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Bluish halos shone on Cerydra’s serious face. The archway she was passing through opened onto an aquatic dome worthy of the palaces she had studied before. If she were a regent of that era, Cerydra knew for certain that she would have conquered land and sea as in days of old. Now, the monarch’s figure was reduced to a public image. A petty government elected by the people, and she, cast aside. The only thing she could do was have attractions closed off entirely for her when she wanted to visit. An aquarium without sufficient public funding—as in this case—in its final throes before closing.
Exotic fish species swam above her head. Returning them to their natural habitat would be far too risky. Born in captivity, they were destined for a cruel and exploitative fate: the choice between dying in the wild or living a life in captivity. Cerydra felt this wasn’t much different from the life of royalty.
She gestured to the bodyguards behind her to stay still.
“The violinist mermaid’s show will be entirely mine,” she warned the two women—one with gray hair and the other with violet hair.
“Right away, Your Highness,” Castorice replied, curtsying.
“We’ll stay over here watching the little fish. Look, Princess, that one looks just like you.” Cipher pointed to one of them and leaned in close to her blushing ear. “Honestly, I could just eat…”
“Watching me.” Cerydra raised an eyebrow, and Cipher retreated a bit. “But anyway, you can see from a mile away that the perimeter is clear.”
“We’ll let you know if anything happens.” Castorice added, glancing sideways at Cipher.
“Yeah, you go ahead and enjoy the show. It was obvious you wanted to come see her ever since you found out she existed.” Cipher shut her mouth with just a glance from the young queen. “Enjoy yourself.” She bowed, stretching her arm toward the hall.
So Cerydra stepped forward and drew the black curtain within her reach. With her hand still on it, she took one last look around, frowning, her other fingers tucked under her jacket, feeling for her taser. There were only dark seats. Only the light from the aquarium in front of them illuminated them.
Cerydra loosened her grip as she moved further in. No hidden doors; that was the only entrance and exit. Nobody else was in the room. There was an armchair in the center of the front row that had been modified to look like a throne. So, determined, the queen settled herself on it.
The fish should be the same as in the other area, since the two were connected. The difference was that the ones here seemed to be luminescent. A dimly lit environment dominated by shades of purple, blue, and pink. But what stood out most was a giant fish tank in the midst of the marine flora and fauna, resting on the sand. Although it was contained within an oxygen bubble, from Cerydra’s perspective, it was as if she were in the water itself, with nothing having changed.
And from it emerged the beautiful mermaid who used to be the main attraction of the place in days gone by. Cerydra straightened up to rest her face on her remaining fist on the armrest. Hysilens—that’s what the sign said her name was. At the same time, it offered just a glimpse of what her beautiful face actually looked like. Mermaids sang to lure sailors—had they evolved to play instruments to please a queen?
When the first pristine notes echoed through the hall, Cerydra realized that was indeed the case.
She found herself swept to the bottom of the ocean with Hysilens. A melody that was both sad and beguiling. A loneliness like her own. To live in captivity underwater or to break free from that bubble at the cost of dying in freedom. The sound of the violins grew louder as Cerydra rose from her seat to approach the glass where Hysilens stood. Her hand rested on it while the mermaid still did not look at her.
Once there, Hysilens stopped playing and looked at her solemnly. Even so, the violins did not fall silent. There was a compartment that Cerydra hadn’t noticed before because of the distance. Otherwise, where had Hysilens slipped in? The fish continued to sway back and forth as if following a similar choreography. They began to obscure her view of the rest of the glass.
Expectant heartbeats kept the same rhythm as the melody behind her.
“Come out, mermaid. Prove to me that this place is worth saving,” the monarch commanded.
And so, black hair streaked with bluish-gray and pink made its way through. Cerydra was captivated by the bubbling torso revealing her ribs. By her pearl-like eyes that sought her out. By the gloved hand resting on the one she was holding from her side of the glass. A white tail adorned with black and pink scales. So perfectly formed that Cerydra hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was a human in disguise or a real mermaid.
Before she could give it any further thought, the mermaid slipped out of her reach. Hysilens directed the fish like an orchestra conductor. They followed her hands. Was there food hidden in them, perhaps? The choreography, along with the violin still playing, left Cerydra speechless. With her arms crossed, she continued watching the spectacle, now smiling despite her raised eyebrows.
It was… Brilliant. All of this had to be preserved—not just for the aquarium’s marine life, which was about to go to waste, but for the aquatic-taming violinist herself. If she had to use her influence and money to save it, so be it. That was all she could conquer in the modern age, wasn’t it? Cultural havens. And if these no longer appealed to the public or her political cronies failed to see their charm, she would take it upon herself to fix that.
Although Hysilens remained out of her reach and the violins faded away, Cerydra did not leave the hall feeling as though she had suffered a loss.
As she left, she came across Cipher with her arm around Castorice’s waist as they rested their heads together. Upon seeing them, Cerydra raised her voice.
“This aquarium will be mine,” she declared, causing Castorice to suddenly pull away.
“We were…” Castorice replied, blushing.
“Enjoying the view!” Cipher finished for her.
At their flimsy excuse, Cerydra merely raised an eyebrow. “You may go about your business,” she warned her bodyguards. “I’m going to speak with the aquarium’s owner. That mermaid will be mine—along with everything you see around you.”
“Was the performance that good, Your Majesty?”
“It wasn’t just good—it was a cry for help. I won’t allow this aquarium to fall into ruin when it’s clear there’s so much talent here and an opportunity to continue reaping economic and cultural benefits from it.”
“She’s already getting technical,” Cipher whispered, confused, to Castorice. “I mean, yes, boss, boss, uh, boss—Your Majesty.”
“Sounds good to me,” Castorice chimed in this time. “That way, we can preserve all these little fish that can no longer return home.”
“Exactly. And there’s also a natural talent that can’t be wasted. But anyway, go about your business. I can go on my own.”
Before giving them a chance to reply, Cerydra vanished from the scene almost as quickly as the mermaid had—and with the same goals in mind as she did.