47. Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Seven

Dominick

I t was the moment I had been waiting for. The moment when I would face my mother.

Is it true what the sea dragon had said about her? I wondered. About her feelings for me? I trusted that I did not need Layla. I hoped I was right.

“All will be well, Dom. More than well, actually. You have no idea how much we have missed you.” I could not respond to him; I was too focused on what was going to happen–on what could happen. I tried to put a shield around my heart and get ready for a cool mother with hate in her eyes.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Meria asked at my other side as the ship was tied down and the crew began to leave it, enthusiastically. Peter must have told them not to speak to anyone about me taking over the ship. Captain William had a hard time letting me keep the ship under my command, but once Peter explained that I was Crown Prince Dominick, he had said nothing more, which, from what I had noticed about Captain William, was a feat for him. I wished him well, and was grateful my brother had a loyal friend.

“Yes, I always wish you to be with me,” I answered her, taking her hand without thinking. My words came out in a clear tone, as if it were as obvious as the sky was blue.

To me, it was. I knew there were so many things unspoken between us. So much had happened, and we never had the chance to discuss several very important matters. We would, eventually, because I had so many things to tell her.

Peter chuckled. “Mother is kinder than the dragon I heard you two faced.” He patted my back, and I watched him with Meria’s hand in mine as he walked hand-in-hand with his Gwendolyn off of the ship, down to the dock, and then into a carriage marked, Walden .

“Are you ready?” Meria asked, stepping into my view.

“I am not sure I will ever be ready . Were the children loaded off?” I asked, looking at Meria.

“They were the first ones to leave. Sands is making sure they find their families. They seemed so much better this morning. You helped them so much, Dominick.”

“Sometimes, this curse is helpful,” I shrugged. I did not want to move. I felt like a coward. Even with all the information I had, that my mother actually wanted to see me and had always wanted me back, I felt as if seeing her was more burdensome than me not getting my revenge on a hateful mother. I had dealt with more hateful people than kind people throughout my life, but I had handled Peter just fine, I reasoned with myself.

“DOMINICK!” I turned from Meria to see a woman, running from a carriage, up the dock, and onto the ship, her dark blue, very fine dress, twisting around her legs as she ran. Her hair was dark brown, and her eyes were dark blue, just like mine and just like Peter’s. “Oh, Dominick!” She was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks as she reached me and Meria. I watched in confusion as she threw herself at my legs and held on there. “I thought I would never see you again, my dear boy–my sweet, dear boy!” she cried.

I bent down, and she in all her finery moved back, and she sat down on the ship's deck. She reached out and touched my face. “You do look just like him! You are so handsome. My boy! Oh, Dominick! You have come home!” She wrapped her arms around my neck.

I had never pictured such a thing, even when Peter had expressed to me that she wanted to see me.

I was too shocked for words.

“You are Queen of Walden?” I heard Meria say, standing beside me.

My mother removed herself from me and stood. I stood also.

“I am, and you are?” she asked, wiping away tears.

“I am Meria, Dominick’s friend.”

“My friend ?” I asked in irritation, looking from my mother and back to Meria. “You are not my ‘friend,’” I grunted. But, maybe that's what she thought it was? I had doubts trickling in. “Are you?” I asked her, hoping that she, too, had felt what had been growing between us.

“Not exactly . We can discuss that later, but for the moment, your mother is here, Dominick,” she said, pointing to my mother.

“I understand; she is your maiden, whatever stage you are in. I am so pleased to meet you, the maiden my son cares for,” she said with a curtsy.

“It is a pleasure,” Meria said back with a smile.

“Dominick, thank you for coming home. I have prayed for this day,” she said sweetly, keeping her distance as if she could sense that I was a bit spooked. “The Creator is so good!”

“I always wanted to come home. I wrote you letters–” I began, not knowing exactly where to start, but needing to start somewhere.

“You did? I never received any letter. I sent ships filled with knights to search for you. We could not find you, and I never received any letter.”

“None?” I asked. I was not surprised. Veeto was an awful man. Of course, he had lied to me.

“No, if I had, I would have answered. Nothing was ever the same without you,” she whispered.

“But I killed my father; surely, you hate me for that. You sent me away–onto Veeto’s ship, because you could not stand to look upon me, yet you still asked me to make basic princely appearances to make it appear as if Walden had no issues.”

“Hate you? How could I ever! And, no, Veeto?! That is where you have been all this time? Oh, my poor boy!” she cried.

“You did not tell Veeto to take me? Did you not instruct me to attend to my royal duties?”

“No. We always wondered why you were doing royal events, and I tried each time to reach you in time–before you left, and I even stationed Walden knights at various events, just in case you came, and I hoped that they could, well, capture you. I was desperate; I would have captured you, just to see you, to speak with you so that I could understand. Yet my soldiers were always ambushed, and you only were at those events for a brief time, and then, you always vanished. I cannot believe you have been with that vile man.”

“I should have known that he lied to me. Was he even Father’s brother?” I asked, but with more hatred than I already had for Veeto, curling around inside of me.

“His brother! Why, my boy! Is that the lie he fed you? No, Veeto is a notorious pirate lord who stole from many cities within Walden, and he always got away. Father spent so long trying to find him, but when he fell ill, he never got the chance, and Veeto left the Walden Seas.”

That information made my head spin.

“Perhaps, we should go, Dominick, get off the ship and speak at the castle?” Meria whispered from beside me.

I nodded, feeling all the pain of so many years rise to the surface. All the useless guilt–all the lies. “You never sent me away? Never blamed me for Father’s death, and you wanted me all this time?” I asked in awe.

My mother walked closer to me, touching my cheek. Her white, gloved hands caressed my skin.

“I have always loved you, wanted you, and your father died because of an illness. That night when you got that scar, that was because you startled your father, and he was already lost to us. He became upset because he was not himself. I tried to tell you–”

“I remember. I held onto what you said for so long, but Veeto’s torture and lying words poisoned my reality–and those memories. I thought I made up your love for me.”

“I do love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you, my child. Come, come home, Dominick. Let me show you your home.”

I turned to look at Meria, who stood behind me. She was still holding my hand, and the three of us, hand-in-hand, walked from the dock and into my mother’s carriage. Peter was long gone, having taken another carriage while we were speaking with my mother.

As the carriage door closed, I looked over at Meria, and I could see the thrill of the newness of it all within her eyes.

“This is a carriage. Horses pull it,” I explained.

“Incredible, I would love to ride a horse. I wonder if they are similar to sea horses, even though they are much larger,” she said quietly beside me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

“I will show you everything. And, no , they really are not very similar; and yes, in particular, their size.”

The carriage rocked back and forth in more unrhythmic and rough movements than that of the sea, and I must have fallen asleep. I did not think the docks were that far from the castle. Perhaps, we had arrived at a port further up the coastline. I was eager to reach land.

“I know that I do not know you, but thank you for caring for my son. He has been through things no one should ever have to go through, and to know he has someone to share his life with, that makes my heart so happy,” I heard my mother whisper. My head was against the padded carriage wall, and although awake, I kept my eyes shut to secretly hear what Meria would say to my mother’s comments. I should have been the one to tell her how I feel–to make her feel safe, yet I was a coward and too comfortable with how things were, right then. I was afraid that if I spoke my feelings, she would choose to walk away. So living in a sort of limbo was what I had let happen.

I was anti-emotions , anyway. I utterly hated the blasted things.

“He is easy to be with, Your Highness. He is so good, although he does not think so,” Meria said.

“How about his curse? I see he still wears gloves?”

“It is horrible. He is in constant pain, although he never complains. I have a plan that will help with his curse, though. I am only waiting till the time is right.”

A plan? What kind of plan? If it involves leaving me, I am viciously opposed. I need to speak to her. My heart raced, and I felt a bit dizzy with the fear of sharing something so personal.

“Do you know how to break his curse?” my mother asked with excitement.

“I can tell you, Your Majesty, that I will do all in my power to help your son.”

“Thank you. He has chosen well for himself,” my mother said.

There was a silence and a massive rocking of the carriage where I could not feign sleep any longer, for such a bump would wake even the heaviest of sleepers. I pretended to stretch and groan.

“Did you sleep alright?” my mother asked as I met her eyes.

“Yes, thank you,” I said with a nod. “I did not know Walden was so far from the sea.”

“Yes, well, your ship docked up the coast, not in the usual spot. The castle is right on the water, but down the coastline a ways. We should be arriving in a few minutes, actually.”

“I am eager to see it,” I said. My mind was not focused on the pleasantries, but on the weighty words Meria had shared with my mother.

“Have you never ridden in a carriage before, Meria?” my mother asked.

“No–I have never been on this land before, being a mer, of course,” Meria shrugged.

“A mer? You do not mean– mermaid, do you?”

“Yes, indeed,” Meria said with a smile and a nod.

“Oh, my! I never knew they truly existed.”

“They do,” I said, smiling at Meria. “I wish to make it known that no harm should come to any mer. It is important to me that our people make the mer feel safe in our waters.”

“Of course–our people were only ever afraid of sirens.” My mother hesitated.

“I assure you, Your Majesty, I am no siren, and I pose no threat to humans. Sirens do exist, but they reside in colder, deeper, magical waters.”

“Oh–I am sure there is much for me to learn. I am happy to learn what I can.”

“Thank you. Meria is very important to me,” I said.

“A mermaid, how incredible. You found mermaids,” My mother said with a smile.

I knew the discovery would be a shock. Most people thought they were made up.

“Captured one, actually,” I said, smirking at Meria.

“I am not captured, I wished to be caught,” she said, brushing her shoulder against mine.

“You two are so sweet,” my mother said, tears glistening on her cheeks. “I am so happy you are home, Dominick, so, so happy.”

The carriage stopped, and we saw the palace. It had been so long, and I was not sure what to expect. I knew there was a side entrance to the palace, which had steps leading into the sea, and I knew the castle was white with spires. It was gleaming in the sunlight, bright with colorful gardens, full of flowers and tropical greenery. The air felt fresh, like lush florals and the salty sea. It was a familiar scent that took me back to my childhood. It felt like home, despite it being over ten years since I had last stepped onto those grounds.