Chapter Text
The golden sand of the coast, bright and with small traces of the crabs that walk it; creatures that hide in it when they feel danger, or that only rest on the rocks that border the harbor of the kingdom. Worn by the impact of the waves, with a small marine ecosystem that appeared on its surface one September morning, without warning, but without a doubt it is a delight of colors for the human eye. So beautiful, from the emerald green to the small flowers that barely show their pink colors between the edges; a lot of rocks that nature had taken as a canvas.
The sun was shining high in the sky, there was not a single cloud in sight and on the high seas only the squawking of the seagulls was heard; the few boats that clogged the waters were cradled by the waves, the wood creaked and the buckets were full of fresh fish (some still moved). Large nets hung from starboard. They fell into the water and returned after a while full of fish that would easily be sold in the village market and would end up in the kitchens of homes accompanied by salads, cooked potatoes or fried in oil. It all depended on the imagination of the cook. But as much as the village's chefs practiced and improved their dishes every day, they knew that it would take them a thousand years to reach the level of the royal chef, which would surely turn that heap of raw and salted fish into a delicacy that would delight the demanding palates of the Kings, and hopefully will educate the young prince's palate. The only heir to the throne of the kingdom. From a young age he had been educated so that his only goal in life was to reign, and he would be the best king the kingdom ever had. Every day he took fencing, economics and politics classes; he had also been educated in fine arts, so, at eighteen, he became the perfect heir with whom all the maidens dreamed of getting married. “He is the perfect man”, they said in a dreamy voice, “Even if he wasn’t a prince, I would still dream of marrying him. He is kind, strong, brave and a gentleman!” Balls had been organized in which single maidens and also the princesses of the neighboring kingdoms were invited, because the kings not only wanted their son to become king, but also longed to be grandparents. The whole kingdom was dressed for the night of the ball: the streets were decorated with flowers and light-blue garlands; the merchants visited the castle to provide the chefs with the best ingredients; in the square, those who did not attend the royal ball organized their own ball accompanied by the local band; the couples danced all night and the children played freely at the fountain in the square or joined the party with their parents. So the kingdom was spending a night of jubilation, meanwhile in the castle...
“Look for the prince! THAT’S AN ORDER!”
The king had a red face of anger and smoked his ears while his wife tried to calm him. It had been enough to see the fearful expressions of his son's guards, she didn't want the guests to have it too when they saw him like that. They had gone looking for their son to present themselves as a family to the guests. They had not seen him all day, but hoped to spend a pleasant evening with him while they accompanied him in the search for his future wife. The guards guarding his son were outside his room; the kings approached and they made a short bow in respect to their majesties, they asked to enter their son's room, but the guards, ashamed, denied them the access.
That’s where the problem began.
“Why can't we come in?” The king asked, giving them that cold and dark look that no one would like to receive.
“Your royal highness so commands, my king. He said we wouldn't let anyone in.”
“You little scum,” he muttered to himself. His hands made a fist and he raised the tone of his voice. “Sousuke! Get out right now!”
The knocks against the door echoed throughout the wall. The queen looked worriedly at the huge white door; the golden knob trembled as the blows intensified. The king was mad.
“Your majesty! Please do not do that! We’ll open the door.”
And as if the guard had enunciated the magic words, the door opened. The king stomped in and his withering eyes scanned the room, examining even the smallest detail: There was a glass of water on the nightstand, the sheets were slightly wrinkled; the pillow was not fixed, the closet was closed and the glass door to the balcony was half-closed.
The prince was not there.
The king let out a growl that scared the guards (one of them began to fear for his head). His majesty turned, and in an angry voice he ordered them to look for the prince. The last thing he heard was the sound of their armors moving down the hall. His wife, with a calm expression and soft voice, approached him and stroked the back of his hand; the king's breathing normalized and he let the weight of his body fall on the sofa in the room.
“I don't understand why he keeps doing this, my love... He will turn twenty-one tomorrow, he can't keep running away from his responsibilities.”
The queen leaned on her knees so that her eyes looked directly at her husband's. Their eyes reassured each other, because, although she didn't show it the same way he did, she felt more worried than annoyed at her son's situation. He cradled her king's big hands and gave him a soft smile that finally softened the his expression.
“Don't be so hard on him, my love. You did the same when you were his age.”
“But I never missed my responsibilities, why can't he be like that?”
“We both want the best for him and the kingdom, but for now, try to calm down. The guests are arriving and we have to give our best face, okay? Let the guards look for him, soon he will appear.”
The king kissed his queen's hands and helped her up. She fixed her cloak while he admired the tranquility with which she hid her worry and annoyance, but that was not what prompted him to kiss her, it was because of everything she had done for him from the first moment they met. And he could swear to the gods that she was still as beautiful as the first day.
They went down the elegant marble staircase that led to the hall full of guests, nobility and royalty together in the same room to celebrate the prince's next birthday. They all wore their best clothes, the colorful and elegant dresses highlighted the beauty of the maidens and princesses, who adorned their long swan necks with precious jewels; the dukes held conversations on the balcony, accompanied by a glass of the best champagne in the kingdom. Laughter was heard and the voices of the guests gradually became a whisper that disappeared in the wind, responsible for the prince's dark hair to be disheveled as he slipped down the hill; he directed an occasional glance towards the castle whose architecture shone with the light of the lamps and the stars, the carriages kept coming and with them the guests in elegant clothes.
"It won't take long," he thought as he followed his path, "they won't notice my absence."
The salty breeze began to caress his face and took the opportunity to take a deep breath and keep that scent that would hopefully stay with him for a couple of days. The harbor was empty, everyone would be at the party in the square or resting at home by the fireplace. For a moment he only listened to the dim dom of the lighthouse bell, the sound of the waves against the walls and the rocks, and the sound of the wood creaking through his footsteps. The clear sky allowed him to see the hundred stars adorning him; Sousuke believed that there was nothing brighter and more beautiful than the stars, perhaps the moon, but she was absent from the sky for periods of time unlike the stars. He liked the stars. He liked them so much that he used to said: "I will have found the right person when I see the stars in his eyes." He did not care that his friends called him "romantic" since it was no lie.
An ivory flute hung from his hip that he used to play at special moments, and that moment, when it was only him and the ocean, was special without a doubt. He took it on his hands and did not think too much about which song he would play, he simply brought it to his lips and began to improvise; his hands traversed the instrument and he just let himself go. Maybe later he would compose a song with those makeshift notes, but for now...
Splash.
A splash in the water took him by surprise. "It would have been a fish or a rope of some ship," he thought. The swell and the dim dom of the bell were heard again; Sousuke played his flute again, losing himself in the soft sound of the instrument.
“Faced with our dreams we can’t yield, our answer can only be one, right?”
The music stopped playing.
Splash.
Sousuke could swear he heard a voice singing. He stood up and looked around because he was sure he was not alone. Someone –or something– was singing in the harbor...
“I’m imagining things.”
He sighed deeply. He hung the flute on his hip and took a last look at the stars, saying goodbye to them for the rest of the night. The wood creaked at his footsteps and he climbed the hill again, leaning on the branches of the cherry tree that faced the balcony of his room. He remembered the spring, and in the beauty of the pink of that cherry tree whose flowers sneaked into his room in the mornings; his balcony was covered with soft pink petals that seemed to hug him when he woke up. The flowers were small, beautiful, and only appeared at that time of year. That cherry tree had been the inspiration of his first songs, and of the first poems of his friend Makoto; Spring was his favorite season because the whole kingdom was dyed pink and nature could be breathed, and with it, an ephemeral sense of freedom and happiness.
He washed his face and brushed his hair, took the clothes they had prepared for him and left his room, praying to the gods that his parents had not noticed his absence, but the characteristic sound of the guard's armor indicated otherwise. Both had a serious expressions on their faces and escorted him to the marble stairs; all the glances of the guests turned on him. His arrival was announced and the young princesses fixed the non-existent wrinkles of their dresses. He smiled and greeted politely, pretending not to feel his father's icy gaze. The music played again and he spent the night dancing with young and old women, he met with the rest of the dukes and princes to talk about things that Sousuke didn't care too much; he also approached the kitchen for a couple of sweet snacks, then hid in a circle of ladies who did nothing but flatter him and congratulate him on the proximity of his twenty-first birthday. He did everything to prevent his parents from approaching him and rebuking him for missing several hours.
“Sousuke”, called a familiar voice.
He sighed in relief when he saw Makoto's face.
“Where were you? The ladies have been asking me about you all night and my excuses were running out. Why do you smell like salt?”
“It’s very obvious?”
“I live near the coast, I’m used to the smell, but that doesn’t answer my question.”
“I'll tell you everything, but I need to talk to all of you.”
“Why are you whispering?”
“It's not something that can be spoken in public. Look for the others and I'll see you in the west garden.”
Makoto nodded, feeling curious about whatever Sousuke had to tell them. They walked in separate directions; Makoto was looking for his friends while Sousuke tried to avoid his parents at any cost (even if that meant sneaking into the kitchen for more snacks or talking to people who were not interesting) although he was also distracted by the memory of that voice. That beautiful voice. Perhaps it had been a product of his imagination, but he could not get that sweet melody out of his head and made as a mental note to continue composing that makeshift song he played in the harbor under the starlight. Without realizing it, he ended up moving away from the hall and the music that was beginning to become repetitive and a bit annoying; he began to hum the song of the harbor and the mysterious voice only ended up being recorded inside him.
“Your Highness.”
In front of him were his friends, resting on the stone fence (except Nagisa, he kept some flowers in his pockets), Rei stepped forward and in a polite voice he said:
“Makoto said you wanted to talk to us about something private, are you okay, your highness? May I ask why its salty smell is due?”
“You ask a lot of questions, Rei” Nagisa sang.
“I went to the harbor,” he said softly, “I needed a break from everything that had happened and I started playing the flute, but something happened.”
His friends were curious.
“I heard something in the water, as if something fell, but everything was in its place and the waves only break on the walls and rocks, not on the wooden pillars. I didn't care until... I heard a voice.” A small smile formed on his lips. “It was the most beautiful voice I've ever heard, and It was singing! It was singing with my music and it was... it was beautiful.”
“Some maiden maybe,” Makoto said.
“No! There was no one there, only me! But I'm sure that person was singing in the water; I swear I felt it so close to me that I thought... I thought... Rei! Answer me something, are mermaids real?”
Rei was surprised by the question, although it was not the first time that question was asked; he himself had spent weeks in libraries of different kingdoms with the sole purpose of knowing more about such majestic and mysterious creatures. He spent months collecting information and taking note of the testimonies of those sailors who claimed to have seen them during their trips on the high seas. He would have dedicated his entire life to answering that myth, until he began to focus on other things. The books that contained his research were stored in some corner of his laboratory, covered with dust and moisture; he never imagined that his royal highness, Crown Prince Sousuke, one of his childhood friends, would ask him about those mythological creatures.
“I think... they may exist, your highness.”
“But of course they exist!”, Nagisa exclaimed with a smile, “And there is someone in the kingdom who claims to have seen one.”
“You mean...?”
“Yes! The fisherman Sasabe saw a mermaid many years ago while working. He says he saw her resting on a rock and hypnotized the entire crew with his singing. A mysterious fog covered the ocean and nothing could be seen but the shadows of the crew. Sasabe says that the last thing he heard was the screams of terror from his crew, and then... POOF... His ship appeared on the beach, with a large starboard hole and no trace of his men.”
While Nagisa smiled mysteriously, the rest of his friends looked at him curiously (except Makoto, who tried to hide the fear he felt for the story). Sousuke said:
“I don't think we're talking about the same kind of mermaid, Nagisa.”
“Besides, fisherman Sasabe has told that story to scare the youngest fishermen and the children of the kingdom,” Rei said. “On the other hand, the investigations I have done are based on true facts and not on horror stories.”
“Is that it or did I scared you?” Nagisa said, the smile reached his cheeks and his eyes became mysterious causing a chill that ran down Rei's back.
“But are you sure it was a mermaid, Sousuke?”
Makoto had remained silent, and his voice sounded calm, but those who knew him perfectly (his friends) knew that he had a great curiosity invading him, with a thorn of fear that stood out and pricked his heart inside. Sousuke looked at him and nodded. Without speaking, Makoto knew immediately that Sousuke was sure of what he had heard at the harbor, that his imagination had not deceived him. He claimed that it was a mermaid. Until proven otherwise.
At nightfall, everything went dark.
The waves calmed down on the coast, but it felt as cold as the breeze, which was sometimes warm and sometimes gave the impression that lots of tiny, tiny blades stuck in the skin and wore the pink color of the lips leaving instead a violet or bluish color. The movement of the extremities was limited, until the icy water gradually frozen the body and also robbed the life of those who dared to venture into that infinite body of dark, icy water and with mysteries that are protected in the depths. The fishermen of the kingdom tell many stories, but nothing beats the stories of a war that was so real, but at the same time they were taken out of a fairy tale. The only thing left of those stories are the graves of the brave men who took the risk and ended up swallowed by the waters of the ocean. Empty tombs, lacking a body, but with lots of flowers that relatives left there. Innocent souls, a risk that the army captain was willing to take to end a war that threatened to become the bloodiest and most painful chapter in the history of the kingdom. At least for one of them. In the depths that protect those mysteries that have no explanation, a palace is sheltered between mountains and chasms, protecting its empire and its people. They live in calm, like the waves that break on the coast at sunset, carrying out their daily activities that range from hunting and gathering, to making beautiful outfits that the Empress wore at the ceremonies held in the palace and in the main square of the city. Her reddish hair like coral is adorned by a golden crown with small gems that glowed with sunlight; her gaze was as gentle and delicate as the movement of her hands, her porcelain face and her way of being before her people. “Two beautiful rubies that keep clouds of sadness and pain, blinded by the past that do not allow her to feel the sun.” They. They were responsible for her smile fading at nightfall; they were the ones who led her to isolate her people from the rest of the world; they had taken it from her, and she wouldn't allow them to do it again.
It was that pain, that sadness... it was they who destroyed her family.
All the habitants knew the reason for the sadness that drowned their beloved empress and that is why they respected the three rules to the letter:
1. The lights will go out at nightfall except for the lamps on the main streets and the palace.
2. It is forbidden to go beyond the city limits after the lights go out. Whoever is discovered will be taken to the dungeons where it will be punished and will remain locked up indefinitely. Without exceptions.
3. Whoever is discovered having contact with the human world (of any kind) will be exiled or executed.
Everyone followed the rules, perhaps out of fear or respect for the empress. But there was someone who managed to break those three rules every night: The prince.
Heir to the throne, with beautiful reddish hair and white skin like sea foam; with an eye color that was characteristic of the royal family, and with a great love for adventure (or ability to get into trouble, if he wasn't careful). He was the fastest, smartest and most handsome swimmer; he handled all kinds of weapons with skill and agility and could dominate the most dangerous beasts of the ocean. All the habitants loved him. From an early age, the old sages predicted him a bright future as emperor, with the exception of Master Serizawa. He is the youngest member of the Council of Sages, and has been the royal advisor for one hundred twenty years. His hair had the silver glow of the stars and in his eyes the whole life that existed in the universe was reflected. Council members said that Serizawa was special, and you could tell by seeing him directly in the eyes.
“The stars, the moon, the sun... nothing compares to the magic that lives within you”, those are the words of the first person who saw how special Serizawa Master was, but it was no use remembering them if that person had gone forever.
When he was not in office within the Council of Sages or his advisory services were not required by the royal family, Serizawa could spend full days inside the tower he called home; the stone walls were hidden behind huge piles of books that seemed to extend to infinity; a silver pedestal held a shiny vessel in which he mixed all kinds of potions, minerals and herbs; on the edge of the balcony hung yellow flowers that extended throughout the stone structure, making that tower one of the most beautiful in the palace. And it was on one of those cold nights, where the moonlight sneaked through the water and came to illuminate the elegant architecture of the palace, when Master Serizawa saw it. The war was far from predicted in the stars and life and happiness invaded the night in the city; the corals shone and the birth of the firstborn of their imperial majesties was celebrated in the square. The habitants rejoiced, while in the palace the fruit of love that the rulers of such a powerful empire had for the first time opened their eyes to the world, showing its beautiful ruby color. The moon whispered to Serizawa and reflected in the vessel of his room, and he saw it. He saw the prince's future, and his horrible disentanglement.
“Why, moon? Why do you show me this?”
But at that time the moon did not respond.
One hundred and eighteen years had passed since the prince's future was revealed, and no matter how much time passed, the moon did not answer his questions.
“Why? Why do you want me to tell him?”
It wasn't an answer, but something on the horizon caught his attention. Near the city limits a figure swam at full speed, heading towards the wall surrounding the palace garden. Serizawa, discreetly, went out the balcony of the tower. Something inside him already knew who it was, but he had to be sure. He was hiding behind the vegetation of the palace and used the thickets of the garden to avoid being discovered by that mysterious figure. One of the stones on the wall moved, giving way to the intruder; Serizawa approached and thought he saw it more clearly until he disappeared. Surprised, he approached the area where he last saw it, and it seems that his presence itself faded into the water. There was no sign of the intruder. Serizawa clicked his tongue and waved his hands to create a bubble.
“Show me what is invisible to my eyes,” he whispered.
The bubble shone and a bright silhouette followed the path of the mysterious figure perfectly, each movement and each breath was perfectly represented by the light; as he approached his eyes, Serizawa frowned at the face of the mysterious intruder. A stone moved right in front of him, and one of the entrances to the catacombs of the palace was revealed. The light faded and the bubble turned to silver frost.
Serizawa returned to the interior of the palace.
He would have to talk to the prince at dawn.