What Lies in the Deep

Mermaid, Horseshoe, Heir.

Scalloped Jewels shimmered from Humphrey’s pegged horseshoe shaped claw. He’d made a gamble coming this close to the castle walls.

“Old Humphrey…my man…where’d you find such a unique trinket? They sure don’t make ‘em like that anymore…” Henry-Claude whispered, his curiosity harbored a bit of resentment. No one asked those sorts of questions anymore and besides, he was the only seahorse who still had all his working parts.

After all these years Humphrey still found it surprising nothing had come by and chomped Henry-Claude in half—he was after-all THE nosiest creature on the entire ocean floor.

“I reckon I wouldn’t have much use for something like that seeing as to how I don’t have any arms—just fins—and right fine rudders they are. Shiniest in town…” Henry-Claude continued, babbling on about nothing and everything.

“Can’t believe someone would just swoop down and steal your claw…” Cordelia added, swirling into the roaming confines of the spacious castle towers; red, rust colored coral. She was the fifth daughter of Levithyseus’s fourteen children, the third most curious of the bunch and the only one who would give any wayward sea-creatures the time of day. This latest bunch was an understatement. She’d formed a group of misfit friends; some closer than family.

“Yeah well it was a pure accident plain-and-simple, happened with that shipwreck, landed on me’ arm…” Humphrey paused, pointing with his spare claw over to the discarded ship nearby, a bucket of oozing metal and splintered wood. “The name Roselle’s slightly faded but she’s a good ship. Saved a few goodies for me ‘self,” he prided, displaying his arm for all to see.

“It’s a good thing too, King Levithyseus’s guard fashioned me a peg—just like the Captain himself. Should last me a long time. You should go check it out and see for yourself,” Humphrey boasted as he rounded up all the nearby sea-creatures, Henry-Claude included.

“Cordelia, you can come if you like, it’s a mighty fine ship to explore—lots of things to see. Might give you something to do while everyone is out running errands for the big celebration. You will get back with plenty of time to get ready for the Liberation Fest…what do you say…”

Cordelia hesitated. “Though I never tire of your captivating stories… I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“C’mon,” Ronan begged, popping his neon-blue face through an opening in the crowd. He was a brightly colored, disc shaped fish with saucer-like eyes and purple fins.

Cordelia sat on a nearby shell— “I guess I can spare a few hours, but what will my father say. I’m supposed to be escorted to the ball with the rest of my siblings tonight. All of them have come into town for the festivities…I can’t be late. If I am, he’ll kill me…the entire town will be there.”

“He can’t expect you to never have fun, to never wander outside the corals…” Ronan continued, his boorish face contorted into sad-puppy-eyes.

“I don’t know, it’s not a good idea,” Irvetta, Ronan’s sister added. “It isn’t safe for her, she’s too big. It might attract a winged-snout-fish or a twin-shark. They’ve been spotted in the area before, can’t risk it…can’t risk it.”

“Oh, cod-swallow, you worry too much,” Humphrey moaned. “Live a little, have a smidgen of fun. In all my seventy years I’ve not seen a’one, nothing larger than a sting-ray or a baby serpent crab…you will be fine, it’s just for a few hours…promise…”

“Besides, we are right by the corals, just a hop, skip and a wave. Be back in no-time…”

“Fine, enough small talk… let’s just get a move on already. We’re wasting daylight,” Ronan cried, practically coming out of his scales with excitement as he flitted against the sand, his flippers skirting dust everywhere.

“Calm down Ronan, calm down,” Humphrey’s snarled. “That’s exactly what we don’t need, a big hubbub over nothing. You know the deal…”

“Alright…Alright, I will be still…” Ronan scowled. His fins slowing to a snail’s pace as he parked himself right alongside Humphrey’s shiny horseshoe shaped claw.

“Told your mom I’d keep a good eye on you, you have to stick close…that means you to Cordelia, though I sure wish you’d worn something less regal…”

“Well I wasn’t planning on leaving the coral,” Cordelia replied, snaking up onto the back of her tail as she posed. She was beautiful, as always. She’d finally let her long velvety hair hang in loose braids with streams of amethyst sea-moss woven in. Her royal robes were a mild mauve and she wore two jewel-encrusted solid-gold shells on her chest while netted strands of dainty celestial pearls completed the sparkling ensemble.

“Don’t I look a dream,” she mused, a joking smile on her face. “You should be proud, I never wear such a get-up. I’m growing up, got to dress the part…especially if I want to be Queen one-day. Can you imagine…me, Queen of all the Mermaids in town, Mermen, Mer-maidens, all-the-like…I would make room in the castle for each of you…don’t you worry.”

“I know, I know, you look divine…” Humphrey replied, “it’s just…I didn’t realize how shimmery your scales look with the jewels, it’s all a bit much for such a regular visit outside. Even I wrap my claw when I go out. Don’t want to get snatched up and eaten…”

“I think we’ll be fine. There’s not much sea-traffic out there,” Ronan chimed in—as if on cue. He was more oblivious to the ways of the world.

“Alright, I guess…if you say so…” Humphrey replied, his weary eyes slanting into a squint as he stuck his head out of the coral.

Henry-Claude took the little excursion as a reason to discuss the odds-and-ends of life above sea—how the ships were made, the way humans swam with webbed feet and even the apparatus’s they used to breathe.

Most of it was anatomically incorrect of course.

“Humans don’t put straws up their noses and they surely can’t breathe without an oxygen tank…” Irvetta whispered, “It’s the little details he get’s wrong…poor guy, tries so hard…”

“Looks like we’ve made it…” Ronan gushed, every inch of his tiny body vibrating with intense excitement.

“I can’t see how anyone would miss the boat…look at the size of it…” Irvetta smirked. The cracked metal contraption busting out at the seams as the insides spilled out.

“All aboard…but make sure you watch for sharp edges, trap doors and glowing eyes…danger lurks in every corner so beware…” Humphrey’s warning seemed to fall on deaf ears as the group made a mad-dash, splitting off in every direction to explore.

“Be back when the shadow touches this line, and only take what you can hold…” Humphrey ordered, pointing to a gash on the ship’s hull. The sun’s rays were already halfway there.

“Follow me,” Ronan called, disappearing into the calm waters of the broken ship’s interior.

It was calm, too calm.

Not much lived in these sorts of waters—just tiny bugs, specks of dust and gaggling schools of fish—that’s if you were lucky. It would be a rare occasion to see an occasional eel or a wayward treasure hunter but nothing too serious ever comes this far down.

Cordelia and Irvetta followed close behind through the maze of overturned furniture and long-lost trinkets. There wasn’t much sunlight to be had in these halls. Her eyes were not adjusting as quick as she’d like.

“Ronan slow down,” Cordelia called but it was no use; her voice felt muted and to make things worse it would seem she’d lost sight of Irvetta too, finding herself all alone as she drifted aimlessly along.

She slowed, listening for any signs of life, a glimmer of scales, a hum of excitement—nothing.

As she turned around the walls felt like they’d close in. The ship appeared far bigger than she’d remembered. It wasn’t as all as she had imagined and now she wished she had stayed back in the safety of the coral.

“Cordelia,” Ronan called, his voice panicked.

“Oh no Irvetta, I think we lost her…”

“Ronan, I told you this was a bad idea. Her father is going to be angry, very angry…”

“Humphrey…Henry-Claude…we can’t find Cordelia. She must’ve taken a wrong turn. I saw a pair of Steely-eyed-Gribbs at the back. I wasn’t big enough to scare them off but I don’t think they saw her…at least not yet.”

“What…” Humphrey’s voice boomed angrily out over what was left of the wreck.

"You lost her? How’d you manage that. The ship is only but yay-big…”

“It isn’t going to do us a bit of good to argue,” Henry-Claude whispered, “we have to go save her, if the Steely-eyed Gribbs have her they will rip her to shreds… I say we drag-a-net…”

“That’s something I haven’t heard since my shelling days…” Humphrey began, a new-found gusto in his voice as he agreed with Henry-Claude for the first time in his entire-life.

“For all you youngins’ out there,” Henry-Claude began, his chest puffed out like a puffer-fish—"dragging-a-net is simple, we stand fin to claw and walk as straight a line as we can until we find what we’re looking for…simple enough…got it?”

“Got it…”

Voices from all over chimed in as finned, clawed, and roving creatures with suction-cup tentacles joined the search.

“It’s the Kings Daughter…so…do with that information as you must but we have to find her before sundown…”

“Where’s Cordelia,” King Levithyseus’s mighty voice rumbled from the center of this chambers.

“Haven’t seen her…”

“She knew she had something to do tonight, very important…” he began, pacing the marble floors below, armed sea-lanterns lined the edge waiting for the next set of orders to be given.

King Levithyseus re-counted his children one-by-one, all the others were there; all thirteen. One’s still missing… Delia, Liza, Millicent…have you seen your sister?”

All three shook their heads no.

“I haven’t the slightest clue where she’d go off to at this hour…never have I ever known her to be so disobedient…and of all nights, the night she will be ordained at the Liberation Fest…she can finally choose whether or not she will stay in the castle or forge her own path somewhere else…my word…it’s something every young woman looks forward to…right?”

“Yes, your majesty… it’s a big night, a night to celebrate the newest heir. I’m sure she has a good reason. You know she isn’t the best with time…”

The Kings most trusted advisor—Remus slunk off in his oversized shell as he sat happy as a clam in the corner. He was waiting on such a moment to bring attention to Cordelia’s absent-mindedness.

“Either way, she’s young, she still has time to grow into the Queen she needs to be. She’s a lot like her mom, very determined, very curious…She will be just fine…I knew I should have planned a whole day with her…and not let her sneak off…”

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Remus’s curved claws clinked aimlessly against the echo chamber of his shell. “If left to her own devices…”

“You’ve got far too much room in there for your own good…” King Levithyseus hissed—going back to his pacing— “besides, don’t you have some shrimp to devein?”

Remus said nothing, his eyes largely unblinking as he trailed off to the kitchen chambers muttering up a storm.

“That should wipe the smile from his pretentious little face…I haven’t the slightest clue why you keep him…”

“Ah, Marius…just the person I need to see. Ignore old Remus, he gets cranky with each new generation… That’s not important right now, I need you to put some feelers out there and see where my lovely daughter has gotten off to. It’s Cordelia…she’s supposed to be here in an hour and she’s not come back yet; I don’t think she’d venture out beyond the gates but you never know.”

“Sure can, but just so we’re clear—does anyone know what she was wearing last…”

Crickets could be heard through the castle chambers.

“Well…speak up…”

“She was wearing mothers’ jewels…”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier Mira, this changes everything…”

“Do you hear that,” Humphrey screeched, his claws barely able to cover his ears.

“The sirens…the King’s alarm. Oh no, no, no, no, no, no. We’re in deep, deep trouble now…”

They’d managed to drag the entire shipwreck—there wasn’t a hint of Cordelia to be seen.

“She’s gone…she’s gone… the Princess is gone…”

Ronan swirled back-and-forth unsure of what to do next.

“Calm down dear boy, the King will be arriving soon and he will want answers…steady yourself…”

Irvetta sunk lower and lower to the sand— “I think I might faint…we’re all going to be in trouble. Not just you Ronan…not just Humphrey…or Henry-Claude. All of us…we failed the King…”

Rays of dust-addled sun peppered the water, long passing the line in the ship’s hull. The Liberation Festival was upon them.

“She’s supposed to be crowned tonight…”

“Yes, yes she is,” Remus, the King’s advisor cooed from the edge of the shipwreck.

“What were you doing taking the King’s precious daughter out so far, so far from safety, from home—from the castle. The ends of the Coral would’ve been sufficient but you had to take her farther…why…”

“We didn’t take her anywhere,” Ronan hissed, the scales on his back raising like the hairs of a rabid-dog. “She is going to be Queen, she can make her own decisions. She doesn’t answer to you, we don’t answer to you…besides, the Steely-eyed Gribbs must’ve taken her…”

“What’d you say,” Remus interjected, his looping body perking up for a better listen as he coiled, wrapping himself in knots.

“I said…” Ronan’s voice shot out like a canon.

Irvetta quickly cut him off.

“What he means to say is that there were two large creatures in the ship…they were the ones who snatched the Princess up…”

“She wouldn’t have been able to be snatched if she hadn’t been outside the walls…” Remus began, his greedy, slivered eyes fixated on the cowering, lowly fish.

“I don’t think you would’ve been able to stop them… I’ve already put the word out as it were, the reward is big, bigger than you can imagine. The Queen’s Jewels…that should be worth the life of the Princess…The Kings errand boy Marius is out there running himself into the ground, doesn’t know where to check…but me, I know better…”

“Wonder what he meant…the Queen’s jewels are worth the life of the Princess…as in…”

“Dead Ronan…dead…the stupid King’s advisor doesn’t care if she’s dead or alive. You see… he hates her. Always has, always will. We have to get to her before Remus or his men are able to find her. We have to warn the King.”

They finally rounded the top of the coral where the King’s magnificent castle sat perched atop the cliffs but before they could step foot into the sea-moss riddled courtyard, the tolls of even louder horns blew.

Hordes of armed sea-lanterns swarmed by.

"Ready your men...they've taken her, taken her to the tops...she's being auctioned off at sunrise..."