign from the Ancients that we are to go above the waves? What if that is what they want?”

“Meria–” he spat in another warning. I could tell his patience was waning. “You will forget all this nonsense; we are merpeople. That is what the Creator wanted us to be.”

“But our people, they are getting sick; some of the mermaids, those furthest from the lights, have become sirens, vanishing into the forbidden seas, and the merman in those darkened sectors have shriveled and died, all because our lights are dimming. The lights are flickering—I cannot stop being concerned. The Ancients have not come.”

“Don’t you think I know all that! I am sick about it. The Ancients will help us, though; we must be patient.”

“I am trying. I believe in the Ancients, Father. What if our people lose all of these beautiful lights, and what if all of our souls’ melodies become lost–or worse; what if the entire race of merpeople become corrupted, just like it has happened to those mer who lived in the depths?”

It was something not often spoken about, but it was true that with the loss of the Marren Lights, many merpeople, especially those simple mer who lived, beyond the main city, were becoming ill. At least, the ill mermen only died once they lost their souls. Soulless mermaids, on the other hand, were far worse off. Some had already transformed into very dark beings as a result of the lack of light, and they had become sirens. Long ago, it was something we thought was only a scary tale to tell our children to encourage them to behave, but we recently had discovered the existence of those heart-eating sirens. They mutated from us , for when mermaids were without light, they became dark, and their souls’ melodies were no more. A dark magic took over, corrupting them, and they quickly swam far away from all light, dwelling in extreme depths within the Misted Seas' very cool waters. It was said that the sirens’ soulless songs lured men to the depths of the sea.

“Do not speak of sirens, Meria. I sense a fear inside of you that is making you act out. You do not need to think or worry about that; that is my job as King. You only must obey.”

“Okay–I am sorry father.”

I wanted to help, but how could I help when my help wasn’t wanted, when my opinions were not respected, when the only contribution accepted from me to help my people was “silence”? It was clear that my father was not going to change his mind, or even listen to my mind .

“You will be silent about this, daughter! You will not speak of such things ever again. I forbid it!” he bellowed.

I moved back, afraid of his temper. I’d seen him upset plenty of times before—but having it aimed at me was horrifying. I should have never spoken. I always regretted speaking my mind. “I am sorry Father,” I said, bowing my head. Even though I apologized, I knew that my traitorous heart would not allow me to stop.

“We know the truth,” Father said, shaking his head. “Meria, please, I am begging you to be silent on this matter. It is forbidden. I do not wish to banish you.”

“Banish?” I said, surprised.

“You leave me with very few options if you do not obey me.”

My heart ached.

My father–he would do such a thing–to me?

“Why would Edmar tell you this, anyway? I told him in confidence.”

“Edmar–he has always been a constant help to me–with you.”

“What does that mean?” I whispered. My heart felt ready to crack at the possibility of what my father was then telling me.

“He has been keeping an eye on you for me. You are usually very obedient, and even shy and quiet . Something I always admired. However, your mother, she was just the same. Then, all at once, she became bold about her traitorous beliefs. I was concerned about you because you were so similar to your mother.”

He has, for a long time, believed that I was going to betray my people? My heart ached even worse, as if I had been struck by a stingray.

My father’s faith in me was gone—and my faith in him was nearly gone as well. “I—I want to know more about my mother.”

“Meria, I cannot allow this.”

“All I know is that she was a traitor ; isn’t there something more you could tell me about her?”

“These lies have changed you. You have been poisoned!”

“I have?” I asked without thinking.

Is that a possibility?

No. You have to save your people, my song answered my thoughts, and I believed it.

“Yes, trust me, Meria, all is well; we are well, and most of Marren is thriving. Mother Ocean will continue to provide as she always has. The Ancients will come.”

I knew Marren was not thriving; although, yes, a majority of the mer had not yet died or become sirens, a significant minority of mer were dying and losing their souls. All mer were of value, not just those fortunate to have been born closer to the light.

Why is he lying to me?

“I don’t think we are thriving,” I said, softly, with real fear.

His head moved sharply to meet my gaze. “Enough! I am sick of the blasphemy spewing from your lips. I am ashamed of you. Leave at once!” He swam closer to me, grabbing my shoulder in one of his strong, large hands, pushing me toward the exit of the throne room.

“So I am banished?” I sang in disbelief.

“You give me no choice. If you do not match with and marry Edmar, I will banish you. Once married, you will listen to him, always . He will keep you in check. These wicked ideas and thoughts shall never pass through your soul’s melody again!”

“‘Keep me in check?’” I had no desire to be a prisoner, let alone a prisoner to my husband. This is wrong. I cannot do it. It would be wrong for me to do it.

“If you show that this rebellion is done with, I will not be forced to banish you.” A look of anger pulsed within his eyes.

I didn’t speak. I was too afraid, confused, and heartbroken. I felt beaten down.

The doors opened, and a current rushed in. Coral came inside with her bright purple tail flipping behind her.

“Coral, what did I say about coming in when the doors are closed?” Father asked, looking from me to Coral.

“‘Do not open them, but Father, the watchers came back from the surface, and they said that there is a storm coming, along with a human ship. The waves are changing, and the city needs to be evacuated. The humans are closer than they have ever been before to Marren Island.”

“That is the third storm this week. It isn't even storm season.” Father stroked his light blue beard, looking at his navy blue tail.

“It is rather odd, but Finn has informed us that the same ship has been circling the area for a few days, even with the storm approaching. We are afraid that they are looking for Marren Island,” Coral added.

“Okay, thank you,” he said to Coral. Coral looked at me with a confused look on her face.

“What is wrong, Meria? Father?”

“Nothing. Go, Coral,” Father said. With one last saddened look for me, Coral turned and swam away. As soon as she was gone, he turned to me. “Leave. If you refuse to do as I command, I never wish to see your traitorous face again,” Father swam out of the throne room, calling for more patrolling mermen to follow him.

His words struck me like a spear in my heart, and I was frozen there. I sank to the floor of the throne room. He may have thought I had been poisoned, but it was clear while he was speaking with me that his soul’s melody was not as strong as it should have been, and– he was wrong. No matter what he believed, I knew I had found that information for some reason, and I knew that I could help our people. I did not have all the answers, but I would find them.

I might have been banished from my home there under the sea in the Kingdom of Marren, but I would return, and I would save all the merpeople, even my father, who held no more love for me.