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Once upon a time, down in the depths of the sea, far deeper than any diver dared swim and past where ship anchors could reach, there was the kingdom of the merpeople. A castle of shell and coral towered above the plains of sea grass and cities of stone and shell, home to the sea queen, her son and grandchildren.

The queen, regal and wise ruled the undersea kingdom with grace and dignity. Overseeing what conflicts her subjects would bring and aide them in coming to a resolution. The first prince set to become the king of the sea kingdom was a skilled diplomat and treated with the neighboring undersea kingdoms to ensure there would be peace in the undersea realm. The queen’s grandchildren, the twins Alphinaud and Alisaie and their older sister Piyeh were the pride and joy of the kingdom.

Alphinaud, who was a skilled tactician and diplomat and his twin Aslisaie, a quick witted mage with an even sharper tongue when dealing with the more difficult fellows. The twins were nigh indistinguishable from each other at a glance, save for the colors of their tails. Alphinaud with a royal blue tail and fins that matched his eyes and Alaisaie with her bright red tail that perfectly reflected her fiery spirit. The twins were rarely apart from each other, wherever one went the other was sure to be close behind.

And finally, Piyeh, the eldest of the three, she was the most adventurous of the three and would explore reaches of the kingdom and come back telling the most wondrous stories. Merpeople near and far would come to hear her tales of her adventures paint wondrous pictures with her voice alone. Her violet eyes would light up as she told her tales and her purple tail and fins would flit about as she could never stay still from her excitement, her long dark hair floating about her head as she flitted to and fro through the water reenacting her discovery of an old sunken galleon, filled with lost treasures.

With such a gift, the princess was greatly sought after by many of the neighboring sea princes and princesses as a potential partner. While Piyeh found many a friend among them, she felt as if her heart was being pulled towards the surface, being called there. Merpeople normally did not venture to the surface world, except for the odd excursion or for the knights to check for incoming storms. All the other merpeople would wait until they had come of age before they made their first visit to the surface. Often they would return to the depths with wondrous tales of the sky and stars that the land dwellers lived under. One youth swore he saw a thousand stars raining down on the realm and overhead from the smaller land dwellers that one was supposed to make a wish upon them.

Alisaie and Alphinaud eagerly awaited the day Piyeh would come of age and hear her tales of the surface world. For it would be some years before they could make their own excursion. Alisaie especially was impatient for the day in question.

“And if you bring back any trinkets from the surface world, please bring something for us!” Alisaie insisted, “Maybe something from one of those great ships the land dwellers use!”

Alphinaud shook his head with a slight grin, “Pray, tell us about everything you see while you’re up there sister. I have always wanted to see these stars for myself.”

Piyeh let out a clear laugh as she tended to her little garden, “Of course I will. It’s only a few more days until I can go to the surface, I’m sure I can find something for both of you up there. Our knights have said land dwellers sometimes lose things in the sea, mayhaps something of interest will fall overboard?”

The twins cheered with delight and asked for another of her stories of her adventures, this one of how she escaped from a grumpy shark while exploring a shipwreck. Piyeh obliged the twins and regaled them with the exciting tale whilst producing the curious pronged trinket she had found there. She wasn’t quite sure what its purpose was, though Aliasaie had suggested mayhaps it was some kind of comb. Two detangled heads of hair later assured Alisaie of the trinket’s intended function of which she dubbed a “dinglehopper”.

The days leading up to Piyeh’s coming of age seemed to last an eternity. She wanted nothing more than to see the sky and stars for herself and the great ships the land dwellers traveled across the sea in. To bide her time, Piyeh once more took to exploring the edges of the kingdom in hopes to take her mind off the wait. This time however, exploring the sunken wrecked ships could not take her mind elsewhere, for she was just reminded of the world she would soon visit. The night before she would come of age, Piyeh took one last excursion to the sunken ships, hoping to find some trinket or oddity to bring back to Alphinaud and Alisaie to tide them over until they could visit the surface world themselves.

Finally, the day Piyeh came of age was here! On her sixteenth birthday, once the coming of age rites for the princess concluded and gifts were given, the royal family gathered in the courtyard to see her on her way to the surface. Alphinaud and Alisaie both reminded Piyeh as they had been for the past few days to not forget anything she saw so she could tell them all about her first day up on the surface. Piyeh assured the twins she would tell them all about her adventures on the surface, but she must be on her way now. Clutching a small satchel in her hands, Piyeh swam away from the kingdom of the merpeople and up to the surface world.

The water around the princess grew brighter and brighter as she swam up to the surface, that bright yellow light...what was it called again?

Ah, yes the sun! That’s what it was called. It’s light filled the surface world with light and warmth during the day. Now she remembered one of the knights telling her about it, and not to look directly into it for it was so very bright it could burn one’s eyes. Eagerly, Piyeh surged the last few yalms up and breached the surface of the sea and took in her first gulps of air.

“At last…” She gasped, shading her eyes from the bright light of the sun and taking in her surroundings, “The world above.”

Above her were blue skies dappled with large white fluffy mountains of what looked like sea foam, just floating way up in the air. Clouds? She thought they were called? Glancing about she could just make out a tiny island only a few malms from where she breached. Her first surface destination in sight, she swam swiftly in search of her first adventure.

The day was spent happily exploring the nooks and crannies she could find, collecting what oddities caught her eye. Some of them seemed to have been lost by their land dweller owners. A few bottles of many shapes and sizes, Piyeh could store her smaller knick-knacks in them and Alphinaud always needed something to store his potions in. Coins stamped with the profile of a distinguished gentleman with long pointed ears and a beard, they would make for a nice bracelet or necklace! And some baubles and jewelry, all mismatched and some earrings missing their twins, but all lovely just the same.

Piyeh also spied on the land dwellers in their little boats. Some of them lived in little towns by the sea and made a living off it. These mortals weren’t so very different from the merpeople, why they even liked to eat fish too! The preparation was different, some ate their fish on sticks, others between soft squishy food stuffs she couldn’t name. Sometimes these land dwellers out for a day’s fishing or simply enjoying the sea dropped their things, and Piyeh was ready to collect it. She was sure Alisaie would love the gold pendant stamped with a skull and Alphinaud a brass spyglass. Though she made sure to return a golden locket with the portrait of a baby and lovely lady to a fisherman. Piyeh was sure it was of great importance to the long eared fellow. He exclaimed quite happily when he found it where she had quietly placed it. Though she could not understand his words.

Oh how she wished she could...

The day just melted away and before she knew it, the stars were twinkling into sight above the sea and the moon slowly rose up into the skies. Knowing she would have to return to the depths soon for her birthday festivities, Piyeh already was eagerly awaiting for her next adventure up on the surface. But, she could stay up here just a little while longer. She wanted to see the stars so very much. Were they as beautiful as she heard? Just what were they made of? They couldn’t be like the glowing plankton that sometimes glowed in the darkest waters. Beached on a stony reef with her finds, Piyeh sat and waited for the stars to appear. They first came as tiny lights, and two, and then thousands upon thousands pierced through the blackness of the night sky.

“Alphinaud...Alisaie...You’re going to love this when you come up here…” Piyeh sighed taking in the stars above her, committing the sight to memory so she could describe it perfectly.

And quite suddenly, a star seemed to just shoot across the sky! And then another, and another!

“Shooting stars!” Piyeh exclaimed, “Oh...I’m supposed to make a wish now right? Oh dear..” By now countless shooting stars were streaking across the skies. How was she supposed to make that many wishes? Mayhaps she should just make a very special one?

Before she could begin to put such a wish together, the shooting stars changed. They now more resembled great burning stones. Piyeh stared up at them as they rained down, now a little frightened. She kept thinking now was time to dive back down to the depths, but she felt rooted to the rock she was sitting on, she just couldn’t look away.

And such a deep feeling of longing filled her breast, as if a blade was being driven into her heart.

And a clear voice echoed in the back of her mind.

He...r….eel….hink....

Alarmed, she near leapt off her perch, wildly turning about for the speaker.

Hear...Feel...Think….the voice chimed again.

Looking up, the flaming stones continued to rain down upon the sea, and one was headed right for her. With a scream, Piyeh threw her arms up reflexively for the impact.

It never came.

She blinked.

The flaming stones were gone. Just the shooting stars streaking across the night sky. As if the frightening sight never happened. Warily she glanced around for some evidence, surely one of those stones had to have landed on the reef. Seeing nothing, Piyeh took one last look at the stars before clutching her satchel of surface trinkets close and with a splash of fins she had slipped back down to the depths of the sea…

The princess was eagerly welcomed back by Alphinaud and Alisaie when she arrived back at the coral castle. Before she even crossed the threshold of the castle her little brother and sister were bombarding her with questions and were utterly delighted at the treasures she had brought them. They asked her to tell them about her day up on the surface again and again as the birthday festivities stretched well into the night.

Her mind was only half there as she received gifts and congratulations from the guests and older mer’s tales of their surface world adventures. Part of her was still up on the surface, gazing up at the stars, wishing to return the first chance she got.

As the years went by, Piyeh continued her visits to the surface world, watching the land dwellers go about their lives, collecting what lost things she could find to bring back, much to Alphinaud’s and Alisaie’s delight as their own coming of age grew closer. Sometimes she would find trinkets washed up on a reef, fallen from some passing ship or even catch the odd thing that had fallen from one, such as a finely crafted goblet set with precious stones that fell from a ship’s window where delicious smells came from. Much to her surprise, ever since she saw the strange falling stones in the sky she could now understand the words of the land dwellers. The exact meaning of some words escaped her but sometimes she could get the jist. It didn’t matter half of the things sounded like nonsense, this meant she had more tales to tell Alphinaud and Alisaie!

And one day a much larger thing fell from a ship.

A grandly decorated ship glided across the sea as Piyeh sat on a reef, sunning herself and going over her latest finds when loud voices from the ship drew her attention as a statue fell into the depths. From how upset the land dwellers sounded, that statue must have been very important. Curious, Piyeh swam closer to the ship, being careful to not be seen to see if she could find out more.

“...That was the prince’s birthday present ya daft bugger!” A loud boisterous voice shouted, “Bah! Tha’ statue was right expensive it was!”

“You know he wouldn’t have liked it anyway.” a younger voice replied, “Much more the bookish and daggers type he is. Dunno what that fancy merchant from Limsa was thinkin’...”

An exasperated groan sounded from the deck, “Bah...we can’t fish it out. Some mermaid will have a nice garden decoration though…”

Oh, well since the burly sailor thought it would make a nice decoration…

Piyeh dove back down into the depths after the statue. Some hours lugging and tugging later her new garden decoration was safely situated among the bright coral and anemones. Now, she could properly examine her find.

The statue depicted a handsome youth, the prince that the two gruff sounding sailors had mentioned. The marble was smoothly carved to accentuate his angled features, spiky hair, a mischievous smile, and what she imagined were sparkling eyes. Day in and day out, when the princess wasn’t up having adventures on the surface, she was in her garden tending to her plants or simply gazing at the statue of the prince from the world above.

Eventually, seven years later, it was finally time for Alphinaud and Alisaie to make their first visit to the surface world. The twins were ecstatic, they could not wait to see the world their sister had told them so much about. Would it be as wondrous as her tales said? Would they too see the strange burning stones? Piyeh hoped not. She couldn’t stand for them to feel that pained longing she felt that night. Promising she would accompany them the following day to the surface, the twins gleefully swam to the surface leaving Piyeh in her garden with the statue of her prince. How he must have grown by now. Sighing dreamily, she leaned on her hands, closing her eyes imagining how handsome he must be now. She hadn’t been able to glimpse him since she found the statue, oh how she would love to see him now.

But alas, she was a princess of the deeps and he belonged on land. Her prince would be unable to visit her kingdom and live.

Much later that night, Aliphinaud and Alisaie returned to their birthday celebrations with tales of their day spent on the surface and laden with what trinkets they found lost from ships.

One item was a curious trumpet like item Alisae dubbed a “snarflat” after the silly sound it made when one blew into it. The twins’ birthday feast was filled with wonderful music, delicious foods, and the twins’ tales of their day up on the surface. They hadn’t seen the strange burning stones Piyeh had told them about but they did see a few shooting stars and spied a fancy ship sailing by from which, a gold goblet fell that Asisaie happily presented to Piyeh for her collection.

The twins happily made plans for their next visit to the surface, this time they had to bring Piyeh with them as they could all finally visit the surface world together! Why, Alisaie even suggested that they could find Piyeh’s mysterious prince together!

“That sounds wonderful.” Piyeh said with a soft smile, “Mayhaps the day after tomorrow?”

The day after tomorrow could not come soon enough for Alisaie, just one day up above was nowhere near enough! And besides, she wanted so badly to know what the land dwellers spoke of. While keeping Piyeh company in her garden the following day, Alisaie jabbered away about the gang of children she and Alphinaud saw playing at the shores of a little fishing town, and of how Alphinaud had left a small token for a little girl who spied them. So excited Alisaie was she seemed to glow in the cool blue waters.

Alphinaud had wanted to bring a book he found, but was disheartened to find that the crinkly white slabs the land dwellers used did not take to water very well and crumbled to shreds before he even returned to the castle. He wished there was some way to take record of the plants he saw on that island, he was sure the children in the city would love to see the flowers of the surface world! And he was sure he and Alisaie could help Piyeh find her prince, for he had seen a grand ship docked at an island with the same crest at the base of the statue in her garden, and that the ship would still be there on the morrow.

And so once their lessons and duties were seen to, the trio swam up to the surface together.

The sun was setting low in the skies by the time they surfaced and the ship that Alphinaud had spied was no longer at its dock, but sailing away into the setting sun. Piyeh swiftly swam after the ship, followed by Alphinaud and Alisaie. They had not accounted for how quickly the land dweller’s ships could sail, but they managed to keep the ship in their sights, though just barely.

The moon was beginning to rise when the ship finally dropped anchor as Piyeh, Alphinaud, and Alisaie finally caught up with their quarry. Colorful light burst up from the ship with a loud bang and burst like giant sparkling flowers in the air above and then rained down in many tiny sparks. The sparkling wonders were short lived, but no sooner had one fade a new one shot up into the skies.

The ship was grand indeed! It was one of the larger ships used by the land dwellers to move large numbers of people and things. The sides were decorated with pale blue drapes and white flowers and silver ribbons. Cheerful music floated down from the decks, along with the happy voices of those up on deck. On the side of the ship a crest of white spiral shell against a sea blue field was flanked by garlands of flowers and ribbons, and light peeked out from the little round windows along the hull’s sides, along with a warm sugary smell.

“What are they saying Piyeh?” Alisaie asked, “Whatever it is, they do sound like they’re having fun.”

Listening, Piyeh tried to make out the words from the raucous singing and laughter and the bangs of the sparking lights.

“I..I can make out someone saying ‘Happy Birthday’.” Piyeh said, “I’ll have to get closer to make any more sense of it, there’s so many other noises!”

“Well then,” Alisaie chirped, “You can see how the land dwellers celebrate their birthdays while you’re at it! Sounds like good fun.”

“A-are you sure that’s prudent?” Alphinaud asked, “What if she’s seen? This isn’t like with the children where they just smile and wave! Who knows what these grown land dwellers will do!”

But his concerns fell on deaf ears as Piyeh already was pulling herself up the ladder on the side of the ship to an opening from which the anchor line snaked down from and Alisaie was eagerly watching their sister make her way up the ship.

The voices and music grew louder as Piyeh pulled herself up to the opening and peeked through to the party taking place on deck. The deck was filled with all sorts of land dwellers. Some incredibly tall and others so very small they almost seemed to be children, if it had not been for one’s curly beard and another’s smile wrinkles around her eyes. All were dancing, laughing and singing happily amongst each other, whatever this party was, a good time was indeed being had by all! And as she scanned the revelers, her breath caught in her breast as he took in one of the land dwellers in particular.

A tall handsome male land dweller with snow white hair and warm dark eyes sat on a barrel watching the others dance. The slight mischievous smile, the delicate angled features now more toned and defined.

It was her prince!

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Piyeh couldn’t take her eyes away from the prince. He was indeed the same one her statue had been modeled after. But now he was all grown. The prince watched the revelers dancing about on deck, occasionally chatting amiably with a very pretty lady with blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes dressed in pink and purple. Piyeh wondered for a moment if the lady was a princess, she had a sort of air about her that spoke of regality. The lady gestured to the dancers as if asking the prince if he’d like to join them. The prince gave her a smile and taking her hand, the pair joined the rest of the party,

Resting her chin on her hands, still being careful to stay hidden in the shadows, Piyeh continued to watch the party. There were some land dwellers playing all sorts of snarfblatts, providing all sorts of music for the other land dwellers to dance to. The sound was a bit different up here than down below the sea, not as...thick. The sounds carried on air felt much smoother, and mayhap it was her imagination, but did the sound seem to reach her ears a moment later than in the water? Nevermind that.

Other land dwellers were gathered around a table from which delicious smells were coming from and a large rounded thing that an amber liquid poured from and left some land dwellers rather unable to use their legs. Stifling a giggle, Piyeh watched the wobbly land dwellers, already knowing Alisaie would find it quite silly that a land dweller lost their ability to walk.

Returning her gaze to the prince and his friend, Piyeh let out a little sigh, what would it be like to dance with him? Looking down at her violet tail and fins, her eyes turned downcast. She wouldn’t make for a good dance partner flopping about on deck like a literal fish out of water. Running a hand on the smooth scales, she wondered what it would be like to be able to walk, run, or dance?

A brief image of herself, dressed in a lavender gown, in the prince’s arms flitted into her mind. They were dancing the night away under the moonlight. He pulled her close, holding her against his chest, grasping her hand tightly, and he leaned in closer to her face...

...To which her whole face grew incredibly hot as a bright red blush spread across her cheeks. So engrossed in her own imaginings was she that it wasn’t until a loud clap of thunder roused her out of her thoughts so suddenly she nearly fell back down into the sea. Whipping around, she was alarmed to see that a storm had gathered while she had been lost in her daydreams!

The deck erupted into a flurry of action as the land dwellers ran to their stations as a blast of wind and waves struck the ship rocking it to the side alarmingly! With a startled cry Piyeh lost her balance on her perch and fell back down to the sea below with a loud splash, nearly missing Alphinaud and Alisaie who let out loud yelps.

The impact of hitting the water left Piyeh a bit winded for a few moments, but she recovered and resurfaced among the quickly growing waves, turning this way and that.

“Alphinaud! Alisaie!” she cried out as the currents tossed her to and fro in the waves and occasionally dragged her under with a startled yelp. Surging upwards with a powerful kick, she resurfaced pushing her soaked hair out of her eyes looking for the telltale spots of white hair in the darkness. But all she could see were the whitecaps of the waves illuminated by brief flashes of lightning.

A low groan and jumbled distant shouting drew Piyeh’s attention back to the ship, it had raised its anchor and was now sloping across the waves, the crew scrambling about, doing whatever they needed to do when storms hit their ships. Looking up at the ship, wondering why they had raised anchor when they needed it to keep the ship from being tossed like a toy. Swimming closer to the ship, she could just make out a flash of snow white hair at the ship’s rail, scanning the waves for...something. What was the prince looking for? Surely no one fell off the ship?

Aside from her. But there was no need to worry about a mermaid falling overboard.

As the waves and currents dragged her away from the ship, the prince turned in her direction and she could just make out the look of alarm on his face. He couldn’t have seen her and thought she needed rescuing ahd he? No...no it had to be something else!

“Nevermind that!” she gasped squinted through the lashing rain, desperately searching for the twins, they were nowhere in sight. They must have been buffeted away by the currents, at least they could regroup underwater, where the churning waves couldn’t toss them about like toys.

But she needed to make sure they could get below the surface safely! Giving the ship a wide berth she swam around it calling out for the twins, dodging any debris that had fallen from the ship, and diving into any wave crests to avoid being buffeted or dragged under too far by the currents. The storm was growing more and more intense, with the wind howling, thunder clapping louder and louder with each bolt of lightning.

An especially loud thunderclap frightened Piyeh so much she nearly leapt full out of the water! Whipping around on reflex she was just in time to see the ship be struck by a bolt of lightning! The ship burst into flames almost immediately as the crew frantically ran about the deck trying to put the flames out, but the flames were spreading far too quickly. Debris fell from the ship either broken or on fire into the water below. Staring in shock at the sigh, Piyreh could just make out a flash of white hair and a red tail near the burning ship.

Surging forward, Piyeh sliced her way through the water towards Alisaie, weaving about the wooden debris that floated away from the ship towards her, either charred or completely on fire. Loud cries of the ship’s crew could be heard as they began to abandon ship, either by lowering smaller boats to the water’s surface or simply jumping off the ship and swimming for any wreckage to cling to. Up on the burning deck, she could just make out the silhouette of the prince and the lady in pink aiding the rest of the landwalkers in their escape, either helping them aboard the smaller boats or pointing out a safe spot to jump to in the water.

This made getting to Alisae a little tricky, as now Piyeh had to dodge any swimmers paddling through the debris. Diving below the surface, Piyeh scanned the debris above her looking for Alisaie’s red tail amidst the flotsam and kicking legs. Many tense moments later, she spotted a bright red tail near a large plank of flotsam bobbing about above her along with the pair of legs that no doubt belonged to one of the crew, but they were very still…

Piyeh surged upwards and breached the churning surface to see Alisaie hauling an unconscious sailor onto the wreckage. Wasting no time, Piyeh hurried to her side and with one great heave, were able to get the sailor safely onto the flotsam.

“Thanks!” Alisae panted, giving the flotsam a great push towards one of the little boats with its precious cargo, “Alphinaud already went below surface, we should catch up before he gets too worried.” And swiftly dove below the surface.

Giving the burning ship one last look, Piyeh was about to join Alisaie in diving below to the safety of the deeps, when a loud explosion ripped through the air and the rest of the ship. The force of the blast shoved Piyeh under the surface along with some of the debris, slamming into her. Winded, she momentarily lost all sense of direction and she could feel ropes tangling about her tail and arms. A tug from her right at least gave her some sense of which way was up as she wriggled herself free of the ropes and shoved the flotsam out of the way to clear her path to the surface.

The ship was completely in flames by the time she returned to the surface and she couldn’t make out any land dwellers on the burning deck, so hopefully they had all escaped. From the number of little boats and silhouettes she could just make out through the rain, it seemed that a good deal of the crew had escaped. Heaving a sigh of relief that the worst was hopefully over, she was about to dive back under when a flash of white hair in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning towards it, she was shocked to see the prince swimming in her direction!

He wasn’t actually making the attempt to rescue her was he? Of course...he might have seen her go under and likely not knowing she was in no danger of drowning, leapt into the sea in an attempt to save her. Unsure of what to do, she froze. If she dived below the waves, then the prince would likely drown in the attempt to find her, but if he caught up to her, she wasn’t sure what would happen next. Mayhap all she needed to do was let him see her tail, yes. If he saw she was a mermaid, he would know she didn’t need rescuing and would swim back to the safety of his friends.

Before she could decide on how best to show her tail, the waves sent a large piece of wreckage slamming right into the prince! He went under with a sharp cry and some blood bubbling up marking where he sank. For a moment, Piyeh just stared at the spot where the prince sank, her heart hammering in her breast.

It was if she was acting on instinct.

She dove below the surface and swam as quickly as she could weaving around sinking wreckage towards the slowly sinking prince. Wrapping her arms around the unconscious man she kicked her tail as powerfully as she could to send the both of them back to the surface before it was too late. As she breached the surface, she adjusted her grip on the prince to better keep his head above the water. A few spluttery coughs from him assured her he was still among the living as Piyeh swam through the waves towards a series of small dark bumps in the distance. She needed to get her injured charge to dry land as soon as possible, and thankfully, these waters had a good number of tiny islands that would make for a good refuge for the shipwrecked land dwellers.

Turning to face the prince in her arms, Piyeh’s breath nearly caught at having him so close to her. The only mars to his handsome face were small burns and a shallow cut across his cheek, no doubt injuries sustained from the fire on the ship. A thin trickle of blood ran down his cheek from a rather painful looking wound on his scalp, where his snow white hair was stained dark red. A light touch with her fingertips and a few well chosen words in the undersea language later the injury closed up and the bleeding stopped. Smoothing his soaked hair out of his closed eyes, Piyeh whispered words of encouragement to the prince, telling him to hold on, that she had him and soon he would be safe on land.

“Just focus on my voice,” she said, “You’re going to be alright. I promise I won’t let you drown! There’s an island not too far away. I’m sure the others will be safe too.”

The only response from the prince was a small groan and his head shifting slightly against hers. He felt so weak and limp in her arms, but his heartbeat was sure and steady, giving Piyeh confidence she would indeed be able to save him from the wrath of the seas.

She wasn’t sure how long she swam, she kept talking to the prince in hopes somehow that would prevent him from slipping away. She spoke of her adventures to sunken ships, the odd trinkets she found, and the antics of Alphinaud and Alisaie. Anything she could think of. Eventually, the storm faded away, and the clouds rolled away to reveal the moon and stars once more above her and reflected on the sea’s surface.

As she kept her eyes focused on the island that was gradually growing larger and larger before her. As she drew closer, she could make out a splendid city and a castle built up on the island. Good, there were people on there, someone who could help the prince. She passed by some pillar, towering up out of the sea that shone light into the distance, upon it was the same sea shell crest that had been on the prince’s ship. Had she managed to bear the prince back to his kingdom? Oh how she hoped so.

She only stopped twice to catch her breath, and once more when she came upon a helpful current that carried her and the prince towards the island. When the island finally was close enough, the stars had completely faded and the moon had long set. The skies were a soft purple-pink and orange tinted the horizon as dawn approached. Her strength nearly spent, Piyeh hauled the prince through the shallow waters, dragging both him and herself across the sand until he was safely lying down on the beach.

Gasping for breath, Piyeh propped herself up on the sand as she sat beside the prince, looking him over for any other injuries. He was soaked to the bone, but aside from losing his boots during their journey to this island, no new injuries seemed to have cropped up on his person.

Breathing a sigh of relief and a murmur of thanks to the gods of the sea, she lay down next to the prince, wrapping a protective arm around him in an attempt to keep him warm. All she needed to do now was stay with him until rescue came. She could worry about any land dweller encounters this would result in later. For now, her priority was keeping the prince alive.

“You’re safe now…” she sighed to him, “I’ll stay with you until your companions find you here. They’ll be here soon, I’m sure of it.”

“Mmmhhhmmmm…” the prince sighed turning his head toward her in his sleep, his face resting just under her chin. Her heart fluttering, Piyeh tightened her arms around him as she continued to talk to him. Telling him about the undersea kingdom, the castle of coral and shell, and of her garden which she tended to. She spared no detail, for even though he would never be able to visit the sea kingdom, she could at least allow him to see it in whatever dreams he was having. Using the richest words she could, she wove a dream sea kingdom for the prince to visit. There she could take his hand and show him the grand hall in the castle, the fields of sea grass where giant sea horses gamboled about and occasionally visitors from the Ruby Sea would pass through on their travels. Show him the grand sunken ships she explored day in and day out, all the colorful fish and sea dragons that swam this way and that through the seas.

“...And I’m sure your world is just as wondrous too…” Piyeh sighed, brushing the prince’s bangs out of his eyes, “I wish I could see the lands you live in. Are the mountains on land just as tall and grand as they are in the deeps? What are your forests like? Is it true there’s little seas of pure water?” With each question to her prince her heart grew just a little warmer. As he stirred in her arms, it just about was fit to burst from her breast. Why was she feeling like this? She had only just encountered him and he was currently unconscious.

But it felt so real…

She couldn’t help but imagine spending her days at his side, she was now a land dweller, exploring all the surface world had to offer with her dear prince at her side. Oh how she wanted it to be real. But alas...with a forlorn gaze at her tail and fins she sighed sadly. She was bound to the sea and her prince could not visit her in her kingdom for he could not survive beneath the waves. Looking about, she could see a small ship sailing towards the island in the distance. Good, rescue was on its way.

Blinking away her tears, Piyeh leaned down to press a gentle kiss to the prince’s brow, gazing longing at his face, wishing she could spend a little time with him before she would have to return to the depths.

As if in response to her wish, the prince’s eyes fluttered open, fixing her with a bleary, unfocused gaze. Piyeh reflexively shrank away from him, unsure of what exactly she should do. The prince weakly grasped her wrist in one hand, tugging her back close to him.

“Wh-who..?” he rasped out dryly, “Where..?”

Regaining her wits, Piyeh placed her free hand on the prince’s, “You’re safe now, there’s a ship coming. I’m sure they’ll take care of you.” She tried to slide her hand out of the prince’s but he held surprisingly firm.

“P-please...stay…” he gasped before he slipped back into unconsciousness, still clutching his rescuer’s hand in his.

Piyeh glanced about, the ship was no longer in her sights, but she could hear voices and footsteps coming closer. Slipping her hand free, Piyeh took one last look at her prince.

“Goodbye my prince…” she whispered, leaning over him and giving him a small peck on the lips before she slipped away into waves. She swam away from the shore to a nearby rocky reef, and peeking around, watched as the blonde lady in pink and purple ran over to the prince’s side. The lady knelt at his side, checking him for any injuries as she carefully lifted his head and shoulders into his arms.

Assured that the prince was now in safe hands, Piyeh took one last glance before diving below the waves. As she swam back down to the deeps, she kept glancing back to the surface, some part of her wanting to return, but knowing how worried Alphinaud and Alisaie must be, she kept her course back to her castle.

She spent the whole journey back lost in her thoughts, she couldn’t stop thinking about the prince. It was if some part of herself had been left behind on the surface world, with her dear prince.

“This is ridiculous…” Piyeh muttered to herself, “I...haven’t even spoken with him properly! Why am I so...so...What am I feeling?” She clutched her hands over her heart, which was beating so very fast and she felt so warm at the thought of the prince and how he held her hand, asking her to stay with him. Had she not been so puzzled, she likely would have turned about and swam back to find the prince with all the speed she could muster.

But no. She needed to go back home. There was time to mull over her thoughts on the way.

“Besides...no doubt when he’s on the mend, I’ll be no more than a dream to him…” Piyeh sighed resuming her trek back home, “Tis not as if I can live on land…” She gave her tail a forlorn gaze.

Sometime later she arrived back at the castle, where she was greeted by a thoroughly relieved Alphinaud and Alisaie along with the Sea Queen and First Prince. Nearly being knocked back by the force of Alphinaud and Alisaie rushing out of the castle gates to hug her, all she could make out of what they said was where was she? - Did she have any idea how worried they were!? - What could have possibly kept her up on the surface for so long?

“Well…” the Sea Queen sighed once Alphinaud and Alisaie calmed down, “It is good you have returned safely Piyeh. But I must advise against any trips to the surface for the time being in light of this rashness.”

Piyeh, for a moment, wondered if she should mention the prince she had saved, but stopped. That had been part of the “rashness” that kept her away for so long. She would have to come clean soon, but not right now. She had to get her thoughts together first.

“I thought you were right behind me!” Alisaie yelped, “I was so worried when I noticed you weren’t there!”

“What kept you?” Alphinaud demanded, “And up in that storm? You know how dangerous the surface can be in that kind of weather!”

The First Prince and Sea Queen exchanged weary looks, and aftering coming to some understanding, The First Prince nodded.

“”You will be confined to the palace for the coming fortnight.” The First Prince said gravely, crossing his arms across his chest, “Return to your chambers, I will be there anon to further discuss this recklessness with you.”

Piyeh nodded, biting her lip. How was she going to explain her rescuing a land dweller? Nothing of the sort had occurred in the sea kingdom’s living memory. The Sea Queen nodded to each of her grandchildren and with a swirl of silver fins and hair, swam back into the palace followed by the First Prince, his indigo tail and fins twitching uneasily.

Piyeh shortly followed after them, and turned up the ramp to the upper chambers, followed by Alphinaud and Alisaie. The twins both began asking even more questions about what kept her up on the surface. Did it have anything to do with the ship they had seen? Why hadn’t she dived back down once the storm became so intense?

“What could have kept you?” Alisaie asked, “After we got that landwalker on the flotsam and I dove down, what happened?”

“Let’s get to my room first.” Piyeh sighed, “I can tell you properly there.”

Alisaie groaned impatiently whilst Alphinaud nodded in understanding, but noticeably quickened his pace to Piyeh’s rooms.

Once the three were settled in Piyeh’s room, and Alisaie had made herself comfortable on the bed next to Alphinaud, finally, finally they could hear Piyeh’s story. Oh how she had noticed the prince had been swimming towards her thinking she was in need of rescuing.

“He was trying to rescue a mermaid from the sea?” Alisaie barked out laughing, “He is never going to hear the end of it from some sailor.”

Of how the prince had been struck by the ship’s debris and nearly drowned and how she carried him to a nearby island.

“Did he wake up at all on the way?” Alphinaud asked, wide eyed, “How would he have reacted to such a thing?”

“I don’t know…” Piyeh sighed, “Even when he did wake for a moment on the island, he lost consciousness again just as quickly.” She gripped the hand that he had held onto, pleading for her to stay with him.

“Oooh! Piyeh your face is so red!” Alisaie cried out happily, “You fancy him don’t you?”

“Wh-what!?” Piyeh yelped, nearly shooting up from where she was perched, “F-fancy!?”

“The way you were fidgeting and how you looked off into the distance,” Alisaie muttered, “Yes I am sure of it! You’re in love!”

Piyeh spluttered unintelligibly, trying to make sense of what Alisaie had just suggested. In love!? That was absurd! She had only been with the prince for a day at most and he hadn’t even been awake! How could Alisaie suggest such a thing? Yet her heart began to race and her cheeks grew even redder just at recalling the moment the prince grasped her hand.

“In love?” the First Prince’s voice asked from the doorway, “With whom?”

The three siblings nearly shot off the bed as their father swam over to them, focusing on Piyeh with a noticeable furrow between his eyebrows.

“I take it I heard you correctly that you saved a land dweller from drowning?” he asked firmly.

“Aye…” Piyeh answered quietly, “Tis true. And I bore him to a nearby island where his companions could find him.”

The First Prince sucked in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, “While I am glad no senseless death has occured in our ocean, you still acted foolishly.”

Bristling, Piyeh surged forward, “I just couldn’t let him die! Not when I was able to help him!”

The First Prince held up a hand, “I am not suggesting you should have let him drown. But if it is true you have become infatuated with this land dweller of yours, I must advise you forget him. Only tragedy can come of such a thing. He cannot live in our realm, nor you in his.”

“Father…” Alisaie protested but stopped when Alphinaud put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head.

“I...I understand Father.” Piyeh whispered, her eyes downcast. Already her eyes stinging from tears threatening to leak out of her eyes. Tears, that would just be swallowed up by the sea around her.

The First Prince nodded, making a small sound of approval, before turning about and swimming out of Piyeh’s room.

The princess spent the next fortnight either alone in her rooms or out in her little garden. But she did not seem to have anymore interest in tending to her flowers, though she still ensured they bloomed ever so prettily, she would find herself gazing at the statue of her dear prince, lost in some daydream with him. Alphinaud and Alisaie would often find their sister dancing about her garden, as if she were in some grand ball up on land, no doubt in the arms of her prince.

When organizing her trinkets from the surface, she would turn the trinkets over in her hands pondering what their use could be and practicing with them, just in case she was able to meet her prince again. She would want to make a good first impression with the kingdom of the surface world. It was only right that she, as a representative of the seas but her best fin forward. She also took to repairing the jewelry she had found, an earring with a crescent moon caught her eye along with a necklace set with twinkling purple gemstones. When the Sea Queen first saw Piyeh wearing these she laughed and said how the necklace brought out her eyes and not to lose heart, for she was sure to one day charm some sea prince or princess one day.

And when her garden or going over her surface world trinkets could not satisfy her, she swam up to the tallest towers of the palace, and perched upon the highest point staring longingly at the surface above her, reaching up, wanting some part of her closer to that world above. Just the thought of possibly reuniting with her dear prince nearly drove her mad!

And then, she would steal away to the library where the court mages and alchemists would convene for their studies. Perhaps some magic existed that could aid her? Swimming through the shelves of old stone slabs of old spells she listened carefully to the gossip of the library.

“...And you say she trains both merpeople and land dwellers? How?” a young alchemist asked, bewildered.

“I heard she lives in a cave, between the sea and air. That way she can accommodate both sea dwelling and land dwelling students!” a healer chirped.

Piyeh’s breath hitched, could this woman they spoke of help her?

“Do you mean Matoya? Matoya the Sea Witch?” A bookkeeper asked, “Aye, tis true she can live both in sea and on land. I have also heard she has potions so her students can come and go from sea and land.”

This was it! Here was Piyeh’s solution! Perhaps this Matoya could give her a potion or teach her some spell to give her legs and she could see her prince on land again! Mayhap even a potion for him so he could grow a tail and fins so he could visit the sea kingdom! How perfect this was!

Barely able to contain her glee, Piyeh rushed back to the map’s room. Once her time confined to the palace was over in three days time, she would go to this Matoya. But for now, she needed to find where this cave between the sea and air was.

Hummingly merrily, Piyeh rummaged through the stone slabs on which maps of the sea kingdom were carved and over old records of the sea kingdom’s witches and wizards. Already she was imagining herself walking down some street on the island city her prince lived in and catching his eye in the crowds. He would call out to her, and ask if they had met before...for she seemed so very familiar…

A few bells later, Piyeh let out a triumphant laugh, she now had her heading for Matoya’s Cave! Etching a map for her use onto a small slate she was quite delighted that the cave wasn’t all that far away from the island where her prince lived! She could easily be at the cave in a few bells and be on the surface before the day was out! She could tell him about how she had rescued him from the seas and how she missed him so very much.

Now, she needed something she could give to Matoya as some kind of payment. She had no doubt that such magic to make her a land dweller would have some cost. But what she was unsure of...What would a witch ask for in return? Perhaps something to help her in her work! Perhaps the little “Bigger-Majigger” that she had found as a child would do!

Back in her room, Piyeh carefully hefted the delicate trinket of two shiny tubes set with glass at either end set on an elegantly crafted wand. Holding the trinket to her eyes, Piyeh smiled satisfied as she saw how it made things she looked at look so much bigger! Yes, when handling tiny items, this trinket would indeed make a witch’s work easier! Setting her map and Bigger-Majigger onto her vanity, Piyeh sighed contentedly. On the morrow, she would be free to come and go from the palace and she could finally see her prince again.

It was almost too good to be true.

Chapter Text

It was so very quiet the night Piyeh slipped out of the castle. Leaving behind a note for Alphinaud and Alisaie , Piyeh steeled herself before swimming out the window of her rooms and into the darkness that lay beyond the castle walls. Her path was lit only by the bioluminescent algae that floated through the water, glowing softly. Clutching her map in her hands, Piyeh set off in earnest to Matoya’s Cave.

The journey there was partly uneventful. As most of the first half was simply retreading the way she came back from the Prince’s kingdom. Occasionally stopping to check her map, she found herself swimming into much wilder water where the kelp grew thick and little light filtered down from the surface. More than once, Piyeh had to disentangle herself from the kelp as it became so thick she felt like she had been caught in a fisherman's net.

Some bells later, she found the entrance to Matoya's cave. Slowly, Piyeh swam through what seemed to be the witch's garden. The strangest plants grew here, most of them the kind that could only grow in the darkest depths of the sea, no doubt sustained by some magic. These plants seemed to be part animal as their long stalks moved towards her, as if wondering if food was nearby. As she backed away from the strange plant a small fish was caught by the tendrils and quickly gulped down one of its many tubes.

Steeling herself, Piyeh swam through the garden, following a path of pebbles covered in bioluminescent algae to the base of a mountain covered in coral and barnacles. As she drew closer, she was greeted by a trio of small green creatures wearing little hats and holding small staves in their webbed hands. They propelled themselves through the water, tending to the garden with kicks from their long gangly legs that ended in little flippers.

“Are you here to meet Master Matoya?” the middle creature asked in a croaky voice, studying Piyeh with curious googly eyes.

“Ah...Yes I am.” Piyeh said, still not quite sure what to make of the odd creature before her. With its legs, it had to be a land dweller, but it seemed perfectly adept beneath the waves.

The little green creature nodded, as if visitors arriving at odd hours was a normal occurrence and gestured to her to follow. The other creatures swam alongside Piyeh as she followed after the first.

“I...I don’t mean any offense but what are you?” Piyeh asked hesitantly.

“We are Poroggos.” the leader croaked, “We can live both in the water and on land.”

“Normally we can’t live in the sea,” The Poroggo on Piyeh’s right croaked, “But Master Matoya’s potions have allowed us to survive in salt water the way brethren do in freshwater.”

“Fresh...water?” Piyeh asked, “LIke...the lakes and rivers up on land?”

“Yes!” the Poroggo on her left replied, “Are you here seeking to learn magic from Master Matoya?”

Piyeh squeezed her hands worriedly, “Not exactly…I just need some magical help.”

The Poroggos fell silent, exchanging looks as they reached the entrance to Matoya’s cave. The trio of Poroggos stopped at the cave’s mouth and turned to Piyeh.

“Master Matoya dwells between the Sea and Air, you will swim up to meet her in the air of her cave. Know that what you ask for will come with a price.” The Poroggo warned, “I hope you know what you are doing.”

Gulping hard, Piyeh swam into the cave following the tunnel deeper into the mountain and up towards the surface where a strange green light glowed down from. She surfaced in a large softly lit cave filled with glowing crystals, shelves holding odd rolled skins and slates and tables laden with tools and ingredients for potion making. The cave was being tidied up by more of the Poroggos and what appeared to be jellyfish with very, very skinny heads swishing this way and that. Craning her neck up to take in more of the cave, Piyeh hauled herself up onto a large boulder to sit on, so she could speak with her hostess at proper eye level. High above her the sky could be seen, with scant stars peeking through the clouds as dawn approached, tinting the skies pink. Her heart racing just a little that soon, soon she could be walking underneath that sky sometime today on legs and feet of her own and that she could find the prince!

“Well Princess.” a brusque woman’s voice huffed, “If you’ve finished gawking about my cave, perhaps you can tell me why you’ve come here.”

“Oh!” Piyeh nearly fell off her perch as she found herself facing a bowed silver haired woman, dressed from head to toe in black and purple wearing a wide brimmed pointed hat and holding a cragged staff in one hand. The woman, Matoya, Piyeh assumed, gave an exasperated sigh through her crooked nose.

“For the love of the gods…” she grumbled, “Did you seek me out or no? Speak up girl!”

“Ah..Ah yes.” Piyeh stammered, “I wish to be able to walk upon land. I heard that you can live in both the sea and upon land as do your students, so I was hoping I could buy a potion to make me a land dweller so I can find someone who lives on land.”

“The Prince of Sharlyan…” Matoya sighed, “Yes...yes...I know. News travels fast in these waters Princess. You saved the prince from a watery grave and now you’ve fallen in love with him.”

“I..I d-don’t know about that…” Piyeh protested, squirming on her boulder, wringing her hands in her lap, not quite able to look Matoya in the eye.

This prompted the old witch to burst out laughing, “Oh, but it’s plain as the nose on your face princess! You just appear to be one of those folk who are rather daft about these things.”

Deciding it might not be prudent to argue, Piyeh just huffed, her cheeks still quite red and hot. The witch’s laugh faded, then she fixed Piyeh with an intense stare, her eyes boring into the princess.

“I must insist you do not go through with this plan of yours princess.” Matoya said harshly, “You have your whole life ahead of you! Go home. There could be some merman or mermaid out there you could share your life with. This land dweller is not worth leaving behind everything you’ve ever known!”

“But..What about your apprentices?” Piyeh protested, “They can come and go between the land and sea? Surely you can just let me use one of those potions?”

Matoya sighed heavily pacing the edge of the pool, “And had you come here with the intention of becoming one of my pupils, you could have one of those potions. And if you had met your prince during that time, arrangements could have been made for you to remain on land.”

“So...couldn’t I just become one of your apprentices?” Piyeh pleaded, “I promise I’ll study very hard!”

Matoya sighed again and shook her head, “I’m afraid not Princess.” The witch sighed again as she approached one of her many shelves and pulled a roll of skin with dark writings on it, “Your intent to come here was to become a land dweller so you can find your prince. Ergo, the means to make you a land dweller will be permanent. If you go through with this, you will never again be a mermaid and should your prince give his heart to another, your heart will break and on the very next sunrise you will turn to sea foam.”

Piyeh stiffened, she hadn’t been expecting this. She thought this would be so much simpler. But even if she had thought of becoming one of Matoya’s apprentices, it would have changed nothing. Her end goal would still have been to find her prince again.

“I...I...I can’t stop thinking about him.” Piyeh choked out, “Maybe Alisaie was right...I must have fallen in love with him. The idea of never seeing him again...is unbearable…”

Matoya let out a long resigned sigh through her nose and with a sharp tap of her staff upon the stone floor, a stone cauldron rose up out of the floor.

“Then it would seem your mind is made up princess.” Matoya sighed, “Very well then. I will make you a potion to make you mortal.” The witch then began to add ingredients to the cauldron. A bright purple crystal, some strange glowing liquid from a bottle shaped like a jellyfish, and several pieces of coral.

“I….” Pyeh started, “Yes...Yes I want to do this.” The witch nodded and continued to add ingredients. A curious white powder, ground up shells from a mortar and pestle, and the slime of many jellyfish carefully collected. Yes. She was sure of it. Centuries of asking “what if?” compared to a short time with no regrets, the choice seemed quite plain.

A large glowing cloud poofed out of the cauldron as Matoya threw in a handful of crystals she ground up in her mortar and pestle. Giving the concoction a stir she turned back to Piyeh with a grim expression.

“Once more I want you girl. One man is not worth throwing your life away for, but seeing as you are so sure of yourself in the folly of your youth…” Matoya grumbled, “I must impress that you can never return to the seas. Your first steps on land will be as if you are walking upon broken glass, though that will fade with time and the transformation will be excruciating, like a blade cutting your tail in twain. You can still leave this daft deal behind and I can just save this potion for the next fool mer youth who falls in love with a land dweller.”

Puffing her chest out Piyeh returned the witch’s steely gaze, “No. I will take that potion and walk upon land. What is your price? Something that can aid you in your alchemy and magic?” as she spoke she pulled out the bigger-majigger trinket from her satchel and held it out to Matoya.

The witch shook her head letting out a breathy chuckle, “I am afraid not Princess, while your intentions are quite thoughtful, I’m afraid what I must ask for is quite different. And besides, that tranket is for a very different purpose, it wouldn’t be of much use to me.”

Crestfallen, Piyeh lowered the trinket to her lap, “I...I’m afraid I don’t have much else with me at the moment...but I could find whatever it is you ask for! And if it’s on land, once I explain everything to the prince I’m sure-.”

“Ah…” matoya interrupted, “Ah...There’s the rub Princess. That is the price. Your voice for my potion.”

Piyeh went rigid with shock, “B-but...how will he know who I am? He probably doesn’t even remember what I look like! My voice is the only thing he’ll recognize! “

Matoya huffed, “And that is why your voice is my price. And you shall have all the time in the world, provided he doesn’t choose another, to find a means to jog his memory of the day you rescued him.”

Of course. The knot in Piyeh’s gut began to loosen a little. There had to be ways she could tell him without speech. If she put her mind to it, there had to be a way.

“Then I shall find a means.” Piyeh declared, “There is more than one way to speak.”

“Very well Princess.” Matoya said, “I shall alter your aether, when I have done so you will be mute. Should you win your prince’s heart, your voice shall return to you on the following sunrise but if he gives it to another, to seafoam you will turn.” At her words, the tip of her staff glowed bright blue and with a wave sent the light to Piyeh’s throat.

The strangest feeling welled up at the back of her throat, almost a ticklish scratchy feeling that made her cough and splutter as she felt her aether twist and change. The sensation was quite like the time she had eaten a sea urchin and accidentally swallowed some of the spines, such an unpleasant prickle! Several coughs and gags later the feeling finally went away.

She opened her mouth to ask what just happened, only to find no sound came out. Hands flying to her lips, Piyeh curled in on herself at the realization her voice indeed was gone. Looking up at Matoya, the witch only nodded solemnly, holding out a corked flask containing the potion Piyeh had pleaded for.

“Go to the surface and beach yourself at your prince’s island.” Matoya instructed, “As the sun rises drink this potion and you shall become a land dweller.”

Piyeh took the potion with slightly trembling hands. She had come this far and accepted the witch’s terms. There was no turning back. She nodded and carefully tucked the potion away into her satchel. Easing herself off the boulder, Piyeh slipped back into the water.

“I do wish you luck Princess.” Matoya said softly as the princess dipped below the surface of the water, vanishing with a flip of violet fins.

Piyeh quietly swam up to the surface, clutching the flask to her chest.. She had left her satchel behind with the Poroggos in the garden, she wasn’t sure she would need it now. Especially as there was no turning back. Just before breaching the surface, Piyeh took one last look at the under sea scape, after a few moments she turned and surfaced.

The sun was just about the rise when she beached herself on the shore, not too far away from the city her prince lived in. Uncorking the flask, Piyeh took a deep breath to prepare herself to drink the strange concoction. Holding it up to her lips, she drank the potion in one gulp, the liquid sliding down her throat with a warm tingling feeling that settled in her belly and seeped down to the very tip of her fins. A sudden burning pain lanced through her as she dropped the flask, wrapping her arms around her as she curled in on herself. Voiclessly whimpering in pain as the transformation took place. A wave crashed onto shore and washed over her then pulled back, taking the flask with the tides. Piyeh gasped as she dragged herself further up the beach, just so she wouldn’t be swept out to sea with the next wave. Each movement ached so very much, it was a sif her tail was no longer a single appendage, as if someone took a blade and cut her tail in two. Her whole body felt so very heavy...it was so hard to move...but only a few more ilms and she wouldn’t be in any danger of being swept out to sea. Another burst of pain shot through her body, letting loose a silent yelp of pain as her vision went white and then black as she slipped into unconsciousness.

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Nearby, Thancred, the prince Piyeh sought out was once more making his way to the beach, as he had for the past fortnight. Ever since that day he had been miraculously rescued in that storm, he kept returning to the beach where Minfillia had found him. He was so sure someone else had been there. Though his memories of the storm were blurry and seemed more like a dream at times, he definitely recalled a young woman’s voice. Urging him to stay alive, reassuring him that she would bring him to safety.

And then his dreams had been filled with sights of a kingdom beneath the waves, a beautiful castle of shell and coral, and a garden filled with flowers well cared for, his rescuer’s hand in his. Her sweet voice guiding his exhausted mind back to the waking world but when he awoke...all he saw was the silhouette of a woman with long dark hair and wearing some kind of headdress shaped like fins.

“Who was she..?” Thancred asked himself for the thousandth time, “Where could she have gone?” Surely she couldn’t have swam off into oblivion. Minfillia had said she only found him on the beach when the lifeboats reached the island; there were no signs of anyone else having been there. Yet he was sure he hadn’t just floated home, he definitely recalled being struck by the flotsam and sent under the waves.

Looking out at the sea as he plodded down the trail to the beach, he replayed the events of that day on head yet again. His nameday celebration on the ship, the storm, he and Minfilia making sure the crew escaped, and he had been so sure he saw a girl in the sea, amidst the ship’s wreckage, and then she went under. He had told Minfilia to get on the last lifeboat and that he would catch up and dived into the sea to rescue the girl, he had seen her resurface as he swam over to her and then, pain and blackness.

Thancred let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair as he reached the shoreline. Still no clues, only kelp and driftwood brought in from the tide. He continued on his way on the beach, back to the place where MInfilia had found him and where his rescuer had vanished. Resigning himself to another unsuccessful day of searching for some clue, Thancred picked up his pace as he rounded the base of the cliffs to the spot.

“What…?” He gasped at the sight that met him. A dark haired Miqo’te girl lay unconscious on the beach. The very same place Minfillia had found him. Thancred sprinted forward to the girl’s side, dropping to his knees to better examine her. She lay curled on her side, arms wrapped around her body as if she had been in considerable pain before she swooned.

“Miss..?” Thancred said carefully, “Miss can you hear me?” No response. Worriedly he scanned her over for any injuries, and it was then he realized that aside from the bangles on her arms she was as bare as the day she was born. Removing his cloak, Thancred gently wrapped the cloth around her, pulling her into his arms as he carefully stood up. Her head rested against his shoulder, one of her furry ears brushing against his cheek as he settled her into a bridal carry in his arms.

“Let’s get you to the healers.” He said to her, “No doubt you’ve been something awful. You’re safe with me now.”

“Mmhhhmmm…” the girl sighed in her sleep and turned into his chest and he felt her tail curl around his arm. At this he tightened his arms around her protectively as he set off to return to the castle. As he plodded back up the trail, he kept glancing down at the Miqo’te girl in his arms. There was something...oddly familiar about her, but why he couldn’t say. But that familiar feeling prompted this feeling he needed to protect her. Afterall, he very nearly met a watery end mayhap he was simply feeling some commonality with his charge. Or…

“Or...that poor girl in the sea…” Thancred groaned, the recollection of the girl he had been unable to save. That wouldn’t happen to the girl in his arms. While she was in his care, she would want for nothing.

Chapter Text

Chapter Four: The First Steps

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Warm.

She was surrounded by warmth and softness. She could feel something very, very soft at her back and draped over her. There was a pleasant scent tickling her nose, it was...sweet but she couldn’t quite place it. The only smell that seemed familiar was the scent of the sea on the surface. Squirming slowly, Piyeh sighed contentedly, making herself more comfortable on whatever this wonderfully soft surface was. She could sleep forever on this! And with that sweet scent, maybe she could.

What fully brought her to full wakefulness was something cool and damp on her brow. With a silent gasp, she sat right up in alarm! And was met with the sight of her prince! He had jumped back slightly in his seat, no doubt startled by her suddenly shooting up, his brown eyes wide. As her heart stopped hammering, Piyeh took in her new surroundings as she carefully straightened herself on the squishy surface.

She had awoken in a large sunlit bedroom, which meant the surface she was sitting on must be the bed. Were all surface world beds this comfortable? Long sheets of a pale blue cloth were attached to the windows, billowing softly in the breeze. On the walls, there were curious slabs framed in gold and brass with images in them, but they couldn’t have been windows, there was no movement in them. The furniture in the room were things Piyeh had found in shipwrecks, though she couldn't put names to them, she at least was able to puzzle out their function. Things to sit on, things to store things in, and one storage thing had a mirror, at least she could recognize that.

“My lady?” the prince asked gently, “Are you quite alright?”

Startled, Piyeh quickly turned about to face him, clutching the cloth that covered the bed close to her breast. The prince held up his hands in a gesture to show he meant her no harm. Slowly, Piyeh relaxed, blinking at him still taking in the fact he was sitting just fulms away from her.

“It’s alright,” the prince said soothingly, “I won’t hurt you. You’re safe here.”

Piyeh nodded, lowering her hands.

“My name is Thancred.” the prince said, gesturing to himself with a warm smile, “I’m the Prince of Sharlyan. Might I have the pleasure of knowing your name, my lady?” He gave her such a dashing smile, she felt her heart skip a beat.

Piyeh eagerly began to speak up to tell Thancred, and no sound came out. Her hands flying to her mouth, Piyeh sank into the bed recalling what Matoya’s terms had been.

“Should you win your prince’s heart, your voice shall return to you on the following sunrise but if he gives it to another, to seafoam you will turn”

She nearly missed the look of alarm that crossed Thancred’s face as he leaned toward her, carefully putting a hand on her shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” he asked urgently, “Can’t you speak?”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Piyeh sadly shook her head. She was quite sure lip reading might not work as what if the lip movements didn’t match up to the land dweller’s language? Her mind buzzing with questions on just how she was going to be able to communicate with Thancred. She didn’t even know what the written language was on the surface world unless…

...She could just draw it to explain to him! Then maybe some yes or no questions later, Thancred would know everything he needed to! She needed something she could etch drawings onto! Her eyes snapping open, Piyeh launched herself off the bed to begin her search for some sort of slab or that stuff land-dwellers called “paper”. Something attached to her from the waist down caught in the cloth wrapped around her body and a lance of pain shot up her, causing her knee (or was it knees?) to buckle and she fell almost immediately. Letting out a silent cry, Piyeh braced herself for the collision with the very hard-looking floor. But the impact never came. Thancred had rushed over and caught her in his arms.

“Careful!” He gasped, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her back to the bed, “You don’t have to rush.” As he set her back down on the bed, Piyeh finally caught sight of the legs she had traded her voice for, along with a long fluffy appendage that seemed to be attached to the base of her spine. So she still had a tail, just a different kind of tail. Why Matoya thought she would need it, she wasn’t sure.

“Well, you certainly are eager to get back on your feet my lady.” Thancred chuckled good-naturedly, “But perhaps once you’re fully rested we take it one step at a time instead of a full sprint?”

Not sure what else to do, Piyeh nodded, still staring at her newly acquired legs and new tail. Yes, learning how to walk would have to be one of the first things she needed to do. Once she was settled back in bed and Thancred was convinced she was alright, he left the room, saying he would be back soon with breakfast.

Piyeh’s first surface meal consisted of a strange fishy-smelling block that looked like it was supposed to be soft but took quite a bit of time and effort to chew. While she wouldn’t object to fish for breakfast, in fact, her favorite was sea urchins with crab roe, this concoction was quite...something.

“The cooks insisted on Archon Loaf.” Thancred sighed, “Said it would help you regain your strength quicker. Personally, I find it a bit difficult to chew, but perhaps a bit of the rolanberry jam will make it more palatable.”

Tilting her head slightly at the tray upon her lap, Piyeh glanced at the white pot that contained a sweet-smelling red substance with a small knife, presumably for smearing onto the archon loaf. She wasn’t quite sure about spreading it on the fishy block, but maybe just a little bit to start. After applying a small dab of the jam on the archon loaf and taking a bite, she did find Thancred was quite right about this jam. It did make the archon loaf more palatable indeed. Though the texture left quite a bit to be desired.

After she finished her meal, Thancred excused himself saying he would send for a “lady in waiting” to help her get dressed for the day. She wasn’t quite sure what this “get dressed” was or why Thancred couldn’t help her. At her quizzical look, Thancred gave her a wry smile and just the slightest hint of a blush.

“As much as I would like to be the one to help you prepare for the day my lady…” he said, “I’m afraid others might see it as quite improper for a prince. However, I will spend the day with you afterward! The fresh air will do you some good I dare say. You might like the palace gardens, the flowers are all in bloom.”

That brought a smile to Piyeh’s face, the flowers of the surface world, one of the many, many things she wanted to see. She nodded and with a polite bow, Thancred left the room maybe to go do his own preparations for the day. Did princes have “ladies in waiting” too? Or would he have a “man in waiting”? As she was pondering this, the doors to her room opened again and a tall lady with silvery hair, pointed ears, and a good-natured face came in holding some bundles of different colored cloths in her arms. This must be the “lady in waiting” Thancred had sent for her!

“Ah,” the lady in waiting said with a warm smile, briskly striding over to the bed and set the clothes down to lay them out, “You must be His Highness’ guest. I’ve brought some lovely dresses for you, milady, why don’t you pick one out that catches your fancy?”

Carefully, Piyeh swung her legs over the edge of the bed and slowly stood up. Once again a sharp pain shot up from her feet and all the way up her legs, causing her to let out an audible gasp. Taking a deep breath and keeping one hand on the bed for balance, she took a tentative step towards the lady in waiting so she could “catch her fancy” and find out what it had to do with cloth.

Again, pain lanced up her leg and she wobbled, there was no current in the air to help keep her upright and no weight of the sea. It was as if she was moving far too quickly. As she wobbled her way to the lady in waiting, her new tail lashed about, causing her to stumble and fall. The lady in waiting rushed over to her side and helped Piyeh back to her feet and sat her down on the edge of the bed.

“You can just sit down and you can get back on your feet once you pick out a dress.” The lady in waiting suggested, “The prince said he was going to take you out to the gardens, so I chose some nice comfortable dresses, and a few that might catch his eye.” she added with a conspiratorial wink.

Piyeh quickly looked down at the dresses, her face feeling very, very warm. How exactly would a dress “catch his eye”? Was it like when mer would wear particularly fancy bangles to attract another? Not quite sure which dress to pick, as they all looked fairly similar, albeit in differing colors and one didn’t seem to have anywhere to put her arms! That one would surely just fall off her.

What in the world did a land dweller wear just to go out into the garden? And what was the surface’s idea of fancy or casual? Maybe the less detail these dresses had the more casual they would be? The clothes Thancred had been wearing hadn’t been very elaborate, a white top, dark blue bottoms, and some sort of shiny black foot coverings. What the foot coverings were for, she wasn’t exactly sure. Seeing Piyeh’s perplexed state, the lady in waiting stepped in.

“If I may make a suggestion my lady,” she said kindly, holding up a white, brown, and blue dress with puffy arms, “I think this one will suit you nicely. Now, if you’ll allow me milady, I’ll help you get dressed.”

Standing this time was a little easier, though setting her feet down on the floor still sent jolts of pain up her legs, but she could grin and bear it. This time Piyeh found out what her new tail was apparently for, to keep her balance. The lady in waiting had her stand in front of a tall mirror as she helped her get changed. Now she had a proper view of herself, aside from her newly acquired legs, she didn’t look wildly different now she was a land dweller, but one very noticeable difference was her ears. Instead of the fin-like appendages on the side of her head, now her ears were on top, poking out of her hair and soft and fluffy! She looked similar to the creatures that land-dwellers called “cats”.

The lady in waiting chatted to Piyeh amiably as she removed the nightdress she had woken up in. She told her all about the gardens and how romantic they were in the evenings as she pulled the white and blue dress over Piyeh’s head and straightened the garment. The white part of the dress, the top settled just off her shoulders and the sleeves were very loose and poofy, except at the wrists where the cloth cinched to stay in place. Piyeh was admiring just how soft the dark blue skirt was when the lady in waiting suddenly cinched the brown belt that was wrapped around her midriff, causing her to gasp in surprise. Whatever this belt was, it became quite a bit tighter around her as the lady in waiting secured the laces. This seemed to cause Piyeh’s waist to appear slightly narrower, but thank the gods she could still breathe properly, and the skirt to flare out.

“There you go milady.” the lady in waiting said, satisfied, “Simply lovely. Now, I’ll get your hair done and you’ll be ready for the prince.”

Once Piyeh’s hair was done into a thick side braid set with blue ribbons and some small silver hair clips in the shape of flowers, she was deemed “ready” by the lady in waiting.

A swirl of skirts later found Piyeh following the lady in waiting down the halls of the palace to the gardens. She winced each time took a step, but it seemed the pain dulled a little with each step. Mayhap, if she just walked as often as she could, the pain would eventually go away? This was her first time walking so mayhaps the pain was simply her not being used to walking.

Though these things called “shoes” would take some time to get used to. Her feet already felt clumsy and awkward, she didn’t need to have these strange coverings making them feel even more awkward.

The lady in waiting didn’t seem to mind occasionally steadying Piyeh on her feet on the walk to the gardens. She just told her how lovely the gardens were and how all the flowers were in bloom and just how romantic it was, especially at sunset and sunrise. Especially the violets that overlooked the sea. Piyeh only half listened, as she was amazed by all the pictures on the wall, how were such things made on the surface? Did land-dwellers not use small colored tiles for their murals?

“...And here we are milady!” the lady in waiting chirped happily, snapping Piyeh out of her thoughts. They had arrived at the gardens it seemed.

The scent of all the flowers in one place, she thought it would be so overwhelming, especially this being her first time smelling anything other than the scent of the sea and wind. The scent of all the flowers was so light and soft. Carefully, Piyeh stepped forward, reaching out a hand to a large flower with many layers of petals. Would these flowers curl in on themselves if she approached? Like the anemone in her garden? Much to her surprise, the flower did not curl shut, rather it simply basked in the sunlight as she delicately ran a finger on the impossibly soft petals.

“The roses are quite beautiful aren’t they?” Thancred’s voice asked from her left, “I also thought you might like these.” and the prince’s hand holding a bunch of vibrantly purple flowers came into her line of vision. She turned to Thancred with a smile, taking the flowers he had offered her. Their hands brushed together briefly, causing Piyeh to start slightly, but Thancred didn’t seem too perturbed, much to her surprise he gently took Piyeh’s hands into his own as he carefully closed her fingers around the stems.

“I do hope you like them.” Thancred said softly, “The violets are my favorite flowers in the gardens, so the gardeners always keep them in fine condition.”

A pleasant and gentle scent wafted up from the flowers, prompting Piyeh to lift the violets closer to her nose to breathe in the delicate perfumed scent. She looked up to meet Thancred’s eyes and smiled as she nodded enthusiastically. The smile the prince returned to her just about made her heart skip a beat or two!

“Full glad I am to see you’ve recovered,” Thancred said as he led her through the garden to show her all the flowers it had to offer, “I...I too only just escaped from the sea’s depths. Whatever ordeal you experienced, I can assure you, you have nothing more to fear from the sea.”

Piyeh turned over some thoughts in her head, so...Thancred had no recollection of that day. That was to be expected, but hopefully, there was something he did faintly recall that could help jog his memory. But for now, she needed to focus on getting settled on land.

The rest of the day seemed to pass by in a haze of sunshine as Thancred showed her the rest of the castle and pointing out sights of the city from the walls, promising he would show her the town and how he hoped she would like something he called a “pastry shop” where one could buy sweets. But for now, they would stay in the castle, they would have the whole day and more in town tomorrow. That sounded just fine to Piyeh, she figured it would be best for her to better find her land legs while in the castle. Even with the pain shooting up her legs with each step, she kept putting one foot in front of the other, doing her best to ignore her discomfort.

And so many rooms the castle had! Many of which were dedicated to reading. Here up on land, she could read the things called “books” without the contents dissolving into the seas. Alas…if only she could read it. While there were some similarities, she could only make out a few letters. And none of them in her name! But maybe in the room known as the “drawing-room,” she could try to draw out her rescue of Thancred in hopes it would jog his memory.

Why call it a drawing-room if no one is even drawing in it!? Piyeh fumed, Why not call it a “sitting and talking room”? The lack of drawing supplies in the “not-actually-for-drawing” room had certainly frustrated her. Though the tea and cakes offered to her and the other ladies were quite tasty. Thankfully she was able to communicate a request for something to draw with gestures. Thancred assured her that her new drawing supplies would be in her guest room tonight.

When the sun was nearly touching the sea’s horizon, Thancred said it was nearly time for dinner.

“There’s some time to refresh yourself for the meal.” Thancred said as he led her back to her guest room, “I’m sure you’ll enjoy your dinner much more than the Archon Loaf you had for breakfast.” He let out a small chuckle.

Piyeh smiled back at him, which earned her a slight blush forming on Thancred’s face. He cleared his throat and hurriedly muttered something about seeing her at dinner before briskly walking down the hall.

Wincing in discomfort, and being very glad for the time to refresh herself, Piyeh hobbled over to the very comfortable looking sofa in front of an opening in the wall containing a warm glowing light. Sighing contentedly, Piyeh eased her tender feet out of her shoes and wiggled her toes, enjoying the pleasant prickle of the warm air washing over her skin.

This was a nice first day on land...Piyeh mused, watching the light before her dance and undulating like a jellyfish, Once I’m properly settled in...How am I going to help Thancred to remember I was the one who saved him? He doesn’t seem to have much memory of that day...I wonder if I draw what happened? Will that make any sense to him?

Sometime later, the lady in waiting had returned, this time with a much fancier gown held in her arms. Looking up curiously, Piyeh stood up to better examine the gown.

“Let’s get you all dressed up for dinner milady.” The lady in waiting said happily, “You’ll be pretty as a princess in this fine dress I’ve picked for you.” She held up a seafoam green gown with a very wide skirt and long poofy sleeves, with darker green trim at the hem and cuffs. As the lady in waiting fitted the gown on her, Piyeh could just make out a swirly design in the silk that shimmered just like the surface of the sea and the white lace at the cuffs of the sleeves of the dress had an intricate seashell pattern woven into it. Delicately running a fingertip along the lace, Piyeah swayed her hips from side to side to watch the shimmer on the skirt of her new gown catch in the light.

“Lovely!” the lady in waiting praised, straightening up clapping her hands together, “Now, I’ll get your hair done and get you a nice necklace to wear!” She then undid the thick braid from earlier and after brushing her hair smooth, fixed it into a simple loose bun at the base of her neck, securing it with a seashell hairpin, and then fastened a pearl necklace around her neck. And finally, Piyeh was deemed ready for dinner.

This is quite a lot to do just before a meal...Piyeh mused as the lady in waiting led her to the dining room, Then again...All I had to do back home was just change my jewelry, so I suppose it’s just relative.

The lady in waiting opened a set of double doors to the dining room, which had a wonderful view of the sun setting over the sea through floor-to-ceiling windows framed with white curtains that fluttered gently in the sea breeze that wafted in from the open windows. Piyeh made her way across the room transfixed by just how perfectly this room had been designed it to watch the sea, she almost didn’t notice her host.

“You’re here!” Thancred voice called out happily. Piyeh turned to face him as he briskly strode up to her, taking her hands into his. Piyeh nodded shyly, taking in how he had gotten ready for dinner. His new clothes for dinner weren’t that different from what he’d been wearing earlier, just a little neater Piyeh supposed. A crisp long-sleeved white shirt with a red sash, black pants, and boots.

As Thancred led her to the dining table at the room’s center he gave her new dress an approving nod, “Very beautiful…” he breathed out pulling a chair out for her to sit in. Piyeh settled herself on the chair, smoothing out her skirts as Thancred took his seat at the table next to her. Looking down at the table, Piyeh examined the placing before her. There seemed to be quite a lot of tools for eating a meal, mer mostly used knives and their hands or simply ate their food off skewers. At least she recognized the plate and knives, that much she was relieved at.

And then she saw it...all in a row on the left of her plate were…

DINGLEHOPPERS!

Delighted at seeing something on land she recognized, Piyeh gleefully snatched up the biggest dinglehopper as she plucked the hairpin from her hair, letting the long locks fall about her shoulders and eagerly, began to comb her hair. She gave Thancred a big smile, so proud she knew something about the surface!

But much to her shock and slight horror, Thancred was staring at her utterly baffled at the sight of her combing her hair at the dinner table. Slowly coming to stop mid-stroke, Piyeh felt her whole face grow very, very hot as a bright red blush bloomed on her cheeks. Thancred raised a quizzical eyebrow and Piyeh hurriedly placed the dinglehopper back on the table, focusing all her attention on her lap. What had she been thinking!? Of course, it was some faux pas to start combing one’s hair at the dinner table! Was it bad enough to warrant throwing her out of the palace? Or just the dining hall?

“Ah...” Thancred began, clearing his throat awkwardly, “No more tangles I suppose?”

Piyeh, still looking at her lap, nodded vigorously. The silver lining to this fiasco was at least that Alisaie didn’t witness it. She’d never let her, or anyone who happened to witness this disaster, forget it. She was shaken out of her spiral of embarrassment by Thancred putting a hand on her shoulder. Peeking out from under her bangs, she found he was smiling.

“Come now my lady, “ he chided playfully, “A lovely visage such as yours shouldn’t be hidden away!”

Piyeh’s lips twitched into a small smile, as she sat up straight in her seat, pushing her hair back out of her face. Maybe this wasn’t so bad.

“I must admit I’ve never thought of using the salad fork when I’ve needed to comb my hair.” Thancred chuckled, picking up the aforementioned utensil from his placing, “Mayhap, it will be more effective than the comb I usually use.”

Piyeh looked at the “salad fork”. If it wasn’t for combing then what was it for?

Her answer came as the maids placed a dish of leafy greens and colorful vegetables, covered in a shiny sauce before her. Looking up at Thancred she watched him pick up the “salad fork” and used it to eat the salad. Of course. Following suit, Piyeh tucked into her salad. The greens had a light crispy flavor, quite less salty than the seaweed salads she was used to and the red and yellow vegetables had a pleasant sweetness while the sauce had a slightly bitter yet nice flavor.

The salad was followed by a much more liquidy course called “soup”. Something that would have been impossible to recreate back in the mer kingdom. A rich creamy broth with bits of salmon, oh yes this soup was quite a step up from the Archon Loaf, whatever fishy concussion that had been. The main course was something Thancred called “Spaghetti-al-Nero”, quite the concocation but at least she could recognize some of the ingredients! It had been such a long time since she had anything with squid ink. But what gave the meal such a pleasantly sweet and savory flavor she couldn’t say only that combined with the squid ink’s brininess made her want more with each dinglehopperfull.

Over dinner, Thancred would tell Piyeh about some places out in the kingdom, from the Royal Library to all the old shops in the downtown area. When asked if she would like to visit, Piyeh nodded enthusiastically, she wanted to see everything!

“We’ll try to see as much as we can in the morn.” Thancred said taking the last sip of his tea as Piyeh eagerly finished off the bloodcurrant tart, which much to her relief, did not contain actual blood, just blood-red fruits in a sweet and sticky syrup atop a tangy custard and a wonderfully flaky crust. Delicately wiping the last crumbs from her lips with the soft napkin, Piyeh looked up eagerly at Thancred nodding enthusiastically.

“Then it looks we have a big day tomorrow,” Thancred said with a chuckle, “Now if you’ll allow me, my lady.” He stood up gracefully and stepped towards Piyeh, holding out a hand to her. Setting her napkin on the table, Piyeh took Thancred’s hand and he pulled her up to her feet and wound his arm around hers once she was standing.

They took a slightly different hall back to her rooms than the one the lady in waiting had led Piyeh down to get to the dining hall. On her left, tall ceiling to floor windows gave those walking down it an unobstructed view of the sea and sky. She stared out the window in amazement as she kept stride alongside Thancred down the hallway, at least it helped keep her mind off her very, very sore feet. She would be quite glad to lie down in bed soon. Thancred was in the middle of telling her about the observatory where the Astrologians studied the stars when Piyeh’s foot suddenly twisted sideways and slid out from under her!

“I’ve got you!” Thancred managed to catch her as she pitched forwards, then scooped her up into his arms, “Mayhaps, I best carry you, my lady.” he gave her such a charming smile Piyeh was sure she was about to faint in his arms and would not have been at all surprised his her hair burst into flames from how bright red her face must have been. With a silent squeak, she just buried her face into Thancred’s chest, gripping his doublet as he let out a hearty laugh, hoisting her up more securely in his arms as he made his way to her room.

What a first day up on land it had been!