In the very center of the Atlantic Ocean, on the sea floor, was the palace of King Neptune. It was a grand palace, carved out of the stone of the sea floor, adorned with coral gardens and Mother-of-Pearl carvings. Long ago, the palace was left in its glory all the time. In the past hundred years or so, Humans had invented a way to look at the ocean floor without ever having to go in the water. They called it sonar. When it was first invented, we would have scouts warn the guards that a boat was coming with this sonar device. We would then have whales move hollowed out rocks to strategic places, making the palace look like only an undersea mountain. Now that Humans have satellites, the disguise was there permanently.
I caught a current from my station off the coast of a place called North Carolina, which was where the town of Cape June was, to the Palace. Thankfully, I caught some sleep on the journey. Looming in front of me was the hidden palace, two guards at attention. I spoke to them in the Mer language, which to the Human ear, sounds like dolphins clicking to each other. “I have urgent news for His Grace. Let me through.”
While one of them started moving the rock that acted as a tunnel, the younger one smiled at me. “Things too harsh out on the watch, Nerin? What, did some human see you?” He was joking, but I gave him a serious look and the smile immediately was gone. “This has never happened before. Are you sure?”
I rolled my eyes, waving my comb around as I spoke. “Yes, I’m sure. We exchanged names. I think that he would have had to see me to do that.”
All of his joking mood was now gone. “You gave him your name? Nerin, how could you be so stupid? Didn’t you promise the King that you would never speak to them?”
The tunnel was opened now and I inched toward it. “Yes, I did. But I also think that the boy was scared of me, especially after I threatened him. Now, I really need to go. Nice talking to you again, Zale.”
As I swam down the tunnel to the Palace, I could hear Zale call back, “Good luck with His Highness!”
The Palace was beautiful, truly breathtaking. As I swam through the open sea halls, glancing at all of the beautiful decorations in pearl, gold, and opal, all I could think about was if Humans found this place. It would be destroyed, all of the riches stolen, the building flattened. They have done this with our coral gardens, killing the plants with oil. They drown dolphins in fishing nets, slash off a shark’s fin and leave the rest in the water, and hunt whales. Seals are clubbed to death for skins, the fish hunted until there are none left. It made me so angry. Angry enough to wish, sometimes, that my song could lure sailors to their deaths. Then we would have some way of fighting back.
Before I entered the throne room, I looked in a mirror of green sea glass, checking myself over. My skin was tanned from the weeks out in the sun, my eyes completely black, no white or any color showing. Mer eyes were this way so that we could see in the dark depths of the ocean. I was wearing the top that Law required all Sirens to wear. Two large seashells painted gold covered my breasts; red seaweed covering my ribcage to that everything from my bellybutton down was uncovered. My webbed fingers were built to help propel me through the water, as well as the tiny blue fins that were on my fingers in exchange for fingernails.
I ran my comb through my hair on more time, took a calming breath, and entered the King’s Throne Room.
He sat in his chair, a simple stone chair set with black pearls. The Crown Prince waved at me from his smaller chair. I didn’t acknowledge him, at least not let. I went through the ceremony of kissing Neptune’s hands, bowing, and doing the same for Merrick. I knew that he enjoyed it, because he never failed to remind me that I had to do it. He was just joking though. While we were away from the King, we never went through such ceremonies.
I swam back to the place just in front of the King, keeping my eye on his Trident. It had the power of the seas behind it. With the Trident, Neptune could conjure up a tsunami big enough to wipe out the entire Human population. He would never do so, for that would upset the balance in the world. He would still be able to summon a great storm while I was on the job, perhaps blowing me onto land. I would die of dehydration within a few hours. Even if the rumors weren’t true, he could still chuck it at me, it was sharp enough.
“Your Grace, I was at my watch at Cape June, when a boy my age spotted me. I sang as loud as I could, and yet he saw me. In a moment of extreme forgetfulness, - I blame my lack of sleep- we exchanged names before I came to you.” I bowed, keeping my head down, so that I wouldn’t have to see what he was going to do to me.
When nothing happened, not so much as an angry rant, I slowly looked up to see a look of softness of Neptune’s face. I was confused; I had heard stories of what he did when Sirens talked to Humans. Usually it ended with the Siren getting fired and sent back to her village in disgrace. I was still bent at the waist, glancing up. “Sire? Are you okay? Do I need to speak up?” Merrick looked confused as well, resting his chin on a fist, staring at his father.
Neptune’s voice was surprisingly quiet when he asked, “What was the boy’s name, Nerin?”
I straightened, feeling silly about my bowing now. “It was the strangest name. Rickie Miller. He has two names. Can you believe it? What’s the purpose of the second, if he insists to be called by his first?”
Neptune stroked his long, white beard, deep in thought. “What did this ‘Rickie Miller’ look like?”
I didn’t see why his looks mattered, but I answered. “Light brown hair, tan skin, and his eyes were blue, I think. Maybe green. It was hard to tell. I didn’t let him get that close to me.”
His hand tightened on the Trident, but he only placed it in a stand, got up from his chair, and started pacing the room. I raised an eyebrow at Merrick and he only shrugged. A few tense minutes later, Neptune sat back down and announced, “I have decided what you are going to do.”
“Yes, Your Grace?” I swished my tail, trying to keep it from falling asleep.
“I want you to bring this Rickie Miller to me. Do you know how to give a Human oxygen under the sea?”
“They just hold my wrist, right?”
“Wrist, hand, fin, anything will do. Just make sure that he is touching you at all times. I don’t want to risk letting him drown.”
“But, sire, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I only have a day or so left at that station. Then I’m moving to the one near Brazil.”
“You stay at that station until you can bring him. He’ll be more willing to follow you, since he knows your name.”
I nodded, agreeing with him, as I had to. “I will sire. And I won’t let you down this time.”
I was turning to go, when Neptune said, “Merrick, go with Nerin. You need to get out of the Palace.” I waited for the Prince to join me and left the Throne Room.
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